Chapter 10 August 30th, Berlin

Dozens of cars lined up in front of the Ballarisa nightclub on Nuremberg Street.Even the number of pedestrians passing by on the road has suddenly increased a lot compared to before.It is estimated that the rumor has already spread in the dark night of Berlin! Mori Shiro also heard the rumor, so he hurried to see the bustling night scene in Berlin.The news was told to him by the waiter at the front desk of the hotel. Goebbels will issue an emergency order tomorrow.In Germany, all folk art venues and nightclubs are completely closed.Opera houses, concerts, theaters, art galleries, etc. are also all closed.It is said that this order will be promulgated tomorrow, September 1, and will be implemented from now on.When he was in Paris, the Berlin culture that Gerrud was so proud of was finally forced to this point as the war situation worsened.

Although it was past nine o'clock in the evening, there was still a faint light in the sky of Berlin at the end of August.Twenty minutes after hearing the rumor, Morishiro decided to go to Ballarisa without hesitation.It was a store he hadn't been to yet.It is said to be highly rated.There were four middle-aged men and women at the door, who seemed to be preventing guests from entering the venue at the door, and they looked at each other regretfully. Morishiro approached a middle-aged male waiter, handed him a tip, and asked him to help find a table.The male waiter looked at the amount of the tip, then glanced at Mori Shiro, showing a face full of embarrassment, and said, "I'll go and find a way, just wait a moment."

Morishiro said, "Is it full?" "The busiest time since opening." "Is it because of the rumor?" "Looks like it should be." The waiter stuffed the tip into his trouser pocket and went inside. It had been three months since Morishiro had been transferred from Paris to Berlin.At first, he spent two months in prison in the Gurutwald foreigner shelter in the suburbs.It is said that this place used to be one of the places where senior officials and diplomats of the Allied Powers were detained.It is called the "superior room" by the guards of the SS.

After that, he was transferred to the city of Berlin.That was after Turkey and Germany severed diplomatic relations on August 3.He can no longer receive that courtesy as a citizen of a neutral country.The Japanese embassy recognized Mori Shiro as a Japanese national and decided to repatriate Mori Shiro back home. Of course, this is not for the purpose of protection.Mori Shiro guessed that they were going to make him a soldier.Since the start of the Great War, the Japanese government has issued deferred conscription orders to Japanese living abroad, but this kind of grace should not be given to unscrupulous people like Mori Shiro.It must be a pawn with a meaning of punishment.If the political and military situation is stable, it is estimated that Mori Shiro will be repatriated to Japan from Istanbul via the Soviet Union.

Regarding the identity of Mori Shiro, the Japanese side still has not responded.Maybe it is very difficult to send this kind of secret message about identity when the war is in full swing.However, the Japanese embassy has confirmed that the title of "Baron" is unofficial.Simply put, Mori Shiro is a bastard of unknown origin. In any case, instructions had been given that Morishiro could not leave Berlin without permission.In other words, he was under house arrest.Where he stayed, the German secret police and the Japanese embassy designated several hotels for him.Mori Shiro chose a very famous hotel from which he had heard about when he was in Paris - Hotel Andrén.It is a well-known hotel on Unterlindenstrasse, near the Brandenburg Gate.Of course, the cost of accommodation must be paid by Mori Shiro himself.

The Turkish passport was confiscated, but he was not issued a new Japanese passport. Now it is impossible for him to leave Berlin. In addition, if the German police and the Japanese embassy are summoned, he must go there whether he likes it or not.However, the frequency of summons gradually decreased.Now half of August has passed, and he is already in a state of letting go. Air strikes, now the norm, they've gotten used to it.Mori Shiro, like the citizens of Berlin, would run to enjoy operas or light comedies, or enjoy nightclub performances during the air raids. They had already regarded this as a kind of air raid comfort.Only casinos, Mori Shiro tried his best to look for them, but he couldn't find one.Could it be that unhealthy pastimes like gambling had been wiped out under the noses of the Nazis, or was it because the spies had been too thorough?

The waiter came back and said to Mori Shiro: "You wait at the bar for a while, and I will find a seat for you to sit together." "Can you see the stage from there?" Morishiro asked. "Yes, but part of it is blocked." The bar counter is set behind the guest seats and is used to serve drinks and serve as a service counter.In fact, it wasn't just a part of the stage that was blocked, almost 80% of the area was blocked.You can only see part of the stage if you try to stick your head out.And there are many waiters shuttled in front of the bar, picking up wine back and forth or returning empty glasses.

