Chapter 328: Various Factions (Part 1)

“The people in the Executive Committee won’t be ignorant, but I’m afraid some will pretend to be,” Yan Maoda sighed. “According to the news from Zhang Yu and others, the comrades in Lingao are very dissatisfied with the distribution of benefits over the past year. If someone uses this as an excuse to stir things up, it’s hard to say what the outcome will be. We have to start thinking about how to defend ourselves now—those who thought of Chang Shide won’t forget about us.”

“It’s not just about defending ourselves. We also need to make a counter-proposal to assert the rights of dispatched personnel!” Zhang Xin said. “Rights must be fought for.”

Leizhou, Haian Port.

Since the mysterious death of Third Master Zhu and the dissolution of the Haiyi Hall, the sugar guilds on Haian Street had reorganized into the “Leizhou Sugar Industry Association.” The monopoly on the sale of Leizhou sugar had been transferred to the South China Sugar Factory, which was a major benefit for the Transmigration Group—although the profits for this sugar season had been thinned by the large-scale use of high-interest credit during the sugar war.

After the victorious conclusion of this campaign, Chang Shide officially moved into Third Master Zhu’s former residence on Haian Street—this house, as one of the spoils of the great victory, was unceremoniously taken over by the South China Sugar Factory.

Zhu An’s house was not large, but it was exquisitely and comfortably built, much better than the Nanmentang area where the South China Sugar Factory was located, with its constant roar of machinery. Chang Shide, using the excuse that he was the secretary-general of the industry association—the term here was “General Manager”—and that it was inconvenient to communicate with the sugar guild bosses while living at the South China Sugar Factory, simply moved in with his women and Wen Qing, officially making the Zhu residence his base. The storefront of Zhu An’s original “Riyicheng” sugar guild was also occupied by the South China Sugar Guild and given a new sign.

Wen Tong continued to live in the Nanmentang estate to oversee the sugar factory’s production. Chen Tianxiong, for convenience, still lived in Nanmentang, but his new base, the Zou Heshang Temple, was under reconstruction. Once it was repaired, he would officially occupy it.

Because Haian was a port and had convenient transportation links with Lingao, the focus of the entire Leizhou station’s work gradually shifted to Haian Street. After the Lingao Construction Company sent people to completely renovate and rebuild Zhu An’s residence, it became the official base of the Leizhou station.

In the safe house deep within this residence, Chang Shide was half-reclining on a wooden couch, propped up by thick cushions. He wore a thin silk-padded robe—17th-century Leizhou was not as warm as in later times. Opposite him was Wen Tong, and Chen Tianxiong was sitting on a grand preceptor’s chair nearby.

Wen Tong was dressed plainly in a thick cotton robe, with a plain long gown over it, and a bulky, padded “six-in-one” cap on his head, looking like a prosperous small merchant. Chen Tianxiong was dressed in short clothes, looking like a peddler.

The three of them were gathered in the safe house, studying a secret letter from Lingao. Xuwen and Lingao were only separated by a sea. Because of the close distance, the Executive Committee had not equipped the Leizhou station with a radio. Contact was made through couriers. When there were no strong winds in the strait, a courier could leave in the morning and arrive in Lingao in the afternoon. In the summer, with longer days, they might even be able to return before dark. Sometimes, they also contacted Guangzhou by sending someone to Lingao to relay a telegram.

The letter was an official notice from the caretaker cabinet, and its content was the same as the one received by the Guangzhou station. The three of them naturally knew about everything that had happened in Lingao.

Wen Tong and Chen Tianxiong knew that Chang Shide would likely face a storm when he returned this time. They advised him not to go back for the meeting, as it was only natural for an overseas station to leave someone behind to guard it. If he went back, he would likely be targeted, and his overseas work might be terminated—which would be a heavy blow to the local work that was just getting on track.

“A few women, what’s the big deal?” Chang Shide said. “Do you think that can scare me? I want to see what kind of tricks these guys who talk so much have up their sleeves.”

“Old Chang, I know you’re not afraid, but it’s clear that someone is preparing to use you as an example to stir up trouble,” Chen Tianxiong said. “You must be on your guard.”

“That’s right. Everyone is making a big fuss about women right now. You, with your five women, are a perfect negative example. You’ll definitely be besieged by the nerds when you go back. You won’t be able to explain yourself then, no matter how many mouths you have.”

“Old Wen! When did I have five women? Ahem, really, rumors can kill,” Chang Shide complained. “Didn’t Ah Zhu go to you? And there’s Ah Luo, although she’s with me, she’s still young. I plan to cultivate her properly before using her…”

“Go and explain the truth to the masses who can only be with ‘Miss Five Fingers’ at night,” Wen Tong said. “Old Chang, I’m really worried for you.” In Wen Tong’s imagination, as soon as Chang Shide returned to Lingao, he would be forced to wear a tall hat and a placard by the angry masses, paraded to the Executive Committee compound for a struggle session, with people shouting slogans to overthrow him—this impression came from his father’s stories about the struggle sessions against the leaders of their sugar factory during the Cultural Revolution.

