Chapter 6: The White Lie

  Standing in front of the airship's cockpit, looking at this team of robust cavalrymen presenting a single column formation, neat and orderly, like a black giant snake slithering through the snowy ground, Tang couldn't help but nod his head in praise: "A strong general has no weak soldiers, Mu Da's household, your brothers are all quite good. If trained properly, with time, they can completely grow into elite generals who can take on hundreds."

  "Thank you for your kind words, boss." Mu Hailin replied calmly: "Although we are called bandits, every day we have to spend two hours practicing cavalry drills according to the Cossack cavalry manual. These brothers under me, each and every one of them can be considered as heroes standing tall on the vast grasslands."

  Tang Chao looked at Mu Haolin with some surprise, "I seem to remember you saying that in the Northern Ocean Army, you were in infantry and artillery, didn't do cavalry, did you?"

  Among the brothers under his command, two of them used to be Cossack cavalrymen. Mu Hailin hastily explained: "These two are Kazakhs, who offended the local nobility and were wanted by the Russian government, wandering around in the northern part of Ili for many years. Four years ago, their horse team had a shootout with another group of old Russian bandits, and I happened to encounter them and saved their lives. Since then, the two brothers have been following me to make a living. Although these two brothers are fond of drinking, they indeed have excellent horsemanship skills."

  "The Cossack cavalry of the old Makhno, indeed the most elite cavalry in today's world." Tang Dynasty nodded slightly and said: "However, from the day when armored war vehicles appeared on the European battlefield, it also meant that the once brilliant and invincible cavalry would gradually decline."

  "How could the cavalry possibly decline?!" Mu Hailin asked incredulously with wide eyes.

  "This world is advancing every day, and things can change at any time. Tang Dynasty patted Mu Hailin's arm with a smile: "Remember, there's nothing that's impossible if you think about it. Just like the airship we're on now, if someone had told you ten or so years ago that they could take you to fly in the sky, I believe you would have said it was impossible."

  "Is this really the change that the Second Industrial Revolution has brought to the world?" Mu Hailin muttered, seemingly understanding yet not.

  "Being able to mention the Second Industrial Revolution shows that you, as a master of the house, have some insight." Tang Dynasty gave Mu Hailin a thumbs up and said with a smile: "The rapid development of science and technology will inevitably promote the progress of human civilization. In just a few years, such airships will also be eliminated by more advanced aircraft."

  "No matter how the world changes, the Mu family will follow the boss to the death and never change!" Mu Hailin made a solemn vow with an unusually serious expression: "Allah is above, if I violate this oath, let the Mu family not die well, and never turn over forever!"

  Mu Hai Lin made such a solemn oath in his ear, and Tang Chao was also somewhat moved.

  The Tang Dynasty could see that Muhe Lin should be a Muslim who believed in Islam. For the oath made by his Muslim brothers, the Tang Dynasty felt that it should still be taken seriously.

  "Since you have made up your mind, I won't say anything more." Tang Dynasty's eyes were as sharp as a knife, staring straight into Mu Hailin's eyes, and his tone was extremely serious: "Be loyal to me, and I can guarantee that the Mu family will receive great honor and wealth. But if you betray me, please remember the oath of heaven, Allah is above, and I absolutely will not show mercy!"

  "God is my witness!" Mu Hailin said with an unusually firm gaze, covering his chest.

  Tang Dynasty also raised his right hand and covered his chest in imitation of Mu Hai Lin's gesture, saying word by word: "Allah is my witness!"

  "Boss, what do you need me to do? Just give the order." Mu Hailin formally asked for instructions from Tang Chao for the first time.

  "For now, there's nothing much to say, I'll tell you when I think of it." The Tang dynasty controlled the airship and landed steadily on the rooftop of the Tang family mansion, securing it with ropes. Then, leading Mu Hailin down from the rooftop, they headed towards the inner city.

  "By the way, Old Mu, how did you suddenly think of going solo through the Soul-Taking Gorge today?" Tang asked as they walked: "Aren't you afraid of death?"

  "Of course, I'm afraid, but being afraid won't help." Mu Hailin replied with a bitter smile: "As the leader of this generation, exploring the mystery of Duanhun Gorge is my responsibility and mission. Recently, due to President Yuan's ascension to the throne, various forces in Xinjiang have been stirring up trouble. The Iron Rider Alliance has long been targeted by Yang Zengxin, the governor of Xinjiang, who demands our surrender. Unfortunately, I owe a favor to Yang Zuanxu, the leader of the Ili Revolutionary Party, who wants me to join him in rebelling against Yang Zengxin. This has left me with a huge headache, and I don't know what decision to make."

