Blind Jack's grandmother was sent to Ren'ai Hospital, not because of any acute illness, but because she coughed and wheezed incessantly at this time every year. Perhaps Logan Reed's words to Grace Young had an effect—they also realized that if they wanted Logan Reed and Blind Jack to work diligently, they had to protect these two cards in their hands. So, Mrs. Brooks was placed in a high-class ward for recuperation, and her chronic bronchitis, which had troubled her for years, was treated at the same time.

At least for now, it seemed that they hadn't lost much in this deal; in fact, they had even gained quite a bit.

The train was traveling along the South Manchuria Railway, with their final destination being Yingkou, the earliest port in Northeast China to open to the outside world. It was first occupied by the Russians, and after the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, the Russians were defeated and the Japanese took over, establishing the Yingkou Military Administration and beginning their military colonial rule. After two and a half years of military control, negotiations led to an agreement to return Yingkou to the Qing government. However, the Japanese played both sides and only handed over half of Yingkou. Now, with the fall of the Qing and the founding of the Republic, the new city district, Nihonmachi, and Niujia Tun still had not been returned and remained under Japanese control. As for most of the railway rights in Manchuria, they were even more firmly in Japanese hands.

Logan Reed put down the book in his hand and gazed out the train window, seeing a landscape blanketed in white. The sun was gradually shifting, and through the window, he could clearly see the shadow on the ground moving alongside them. Suddenly, Logan Reed remembered the letter he had received before leaving Huangpu.

He took the letter from his pocket. The paper was already yellowed, but the handwriting was fresh—he could even faintly smell the ink. The tiny, neat calligraphy was meticulously written, showing great skill. The paper was old, but the letter had been written recently. The letter was from a distant uncle. If not for this unexpected letter, Logan Reed would never have known he had such a relative in Manchuria. This distant uncle had lost all his family, and the only possible relative he could contact was Logan Reed. Before writing the letter, he must have been close to death. After a long-winded introduction and self-description, he spent just as long proving his kinship with Logan Reed, and finally got to the point: he was gravely ill and near death, and hoped that Logan Reed could come to Fengtian if possible, as there were important matters he wished to entrust to him, along with some family heirlooms.

Logan Reed had little interest in this letter full of unexpected developments. He had never met this distant uncle, and besides, his father had died when he was very young. When he was seven, his mother also died of illness, and from then on he lived with his grandfather. His grandfather was a former Qing scholar who never entered officialdom, but was highly learned and valued education greatly. He spent all his wealth to send Logan Reed to school, enrolling him early in a Sino-Western academy, and at thirteen, sent him on a ship to America. For that era, such a decision showed the old man was quite open-minded.

To this day, Logan Reed still didn't understand why his grandfather chose to commit suicide after the fall of the Qing. The old man seemed rigid and reserved, not good at expressing emotions, yet he gave everything to his grandson. Although they didn't communicate much, Logan Reed knew that deep down, his grandfather longed for a strong and prosperous nation. Despite his talents, he never served in the Qing court, fundamentally because he was utterly disappointed in the Qing's corruption. The fall of the Qing and the rise of the Republic should have given the old man hope, but unexpectedly, he chose to die for the fallen dynasty, ending his life alongside the decaying empire.

The train's whistle interrupted Logan Reed's thoughts. He put away the letter. This time, they would stop in Fengtian for a day to meet up with people arranged in advance by Samuel Moore. Perhaps he could find time to visit this distant uncle he had never met.

Logan Reed stood up and patted Blind Jack. Blind Jack turned over impatiently on the bunk, facing away and continuing his sweet dreams. Logan Reed felt helpless but also a bit envious. He glanced at his watch—it was already half past twelve. He hadn't had breakfast yet and was feeling quite hungry, so he stood up and headed to the dining car.

Chapter 0010: Crossing to the Northeast (Part 2)

When Logan Reed left his compartment, he put on black-rimmed glasses, which gave him a more scholarly and refined look—of course, this was also to conceal his identity. The dining car was right next to the first-class carriage, and all the furnishings were Western in style: red velvet sofa seats, curtains and drapes with yellow tassels, and on the walnut-carved, gold-trimmed dining tables were exquisite Western enamel porcelain tableware.

He chose a seat near the door. When he entered the dining car, he had already surveyed the environment. At the other end sat two tables of Japanese soldiers, six in total. They were chattering loudly, boasting and laughing wildly. On this land of Manchuria, these outsiders had grown accustomed to seeing themselves as conquerors, as if since the Russo-Japanese War, they had already become the true masters of this land.