我寫的第一篇是英文的《15》。當我發現有這題目之後便心癢要寫，即日已寫完，倒沒意思要文章與學校有任何關聯。那陣子玩得Call Of Duty多，而且我亦對軍人打仗的心態充滿好奇，便作了一篇戰爭故事。惟一美中不足，就是沒有功力寫出打仗場面，令戰爭故事沒了戰爭，非常滑稽。
第二篇則是期限前一天才寫出來的中文《15》。那晚我想了良久，終於度出一個故事，可以藉以諷刺學校年復年年慶祝幾多幾多周年。雖然寫得了出來，但給同學看過，有的不明白，有的嫌悶。我再看一遍，發現我文章不同部份的篇幅與我想表達的很不相符。我花了半篇來敘述一些無關痛癢的情節，令焦點散渙，絕有改善空間。
昨天，兩篇我都交上去了。
英文那篇明顯搞事，純粹想讓鬼佬知道我有料；至於中文那篇，則想看看中文老師對文章有沒有相同看法，或者我寫得不夠隱晦還是太過隱晦。
才一日，英文《15》成果已見效。今日朝早要找鬼佬默書，默完書之後他跟我談了兩句。他說，已看過我篇《15》，非常疑惑地問了我兩次：Did... did you write it? 我就答了他兩次YES。不過我睇得出，他不相信，因為他說 "The grammar is perfect. It is a very good piece of writing" －－而他一直認為我是白癡，豈能寫出一篇正正常常的文章？不過，我無預料會一個文法錯誤都無，加上他的讚賞，我是名副其實的喜出望外；看到他目瞪口呆的樣子，真痛快！哈哈哈哈！
中文《15》：
那天我經過他們的辦工室，叫我大開眼界。
小，不算小，可就有給人窒息的感覺。當時有五個人，包括我，圍在其中一個僱員的桌子－－他們熱烈地以火星文討論，似乎沒有多副心思趕走我。驟眼看，全個辦工室就只有我們六個人，而事實亦然。解碼這門工作，只重人才，數目倒不緊要。
我平日甚少到這裡，因為我和局裡的人都一樣：不做多餘事情。今天老大叫我送一份密件來，有關一宗謀殺案。因為案件涉及政治人物，而且牽涉到兩個國家的外交問題，所以我手中的密件，一直用公文袋包裹着，連老大都說他「不知道袋裡是什麼」。
不過都多餘，送來解密部門，智障都知道，公文袋裡頭是一份由無數暗號組成的密件吧，即使不中亦不遠矣。何況，我比老大更有運，因為在我送到他們手中的時候，這些以密碼為食糧的人，當場拆開公文袋，拿出裡頭的密件，讓我一睹廬山真面目。
「１５」，這就是在一張米白色、殘缺不堪的紙條上，印着的所有字眼。
「這張紙條在那裡發現？」其中一個帶著冷帽的男人問我。
「在俄亥俄州立大學裡的一所實驗室。死者是一名由緬甸來的大使－－所以你們要小心處理，處理不當會起外交衝突。」我說。
「請繼續。」那男人回道。
「昨天有學生發現物理實驗室的教師桌上，橫放了一個人體大少的藍色袋。學生向實驗室技術員提出疑問，技術員打開袋口，發現一條冰封了的男屍。驗屍後證實死者是緬甸駐美大使，毒物測試呈陰性，亦沒有表面傷害，死因暫未查出，死亡時間未確定。現在唯一線索，是你手上拿著的紙條。它是移走封屍袋後才被發現壓在袋下的。密碼應該是兇手為挑戰我們留低的。」
「有趣……」這是他最後一次跟我說的話。之後他便一直吩咐其他人做事，看來他是這裡的頭兒。
我本可以離開，我亦本應離開，不過我對「１５」滿感興趣，這與我原先想像的密碼很不同。密碼本應是一大堆符號，愈大堆愈難拆解，所記下的資訊亦愈繁複，可兇手出的題目卻是「１５」。太簡單了，根本無從入手。
我跟着他們，走到一名在午睡的僱員前面。頭兒拍拍他膊頭，說：「睡夠了，薩伊。要出動你。」然後遞他那張爛紙。看來頭兒未必最醒目。
薩伊便一副如夢初醒的樣子，打打瞌睡、托托眼鏡，懶洋洋地接過張紙條，端詳起來。
「１５……」他咕噥着，「嗯……昨天是六月十五日，今年是俄亥俄州立大學創校十五周年，還有什麼？『１５』亦可作『ＸＶ』，加起來的『６』亦即『ＶＩ』，可又拼不出有意思的字眼……」似乎他已經啟動了自動導航系統。其他四人亦開始沉思起來，不斷提出疑問：
「死者駐美的事務中與『１５』或者『６』有關嗎？」
「死者有仇人的名字有『Ｘ』、『Ｖ』和『Ｉ』等字母嗎？」
「『１５』會不會是座標？」
「『１５』能組成有意思的圖案嗎？」
「死者在家中是否排第六？」
「死者會不會在死前吃了十五個蘋果，然後哽死了？」這句是我問的。
然後是一片死寂，目光都聚在我身上。
「你說什麼？」頭兒問我。
「我沒有輕蔑或者鄙視你們工作的意思，只不過連『死者在家中是否排第六』都問出來，似乎也太無稽了吧。」
這時，薩伊便發瘋似的，從位子站了起來，指著我怒罵：「你知什麼！你不了解密碼的奧秘，你這個外行人，兔崽子！」
我被他嚇呆了，原來他腦筋有點問題。然後他又忽然深呼吸，冷靜了下來，有條理地說道：「每個密碼都有他們的解法，我們稱為『鎖』，而密碼就是『鎖匙』。要找到『鎖』，就是說要找到密碼本來的譯法，是解碼最有趣又最考起人的地方。有些數字，代表人物，有些則代表地點，甚至將文字寫成數字，皆最為常見。我們要做的，是不斷問問題，然後試著回答，再用得出的答案嘗試解出隱藏在密碼內的資料。幾無稽都好，關係幾渺小都好，亦有可能跟『鎖』有間接關係。這你明了嗎？」
「我明白。」我說，「但有沒有機會，兇手只是耍你們？隨便出一個數字，『１５』、『１３』都一樣，就要你們絞盡腦汁想個空。所謂的遊戲，可能只是他單方面耍你們。」
「『１５』跟『１３』不一樣。『１３』是質數，是斐波那契數列數字之一，是不詳數字、酒店層數不會出現的……」薩伊又開始他的腦激盪了。
帶冷帽的頭兒，交叉雙臂，跟我說：「我想你應該走了。」
「我想也是。」然後我便徐徐離開。
究竟「１５」蘊藏着什麼秘密、或者有沒有秘密，我不得而知。於我而言，它只是一個數字。如果我要由「１」數到「２０」，那它便跟其他數字一樣，只會出現一次。
「１５」之前有「１４」，「１５」之後又有「１６」，僅此而已。
英文《15》：
I woke up.
Uniqueness. Acceptance. Forgiveness. Harmony. Love.
Respect. Dignity. Determination. Endurance. Discipline. Obedience. Unity.
Rightness. Justice.
Happiness.
Respect. Dignity. Determination. Endurance. Discipline. Obedience. Unity.
Rightness. Justice.
Happiness.
I recited silently, then I went to brush my teeth.
＊ ＊ ＊
