Chapter 3: Farewell at the Dock

Huang Xing can almost be considered a figure of equal stature to Sun Yat-sen. Due to his frequent involvement in uprising activities over the years, he had long been listed as a wanted person by the Qing government. To evade capture, Huang Xing had used several aliases, one of which was "Wang Shouzheng"

After having lunch, the passengers returned to their respective cabins to begin counting their luggage and preparing for disembarkation

Although Wu Shaoting had some confidence, it was not appropriate to express it at this moment. Therefore, he could only feign a casual demeanor and nod in acknowledgment to Wang Shouzheng.

These are all of his possessions

The cruise ship finally lowered the tender, and the sailors cleared a path on the deck and onshore, allowing first-class and second-class passengers to disembark first, with third-class passengers being the last to go ashore

Zhu Zhixin was also a prominent figure after the Xinhai Revolution. When the Guangdong Military Government was established, he was responsible for reorganizing all the military forces in Guangdong Province. Of course, Zhu Zhixin's greatest achievement was his foresight and analysis of socialism, making him the first generation of propagators of Marxism and Engels in China. The famous works "Das Kapital" and "The Communist Manifesto" were translated by him.

Hu Hanmin also resided in the second-class cabin, thus the two individuals interacted closely over these two days. However, aside from their initial discussion on revolutionary topics on the deck, their conversations at other times merely revolved around various observations from abroad

Wu Shaoting's expression changed slightly, as he found the name Wang Shouzheng quite familiar in his mind. He connected it to the fact that the other party was from Hunan, and his physique appeared somewhat plump, making it highly likely that he was another veteran figure of the Tongmenghui, Huang Xing.

Wu Shaoting turned around and saw Hu Hanmin walking out of the cabin with his luggage in hand

"It shook." A familiar voice came from behind.

Hu Hanmin then introduced the young man wearing glasses, saying: "This is the well-known scholar from Guangzhou, Zhu Dafu, courtesy name Zhixin, who is currently serving as an instructor at the Guangdong Higher School and the Law and Political Science School"

Two days later, the "Buckingham" will enter the Pearl River, expected to arrive at the Guangzhou dock at 3 PM

Hu Hanmin laughed heartily for a while and introduced Wu Shaoting, saying, "This is a friend I just met on the ship; he has just returned from studying at a military school in Germany." At this point, he lowered his voice and added, "This new friend has quite a few insights of his own regarding the revolution!"

When Wu Shaoting boarded the ship in the United Kingdom, he purchased a second-class cabin ticket, which meant a private room. At this moment, he was, like everyone else, organizing his luggage.

He gazed toward the front of the cruise ship for a moment and saw that the Guangzhou dock was very lively, with a throng of people bustling about.

Wu Shaoting thought for a moment and said, "I am afraid it would not be convenient to disturb you today. I must reach the army headquarters to submit my credentials before dark; otherwise, I will have to spend the night on the streets."

Wu Shaoting and Hu Hanmin disembarked from the ship together

The luggage has just been organized when the "Buckingham" sounded its distant and muffled horn, announcing the official arrival at the destination port. The sound of the steward knocking on each cabin door can be heard in the corridor, urging passengers to gather their belongings and proceed to the deck to await disembarkation

Wu Shaoting picked up the suitcase, opened the door, and walked out onto the deck. At that moment, the deck was crowded with passengers of various shapes and colors, including Chinese, Westerners, and those who were neither fully Chinese nor fully Western, the so-called fake foreigners

Wu Shaoting naturally followed along the way

"Zhen, my friend from the picture book has come to pick me up. Come, follow me, and I will introduce you," Hu Hanmin said, pulling Wu Shaoting along to accompany him.

At the dock railing, the crowd gathered, and several men in suits warmly shook hands with Hu Hanmin. Among them, the youngest man eagerly took the luggage from Hu Hanmin's hands. Seeing that Wu Shaoting had come along with Hu Hanmin, he was just about to step forward to take Wu Shaoting's luggage as well

Wu Shaoting secretly sighed that today, following Hu Hanmin, he had truly met many revolutionary heroes

Hu Hanmin nodded slightly and said, "Since that is the case, it is fine. After disembarking, I will leave you an address. Once you have settled in, do remember to send someone to notify me."

Wu Shaoting does not have much understanding of Chen Yunsheng, perhaps he is merely an obscure minor character

The somewhat overweight middle-aged man raised his eyebrows and said with a smile, "Is that so? Then that is indeed wonderful!"

Hu Hanmin pointed at the somewhat plump middle-aged man and said: "This is my close friend, named Wang Shouzheng, from Changsha, Hunan."

How is it that, on this trip to the South Seas, the gentleman also sent a friend to accompany you back?" Another young man, wearing glasses, with thinning hair and a small mustache, smiled as he spoke, while observing Wu Shaoting beside him.

Wu Shaoting approached with a smile and said, "Cousin Zhan, it seems we are about to bid farewell."

Hu Hanmin walked over while smiling and said, "Why rush to say these things? Either come to my place for a short visit after disembarking, and I can introduce you to a few friends."

Upon arriving at the dock, Hu Hanmin was preparing to invite Wu Shaoting to leave the port together, and bid farewell outside the dock.

Wu Shaoting and Hu Hanmin both looked towards the source of the sound, and saw a few individuals in suits pushing their way through the crowd towards them. Upon closer inspection, it appeared that none of these individuals had braids at the back of their heads. Since they were acquainted with Hu Hanmin, it was highly likely that eight out of ten of them were members of the Tongmenghui.

He opened his suitcase, and apart from a set of German army dress uniform, there were only two sets of clothing for summer and winter; his diploma, the excellent student cross medal, and that straight Browning pistol were all packed in a metal box. As for his wallet, aside from a few imperial marks and thirty silver dollars exchanged from the consulate before his departure, it contained nothing else.

"Zhang Tang, it's good to see you again. The schedule indicated that the ship would arrive at noon, but it was delayed by a full three hours, leaving us waiting for quite some time!" said a middle-aged man of stout build, speaking with a Hunan accent.

After exchanging pleasantries, Zhu Zhixin said, "Let us not linger on idle talk. Come, come, I have already reserved a restaurant. We can catch up properly there later. Zhenzhi will also join us."

But suddenly a voice called out from the crowd: "Zhan Tang, Zhan Tang? Over here!"

At this moment, the "Buckingham" issued a deep blast of its horn, and the ship gradually slowed down. Soon, the cruise liner arrived at the passenger terminal of the Guangzhou dock, where a crowd of people surged forward—those welcoming friends and family, dock workers, and rickshaw pullers, creating a scene of bustling activity

Wu Shaoting smiled and said, "This is only natural"

Wu Shaoting cupped his hands towards Hu Hanmin's three friends and, with a courteous smile, said: "I am Wu Shaoting, courtesy name Zhenzhi, and it is a pleasure to meet you all"

Hu Hanmin pointed to the last young man and said: "He is Chen Yunsheng, currently studying at the Law and Politics Academy. This should be his fourth semester this year"