Chapter 1318
The Chinese Labor Corps, The Great Heist at Fontainebleau Palace, and General James, th
I learned that Li Aiguo was going to have Chinese food.
Editor-in-Chief Richard and several professors from the French family also became interested and expressed their desire to try it out.
The group, which originally consisted of five people, grew into a large group of more than ten.
Led by Professor Wang, the group strolled to a Chinese restaurant on a street near the Peninsula Hotel.
The restaurant owner is a second-generation Chinese, whose ancestral home is Weihaiwei, Shandong. His father came to Europe as a member of the Chinese Labor Corps.
Although the name contains the word "legion," it sounds very imposing.
But frankly speaking, they were just some recruited laborers.
The contracts signed between the Chinese laborers and the British and French authorities clearly stipulated that they would not participate in combat.
In reality, the Chinese laborers were all working on the front lines of the battle.
Loading and unloading ammunition, building railways, laying highways, erecting bridges, and manufacturing bullets.
They even had to rescue the wounded, bury the dead, and clear mines under fire... doing the most arduous and dangerous work.
"My father was seriously wounded at the time, which is why he was withdrawn from the battlefield."
None of the people who left the village with him back then survived.
The shop owner was very excited and friendly when he saw Li Aiguo and his group of Chinese people, and even took out an old photo from behind the counter.
The photo shows a young man wearing a coarse cloth short jacket and lantern pants, with leggings on his legs and a brimless round hat with leather ear flaps on his head. He is sallow and thin.
Later, when he heard that Li Aiguo was going to treat them to the meal, this generous boss didn't even offer a discount, gave them the meal for free, and refused to accept any money.
Seeing that Li Aiguo was determined to pay, the shop owner pushed his hand away without saying a word.
"Professor Li, please don't stand on ceremony with me!"
The news is circulating among Chinese communities throughout Europe that Professor Li from the Chinese Medical Association has won the first Montiello Prize from our university!
You have truly brought honor and glory to all Chinese people!
It's my honor that you've come to my little shop for a meal; I absolutely have to treat you!
Seeing that the boss was adamant, Li Aiguo smiled and accepted the offer without insisting further.
The food was all Shandong style, and it tasted very good.
At the dinner table, after everyone had gotten to know each other, Chairman Fu raised his glass and looked at Li Aiguo.
"Patriotism! On behalf of the Chinese Medical Association, I toast you!"
Congratulations on winning the Montión Award! Thank you for bringing this honor to the medical community at Southeast University!
After clinking glasses with Chairman Fu and downing his drink in one gulp, Li Aiguo smiled modestly.
"President Fu, you're too kind. I didn't deserve it. I was just doing what I was supposed to do."
"Professor Li, I'd like to raise a glass to you as well. It's not on behalf of anyone else, it's just on behalf of myself."
Liu Pan laughed heartily, stood up, and raised his glass: "If I have the chance to visit John Bull's place in the future, I will definitely treat you well."
"Thank you," Li Aiguo replied with a smile. "I'll definitely come and bother you when I have the chance."
Li Aiguo was undoubtedly the star of tonight's banquet.
Then Professor Richard, along with several other professors from the French family, stood up and raised their glasses.
After several rounds, even though Li Aiguo had a fairly good alcohol tolerance, he was still slightly tipsy.
However, Li Aiguo also took advantage of this rare opportunity to get to know many big names in the French medical community, which was quite a fruitful experience.
Halfway through the meal, Li Aiguo felt a bit bloated, so he stood up to go to the restroom.
As soon as he entered the restroom, before he could even loosen his belt, the restaurant owner mysteriously followed him from behind.
"Professor Li, are you alright?"
"It's okay."
Li Aiguo felt that his boss's action of following him into the restroom was a bit strange.
The shopkeeper looked around to make sure no one was around, then took something out of his pocket and handed it to Li Aiguo.
"Professor Li, could you please help me send this jade pendant back to China? This is just a small token of my appreciation as an overseas Chinese."
Li Aiguo paused for a moment, then reached out and took the jade pendant.
It feels warm and smooth to the touch, and is carved with extremely complex and exquisite patterns. Judging from the material, it is top-grade mutton fat jade.
The workmanship and materials used suggest it's an old item from the imperial palace.
"Where did it come from?"
"Hey, I bought this from a soldier in Xiaomei's family. Apparently, this thing was taken from the Old Summer Palace back in the day," the shopkeeper said with a sigh.
Upon hearing this, Li Aiguo's expression immediately turned serious.
The French did indeed participate in the burning of the Old Summer Palace and looted many of our ancestors' treasures.
