Chapter 969 The Spy Team in Action
"Weren't they saying Shanxi was overrun with bandits?" Bin Sheng couldn't quite grasp it. "Why are they building roads on such a massive scale here?"
They pressed on, walking and walking, always westward, and everywhere they went, roads were under construction.
The entire province of Shanxi bore no resemblance to a region ravaged by rebels. It was a picture of people rolling up their sleeves and getting to work.
"It seems our intelligence is outdated. Well, this infiltration into the Great Ming was worth it. Even if we don't manage to steal the heavy armored car, our intelligence can certainly be updated."
The group secretly documented the extensive construction underway in Shanxi.
As they continued, they eventually reached Taiyuan.
Just outside the city, they spotted a peculiar vehicle with a sign displaying "Route 101." It was a solar-powered bus.
"Wow, a heavy armored car! This must be the 'heavy armored car' General Dorogon spoke of!"
"No, it doesn't quite fit the description. This vehicle is larger than what Dorogon mentioned, and it has no firearms mounted. It doesn't appear armored either; those massive windows would make it easy to attack..." Bin Sheng shook his head. "This is just a passenger vehicle, like a horse-drawn or ox cart. It's not for battle. We need to find the kind of vehicle meant for war."
Bin Sheng quickly replied, "Yes, the Manchu invaders seized our homes, leaving us to wander here."
The bus driver had read "A Soldier from the Dalinghe Border Garrison." Hearing that the Manchu invaders had destroyed their homes, he erupted in fury. "Damn those Manchu invaders, may their ancestors for eighteen generations rot! And those Han traitors, may their mothers be defiled!"
Bin Sheng and his team exchanged glances, speechless.
How utterly humiliating, to be cursed to their faces without being able to retort. The anger simmered, and Bin Sheng's fists clenched tight. But their professional discipline as spies demanded restraint; they could only endure it.
The driver continued, "You look so pitiful. Go find some work. We have plenty of job opportunities here. As long as you're willing to put in the effort, you'll have enough to eat. If you have any skills, getting rich is easy!"
Bin Sheng replied, "Thank you, brother! By the way, your vehicle... it seems quite impressive."
The driver chuckled. "Impressive, indeed! This was bestowed by the immortals themselves; it's the Rooster Star Deity's solar chariot. The Rooster Star Deity drives it every morning to rouse the sun for its duties... Dao Xuan Tian Zun borrowed this chariot from the Rooster Star Deity for us mortals to enjoy."
Bin Sheng felt a throbbing ache in his head. What in the world was this man rambling about?
He quickly asked, "Brother, this vehicle, it's not man-made?"
The driver laughed. "Man-made ones exist too! Go wait at the Taiyuan South Gate Railway Station. Our man-made version will arrive in half an hour."
Bin Sheng was overjoyed. He had thought finding the heavy armored car would be difficult, but he'd stumbled upon a clue so easily! Ha ha ha, their Jiang Gan Steals the Letter operation was already halfway to success.
The group continued onward to Taiyuan city, asking for directions until they found the Taiyuan South Gate Railway Station.
At that very moment, a train was pulling into the station.
With a long, resonating whistle, the colossal train slowly rolled to a stop before Bin Sheng. For those accustomed to trains, this sight was unremarkable, but for Bin Sheng and his team, freshly arrived from beyond the passes, it was a profound shock.
He and his ten support team members froze on the platform, gazing at the train with eyes full of awe, unable to utter a single word for a long time.
"What are you gawking at?" A platform attendant noticed them and walked over. "You must be from out of town, aren't you? First time seeing a train? Look at your faces, ha ha ha, well, I reacted the same way the first time I saw this."
Bin Sheng was utterly dumbfounded, snapping back to reality. "This... this is man-made?"
"That's right!" the attendant confirmed. "It was built by the forging factory over in Gao Family Village."
Bin Sheng was filled with profound admiration, wishing he could express his utter astonishment. He'd never seen such a colossal vehicle beyond the passes; its transport capacity was truly terrifying.
But he hadn't forgotten his mission. His "Jiang Gan Steals the Letter operation" had to continue. He put on a facade of innocent curiosity. "A forging factory in Gao Family Village? That's incredible! Can that factory also build a smaller iron vehicle?"
The attendant chuckled. "A smaller iron vehicle? You mean an automobile, right? Automobiles are made by the Chang'an Automobile Factory in Xi'an."
Bin Sheng's heart swelled with delight: Ha ha, my mission is now half complete.
He continued to pretend ignorance. "Brother, if a vagrant like me wanted to work at the Chang'an Automobile Factory, would they hire me?"
The attendant smiled. "As long as you're willing to work hard, the factory will definitely take you on."
Bin Sheng was overjoyed. "Then how do I get there?"
The attendant explained, "You can take the train from here to Puzhou, then transfer to the train bound for Xi'an, and get off at the 'Chang'an Automobile Factory' station. It's right at the factory gates."
Bin Sheng responded, "Thank you for the guidance, brother."
And so, Bin Sheng and his ten-man support team, one after another, purchased train tickets to Puzhou under various pretexts. What followed was a train journey that filled them with an unprecedented sense of wonder.
The train rumbled from Taiyuan all the way to Puzhou.
Such a long journey, yet it was remarkably comfortable and utterly effortless.
The sheer revolution they experienced from this iron behemoth completely opened their eyes to a new world.
"Has the Great Ming Dynasty become this powerful?"
"With such incredible troop transport capabilities, how can we possibly fight them?"
"Don't panic. As long as we steal the blueprints for these vehicles, we can counter them. At worst, it will be heavy armored car against heavy armored car."
Their train arrived in Puzhou, only for them to discover that the day's trains had stopped running. They would have to wait until noon the next day for a train from Puzhou to Xi'an, forcing them to spend a night in Puzhou.
A night was still time, so they decided to use it to scout the local customs and conditions of the Great Ming Dynasty.
They exited the railway station and walked into Puzhou city.
Immediately, they heard the roar of an engine. A small cargo truck, laden with goods and pulling a trailer, rumbled down the street towards them.
Bin Sheng and his team's gaze instantly fixated on the vehicle, following it as it passed.
In their minds, they thought: *The size is right! This is the vehicle! If we equip it with armor, it would become the heavy armored car General Dorogon described.*
As the truck drove past them, the team's eyes nearly popped out. "What an incredible machine!"
"The cities of the Great Ming are so prosperous!"
"Ah, their lights... aren't quite right, are they? These lights are so bright! And they're not oil lamps."
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