Morishiro asked the bartender for a brandy.A full bottle of brandy seemed to overflow from the shot glass.Although the Allied forces have landed in France, it seems that there is still a lot of stock in this nightclub.Morishiro took a sip of his drink, then turned around and looked in the direction of the guest seats and the stage. The overall shape of the guest seats is fan-shaped, facing the stage.The stage is partly higher than the guest seats.All seats are designed in a semi-circle to ensure that all guests can see the stage.It looks like there are fifty or sixty tables.Such a scale should be considered large in a nightclub.

Indeed, as the waiter said, all are full.More people are seated at each table than booked.Among the crowd of guests, many were in military uniform. The performance on the stage seems to be Persian dance.Six women in thin silk gauze clothes stretched their legs and twisted their buttocks on the stage.At the back of the stage was an eight-piece band, half of whom were also women. As soon as the dance program ended, the master of ceremonies appeared.A thin, forty-something master of ceremonies dressed in dinner clothes slowly looked around the group of guests with satisfied eyes. "If only rumors like this were going around every day."

There was thunderous cheers among the guests.It seems that they should have reacted instinctively, besides, not smiling is a loss anyway.Even if the master of ceremonies is telling jokes in Urdu now, it is estimated that this group of guests will be boiling for a while. "Anyway," said the master of ceremonies, "this nightclub, as well as our performance, will say goodbye to everyone tonight. Therefore, tonight must be dedicated to everyone's most special joy. Don't take small sips, everyone. Order more. Look at that Mr. Henry, it is said that he can finish this glass of wine in one go."

