GBP Chapter 198 Killing the chicken to scare the monkey
Chapter 198 Killing the chicken to scare the monkey
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According to the specific plan, three days later, Liang Xiaoming personally led a group of steelworkers to Changhua.
Liang Xiaoming came to establish a new steel plant. Once he controlled Changhua, he could openly mine in Shilu, and the steel plant could be located directly outside the county seat.
Compared to mining in Tiandu and then transporting the iron ore across half of Qiongzhou Island back to Lingao for iron smelting, relying on the human resources of Changhua to mine and smelt iron locally was much more efficient, and transporting finished steel was more cost-effective than transporting iron ore. At any time, locating an iron smelting plant near an iron mine is the best choice; the initial decision to mine in Tiandu but locate the steel plant in Lingao was a last resort.
Liang Xiaoming was overjoyed to finally have his hands on the Shilu Iron Mine, which he had always longed for. The regret of entering a treasure trove only to return empty-handed and being forced to mine in Tiandu was finally made up for in the fourth year after his transmigration. As a metallurgical engineer, being able to oversee the mining of the largest open-pit iron mine in China after transmigrating was a boast he could tell his grandchildren about.
The Shilu iron mine consists entirely of shallow, open-pit ore deposits, making mining very simple; the only challenge is transportation. Liang Xiaoming devised a scientifically sound route: first, transport the iron ore manually from Yayu Ridge to the confluence of the Shilu River, then by waterway to the outskirts of Changhua County—the new Changhua Steel Plant was to be built here, and the Bairentan Steel Plant on the banks of the Wenlan River was to be relocated entirely here. In Liu Ye's words, this was called industrial relocation.
This meant that the number of people needed for digging pits, transporting ore, and building the steel plant was considerable, making it two to three times larger than Bairentan and producing several times more. After the recruitment notice was posted at the county government office, it attracted a large crowd of onlookers. Liang Xiaoming offered relatively generous terms: miners would receive 100 wen (a unit of currency) per day as long as they mined the required amount of ore, and all three meals a day would be provided.
Changhua has a unique geological landscape, resulting in low agricultural yields. The local people generally struggle below the poverty line, with most going hungry. Now, seeing such favorable conditions, everyone was tempted. Putting aside everything else, the prospect of being able to eat their fill every day was a huge lure, not to mention the 100-wen wage. Within two days of the notice being posted, enough workers had been recruited.
The workers carried their tools into the mountains, heading to Shilu—a place locally known as Yayu Ridge—to mine. Meanwhile, outside Changhua City, construction on a new steel plant began in earnest. Almost all the able-bodied men in the city had been recruited, including many military households from the thousand-household garrison.
Logically speaking, military households should not engage in other industries, but the owner was the Qiongzhou Camp, which was not to be trifled with, and the military households were all making a living locally and had not run away from their registered residence. Zhang Dayou, one of them, naturally turned a blind eye and pretended not to see it.
Regarding the course of the battle, Zhang Dayou had already submitted a report as instructed by Shi Ying, but there had been no response yet. Based on his past experience, officials generally preferred to avoid trouble; whether you were a real thief or a fake one, once the matter was settled, they would most likely not pursue it further. Moreover, the Qiongzhou Prefectural Government and even the Guangdong Military Command, if they knew that this matter was related to the Qiongzhou Camp, might not dare to investigate further.
However, with the Qiongzhou Camp's encroachment on Changhua, Zhang Dayou's days of being a local tyrant were over. From now on, he would have to keep a low profile. Zhang Dayou stayed at home, sighing and grieving every day, drowning his sorrows in alcohol.
However, he also knew that the most miserable person was not himself, but the county magistrate Lu Gengyu.
After returning to the county government office from the city wall, Lu Gengyu was injured by falling bricks and timber from the blast of a shell. He survived, but his left leg was severely injured, with a broken bone. According to the doctor, he would be able to walk normally after resting, but he would walk with a limp.
A lame county magistrate would be a laughing stock in the officialdom of Qiongzhou. Zhang Dayou knew that, given Lu Gengyu's personality, he most likely couldn't stand the disdain of his superiors and the ridicule of his colleagues, and would very likely resign voluntarily. It was just a matter of when he would make that decision.
Thinking of this, Zhang Dawang glanced in the direction of the county government office next door. Since the day the city fell, Lu Gengyu had never left the county government office after regaining consciousness, nor had he shown any sign of submitting a memorial to impeach him. The worries of the Qiongzhou camp were unnecessary.
Zhang Dayou guessed that perhaps Lu Gengyu had seen the overwhelming strength of the Qiongzhou Camp, leaving him with no room for resistance, and was disheartened. Coupled with his desire to leave, he simply stopped caring about it.
The matter in Changhua proceeded smoothly according to the original plan.
In Lingao, Lin San finally received the Qionghai Type 5 pistols that the arsenal had been working overtime to produce. According to Liu Ye's plan, he led the special forces team to Chengmai.
The security in Chengmai was no better than in other prefectures and counties; even a special forces team of about a hundred people did not arouse the vigilance of the city's guards.
The special forces team members were all strong and sturdy, and their fierce temperament could not be concealed even when they were dressed in civilian clothes. Lin San was worried that they would encounter trouble at the city gate, but the soldiers only charged them a few more strings of cash and let them into the city.
After they had all entered the city, a young soldier curiously looked back at them and asked the older soldier beside him, "This group seems a bit strange. They don't seem like merchants, yet they're entering the city in groups..."
