Chapter 8: Military Affairs (Nine Middle School)

"Big boss, please look for me." Just as the public leader was flirting with his back, Xiaodaozi, who was sent to the letter of return, followed Yan Er, lowered his voice, and asked tentatively.

"Oh, ah, yes, it's me who's looking for you." Zhou Heitan's soul was immediately pulled back from the rose fantasy. He was stunned and responded in a deep thought, "Is Lao Jiu's smooth going? Are there any new changes?"

"It's so smooth, it's so smooth." As soon as Xiao Daozi mentioned the incident of sneaking into Heishizhai County this afternoon, Xiao Daozi immediately became flirting. "That Mr. Peng, that Mr. Peng is a natural material for being a liar. After changing his clothes, he became a manager of Manye Special Club. He was stunned by the traitors responsible for the inspection at the city gate. He didn't even dare to search, so he let us in."

"Oh, what is Manye? What is Xiangli? Let's be more specific." Zhou Heitan nodded in thought and asked Xiaodaozi to describe in detail the details of their entry into the city.

The leaders around him felt fresh and also raised their ears and waited for Xiaodao to come to the text. Under the gaze of everyone with a little enviousness, Xiaodao looked around and immediately felt a little proud in his response. "Jiu Ye also asked Mr. Peng at that time. According to Mr. Peng, Manye is a company run by the Japanese. It is mainly responsible for manufacturing arms, but it is not limited to the arms business. Any business that can make money under the rule of Manchu will basically be interfered with, and the manager is the second shopkeeper in the company. His status is only half a level lower than that of the shopkeeper. He is responsible for inspecting everywhere and finding opportunities to expand new deals. Mr. Peng also said..."

After Xiaodaozi explained, the horse thief leaders around finally understood the specific meaning of the many fresh nouns. It turned out that after the Japanese occupied the three northeastern provinces, in order to more conveniently plunder the wealth of the three northeastern provinces, they established many special associations. Each special association was specifically responsible for an industry, and acquired or squeezed out their peers through exclusive or franchise methods. The so-called Manye is such a special association, which basically seized all the mines and factories in the three northeastern provinces, and with the support of the Japanese military, it continued to expand into other newly occupied areas.

However, in order to avoid the original rich men and men in the newly occupied areas, and to avoid being accused of being too ugly, the special associations rooted in the Northeast have sent Chinese people in the company to act as pawns on the front line. These pawns are wearing hats of assistant managers, managers or section chiefs on their heads, searching for targets like mosquitoes and flies. Once they find that a certain business has a considerable profit, they immediately flap their wings and snatch them to bite them. Until the other party agrees to be controlled or sell them at a low price, they wipe the blood on their mouths and rush to the next target, (Note 1, Note 2)

Because the Japanese military and Japanese chaebols were standing behind them, they were employed by assistant managers from various special associations. The managers usually acted as powerful as they wanted and would plunder them wherever they went. If the local rich people were not well received, they might be bankrupt by him using various means.

The heads of the puppet army who worked for the Japanese were treated much worse than those of the assistant managers of the Co., Ltd., and not only did their salary less than one-tenth of the latter, but their status in the eyes of the Japanese also belonged to the consumables that could be cleaned or replaced at any time. Their importance could not be compared with the latter.

So Peng Xuewen and others lit up the certificate of the Manye Special Club at the gate of Heishizhai City. The small leader of the puppet army who was standing at the gate to earn the city tax immediately began to nod and bow, without the courage to confirm the authenticity of the certificate, let alone search for gifts carried by the owner of the police and his entourage.

"This Mr. Peng is really a talent." The thief leader was so straight that his eyes were straightened. He took advantage of the knife's stopping to drink water and praised him.

"Or it would be said that he is from the central government, he is just a good person. To be honest, no one dares to suspect that he is..." It was rare to follow behind the "big man" and open his eyes. Xiaodaozi consciously gained insight, and his hands kept wiggling in the air.

Zhou Heitan didn't have the intention to show off his temperament. After thinking about it, he continued to ask, "After entering the city, where will he find a place to stay? I remember there is not even a decent hotel in the city. Since he is a manager, it is impossible to stay in a big car shop."

"The boss is smart." Xiao Daozi gave a thumbs up, and the traces were very obvious. "We were also sweating in our hands, for fear that the leader of the Imperial Army would be too enthusiastic, so he took everyone to the security team's base. However, Mr. Peng didn't look at the guy who wanted to flatter him at all. He raised his legs and went to the Ito Trading Company run by the Japanese. He threw a few words of Chinese words outside, and the Japanese inside were immediately stunned and happily cleaned up the room for Mr. Peng to live for free."

Ito Trading Company is a warehouse run by the Japanese. It is firmly in the top spot in Heishizhai. It operates some rare Oriental and Manchurian goods. Occasionally, it also purchases local specialties such as fur and medicinal materials, and follows the Japanese military supplies convoy and transports them to Manchuria or Zhangjiakou.