There was another burst of jubilation among the guests.When the laughter stopped, the master of ceremonies said: "Let's get down to business. Today is a special day. Let's have some fun that is not in the program. Today, we have a glamorous guest here. The treasure of the world's opera world , charming soprano, national actress Madame Bigot de Corle, the most famous diva in our army." Hearing this, Mori Shiro stretched his neck involuntarily and looked in the direction of the stage.In other words, here, that... The master of ceremonies waved his right hand.The spotlight followed the direction his finger was pointing at.The master of ceremonies said, "Miss Luzi Tanaka." Sure enough, she also came here tonight.There was immediate applause in the guest seats.The spotlights from all directions were concentrated on the seats near the stage.In the center of the light, a woman stood up gracefully.She is the soprano singer Miko Tanaka, and the pink dress makes her even more dazzling.Just looking at her back, Mori Shiro can imagine her beauty and orchid-like smile. Luzi Tanaka greeted everyone's applause and bowed his head several times to the guests. The master of ceremonies added: "Today is a special day. Starting tomorrow, the Opera House and this nightclub will be closed. Do you want to listen to Miss Tanaka's beautiful singing again tonight?" The cheers suddenly boiled, and the applause became even louder.Luzi Tanaka waved to the master of ceremonies, which meant to refuse.The master of ceremonies will not let it go. "Ms. Tanaka Luzi, please come to the stage. Just one piece, let everyone listen to your graceful soprano. Everyone is looking forward to it, isn't it?" The applause became louder, and some people even started to shout field. Tanaka saw that this time he couldn't escape, so he walked out of the guest seats and came to the road leading to the stage.The master of ceremonies stretched out his hand and led Tanaka Luzi onto the stage.Tanaka's smile was neither disgust nor reluctance.She has long been used to being the focus of attention on any occasion, and also used to being admired with looking up eyes.She turned towards the auditorium and nodded several times in Japanese etiquette. Tanaka graduated from the Tokyo Music School, studied opera in Vienna, and became a vocalist.When he was in Vienna, he met and married the coffee king Julius Mai Yinlu.She debuted as a soprano in Vienna, and it is said that because of the financial support of Mai Yinlu, she became famous in the streets and alleys.She immediately became the new darling of the European opera world, and to be precise, the social world.In Europe in the thirties, she was arguably the most famous woman. It was at that time that Mori Shiro met Tanaka, and they often met in bars or entertainment venues.At that time she traveled frequently from Vienna to Paris. However, the marriage with Mai Yinlu failed to last long due to the large age gap between the two.After the divorce, she threw herself into the arms of Hayakawa Sessu in Paris.In 1938, after breaking up with Sessue Hayakawa, Tanaka left Paris and came to Berlin. In Berlin, she quickly fell in love with Germany's national actor Bigot de Koer.The whole story of this love affair, even those who like lace news as far away in Paris, will repeatedly mention it.Mori Shiro wondered if this woman really liked those top-notch men, or did she just want to attract attention?In any case, like the love between Mai Yinlu and Hayakawa Xuezhou, the love with this well-known actor who was born in a German military academy must have many similarities for Tanaka Luzi. Mori Shiro had heard that the Nazi Party did not agree with de Kohl's marriage to her, but judging from what the master of ceremonies said just now, the two of them were officially married. The master of ceremonies said: "Ms. Tanaka Luzi, no matter what, I would like to invite you to sing a song. How about "Ride of the Valkyries"?" Tanaka's voice came through the microphone: "Valkyrie? No way." The master of ceremonies turned around and looked back at the accompanist behind the stage.I guess that was the leader of the band, a saxophonist, and he shook his head too.It seems that he is not ready to play Valkyrie either. Tanaka said: "How about singing a popular song? Like "Lily Marilyn"." Someone in the guest seats applauded to show their support.But the number of supporters is not very large. It is estimated that those who are worried about the SS are also present.That song was always loathed by the German command, who said it had a strong war-weary feel to it. Tanaka Luzi said: "Anyway, it's an impromptu performance, so can we invite another one?" "Of course." The master of ceremonies said, "Miss, is your friend?" "Well, it's a non-commissioned officer in the Japanese Navy. He can play the trumpet." Tanaka Luzi cast his eyes on the guest seats as he spoke.The person she was looking for didn't seem to be on her table.Tanaka Yuko covered the light of the spotlight with his hands, looked at the guest seats, and began to say hello. "Captain Ando, ​​please come out." The guests all looked at the position that Tanaka Luzi was looking at.The person who was called seemed to say something.Tanaka Luzi said again: "Please, Captain. Don't spoil everyone's fun. Come here quickly." A man stood up reluctantly. He was wearing the white uniform of the Japanese Navy. He must be a military attache.He took the stage in a few strides.Tanaka Luzi reached out his hand and shook the sergeant. "Don't worry about my unreasonable demands." Luzi Tanaka said to the sergeant in Japanese, "Just one song, no problem." The sergeant went to the orchestra and borrowed a trumpet.It seemed like he was quite comfortable with the occasion.The sergeant brought the trumpet to his mouth and quickly adjusted it.The non-commissioned officer turned around and gestured to the band, and then he blew briskly, which was the main theme of "Lily Marilyn".While blowing, he nodded to the piano accompaniment.The sound of the trumpet and the accompaniment of the piano are harmonious and unified, and other orchestral instruments have followed in succession.Tanaka Luko also lost no time to sing. Morishiro rested his elbows on the counter, listening intently to the performance and singing.To enter a nightclub at random, and