by Xu, Lei
We asked what he'd discovered, but he just sighed and shook his head.
"Nothing yet," he said. "I only came back to get something to eat." He paused for a moment, as if considering something, then continued. "Actually, it's not unlikely that there are significant geothermal heat sources down there. When the underground river water hits bottom, it's turned into super-hot blasts of steam that'll sear your skin like a piece of meat as soon as it touches you."
"But why did He Ruping bring back the stone?" asked Wang Sichuan, shaking his head in befuddlement.
"He probably didn't even know himself," said Pei Qing. "If you ask me, the only way the Japanese were able to send out their message was by airdropping the transmitter into the abyss. Whatever methods of entry they attempted prior to that all ended in failure. We're wasting our time."
We shook our heads gloomily. At first glance he seemed to have a point. Perhaps He Ruping was trying to warn us that the bottom of the abyss was certain death. Yet, this argument was untenable. The telegraph transmitter would require a stable power source to remain in operation these past 20 years. Given the technology available at the time, the only suitable mechanism would have been a small-scale water-powered generator. Nothing else could keep working over the long haul without any maintenance. Equipment like this couldn't just be dropped-in and expected to function on impact. It would need to be set up. It was possible to survive at the bottom of the abyss; we just hadn't figured out how. Our only clue was the stone He Ruping had brought back.
"Perhaps we should check whether the stone is missing something," said Pei Qing. "Too often we look only for surplus, when we should also be paying attention to deficiency."
"He Ruping was an engineering soldier," I said. "I think that's where we need to start. Engineering was what he knew about. I doubt he understood much, if anything, about geology."
"You've got a point," said Wang Sichuan. At once he flung open the tent flap and called for the soldier standing watch to come inside.
The soldier trembled with terror as he entered the tent. He probably thought we were about to send him into the abyss. "Name, age, and company?" I asked.
"My name is Pang Tiesong," said the young soldier. "I'm eighteen years old and a member of Third Company."
This was nothing like the movies. The soldier's fearless revolutionary spirit must have deserted him. He seemed to suddenly realize this and, afraid we'd notice his fear, feigned calm. It was an amusing sight, but I had no desire to toy with him.
"What kind of engineering soldier are you?" asked Wang Sichuan. "The same as He Ruping?"
Pang Tiesong's face turned even paler, but he managed to salute Wang Sichuan as he barked out, "The same, sir!"
Wang Sichuan motioned for him to sit down and handed him a cigarette. "I'm going to ask you a question," he said. "When you engineering soldiers see a rock, what do you think of?"
"Indomitability! Steadfastness! Eternal perseverance!" The young soldier was totally serious.
If He Ruping had brought back that stone only to tell us that we must show eternal perseverance, steadfastness, and indomitability in our mission, then he was truly an uncommon individual. That was more than a little farfetched. No one being burned alive at the bottom of a black abyss would think of such things.
"Bullshit!" swore Wang Sichuan. "Enough slogans. This isn't political class. I'm talking about all of this." He motioned at the floor, walls, and ceiling of cave rock that surrounded the tent. "And I want a good answer. What do you think of when you see this kind of rock?"
Pang Tiesong thought for a little while, but was clearly too frightened to answer. Realizing that he'd scared the young soldier, Wang Sichuan changed his tactic. Adopting the countenance of a kindly superior, he closed the tent flap and, in as friendly a voice as he could muster, said, "It's okay, you can speak freely. This is a private meeting known only to us. Anything you say here will remain our secret."
Pang Tiesong straightened his back and, as if searching for the right answer, began. "Sir, when I see the rocks here I think of the cave we dug in the Kunlun Mountains. And since this cave is so much bigger than that one, I start to wonder why we even dug it in the first place."
Wang Sichuan and I glanced at each other in dismay. Pei Qing was right. Engineering soldiers really did think differently than us. Attempting to be more specific, Wang Sichuan asked, "So, if you saw a rock that had broken off the cave wall, what would you think?"
"A single rock?" asked the soldier, confused. Wang Sichuan nodded and traced the approximate size of such a rock with his hands. "I would think of quarrying," said the soldier, "of the broken rocks that surround us when we cut through mountains. This cave is very stable, though. Any broken rocks here probably fell when the Jap devils were building their dam."
I sighed to myself. If this was what He Ruping had been thinking, then the stone was meaningless. And if it wasn't, then we were getting nowhere.
"Is that what all engineering soldiers would think?" asked Wang Sichuan.
Pang Tiesong shook his head. He didn't know. If we wanted, he said he would ask around.
Wang Sichuan was about to respond when Pei Qing stopped him and motioned to Pang Tiesong. "You can leave now," he said. "And not a word about this to anyone."
