Chapter 10: Ghost Stories Speak More Deeply to the Heart
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Chapter 10: Lies Move the Heart More Deeply Than Truth
“Because of my father, sir!” Zhou Zhihan replied.
Mr. Don McLean nodded. “That is reason enough. You Chinese place great importance on filial piety.”
Although Don McLean said this, he was deeply irritated inside. So you came to West Point merely to be filial to your father? My West Point Military Academy is the institution dreamed of by ambitious young people all over the world, and you came here simply because you wanted to please your father. Good Lord, is this Chinese cadet an idiot or a lunatic?
Zhou Zhihan scratched his head. “It has nothing to do with filial piety.”
“Oh?”
Don McLean grew curious again. “Didn’t you say it was because of your father?”
“It was because of my father, yes! But not because I’m filial to him.” Zhou Zhihan looked somewhat embarrassed.
“Then why?”
Mr. Don McLean could feel the corner of his mouth twitching. This cadet’s evasive way of speaking was extremely annoying.
“Because my father beat me…”
Zhou Zhihan lowered his voice even further.
“He beat you? Why?”
The moment Mr. Don McLean asked the question, he regretted it. Just how great was his curiosity?
With his pipe clenched between his teeth, Don McLean took the opportunity to glance at the others while lighting it.
Everyone was waiting for Zhou Zhihan to speak.
They all wanted to know why he had not wanted to come to West Point, yet had ultimately ended up there.
Zhou Zhihan’s face reddened. “My father chased me onto the plane with a stick. He said that if I didn’t come, he would break my legs. I had no choice but to come to West Point.”
See? This was the highest level of lying. The redness in his face did not look to others like the flush of someone telling a lie. Instead, it appeared to be the embarrassment of someone telling the truth and exposing an unflattering story.
At this level, every word was nonsense, yet it was more convincing than the truth.
Major Jeff Hunter nearly jumped to his feet.
Second Lieutenant Jonas Hansen could not hold himself back and burst out, “Fuck!”
This was the first time they had ever heard of a cadet who had been unwilling to come to West Point, only to be forced here by his father wielding a stick.
Was West Point really so worthless in your eyes?
Zhou Zhihan said, “I had my reasons for not wanting to come to West Point. I also know that West Point is a school admired by all ambitious young people in the world.”
Everyone’s mood eased slightly. Now that was something a reasonable person would say.
“Back home, I had a childhood sweetheart. That was why I didn’t want to come to America. I wouldn’t be able to return home for four years, and I might lose the girl I love.
“So once I came to America, I had no interest in studying. I simply planned to fail the physical standards three months later, so that you would send me back home.”
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By the time Zhou Zhihan had finished, even he felt that his outrageous lie had become convincing enough for the ghosts themselves to believe.
Major Jeff Hunter was stunned. So that was another reason? Yet he could not help believing it.
If Zhou Zhihan had offered some lofty, grand, empty excuse, he would never have believed him.
Most of the instructors present were married with children. They naturally understood the sweetness of love and the importance of family.
What Zhou Zhihan meant was that, in his heart, West Point was not as important as his childhood sweetheart. Although the officers found those words extremely uncomfortable, they could understand them. If a man had to break up with a girlfriend of many years because he was studying abroad at West Point, of course he would be unwilling to come.
Major Jeff Hunter asked, “You wanted to return to China, so you deliberately pretended to be useless in hopes that West Point would send you back?”
“Sir! Yes.”
“But judging from your performance today, you are no longer suitable for dismissal. What made you change your mind? You no longer want to return to China and see the person you have been longing for?”
“Pride!”
Zhou Zhihan replied, “We Chinese have an old saying: a scholar may be killed, but never humiliated. That Japanese cadet insulted me today, calling me the sick man of East Asia and a Chinese salted fish. So I had to answer him in kind, repaying insult with insult! You may humiliate me, but you will never slander China.”
That was a perfectly sufficient reason as well.
In 1936, relations between China and Japan were like a powder keg, merely lacking a few people willing to light the fuse.
Second Lieutenant Jonas Hansen nodded. He had seen that morning that Ryunosuke Sakamoto had gone too far.
Relations between China and Japan were extremely delicate. Naturally, these hot-blooded young Chinese were unwilling to bow their heads to the Japanese.
Lieutenant Jonas Hansen believed that if Ryunosuke Sakamoto had not appeared, Zhou Zhihan might already have left West Point, happily heading for the docks to await the passenger ship sailing to China two days later.
