Chapter 1180 An Organization Like the Eastern and Western Depots
After Zhu Yujian left Xi'an, he rode alone, taking his time.
Unlike Zhu Cunji, he wasn't interested in sightseeing; his focus was on the people.
He observed the bustling settlement outside Xi'an's gates, the smiles on people's faces, and spoke with farmers in the fields about their harvests and the use of celestial fertilizer.
One old farmer even pulled out a bottle of "Chen Qianhu's Locust Eradicator" for Zhu Yujian to see, grinning cheerfully as he said, “Look at this! Chen Qianhu’s Locust Eradicator is incredibly potent. No matter how vicious the pests, if they cross Chen Qianhu, they’re dead.”
“No, wait, this medicine is actually called ‘Chen Qianhu’ brand?” Zhu Yujian exclaimed, greatly surprised.
The farmer chuckled. “No, no. Its original brand name is ‘Happy Farmer’s Locust Eradicator,’ but no one pays attention to that. Everyone just calls it Chen Qianhu’s Locust Eradicator. See? Chen Qianhu’s face is printed on the bottle. Just show that face to the pests, and they’ll scare themselves to death.”
Zhu Yujian took the bottle and saw, indeed, a fiercely menacing figure printed on it. One look at that face was enough to know he was no good; his expression was so savage, he must have had thousands of lives on his hands.
Zhu Yujian was certain after a single glance that this man routinely boiled people alive to eat them, feeling a significant unease. He quickly handed the bottle back to the old farmer. “Take it away quickly, I can’t bear to look at that face.”
Bidding farewell to the old farmer, Zhu Yujian continued on his journey, thinking to himself: No wonder the crops here are so vibrant. Not only do they have celestial fertilizer to boost fertility, but also Chen Qianhu to eradicate pests... With such a dual approach, doubling the harvest is truly remarkable.
Zhu Yujian immediately felt a pang of pity. He quickly took out some of the money Zhu Cunji had given him and went to meet the group.
Mi Qianhu whispered, “The man in the conical hat is coming! Everyone, pretend not to know him, and whatever you do, don't show any weakness, lest we alert the enemy.”
“His subordinates aren’t around?”
“No, they must be hidden. Reportedly, when he abducted Zhu Yujian, he appeared alone on the road to stop the carriage, while all his subordinates were hidden along the roadside.”
The Jinyiwei were on high alert.
Zhu Yujian walked up to the Jinyiwei, handing over the silver. He had meant to say something, but then thought to himself: I’m giving them silver from a position of superiority; anything I say now will likely sound condescending, won’t it? No, no, it’s better to just quietly give them the money and leave. That way, I won’t seem so pretentious. I’m not Zhu Cunji; I have no desire to show off.
So Zhu Yujian said nothing, simply handing over the silver.
Mi Qianhu was bewildered, but remembering his persona as a refugee, he quickly reached out and took the money.
Zhu Yujian nodded, still silent, and quietly continued on his way toward Gao Family Village.
Mi Qianhu froze.
The Jinyiwei exchanged confused glances.
Silence. An eerie silence...
Until Zhu Yujian was far out of sight.
Only then did one of the Jinyiwei ask, “What was he trying to do?”
“He probably didn’t see through our disguise.”
“He actually thought we were poor! Was he giving us money to help us?”
“But the man in the conical hat is a lawless villain; how could he be so kind?”
“Or perhaps, it was a warning?”
After a long moment, Mi Qianhu finally said, “Never mind what he meant. Just follow him from a distance.”
The Jinyiwei quickly reversed course, abandoning their trip to Xi’an and trailing far behind Zhu Yujian.
When it came to tracking, the Jinyiwei were experts. Someone like Zhu Yujian, with absolutely no experience of the underworld, couldn't possibly detect he was being followed. He didn’t even realize a large group was trailing him, continuing his journey without a care in the world.
He walked and walked, until a massive factory complex appeared before him.
It was the Chang'an Automobile Factory!
The Chang'an Automobile Factory was located right along the main road from Xi’an to Gao Family Village; one couldn't travel far from Xi'an Prefecture without encountering it.
Zhu Yujian’s eyes lit up. “Oh, the Chang'an Automobile Factory! This is Gao Family Village’s military-industrial enterprise. I’d love to go in and see it.”
Although he lacked worldly experience, he knew that a military-industrial enterprise wasn't somewhere just anyone could tour. What to do? He suddenly remembered the letter of introduction Zhu Cunji had given him and quickly pulled it out.
He arrived at the main gate of the Chang’an Factory. Two security guards from the factory immediately eyed the man in the conical hat, judging him suspicious. One shouted, “This is the Chang’an Factory! Unauthorized personnel are forbidden from entering the premises.”
Zhu Yujian quickly pulled out his letter of introduction and handed it over.
The guard glanced at it. “Understood. Please enter.”
The Jinyiwei following behind saw this. “He went inside!”
“What is this strange, massive building? Such an enormous area, completely enclosed by high walls.”
“There must be something unsavory, something hidden and illicit, within this grand compound.”
“Could it be the hideout of the man in the conical hat? Full of his subordinates?”
“Highly possible!”
Mi Qianhu frowned. “Perhaps Zhu Yujian is hiding inside. We need to enter and investigate.”
“There are guards at the gate; we can’t get in.”
The Jinyiwei were troubled.
Just then, a subordinate suddenly noticed a piece of paper underfoot. He picked it up, glanced at it, and exclaimed with delight, “Chief, look! It’s a job recruitment notice.”
Mi Qianhu took it and saw it was indeed a recruitment notice, stating a need for numerous porters for heavy labor, signed by the “Chang'an Automobile Factory.”
Mi Qianhu looked up at the grand compound before him; a plaque above the gate also bore the large characters: “Chang'an Automobile Factory.”
He, of course, had no idea what an “automobile factory” meant.
His mind mulled over it: Factory!
The 'factories' most familiar to the Jinyiwei were none other than the Eastern Depot and the Western Depot!
Those were two terrifying secret police organizations.
Mi Qianhu understood. “The Chang'an Automobile Factory... it must be a special organization, perhaps related to carriage or horse stables here. And this organization needs some general laborers now. We can use this to infiltrate. Everyone, disguise yourselves further, make yourselves look even more wretched, more like genuine refugees.”
The group of Jinyiwei nodded, then quickly rolled on the ground a few times, ruffled their hair, and smeared dirt on their faces.
Mi Qianhu stated grimly, “Everyone knows what the Eastern and Western Depots are. Since this Chang'an Automobile Factory also has 'Factory' in its name, I fear it’s just as formidable as those secret police organizations. What lies before us is a dragon’s den and a tiger’s lair. Everyone must be extremely cautious; do not betray yourselves, or our entire party will perish without a burial place.”
The Jinyiwei responded, “Understood!”
Mi Qianhu took a deep breath, clutching the recruitment notice, and walked toward the main gate of the Chang'an Automobile Factory...
No fear! How can one catch a tiger cub without entering the tiger’s den?
To capture Zhu Yujian, to fulfill the Emperor’s mission for us, today we risk everything!
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