  It just so happens that you, boss, today at Tangjia Fort used nearly a hundred heavy artillery to fire twenty-one salutes for the new emperor's ascension to the throne. How could such a big commotion not have startled him as well? Think about it, in Duanhun Gorge, where there has been no human presence for thousands of years, suddenly someone is inside firing salutes and holding celebrations - doesn't that mean that the thousand-year curse of Duanhun Gorge might be broken?! Anyway, sooner or later I'll have to brave Duanhun Gorge, so why not take advantage of the new emperor's ascension to try my luck today? As it turns out, I really did get lucky and ran into you, boss.

  "Who said I was firing the cannon to celebrate for Yuan's big head!" Tang Chao muttered to himself in his heart, but he couldn't say it out loud to Mu Haolin, so he nodded along with Mu Haolin's words and said: "Of course we should congratulate the new emperor on his ascension to the throne. However, this Hongxian Emperor of ours seems to be quite unpopular... There are too many people opposing him in the country, even those Beiyang officials are all secretly against him."

  "Boss, you and President Yuan..." Mu Hailin tried to ask out her doubts.

  "If I really count it, I can be considered to have a cooperative relationship with the President." Tang Dynasty's brain quickly turned and started making up nonsense, "I helped President Yuan find gold mines, and President Yuan sold this entire basin to me."

  "So this is President Yuan's secret vault! No wonder the Tang family built their mansion like a military fortress, easy to defend and hard to attack!" Mu Hailin nodded in sudden realization.

  "Besides keeping the gold mine here for President Yuan, I have another secret mission." Tang Dynasty lowered his voice and said mysteriously: "Secretly monitor Xinjiang Governor Yang Zengxin! Once you find out that Yang Zengxin has any unusual movements, immediately notify Beijing to send troops to capture him!"

  Mu Hailin didn't think the Tang Dynasty was deceiving him at all, but rather believed it to be true. After thinking carefully for a moment, he said seriously: "Boss, since you have been entrusted with the secret mission of monitoring Yang Zengxin, I think I can agree to accept Yang Zengxin's recruitment and station this branch of troops under his command. In the future, we will definitely be able to assist Boss in completing the task."

  The Tang Dynasty thought for a moment, walking back and forth with his hands behind his back, before stopping and looking at Mu Hailin: "Hmm! This thing is feasible. However, when accepting the reorganization, be careful not to get caught off guard. Since Yang Zengxin has extended an olive branch, let's do as he wishes. In this case, Old Mu, when negotiating conditions, try to secure a garrison in Ruoqiang County, north of Yushu, and strive for a local defense regiment."

  "Boss, why choose Yushu, that poor county? I think Yuqiao is much richer than Yushu." Mu Hailin asked in confusion.

  "Haha, why choose Zhenshan? This is the difference between being a boss and an employee." Tang Dynasty smiled complacently: "If Qiang, developing animal husbandry and agriculture is barely enough, but if we want to develop modern heavy industry, it's not worth looking at. And Zhenshan County, there are rich coal, iron, sodium nitrate, oil, and natural gas buried underground! To others, it may seem like a barren land, but in my eyes, it's all gold! Therefore, no matter what reason you find, no matter how much it costs, I must get the right to station troops in Zhenshan for me! This is also a test of your personal ability."

  "Yes! Boss, I guarantee that I won't let you down!" Mu Hailin said confidently with his head held high and chest out.

  Tang Chao pulled Mu Hailin to sit down beside the tea table in the study, watching Tang Chao personally pour tea and add water, making Mu Hailin feel very uneasy. He wanted to help out a bit, but he was completely unfamiliar with this place, having no idea what things were or where they were placed.

  "Boss, I think you should find a few servants to attend to your needs." Mu Hailin took the teacup handed over by Tang Chao and said seriously: "Even for small things like making tea, you still do it yourself. How can I, as your subordinate, be at ease?"

  "Yes, this Tang Family Manor needs some liveliness." Tang Chao put down the tea cup in his hand and sighed, "Old Mu, you may not know that I'm almost suffocating from boredom in this desolate place. The matter of adding people is left to you, just handle it as you see fit. In short, make sure every corner of Tang Family Manor feels lively and full of energy."

  "Don't worry, boss, I'll send him over tomorrow!" Mu Hailin patted his chest to guarantee it.

