Chapter 3: Taking the Lead

At the boundary marker on the Deba border, Polish soldiers were stationed there, surrounded by many people asking questions. They occasionally responded with a few words, but none of it held any real significance. Jewish individuals had already gathered there from various places, including men, women, and children of all ages. The cold wind was biting, and people lit bonfires in the snow to keep warm.

After a while, a young man who had been in the same vehicle as Qin Tian approached, pulled back the curtain, and brought in a chill along with a few scattered pieces of news: "They were all dispersed by the Germans. After being arrested that night, they were taken to the police station, and most were sent to a large prison in the suburbs of Berlin. Once inside, they never came out, and no one knows the conditions there. The German authorities have not disclosed any information at all."

Lina and several other girls huddled in the car to escape the strong wind. They were not allowed to light a fire inside the vehicle, while the fire outside was accompanied by the cold wind. The group pressed against each other for warmth, attentively listening to the sounds from outside.

On the pitch-black road, the howling cold wind outside the carport is so piercing. Qin Tian, a southerner, faces a winter as harsh as that of northern China, trembling from head to toe. She feels as if her cells are about to shake out of her skin, her entire body numb from the cold

Currently, the regulations are extremely strict, and one could easily be thrown off the train by the Germans for various reasons. A few individuals decided to take Uncle Sansos's small truck instead. The two countries are neighboring countries, and it is said that the distance from Berlin to Warsaw is only about 600 kilometers, which can be covered in a single day by car

Thirteen people were crammed into the truck, which was not moving quickly. In this era, road conditions were not a priority. The vehicle swayed back and forth, and before long, Qin Tian could no longer endure it. Waves of nausea surged in her stomach, making her feel like she was going to vomit. The faces of the others also appeared unwell. Qin Tian secretly shook her head, wondering how they would manage this long journey.

Qin Tian couldn't help but scoff inwardly at that foolish and bold country, whose performance during World War II was rather unimpressive, being occupied despite its large size. However, upon realizing that she was now heading to Poland, she began to mock herself, thinking what was she doing, running off to Poland was hardly a good choice, it was merely a case of the pot calling the kettle black

Qin Tian noticed that although Jewish people were not allowed to enter, some individuals who were clearly not Jewish were still permitted to cross the border. Occasionally, a truck would stop at the border, seemingly used for transporting goods along with a few people. Currently, one such truck was parked, appearing ready to depart at any moment. She clenched her hand, still hesitating.

Qin Tian was taken aback; she could not deny the uncontrollable flutter in her heart. The girls in the car were all looking at her, their faces filled with concern and urgency. She bit her teeth and smiled, saying: "Since we can all get in anyway, there's no need to rush at this moment."

No, Tian, I know what you are thinking, but you must understand that arriving in Warsaw earlier will allow you to find your brother sooner. My father has said that your brother is a very capable young man, and he might be able to help us. Lina's face was filled with urgency as she straightened up and grasped Qin Tian's shoulders. "The number of people being detained is increasing, and soon no one knows what will happen here. We need assistance from within Poland, and you are our only hope now"

Qin Tian felt Lina trembling violently beside her, and she was so frightened that she could hardly catch her breath. Qin Tian sighed inwardly, her warm hand resting on the back of Lina's hand. It wasn't that she believed in the law of protagonists; she simply knew that Germany was still under the constraints of the Treaty of Versailles. Neither the police nor the military were ruthless enough to resort to murder. Nevertheless, in the face of such a situation, she still felt very tense

The guard remained motionless, his gaze fixed straight ahead

Many of the people here have come out of a deep sense of hardship in life in Germany. Many lost their husbands, fathers, and lovers during Kristallnacht, and after searching in vain, they ended up here. At this moment, upon suddenly seeing so many Jewish men, they naturally became overwhelmed with emotion

She admits that she has unresolved feelings of obligation. Regardless of whether she is truly a person of deep emotions, leaving behind a large group of people to enter alone at this moment is undoubtedly a challenge to her moral boundaries. In fact, her thoughts are quite resolute; after all, she hasn't seen that brother in years, so a little more time doesn't matter. However, leaving Lina behind at this moment would certainly lead her to condemn herself.

