Chapter 151: Sulfonamide

National Tongji University.

Xiu Gongshen pushed open the door to a classroom.

Looking at the somewhat surprised students, he smiled.

“Professor Peng from the Department of Chinese Literature is ill. Today’s class will be a French lesson instead.”

Yes, besides his work as a translator for the French Concession Political Department, Xiu Gongshen was also a French professor at National Tongji University.

“Before we formally begin class, let’s first talk about the French Revolution.”

Xiu Gongshen wrote the French terms for “Girondins” and “Jacobins” on the blackboard.

Rue Vallon, the clinic of the German doctor Hans.

“Mr. Hans, how are they doing?” Peng Yu’ou asked with concern.

At around three o’clock in the morning, Wang Jun had taken an enormous risk and knocked on Peng Yu’ou’s door.

The conditions of Ah Hai, Kang Erniu, and Dazhuang, all of whom had been shot, were not good.

Ah Hai’s condition was especially serious, and he had begun running a high fever.

Wang Jun knew he could not wait until daylight.

He had no choice but to take the risk.

Peng Yu’ou left home in the middle of the night and found Doctor Hans at Hans Clinic.

Hans’s true identity was that of a German Communist Party member working for the Comintern.

Driving his own car, Hans rushed overnight to Route Tardy and transferred the three wounded men to his clinic.

“The bullets have already been removed.”

Hans wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“These two comrades should be fine. This comrade’s condition is somewhat dangerous.”

He pointed at Ah Hai, who was feverish and delirious.

Peng Yu’ou bent down and listened to Ah Hai muttering incoherently.

Ximei?

“Who is Ximei?” Peng Yu’ou asked Wang Jun.

“A pitiful little girl.”

A sorrowful expression appeared on Wang Jun’s face.

He glanced at Ah Hai, whose condition was worsening.

“A young female worker named Yang Damei from Huacheng Cigarette Factory was killed by the capitalists. Ximei is her younger sister.”

Peng Yu’ou nodded.

He understood.

What a respectable and lovable comrade.

Even under such circumstances, what remained on his mind was still the suffering people.

“I’ll arrange for someone to look after Ximei,” Peng Yu’ou said.

He then asked Hans, “Hans, is there any way to bring down his fever?”

“There’s nothing I can do.”

Hans shook his head.

Ah Hai’s gunshot wound had become infected.

For many people who were shot, death did not come directly from the bullet.

The leading cause of death was bacterial infection resulting from the wound.

“Is there really no way?” Wang Jun asked emotionally.

In truth, he already knew the answer.

He had worked in the Soviet areas before and had personally witnessed many brave Red fighters die from infections after being wounded by gunfire.

There had simply been no way to treat it.

“Unless we can obtain a certain medicine. It might help.”

Hans thought for a moment before speaking.

“What medicine? I’ll get it!” Wang Jun said hurriedly.

“Sulfonamide powder,” Hans said.

“Sulfonamide powder? What’s that?”

Both Peng Yu’ou and Wang Jun looked bewildered.

Peng Yu’ou in particular was regarded as a senior intellectual within the Party, yet even he had never heard the name of this medicine.

“It’s not strange that you haven’t heard of it. I only learned about it through a friend.”

Hans continued.

“It’s a new type of medicine. Last year, a fellow German of mine published a paper mentioning a drug effective against streptococcal infections, namely sulfonamide. As far as I know, this medicine has already begun clinical trials in my homeland.”

Upon hearing this, the hopeful expressions in both Peng Yu’ou’s and Wang Jun’s eyes dimmed.

This new medicine had only just begun clinical testing in Europe.

Although Shanghai was a great metropolis of the Far East, obtaining such a drug was simply impossible.

“Without a specific medicine, I can only do my best to treat him. However, his chances of survival are very small.”

Hans spoke regretfully.

“Haozi, I have a task for you,” Cheng Qianfan said.

“Brother Fan, go ahead.”

“There’s a Pingjiang Village near Suzhou Creek. Find out about a little girl named Ximei. She has an older sister named Yang Damei. Damei worked at Huacheng Cigarette Factory.”

Li Hao nodded.

“Alright, Brother Fan.”

“You mustn’t show yourself. Let Preserved Egg do it. That kid is clever. It’s a shantytown, and little beggars don’t attract much attention there.”

Cheng Qianfan’s expression was serious.

“Remember, only inquire about Ximei’s situation. Do not make any contact with Ximei.”

“Understood, Brother Fan. Don’t worry.”

Seeing Cheng Qianfan’s solemn expression, Li Hao nodded seriously as well.