Pang Tiesong left at once, looking as if a great burden had been lifted off his shoulders. Pei Qing turned back to us. "What that kid just told us was not entirely worthless," he said. "Think about it. Given the low visibility at the bottom of the abyss, it's unlikely He Ruping would have noticed a rock that small. Instead, he probably saw a whole field of broken rocks, and since he was an engineering soldier, we now know what his first thought would have been, 'I'll bet these came from the dam.' However, it was his next thought that really mattered, for it was this that convinced him, already on the brink of death, to pick up one of those rocks and carry it all the way back here."
"Maybe so," I said, "but we'll never be able to guess what it was. We need to ask an engineering soldier."
"But it can't be the kid who asks the others," said Pei Qing. "Too much information would get out. We need to be precise about this if we want to learn the truth. I'll prepare a few questions and have command call in the rest of He Ruping's company to answer them."
This was obviously a much better method than just guessing blindly. We all agreed to it at once.
After Pei Qing left to make the necessary arrangements, Wang Sichuan looked over at me. "When this guy's not out of his mind, he's actually pretty damn smart."
I smiled bitterly. There were times when I found myself shamed by Pei Qing's intelligence and hard-working nature, though it was tough to say which was preferable: my life of quick-witted indolence or his of focused ambition. I knew only that a comfortable existence was enough for me, but perhaps my comforts were nothing compared to his. Turning to Wang Sichuan, I asked, "What do you think about all this? Since when do you not have an opinion?"
"This kind of stuff is not my strong point," he said, "and talking just to talk can mess with other people's thinking, but I agree there was something to what Pang Tiesong said. I've been curious about that dam from the start. It's just strange as hell."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I mean, why build the dam at all? Clearly they had to, otherwise why bother? Can you imagine how much effort must have gone into that thing? No way did they build it solely to generate power. They could've just strung electrical cables down here from the surface and saved a ton of trouble."
Goddamn, I thought, as my pulse began to race. Not once had this ever occurred to me, yet Wang Sichuan had tossed it off like it was no big deal. My spirits sank. I'd admit to being dumber than Pei Qing, but Wang Sichuan? No way.
"I think the reason the Japanese built this dam was to control how much water flowed into the abyss," he continued. "Figure out what happens when the river water hits the black cloud stone and you'll have your answer to what's going on down there. It's a shame we don't have the authority
to participate in the investigation. With that bookworm Old Tian in charge, it'll be weeks before they learn a goddamn thing. That's why it's good we have Pei Qing there to nudge the higher-ups along. At least that guy knows what he's doing."
I nodded. I wanted to say Old Tian wasn't that bad, but I kept quiet. I had a feeling Wang Sichuan would hear none of it. I couldn't say why exactly, but between Old Tian and Pei Qing, I preferred Old Tian. After receiving that note warning me to "Beware of Pei Qing" and witnessing his erratic behavior, I felt that he was somehow different than the rest of us.
It was still early when I finished dinner that night. The medical camp was still open. I decided it would be a good time to give Yuan Xile a proper visit. If denied, I could always sneak back later. If her condition improved much more, they'd be sending her topside soon. Although I'd be sad to see her leave, I knew it was for the best, especially with everything that was happening. Sooner or later we, too, would be entering the abyss, and I needed to focus on the mission. But I was also aware that once she was gone my chances of seeing her again were next to nothing.
I arrived at her tent to find a crowd of nurses standing outside. They regarded me rather oddly as I walked up, intermittently glancing back inside the tent. I wondered if Wang Sichuan and the rumors had already started to spread. Peering inside, I saw the tent was filled with people, several doctors among them. Most surprising of all was that Ivan, the mysterious Soviet from atop the dam, was there as well.
CHAPTER
30
Ivan
The people in the tent were all speaking in Russian when I entered. Seeing me, they went silent, as if stunned. One of the doctors took a long look at me, then walked over and waved me out of the tent, telling me to wait 'til they were finished. The Soviet raised his head and looked at me. When it came to foreigners, I can't tell a happy expression from pure rage, but I stepped quickly outside, feeling rather annoyed.
The Soviet Union had been sending specialists to China since the 1950s. Their efforts had been of great help in the early days after the war, but there was also a clear political and strategic element to this assistance and the men and women sent were not always of the highest quality. Many persisted in old-fashioned ways of thinking and showed not the slightest inclination to change or listen to reason. As leaders they were often excessively domineering. Add to this the differences in custom and the later rift between China and the Soviet Union, and it was no wonder that most of us grew to resent these Soviet specialists.
I didn't like them from the start, though. A Soviet specialist was sent to an area where I had once been stationed. Knowing little about the local environment, he forced the use of alkaline-heavy fertilizer in soil where the salinity was already very high. Over 300 acres of crops were ruined for the next three years as a result. In the end it was the local production leader who was punished. I think he was even sent to jail. The specialist was merely transferred back to the Soviet Union.
Before long all the doctors exited the tent. I stood up and was about to go inside when the head doctor pulled me back. "Let them be alone for a while," he said to me. "You'd better just head back to your camp."
"Let them be alone for a while?" I asked, an uneasy feeling rising in my stomach. "Why? I just want to see how she's doing." I wriggled past him, but again the doctor yanked me back.