it will be banned from opening tomorrow, and you can still hear the songs of Tanaka Luzi.At the end of the song, enthusiastic applause immediately swept the audience.There were applause one after another.The SS also stood up and applauded Tanaka.Just after the applause came to an end, an officer of the SS seemed to be yelling something like "one more song", or pointing out the specific title of the song.Mori Shiro, who was sitting at the bar, couldn't hear what he was shouting.However, the sergeant quickly returned the trumpet to the band and walked off the stage.Tanaka Luzi seemed to be stunned involuntarily.Standing on the stage suddenly seemed at a loss. She looked at the non-commissioned officer's back and said, "Thank you everyone. But since it's a program added suddenly, it can't be performed endlessly. Let's stop here." The master of ceremonies nodded and asked the guests to applaud again.The applause got louder. At this time, the non-commissioned officer had already walked to the aisle of the guest seats, but he did not return to his original position, as if he was rushing towards the bar. Morishiro said to the bartender: "If he comes over, please give him a glass of brandy and charge it to my account." As expected, the non-commissioned officer came to the bar and rested his elbows on the countertop. He was a tall man with distinct features.About the same age as Mori Shiro, in his mid-thirties.The corners of his mouth were slightly raised, probably because of the performance just now, and now his face still has a slight reddish aftertaste.On the collar of the white military uniform, the captain's badge was pasted.It is estimated that the badge of Germany is pasted on the collar, but Mori Shiro did not recognize it. Seeing the brandy glass brought over, the sergeant tilted his head puzzled.The bartender pointed in Morishiro's direction.He said, the customer over there ordered it for you.The sergeant looked in Morishiro's direction. Morishiro nodded, and then clapped his hands lightly three times.It can be regarded as an appreciation for the performance of "Lily Marilyn". The sergeant picked up his wine glass and asked, "Excuse me, Japanese?" "Well," Morishiro replied, "are you a military attache of the Japanese Navy?" "Yes. My name is Ando. How about you?" "Morishiro, a commoner." "This, thank you." Ando picked up the glass, straightened up, and drank it down.When Ando put the wine glass on the bar, it happened that Tanaka Yuko also walked over.The bartenders and waiters at the bar all stared at Miko Tanaka. She grabbed Ando's wrist and said coquettishly, "Mr. Captain, why are you running away? Sit with someone else!" Ando said: "It's comfortable to drink alone." "What are you talking about! It just so happens that Ambassador Oshima is here too." "So, I don't even want to go." "It's been a long time since I saw you. Isn't it too heartless for you to say that?" "No matter what I say, I refuse to sit with that Oshima. If you sit next to that guy, the wine will taste like vinegar." "Okay." Luzi Tanaka said coquettishly, "Then next time, when will we meet again next time?" "I'm not in Berlin anymore, so why talk about the next time?" "Where are you going? Are you not in the military attaché? I heard you joined the Luftwaffe." "I didn't join the Luftwaffe, I just taught in the Air Force school." "Teaching?" "I am now an instructor of flight technology. But the military status of the Imperial Japanese Navy remains the same." Tanaka Ruko glanced at Mori Shiro inadvertently, blinked his eyes several times, and opened his mouth.In the next moment, a smile bloomed on her face. "baron!" Mori Shiro stood there, smiled, and said, "Long time no see, she's still so pretty." "What, I hate it." Tanaka Luzi walked to Shiro's side and hugged him.The smell of perfume and cosmetics rushed into Shiro's nose immediately.Her perfume smelled the same, and Tanaka had liked it when she was in Paris, and it seemed that this habit had not changed.Morishiro almost lost his balance when her plump body pressed against him.Ruko Tanaka finished her warm hug, stared into Morishiro's eyes, and asked in surprise, "Huh? Why are you in Berlin?" "I was escorted from Paris by the German secret police. They suspected that I was helping the anti-fascist movement." Captain Ando was on the left side of the bar, looking at Mori Shiro and the others happily.When he and Morishiro looked at each other, Ando blinked his left eye wickedly. Tanaka asked: "Does that have anything to do with you?" She held Morishiro's hands tightly, "I heard that a Japanese was transferred." "I am now under house arrest. My passport has also been confiscated." "Do you still have a Japanese passport?" "The Japanese passport has expired, so I got a Turkish one." "I'll give you one. I have four. I often don't know which one to get. Japanese, Austrian, German, and French." "If it works, I'm welcome." "Of the four, my grandmother took one. Besides that, which one do you want?" "That's really a problem." Luzi Tanaka suddenly said excitedly, "Are you alone?" "Well, just waiting to see if there's room." "Then come and sit with me. It's Ambassador Oshima and a few people from the embassy." "The embassy gang don't like me." "why?" "They thought I was a liar pretending to be a Baron." "Don't worry about them, that's what those little officials did." "In the past, they will not be happy." "I'd be very happy if you came. I just wanted to ask you about Paris." "Paris is very different now than it was before the war." "Isn't it liberated? Well, fortunately, I haven't made it yet. Speaking of which..." Tanaka Luzi suddenly said seriously, "Where is Yoshiko? There is still no news about her arrival in Moscow." Yoshiko is a student of the Tokyo Music School and a descendant of Tanaka Riko.Yoshiko Ogawa is also a soprano singer. After studying in Milan, she came to Paris in 1936 and was sponsored by Baron Rihachiro Iwatsubo. Shiro Mori was also instructed by Rihachiro to take care of her life in Paris. In Paris in 1936, Yoshiko Ogawa met Tetsuya Shima, a performer at the Tsukiji Little Theater.Zhimo is a standard handsome man, so handsome that he has no problem being an actor.But he was a brilliant young man, confident to the point of arrogance, and a member of the Communist Party.Ogawa Yoshiko