Such a warehouse is quite large compared to other local shops in Heishi Village, but in front of the huge Manye Special Club, it is only trembling. Especially Peng Xuewen's fluent Japanese language makes Ito Trading Company confident of his identity as a manager. Therefore, it uses as much strength as it can, for fear of offending the other party, and the person slandered the person in the ears of the Manye Special Club. At that time, the person threw a few stacks of Manchurian coupons over, and the boss Ito would have to offer the entire trading company with both hands, and he would not even be qualified to bargain.

"Where is Yan Fuquan? I remember that Yan Fuquan and the one named Peng met Siqin, so he was not afraid that Yan Fuquan came to come to greet him." Someone was unbelievable by the story told by Xiaodaozi, frowned and tried hard to find out the flaws inside.

"You haven't seen Mr. Peng's disguise technique. It's either I'm bragging, or our boss's eyes are sharp. No matter how he dresses up, he can recognize him. If someone else changes, as long as he turns around and walks under your nose, you may not dare to come forward to say hello." Xiaodaozi raised his thumbs again, praising Zhou Heitan and Peng Xuewen to the sky.

The thief leaders were dissatisfied, but they had to admit that Xiaodaozi's explanation made sense. They had seen Mr. Peng's disguise technique with their own eyes. Just yesterday, when this man swayed and stopped everyone in front of the horses, including Zhou Heitan himself, he actually didn't realize that this man was the prince's special envoy who had appeared in the Right Banner a few days ago. Until he took the initiative to reveal his identity and told the story of the Right Banner in public, everyone believed him with admiration.

"What's even more amazing is the style of others." After successfully silenced everyone, Xiao Daozi slapped his arms and thighs with his hands and continued to whisper. "No matter how you look, they are all people with status. If we change us, except for the boss, you can't even feel the noble taste even if you wear a dress."

"Okay, okay." Seeing that he was about to go off topic again as he spoke, Zhou Heitan quickly interrupted loudly, "Since you admire him so much, after the battle is over, I will tell him and let him take you as a subordinate. Let's..."

"Really,!" Xiaodaozi was overjoyed and did not notice the teasing meaning in Zhou Heitan's words. When he realized that he had accidentally interrupted the boss, he quickly took a few steps back and scratched his head embarrassedly, "I, I'm still more at ease with the boss. Although he has the ability, he is not a member of us after all. After following him, I'm afraid..."

"Okay, you don't have to play this with me." Zhou Heitan waved his hand, feeling a little angry and sour. Compared with his Black Wolf Gang, even if Peng Xuewen was defeated all the way to Java, he was still a serious official army, and was very attractive to Xiaodaozi, the leaders, and even to him. This is also one of the specific reasons why he decided to cooperate with Peng Xuewen without hesitation. No matter whether the attack on the county was successful or failure, his Black Wolf Gang and the National Government had a good relationship. One day, if the Japanese were really defeated from China, with the line of Peng Xuewen, he might be able to whitewash the entire Black Wolf Gang and become a dignified National Revolutionary Army.

By then, Zhou Heitan, when he saw Zhang Songling again, he would not feel lowered because of the rank of lieutenant colonel on the other party's shoulders. When he saw Zhao Tianlong, who had joined the Lamagou guerrillas, he would even straighten his waist and raise his chin high. After all, he was protecting the central government of Zhenggen and Zhengye, and Hongbei and Zhao Tianlong were at best considered as a group of Liangshan heroes and thieves.

Xiaodaozi didn't know that Zhou Heitan had so many twists and turns in his heart, and thought that he had accidentally violated the taboo of the boss just now, so he shut up and waited pitifully for punishment.

Unexpectedly, after Zhou Heitan interrupted his long-term words, he did not move any further. He just turned around and continued to look at the dark city walls in the distance. He looked silently for a long time until everyone thought he was sleeping while standing and was confused. Then he suddenly sighed quietly and whispered: "Just because Mr. Peng is willing to risk entering the county town for Fatty Zhang, I believe he will definitely not be a guy who turns against others. After this battle, if anyone of you wants to follow him, I will never stop it and delay your future."

"What's the matter with the boss?"

"What's wrong with you today, Master?"

"If anyone dares to let down the boss, I will destroy him first."

....

The leaders were startled and jumped up one after another, expressing their loyalty in a verbal manner, especially Xiao Daozi. They regretted that they could stab themselves in public. They knelt on the ground and explained cryingly, "Big Master, don't be angry. I just admire Peng. I admire Peng's ability. I won't really follow him, and I won't forget your kindness over the years just because I admire him."

"Okay, okay." Zhou Heitan turned around and pulled the knife from the ground with both hands. "What kind of kindness is not about kindness? It's boring to say those things. I'm not blaming you. I think that times have changed. I'm still young and have no worries like you. If you have the right opportunity, you should also find a serious future for yourself. You can't be like me, born to take over my father's work, and when you have a son in the future, you will continue to take over my work as a horse thief."

Note 1: Manye Special Company, whose full name is Manchu Heavy Industry Development Co., Ltd., once monopolized the production of all mines, military industry, steel and other non-ferrous metals in the three northeastern provinces, and also occupied a majority of the share in automobile and aircraft manufacturing.

Note 2: Assistant manager, senior staff in old Japanese-funded enterprises and banks who are responsible for a certain aspect of business, have a status similar to that of the department deputy manager of later generations, and in some Taiwanese enterprises, this position is still retained.
Chapter completed!