Twenty Seven Years

  Chapter 111 Gold

   "Musician?" Veraker became a little interested.

  The musicians were equally interested when Verac said that he was from Leizein: "How is Laizein now?"

  This question is too broad. Verac thought for a while, and answered equally broadly: "Very good...the World Expo will be held on September 25."

   "What's the date today?" There are very few people in the prison who have the energy to keep track of the date, and musicians have no idea about September 25th. "What is there at the World Expo?"

"Today is September 12th." Verac didn't hear even a trace of longing from the musician's words, only full of numbness. He asked this question as if it was just out of inertia, "The World Expo...displays fine arts, traditional crafts, But this time the focus is on displaying science and technology and industrial technology.”

   "What did you say?" The next cell was very noisy, and the musician asked loudly.

  Verak repeated in a raised voice.

   "That's pretty good." The musician sighed, "What are you doing? How did you get caught here?"

   "Same as you, a political prisoner, who used to be a photographer." Verak said.

   “I used to be a pianist.”

  Everyone tacitly left out the political aspect, even though that was the reason for getting caught.

   "It's a pity that there is no piano here, otherwise I can hear your performance, and the days to come will be easier. By the way, my name is Chris." Verac said.

"My name is Danny Rose. It's been five...six years... Anyway, I haven't touched a piano for a long time. Even if I have a piano now, I can't play it with my hands." Rose changed the subject, "What do you think? Would you like to live with Keating?"

  Verak frowned. Hearing Rose's tone, he should know Keating's secret: "I just came here, and I was directly arranged here by the deputy warden."

   "Hurry up and find a way to change the cell!" Rose persuaded.

"The deputy warden forbids me to apply for a cell change." Verac further confirmed that Ross knew the reason why others really didn't want to live with Keating. He glanced at Keating and saw that Keating was reading a book leisurely. Interfering with them talking about themselves, they continued to ask with confidence, "Why do you want to change cells? Isn't it good that you don't need to work here?"

"What a fart, did you offend Lecter? That kid is a lunatic! You are really unlucky!" Rose became upset when he mentioned the deputy warden, because he was worried about being heard by the prison guards. Forgot to lower the voice.

  Verak asked impatiently: "Why is it bad here?"

"Keating didn't tell you?" Rose was quite surprised, "He and Louis Ravel are close friends. Before Ravel fled, he gave him a large amount of gold that was planned to be used for a comeback, and asked him to arrange After that, Ravel was shot and killed by rioters on the way to Dunman, and now it is equivalent to only Keating knowing where the gold is."

  Louis Ravel.

  The first and last king of the Briesi Empire.

  Two years ago, a revolution broke out in Lezein. The people and the defected government forces jointly overthrew the old dynasty ruled by Ravel and established the Bresci Republic.

   "Ravel..." Verac didn't expect Keating to have a close relationship with Ravel, the king of subjugation.

"Keating won't accept the hard and soft. The government can't find out where the gold is hidden, so we can only stand in a stalemate until he figured it out." Rose enthusiastically revealed all the secrets that Keating has been hiding all along, " Later, when the deputy warden Lecter came, he arranged tasks for the prisoners living with Keating. As long as someone can find out the whereabouts of the gold, they will be free, otherwise, they will be tortured every day."

free…

  Daily torture…

  Verak's heart tightened.

"At first, we all fought to live with Keating, but after so long, no matter what methods we used, we didn't get any useful information, but because we couldn't bear the punishment, people changed batch after batch. …Until now, no one has taken the initiative to apply to live with Keating, and they are all forced to switch in.” Rose said, “You…you can do it yourself, or you can try it first, maybe you can ask?”

   The amount of information was too much, and after Ross finished speaking, Verac did not answer.

   "Stop talking, it's our turn to take a shower." Rose said hello and there was no movement.

  Verak's eyes flickered, and he leaned against the wall and looked at Keating: "Mr. Keating..."

   "Indeed." Keating said while reading a book.

   As long as Keating asks the whereabouts of the gold, he can get out of prison, but there are no less than a hundred people who have tried it so far, and no one has succeeded.

  However, compared to tens of thousands of prisoners who failed to escape from prison in the past 80 years, it is still more feasible to ask Keating.

"Why didn't you say it? They must have offered you a very generous offer. It's much better than staying in prison and never seeing the sun?" Verac didn't directly ask Keating to tell the secret , first expand around related issues.

   "Who can guarantee that they will really fulfill their promises?" Keating asked, "It's just that for you, being here is bleak, so even if it's just a promise without any guarantee, you are willing to try."

   "You should have a way to protect yourself." This reason did not convince Veraker.

"So what?" Keating seemed to be concentrating on the book. He turned a page, his eyes wandering between the words, "What's the difference between outside and here? Freedom? For a person like me who can't even walk For me, although freedom is a luxury, it is not what I pursue.”

  Verak stood up: "What is your pursuit?"

   "I didn't pursue it." Keating said.

   "It seems that I can't get any information from you." Verak put his hands on his hips, pacing back and forth in the small cell, "The daily torture is really a headache."

   Keating saw that Veraker didn't press on, but closed the book instead.

  He has seen too many people of all kinds. In order to know the whereabouts of gold, those prisoners would attack him, kneel down and beg him, and give up after asking a few questions. Verac is the first one.

   Probably just came here, haven’t suffered pain, haven’t experienced what is real despair.

"You have been targeted by Lecter, so you can only keep him interested by insisting on not compromising, and not finding a reason to execute you." Keating provided Veraker with another perspective on things, "Even if you are not here Living in this cell, the daily trials are already doomed. This is the guarantee of your survival."

   "Guarantee..." Verak repeated Keating's words, took a deep breath, "I am really moved, the hope of freedom is right in front of me."

  "You are a smart person. Smart people will not be reconciled easily, but they should also recognize the status quo." Keating kept smiling, "You can't find out by asking."

  (end of this chapter)