Chapter 17 Chapter 15 The Dark Wasteland

In the early morning of the next day, Akita took the early train from Shinjuku and arrived at Kiyosato Station. It was almost noon.Before deciding on this trip, Akita hesitated for a long time, worrying that Onishi would return to Tokyo just at this time.He spent the night anxiously, and hung up the phone to Xiangzi early the next morning. When he learned that Onishi had not returned, he hurried to Shinjuku Station. The tourist season is over, and the only passengers who get on and off the bus are Akita and two or three locals.Akita fell behind the farthest passengers leaving the station, leisurely stepped down the high slope that looked like a platform, and walked towards the ticket gate.He hadn't enjoyed the broad and bright plateau scenery for a long time.The sky is clear and the sun is shining brightly in early winter.Although it is not a tourist, but for those who love mountain scenery, the sunshine shining on the mountains makes people feel refreshed.

Kiyosato Station is located on a plateau at an altitude of 1,300 meters.There are some houses around the station, and the birch leaves beside the houses are swaying in the wind. It is really a desolate village.Recently, I finally discovered that this area is a valuable tourist attraction, and I began to prepare to build it into a "second". Akita walked from the station to the hillside with a beautiful forest.The mountains with Chiyue Mountain as the main peak towered in front of him.The peaks are overlapping and continuous, like a long barrier.The mountains at the southern end are looming in the smog and clouds, and you can see the appearance of Mount Fuji when you look back, like a picture scroll with thick ink.The rhododendrons and king's shadows dotted everywhere on the vast plateau slopes have already withered and withered in the bleak autumn wind, leaving only the endless birch forest and larch groaning in the wind.

This scenery can't help but make Akita's heart feel thin, and he suddenly thinks that Onishi is indulging in the ulterior research and development work in this beautiful scenery.What he did was really incompatible and diametrically opposed to this beautiful scenery.The beautiful scenery around just contrasts with Onishi's spiritual depravity. A poet who is good at depicting plateau scenery once described this mountain road as follows: "I took my luggage and walked out of the carriage. She came to pick me up and leaned out to stand at the ticket gate. I stepped forward and held her hands... my old-fashioned father followed behind me. The three of them walked uphill and downhill on the winding street in front of the station. On the hill covered with rhododendrons, at the foot of the hill, cuckoos chirped 'cuckoo, cuckoo'. Chirp. I walked on the path of the plateau, walked to a strange place, and entrusted my whole life to her. The future is bleak, and the past is hard to look back. Only the love in front of me is overflowing in my heart. The sky is vast , the sun is warm, the slowly rising slopes are connected to the mountains with residual snow, surrounded by vast mountains..."

Although the seasons are different, the mountain roads are exactly the same. What kind of mood does Onishi walk on this road? On the broad plateau, Akita became a small black spot wriggling.As he walked, he realized that his mood was getting more and more gloomy. "Onishi-kun, we have guests." "A guest? Who is it?" "This guest said that you will know when you meet." Not to mention Daxi, even the staff member himself found it difficult to understand what the unexpected guest said. Since the establishment of the factory here, this is the first time that unrelated visitors have visited.Even the family members of the employees don't know the detailed address, let alone any guests coming to this secret place.Right now, this unwritten rule has been broken, and I have to be vigilant in my heart.

"How is this going?" "Anyway, let's take a look later." The employee urged anxiously. The other party requested a meeting by name.That said, this person knows I'm here.Even the staff didn't know who the visitor was, so it must be a stranger.Someone would know the company's secret factory and the personnel situation in this factory, but he knew nothing about this person in his heart, and Daxi became more and more uneasy about this sudden visitor.Of course, you can also refuse to meet and send him back.Whether it's bad luck or good luck, Onishi can't feel at ease if he doesn't figure it out.

After a while, the guest was ushered into Onishi's room.Onishi couldn't think of it: it was him, and he couldn't help but yelled, "Akita!" Akita just raised his hand in a big way, and said in his mouth, "Oh, it's easy for me to find. It has a signboard of 'Agricultural Experimental Institute in Alpine Region', which confuses me." The voice was neither sarcasm nor exclamation . "How did you know this place?" Onishi, who suddenly came to his senses from the astonishment, finally asked the first question. "I asked the Central Research Institute." Akita replied nonchalantly.

"Central Research Institute? Who is in the Central Research Institute?" "Which one is it? I didn't ask the name." "It's impossible. People at the Central Research Institute won't tell you." "How is it impossible? We haven't seen each other for three years. Daxi, the most important thing is, get me something to eat first. I haven't had lunch yet. It took me a lot of time to find you." It seems that Akita's visit is not simply visiting relatives and friends.Let him talk like this, it's not easy to ask for a while. "There is nothing decent in this remote mountainous area." Let the chef in the factory get ready-made meals that can satisfy his hunger as soon as possible, and set up a table in front of Akita.Fortunately, Akita didn't eat much, and he only moved a few chopsticks for many dishes.Only then did Onishi notice that Akita was much haggard and older.Although he was not the kind of strong and strong person, but only three years apart, he was almost unrecognizable: his cheeks were thin, his skin was dark, dry and rough, and there was no luster.As soon as Akita walked into the room, what impressed me the most was his haggard and old face.This dilutes Onishi's previous vigilance.

