Chapter 37: Tong Huan Makes His Move

  Everyone's eyes lit up, and the bucket was still a black lump, but it turned out to be white steamed buns! Someone opened another bucket lid, and it was actually a bucket of tofu soup with shredded meat in it! The crowd was stunned at first, then cheered loudly! The prison guard also sent food buckets to the other two cells holding students. Soon, cheers were heard from there too. It seems that the food has improved under the pressure of the students' hunger strike! The prison authorities have given in! Everyone started eating with great enthusiasm, enjoying the most sumptuous meal in three days.

  The students were eating with relish, and the prisoners opposite them saw this, all of them smacking their lips, drooling. After a while, one of the prisoners suddenly sighed and said: "Pitiful! Such fine young people are about to be beheaded!"

  Several students who heard his words suddenly stopped and one of them asked: "What do you mean by this?"

  The prisoner said: "This is a death row prison, where can you usually have such good food? Only before the execution, will they give us a full meal, so as not to let us die of starvation!" The students heard this and gradually stopped chewing their food.

  Zhang Lieyang looked at the real prisoners and said, "How did you get into college? You can't even see through their small tricks!" After taking a sip of soup to moisten his throat, Zhang Lieyang continued, "Didn't you see the expression on the prison guard's face when he delivered dinner earlier? If it were really the last meal, would he have such a deadpan expression?"

  Upon hearing Zhang Lieyang's words, the students suddenly gained energy. They chatted and laughed as they ate. Looking at those authentic prisoners, their mouths watered three thousand feet, envying them greatly!

  Just as the students had just recovered, several prison guards suddenly came in. The newly changed guard immediately rushed to one of them and said: "Good warden! What wind brought you here? Please sit down, please sit down!"

  The warden didn't reason with the prison guards, but instead walked straight to the cell and said loudly: "Which one of you students is called Zhang Lieyang?"

  Zhang Lieyang was stunned for a moment, but still stood up and said loudly: "I am!" The prison warden pointed at him and said: "You, come out! Someone is visiting you!"

  Hearing the head of the prison's words, Zhang Lieyang smiled and patted the straw on his body, saying to his classmates: "I'll be right back!" And then he walked out.

  The prison warden led Zhang Lieyang through several gates and stopped at a door, where he saw the sign "Prison Warden's Office". The prison warden made a gesture for Zhang to enter, and Zhang pushed open the door and walked in with his head held high. However, the prison warden did not follow him in, but instead closed the door behind him.

  Zhang Lieyang understood as soon as he entered the house. Because he saw his grandfather sitting on the sofa in the room, and someone was pouring tea for him. It turned out that all of this was because of his grandfather, Zhang Lieyang suddenly understood why the prison warden had been so kind to him just now, it seemed that the saying "money can move gods" was indeed true.

  However, when the person who had just poured tea for his grandfather turned around, Zhang Lieyang was completely stunned. Because that person was none other than Ningbo City Mayor Luo Huiqiao! Seeing Zhang Lieyang's stunned expression, Luo Huiqiao smiled and greeted him, saying: "Sir, this must be your grandson? Indeed, heroes emerge in their youth! Please sit down."

  In front of Zhang Lao Tai Ye, Zhang Lieyang still didn't dare to be presumptuous, so he just bowed his head and walked to stand beside Zhang Lao Tai Ye, not daring to breathe loudly.

  Looking at Zhang Lieyang standing beside Old Man Zhang, Luo Huijian smiled and said to Old Man Zhang: "Sir, look, your grandson. I've ordered the warden to release him. You can take your grandson home now. I apologize for mistakenly detaining your grandson! Fortunately, these fools didn't do anything to your grandson. Today, I'm not the host, so the hospitality is not good enough. Another day, I'll definitely come to your place to apologize!"

  Mr. Zhang said angrily: "Hui Qiao, I think you still don't understand what I mean. What I mean is to release all the students who were arrested during the parade a few days ago!"