"Be sensible for a moment. Don't you realize who that is in there?"
"No," I said, smiling coldly, "but why should I care? He's just some Soviet. So what? You have no reason to prevent a member of the proletariat like me from visiting his old comrade-in-arms."
"Who cares if you're a member of the proletariat or anything else?" said the doctor, still tightly gripping my shoulder. "This has nothing to do with that. Have you honestly lost your mind? What business do you have disturbing an engaged couple from their reunion?"
I went stock still at his words. "What did you just say? They're engaged?"
"Comrade Ivan is Yuan Xile's fiancé. He has braved untold hardships to journey here from the Soviet Union. The two of them have not seen each other in three years. Can you not show a little restraint?"
As he was saying this, he dragged me away from the tent. I no longer resisted. "Her fiancé?"
Seeing the expression on my face, the doctor seemed to understand what was going on. "Proletarian comrades, eh?" He laughed, shaking his head. "You're punching way above your weight class, kid. Next time you pursue a girl you better make sure she's not already taken first. Try and be a little more realistic. You can't just do whatever you want and think there will be no consequences. It's time you returned to your tent."
He and the rest of the group dispersed. I continued to stand there, dazed, my heart in turmoil. Before long I began to feel mad as hell, so I left.
To be honest, even I didn't know what I was mad about. Probably I was just mad at myself for being such a fool. Images of Yuan Xile and I together flashed through my mind. I'd believed that her affections were directed at me, that in her eyes I was somehow special. Now I could see that whatever longing she felt for me had been just a product of her terror. It was random and coincidental and there was nothing special about it. She had a goddamn fiancé. What else needed to be said? There had never been a place for me in her heart. It had all been in my head. But what about those four days and nights we spent together in the dark? Did they mean nothing? In the midst of all my anger, I was overcome by a feeling of calm. If that's how it is, I thought, then everything is just back to normal. I'd been living in a dream and now there was no longer anything to long for, no longer anything to worry about. I'd woken up, and not a moment too soon.
Whenever I'd read novels, I'd always found the protagonist's feelings too numerous, too exaggerated. Now, however, I understood. My mind may have gone still, but I could feel that behind that stillness whirled countless indescribable emotions. Even the sight of her tent became distasteful to me. Simply spotting it out of the corner of my eye made my heartbeat quicken. Unfortunately, it was the tallest tent around.
I walked aimlessly through camp and finally made my way to the top of the dam. No one else was there. A fierce wind swept across the empty expanse. Staring off into the vast darkness before me, I gradually began to calm down. Step by step, I made my way to the very edge, sat down, and let my legs hang over the side. The vast darkness made my head spin. I felt as if all my mixed-up thoughts and feelings were being sucked into the void. Compared to the immensity of nature, the affairs of men were nothing. I would discover what was down there, I thought, for now there was no longer anything to fear. A wise man once said that love gives men courage, but the opposite is also true. Heartbreak brings courage, too. It's difficult to say whether I made my decision because I once had love, or because I lost it. Probably a little of both.
At this point, however, none of this mattered anymore. I was changed, yet everything around me stayed the same. When I returned to my tent Wang Sichuan and the others could tell something was different. When they asked me, though, I told them I was just stumped from mulling over the meaning of the stone.
From then on Yuan Xile's name became taboo. The moment I heard it my heart was in my throat. I made sure to engage only in things that had absolutely nothing to do with her. I didn't visit her again and all those feelings I couldn't fully suppress I at least did my best to control. As for Ivan, the few times I chanced to see him I found him even more despicable than before. I cared little about the activity happening around me. Anyone who'd gone through what I was going through should have been able to see it in my face, yet no one said anything. Everything just meandered along until Pei Qing and Old Tian had made enough progress to hold another meeting. With great reluctance, I managed to rouse myself and attend.
CHAPTER
31
Battle of Wits
Old Tian and Pei Qing had arrived at different conclusions on what was hidden within the abyss and how best to proceed. From the beginning they'd never seen eye to eye. The only opti
on remaining was to vote on the two choices by a show of hands. The winner would determine our next move. I asked Wang Sichuan whom he favored.
"I don't really understand Old Tian's theory," he said, a sheepish look on his face. "So, for now at least, I'm going with Pei Qing, though I still think his plan is much too bold."
The meeting was small and tightly packed. Old Tian went first. Honestly, I had a tough time understanding Old Tian's presentation, too. My knowledge of theory was slightly better than Wang Sichuan's, but this was still way over my head. Old Tian and his students first determined that the black cloud stone had been ripped with great force from the cave wall, though whether this event was natural or manmade they couldn't say. Wang Sichuan nudged me and rolled his eyes. Of course the stone fell from the cave wall; it's not like it appeared out of thin air. The holes continued all the way through the stone, Old Tian continued. This was an effect of acidic corrosion. Old Tian believed this was not a manmade phenomenon, but was rather caused by acidic warm water pouring into the abyss and over the stone.