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墨書 Inktalez
"You go to the bar, I'll watch some TV," Qiu Wan said as she hurriedly left.
Lucia, unable to see outside, tentatively spoke a few words but received no response. After a moment, Lucia wrapped herself in a bathrobe and walked to the bedside, blushing as she explained to Zhang Qiu, "Um, I didn't think before I spoke."
"Ah?" Zhang Qiu shifted his gaze from the TV to Lucia, noticing she was still troubled by what had just happened. He quickly said, "It's fine, it's fine. Let's go to sleep."
"Okay," Lucia nodded, her face turning even redder.
Zhang Qiu turned off the TV; there was nothing interesting on, as most channels were just running news. After Lucia lay down, she turned off the room light. In the darkness, the two remained silent. It was already two-thirty in the morning, and both were extremely tired, quickly drifting off to sleep.
The next afternoon, Zhang Qiu and Lucia reluctantly got out of bed. A servant had been waiting outside the door and upon seeing them come out said to Zhang Qiu, "Please follow me to the dining room for your meal."
Zhang Qiu nodded and asked the servant, "Has Prince Banan gotten up?"
"Your Highness has been up early and is currently in his office. He instructed me to let you know that he has important matters to discuss with you after your meal."
"Important matters?" Zhang Qiu exchanged glances with Lucia. "Let's go see him first."
"Okay," Lucia eagerly nodded.
The servant added, "Your Highness specifically instructed me to have you eat first; the matter is not particularly urgent."
"Alright then, let's eat first. I am indeed hungry."
Zhang Qiu and Lucia followed the servant to the dining room. Along the way, Zhang Qiu speculated about what Prince Banan might want.
"What do you think Prince Banan wants with us?" Lucia asked.
"Looks like you were thinking about this too. I believe, given the current situation, nothing major will happen."
"I hope so. It's not easy to reach today's situation, and I don't want anything else to go wrong."
"It won't happen. He is no longer here," Zhang Qiu pointed at the Servant, "and things are not particularly urgent."
By the time they finished their conversation, they had arrived at the restaurant. Strangely, Azure Hawk was waiting there again. Zhang Qiu instructed the Servant to bring out lunch, then sat down across from Azure Hawk with Lucia, the three of them silent.
Azure Hawk was the first to speak, asking, "When are we going back home?"
"Are you in a hurry?"
"Once the matters are settled, we should return."
"Then... let's say tomorrow." Zhang Qiu hesitated for a moment, considering that he needed time to say goodbye to Prince Banan.
Even if Azure Hawk hadn't mentioned it, Zhang Qiu wanted to return as soon as possible. He was worried about his family, his brothers, and his beloved wife. Zhao Yuanjia's safe return added pressure on Zhang Qiu; the struggle was far from over, and he needed to go back to continue fighting.
"Alright, I'll report to Professor Bai this afternoon."
Zhang Qiu nodded. He communicated with Azure Hawk in Chinese, which Lucia couldn't understand. He switched to English and said, "Lucia, we are leaving for home tomorrow. Do you have any plans?"
"We're leaving tomorrow?" Lucia looked at Zhang Qiu in surprise. "I knew parting was coming, but I didn't expect it to be so soon."
"Yes, we're leaving tomorrow. There are still many things waiting for me back home."
"Well then, it's a bit hard to let go."
Lucia lightly bit her lip, memories flooding back, and her eyes became slightly moist. Zhang Qiu looked at Lucia, feeling the same reluctance. The trip to Africa felt like a fantastical dream.
"What about you? What are your plans?"
Lucia looked at Zhang Qiu, her eyebrows slightly raised, and after a long pause said, "Can I go back with you?"
"You want to return to your country with me? Of course, you can."
"That's great! I'll go back with you. It's too hard to part now, and I can't wait to visit my beloved China again and see the lovely Sister Jiang Xue." Lucia smiled brightly. After enduring so many hardships, it was time to relax and enjoy a vacation.
Zhang Qiu didn't want to ruin Lucia's beautiful wish, but he had to remind her: "You need to think carefully; this trip to China may not be as wonderful as before."
"It's okay. I've thought it through. We've faced storms together; I'm not afraid. As long as I'm with you all, everything feels wonderful."
A warm current flowed into Zhang Qiu's heart as he nodded seriously: "Don't worry; I will definitely protect you!"
The elegantly dressed waiter brought lunch to the table and unveiled the dishes—roast duck, grilled meat, and fresh fruits. At that moment, Zhang Qiu couldn't help but think of all the various foods he had seen and tasted along the way. Compared to his own life, this lunch was just a refined Western meal. But compared to the porridge most people in Tanzania ate, this meal seemed overly luxurious. No matter when, the gap between classes is hard to narrow, let alone eliminate.
