Chapter 316: The Demonstration

“Qiu Hun, what’s going on?” he asked, a little panicked. “Someone just called me and said that some people are preparing to go to the Executive Committee compound to make trouble. Why are you asking me to assemble the troops now? Is it a big deal?”

“Of course!” Duguo Qiuhun repeated what he had heard on the phone. “In the farm cafe, a guy named Shan Liang has gathered a group of people and is holding a demonstration. They’re already on their way to the Executive Committee compound, and I heard they’re inciting the uninformed masses along the way.”

He buckled his service belt. “We must protect the Executive Committee and prevent anyone from taking the opportunity to cause damage.” He then attached the holster for his revolver. “You immediately mobilize the entire garrison company in Dongmen City. The two platoons in Bopu should also be assembled and on standby.”

Li Yiyang’s tall, thin body trembled. This was beyond the imagination of a 22-year-old. He had countless times imagined the natives rising up in rebellion or the Ming army attacking, and he would personally lead the soldiers to charge into battle and defend the transmigrating regime. But now he was being asked to lead his troops to suppress a demonstration by the transmigrators. This was no less than a blow to the head for a young man who still had some idealism.

Duguo Qiuhun saw his hesitation and was about to urge him when the police officer on duty ran in and saluted.

“Chief, the entire police team of the Dongmen City police station has assembled!”

“Have everyone put on their riot gear and prepare for a full mobilization.”

The standard riot gear of the Transmigration Group was a dual-use combat/work helmet, a front and back breastplate fixed with leather straps, and thick leather shoulder and knee pads. The weapons were rattan shields and long-handled standard bamboo batons.

“Open the armory too. Bring the rifles.”

The Dongmen City police station was issued with several short-barreled Minie rifles, which could be used when necessary. This was in case they encountered highly skilled martial artists or bandits whom the native police could not subdue with their batons. They were hardly ever used except for routine training.

“Chief,” the police officer on duty hesitated, “opening the armory requires the political instructor’s signature…”

“Damn it,” Duguo remembered. Besides him, the director, the Dongmen City police station also had a political instructor, Mu Min, who rarely came. Because she had a major position in the Li District Affairs Office, she usually only came here to guide police training. After a long time, Duguo Qiuhun had completely forgotten her position.

“It’s fine, I’ll sign for her,” Duguo Qiuhun said without thinking.

“According to Article 11, Chapter 3 of the Regulations on the Management of Weapons and Equipment of the Internal Affairs Committee, this is not allowed—” the police officer, fearing the chief had forgotten, began to recite: “Article 11: Under any circumstances, the use of firearms…”

“What regulations! I make the regulations,” Duguo was furious. “Go and open the armory, quick!”

“The armory cannot be opened without the political instructor’s signature…” This police officer on duty was very stubborn. “This is stipulated in Article 11, Chapter 3 of the Regulations on the Management of Weapons and Equipment of the Internal Affairs Committee. Chief Ran said that no one is an exception to this.”

“Bastard!” Duguo was so angry he wanted to hit someone, but then he thought that was too uncivilized. He wasn’t the KMT; hitting subordinates was a major taboo. Calling Mu Min now and waiting for her to come out and sign would be too late. On second thought, there was no need to bring guns for this matter. The transmigrators, no matter how much they made a scene, would at most hold a demonstration and throw stones. They wouldn’t go to the Executive Committee with SKS rifles and blow the heads off the executive committee members.

“Alright, we don’t need the guns,” Duguo Qiuhun conceded. “Just put on all the riot gear and prepare for mobilization.” The police officer on duty then saluted and went out.

“Duguo! Is this appropriate?” Li Yiyang hesitated. “They are comrades. We all came here on the same boat!”

“I didn’t say I was going to shoot them,” Duguo Qiuhun said. “But trying to besiege the Executive Committee and disrupt normal order is wrong no matter where you put it. We are law enforcement officers. We don’t care about the reasons, only about maintaining order. As for any demands, they can find the leaders to solve them!”

Li Yiyang seemed to have been persuaded and said nothing more.

“You should go and assemble the troops quickly.”

“The troops are already assembled.” Li Yiyang had ordered the assembly drum to be beaten as soon as he received Duguo’s order. Now, the company headquarters and the third platoon of the garrison were all assembled.

“Then what are you waiting for? Lead the troops out immediately.” Duguo Qiuhun roughly drew a map on a piece of paper. “You take the third platoon of the garrison and the battalion headquarters platoon and enter Bairen City through the south gate. I’ll take the police team and enter through the east gate.”

Li Yiyang’s forehead was beaded with sweat from nervousness. It was clear that he was in a state of intense internal conflict.

“After we get in, I’ll take the police team to the entrance of the Executive Committee to maintain order and prevent them from storming it. You take the battalion headquarters platoon to the telecom building and take it over. If necessary, have Li Yunxing cut off the mobile phone communication to prevent the demonstrators from coordinating with each other via mobile phones—we’ll use walkie-talkies for direct communication.”

