Chapter 832: One Hand for Production, One Hand for the Gun
Chen Ergou snatched the microphone from Qi Cheng's grasp and bellowed towards the outside, "This factory doesn't belong to some greedy landlord; it belongs to the common folk, to us! I was once a vagrant rebel myself, but I've repented, cleansed my spirit, and started a new life. I urge you to throw down your weapons and do the same!"
His words were met not with understanding, but with derision.
He Zonghan, Liu Haoran, and Gao Jiaji erupted in another peal of mocking laughter.
He Zonghan barked a command to his dozens of henchmen, who promptly bellowed in unison, "Enough of your damnable chatter! Surrender your goods, and we'll spare your lives!"
Chen Ergou retorted, "Every ounce of wealth in this place was forged by our own sweat and hands! There's nothing here for brigands like you. Be sensible, turn back now. Otherwise, the worker-elders here will gladly teach you how to conduct yourselves!"
The three bandit chiefs exchanged curious glances. This factory showed remarkable audacity! Faced with their five-thousand-strong army, most landlords would barely dare to gasp, placating them with honeyed words even if they withheld their wealth.
But the people within this factory... they didn't seem to fear death at all?
Were they a factory full of reckless fools?
As they mused on this unexpected defiance, Qi Cheng suddenly boomed to the surrounding workers, "Everyone, follow my lead! Let's raise our voices in song! One, two, three... 'We are the glorious militia, the reserve force of the people's army...'"
Initially, the chorus was faint, many still gripped by fear, their voices trembling into silence.
But as the singing swelled, more and more voices joined in, the Yellow Hats each finding their courage and adding to the powerful chorus.
"'Protecting peace, building our home. Through tireless work, we strive to be Labor Models, tempering our skills until we are hardened steel. Should the Motherland issue a call, we will answer without hesitation, rushing to the front lines!'"
"'We are the glorious militia, the reserve force of the people's army...'"
"'One hand for production, one hand for the gun...'"
The sound grew, a deafening roar that filled the air, emanating from the entire steel transport factory and rising to the heavens.
He Zonghan, Liu Haoran, and Gao Jiaji, the three bandit chiefs, were utterly bewildered. The five thousand rogue soldiers at their backs were just as flummoxed.
"Do they think they can intimidate us with sheer volume?" Liu Haoran snarled furiously. "Brothers, sing! It's not as if we don't know how!"
Upon receiving the command, the rogue soldiers immediately cleared their throats and began to sing.
"'Ah loh ya ya dah...'"
"'Dearest, beloved...'"
"'Dearest, oh dearest, my brother walks through the door...'"
"'Glass blooming bright, inside and out, from afar I see my dearest one...'"
"'High on the mountain, a lone chicken, *shilanga* flies beneath the temple eaves...'"
From the very first note, it was a cacophony. Each sang their own tune, a jumbled mess of disparate melodies. Every damn soldier had a different song.
The thematic moods of the songs clashed entirely, creating utter pandemonium.
The three bandit chiefs quickly realized their mistake: better they hadn't sung at all. The moment they opened their mouths, their morale plummeted further.
He Zonghan cursed, "Damn it, their song has more power than ours!"
Liu Haoran added, "Their song stirs the blood, while ours just drains our energy. Dammit, their songs are naturally suited for a grand chorus!"
Gao Jiaji roared, "To hell with singing! Charge! Get in there and slaughter them all!"
The three bandit chiefs simultaneously bellowed orders at their troops: "Charge! Kill them all!"
But their commands were half-eclipsed by the workers' surging chorus. Only those closest heard the full order; the more distant troops remained oblivious.
Consequently, only a fraction of the rogue soldiers broke ranks and surged forward. Most remained rooted, bewildered. It was only when they saw their comrades charging that those behind them finally caught on, murmuring, "Oh, did the bosses order an attack?"
"Charge, charge!"
The moment the rogue soldiers surged forward, it was the workers' turn to feel their nerves fray.
These were not the militia soldiers, accustomed to daily training and fearless in the face of conflict.
They had avoided military service precisely because they shunned trouble, fearing battle and having no desire to fight.
In any confrontation, momentum and morale are paramount.
Even burly men, when intimidated, can be routed by smaller, bolder opponents, their spirit crumbling at the first sign of fear.
And now, the workers faced this very challenge.
Though their muscles were honed and their arms strong from years of forging steel and iron—a single punch could easily fell five small girls—they were not ones to initiate aggression.
The instant the rogue army advanced, fear gripped the workers, many of them halting their song mid-note.
At a moment like this, a leader was desperately needed!
Just then, at this pivotal moment, the Yellow Hats spotted a blue hat rising above the factory wall, emblazoned with the character 'Test'.
It was Chen Ergou! Engineer Chen!
The factory walls were not designed for people to climb, making Chen Ergou's ascent quite an ordeal. He'd had to stack a table, then a stool atop it, scaling it with considerable struggle.
He swiftly raised his musket, resting it on the wall. No need for precise aiming; the enemies outside were a dense, swirling mass. Aiming was superfluous. With a casual shot...
"Bang!"
A crisp, resounding report.
White smoke spiraled upwards.
The fastest-charging rogue soldier pitched backward, falling to the ground.
Chen Ergou roared, "What are you scared of, you fools? They're nothing but a rabble of pathetic bandits! Are we truly afraid of them? Bring out all the weapons from the security depot and open fire!"
From the cramped watchtower, where five or six workers huddled, three smoothbore muskets poked out.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
Three shots rang out, engulfing the entire watchtower in a cloud of white smoke, as two more rogue soldiers collapsed upfront.
Then, a lone "bang" echoed from a rooftop; a Yellow Hat, clutching a smoothbore musket, had fired...
"Bang!"
From a distant treetop, another musket shot cracked.
Those hundred firearms began to discharge, a scattered, intermittent volley.
The workers' training and organization were far inferior to the militia's, and the chaotic combat environment didn't help. Their firing was utterly irregular, a disorganized, uncoordinated mess.
A shot here, a shot there, followed by a laborious reloading process that took at least two or three times longer than for trained militia soldiers.
Nevertheless, these hundred firearms, firing in sporadic, haphazard bursts, still managed to create a formidable deterrent for the rogue army.
The rogue soldiers outside jumped in alarm: "Good heavens, these fellows have firearms!"
Firearms presented a significant threat to these ragtag bandits, and a ripple of unease spread through their ranks.
But due to the workers' glacial reloading speed, after that initial volley of a hundred firearms, silence descended for a prolonged period...
The rogue soldiers' spirits immediately revived, and with renewed boldness, they pressed their charge forward.
"Bows and arrows!"
The workers once again drew their bows, with a swish, swish, letting loose a shower of arrows wildly over the wall.
Any semblance of archery skill was utterly absent; it was pure, frantic spraying. Luckily, the dense formation of rogue soldiers meant even blind shots frequently found a target.
Concurrently, the rogue soldiers drew their own bows, commencing their retaliation.
Just then, a dull "thud" sounded as an arrow struck Chen Ergou's head, which had been peeking over the wall. The shaft found its mark precisely on the 'Test' character emblazoned on his blue hat.
Chen Ergou yelped in pain, tumbling from his makeshift stool.
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