Lina was very excited, struggling a few times to peek out, seemingly hoping to catch a glimpse of her father's figure among the crowd in the picture book. However, her gaze quickly dimmed, and soon she began to stir restlessly, as if she also wanted to inquire.

Lina also realized it and gently nudged Qin Tian: "Yes, Tian, you should hurry in now. It's almost dark, and if you go in now, you can still receive hospitality from the temporary lodge of the office inside. Otherwise, no one will pay attention to you late at night"

Two other individuals were seated nearby, an older man and a young man. They remained in their own worlds, seemingly indifferent to everything around them. Just moments ago, when Qin Tian was nearly deprived of an entire stack of money, neither of them showed any intention of offering a warning. Qin Tian understood that, at such times, one could truly rely only on oneself

She has lost the desire to calculate how long the car has been traveling and how much longer it needs to travel; she only knows that she has become like a walking corpse, everything is confusing, everything is dark... She has no mood to think about anything at all

Concentration camp! Upon hearing about that so-called great prison, Qin Tian was already one hundred percent certain of its existence, the most infamous entity of the World War II era

Qin Tian accepted the bag and nodded, saying, "Alright, I promise you"

Without waiting for Sansos to respond, Qin Tian took out a stack of paper and replied as calmly as possible: "I am passing by, going to Warsaw to visit relatives"

Sangsos quickly took the driver's seat and started the car. After leaving Berlin, there was still a long way to go before reaching the border with Debo. Along the way, there were often police checkpoints, and upon seeing that they were Jews, the officers displayed cold disdain and impatiently urged them to move along.

A rustling sound approached, and someone patted him on the shoulder. Qin Tian slowly turned around, as if her reflexes had frozen; it took her a long time to realize that someone was calling out to her

Qin Tian whispered, "What did the soldier reply? In Polish?"

Knowing full well that it is nearly impossible to save the prisoners in the concentration camp, one still has to attempt to rescue them

After much effort, my German has become somewhat proficient, yet I find myself once again in the world of incomprehensible languages. With all the traveling she has to do, isn't it as if she could cosplay as the Eight-Nation Alliance?

What surprised her the most was that there were already concentration camps at that time. She had always thought that they were established after the outbreak of World War II for the purpose of control and extermination, and that there was one near Berlin

Qin Tian's lips moved slightly, but in the end, she said nothing. She detested this feeling of powerlessness

It is very large. The young people can only say this, "It is said to be like this, I have never seen it myself, but I have heard them say that they passed by that great prison from a distance, and it looks like a hell, a place where even Satan would not want to enter"

Knowing this part of history, even if only vaguely, has left her feeling so powerless in just a few days. How long will she feel this way? Will there come a day when she knowingly steps onto a place with a bomb, feeling that she has no choice but to do so?

Only thirteen young people set out together this time, consisting of eight men and four women, plus a person named Qin Tian. Accompanying them was a Jewish uncle named Sangsos, along with a young man named Dick, who was a Polish of German descent, having traveled back and forth between Poland and Germany multiple times, making him quite familiar with the journey

Throughout the entire process, she remained in a state of heightened nervous excitement. It was only when she huddled in the narrow freight car that she realized the situation she was currently facing

No... Lina still had more to say, when a truck approached from a distance. Unlike the previous groups of the old, weak, women, and children, this time it was entirely composed of Jewish men, ranging from the young and strong to the old and frail. They all had pale faces and tattered clothing, and most of them were barefoot, their feet turning purple in the snow.

"Tian, you actually don't need to stay with us. You are not Jewish and you have the legal documents to go in directly," a young girl suddenly said, her eyes filled with kindness

Uncle Sanders and Dick, upon reaching the boundary, surrounded the guard just like the others. Behind the boundary post, there was a small wooden cabin serving as an office, where someone could be seen moving about faintly, yet no one came out to assist.

The police officer looked at the anxious expressions of the children in the car, snorted, lowered the curtain, and waved to Sansos, saying, "Hurry up, hurry up"

Germany expelled the Jews, yet did not wish for their departure to be smooth

There, the other two people in the vehicle had already started a small fire in the corner. The wooden crates stacked in the truck compressed their space but also blocked the cold wind that was seeping in. The young man was patting himself and called out again, then he and the middle-aged man huddled face to face beside the fire.

