Twenty Seven Years

  Chapter 432 Untitled

  【The situation is gradually improving. 】

  【They all said they finally felt some vitality again. The fire of Bash's revolution seemed to be extinguished for a brief moment, then rekindled and flickered. 】

  【After careful discussion today, we have decided to impose the death penalty on Cosmo, in order to establish dignity and give an explanation to the comrades who died. 】

  【Actually, I was a little hesitant before making this decision. Because our experiences are somewhat similar, although I don't see myself in him, I still feel a little dazed. 】

  【In short, this matter has been settled, and when it is formally dealt with, let's let those pains turn over for the time being. 】

   "Comrade Verac!"

Stuart's shout came from outside the house. After writing '1434.8.2' on the last line of the diary in a hurry, Verac put it in the cabinet, got up and opened the door, and greeted Stuart and Quentin. He came in: "what's the matter?"

Stuart didn't even bother to sit down, and excitedly said: "The scavengers and the people who closed the city have all withdrawn today! Maxim probably thinks that Winterhold is safe, and is going to send people out to chase Comrade Vladislav and the others!" "

   "Continue to wait." Verak was very patient.

   "Comrade Quentin also meant that." Stuart walked back and forth in the room, too excited to sit still, "Anyway, this means that Maxim has been hooked, and it's only a matter of time before he leaves."

"We have no clues in the scavengers. We can't judge their internal decisions based on these movements. We have to consider the possibility that Maxim deliberately set up a trick to lure us to the front." Verak ignored Stuart and sat back. At the desk.

   "To what extent do you think it means we can move?" Stuart asked.

  Verak pondered: "When Maxim and Vladislav meet, let's simply exchange hands once or twice."

   "Then it will take ten days and half a month, right?"

"It's a month or half a year. We have to wait." Verak said, "This is our last chance. If we are exposed to the sight of the scavengers without being prepared, Winterhold will really not be able to stay." As a result, Bash’s overall revolutionary work will be even more difficult.”

   "Well..." Stuart had no objection to this.

  The scavengers are very skilled, and they must be transferred, so that the sub-station can go all out to lay the foundation of the revolution in Winterhold, accumulate strength in a safer environment, and wait for the opportunity.

  After chatting with Stuart, Quentin talked about his purpose of coming: "After discussion, we decided to give Cosmo a knife. Do you have any ideas?"

   This decision took Verak by surprise.

  They finalized the execution of Cosmo in the morning, but Verak didn't give much of his opinion on how to execute him, and sent Quentin to take everyone's opinions first.

  He originally thought that everyone would unanimously propose to torture Cosmo, let Cosmo suffer the most, and comfort the sacrificed comrades.

  But the comrades were not so unscrupulous, and gave themselves respect above death.

Stuart was not very satisfied with this arrangement: "In my opinion, it's better to save his dog's life first. After the revolution succeeds, he will be paraded in the streets and then executed in public. Now this is unconsciously To let him die so easily is to respect him, but it does not respect those comrades who sacrificed."

   "You think an eye for an eye is an eye for an eye, don't you?" Verak tried to think about it from the perspective of his comrades.

"certainly!"

   "Isn't punishment an eye for an eye? We have no mercy for the enemy, and we are not as despicable as the enemy. We can do everything, which is very good." Verak admired the results of the comrades.

   "I'm... Forget it, everyone can come as they like." Stuart said half a sentence, but still gave up the idea of ​​explaining his point of view.

   "Besides, Cosmo wants to see you for the last time after learning about this." Quentin finished all the things he wanted to report after Stuart finished interrupting.

   "He wants to see me?" Verak couldn't think of what else he and Cosmo had to talk about, "Then I'll go there."

   "I'm with you."

   "Cosmo wants to have a private chat with Comrade Verak." Quentin stopped Stuart who was about to follow Veraker.

  Verak went out and came to the utility room guarded by several comrades.

  The comrades probably knew that Cosmo wanted to see Verak for the last time, saluted Verak, and opened the door.

   What greeted Verak's eyes was feces and urine, almost like a dried-up Cosmo.

   "Almost didn't recognize it." Verak walked in, frowning slightly because of the stench.

   "You're here..." Cosmo, who was tightly bound, had a hoarse voice, and his eyes were dim.