The old soldier spat out the blade of grass he had been holding in his mouth and said lazily, "So what if there's something strange? So what if there isn't? Even if they are bandits with ulterior motives, if they try to force their way into the city, can we stop them?"
The young soldier Ding answered honestly, "We can't stop them, and we might even lose our lives."
“That’s it. We’re just a few of us standing at the door, making a show of it to scare the common people. Don’t think about those useless things. Even if the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up, it won’t hit us…” Halfway through his sentence, the old soldier’s eyes lit up as he stared at a peddler carrying a load on a shoulder pole. He called out as he walked up to him, “Stop! What’s in your load?” In his experience, this kind of person was someone you could squeeze some money out of without any risk, making him the perfect target for extortion.
The veteran had no idea that what he had just casually said was actually true.
When the special forces arrived at the county government office, it was noon. Apart from two yamen runners who were dozing off at the entrance, the whole street was quiet.
Lin San looked at the gate of the yamen (government office), a sense of melancholy washing over him. Three years ago, he had a grudge against the former magistrate, Lin Sanfeng, and was determined to take Chengmai County to avenge himself. He had painstakingly accumulated some wealth, but when he tried to put it into action, he was thwarted and his attack on the city failed. In the end, after submitting to Liu Ye, he easily took his revenge, not only killing Lin Sanfeng with his own hands but also ransacking the county, practically emptying half of Chengmai County.
The inner courtyard of the county government office.
Liu Zezhong rested in his room. After a few drinks, he succumbed to drowsiness and fell asleep in a chair. He had a dream: the Qiongzhou garrison rebelled, their first target being Chengmai County. The city's fragile defenses were no match for the onslaught, and the city fell in a single swift move. The commanding general stormed into the county government office, held a knife to Liu's neck, and grinned maliciously, asking, "When you rose up in rebellion, did you ever imagine this day would come?"
After witnessing firsthand the astonishing strength of the Qiongzhou Camp, Liu Zezhong deeply regretted his impulsive actions. However, he was too ashamed to mend relations afterward, and remained in a state of constant anxiety upon returning to Chengmai. Chengmai was far too close to Lingao; any disturbance there would be beyond the reach of the imperial court.
Perhaps the dream was too real, for he woke up with a start. When he opened his eyes, he found a knife really being held in front of him.
He rubbed his eyes hard and opened them again. Yes, it really was a steel knife, inches from his neck. He could feel the coldness of the blade on his skin. In front of him stood a group of burly men, blocking the room completely.
He asked, trembling, "Hero, what brings you here? Can you put down your knife and we can talk?"
The man wielding the knife was exceptionally burly. He sneered and asked, "Magistrate Liu, when you slammed your fist on the table in Lingao, did you ever imagine that this day would come?"
The words were so similar to those in his dream that Liu Zezhong felt disoriented, unable to distinguish between dream and reality. He secretly pinched his thigh hard, wincing in pain. Yes, this wasn't a dream.
The retribution came so swiftly. Liu Ye seemed so refined, yet he was so vindictive and couldn't tolerate a grudge. If a knife hadn't been held to his throat, Liu Zezhong would have knelt and begged for mercy. He said anxiously, "Hero, don't be impulsive! Let's talk this out. I offended your general, but it was unintentional. Please help me by telling Lieutenant General Liu that I, Liu Zezhong, am willing to admit my mistake and apologize, and ask him to spare my life. If you're willing to help deliver the message, I'll give you silver, okay?"
The burly man was none other than Lin San. He sneered and said, "Oh? How much silver are you paying me to deliver this message?"
Seeing that the other party had relented, Liu Zezhong was overjoyed. He gently deflected the steel knife in front of him and said with a smile, "Hero, come with me."
He led Lin San into the inner room, took out a package, and reluctantly handed it to Lin San, saying, "Hero, it's all here, it's all for you."
Lin San took the package and weighed it in his hand, estimating it to be around three hundred taels of silver. He casually handed it to the team members behind him, saying, "Take this and distribute it among the brothers."
Liu Zezhong flattered, "A true hero is considerate of his subordinates; he is truly benevolent."
Lin San chuckled; he really didn't care about this small amount of silver. Not to mention his annual military pay was already that much, he could also receive several thousand taels from dividends from the Qiongzhou Trading Company. He wouldn't be tempted by such a paltry sum; if word got to the general, it would be a huge loss. However, distributing it to the special forces members wouldn't raise that concern. Even if the general knew, he would praise him for being considerate of his subordinates.
"Alright, you've taken out the money and said what you needed to say. Men, tie him up."
Liu Zezhong was shocked: "Good sir, what is the reason for this? Is it because you think the silver is too little? I have spent a lot to fill this gap, and this is all the silver I have on hand. If you think it is not enough, I can ask the wealthy families in the city for a solution."
"Hehe, it has nothing to do with money. My master wants to establish his authority and make an example of us, so I have to trouble you to be the one to stick your neck out."
Two special forces soldiers stepped forward, ignoring Liu Zezhong's shouts, tied him up tightly, and then stuffed a rag into his mouth.
"Leave a few men to keep an eye on him, the rest of you follow me and continue with the general's plan."
.............
This time, everything went perfectly according to Liu Ye's plan. They seized the county government office, closed the city gates, plundered wealthy households, created an atmosphere of panic, and achieved their goal of shocking the surrounding counties and the prefectural government.
In other words, they used the name of the bandits to wreak havoc in the county town, so that everyone could see the consequences of offending the Qiongzhou Camp, and in a way that left no one with any evidence against them.