Chapter 7 Chapter VII Headquarters

Dr. Eckert Nash, chief physician of the Albrecht Mine District, wrote a definite death report: Carl Ball, 41902, age thirteen, while catching insects in tunnel number 228 , died of suffocation due to inhalation of carbon dioxide gas. Engineer Moslem, in another equally clear and definite report of his, suggested the necessity of including in the ventilation system Area B on the Fourteenth Plan, since the tunnels in this area flowed with a slow an imperceptible, toxic gas. Finally, the engineer specifically pointed out to the competent authorities that the foreman Lehrer and the first-class foundryman John Schwartz were devoted to their duties.

Eighty or ninety days later, when the young worker was picking up his badge at the gatehouse, he found a notice with his name on it hanging on a nail: Schwartz must come to Gate A, Road A, General Manager's Office at ten o'clock today.Dress neatly. It's finally here!Marcel thought, They took their time, but here they are! From chatting with his buddies and walking around the Starstadt on Sundays, he now knew enough about the Steel City establishment to know that gaining access to the headquarters building would not be easy.At this point, there are some fantastic legends.It is said that some daredevils tried to sneak into this restricted zone by surprise, but never came back.Some said that the workers and staff working inside had been checked repeatedly before entering, and had to take a solemn oath that they would never reveal anything that happened there. Once they violated the oath, they would be executed by a secret court. The underground railway is connected to the ring line, and some unknown visitors take the night train to enter the restricted area. Sometimes, some high-level meetings are held inside, and some mysterious people attend the meeting and participate in the discussion.

Marcel didn't quite believe all these descriptions, but he knew that the things they told them showed that one thing was certain: it was extremely difficult to get into the headquarters.Among the workers and friends he knew, including iron miners, charcoal burners, smelters, blast furnace workers, captains of guards, carpenters, and blacksmiths, no one stepped through Gate A. Therefore, he was both strongly curious and delighted to be there on time, and he soon understood that the place was heavily guarded. Monsieur Marcel was waiting there.Two men in gray uniforms with swords and pistols at their belts were in the porter's room.The concierge had two doors, like those of the nuns in the monastery who pass deliveries from outside, one to the outside and the other to the inside, never opened at the same time.

After the inspection and verification, Marcel saw the two guys in uniform take out a white cloth belt and cover his eyes tightly.Marcel didn't show the slightest surprise at this. The two men grabbed his arms from left to right, and carried him away without saying a word. After two or three thousand steps, up a flight of stairs, a door opened and closed again, and Marcel was allowed to remove the blindfold. He saw himself in a room very simply furnished, with only a few chairs, a blackboard, and a large drawing board with everything necessary for drawing.Light came in through some tall frosted glass windows.

Almost immediately two men dressed as college professors entered. Someone mentioned you as an exceptional person.One of them said, we're going to quiz you soon to see if it's possible to put you in the design studio.Are you ready to answer our questions? Marcel said modestly that he was ready to take the test. So the two examiners successively asked him some questions about chemistry, geometry and algebra.The young workers answered clearly and accurately, which satisfied them both very much.The pictures he drew with chalk on the blackboard are clear, natural and beautiful.The equations he wrote were arranged very tightly, and the spacing between each line was equal, like a phalanx of soldiers in an elite regiment.Among them, there was even a calculus problem. His method of proving it was so brilliant and novel that the two examiners were greatly surprised and asked him where he learned this solution.

Learned it in elementary school in my hometown Schaffhausen. You look like a good draftsman? This is my forte. Education in Switzerland is indeed very good!One examiner said to another examiner that we will give you two hours and ask you to draw this picture. He gave Marcel a very complicated steam engine section and said, if you draw well If so, you will get the following comments: fully qualified, outstanding.you are admitted Marcel was left alone, and he began to concentrate on his drawing. Two hours later, when the two examiners came back, after seeing the pictures he drew, they were full of praise, and added another sentence to the original comments: We don't have a draftsman comparable to him.

The young worker was held up again by the two men in gray uniforms, and after the same procedure, they were blindfolded and taken to the general manager's office. You have been assigned to a drafting workshop belonging to the design office, and the general manager said to him, are you ready to accept the conditions stipulated? I don't know what the conditions are, Marcel said, but I think they're acceptable. The conditions are as follows: 1. You are not allowed to go out during the entire employment period, unless you get special permission under extremely special circumstances; 2. The discipline here is the same as in the army. You must absolutely obey your superiors, otherwise General law is engaged.However, you enjoy the same treatment as a junior officer in the army, and you can still be promoted to the highest military rank; 3. You must take an oath to promise that you will never disclose to anyone what you have seen in the department you have contacted; 4. 1. Your correspondence must be reviewed by your immediate superior, and you are only allowed to communicate with your family members.