Jake was already awake when I returned from washroom. Everyone here was very different. Bob enjoyed having chit-chats. Jacob loved to talk about his wife and his 4-year-old daughter. Dimitri was a pipe-smoker. And Jake, Jake didn't talk at all, except during operations giving orders.
Looking at him, Jake always reminded me of who we were. We were unique - the Uniqueness - which then brought us to Acceptance and Forgiveness. We, humans, were of a fascinating species that we not only used wordings to express ourselves, but we were also able to achieve the meanings underneath those abstract words. We were born to accept and forgive each other, at times we were also accepted and forgiven. Harmony, as General Acland would say, could then be fostered without having to go through most hardships. It was until then we could start learning what Love was.
After joining the army, which is more or less otherworldly, I began learning more. Even as a Private, I earned my Respect of being a soldier. I was willing to die with Dignity. This was what a soldier required: Determination. So were Endurance, Discipline and Obedience. Jake, Bob, Jacob, Dimitri and I, along with 4 other soldiers who sacrificed their lives for their country, were grouped into the Two-One Beta Team 2 years ago. Billets after billets we were transferred to as a whole. We were a Unity.
We fought for Rightness. We fought for Justice.
For Happiness.
Or so I thought.
When things got settled down, you started to see the whole picture. While there were supply carts bumping on the destructed roads, the locals, who were no doubt innocent, were in their rags stumbling on the sideways. Thousands of refugees threaded their ways through innumerable crumbling houses. Smokes were everywhere. And bodies. And blood. And laments. And anger. Anything, but happiness.
After all these things, what for? The '15-Rule', which General Acland created as our army's motto? Or was it just our own desire that had driven us to do 'what we think was right'? What was right then? Eliminating bad guys? Then who were the bad guys? Were they the people in another countries who we denounced as scoundrels? Or us?
Maybe Jake had all the answers all along. At this point, I started to understand why he didn't like to react: He was already numb.
＊ ＊ ＊
A few months later, the war was officially ended. Countries were reconciled. Treaty was signed. Restituions were made. But nothing was cured.
Standing in front of the mirror, looking back at myself, I recited it once and for all:
Uniqueness. Acceptance. Forgiveness. Harmony. Love.
Respect. Dignity. Determination. Endurance. Discipline. Obedience. Unity.
Rightness. Justice.
Happiness.
Moral.
Respect. Dignity. Determination. Endurance. Discipline. Obedience. Unity.
Rightness. Justice.
Happiness.
Moral.
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