Major Jeff Hunter said, “Cadet Zhou, I have one more question. Why did you do such an exhausting exercise as burpees before the test?”
“Because someone saw me as a useless salted fish and wanted to make me look foolish. I had to show him what I was capable of. Once I had shown my strength, there was no reason to hide it anymore. Doing sixty burpees before challenging a two-kilometer weighted march made the result more convincing!”
Zhou Zhihan felt that he was a master of deception. His lie was flawless. Of course, he could not tell them the truth: that he had a system, that he was a time traveler, and that he had cheated with the system’s assistance.
What was wrong with me?
Major Jeff Hunter lit another cigarette and took several deep drags. “Cadet Zhou, I don’t know whether you’ve ever heard of the word ‘stimulant.’”
“Fuck!”
Anger surged in Zhou Zhihan’s heart, but he quickly calmed down. He had become a completely different person within the space of a month. It was only natural for people to be suspicious.
Although everyone believed that he had been unwilling to remain at West Point because of his childhood sweetheart, the strength he had displayed in the burpees and shuttle runs was indeed puzzling.
“Sir! I don’t know what ‘stimulant’ means!”
Zhou Zhihan kept his expression as calm as an undisturbed well.
This was yet another shameless lie.
“Let me put it this way, Cadet Zhou. We suspect that you took prohibited drugs without authorization. Therefore, your results today do not count. You cannot leave West Point today. As the school authorities, we have a responsibility to investigate the matter.”
Zhou Zhihan was speechless.
That was true. Just because he had used the system to cheat, did that mean people were not allowed to question him?
Of course not.
Progress could only come through doubt.
That was the American way. They continued to improve through constant questioning.
“Sir, I have nothing to say against your doubts, and I accept them calmly.” Zhou Zhihan steadied himself. “The school may arrange another physical test for me. You may decide the time and place. All my meals and lodging can be carried out under the school’s supervision.”
Now that was confidence.
When others questioned you, you should not fly into a rage. Everyone had the right to question you. If you truly possessed ability and talent, then use your strength to silence those who doubted you. That was far more effective than losing your temper.
A bad temper harmed the body.
A bad temper damaged the kidneys.
And it was bad for your girlfriend!
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“How about this? Next Monday, the graduating class will conduct a large-scale pre-graduation physical test and simulated combat exercise.
“Based on your performance today, we believe you are fully capable of taking part in such an exercise.
“With your abilities, you may even be able to demonstrate China’s strength during the exercise. So we would like to hear your opinion, Cadet Zhou.”
Major Jeff Hunter’s meaning was obvious. If Zhou Zhihan met the standards again during the physical test, he would prove his innocence. But if his performance had merely been a brief flash of brilliance, then it would confirm that he had taken stimulants to improve his results that day.
Zhou Zhihan thought, What do you mean, you want my opinion? If I say I disagree, that will only confirm your suspicions about stimulants.
Still, this was fine. What young man would not want to show off and slap everyone in the face at the United States Military Academy?
“Sir! I have no objections. I’m willing to take part in the physical test and the simulated combat exercise!”
Major Jeff Hunter nodded. He had not expected Zhou Zhihan to agree so readily. It seemed the man truly had nothing to fear.
Zhou Zhihan said, “Sir! I do have one request.”
Major Jeff Hunter secretly laughed. As expected, he was trying to wriggle out of it. First he agreed, then he would make a demand. If the demand was not met, he would have an excuse not to take part in the test and exercise.
Keeping his expression impassive, the major asked, “Oh? What is your request?”
“Sir! Since I’m not leaving the academy for now, I want to continue sleeping in my own bed. That bed belongs to the victor. Until I leave, Ryunosuke Sakamoto has no right to sleep in it!”
Damn it!
Major Jeff Hunter’s mouth twitched violently, and he silently raised a middle finger. He had assumed Zhou Zhihan would make some outrageous demand to avoid competing. Who could have imagined that this was all he wanted?
The major could only smile awkwardly and nod before glancing at Second Lieutenant Jonas Hansen.
Second Lieutenant Jonas Hansen said, “I’ll have the dormitory supervisor assign Ryunosuke Sakamoto to another room immediately.”
Major Jeff Hunter said, “Cadet Zhou, today is Saturday. You may take the afternoon off, and you can rest tomorrow as well. The day after tomorrow, you will take the physical test first. If you pass, you will join the Blue Team.”
“Remember this, Zhou.” Major Jeff Hunter watched Zhou Zhihan reach the doorway. “Do not let me discover that you took stimulants. You know what the consequences will be.”
End of Chapter