soon became an admirer of Shima Tetsuya, and under his advocacy, went to Moscow with him. Mori Shiro shook his head and replied, "I don't know what happened to Yoshiko Ogawa, I haven't heard anything about her." "I heard that there was a mass purge in the Soviet Union during that time. Not only soldiers and actors, but also many artists were arrested. Many people were sent to Siberia." "She was apolitical. Absolutely no Communist or Comintern activities." "But that man is a staunch Communist Party member. If that's the case, it's unreliable. She will definitely be involved." "That's right." Mori Shiro replied while recalling Ogawa Yoshiko's face.As an opera singer, her figure is a little slender, but her skin is fair and delicate.In an opera, compared to Carmen, Mimier's role may be more suitable for her. "It would be great if she could be popular in Moscow like Xiaolu." "That's right. Now in Europe, as long as they are Japanese opera singers, they are very popular no matter where they are. Probably because there are few of them." Luzi Tanaka suddenly thought of Captain Ando again.She looked at Shiro and then at Ando, ​​and asked, "You two, do you know each other?" The non-commissioned officer named Ando said: "I just reported my family name." "The captain is too, you two go and sit down." "I'll let it go. I don't want to sit next to that general. I don't want to be under the fence." "He's just an uncle from the countryside, but he's a bit rude." "The combination of country bumpkin and believer really makes me not like it." "Are you in a bad mood?" "kind of." "why?" "I heard that an acquaintance died." "Could it be that it's a woman?" "Men. My countrymen." "Ugh?" "Pilot. Lieutenant Colonel of the Luftwaffe. Died two days ago." "Did he die in the line of duty? News of this kind of death comes every day..." "He was not killed in battle, but executed. He was affected by the July 20 incident. It is said that he was framed by someone." Probably about the attempted assassination of Hitler.Mori Shiro was waiting for Ando to explain further, but he stopped abruptly here. Tanaka shrugged helplessly and said: "Indeed. This is not an optimistic topic, okay. I will let you go today." At this time, a young Japanese man in a suit came, who was the second secretary of the embassy.After Mori Shiro was transferred here, he has met with him many times.The clerk couldn't help being surprised when he saw Mori Shiro.The secretary stood beside Tanaka and said to her, "The ambassador is very worried about you, please go back." "This is the way to go." Tanaka Luzi pointed to Shiro and said, "I want to take him with me, can I?" The clerk frowned obviously and said, "He was arrested by the police, it's better not to contact him." "He is not a prisoner, he is still allowed to move freely." "His identity is still unclear and we are awaiting an answer from the Japanese side." "He's Mr. Mori. Mr. Mori Shiro. In Paris they call him Baron Mori." "You seem to know him?" "Old friend." "Baron, but a false title. There is no Baron Mori family in Japan." "He's from Baron Iwababo's family. Baron Iwabo Rihachiro sent him to Paris. He's going to take over the hotel business." "These details, we will go back to the headquarters to verify." "He is really the heir to Baron Rock Flat." "Did he say so himself?" "No, I said it." "Rumors like this need further confirmation." "Are you stupid?" Luzi Tanaka said angrily to the young clerk, "If you ask directly, you may not get any answers. Now, you can get real news from other channels, just believe it, really Yes, the heads of officials are really like machines, not flexible at all." "Anyway, he's a restless Japanese." Tanaka smiled contemptuously and said, "Do you think that only public-funded international students and diplomats are good people?" "At least the identities of these people can be confirmed." "Whether it's in Berlin or Paris, the streets are full of identified monkeys. Even if the identity cannot be confirmed, this man is funny and sophisticated. If I were to talk to those identified monkeys Drinking, I'd rather become a nun, alone in front of the green light, sewing and mending." At this time, Mori Shiro interjected: "Xiaolu, thank you for your invitation, let's forget it this time. These guys don't like me, and I can't stand them either." "Is that so?" Tanaka said regretfully, "Okay then, next time. Or you can come to my house. Where do you live now?" "The Andro Hotel." "Andro? That's not okay. If the presidential residence is attacked by air, it will definitely catch fire." Tanaka Luzi's words surprised the clerk.He hurriedly put on a look of wanting to stop, and hurriedly looked around the situation.Tanaka Luzi ignored him at all, and said: "Come to my house. You can live for free all the time. I live near the Olympic Stadium. When you asked for directions, you said you were looking for De Cole's house, and everyone knew Yes. I will tell the butler in advance." "That sounds good." "Well, return Andro's when you go back, and come to my house. Be sure to come." "Then I would be more respectful than obedient." The clerk glared at Mori Shiro and said, "Miss Luzi, let's go back!" "Let's go." Mori Shiro asked Luzi: "I want to ask you one thing. Are you and De Kerr officially married? I heard that the Nazis seem to not allow you to get married." "It's over. I used a trick." Tanaka Luzi put his face close to Mori Shiro's ear and whispered, "I did a eugenic operation. They got a certificate that there will never be a mixed race. They agreed. This It's a secret among the Japanese." The clerk urged: "Miss Luzi, I really have to go back now." "Go back. It's really annoying." Tanaka Ruko quickly kissed Morishiro on the cheek, "If you hold a party at my house, it will be completely different from the atmosphere here. I will not invite these people who don't know how to style. " The sultry aroma hadn't dissipated yet, and Ruko Tanaka returned to the guest seating area.The clerk, like a stupid newborn duck, chased after Tanaka. There is an extra glass of wine in front of him, which looks like white wine.Mori Shiro looked at the bartender, and he replied, "The Japanese navy guest just sent you off." Mori Shiro turned his head away, only to realize that the non-commissioned officer named Ando had long since disappeared.