But logically, those treasures should be in their family museum right now.
How could a soldier from a small American family possibly obtain a national treasure of this caliber?
And they just sold it so casually?!
Li Aiguo pulled the boss aside and asked him in detail.
After hearing this, I felt a pang of sadness.
It turns out that the antiques that the French looted from the Old Summer Palace were sent directly to the royal palace, Fontainebleau Palace, for storage after they returned to France.
After World War II.
The Northern Alliance has occupied Fontainebleau Palace, designating a large area within the palace as a military restricted zone, where the Mei family's army is stationed, and only a handful of areas are open to the public.
"I'm not entirely sure about the exact origin of this jade pendant, but I imagine it was stolen by that soldier. This kind of thing is quite common where they live."
The boss sighed helplessly as he spoke.
"Sigh, that's all I'm good at. I can't make much money running this small restaurant."
Otherwise, I would buy more, no matter how much, so that our ancestors' treasures don't end up abroad.
Li Aiguo felt a lump in his throat as he listened, and patted the shop owner on the shoulder: "Boss, don't worry, I will definitely help you bring this jade pendant back to China safely."
After relieving himself of the water and washing his face, Li Aiguo returned to the dining table.
At this moment, Chairman Fu and Professor Richard were having a lively conversation.
Professor Richard also invited Chairman Fu and Li Aiguo to tour Paris.
"Our Eiffel Tower and Louvre are very famous! If you are interested, I can help you arrange the itinerary."
Li Aiguo's heart skipped a beat, and he asked with a seemingly casual smile, "Professor Richard, what about Fontainebleau Palace? Is it open to visitors?"
Upon hearing this name, Professor Richard's expression immediately turned somewhat grim: "Professor Li, Fontainebleau Palace is very difficult."
That area is now a military control zone, and it's still occupied by soldiers from Xiaomei's family.
You've heard about their behavior; they're incredibly arrogant and domineering, showing no respect even to our official representatives.
“Yes!” A French professor next to him couldn’t help but chime in with a complaint.
"The museum inside Fontainebleau Palace is, in principle, managed by our museum authorities."
But every time they want to open it up, they have to submit a report to the Joint Command, which is now under the control of the US!
"Those soldiers from the US are simply outrageous! It's said they often go out into the streets and harass female college students!" The professors became increasingly angry as they spoke, and they denounced them with righteous indignation.
Good heavens, Xiao Mei's soldier's excellent conduct has remained unchanged for decades; he wreaks havoc wherever he goes.
No wonder Commander Dai disliked them so much.
Li Aiguo touched the jade pendant in his pocket, and a small idea came to his mind.
Late at night, Place Pigalle, Paris.
The glow of neon lights spread through the night fog, turning half the sky into an ambiguous pinkish-purple hue.
This is Paris's most famous nightlife hotspot.
The air was filled with a strange mix of cheap perfume, alcohol, and hormones, attracting countless young men and women seeking thrills.
Hina, who was wearing a floral dress, was originally one of them.
As a freshman who had just entered the University of Paris from a remote village, she was filled with unrealistic fantasies about this bizarre city.
As soon as she entered the school, she heard countless senior students vividly describe the bustling atmosphere of Pigalle Square, and she wanted to broaden her horizons.
But she didn't have the leisure or inclination for it at that moment.
"Tap, tap, tap!"
In the quiet, secluded alley, the crisp sound of high heels frantically pounding the ground echoed.
Hina, holding up the hem of her skirt, ran frantically down the street like a startled fawn.
Just ten minutes ago, she was peeking around at the edge of the square when two officers dressed in Xiaomei's military uniforms approached her with wine glasses and smiles.
The two men, speaking in slightly accented English, half-invited and half-forced her to go deeper into the bar for a "more intimate conversation."
Even if you haven't eaten pork, you've seen pigs run. Looking at the two men's shifty eyes, Xinia immediately understood their sinister intentions.
She turned around decisively and ran away as fast as she could.
But who would have thought that these two guys would never let go of the easy prey they had in their mouths?
Seeing that she was running away, he actually jumped into a jeep and chased after her relentlessly!
"Run! Little beauty, keep running! Hahaha!"
Aren't you afraid I'll call the police?
"Hahaha, call the police? If it weren't for us, you would have been taken over by San Dezi long ago. Would those guards dare to interfere?"
The roar of the jeep engine and the unrestrained, arrogant laughter of the two soldiers were like death knells.
In her panic, Hina ran blindly, and in her haste, the heel of her high heel got stuck in a crack in the cobblestone path.
