Chapter 57: Different Agendas

From the watchtower of the salient, even without a telescope, Bei Kai could see the bandits in the distance, a slow-moving cluster winding its way across the landscape like a scattering of sheep droppings.

He had known since yesterday that their target was Hon Gai. A large force, armed and carrying torches, had gathered a mere twenty miles away; their intentions were obvious. A few days prior, a letter from Haiyang had warned him to bolster Hon Gai’s defenses: a band of outlaws was recruiting on a massive scale, preparing to “pull a big job.”

“Defense, defense… am I supposed to defend Hon Gai with thirty men?” Bei Kai grumbled. Of course, he also had Zhang Dabala’s ship, the Zhennan, and the sailors on several smaller vessels. Though Great Wave Shipping was a “civilian” enterprise, its sailors were all quasi-military personnel, veterans of naval training. Many were old pirates with years of combat experience.

His force of over 300 naturalized laborers had received some military training and were equipped with the necessary arms to serve as a militia. Combined with the cannons of Hon Gai Fort and the support of the Zhennan at sea, the fortress itself was in little danger of falling. But Hon Gai was more than just a fortress; it was a settlement composed of the fort, two labor camps, and a commercial street. Concentrating his forces to defend the fort was a surefire strategy, but it would mean sacrificing the two local labor camps and the commercial street to the bandits’ depredations. Unlike the naturalized citizens, the local laborers, though they found the work here agreeable, had served the Lingao regime for only a short time and lacked a strong sense of loyalty. They had not undergone rigorous military training; their organization, discipline, and will to resist were all low. They would scatter at the first sign of the bandits.

The local workers were the backbone of the coal mining operation. If they fled, production at Hon Gai would plummet by at least two-thirds. Rebuilding the commercial street and labor camps would take time. The simple rail lines leading to the pits, the derricks, and the manual winches—all were easily damaged. Once these facilities were destroyed, the entire mine’s efficiency would collapse.

Most dangerously, the scattered workers would spread news of the attack. If the bandits slaughtered many of them to vent their rage, recruiting local labor in the future would become exceedingly difficult. No one, after all, wished to live with a knife at their throat.

Bei Kai felt trapped. He immediately summoned the other Elders in Hon Gai—Dugu Qiuhun, Bai Guoshi, and Zhao Xue—for an emergency meeting. Zhang Dabala and the marine platoon leader also attended.

They decided to immediately withdraw all laborers from the quarantine camp into the main labor camp, abandoning the former to reduce the defended perimeter. All naturalized laborers were to be armed. Some would defend Hon Gai Fort, while others would hold the labor camp. The two locations were only 250 meters apart, and the fort’s artillery could effectively support the camp’s defense.

Protective trenches would be dug around both the fort and the camp and filled with seawater. The standardized bamboo spikes they had on hand would be planted in large numbers. The goods and equipment in the shops and canteens were to be scorched earth. Bei Kai had initially wanted the sailors and cannons from the Zhennan and the other ships to come ashore to strengthen the defense, but Zhang Dabala dissuaded him.

Zhang Dabala argued that the enemy was likely to advance by both land and sea. To withdraw the sailors and cannons would be to cripple their own forces. If the sea was blockaded, they would have no escape. Furthermore, the ships could maneuver along the coast, using their firepower to strike at any enemy forces attempting to bypass the fort, forcing them into a frontal assault and reducing the defensive pressure.

As for the marines, Zhang Dabala believed they should not be stationed in the fort at all. They could board the small boats, maneuver at sea, and wait for an opportunity to land and strike at the bandits’ weak points.

This proposal was a stark departure from Bei Kai’s own thinking. He believed the best course was to withdraw all forces into the fortress and hold out. Reinforcements from Lingao would arrive in a day and a night at most. To divide his troops for “rear attacks” and “mobile warfare” made him hesitant.

Zhang Dabala’s agenda was different. He knew Hon Gai would not fall, but as a recent defector, his desire to “render meritorious service” burned far brighter than that of an established Elder like Bei Kai. Only by killing as many enemies as possible could he demonstrate Hon Gai’s strength. He could not simply cry for help and wait for reinforcements.

The marine platoon leader agreed with Zhang Dabala, and his proposal went even further. He wanted to take the 12-pound mountain howitzer with him, along with a few laborers to manhandle the gun. Whether on a boat or on land, the howitzer, which could be moved by just two or three men, would provide immense fire support.

“In addition to the gunners, we’ll take ten laborers, each carrying two shares of ammunition. We’ll bring more on the boat. Ten rounds of canister, four of high-explosive, and six of solid shot,” the marine second lieutenant gestured.

