69: Cramming knowledge

The morning sunlight was a bit piercing, filtering through the gaps in the blinds and hitting Lu Fan's face.

Last night, Xia Yunting had gotten him dead drunk; he had completely blacked out.

It was now past nine o'clock, but his eyelids were still heavy, and his hangover persisted.

"On August 23, 1937, Japan aircraft began bombing a district in Shanghai..."

"One of the key targets was The Commercial Press headquarters and the Eastern Library next to it..."

Chen Ying sat opposite him, explaining the relevant information using a PPT.

She was being very conscientious, trying her best to cram this knowledge into Lu Fan's head.

Xia Yunting had also made up his mind, wanting Lu Fan to better fulfill his promise.

He had the recently returned Chen Ying give Lu Fan private tutoring to brush up on this knowledge.

Lu Fan forced himself to stay alert and listen.

But listening was one thing; in his hungover state, it went in one ear and out the other, refusing to stick in his brain.

"The Eastern Library's collection included 2,641 types of county chronicles, accounting for 80% of the national total;"

"The frontier map 'Map of the Kham-Tibet Secret Border Survey,' hand-drawn in 1910, is key evidence for the Sino-Indian border dispute;"

"The specialized water conservancy chronicle 'Overview of River Defenses,' a Ming Dynasty Wanli era color-painted edition."

"There are also a large number of..."

Just as Chen Ying reached a crucial point, she looked up and noticed Lu Fan's eyes were unfocused and his spirit was flagging; he clearly hadn't absorbed much.

She stopped and sighed slightly. "President Lu, how much did you drink last night?"

Her tone was clearly filled with helplessness and dissatisfaction, but upon closer listening, there was also a hint of concern.

Lu Fan forced his eyes open as wide as possible and mumbled, "I blacked out, I don't remember."

"Let's go. We'll go have lunch early and help you sober up while we're at it."

"I know a good porridge shop nearby. Drinking something hot will make you feel better."

Chen Ying closed her tablet and stood up, her movements crisp and efficient.

Lu Fan scratched his head awkwardly. "Sorry~~ My brain is soaked in alcohol, I really can't take anything in."

Stepping out of the stifling commercial building, the fresh air made Lu Fan feel like he was coming back to life a little.

Chen Ying walked beside him at a moderate pace, maintaining a perfect distance.

Although the two of them could flirt freely through a screen, face-to-face, their true colors were revealed—they were both pure novices.

Before long, the two of them stopped in front of a small shop.

The porridge shop wasn't large, but it was clean and tidy.

Chen Ying skillfully ordered two portions of light casserole porridge and a few side dishes.

The steaming porridge was served, the aroma of rice mixing with the freshness of the ingredients.

Taking small sips, the churning sensation from the alcohol slowly receded under the soothing effect of the hot porridge.

"Do you feel any better?" Chen Ying asked, seeing Lu Fan's complexion soften.

"Much better, thanks." Lu Fan touched his warming stomach. "This porridge really works."

"That's good." Chen Ying smiled and lowered her head to eat her porridge; the atmosphere relaxed considerably.

With a few mouthfuls of hot porridge in his stomach, Lu Fan's thoughts became clearer.

Today, Chen Ying wore a simple beige sweater, her hair loosely tied up; her focused expression while eating porridge carried a serene air.

It was a stark contrast to her professional and capable image at the company.

Lu Fan put down his spoon and found a topic of conversation. "Chen Ying, last time you said the Brigade Commander was your elder. Would you mind telling me about it?"

"There's nothing to hide. The Brigade Commander is my paternal great-granduncle, my great-grandfather's biological brother."

Chen Ying smiled and explained, "Although I never met this great-uncle..."

"...my grandfather's feelings for him are very deep. That calligraphy from last time was specifically requested for him."

She put down her spoon and tilted her head, saying with a bit of playfulness, "President Lu, could you do me a favor?"

Lu Fan looked up into those lively eyes and instinctively agreed, "Go ahead."

Chen Ying said earnestly, "My grandfather really liked that calligraphy from last time; he treasures it immensely."

"But after all, the signature wasn't my great-uncle's name, so the old man still feels a bit of regret."

"I know you have channels overseas. Could you keep an eye out for me?"

"If possible, help me find some related items."

"My grandfather is getting old. I want to fulfill his final wish while he's still with us."

Her gaze was clear and frank, resting expectantly on Lu Fan.

Lu Fan felt her sincerity and urgency, and his heart couldn't help but be moved.

He thought for a moment, then spoke, "Brigade Commander Chen's belongings shouldn't be too common overseas."

"However, I'll ask someone to check over in Taiwan Island. Maybe we'll find something."

Chen Ying's eyes lit up instantly, and she said excitedly, "Really? That's great! Thank you so much, President Lu!"

Lu Fan quickly waved his hand and smiled. "Don't be so polite, just call me Lu Fan."

"But I'll give you fair warning: I can't make any guarantees on this."

Chen Ying nodded quickly and said, "Of course! Just do your best; we'll leave the rest to fate!"

Finishing the bowl of hot porridge not only dispelled most of Lu Fan's hangover and cleared his head...

...but also quickly brought the two of them closer together.

Back at the office, with Chen Ying's explanations, Lu Fan's progress in cramming knowledge about the Eastern Library accelerated.

Without this crash course, he wouldn't have known that the Eastern Library was systematically bombed and burned by the japanese, resulting in the loss of up to 460,000 volumes of classic texts.

Just as Xia Yunting had said, the destruction of the Eastern Library was equivalent to severing the cultural lineage of Shanghai.

It could entirely be called the: Modern Chinese Cultural Genocide Event.

Suddenly, Lu Fan's blood was boiling, and his initiative to learn was fully activated.

Those dry numbers and cold historical events seemed to grow thorns and stick in his mind.

But because Lu Fan's foundation was so weak, the entire training didn't end until five o'clock in the afternoon.

"I've told you the basics. You'll have to put in the effort yourself from here on."

Chen Ying took a black hard-shell notebook from her bag and handed it to Lu Fan. "This is for you."

Lu Fan took the item, somewhat puzzled. "What's this?"

"My college graduation thesis was about the Eastern Library. This is the information I compiled back then."

Chen Ying tucked her hair back and continued, "I was younger and more meticulous then, so the information inside is even more detailed. It might be helpful to you."

Lu Fan opened the notebook; inside was dense, neat, and elegant handwriting, with occasional hand-drawn or clipped pictures.

Every page showed her care; this wasn't just information, it was more like a condensation of Chen Ying's youth.

"This... is too precious." Lu Fan was momentarily at a loss.

"Take it. If it stays with me, it'll just sit at the bottom of a trunk."

Chen Ying waved her hand casually. "If you find it useful, read it; if not, just leave it."

"Of course it's useful!" Lu Fan tucked the notebook away carefully. "I'll read it thoroughly. Thanks."

Chen Ying checked the time. "It's getting late. I have things to do, so I'll be going now."

Lu Fan saw her out of the company. Watching Chen Ying's departing figure, he felt a strange sense of loss and reluctance.

However, this loss was quickly dispelled by a phone ring: "Hello~ Detective Lin? Okay~~~~ See you in half an hour."