She slipped and fell to the ground in a sorry state, scraping her hands.
The jeep braked suddenly and stopped less than two meters away from her.
The car headlights shone directly on her, making it almost impossible for her to open her eyes.
Two officers, cigarettes dangling from their lips, jumped out of the car and strolled leisurely toward Hinya.
He bent down, a nauseating grin on his face.
Under the strong backlighting, the two figures appeared distorted and enormous, resembling two wild beasts ready to devour their prey.
"Can't run anymore, little lamb?" One of the officers stretched out his large, hairy hand, about to grab her.
"You, how can you be so ignorant of the rules? When we were at the little notebook, those women practically pounced on us, tsk tsk!"
Hina curled up in despair, knowing what was about to happen.
Overwhelmed by immense fear, she resignedly closed her eyes tightly, tears streaming down her face, awaiting the impending disaster.
One second... two seconds... ten seconds...
Half a minute passed.
The expected brutality did not occur.
Suddenly, the surroundings fell into dead silence; even the heavy breathing and unrestrained laughter of the two soldiers vanished into thin air.
Hina cautiously opened one eye, then both eyes widened in surprise.
Empty!
Where were those repulsive officers now?
Where are those glaring jeeps now?
She was the only one sitting on the ground in the alley. A night breeze blew by, swirling up a few fallen leaves.
"What the hell?"
Hinya rubbed her eyes and pinched her thigh. "Ouch, that hurts..."
If it weren't for the dust on her skirt and the scratches on her palms, she would have even wondered if she had fallen asleep standing up and had a terrible nightmare.
Just then.
"Boom!"
Before we knew it, the sky was covered with dark clouds.
Lightning tore through the night sky.
Immediately afterwards, thunder roared and a torrential downpour began.
Heavy rain was pouring down in front of the Ginemer camp.
Inside the sentry post, the sentry at Xiaomei's house was puffing on his cigarette while grumbling about the damn weather.
Indeed, for the French, this magnificent palace is the Palace of Fontainebleau, a place steeped in history.
But to the American soldiers stationed here, it was nothing more than the Ginemer Camp of their Northern Alliance.
Just when the sentry was so bored he was about to doze off.
Two bright headlights pierced through the heavy rain and shone straight in.
The sentry impatiently put on his raincoat, pushed open the door and went out. Seeing the military license plate, he shouted, "Stop for inspection."
The jeep screeched to a halt in front of him. The door opened, and a young man with a full head of red hair, dressed in a colonel's uniform, stepped out.
The young man calmly handed over his identification.
The sentry took it and glanced at it, his previously stern face instantly breaking into a fawning smile: "Oh, it's Colonel Jill! Please come in!"
Seeing that the documents were correct, the soldier immediately turned around and shouted to his companions, signaling them to quickly open the barricades and let them pass.
Colonel Gil was clearly a kind man; he didn't put on airs at all, and before getting into the car, he generously gave the sentry a fine cigar.
He then got back into the jeep, stepped on the gas, and sped into the camp.
The jeep sped through the Fontainebleau Palace.
This magnificent palace, which has witnessed significant historical events from the Capetian dynasty to the Napoleonic Empire, is enormous in scale and exudes its former glory.
Unfortunately, the palace still stands, but those once-arrogant kings have long since vanished, leaving behind only the vicissitudes of history.
Fontainebleau Palace is a really interesting place.
The western annex has now been transformed into the underground command center of the Northern Alliance, complete with modern military facilities such as officers' dormitories, canteen, garage, communications station, and training ground.
The Huaxia Pavilion is located on the east side.
Officially, this place is managed by the Palace of Fontainebleau Museum.
However, it happened to be right next to the officers' quarters, so security for it naturally fell under the purview of the Northern Agreement.
The jeep did not head towards the dormitory area, but instead stopped in front of the Huaxia Pavilion.
For a young man with an eighth-level fitter skill, the gate of this ancient building is far too easy to construct.
However, the only thing that feels a little awkward is the human skin mask worn on the face, which is somewhat not breathable.
The two pushed open the door and swaggered inside.
They turned on their flashlights, the beams of light sweeping across the huge exhibition hall as they began to "admire" the treasures in the display cases.
The red-haired man's gaze slowly swept over the rows of display cases filled with Chinese cultural relics.
Under the light of the flashlight, the cultural relics seemed to emit a silent lament.
Gazing at these national treasures adrift in foreign lands, accompanied by the pattering rain outside the window, I seemed to vaguely see that once-prosperous dynasty that ultimately declined.
This bleak wind and cold rain seem as if the heavens are weeping for it...