Bai Guoshi was a staunch supporter of Zhang Dabala’s plan. He was young and vigorous, his muscles and courage honed in the remote exploration team. He was no longer the pitiful university student he had once been. He was eager to display his military prowess—and to impress Zhao Xue. Courage and violence have always been a man’s peacock tail.

Zhao Xue had no interest in fighting and opposed the plan to sally forth. Dugu Qiuhun, however, was vehemently in favor of it, demanding to go out and “fight to the death.” His true purpose, of course, was to gain the political capital needed for a “comeback.” To return to the ranks of the security apparatus, “military merit” was the most persuasive argument.

The four Elders were split, two against two. According to the system of collective decision-making, they were at an impasse. But strictly speaking, Bai Guoshi, Zhao Xue, and Dugu Qiuhun were all on temporary assignment. The only permanent Elder at Hon Gai Station was Bei Kai, and he held the final say.

In the end, Bei Kai decided to adopt Zhang Dabala’s suggestion. The marine platoon and the ships of the Great Wave Shipping Company would be responsible for external maneuvers, waiting for an opportunity to launch a flanking attack, while the Elders defended the camp. Dugu Qiuhun volunteered to lead the defense of the labor camp himself, and Bei Kai agreed—he did not want to send Bai Guoshi and cause Zhao Xue to weep again.

The entire Hon Gai mine was quickly mobilized. The naturalized laborers were armed, organized into their squadrons, and deployed. The main force was stationed in Hon Gai Fort, with one squadron in the labor camp. Dugu Qiuhun donned his armor: an ’80s-style steel helmet and an Elder-specific steel breastplate. In his right hand, he held a Wenzhou-made Japanese katana; in his left, a GLOCK 17 pistol with an extended magazine. He majestically mounted the wall of the labor camp. Below, the local laborers had gathered in a dark mass, with a dozen translators scattered among them.

The local laborers were informed that a large band of outlaws was about to descend on Hon Gai. A wave of agitation swept through them, but a few stark words—”the bandits are only seven or eight miles away; to run now is to deliver yourselves to your deaths”—quelled any thoughts of flight. When bandits came, the stockade was the safest place to be. Some of the laborers had their families with them, and the women and children would not easily escape the outlaws’ grasp.

“Do not fear! When the bandits come, I will lead you to drive them away!” Dugu Qiuhun roared, waving his katana with an air of confidence. “Let us work together to defend this stockade, to protect the mine and ourselves! Anyone who does not fight with all their might knows what will happen if the bandits break through!”

He then ordered the able-bodied men to be equipped. The gear was makeshift. Each man was given a rattan safety helmet, originally a work hat for the naturalized laborers, who were now all wearing “fighting helmets” reinforced with crossed steel bars. The discarded helmets went to the locals. They wore armor of hastily processed wooden planks or rattan, with a small wooden board fixed to one arm as a shield. There were not enough standard spears to go around, so a batch of sharpened and hardened bamboo and wooden spears was produced. Some laborers were armed with mining tools, ready for hand-to-hand combat if necessary.

The local laborers were arranged at the entrance to the stockade and on the slope outside the earthen wall, where they erected protective barriers of woven rattan and wooden planks. The top of the wall was occupied by the squadron of naturalized laborers—they served as both the reserve and a battle-supervision squad, tasked with preventing retreat.

“If you do not wish to die, use the weapons in your hands to poke the enemy out!” Dugu Qiuhun roared, his voice thick with menace, waving his katana. “Otherwise, if the bandits break in, your entire family will perish! Do not be afraid! If a man falls, the Hon Gai Mining Bureau will support his wife and children for a lifetime! If you are injured, we will treat you! If we repel the bandits, your salary for one month will be doubled! But if anyone shows cowardice, betrays us, or causes chaos in the ranks, do not blame us for being ruthless and spearing them through the backside first!”

A dozen translators roared his words to the crowd. The local laborers, seeing the well-equipped and murderous-looking naturalized citizens, knew they were being used as cannon fodder. But they dared not resist. To resist was also death. Better to fight the bandits and have a chance to live.

Bei Kai ordered all available grenades to be distributed. Five hundred grenades were issued to the naturalized laborer militia—they had all received at least one live-fire throwing drill. To bolster the fort’s firepower, the machine gun from the Zhennan was removed and installed on the watchtower.

The small Hon Gai fleet consisted of the Zhennan and four other small boats. Each was fully armed. The marine platoon and the mountain howitzer boarded a long dragon boat, with the other three providing cover. The Zhennan would patrol the coastline, ready to repel any attack from the sea.