Twenty Seven Years

  Chapter 473 is changing

   Winston left, and headed for the city of Leicester with the hopes of the hundreds of people left behind.

   Under the desperate delay of the Equality Army on the front line, most of the comrades in the Equality Building also stepped up to pack their things and evacuated Lezein in an orderly manner.

  After dinner, the other cadres of the action team returned to the meeting room, and discussed with Verak about the defense of the martyrs cemetery following what was discussed half an hour ago.

  Unknowingly, it was more than eleven o'clock in the middle of the night, and the plan was still advancing according to the idea that Murphy had proposed before, but unfortunately there was not much progress.

  The problem is that they are not very sure to control the people in the newspaper office. Even if they can control it, the government army may not have no backup. It seems that it is unlikely to play a decisive role in obstructing the government forces only from the newspaper office.

  In addition, this plan cannot fundamentally eliminate the idea of ​​government forces destroying the martyrs' cemetery. It can only delay this move as much as possible, which is far from their real goal.

   After a period of stalemate, Verak announced the adjournment of the meeting to save everyone's energy. Tomorrow, we will formally accept more than 300 comrades who have completed the handover procedures, and arrange the intelligence team and combat team to deal with the attack of the government army.

  In case the government troops came, they didn't come up with a plan to defend the martyrs' cemetery, and they didn't do other things, and they were caught in a hurry.

  The others dispersed, and Verac did not stay in the meeting room for too long by himself.

  He packed his things and came to the corridor. Seeing that the formerly busy building became deserted, I was a little bit unwilling.

  The sacrifices made by the Equality Association and the International Equality League in the occupation of Laizein this time are incalculable. If you want to come back next time, the price you will bear will only be greater.

   Just a little bit.

   It may also seem that this is a gap, which requires countless people to sacrifice countless lives to cross it.

  Verak let out a faint sigh and came to Keating's office.

   Keating hasn't had a break before the wee hours of the morning since becoming president of the International Equality League. Just like Boyne back then, no matter when comrades approached him, he could always respond immediately.

   "Is the action team all set up?" Keating seemed to have been sitting motionless at his desk for a long time.

   "It's formed..." Verak roughly explained the composition of the action team and the progress of defending the martyrs' cemetery.

"I'm talking a bit more selfishly now. The importance of the Martyrs Cemetery cannot be measured, but your lives are always above everything else. Just do your best in this matter. If more people are sacrificed in order to defend the dignity of those who have been sacrificed, from the last As a result, the cart has turned the cart before the horse." Keating said.

  Verak smiled helplessly: "You told me in the afternoon that you have no choice and you have to do everything you can."

Keating said bluntly: "I want to use this method to make you realize that you should not stay here. This is an impossible task. Instead of being in danger and shouldering heavy responsibilities, it is better to withdraw to Lelister City to accumulate strength and wait for an opportunity verb: move."

   "You know me so well, why do you still do such meaningless things." Verak smoked a cigarette.

   "I never doubted Ni's sincerity, but I just don't want you to be bound by something. You have to understand that our evacuation is to come back and change the world better."

   "I am very aware of this. The reason why I chose to stay here and lead the action team to continue to fight against the government forces is not because the withdrawal is shameful, but because I simply think that people like me can only play a role in fighting in Laizein."

   Keating didn't delve into this point, and they knew each other's thoughts: "Okay, let's do it."

   "Go to bed early, don't be too tired." Verak cared, "Especially at your age, you are more likely to be exhausted than young people."

   "I'm leaving tomorrow, and it's not too late to rest on the way." Keating seemed to want to say something, but he didn't say anything after all.

"I guess it will be a long time before I see you again. By the way, Winston came to me before he left at night and gave me the first draft of his new work." Verac sighed for a while, but did not notice Keating He hesitated to speak, "... What happened during this period of time made me feel very emotional. The day of Nord's wedding was actually the most gathering time for everyone."

   "You keep this." Hearing this, Keating opened his packed suitcase and took out a photo.