“It’s fine,” Chang Shide said. “Hiding in Xuwen is not a solution. If I don’t go back and explain, the second Executive Committee will just issue a transfer order, and I’ll still have to go back to Lingao to be dealt with. If I go back now, at least I can communicate with the Executive Committee members. For us dispatched personnel, the issue of women is not just a physiological one.”

“The Executive Committee has resigned in its entirety. The caretaker cabinet will only last for another thirty days at most. What’s the use of talking to them?” Wen Tong shook his head.

Chen Tianxiong said, “The members of the second Executive Committee won’t change much. I think the people in power will basically be the same group. But,” he said with some concern, “I’m afraid some individual committee members are planning to use you as a scapegoat to quell the anger of the masses.”

“Do you think I, Chang Shide, am the kind of person who can be used as a scapegoat?” Chang Shide said with full confidence. “If any son of a bitch dares to have such an idea, hmph, I am also one of the masses.”

As they were talking, a bell in the room rang—it was someone outside looking for Chang Shide. Natives were not allowed in the safe house here either.

Chang Shide went out for a moment and came back with a letter. The letter was from Guangzhou—it was a pigeon post, which was a rare thing. Pigeon post was a means of communication used only in emergencies and was generally not used.

“Is there a situation in Guangzhou?” Chen Tianxiong asked with concern.

“I don’t know,” Chang Shide said, breaking the wax seal on the communication tube and pulling out a small roll of paper. The letter was written in code. The translated content was simple, but after the three of them read it, their expressions changed. Wen Tong said, “The people in Guangzhou are absolutely right! We have to fight for this kind of thing ourselves!”

Chen Tianxiong nodded repeatedly. “That’s right. The people in Lingao don’t know the social environment of the dispatched personnel. They think all this is corruption and enjoyment, but they don’t know it’s also a form of cover!”

Chang Shide became even more excited. “It seems only comrades in the same trench can understand each other’s difficulties.” He waved his hand. “We also need to make a proposal! Let the nerds in Lingao know that the work of dispatched personnel is not easy!”

Outside Bairen City, at the Army Training Corps base.

In a brightly lit meeting room, the curtains were drawn tight. Not only were the curtains drawn, but the wooden shutters outside, used to protect against typhoons, were also closed.

Around the long conference table in the middle of the room, six or seven young military officers were gathered, all in army uniforms, with their duty belts fastened and their backs straight, trying their best to display their military bearing.

On the table, bottles and glasses of rum were scattered about. Wei Aiwen, Zhang Bolin, and a group of others were gathered here.

“Comrades!” Zhang Bolin said in a low voice. “The thirteenth meeting of the Young Military Officers’ Club will now begin! Now, let’s all sing the ‘Song of the Young Military Officers’!”

A group of tone-deaf male voices began to sing loudly the “Song of the Young Military Officers,” with lyrics adapted from the “Song of the Armored Corps.” The lyrics were a bit awkward and didn’t rhyme well, so the singing was a bit scattered, but all they wanted was the spirit of it.

After the song, Zhang Bolin said solemnly, “Comrades, our Young Military Officers’ Club has been established for a full year. In this year, the Transmigration Group has achieved great results, which is inseparable from the selfless struggle of all the officers and soldiers of our army!” He glanced at the people present. “Now, the Transmigration Group is about to usher in a turning point and a new beginning. Our army is the most reliable and solid cornerstone of the Transmigration Group, and our Young Military Officers’ Club must play a pivotal role in it, ready at any time to defend the transmigration regime, defend the great cause of transmigration, and not allow anyone to destroy it!”

Everyone stood up and shouted “Long live!” while stomping their feet on the floor three times.

“Next, Wei Aiwen will speak!”

Wei Aiwen stood up, adjusted his duty belt, and then walked to the podium with firm, eighty-centimeter steps full of German military spirit. After giving a military salute by clicking his heels, he began his speech.

The Young Military Officers’ Club was a small group of young army officers, all of whom were young men with a fanatical admiration for the German army and a deep respect for the military system of the Third Reich.

In the army system of the Transmigration Group, the officers who were transmigrators were clearly divided into two systems. One was represented by He Ming, Ying Yu, and others, who were former PLA or armed police veterans. The other was the so-called “civilian officers,” represented by Wei Aiwen and others, most of whom were “military fans” who loved the military in the other time and space but had not been able to serve. In these two systems, the officers who were veterans were more valued because of their professional skills and occupied important positions, while the civilian officers, apart from their passion and a belly full of military theory, most of them had never even touched a gun and were not highly regarded in the army.