   "What can I do for you?" Verak asked.

Cosmo organized his language for tens of seconds, and said to Verak who was silently waiting for him to speak: "...I...know I was wrong...I didn't say this to please you, so as to save my life. I really... I know I was wrong... I have no problem with the sentencing decision."

   The truth cannot be distinguished from the false, and the ending cannot be changed, so Verak chose to believe in Cosmo: "It's not too late."

"...I called you here to say thank you." Cosmo's eyes were still dodged, "Thank you for discovering my betrayal and saving the sub-station. If it weren't for you, I would have succeeded, with such burdens on my body. Many hot lives, and the rest of my life will be very heavy."

  Verak didn't speak.

"I envy you very much. I envy you who made mistakes like me, but you can wake up so early. I joined the Equality Association a few years ago. I am one of the veterans who have come through the most difficult days. I didn't expect to be slow Slowly walking the road like this..." Cosmo was very emotional.

"You say these words from the bottom of your heart, I think, it will be more peaceful for the comrades who died than killing you." Verak took out a cigarette and lit it, and then stuffed it into Cosmo's mouth inside.

   "Huh..." Cosmo closed his eyes, took a breath, and exhaled the smoke.

   "If there is an afterlife, I hope you can live in the brand-new world we built. You have contributed to that brand-new world." Verak said.

  Hearing this sentence, Cosmo, who had his eyes closed, couldn't hold back anymore.

   He gritted his teeth, his face trembled first, and then twitched.

   "Let's go." Verak bowed slightly, turned and went out.

"I'm really sorry." Cosmo said to Verak's back with tears and snot running down his nose, even if the burning cigarette fell on him, he ignored it, "I know that a sorry can't save their lives , but I'm really sorry!"

  Verak kept walking and walked out.

  After the guarding comrades closed the door and the two sides would never meet again, he stood still and took a deep breath.

  Unspeakable emotions surged in his heart. After resting for a few seconds, Verak returned to his room, sat back at the desk, opened the drawer and placed the notebook on the table.

  The pen is still clipped to the page of his hastily concluded diary.

  He poked his fingers in, reopened the diary he had just written, and added a few more sentences after the date.

  —

  August 3rd

  The comrades who remained in Winterhold silently executed Cosmo, and the haze in their hearts dissipated.

  —

  August 5th

  Bash Empire, Xiling City

   After integrating with the reinforcements sent by the Sdar Kingdom sub-station, Vladislav wasted no time and quickly organized the revolutionary work.

  Distribute works such as "Theory of Equality", teach ideas privately, lead workers and farmers to resist factory owners and farmers who oppress them, and engage in small-scale firefights with the guards...

  —

  August 6th

  The Bash Empire announced the end of cooperation with the International Equality League.

  As soon as the cooperation was terminated, the scavengers wiped out some comrades who were still in control of the sub-stations of the former members of the Workers' Mutual Aid Association, and immediately announced that there were no reactionary forces in Winterhold, and inspections and curfews were no longer implemented.

   Veraker, who heard the news, hadn't eaten all day.

  He tried his best, but he still felt guilty.

  If I am more capable, can I save more comrades? Instead of being forced to take some comrades to evacuate first?

  It's a pity that the "if" only exists in the imagination and is insulated from reality.

  After the grief, he led the comrades in the branch station to hold a moment of silence to pay the highest respect to the comrades who died due to Cosmo’s rebellion and the Scavenger Suppression.

  —

  August 8th

  In the secret site where Winterhold, Veraker and others are located

"Station Master Verak." Quentin found Verak, "Since Comrade Vladislav and the others made any movement, I sent someone to keep an eye on Maxim's mansion for three days. Although I haven't seen him come out in the past two days Yes, but it’s still strange that he hasn’t shown up for two days. I suspect that after Bash announced the termination of cooperation with us, he was ordered to set off secretly to pursue Comrade Vladislav in West Ring City.”

Cosmo betrayed, Daisy sacrificed, Vladislav and Arseni went to Xiling City, and the sub-station lacked a legitimate leader at the moment, so Verak voted unanimously in the meeting two days ago to take over Acting station master.