"The food in the mountains is not to your liking, so eat more!" "No, it's enough." "Akita." "Well?" "What's wrong with you? Why do you look so thin?" "I just feel a little tired, nothing uncomfortable." Akita replied without hesitation, his eyes still shining brightly. "That's good. I remember that although you were thin in the past, you had a lot of appetite." Daxi looked at the food that was barely eaten. "Don't worry, I'm a doctor. No matter how bad your medical skills are, you still understand your physical condition."

"Yes, you are a doctor." After that, Onishi thought that he was a doctor, and felt nervous again after relaxing, "Yes, you are a doctor from the Japan Association for the Prevention of Occupational Accidents." As if to confirm this point, Onishi Added a sentence again. Akita smiled meaningfully.This is a smile to Onishi who clearly knows what he is here for.At this time, the light in the room is gradually dimming.In contrast to the gloomy place name Hell Valley, the laboratory is located in a beautiful broad-leaved forest composed of white birch and mizuna.At this time, the setting sun passed through the woods, casting a faint light, outlining the majestic figure of Mount Yatsuki, and the admiration behind the mountain was boundless.As the sun went down, the wind suddenly picked up.The strong wind shook the reinforced concrete laboratory, making a shrill sound.

"As expected of Mount Yatsugatake." There is a heating device in the room, and it is as warm as spring.But Akita still shrugged involuntarily as if he was afraid of the cold when he heard the shrill wind.However, his gaze never left Daxie for a moment. "You don't really come here to catch up on the past, do you?" Onishi said seriously, meeting Akita's gaze.Now that Akita can find this place, hiding and hiding is useless.What's more, according to Akita, Ohnishi's research is completely opposite to his own profession.When Onishi was still working on napalm, every time Akita met, no, even on the phone, he tried his best to tell him not to do it.