  Verak took a look and found that this photo was a group photo taken by everyone on Nord's wedding day.

   In less than half a year, one-third of the people in the photo had already died.

   "Okay... okay, I won't waste your time. I won't have time to see you off tomorrow, so let's say goodbye now." Verac accepted the photo and hugged Keating gently.

"be careful."

   "I will, and you should take care of yourself."

   After saying goodbye to Keating, Verac went to sleep in the Equality Building.

  November 13, morning

   Keating secretly evacuated Laizein.

  At the same time, the situation on the front line became more and more clear. With the return of miscellaneous news, the citizens began to realize that Laizein would soon change the ruler again.

A large number of citizens who have enjoyed the benefits brought by the International Equality League rushed to find comrades who are still temporarily staying in Laizein, and confirmed the situation to them, hoping that those news were just rumors deliberately spread by people with intentions to disturb the hearts of the people .

But when it was learned that the International Equality Alliance was indeed going to make a strategic retreat and abandon Laizein, although the Propaganda Department tried to explain the significance of this transfer, it showed that this did not mean the collapse of the International Equality Alliance. The news that the army was defeated and the revolution failed spread across the streets and alleys in an instant, causing great panic among those who believed in the International Equality League and shattering their hope for a better future.

  This is actually unavoidable.

  Language is completely weak at this moment.

  Everyone knows that if we want to break the panic and restore everyone's confidence in the revolution and the brave new world, it can only be achieved through practical actions.

  Based on this consideration, Keating did not let the Propaganda Department waste too much effort.

  November 14

   Under the gradual chaos of Laizein, the International Equality League restored some of the powers of the original Laizein security team, and returned the short-term security work to the group of people who leaned on the government forces.

  By the afternoon, all comrades except Laizein’s wartime action team had withdrawn from Laizein.

  Kip City and other important places stationed by the International Equality Alliance have also been evacuated one after another, and all the revolutionary forces are converging to the new rear area-Lelist City.

   Some citizens in many cities did not sit still and chose to pack up their things and leave before the arrival of the government army, and went to Leliste to continue to pursue the dream woven by the International Equality League.

  Some people have no choice but to stay where they are and live hard.

   Not long ago, Laizein, who was wrapped in the idea of ​​equality and glowed with a brand-new vitality that had never been seen before, changed back to his original state overnight.

  The civilians who lived in the same mansion with the nobles were kicked out, and hospitals and schools no longer provided free treatment and teaching.

  Factories shut down, public facilities were destroyed, and the dignitaries who had previously swallowed their anger and were stepped on by the civilians quickly regrouped their forces and began a crazy revenge.

  The new order that the International Equality League spent months hard forging has been destroyed.

  …

   "Why did you drive us away! All men are created equal! Now that everything starts again, we deserve to live here!"

  "The International Equality League has run away, what are you talking about, a little bastard? Get out of here! Take all your dirty things away!"

   "Yesterday you smiled and gave us new clothes, saying that we will all be friends in the future. It turns out that this is all pretend!"

   "Get out! Otherwise, I will have your legs broken! Don't forget! The government army is coming back soon! You are all just a bunch of pariahs! Bare pariahs!"

  …

   "Why can't my child continue to go to school? Isn't this school established by the International Equality League?!"

"The teachers are all afraid of being retaliated by the government army and ran away. It is useless for your children to come. And even if the teacher does not run away and the government army returns, do you think they will tolerate the existence of such a school? Then everyone will suffer together I advise you to leave here quickly, there is no point in yelling any longer."

  …

   "I beg you to save my husband. He was shot in the abdomen by a nobleman. If the wound is not treated, he will soon die due to excessive blood loss!"

   "You can also see that the hospital is in such a mess now, there is really no one who can help you."

   "But my husband is dying! Please, find a way to save him!"

   "Well... There are ways. As long as you have hard currency, that is, gold coupons, I can help you gather a group of the best doctors to save your husband as quickly as possible."

