Chapter 830: Allocate Some Coal for Me
After a brief discussion, He Zonghan, Liu Haoran, and Gao Jiaji decisively raised an army.
The people in Zhima Ditch were all their former subordinates, who in the past had followed the trio, engaging in plunder and murder, living lavishly and brazenly. Having been forced to farm for the past year, they had long harbored deep resentment.
Upon hearing that Manchu incursions had left the imperial army's strength depleted, and that their leaders intended to rebel again, the old ruffians eagerly responded.
In the blink of an eye, the three had once again mustered an army of five thousand.
He Zonghan loudly declared to all his followers, “The Hedong Circuit is incredibly wealthy! There are newly established saltworks, textile mills, cement factories, coal mines, and steel plants over there... The workers are all rich, with money in every household. But they hoard their wealth and won't share it with us. Why should they feast lavishly while we starve? We’ll go to the Hedong Circuit, plunder those unscrupulous rich folk, kill them all, and make a massive fortune. Then we'll cross the Yellow River and join our elder brother, the Chuang Wang.”
“Agreed!”
The army of five thousand covertly departed Zhima Ditch, following mountain trails southwest towards the Hedong Circuit...
East of Hedong City, just over twenty li away, a colossal factory stood on a desolate stretch of land.
Its full name was the “Shanxi Yuncheng Iron and Steel General Factory,” abbreviated as the “Yun Gang Factory.”
The reason was simple: Li Daoxuan, having absorbed the lessons of later generations regarding "state-owned factories relocating to the outskirts," had decided from the outset to build large-scale factories like this steel plant far from urban areas. This was to avoid future population booms that would make city centers too crowded, forcing the factory to relocate again.
Early in the morning, the factory workers were already awake.
Large groups of workers performed morning exercises in the factory's main drill ground, staying physically fit.
A smaller number of workers were already packed into the cafeteria, holding bowls of porridge and nibbling on salted vegetables, lazily starting their day.
Among these workers, two stood out. One was named Qi Cheng, the other Chen Ergou. Both were skilled technicians, the kind who wore Blue Hats.
However, their Blue Hats differed slightly from the others. Their hats bore a circle, and inside the circle was the character'try', signifying'probational' status.
It turned out both men were Labor Reform prisoners from Huanglong Mountain. But with a shortage of manpower for construction projects across the region, and both possessing technical skills, they had received “special clemency” to atone for their crimes through service.
The two were currently seated at the edge of the drill ground, munching on steamed buns and salted vegetables, while watching other workers run laps around the field.
Steelworkers truly were different from ordinary laborers. Each possessed a robust physique, with bulging muscles. Sweat glistened on their bronzed skin, reflecting the morning sun with a vibrant sheen.
Qi Cheng said, a touch of envy in his voice, “I truly envy them. If not for that ‘probationary’ character on my hat, I could live with the same confidence.”
Chen Ergou chuckled, “Don’t worry. We’ve been out here atoning for our crimes for quite a while, and we’ve accumulated many merits. Our sentences have been significantly reduced. In another year at most, our sentences will be complete.”
Qi Cheng's spirits lifted. “That’s true. In a year, we can finally remove that ‘probationary’ mark from our hats. Hahaha, then we’ll also be honored citizens of Gao Family Village! We'll earn the same high wages as the other Blue Hats, and life will suddenly become much better.”
The more they talked, the happier they became, feeling that life was truly looking up.
Just then, a worker wearing a Yellow Hat ran over, greeting them from a distance. “Engineer Qi, Engineer Chen, a strange large vehicle has arrived from Gao Family Village. We don’t quite understand it. Could you come take a look by the factory gate?”
Qi Cheng and Chen Ergou quickly stood up and laughed, “Coming, coming!”
The two hurried to the main gate of the Yun Gang Factory. They saw many Yellow Hats already gathered there, forming a circle and peering inside, wondering what strange new contraption they were looking at.
Pushing their way through the crowd, they saw that what everyone was marveling at was a peculiar large iron vehicle. Its appearance was somewhat reminiscent of a train, but it didn't run on rails; instead, it moved impressively along a cement road.
“Wow, what in the world is that?” Qi Cheng and Chen Ergou couldn't help but be startled.
“This is the latest automobile developed by Young Master Bai!” the driver, beaming with pride, declared. “No need for railway tracks anymore; it can go anywhere there’s a road... I’m the first driver, and I drove it all the way from Gao Family Village itself to here—quite a distance, wouldn't you say? Hahahaha! It's just that... it consumes quite a lot of coal.”
As he finished speaking, the driver cried out dramatically, “Does the Yun Gang Factory have any coal? Quick, give me some! My coal’s all burned up, and the vehicle can’t move anymore!”
The surrounding workers burst into laughter. “This is a steel plant, of course we have coal, hahahaha. But we can’t just give it away for free; a leader needs to sign off on the allocation.”
“Where are the leaders? Where are your leaders?”
The driver wailed.
“The leaders are away on business,” the Yellow Hats chuckled. “Currently, the highest-ranking individuals in the factory are Engineer Qi and Engineer Chen.”
Then the Yellow Hats parted, splitting into two, presenting Qi Cheng and Chen Ergou.
The driver glanced at the Blue Hats on Qi Cheng and Chen Ergou’s heads, seeing the 'probationary' character drawn on them. He realized these were two Labor Reform prisoners serving to atone for their crimes. He couldn't help but think inwardly, “So the Yun Gang Factory is currently run by two Labor Reform prisoners? That’s outrageous!”
Though he thought this, he smiled outwardly. “My two esteemed Blue Hat brothers, could you specially approve a small amount of coal for me? This vehicle is Young Master Bai’s Experimental Car No. 2, a top-tier technological product from Gao Family Village. In the future, it will be responsible for all of Gao Family Village’s road transport. If you allocate some coal to me, the Village Committee will certainly approve of it.”
Qi Cheng and Chen Ergou were still marveling at the large iron vehicle. Upon hearing the driver’s words, they naturally had no objections.
Qi Cheng asked for paper and pen. He wrote a slip, approving “XXX jin” of coal for Young Master Bai’s experimental car, then signed his name and affixed his handprint.
Workers then went to fetch two large baskets of coal, cheerfully helping the driver load it into the vehicle’s coal bin.
A group of people were busy at work...
Suddenly!
From the northeast corner of the Yun Gang Factory, came a hollow "kong-kong-kong" sound. It was the sound of sticks hitting hollow bamboo.
An alarm!
Then, the worker on guard duty in the northeast shouted loudly, “Bandits are attacking! Bandits are attacking! Close the factory gates, quickly, close the factory gates!”
At this cry, the entire Yun Gang Factory instantly erupted into chaos.
Screams echoed everywhere.
The factory’s east and north gates, two massive iron plate doors, slammed shut immediately, producing two resonant crashes.
Workers scattered frantically throughout the factory, and their families, too, poured out of the residential area, scurrying around like headless flies. “What’s happening?”
“Where are the bandits?”
“Where did the bandits come from?”
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