Q1 At that time, why were Wu Shengda and others willing to take risks to join the "underground organization"?
Motivations for joining underground organizations vary, influenced by personal will and environmental factors. It's crucial not to oversimplify the thoughts of each political prisoner/victim due to diverse reasons for joining. While we may not fully comprehend Wu Shengda's motives for joining the organization, factors such as exposure to left-wing literature and dissatisfaction with societal realities played a role. Despite the perceived risks, individuals may have pursued their ideals optimistically or believed in the potential downfall of Kuomintang corruption. As archival records unfold, more reasons for joining underground organizations await discovery.
Q2: How did underground organizations operate during that period?
During the game, there's a subplot where Xiaofu gathers information about Teacher Ah Sheng around the canal. According to the records of the "Wu Shengda Rebellion Case," Wu Shengda mentioned numerous locations where he met his superiors, including Anping Fort, the canal, on a canal boat, on the rural roads from East Gate to Yongkang or Xinhua, at a bicycle shop outside East Gate, parks, Sanfenzi, and the staff dormitories of the Engineering College.
However, there are many doubts about whether he actually met his superiors at these locations. To impede the investigation by intelligence agencies, he initially fabricated a superior named "Wang Xuan," who was actually a fictitious and non-existent person, and many details of their interactions were fabricated. It was reasonable for organization members to meet their superiors at various locations to avoid detection, as meeting consistently in one place would arouse suspicion. Additionally, the organization engaged in various forms of mass work, such as inviting "developable" individuals to participate in study groups, discussing current affairs during conversations, and subtly introducing communist ideologies (in the game, Teacher Ah Sheng and Ah Quan are very friendly towards Xiaofu, inviting him to join the drama group or study together, hinting at this atmosphere).
The purpose was to cultivate relationships with the populace, establishing a "mass base" familiar with communist ideals and their objectives. These individuals could potentially be mobilized when the Communist Party liberated Taiwan in the future.
Q3: In the game, what type of character does the protagonist "Xiaofu" resemble in historical reality?
In the game's storyline, Xiaofu is portrayed as already familiar with the island's residents and, being a student at the school, is more likely to gain the trust of characters like Ah Sheng, Ah Quan, and Xiao Cheng. However, in reality, members of underground organizations are extremely cautious with anyone and would not readily disclose sensitive information to Xiaofu as depicted in the game. It's also unlikely that important documents like the "Area Configuration Map" from Ah Sheng's mission would be entrusted to an outsider like Xiaofu.
Both underground organizations and intelligence agencies typically operate on a "need-to-know" basis to maintain the secrecy of their clues. Information is tightly controlled, and only those directly involved in operations are privy to the details, with very few others aware of the exchanged clues and messages.
Q4: In the game, Xiaofu is given a "mysterious cat portrait" by the police, but no relevant clues are found until the end?
In the game, the inability to find the cat in the mysterious cat portrait is a deliberate response to the interrogation process following Wu Shengda's arrest in 1950.
During the interrogation by intelligence agents, Wu Shengda fabricated a nonexistent organization superior named "Wang Xuan," providing detailed descriptions of Wang Xuan's appearance, such as height, age range, thick lips, and accessories like an Air Force uniform, yellow khaki, watch, and ring. He even provided irrelevant details about Wang Xuan's bicycle model and components.
This tactic of diverting attention allowed Wu Shengda to engage in a 14-day-long verbal duel with the intelligence agents. It's evident from this interrogation that intelligence agents didn't always hold absolute dominance; political prisoners often possessed comprehensive information and could strategically choose which information to disclose to their advantage, attempting to negotiate with intelligence agents for better outcomes.
Q5: Where should I start if I want to learn more about their related historical materials and stories?
If you want to learn more, you can read "Nanfang Song Unending: Half a Century of Post-War Youth Chronicles" published by the National Cheng Kung University Museum, which records some of their anecdotes. As for historical materials, you can directly search their names on the National Archives Information Network, where you'll find relevant files. You can also delve deeper into our provided reference materials.
Additionally, you can easily follow and check the updates on the "Independent at twenty" Facebook page! You can learn from the compiled posts and the white terror maps created for individuals like Wu Shengda. Feel free to message if you have any questions!