"Hey! What are you doing here so late? Which unit do you belong to?!"
The soldier on patrol, Xiao Mei, was a little angry when he saw the two of them.
Although we usually sneak around taking small items out of there to sell for money, you two are being way too arrogant.
They swagger in to buy goods with just a flashlight; do they think everyone else is blind?
That's a bit bullying!
Faced with the questioning, the red-haired man showed no panic whatsoever. Instead, he turned his head and smiled slightly at the two soldiers.
In the instant the soldier was stunned, the blond man behind the red-haired man swiftly extended his hand with a chop.
The two soldiers didn't even have time to see each other's faces clearly before they felt a heavy blow to the neck, followed by a dizzying sensation, and then they collapsed to the ground with two thuds.
The red-haired man paid no attention to this. He stepped over the fallen soldier, looked around, and then pulled a strangely shaped stick from his pocket.
At the very tip of the stick was a diamond.
He took the stick and gently drew a circle on the bulletproof glass.
With a slight sound, a large hole was torn open in the glass of the display case.
The red-haired man slowly reached into the display case and took out an exhibit.
Along the River During the Qingming Festival (Qing Dynasty copy by Yao Wenhan)
Then, he reached out and, as if picking out cabbages at a market, took out another exhibit: "Five Chinese-style Decorative Paintings".
Southern Song Dynasty official kiln celadon vase with tubular handles, Qing Dynasty Kangxi period polychrome figure and story plate, Qing Dynasty Qianlong period famille rose openwork revolving vase, "Baohe Taihe" celadon square seal...
The thunder and rain outside continued to rumble deafeningly, showing no sign of abating.
The oversized handbag at the red-haired man's feet was quickly filled to the brim.
Seeing this, the blond man silently pulled out another large bag from behind him and placed it on the ground.
The two looked at each other, grinned, and nodded in unison.
Nothing more to say, let's keep going!
It has to be said that these two are incredibly lucky.
Because the museum is located inside a military base of the NATO organization, it is arguably surrounded by some of the world's most secure security.
Who would have thought that there would be such audacious individuals who would dare to cause trouble right under the noses of these heavily armed soldiers?
Moreover, we should be thankful that security technology was relatively backward at that time, and there were no infrared alarm devices.
What?
Even with alarm systems in later generations, they were still robbed.
That's fine, let's get to work!
Two hours later, most of the exhibits in the display case had been looted.
Of course, those faucets and stone slabs can't be taken away now; we'll have to wait until next time.
After seeing that all the valuables had been put into his bag, the red-haired man turned around and walked towards the Siam exhibition area.
Wow, most of these are sedan chairs, including king's sedan chairs and queen's sedan chairs. They're huge!
After picking and choosing for a long time, he finally only picked up a pure gold letter box, a gold conch shell, and a gold-lacquered Buddha shrine.
As for the golden canopy and the Japanese-style gilded sword next to him, he didn't even glance at them. He wasn't interested and it wasn't worth the effort.
When the red-haired man returned to the Chinese Pavilion carrying several pieces of Siamese goldware.
The blond man had already packed up all the remaining exhibits with great efficiency, even taking the calligraphy and paintings that were hanging on the wall as decorations.
The two made several trips, loading the six large bags into the trunk of the Jeep.
However, given the current situation, it is clearly impossible to simply openly drive it out like this.
The red-haired man raised his wrist to check the time and whispered, "It's about time!"
boom!
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a thunderclap resounded through the sky!
Immediately afterwards, the ground shook violently!
If the first loud bang had made some people wonder if it was just because the thunder was too loud tonight.
At this very moment, the fact that the ceiling inside the Northern Alliance air defense command center is swaying violently from side to side and is even starting to crumble is enough to illustrate a serious problem.
This is not a thunderbolt!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Next came a series of earth-shattering explosions!
The towering flames instantly illuminated the entire night sky, and even the heavy rain could not extinguish them.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Alarm!"
"The coordinates are off to the left. Send reinforcements immediately! Hurry, hurry, hurry!"
An alarm sounded inside the base.
In the pouring rain, the entire camp was in complete chaos.
Fully armed soldiers rushed out of their dormitories like headless flies.
Various military vehicles, their headlights blaring, were rampaging through the camp...
The time was almost up. The jeep started up and, amidst the chaotic traffic and crowds, plunged into the thick rain, disappearing without a trace...
A dozen minutes later.
General James of the Northern Alliance, surrounded by a large number of guards, arrived at the explosion site in the pouring rain.
Such a massive series of explosions.
I thought we'd suffered a devastating attack from terrorists, but it turned out they only destroyed a few dilapidated outer walls!