"Silence!" the soldier shouted, his face flushed and his neck thick as he glared in the direction of Uncle Sansos, "Who! Who is speaking!"

"Prison?" Lina asked in confusion, "When did a large prison appear near Berlin? How big is it?"

The crowd was momentarily stunned, then surged forward, surrounding them and beginning to inquire.

They are all liars! Uncle Sansos roared, "Damn politicians! You damned Poles are still afraid of the Germans, aren't you!"

People unanimously agree that they have been forced to leave their homes, enduring the cold winds while both traveling and waiting. They can no longer bear the psychological pressure and are eager to find a place where they can settle and make a living

Knowing that Poland is about to go to war, one has no choice but to go

If it were not for the desire to leave Germany quickly, I would have gone to France, which is not afraid of Germany

Amidst the myriad of gazes, Qin Tian rushed across the border with simple luggage and caught the freight train heading to Warsaw

The slightly non-standard German elicited a faint smile from the police officer, and Qin Tian felt somewhat embarrassed. Lina mentioned that her accent wasn't that strong initially, but ever since the Night of Broken Glass, Qin Tian, who was already a second-rate German student, naturally spoke with a distinctly Chinese accent... A single sentence filled with countless grammatical errors

Uncle Sansos followed them closely and smiled, saying: "Yes, yes, they are all going to Poland for their studies. Look, they are all just children"

Ah, thank you!

Qin Tian shook her head: "Don't say anymore, go to sleep, take a rest."

If Lina's father really went in there, Qin Tian fell silent; it would truly be beyond even the greatest celestial beings to save him, leaving only lamentation.

Qin Tian suddenly groaned softly, covering her forehead and said: "I do not understand Polish..."

I originally thought it was only a few hundred kilometers, estimating that I would arrive in about a day. However, after setting off in the morning and taking a winding route, I only reached the border of Debo in the afternoon, where I was unexpectedly caught in a traffic jam.

The broadcast stated that the Polish government agreed to accept the Jews, so on what grounds are you not allowing us to pass?

Inquiring about studies? The police officer wore a half-smile, his eyes glancing over at Qin Tian. His gaze paused, pointing at her as he asked, "What about her?"

Oh my, Tian! What should I do? Is Dad over there? Lina was at a loss, her eyes brimming with tears

"Tian! Please, hurry to Warsaw!" Lina suddenly wiped her tears, grasped Qin Tian's hand, and handed her a cloth bag. "Quickly find my uncle; he is at the Syndia Hotel in Warsaw, named Kaide. Help me, find him, and let him figure out a way to save my father!"

Low murmurs came from the side, and several young travelers furrowed their brows with concern. One of them quietly said, "I think life in Poland might not be much better."

She could only curl up there, touching her empty belly and cursing her brother in the distance, still thinking it was a considerable amount... yet not enough to buy a loaf of bread

Just a few kilometers after setting out, we were stopped. The Germans had set up a checkpoint, and two police officers in black uniforms approached, lifting the cover off the car hood and looking coldly inside.

Even if the government agrees to accept us, just look at the attitudes of the people below; whether they are superficially compliant or openly defiant, they simply do not want to invite trouble upon themselves

"The expelled Jews?" one of the police officers asked

This bonfire is truly small, resembling a spark ignited by a lighter. Qin Tian hesitated for a moment before slowly moving closer. She had certainly worried about certain inappropriate matters, yet that small flame was so enticing that it made her want to throw her life into it

Tian! Let's go, hurry up, the car is about to leave

The sky had completely darkened, her coat was thin, her suitcase was light, and all her possessions amounted to just over 1,000 zlotys. She had just realized how terrifyingly high the prices were in Poland. She wanted to exchange a loaf of bread with the truck driver, but he seemed intent on taking the entire stack of money from her hand.

Lina nodded slightly: "Yes, Polish, I only understand a little bit... He seems to want people to be quiet"

Many World War II films focus on concentration camps as a central theme of Nazi atrocities. Her understanding of concentration camps is limited to movies such as Schindler's List and The Diary of Anne Frank. The feelings of those Jewish individuals are not mistaken; it was indeed a hell, a place where even Satan would not wish to enter