In a word, I'm in prison, Marcel thought. However, he replied very simply: I think these regulations are correct, and I am ready to accept them. good.Raise your hands and swear that you have been sent to the fourth workshop as a draftsman. Your accommodation will be arranged for you. As for meals, there is a first-class canteen here. Did you bring your luggage? no sir.I didn't know what I was called to do, so I left my luggage with my landlady. Someone will go get it for you, because you can no longer go out of this area. Luckily my notes are written in codewords!Marcel thought, otherwise, once discovered, it would be all over!

In the evening Marcel settled down in a nice little room.The room was on the fifth floor of a building with a window facing a large courtyard.At this time, he can start to think about his new life. This new life was not as miserable as he had imagined at first.His companions, whom he had met in the restaurant, were generally quiet and gentle, like all working people.In an attempt to amuse themselves (for life here is mechanically dull and uninteresting), some of them organized a band, which played every evening, and did well.There is a library and a reading room, so that they can get some valuable scientific spiritual food in very little spare time.There are also some special classes, which are taught by some first-class professors. Every staff member has to listen to them and take regular tests and exams.However, in this small environment, there is a lack of freedom and fresh air.It was a school, so to speak, strictly governed, and exclusively for grown-ups.Although these people are used to iron-like discipline, this atmosphere still makes them feel oppressed.

Throughout the winter, Marcel devoted himself to work.His hard work, the perfection of his design drawings, and his rapid progress in learning have won unanimous praise from all the teachers and judges. Therefore, within a short period of time, he has become a little famous among this group of hardworking people angry.Everyone agrees that he is the most skilled, brightest and most creative draftsman.When encountering any difficulties, everyone went to him.Even his superiors approached him respectfully, if a little jealously. However, if this young man planned to touch the core secrets when he came to the design room, then he was wrong.

