Chapter 69: Sailing to Dunkirk
"Oh my god, I was scared to death! I thought all my property was lost!" The man in the top hat cried with tears in his hands while holding the broken suitcase. People around were confused.
He Chi patted him with his hand, "Sir, how are you?"
Pa! The other party slapped He Chi's hand away, waved the civilized stick and said excitedly, "Sir?! Why do you call me sir? Are you like those snobs, you don't even call me boss when you see me in despair?!"
Boss? ! Is this guy my boss?
He Chi looked at the man. Although he wore a hat and a cane and looked like a civilized man, his clothes had a lot of damage, his face was covered with dust, his expression was miserable, and his leather shoes, which had obviously not been polished for a long time, had socks inside. There are holes.
He could tell that this man was in despair without even asking.
"Ahem, boss, where are we and where are we going?" He Chi tried to understand the current situation.
"Of course it's in the UK. As for where to go, I remember I told you. Back to Canada! Are you waiting for the Germans to call?" the other party said angrily.
"Germans?" This word stirred He Chi's nerves. "BOSS, what year is this?"
"Kevin, I think you ate too much apple pie and your brain was confused by the jam. Today is May 22, 1940!"
1940? ! World War II? May 22nd, uh, that means France should surrender in less than a month?
This is not a good sign. You must know that this is when the Allied forces were defeated thousands of miles away. For at least two years, the Saxons will have to live cautiously on the other side of the strait.
Next, He Chi took advantage of the opportunity to chat and kept talking to the man in the bowler hat. After more than an hour, he basically understood the current situation.
The man he calls BOSS is Wilson Banks. He is from a minor aristocrat. His ancestors were rich in the 16th century, but later their family fell into decline. Banks settled in Canada with his family when he was a child.
A few years ago, Banks mortgaged his family's land and came to the UK to pursue his dream of opening a film company.
The reality is cruel. When he came, it was the time when the European economy was at its worst. People did not have any extra money to go to the movies, so it was very difficult to get started.
But Banksy also had his own ideas. During the Berlin Olympics, he led a small number of employees to shoot a documentary about athletes. It was initially screened at the price of a charity movie - 2 pence a ticket. , only one-third of the normal movie price.
Unexpectedly, this low-priced entertainment product was just in line with the market conditions at the time. The poor British citizens who were short of pockets were willing to spend the price of a loaf of bread to satisfy their cultural and life needs.
Banks's movies made money, and he expanded his company and doubled his staff - from four to eight.
Just when he was about to show off his talents, the war broke out. On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland, and Britain declared war on Germany. The Cultural Affairs Bureau directly banned Banks's film because it contained a large number of German nacui elements.
At this point, Banksy was in a state of despair. The small company with no income quickly disbanded, and in the end there was only one Chinese employee left - Kevin, who was He Chi.
In fact, Banks can no longer pay his employees, but Banks allows him to continue serving him on the condition that he takes Kevin out of the UK - hundreds of thousands of troops across the strait will be destroyed by Germany People are making dumplings, but no one knows if it’s still safe here.
"Follow me well. I will come back when the war is over. Then I will leave the company to you." The British capitalist, who had returned to normal, asked him just like his counterparts a hundred years later. The only employee draws a pie.
Because he didn't know what the specific task was, He Chi decided to follow the British guy to see the situation, so he lowered his head and asked, "Yes, boss, is there anything else I can do for you?"
"Keep an eye on the box. This is what we two will rely on to make a comeback when we return to Canada." Banks said formally.
"Okay, gentlemen, it's getting late. Please go back to the cabin and rest according to the number on the ticket." A bearded man wearing standard British captain's clothes and holding a pipe said to the passengers.
This ship is about 60 meters long and has less than a hundred rooms. It is considered small among civilian passenger ships at this time. He Chi was assigned to the bottom cabin. A strong musty smell hit you as soon as you entered the door. There were no sheets, no pillows, and not even a window. There was only a single bed welded to the ground in this small cabin of less than three square meters.
Taking out the old suitcase he was responsible for keeping, He Chi, without any psychological burden, directly chose to open it and check it out.
Inside were a few changes of clothes, a few daily necessities, and the centerpiece turned out to be a hand-cranked camera.
It seems that the idea of his "boss" making a comeback is really not just a talk. He is still carrying such a thing in such a down-and-out situation.
A brief search did not find any belongings, but He Chi saw a familiar item in the corner - Christine's sketch pen.
He Chi picked up the signature pen and stuffed it into his jacket pocket, and began to consider the current situation.
“Ship to Canada? What could happen? As a Commonwealth country during World War II, Canada was considered a capable Allied force. It had its shadow on both the east and west battlefields, but like the United States, Canada The mainland has basically not encountered any war. What mission can I accomplish by following the British by boat?”
He Chi couldn't figure it out for a while.
Bang!
A violent vibration came. He Chi quickly held on to the shelf to avoid knocking his head. There was a noisy sound from above, and the ship seemed to have stopped.
"What's wrong? What's wrong?" Passengers walked onto the deck one by one and found that their passenger ship had been hijacked by several patrol boats flying the Union Jack flag. Several British naval soldiers with weapons Climb onto the deck from the side of the ship.
"What happened, gentlemen? This is a British passenger ship and we enjoy free passage." The captain, who did not understand the situation, asked the leading captain.
"Sorry, according to the latest requirements of the Ministry of War Transportation, civilians near this sea area have been temporarily recruited by the government from now on." The captain replied expressionlessly.
“Collection? How is it possible?!”
“Why? We need a reasonable explanation!”
“You have no right to do this!”
As soon as they heard that their passenger ship was going to be requisitioned, the passengers protested.
Their answer was a submachine gun fired into the air.
Thud, tug, tug, tug! ! ! ! !
The world is quiet.
"Everyone, please note that we are executing the orders of the War Cabinet on behalf of the government, and we are not soliciting your opinions." The captain put down his submachine gun and said coldly.
Someone in the crowd shouted, "You have to tell us where we are going, right?"
"Yes" the captain pointed to the opposite coast and spit out a word
"Dunkirk"
(End of this chapter)