In 1940, Arakawa Ryohei, who was talented in painting and could speak Chinese, participated in an interview with the Colonization Committee in Hokkaido.After passing the interview, he was dispatched by Japan to the Kwantung Army Epidemic Prevention and Water Supply Department as a special recruit.The ship Shirakama Maru carried a group of specially recruited personnel through the Tsushima Strait and arrived at Dalian Matou in Dalian Port. Then they took the Asia and took the South Manchuria Railway, all the way to the Kwantung Army Epidemic Prevention and Water Supply Department in Harbin.On the Asia train, Narita Kazuo, who was recruited into the youth class of the Ministry of Epidemic Prevention and Water Supply, took the initiative to chat with Arakawa Ryohei.The two got acquainted and were sent to the Epidemic Prevention and Water Supply Department together.
Arakawa Ryohei was put down at the main entrance of the headquarters, and the remaining members of the junior class were sent to the Ministry of Education to report.Although he arrived at the Epidemic Prevention and Water Supply Department, whether he can stay or not depends entirely on Arakawa Ryohei's ability.The task assigned to him by the superior was to draw an accurate map of the entire territory of the Epidemic Prevention and Water Supply Department within a week.Arakawa Ryohei was arranged to share a dormitory with Takahashi Akihiko from the photography class. Only later did he learn the purpose of this move.Using the photos taken by Akihiko Takahashi, Ryohei Arakawa can help draw the map.However, Takahashi Akihiko told him that since moving here, many of the map data of the Epidemic Prevention and Water Supply Department were wrong.
Arakawa Ryohei measured place after place and met Narita Kazuo once on the way.But at that time, Narita Kazuo was punished after riding a horse once. Arakawa Ryohei was puzzled afterwards, and Takahashi Akihiko told him that it was because those horses were sick horses.This is the Epidemic Prevention and Water Supply Department, where many medical experts gather.The Ministry of Epidemic Prevention and Water Supply can be regarded as a medical university, dedicated to the research and production of biological and chemical weapons that will change warfare.Arakawa Ryohei only missed the administrative department but did not measure, but the gatekeeper did not allow him to enter after asking for instructions. He had to roughly measure the perimeter of the administrative department outside.
During the measurement, Arakawa Ryohei accidentally discovered a manhole cover. He crawled along the manhole cover into the underground passage and fished out a human eye from the dirty sewer. He woke up with a fright and realized that everything was just a dream.The mystery of the administration building gave birth to this terrible dream.A week later, Arakawa Ryohei successfully drew the entire territory plan of the Epidemic Prevention and Water Supply Department, and was able to stay in the Ministry of Epidemic Prevention and Water Supply.When he returned from a shopping trip, he encountered Tong Changfu being pressed to the ground with a gun on his head.Arakawa Ryohei told Chief Yoshida that the sign read Yoshikawa Trading Company.
This move inadvertently saved Tong Changfu's life. Yoshida asked him to tell Tong Changfu that the Ministry of Epidemic Prevention and Water Supply would regularly purchase apples from Yoshikawa Trading in the future.After officially joining the company, Arakawa Ryohei was brought to Sifanglou by Takahashi Akihiko to meet Yoshimura.Arakawa Ryohei never expected that his first task after officially joining the job would be to paint a portrait of a frostbitten person with rotting hands and feet.After finishing the painting, Arakawa Ryohei vomited.His long-time classmate Jusano Karazawa was also here. Faced with Ryohei Arakawa's doubts, Karazawa told him that great things to save mankind were being done here.
In addition to painting for people, Arakawa Ryohei would occasionally go out with his superiors to record the growth of rice fields.Along the way, a military family member went back to visit relatives. When she came back, she was bitten by a small aphid on her leg. She pinched the aphid to death.The longer he worked in the Epidemic Prevention and Water Supply Department, the more Arakawa Ryohei gradually got a general impression of the work content here.Bacteria and leprosy are common here.He is instinctively afraid of these things and is always frightened by various illusions.
One night, the depressed Arakawa Ryohei went out to smoke and met Kawaguchi Satoshi's wife who wanted to escape.She is not mute. The place where she was bitten by an aphid is infected. She wants to leave here, but Satoshi Kawaguchi won't let her. She has no choice but to secretly run away in the middle of the night. Unexpectedly, she runs into Arakawa Ryohei. She begs him to let her leave here.