His life at the headquarters was enclosed within an area of ​​300 meters surrounded by iron fences.Intellectually, his activities can and should extend to the furthest branches of the metallurgical industry. In fact, his work was limited to making drawings of steam engines.He designed steam engines of various sizes and horsepower, which can be used in various industrial sectors and for various purposes. They can be used for warships and printing presses, but he can't get out of this business scope, and the extremely strict division of labor binds him. damn. Marcel has been in Area A for four months, but he doesn't know much about the work in Steel City than when he first came in.At best he had acquired some general knowledge of the institution.In this institution, for all his excellence, he was only a cog.What he understood was that at the center of the spider web formed by Stahlstad was the Tower of the Bull, a sort of barbaric building ], condescendingly looking down at all the surrounding buildings.He also knew that Schultz's private house, which he had also heard rumors about while dining in the restaurant, was under the Bull Tower.And the famous chamber of secrets is in the center of the tower.It is said that this arched building is fireproof, and the inside is like the shell of a low-board heavy gunship, covered with iron sheets, and equipped with steel doors with built-in locks, just like the secret room doors of the most heavily guarded bank.Moreover, it is generally believed that Mr. Schulz is working towards the completion of a formidable weapon of war, of unprecedented effectiveness, for the very soon German domination of the world. In order to be able to find out the secrets here, Marcel really spent a lot of brains and came up with strategies such as overturning the walls and entering the house, sneaking in under disguise.But he had to admit that these schemes were impossible to realize.These dark, massive walls, illuminated by spotlights at night and guarded by tried and tested sentries, were an insurmountable obstacle to all Marcel's efforts.Even if he finally breaks through a certain point of the city wall, what can he see?Just a small part, always a partial point, never see the whole picture! But that's okay.He made an oath that he would never give up until he achieved his goal, and he would definitely keep his oath.If he needed to hide for ten years, he would wait ten years.He will find out this secret one day!That day will surely come.Now, the city of France, a happy city, is changing with each passing day, and its various measures for the benefit of people bring benefits to all people without exception, and bring new hope to the downcast.Marcel knew very well that in the face of such a success as the Latin nation, Schulz was bound to be more determined to implement his threat plan.Steel City itself and the purpose of all its work is a testament to this. Several months passed like this. One day in March, Marcel was thinking a thousand times about his Hannibal.When he was young, he crossed the sea with his father to Spain, vowing revenge on Rome.Later, in 221 BC, he served as the commander of Carthage in Spain. In 219 BC, he captured Sagunto, a city allied with Rome, and defeated the Roman army repeatedly, fulfilling his oath. 】Oath, suddenly, a guy in a gray uniform informed him that the general manager had something to say to him. I had orders from Mr. Schultz, and the high official told him that I should send him our best draftsman.I mean you.Please pack your things and prepare to go to the inner courtyard.You have been promoted to lieutenant. In this way, just when he felt that there was almost no hope of success, the logical and logical result of tenacious work provided him with the opportunity he had been thinking about day and night, day and night, to get in!Marcel was simply carried away, he couldn't restrain the joy in his heart, and the joy was beyond words. I am delighted to be able to announce such good news to you, the general manager added, and I can only encourage you to continue on the path you have so bravely followed.The brightest future awaits you.Do it well, sir. After such a long test, Marcel finally vaguely saw the goal he swore to achieve! He packed all his clothes in the suitcase, followed the men in gray uniforms, and finally stepped into the last city wall.This last wall had only one gate, which opened towards the A-road. Marcel would have had to wait a long, long time before he could enter, but in an instant, he stepped in. He came under the inaccessible tower of the bull.Before that, he only vaguely saw its towering spire looming in the distant clouds. The scene that appeared in front of his eyes was beyond his expectation.You can imagine how a person who works in a noisy and ordinary European factory suddenly falls into the middle of a tropical virgin forest, how he would feel!It was such a surprise that Marcel felt in the center of Stahlstad. Besides, a primeval forest you can know from great writers, but Mr. Schultz's garden is the most delicate and pleasant garden you will ever see.In the garden, there are the tallest palm trees, the most dense banana trees, and the most plump cacti, forming a large area of ​​shade.Ivy wraps itself around tall eucalyptus trees in a majestic way, decking them in lush greenery, or hanging down like clouds of hair.The ground is covered with green grass.The pineapple is ripe, the pomegranate is red, and the orange is yellow.Hummingbirds and birds of paradise flit through the air, displaying their beautiful wings.Even the climate is the same as plants, it is tropical and warm. Marcel looked around, trying to find the glass greenhouse and heating equipment that caused this spectacle, but all he saw was the blue sky, and he was stunned for a long time. After a while, he remembered that not far from here, there was a coal mine that had been burning for years, and then he realized that Mr. Schultz had cleverly used this treasure house of geothermal heat, using some metal pipes to keep the air warm all the time. . However, even though the young Alsatian understood the whole story after this analysis, he was still dazzled by the verdant vegetation in front of him, and couldn't help taking a deep breath of the fragrance in the air with his nose.For six months, he hadn't seen a single plant or tree, and this time he had to make up for himself.He stepped up a gravel path on a gentle slope to a handsome marble staircase under a stately colonnade.Behind it rose a tall square building, like the base of a tower of bulls.Marcel found seven or eight servants in red uniforms and a doorman wearing a triangular cap and holding a halberd under the colonnade.He also saw some splendid brass candlesticks between the colonnades.As he climbed the stairs, he heard a faint roar, and he knew it was the underground train passing under his feet. After Marcel announced his name, he was immediately led into a hall like a real sculpture museum.He didn't have time to stop and watch. He passed a living room with gold decorations on a red background, then a living room with gold decorations on a black background, and came into a living room with gold decorations on a yellow background.The servant left him alone for five minutes before leading him into a resplendent office with gold decorations on a green background. Mr. Schultz sat among them, smoking a large clay pipe, with a glass of beer beside him, in this luxurious atmosphere, as if a patent leather boot had been stained with a little dirt. The Iron King didn't get up, didn't even raise his head, but simply asked coldly: Are you that draftsman? Yes, sir. I've seen some of your blueprints.well drawn.Do you only draw steam engine diagrams? They never asked me to do anything else. Do you know anything about ballistics? When I was free, I studied it with my own interest. This answer was exactly what Mr. Schultz wanted.Then he looked at his staff. So how about you come and paint a cannon with me?Let's see if you can do it!ah!It's going to be a little tough getting you to take over Thorne's job.Thorne was killed this morning while handling a pack of dynamite!The beast nearly blew us all up! To be honest, the foul language that came out of Mr. Schultz's mouth does not seem to be annoying!