"But you have been watching his mansion for two days, and you haven't seen him come out. If he has really left, why is he so secretive? Is it because Vladislav and the others notice it, or is it for us to see?" Verak Be quite wary of Maxim.

"No matter what, as long as he appears in Xiling City later and is restrained by Comrade Vladislav. He is the core of the scavenger. If he leaves, even if there are still some scavenger people staying in Winterhold It will pose an effective threat to us." Quentin analyzed.

   "Well, it seems that we still have to wait a few more days."

  —

  August 10

  Maxim, who secretly arrived in Xiling City, surrounded a group of comrades who were giving lectures to the workers after completing the surveillance.

And Vladislav and the others have long received the reminder from Verak and others, and their awareness of prevention and emergency measures are very strong and complete. They immediately started a gun battle with the scavengers, and they just relied on their firepower to rescue the trapped comrades and evacuate them. to other towns.

The performance of the "bait team" refreshed Maxim's understanding of the sub-station. He abandoned some messy thoughts and began to believe in the withdrawal of all sub-stations from Winterhold. He mobilized all his forces to pursue Vladislav all the way. .

  Winterhold is no longer fortified, the time is ripe, and the long-awaited Verak and others finally dispatched.

  Quentin set up an intelligence team, Oscar set up a propaganda team, and Stuart also recruited a group of people to open up business, earning a steady stream of event funds.

  In addition to their respective duties, Verac led Connie, Clark and others to do all kinds of work.

  As for the combat team, because the comrades who stayed in Winterhold will spend a long time hiding their strengths and biding their time, exposure would be tantamount to failure. Therefore, considering that there is no demand for it, Verak put aside the plan in this regard.

  —

   August 13th

   Vladislav led the "bait team" to walk Maxim around the territory of Bash, leading them to the area near the Kingdom of Sder.

  This 'bait team' has never stayed in any place for more than two days since it had a head-on confrontation with the scavengers and escaped from Xiling City, so it has not been able to engage in any revolutionary work.

   This is exactly what Vladislav meant.

  Their task was to contain Maxim, and now they are fleeing all the way without stopping. If the scavengers can't catch up with them, their safety will naturally be guaranteed. If safety can be guaranteed, the containment will naturally continue, buying more time for the comrades in Winterhold.

   On the other hand, Maxim felt that it was because of his pressing hard that the rebellious party failed to do anything serious, and he was also very satisfied with the status quo.

  The two forces within Bash have reached a delicate balance.

However, in order not to keep catching up, Maxim, who was inevitably overthinking, guessed that he deliberately led them away from Winterhold. Vladislav did not intend to run endlessly. He discussed it with Arseni and the comrades at the Sder sub-station. After a while, it was decided to set up an ambush in the border area.

  It would be best if the Scavenger could be seriously injured, and Maxim would be angered if he could not be severely injured, so as to ensure that he would not be suspicious of this matter in a short time.

  —

  August 14th

  The ambush did not go well.

   Maxim failed to see through Vladislav's fundamental purpose, but he saw through his idea of ​​​​running to the border.

   If the sub-station wants to escape from Bash, they can enter the Kingdom of Sidr in one breath, but they stop and go like this, circling back and forth in the border area, clearly waiting for themselves to come, there must be fraud.

  He followed up with his plan, and then specially arranged two teams of people to stay behind and follow all the way, all the way to the front at full speed.

   Sure enough, after chasing to a place, Maxim was ambushed. The other two teams acted decisively, and in turn attacked the comrades at the International League for Equality sub-station back and forth, forcing Vladislav to evacuate with his people to preserve his strength.

  Verak in Winterhold was not surprised when he received the news.

  Vladislav was born as a worker. Although he has grown a lot through tempering, he is still far behind a human being like Maxim. It is normal for this ambush to be seen through and used instead.

  The reason why he didn't stop it was because there was still a Sub-Station of the Kingdom of Steele watching this matter. No matter how bad the situation was, it couldn't be that bad, and even if it suffered a loss, the result was still good.

   This move deepened Maxim's judgment. He believed that the International Equality League wanted to compete with him outside, and gradually put all his energy on chasing Vladislav, and his attention on Winterhold dropped to zero.

  Maxim didn't care about it, and Winterhold was finally no longer a threat.

  (end of this chapter)