   "Gold, gold coupons... Isn't the money from the International Equality League okay?"

   "That thing will soon become waste paper."

   "How many coupons do you need?"

   "Not much, 10,000 gold coupons will do."

   "Ten thousand?! How could we have that much money!"

   "I'm sorry if I don't."

  …

   It seems that they all evacuated. In fact, Verak and others, who had been hiding on the 13th, witnessed all this and could not be calm for a long time.

Connie really wants to do her best to prevent some tragedies from happening, and let those **** who think that the International Equality League is gone can do whatever they want. Locked in the room, try not to listen, not to look, not to hinder the action team's absolute secrecy and subsequent series of plans.

   "Sure enough, changes can't be made overnight. As soon as the International Equality League left, these people who had to obey our arrangement in order to survive immediately showed their true colors." Murphy said.

"It's not surprising." Verak stood in front of the window, looking at the commotion outside through the tulle, "One reason is because we have left, and the other reason is because the government troops are coming back soon, and they will soon resume their old ways. Power. Under such circumstances, choosing to continue to coexist peacefully with civilians has become a foolish thing.”

"I think we have to add one more item to our plan. If necessary, take action to deal with some scum, and let them know that the International Equality League has not left. It is best not to act rashly." The deputy leader of the combat team, the veteran Spencer, is the most disgusted with these two-faced people .

  The calm Shirley held the opposite opinion: "Secrecy is our rare advantage now. We should use this to take action against the government forces. When the existence of the action team is known, it will not be too late to deal with these people."

"Well, if we want to complete the final task, we have to make a choice." Verak agreed with Shirley's thoughts, "Cyril, Nizan, you go check the comrades hiding in other places, and remind them to take care of the overall situation." Be patient, don't be impulsive, and expose your identity when you see injustice."

"We can't interfere as the International Equality League, but can the conditions be relaxed, as a citizen of Laizein, help some people as much as we can?" Cyril, as a former magistrate, saw himself working hard to maintain stability for several months Because of this appearance, Laize really couldn't be indifferent.

   "You have to trust the people themselves. The International League for Equality is gone, but the ideas have not left with it." Verak doesn't think this situation will last for too long, and it will become more exaggerated.

  The citizens of Laizein are no longer the original citizens.

They have learned a lot from the International Equality Alliance, knowing that oppression and exploitation are wrong, knowing that they should not be afraid of the powerful, and because they are feared by the powerful, they know that only by uniting can there be greater strength, and that the only way out is to struggle.

  Knowing that these are not yet able to compete with the government forces, but it is enough to make them no longer the 'untouchables' and 'livestock' that were once manipulated by others.

  If even this cannot be achieved, and the people have not changed in any way compared to the past, then the International Equality League's long-term precepts and deeds are tantamount to playing the piano with a cow.

   Their failure is a total failure.

  The great ideal of changing the world will be punched hard in the heart.

   Fortunately, Verak's words were soon confirmed.

  The civilians who lost their residences did not form a mess. They gradually formed organizations one by one, helping each other to settle down, and jointly solving the problem of food and housing.

   People who have no money for medical treatment also received spontaneous donations from other people. Some doctors were infected, and finally decided not to charge fees and continue to treat the injured for free.

  As for those dignitaries who became arrogant and domineering again before the government army came back, not long after they drove the people out of their homes, they ushered in a large number of people's shock and counterattack. Under the sea of ​​people, they resumed their smiling faces some time ago and begged for mercy on their knees.

   Seeing this scene, the comrades in the action team were so excited that tears filled their eyes.

   There is no need for the International Equality Alliance to take care of everything. The people are changing, and they themselves are also mastering the ability to struggle.

   It is true that such a change is still a bit slow, and it will be suppressed after the return of the government army, but it strongly proves that the people are not ignorant, they just lack people to lead.

  As long as the direction is clear, they themselves will give birth to new forces that make the government army terrified, and continue the struggle.

   The International Equality League is gone.

   Laizein is no longer the former Laizein.

  (end of this chapter)