The note Ah Hai had handed Cheng Qianfan the previous night had been left as a final message, prepared for the possibility of sacrifice.

In the note was written:

“Yang Damei’s younger sister from Huacheng Cigarette Factory. Pingjiang Village, Suzhou Creek. Ximei, six years old.”

Cheng Qianfan guessed that Ximei might be Ah Hai’s family member.

Yet it did not quite seem so.

Perhaps she was a poor child whom Ah Hai had been helping.

Cheng Qianfan did not rashly make contact with Ximei.

On the one hand, Ah Hai had not been captured and had escaped safely.

More importantly, Cheng Qianfan did not know when the Nationalist agents had first begun watching Ah Hai.

Were Ah Hai’s relatives and friends under surveillance as well?

If he made contact recklessly while the agents were waiting with a net already spread, it would be equivalent to walking into a trap.

Wang Kangnian’s eyes were bloodshot.

The entire man resembled an enraged beast as he locked himself inside his clinic.

Wu Shanyue, chief of the Operations Unit of the Party Affairs Investigation Department’s Shanghai Special District, was furious over the disastrous failure of last night’s operation.

Wu Shanyue had scolded Wang Kangnian mercilessly.

He had also issued strict orders to continue searching for the Communist “Minister Wang.”

At the same time, he ordered the entire Operations Unit to spare no effort in searching for Chenzhou of the Communist Party Special Branch, and to ensure that this “vicious criminal” was brought to justice.

“Team Leader, we’ve found something. The dead child worker from Huacheng Cigarette Factory was called Yang Damei. She had a sickly mother and a younger sister about five or six years old. They live in the shantytown by Suzhou Creek.”

An agent excitedly pushed open the door and reported to Wang Kangnian.

“Details.”

“It’s a household of three women. Yang Damei worked as a child laborer to support her sick mother and younger sister. Now that Yang Damei is dead, her mother and sister are finished. They’ll probably just wait to die from illness or starvation.”

Pitiful?!

Good.

That’s exactly how it should be!

Wang Kangnian suddenly stood up, his eyes icy.

“Notify the brothers. We’re moving.”

He had a strong intuition.

If they watched Yang Damei’s family, they would definitely catch Communists.

The Communists always claimed they wanted to help the suffering masses.

Now that they knew how miserable Yang Damei’s family was, they certainly would not stand by and watch the mother and daughter die from sickness and hunger.

No. 22 Rue Vallon.

The squad room of the Third Patrol Division of the Central Police Station.

The officers were enthusiastically discussing last night’s gun battle.

“You have to admit, Lu Dazhang has rotten luck. The gunfight on Avenue Joffre happened in his jurisdiction, and last night’s gunfight occurred while he was leading a patrol too.”

Ma Yishou clicked his tongue.

“I heard about that too.”

Big-Head Lu had just returned from street patrol.

He gulped down several mouthfuls of water and wiped his mouth.

“They say Lieutenant Marais summoned Old Lu first thing this morning and gave him a tremendous scolding. Apparently Old Lu even got slapped a few times.”

“Tell me, how is it that these Communists can never be completely wiped out?”

Someone shook his head.

“It’s only been a few months, and they’ve already come back from the ashes. Their activities are bigger than ever.”

Holding a teacup, Cheng Qianfan silently drank his tea and listened to the discussion.

At that moment, He Guan sneaked over.

“Qianfan, I heard you’ve managed to get hold of a batch of Western medicine.”

“What, does Young Master Guan want to start doing business too?” Cheng Qianfan asked calmly.

He knew the news from the black market had spread.

He also breathed a sigh of relief.

Now that word had spread through the black market, if the Communists bought medicine through that channel, there would be no flaw in the arrangement.

He was a businessman.

He neither cared about nor investigated the identities of his customers.

Whoever paid got the goods.

That was perfectly reasonable.

“I’m not interested in your business.”

He Guan lowered his voice.

“It’s an elder of mine at the Catholic Hospital. He heard that you’ve got some kind of medicine called something-amide and wants to obtain some.”

“Sulfonamide?”

Cheng Qianfan’s heart stirred.

“That’s right, that’s the one.”

He Guan nodded and waggled his eyebrows.

“You’re doing well, kid. According to that elder, this medicine is rare even in Europe.”

“Professor Zhao Wenhua from the Catholic Hospital?”

A thought flashed through Cheng Qianfan’s mind.

“You know Uncle Zhao?” He Guan asked in surprise.

“I’ve met him once.”

Cheng Qianfan nodded.

He finally remembered where he had previously heard the name sulfonamide.