General James realized something was wrong.
At this moment, the captain in charge of museum security rushed over and whispered a few words in his ear.
"what?!"
General James's expression changed abruptly.
An hour later, a large number of guards appeared on the streets and blocked off all the streets.
Unfortunately, it was all too late...
In those days, there were no cameras, so the investigation could only be conducted by questioning the security guards who had come into contact with suspicious individuals.
However, the Northern Agreement's interrogation capabilities are still quite strong.
In just half a day, General James figured out the other party's identity.
Looking at the names on the report, General James was so angry he almost flipped the table.
"Bullshit! How could that be! Someone must be impersonating them!"
Investigate! Investigate to the death! Dig three feet into the ground and find these two imposters!
General James was absolutely furious.
He never imagined that anyone would dare to tamper with the artifacts in the Palace of Fontainebleau.
The entire Paris police force was mobilized to conduct house-to-house checks.
But the jeep and the two colonels from the American family seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth.
Meanwhile, the Parisian onlookers finally recovered from their initial shock.
What? Someone actually managed to empty half of Fontainebleau Palace right under the noses of those heavily armed soldiers from the Northern Alliance?
Is this possible? Is this scientifically sound?
Anyone with a brain wouldn't believe it; clearly, something's wrong here.
Could it be... that someone in charge stole the goods?
Or to put it more bluntly... is this the legendary fire dragon burning down the granary?!
Especially as the gossip reporters in Paris, who were always eager to stir up trouble, conducted their in-depth "investigation," someone dropped a bombshell.
On the black market, antiques that had leaked from the Palace of Fontainebleau were already being traded secretly!
This report immediately sparked a public outcry.
The idea that "the guards stole from the storehouse and a fire broke out" immediately became the mainstream speculation in the streets and alleys of Paris.
The people angrily cursed the stationed soldiers for doing inhuman things and stealing their own things to line their own pockets.
Unsurprisingly, the Fontainebleau Palace heist dominated the headlines of all the newspapers.
When President Dai learned of this, he was furious and summoned the museum director.
The curator was also aggrieved, after all, General James was a formidable figure here.
"So, General James's subordinates really did steal the artifacts and resell them?"
The curator nodded quickly: "We count the number of cultural relics every quarter, but the numbers never match up. It's very likely that they deliberately sent someone to plant a bomb to cover up the theft."
"I think it was them who did it!" General Dai had always disliked the Northern Alliance and wanted to get rid of General James. This time, he finally got his chance.
General Day personally called President Johnson to reprimand General James for his actions.
President Johnson had just taken over the presidency from President Ken and was worried about how to manage the various factions.
Now that this has happened again, I'll immediately call General James back and give him a good scolding.
General James was extremely aggrieved.
He really took the blame this time.
"If I find out who stole the artifacts, I will never let him get away with it!" General James gritted his teeth.
A sudden disturbance gave Commander-in-Chief Dai an opportunity to launch an attack on the northern organization. A cargo ship silently docked at Tianjin Port.
It can be said that everyone is happy.
Inside the Peninsula Hotel.
Li Aiguo, who was waiting to return to China, was visited by Professor Richard and several French professors.
Lately, they've been coming here frequently to discuss medical issues, and they always feel that this young man from the East has extraordinary insights into the development of medicine.
For example, when discussing the issue of the misuse of radiation.
Li Aiguo pointed out that under the influence of those profit-driven medical giants, a kind of "X-ray foot measuring instrument" has suddenly emerged in Xiaomei's home, and it is now being widely used in major shoe stores under the guise of "scientific shoe buying".
Not only that, some clinics are even using X-rays to treat acne!
In Li Aiguo's view, this was utterly absurd and a murder for money!
After listening to Li Aiguo's analysis, the senior professors nodded in agreement.
Of course, besides serious medical issues, the currently hottest topic, the "Fontainebleau Palace heist," has naturally become an important topic of conversation among professors during their leisure time.
Most professors, like the general public, think those antiques are precious.
Nine times out of ten, it was that Smith, the so-called commissioner from Xiaomei's family, who embezzled and lined his own pockets.
However, these things don't really concern those of us who do scientific research; people just treat them as interesting gossip.
As for why the French didn't return those cultural relics in advance...
Ha, everyone knows perfectly well that's absolutely impossible.
There's no reason to spit out meat that's already in someone else's pocket.
Li Aiguo didn't say much, but simply limited the topic to medicine.
During this time, I managed to purchase a batch of pharmaceutical equipment, and I plan to pack it all up and ship it back.
(End of this chapter)