Chapter 394: The Action Plan

“This is the situation with the stadium’s defenses,” Zhuo Yifan said. He had laid out all the intelligence he had gathered on the Aussies in recent days for the others to consider in planning their operation. He emphasized his observations of the cultural festival activities and the fact that the Aussies had not set up strict guard posts at the stadium.

The several people gathered around the table in a small room in the backyard of the Huang Family Apothecary remained silent, their eyes fixed on the crooked diagram drawn on rough paper.

Outside, in the shop, it was still lively despite the late hour. People were coming and going to see the doctor and buy medicine. The sounds drifted in faintly.

Thick curtains hung over the windows, and disciples stood guard outside. They could discuss the details of their upcoming operation without fear.

“Zhongjun, bring another candle,” Sima Qiudao said, breaking the silence.

The room was already lit by several “Australian wax candles,” and while not as bright as the gas lamps in the shopfront, it was still very well-illuminated.

Huang Zhen spoke up. “Young Master Zhuo is truly a man of extraordinary talent. To have gleaned so much inside information about the Aussies from that pseudo-Aussie constable is a great merit!”

“Not at all, it was merely a fortunate coincidence!” Zhuo Yifan said modestly.

Wanli Feng said, “As the Young Master says, with so many genuine and pseudo-Aussies gathered in one place for this cultural festival, it is indeed a golden opportunity for us to strike. However…”

“However what?”

“Since this ‘cultural festival’ is a major event for the Aussies, and as the Young Master has said, many genuine Aussies will be present, it’s clear the security will not be as lax as usual. There will certainly be soldiers armed with Australian muskets guarding the gathering place. The Aussie orchestras and theater troupes also move in large groups. If we act rashly, I fear we will be biting off more than we can chew!” Wanli Feng, with his seasoned jianghu experience, had hit upon the crux of the matter.

“It will indeed be difficult,” Sima Qiudao frowned. “According to the intelligence gathered by Young Master Zhuo and the information from Old Man Shi, during the three days of the official performance, the Aussies’ garrison, police, and army will deploy heavy forces around the venue. Even if we can blend into the plaza, once we make a move, we will suffer heavy losses and likely won’t be able to escape unscathed.”

The diagram before them was a composite of their own reconnaissance over the past few days and the intelligence provided by Old Man Shi.

It seemed there was no opening to exploit. Even in the plaza, there were hundreds of guards in “bright helmets and armor” alone. Old Man Shi’s intelligence indicated there would also be many plainclothes personnel on site.

Although Old Man Shi’s intelligence stated clearly that there would be no special inspections at the plaza, and entry and exit would appear to be free, it was a case of “lax on the outside, tight on the inside.” Any slight anomaly would lead to arrest.

As for entering the stadium itself, it was even more impossible. The intelligence showed that entry to the stadium would require a ticket. No one without a ticket would be allowed in. The internal security was even tighter, so much so that even Old Man Shi had no detailed information.

Looking at the diagram, the four of them drew a collective cold breath. They had initially thought that attempting an assassination inside the stadium was a suicide mission. Now it seemed that even making a move in the plaza was a life-or-death gamble.

Although the crowd would be dense, preventing the Aussies’ firearms from being effective, they were outnumbered. No matter how skilled they were, fighting one against ten was a losing battle.

“I’m afraid we’re going to meet our end here,” Huang Zhen said, stroking his smooth chin again. The local naturalized citizens had no habit of growing beards, which had indirectly influenced the fashion. Even the natives rarely wore beards anymore. You Xiu especially disliked beards. To please the middle-aged widow, Huang Zhen had recently shaved his off. But the cool feeling on his chin still felt unfamiliar.

His tone betrayed a sense of unwillingness and regret. Originally, the great hero Huang had been quite self-possessed. In order to have cover and facilitate his inquiries in Nanbao, he had feigned compliance with Director You’s advances. He had thought he could control himself, but one was a lonely man, the other a lonely woman. He couldn’t resist You Xiu’s repeated seductions and finally ended up in bed with her.

Huang Zhen, who prided himself on being a gentleman, now felt a bit guilty about this clandestine affair, even though he had the “extenuating circumstance” of “serving the king’s command” and it was all just an act. Seeing his melancholy, You Xiu thought she had displeased him in some way. She not only tried her best to please him in bed but also took great care of his daily life, often sending him gifts and washing his torn clothes. How could Huang Zhen resist such tender comforts? Coupled with the surprising success of his business, the heroic spirit of “how can you catch a tiger cub without entering the tiger’s den” had mostly vanished. While he hadn’t forgotten his mission, he found himself wishing that these days could go on forever.

Now, seeing that these good days were about to end, and that a bloody battle was inevitable, with a high chance of dying in a foreign land, the soaring ambition he had felt at the start of his journey had faded by eighty percent.

“If too many die and the strength of our sects is weakened, we won’t be able to face our elders back home. We might as well die here,” Sima Qiudao said. How could he not know what Huang Zhen was thinking? He himself had no desire to “die for the cause” just yet. So while his words were resolute, there was a hint of retreat in them.

