Chapter Thirty-Eight

  After the meeting, I asked Lao Cheng: "Lao Cheng, I want to go see Davier, if it's okay with him, let him come out and work."

  Lao Cheng hesitated after hearing this and said: "Commander, isn't this a bit rushed?"

  "I explained: 'We are about to take action, Davier. I am a useful man, and if used well, I can be worth one or two armies.'"

  Lao Cheng said helplessly: "You are the commander, you handle it! My personal suggestion is to be cautious."

  I nodded and said: "It's okay to have different opinions, I understand your suggestion, don't worry, Lao Cheng, I know the measure."

  Lao Cheng said: "That's good, let's go now?"

  I agree with you: "Let's go now."

  Daweil's current days are a bit unimaginable to him, but many are filled with longing for the future. He now sees clearly the true face of the current government of Xizang, where high officials wear gold and silver, while ordinary people can't even cover their bodies, eating one meal without knowing when the next will come. This is the country he used to protect with his life. He still remembers his youthful dreams of fighting for his country's independence from colonial rule, which was achieved after the decline of the British Empire, but what was left behind? Nothing. The new government was established, not for the welfare of the people, but for their own interests, making the poor poorer and the rich richer. Daweil thought he understood, since coming into contact with communism, he knew he wanted to find a way out for the people of Xizang, as long as they lived well, it didn't matter what country it was.

  But at the same time, Daweil also thought: I'm still a prisoner whose freedom is restricted, will they release me? Will they believe me? Will they let me join them and take up arms again? Thinking of this, Daweil sighed and shook his head. His deputy, Chas, saw him and walked over to say in a low voice, "Commander, what's wrong?"

  Dawei listened and corrected him: "What officer, call comrade!"

  The deputy officer hastily changed his words and said: "It's the superior officer, I know, when calling the superior officer, we should call comrade."

  Davril listened and said with a bitter smile: "Chas, if you keep this up, don't think about leaving."

  "Sir, I'll follow you wherever you go!" said Deputy Officer Chas.

  Davril listened and said: "Chas, I understand what you mean. You should think about the future, what are your views on communism?"

  Deputy Officer Chas said without thinking: "Superior officer, I don't have any thoughts. Whatever the superior thinks is right."

  Dawei listened and said helplessly: "You, if I join the Communist Party, what do you think?"

  "Count me in," said Deputy Chas, "my brothers are all in."

  Dawei'er's eyes lit up and he asked, "I haven't spoken to them in the past few days either. How many people do you think will follow me? I mean, if I leave, it's to join Nehru and the others."

  Deputy Officer Chas thought for a moment and said, "We have over 4,000 people here. I estimate that more than 3,000 will follow you. As for the others in the prisoner-of-war camp, who knows? We all come from poor backgrounds. Who would join the army if they had good days? Besides, communism is indeed not bad, especially for people like us."

  Davril laughed and said: "Chas, you say you have no idea? Isn't this an idea?"

  Chas listened with a silly grin, Daviel sighed and said: "I don't know when we can get out of here?"

  Chas said: "Officer, I think it's almost time. The Dragon Army has been resting for over a month and is about to take action. They're still making us study that Marxism communism stuff, they must need us."

  Davril nodded and said: "En, not bad." Then he turned to Chase and said: "Chase, you've made progress!"

  Chas said: "Thanks for the compliment, sir!"

  At this time, an officer of the Longwei Army walked over and said in Xizang language: "Comrade Davier, our army commander has come to visit you. Do you have time now?"

  "Is there time? Let's go now?"

  The officer said: "Yes, follow me."

  When I saw Davier, I was thinking about how to train the Western captives into an army. When Davier pushed open the door and walked in, he saw me stunned, not expecting me to be so young, and saluted, saying: "Comrade leader is good."

  I saw Daviel salute in a standard military manner, and I immediately saluted as well, showing respect. "Comrade Daviel, hello! Please take a seat."

  After Daviel sat down, I smiled and said: "Comrade Daviel, you're in high spirits!"

  Davril listened to the translated words and said, "Not bad."

  I saw him with a strict military demeanor and was deeply impressed. After thinking for a moment, I said: "Comrade Davier, we are all soldiers, so let's just say it directly."

  The interpreter beside him translated what he said to Davier, and Davier nodded after hearing it, saying: "Yes, please go ahead."

  I exchanged a look with Lao Cheng and said: "Davirl, are you willing to join the Communist Party?"

  Davir listened and replied with a slight excitement: "I'm willing."

  I listened and said: "Wait a minute, after you go back, write an application letter for me, I'll be the introducer."

  Lao Cheng listened and said to me: "I am the political commissar, I have come to take charge."

  "I replied: 'There's no room for discussion on this matter, if anything goes wrong I'll take responsibility.'"

  Davil listened to what I said and stood up excitedly saying: "Thank you for trusting me."

  I signaled him to calm down, and after he sat down, I asked: "If, I'm saying if, you were to reorganize a team among the Western captives, would you be willing? Could you?"

  Davril listened and said seriously: "I am willing, I have the ability to pull out a team."

  "I listened and said: 'Alright, what I want to know is how you can guarantee that your soldiers won't come at us with guns drawn. What I need is loyalty, got it?'"

  Davir immediately replied: "Then you have to bet on us!"

  I thought for a moment and said firmly: "Alright, I'll bet on it, I believe you."

  Davil listened and just nodded, I didn't know what Davil was thinking at that moment, he was actually also testing me, if I didn't agree, then he would thoroughly give up the idea of leading troops, seeing me agree, he only had one thought, you give me power, then I will bring you greater power and returns, from now on my life is yours. Of course, he wouldn't say these things.

  "I continued: 'The bigger team you can lead, the bigger position I will give you!'"

  Dawei immediately asked: "What if it's a team of three or four thousand?"

  I burst out laughing and said: "Alright then, I'll make you a brigade commander, the direct brigade commander of my 7th Army."

  Davir heard and shouted loudly: "Good."

  After he finished speaking, he pushed the door and went out.

  At this time, Lao Cheng said to me: "Are you crazy? What if something happens?"

  "I said carelessly: 'If we can control the territory occupied by Xizang for a long time in the future, it's worth betting.'"

  Lao Cheng listened and said: "It seems I'm old, not as daring as you."

  I patted Lao Cheng's shoulder and laughed: "You're not old, you're too old."

  Lao Cheng scolded loudly: "Get out! I'm only 42 and you're talking about me like that."

  I walked out laughing loudly. Old Cheng said in a low voice after I left, "Desperate! MD! How many times can you gamble with your life? At worst, it's over from now on."