After a hearty meal, Lucia gently wiped the corners of her mouth. Zhang Qiu stood up and bid farewell to Azure Hawk: "Lucia and I are going to see Prince Banan; I will tell him our return time and ask him to make arrangements."
"Great! I'll report to Professor Bai as well."
At the restaurant entrance, Azure Hawk walked alone toward the guest rooms while Zhang Qiu and Lucia followed the Servant to Prince Banan's office.
This was a spacious room on the second floor of the Temporary Palace, with an entire wall of floor-to-ceiling windows offering a beautiful view outside. Prince Banan sat behind his desk while several people stood in front of him listening to his instructions. Zhang Qiu and Lucia sat on a nearby sofa waiting. Once Prince Banan finished his matters, he walked over and sat down across from Zhang Qiu and Lucia, saying, "Pack your things; we will return to Bam this afternoon."
"Are we leaving so soon?"
"Yes, after all, Bam is the political center of Tanzania. With everything arranged in a rush, it’s time to return. My father will also go back, and the luxurious villa near the palace will still serve as his residence, while the palace will be used for daily work. Additionally, I have an idea that I would like your suggestions on."
Prince Banan shifted his position slightly, leaning forward and said, "I want to build a monument in the open space in front of the palace to commemorate the innocent citizens who died during the clearing. They are heroes of Tanzania and deserve to be remembered by everyone."
"This is a great idea," Lucia agreed wholeheartedly, not hiding her joy. Lucia had witnessed the bravery of the Public in front of the palace and had kept footage on her phone, never letting it go despite the danger.
Prince Banan felt proud of his suggestion being praised but noticed that Zhang Qiu was silent and staring blankly. His joy diminished significantly; was there a problem? Prince Banan quickly asked, "Zhang Qiu, why aren’t you speaking?"
"I agree, I completely agree; this is an excellent idea." Zhang Qiu nodded repeatedly as he pondered, "History should not be forgotten. The scene that occurred in front of the palace is worth remembering for future generations; they sacrificed their lives for a better life ahead."
"That's good; I thought something was wrong," Prince Banan sighed with relief. He had grown accustomed to referring to Zhang Qiu's suggestions, which often surprised him.
Zhang Qiu suddenly looked up and said, "I believe that every person's name should be engraved on the monument, especially those who lost their lives. They are a whole but also individual lives; each one deserves to be remembered separately." The image of Uncle Agari's honest face appeared before Zhang Qiu's eyes, his tall figure standing out vividly in his mind.
"Alright, we’ll do it your way," Prince Banan said excitedly as he slapped his right hand on the sofa; Zhang Qiu indeed surprised him again.
"Prince Banan, I have something to discuss with you too."
"You!"
"Tomorrow, we will be returning home; please help us arrange a safe flight."
Prince Banan's joyful expression froze for a moment; after a while, he shook his head and sighed, "I really don’t want you to leave." After a brief silence, Prince Banan suddenly looked up and said loudly, "Well then, since there must be a parting someday, let’s make it come sooner. I will arrange a private jet for you; I guarantee your safety."
"Thank you very much."
"We don’t need to be polite between us."
Prince Banan smiled, but Zhang Qiu could still see a hint of melancholy in his eyes.
"I have a gift for you," Prince Banan suddenly stood up and walked to the desk by the window.
Zhang Qiu and Lucia both looked at Prince Banan, guessing in their hearts what the prince's gift might be. Zhang Qiu had a feeling that it was not an ordinary item, but he couldn't think of what it could be.
Prince Banan opened a drawer and took out a document bag, handing it to Zhang Qiu. "Open it and take a look."
Zhang Qiu hesitated as he held the document bag, which felt like a book or something similar inside, weighing about the same. Lucia urged from the side, "Hurry up and open it!"
Zhang Qiu untangled the coils of string and tilted the document bag downwards, causing a book to slide out. His eyes lit up when he realized it was the very copy of "A Brief History of Ukrainian Tractors" that he had brought with him. The entire book was soaked from rain, its pages wrinkled and stuck together, but the hard cover was still intact. Zhang Qiu exclaimed, "Where did you get this!"
"It fell into the hands of the War Maniacs. After they were captured, the military police found it in their room. I knew this was yours, so I specifically brought it to you as a keepsake. How do you like my gift?"
"I'm satisfied; I'm very satisfied."
Zhang Qiu nodded vigorously, cradling the book in his right hand while gently stroking the cover with his left. Like a person who had traveled across oceans and endured hardships, now Zhang Qiu wanted to take it back with him and place it on his shelf for permanent preservation.
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