“Lin’gao Telecom is a first-level vital department,” Li Yiyang shook his head repeatedly. “Occupying the telecom building, this…”

Duguo Qiuhun said, “If we don’t take it over, they’ll coordinate with each other, and the situation will get bigger and bigger, with unimaginable consequences!”

Li Yiyang’s face was covered in even more sweat, and his hands were trembling.

Duguo Qiuhun ignored him and continued to explain his plan. “We’ll meet at the square in front of the Executive Committee. I’ll use the police team to attract their attention in front of the main gate. You lead your troops around to their rear and control the street intersections. Once the situation gets out of control, I’ll fire three red signal rockets. You lead your men to press in from behind, and we’ll attack from the front and back, clearing the scene in one go.” He took a breath. “If it can be resolved peacefully, I’ll fire a green rocket, and you lead your men to withdraw.” He looked at Li Yiyang. “Well, is that clear?”

Li Yiyang wiped the sweat from his forehead. “This is too… too much.” He suddenly remembered something. “Duguo, did the Executive Committee give you an order for this?”

“Not yet,” Duguo Qiuhun seemed unconcerned about this. “This kind of situation tests our ability to improvise. If we wait for orders for everything, how can we show our value?”

“Duguo, you’re making a mistake by doing this!” As soon as Li Yiyang heard that there was no order from the Executive Committee, he immediately shook his head. “This is called mobilizing troops without authorization. It will lead to a major incident!”

“How is this unauthorized? Don’t forget, you are under my command. Besides, I am the person in charge of security in Dongmen City and Bairen City!”

“That’s right, but don’t forget that natives are not allowed to enter and leave Bairen City freely. So far, the natives who can enter all have a single permit. Without an order from the Executive Committee, you are mobilizing native troops to enter. What is this if not unauthorized?” Li Yiyang’s head kept shaking. “Duguo, you haven’t been in the army. My grandfather was a lieutenant colonel who was commissioned in 1955! The phrase ‘obey orders and listen to commands’ is not just something to be said casually. Whether you are a corps commander or a military region commander, without an order from the central government, you casually mobilize troops to go to the provincial or municipal party committee’s door to help. What is the nature of this?!” He stopped shaking his head. “Anyway, I’m not going. If you want me to lead the troops, you need a formal order from the Executive Committee. Otherwise, even an order from the army headquarters or the general staff won’t do.”

“This is a critical moment. How can you be so rigid…” Duguo, seeing him about to back down, was very anxious. Without the third platoon of the garrison, relying on the 20-odd policemen he directly commanded to suppress the riot, he might get beaten up by the demonstrators.

“I’m definitely not going,” Li Yiyang had made up his mind. “If you want me to go, hurry up and get authorization from the Executive Committee. I won’t delay for a minute.”

“Alright, if you’re not going, I’ll go,” he said sullenly, thinking that although the possibility of resolving the problem with a thunderous force was gone with fewer men, maintaining order was still achievable.

“You should hurry up and call the Executive Committee. Otherwise, you’ll also be making a mistake by leading the police team in to maintain order,” Li Yiyang specially reminded him as he left.

Seeing that he couldn’t persuade him, Duguo didn’t care about anything else and directly assembled his troops and set off.

The fully equipped police team rushed onto the streets of Dongmen City and headed straight for the east gate of Bairen City.

It turned out that Ma Jia’s calculations were incorrect. As soon as Shan Liang and the others came out, they ignored Ma Jia’s dissuasion, broke off the bamboo that Wu Nanhai had planted at the entrance of the cafe to create a good atmosphere, and hung up the hastily written small-character posters on them. Shan Liang felt that the account book paper was too small and not powerful enough, so he simply wrote one character per page to form slogans, and then strung them together with a rope and hung them on the bamboo poles. Thus, several long poles with scattered pieces of paper hanging from them were raised.

“Let’s go, to the Executive Committee!” Shan Liang raised his arm and shouted.

“Alright, let’s go!” Sun Li responded, holding a pole with a string of paper on it that read “All power to the general assembly.”

The thirty-odd people surged out and headed for the Executive Committee compound. As soon as they came out of the farm cafe, it began to rain lightly. The light rain, instead of extinguishing the enthusiasm of Shan Liang and the others, stimulated their fighting spirit under the influence of alcohol. The rain fell on their faces, cold and icy, but everyone’s heart was surging with emotion. Someone started to sing “The Internationale.”

Arise, ye prisoners of starvation!

Arise, ye wretched of the earth!

For justice thunders condemnation,

A better world’s in birth!

…

This highly inflammatory song immediately had a terrible effect. The streets of Bairen City were already empty, but attracted by the song, many people came out of the dormitory complexes on the street, curiously watching this strange procession.

“Comrades, are you still going to remain silent?” Shan Liang, his head full of alcohol and his blood boiling, said, “Why did you come to this time and place? Why did you endure all this hardship and danger? Where are your girls…” He, under the influence of alcohol, said, “The Executive Committee promised you countless women, from eight to eighty years old. In the end, you can only silently masturbate in the dark…” He couldn’t think of what to say for a moment and burped. “You even have to be considerate of your roommates. It’s really hard.”