What would Akita do if he knew that N gas, which is even more inhumane (in the eyes of a third party) than napalm, was being developed here? ...No, Akita already knew.His coming here is the best proof.Onishi thought that there was no need to hide it now, and decided to confront Akita head-on. "I'll put it up front: No matter what you say, I won't stop the ongoing research and development." He stopped Akita before he could speak. "What are you making, do you know?" Akita's tone clearly felt pity for him. "Of course I understand." "No, maybe you don't quite understand it. If it is clear, why don't you stop this terrible research?" "Terrible? Don't exaggerate it. In the history of world wars, weapons more terrifying than this have been invented and used. It just makes people temporarily insane." Akita groaned in his heart.Sure enough, as expected, what he had developed was a chemical weapon that deranged people. "Temporary! How can you guarantee it?" "At present, I am thinking and worrying about this. If this is done, we can create unprecedented humane weapons." "Onishi, come and take a look." Akita took out the materials he brought. "What is this?" Onishi asked Akita to interrupt his train of thought, raising his bewildered eyes. "This is the medical records of Sadaichi Tabe, Shinsaku Nakai, Victory Takahashi, and Toyoji Honda. How about it? These are all evidence. All of them are people who work here...all of them are patients I diagnosed!" "you!" "Well, Tianbe's condition was relatively mild. But then the condition of the three people became serious. Especially Nakai, he entered the affiliated hospital of your company and has not been discharged yet. Based on these facts, is it not necessary to put these people's Let me talk to you about the condition in detail? This can’t be regarded as chattering, right? The operators all use certain protective equipment? That’s it, and there are still serious illnesses; if these gases escape, what will happen!” "..." "Besides, Tabe and the others are all strong men, and there is no disease at all. If it is a child, an elderly person, or a person with internal organ disease, I don't know what will happen." "So, I'm working hard on how to save the vast majority of people from dying." "Is there such a good thing? Even if you take a step back and let you research it, the dose is right, and you won't die. Do you know if there will be any sequelae? It will happen in twenty or thirty years. What terrible effect did it have? No one will know until such a long time. Moreover, after such a long period of time, once this disease suddenly appears, it will be very difficult to link the cause of the disease with the poisonous gas at that time. Yes.” Akita used the word poison gas for the first time. In fact, Akita didn’t have any solid evidence to prove that what Onishi was doing was poison gas, so he deliberately clicked it in the middle of the conversation to test the other party. Reaction.But Onishi acquiesced.During the conversation, Akita skillfully seduced the other party, and inadvertently uttered the truth, and some inferences that Akita had no confidence in were completely confirmed. "Among the four of you, I especially want you to take a look at Nakai's condition. It's so miserable. He is still being treated in your company's hospital. Anyway, please go and have a look. After you see him, Maybe it will change your mind a little bit." "There are always sacrifices in the development of chemical products. And the sacrifices are always tragic. If you are afraid, no new substance can be made." "If you need a new product, you have to do it. But what you make..." "It is also necessary. Whether it is a company or the US military, they all want this N gas..." At this point, Onishi suddenly stopped.During the conversation, I accidentally revealed the very secret product name, and I was surprised.Then I thought that there was nothing to hide when it came to this point, so I just continued the discussion. "If the trial production of N gas is successful, there will be no need to use that kind of weapon that kills humans. It can also be said that the product I made can save many lives on the battlefield. It is a humane weapon." "It's called... N gas!" Akita said calmly as if he was savoring it carefully. "This is really a terrible sophistry. Since it is a weapon, how can there be any inhumanity? Under the sign of 'humanity', it will only promote the stockpiling of murderous weapons. The emergence of such commodities as 'humane weapons' will Alleviate the guilt of war, and then increase the danger of war. Onishi, think about it, think about the horror of gas bombs! The use of poison gas against the Vietnamese was actually made by the Japanese themselves What do you think about this fact?" "I didn't take this into consideration. We are only selling goods to the US military as a trade. How customers use and deal with our goods is not something we understand. Moreover, it is impossible for us manufacturers to carry out one by one Interference. From the perspective of Nippon Kasei, this is just a transaction. As for which customers to trade with and the conditions of the transaction, this is of course a matter of commercial freedom." "It's a misunderstanding of freedom. Free trade is not without restrictions. From the public's standpoint, there are certain restrictions, which are completely taken for granted." "From the public's point of view, it is not unreasonable that trade should be subject to certain restrictions. The manufacture of weapons is not just for personal use, nor is it produced for Japan's 'war capability', so it is not against the Constitution. In short, The products I produce are completely legal commodities. So keep them secret, just as you said, because the appearance is horrific, and it will unnecessarily stimulate public opinion." "It's not just a matter of appearances. In real life, it's a real scary thing. There's no danger of death, let's say, but it's a deterrent weapon that makes normal people worthless. As you put it, Only weapons that kill people can be called cruel, right?" "It's a difference in the way of thinking. One is to kill people at once, and the other is not to kill people. Although there will be sequelae in the future, I think that weapons that don't kill people are always better than weapons that don't kill people. It's much more humane." After Daxi said, he took out a Dove of Peace cigarette from the cigarette case and lit it.He didn't respect Akita, not because he knew he didn't smoke, but because he was a little nervous. "The extent of the impact of this sequelae is still unknown in medicine." "So, I'll leave all of this to you. As far as I am concerned, I will try my best to develop a weapon with few side effects. However, people are very different, and the impact on the complex physiological functions of the human body is also very unpredictable. This is the doctor's task. .And, there may or may not be an impact.” "Don't you have room for further consideration?" "Akita, you are devoted to medicine, and I treat my chemical research the same way as you. Even though this N gas makes people feel like a demon, to me, it is just a science of research. Yes I have my own opinion on the meaning and value of N gas. I don't understand your feelings, but whether I can accept your opinion is not up to me personally. It also involves the fate of Nippon Chemical Corporation. " "You are the central figure now, as long as you let go..." "Then what about my life and my status? Right now, if I quit, the company will suffer great losses." "The company didn't invest as much money as you imagined. That's what a company is. Moreover, a talented person like you will have a bright future wherever he goes. To study knowledge, there are not many Is it an upright place?" "Akita, don't bother, it's useless for you to talk about it. N gas is my achievement. I value it very highly. Moreover, not only me, but others also value this achievement. This is to stop the bigger Small disasters caused by disasters. This is where the value of N gas lies. Whether you admit it or not. No, let’s not talk about it. Anyway, we can’t talk together.” "Daxi!" "I've betrayed you. But it's two different things. We've gone our separate ways, two paths that never will. It's sad, but there's nothing you can do about it." "In that case, there is no room for redemption. I will not say any more. However, there is one thing I want to ask you." "Please?" "Right now, we are completely helpless against the harm caused by N gas, and there is no way to treat it. Please tell me its basic chemical composition." Onishi didn't answer immediately, but just watched the smoke rising from the cigarette.Whenever he fell into thought, he always did. "Didn't you say to entrust me with the research on the influence of N gas? In this case, at least some information in this regard should be provided." As soon as Akita finished speaking, Onishi smiled wryly.Immediately, his attitude became stiff again, and he said stubbornly and excitedly: "I'm sorry, I can't agree to your request. Because there is no effect yet. The symptoms of these four people are just temporary symptoms. Think about it, this is an extremely secret product. Before the trial production is successful, can it be made public? The ingredients of this product? What's more, you are a doctor of the Japan Industrial Accident Association!" Akita nodded, and looked directly at Onishi with piercing eyes.On the other hand, Daxi's gaze was cold and dull.The eyes of these two people are not full of the warmth of friendship, but cold like enemies.Of course, this is hidden deep in the dry eyes and is not revealed to the outside. The room was silent, with extremely weak light coming in from the window, so dark that only the outline of the face could be barely discerned.In the dark, the two sat opposite each other, without turning on the light for a long time, and felt that their conversation seemed irreconcilable like oil that cannot dissolve in water.

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