  "Sir, aren't you making things difficult for me? The so-called anti-Japanese movement is actually the Communist Party stirring up trouble behind the scenes, spreading rumors and deceiving the people. Their goal is to disrupt public order. There are clear orders from above: those who are caught will be treated as rebels and punished severely. Of course, Lao Sun is a young man who has been misled, so he's different from them. That's why I dare to release him."

  Mr. Zhang said calmly, "Huiqiao, do you think I'm old and don't know anything? Are they asking you to hand them over to the 'Central Organization Department Investigation Division' this time? You should also know what the so-called 'Central Organization Department Investigation Division' is, think about it, if you send the students there, will they still have a way out? Now you are also the mayor of the national government. Is it because I'm old that you look at me as nothing?"

  Lu Huiqiao repeatedly said: "I dare not, I dare not. Sir's teachings, Lu Huiqiao dares not forget for a single day. In front of sir, Lu Huiqiao is forever a latecomer!" As he spoke, sweat suddenly appeared on Lu Huiqiao's face, and he took out his handkerchief to wipe it off continuously.

  Old Zhang said in an extremely calm tone, "What does a 17 or 18-year-old youngster understand about ideologies? What do they know about party struggles? You speak so lightly, 'treating all as bandits', do you know that this one sentence of yours can get these dozens of students killed?"

  Old Man Zhang's voice grew increasingly agitated, and he suddenly slapped the tea table and stood up. The teacups on the table were shaken off, making a "crash" sound as they fell to the ground, shattering into pieces. Old Man Zhang pointed at Luo Huijian and shouted sternly: "They are all university students, the future hope of our party and country, the pillars of our nation! Do you know that if you kill these people, it would be destroying the future of our party and country? Can you bear this responsibility? The Japanese have invaded our homes, and yet you're all timid and afraid, fearing that the students will stand up against Japan! Haven't you ever been passionate youths? Haven't you ever had a moment of madness? No matter what your reasons are, I only know one thing: loving one's country is not a crime! Feel your own chest, do you still have a conscience? It's probably been eaten by dogs! Do you still remember the teachings of our former premier?"

  Luo Huiqiao's eyes welled up with tears, and he trembled as he said: "Sir, please don't be angry. If it was because of the student that you fell ill, the student will not survive even if he dies a hundred times!"

  Old Zhang suddenly said loudly: "Aren't you going to enforce the law like a mountain? Fine, I'll help you! Lieyang, go back, go back to prison! I want to see with my own eyes how he will execute you students of 'bandits'!"

  Upon hearing Zhang Lao Tai Ye's words, Zhang Lieyang said loudly: "Grandson obeys! Grandson will absolutely not bring shame to grandfather!" After finishing speaking, he walked towards the door. As he passed by Luo Hui Jiao's side, Zhang Lieyang smiled and said: "Mayor Luo has been receiving a bullet every day recently, right?!"

  When Luo Huijian heard Zhang Lieyang's words, he was shocked and hastily pulled Zhang Lieyang, saying: "Xianzhong, wait!" As he spoke, Luo Huijian gritted his teeth and said to Old Man Zhang: "Sir, rest assured! Tomorrow, I will release all the students we caught this time. I, alone, will take full responsibility!"

  "Good! As I expected, I didn't misjudge you back then!" Zhang Lao Tai Ye said to Zhang Lie Yang, "Grandson, go back to prison first! Tomorrow you can come out with your classmates again!"

  "Yes, Grandfather!" Zhang Lieyang said as he left.

  Luo Huijian did not go back on his word, and the next day, December 17th, all the students who were arrested during the march were released. After being locked in a dark cell for several days, many students burst into tears as soon as they saw their parents when they left the prison gate. Several parents who thought they had status scolded the prison loudly when they saw that their children had become so haggard after not seeing them for several days, and claimed that they would definitely hold the prison responsible, but in their hearts, they knew that this matter was not simple, and how could they really do anything to those people when they couldn't even get money into the prison over the past few days?