Zhuo Yifan nodded. “This matter requires careful consideration. We must have a foolproof plan…”

A tacit understanding had been reached among the four. Sima Qiudao closed his eyes for a long moment before opening them. “A few days ago, the righteous man Gou, who is to help us leave Lingao, came to Nanbao.”

“Oh? Where is he now?” Zhuo Yifan asked.

“He wouldn’t say where he’s staying, nor did he come here. We met at a teahouse,” Sima Qiudao said. “The righteous man Gou has already arranged the route and the secret signals for our rendezvous.”

“Oh? What’s the plan?”

“He said he can’t stay here for long. The Aussies hate him to the bone and have a bounty on his head, so he can only wait for us in the Li territories. He will meet us at the border. As long as we can get away and reach the designated place, he will have clothes, food, and weapons ready for us.”

“To think that there is such a loyal and righteous man in the heart of the Aussies’ territory!” Wanli Feng exclaimed in admiration.

“He told us to be extremely careful. The Aussies are cunning and their nets are spread everywhere. They are not like ordinary bandits. We must use strategy, not brute force, otherwise, even a pyrrhic victory will be unattainable. To deal with the Aussies, we must achieve victory through surprise. Whether we succeed or not, we strike once and retreat immediately. We must not delay.”

The others nodded. There was no need for further words; they had already experienced the Aussies’ formidable power firsthand.

Zhuo Yifan pondered, “The righteous man Gou speaks the truth. To succeed, we must rely on surprise. The genuine Aussies usually stay hidden away. We can only strike during this cultural festival, when many of them will come out to watch. However…”

The “however” was what they had just been discussing. Once they made a move, it was a life-or-death situation, and their chances of success were not high. Sima Qiudao, Huang Zhen, and Wanli Feng all looked at him, waiting to hear his brilliant plan.

“I happened to learn from that young girl that the day before the cultural festival, the Aussies will hold a dress rehearsal. The original cast will perform on stage, but there will be no official audience. At that time, all the participating genuine and pseudo-Aussies will go to the stadium. If we divide our forces and lie in ambush along the roads, the Aussies can’t possibly defend every point!” Zhuo Yifan had made up his mind, and his words were filled with confidence.

When these jianghu heroes first arrived in Lingao, they were both unfamiliar with and fearful of the Aussies’ various strange skills and contraptions. The psychological pressure was immense. But after “doing business” here for a while, they gradually became familiar with some of the local patterns. Combined with the vast amount of intelligence provided by Zhuo Yifan, the heroes had emerged from their initial confusion and regained some confidence in completing their mission.

“A brilliant plan! If our local contacts can respond in time, we can surely make the Aussies unable to defend both their head and tail!” Huang Zhen stroked his non-existent beard, his eyes gleaming.

“Furthermore, I’ve observed that the young pseudo-Aussie girls all wear peculiar Australian clothes. If we can capture one or two of them on the way and have Sister Zhou and the others change into those ‘uniforms,’ we can also deceive the Aussies. It is said that the Aussies are lecherous and have no guard against beautiful women…”

Zhuo Yifan lowered his voice, but his listeners all showed expressions of understanding.

“What’s the plan of action?” Sima Qiudao asked.

“First, we need the female disciples to change into Aussie attire,” Zhuo Yifan said. “It’s easy for women to change their appearance without shaving their heads; just a change of hairstyle and clothes will do. The Aussies don’t like foot-binding, and the pseudo-Aussie women either have natural feet or have unbound them. Fortunately, the female disciples of our sects do not bind their feet, so that will pass muster.”

“Actually, we men can also disguise ourselves…” Huang Zhen said. “Director You has urged me several times to shave my head and change my clothes.”

“Brother Huang, there’s no need for that. We need someone to coordinate things here in Nanbao. You will stay here to manage the situation and await our arrival.”

“Alright,” Huang Zhen nodded.

They then finalized the plan: the forces would be divided into several teams. Nan Wan’er would lead a number of female disciples and wait in the plaza in front of the stadium, ready to act on signal. Zhou Zhongjun and other female disciples, led by Sima Qiudao, would ambush the Aussie female students to obtain their uniforms and disguise themselves, then proceed to the plaza to await orders.

Abbess Miejing would lead a team to intercept reinforcements at the intersection outside the stadium and to cover the escape of their comrades from the venue.

Sha Guangtian and Meng Bofei would each lead a team to operate in various parts of Dongmen Market. When the signal was given, they would attack the Aussie police and start fires to create chaos and divert the Aussies’ attention.

Wanli Feng would stay behind at the inn with a few men to create the illusion that it was empty. Once the chaos began, he would set fire to the inn and then rush out into the streets to cause more mayhem.

“I myself will also be in the plaza with several other heroes, waiting for an opportunity,” Zhuo Yifan said after assigning all the roles. “Everyone must act according to the signal!”

The signal was a special, custom-made firework rocket they had secretly brought with them. When launched, it would burst three times in a row.

“When the time comes, regardless of success or failure, I will launch a second rocket. No matter what you are doing, you must flee immediately!” Zhuo Yifan instructed. “We must leave Dongmen Market before the Aussies can react!”