  Tang Qing picked up the teacup and took a light sip, "Old Mu, this is what I'm thinking. The entire Tang Family Fortress has a total area of 3,896 square kilometers, approximately 5,844,000 mu of land. Most of it is fertile grassland, I don't plan to develop this place into a modern city, but rather as the main settlement for all our disabled brothers and families of the deceased who fought alongside us in the future. Of course, I will also leave a piece of good land for the Mu family, which can be considered as fulfilling your ancestors' wishes."

  "Hailin thanks you, boss!" Mu Hailin stood up and bowed to Tang Dynasty, then looked at him seriously and asked: "Boss, from what you just said, are you planning to raise troops and train soldiers?"

  "Those so-called revolutionary parties, although they brought an end to the Qing dynasty, also left the Chinese land fragmented and war-torn." Tang's expression turned indignant as he said: "In a chaotic era, having troops in one's hands is the only solid truth. Political power comes from the barrel of a gun; whoever has guns becomes the king! My greatest ideal is to save the country through industry and revitalize it through science and technology. If I didn't have troops or guns, my life's work would inevitably be seized and confiscated by those in power. Therefore, to protect our own home, we must grasp military power!"

  "In this world, as long as you have money, you can maintain as many troops as you want." Mu Hailin looked at Tang Chao with a confident smile: "Boss, since you're in charge of keeping the secret vault for President Yuan, I think money is absolutely not a problem for you."

  "Haha, that's right, any problem that can be solved with money is not a problem." Tang Chao nodded proudly and replied: "As long as they are my soldiers, I will provide them with the best weapons and equipment, the highest military pay, the best welfare and treatment. If they are injured, someone will take care of them; if they grow old, someone will support them. In my territory, the families of soldiers and martyrs have the same status as experts and scholars. The saying 'good men don't become soldiers, good iron isn't used to make nails' is absolute nonsense in my territory. I want all hot-blooded young men to consider it the highest honor to die on the battlefield defending their country!"

  "Boss, I'm Mu Haolin, your first soldier!" Mu Haolin stood up excitedly, standing at attention and saluting Tang Chao with a Beiyang army salute.

  "Veteran Mu Hailin, General Tang is taking you in!" Tang Dynasty half-jokingly and half-seriously returned a People's Liberation Army military salute to Mu Hailin.

  The two looked at each other and burst out laughing simultaneously with a hearty "hahaha".

  "Is there anything else you'd like to entrust me with, boss?" Mu Hailin asked solemnly.

  "Let's talk about it another day, for now, let's just leave it at that. You should hurry back and take care of your matters first." Tang Chao waved his hand and said: "The geographical location of Canglong Ridge is not bad, easy to defend and hard to attack. I suggest considering leaving Canglong Ridge as the vanguard base of the Tang Family Fortress. After returning, relocate all the elderly, women, and children in the mountain stronghold to the Tang Family Fortress, and for every person who comes, I will allocate ten acres of land to each household."

  "Boss, then I'll thank you on behalf of all the old and young masters and mistresses of Canglong Ridge!" Mu Hailin solemnly bowed to Tang Chao.

  "Alright, let's not talk about two families' matters for now, go back first! I'm still waiting for you to bring over the servant girl and the old lady!" Tang Chao laughed and pushed Mu Hailin out.

  They kept sending Mu Hailin out of the outermost city gate, and only then did Tang Dynasty let the little cat close the city gate again and ride back into the inner castle.

  "Today is a good day, today is a good day, good day..." Perhaps it's been too long since he had contact with anyone, but today's unexpected encounter with Mu Hailin made Tang Chao's mood exceptionally pleasant. He hummed a little tune as he walked through the hidden door in his bedroom and into the base.

  "Boss, you seem to be in a good mood." The kitten seemed to have learned how to read people's expressions.

  "It's pretty good, my boss is bursting with personality today, and there's a capable little brother who wants to join me, crying and shouting." Tang Dynasty said with a smile, feeling quite good about himself.

  "Don't have a mind to harm others, but don't lack a mind to defend against others, boss." The kitten reminded him in a timely manner.

  "This is natural." Tang Dynasty nodded and said, "I will definitely keep my promise with a cautious heart, but the oath made by Muslims is not something that ordinary people can make lightly. I can feel that Mu Hai Lin is still very sincere."

  "Boss, I've got some good news." The little cat didn't say anything negative to affect Tang's good mood, but instead added flowers to the brocade and said: "The artificial synthetic skin will be completed at 1 am tomorrow. At the current pace, by noon tomorrow, we can replace the artificial synthetic skin for 16 armed robots."

  "Haha! This is indeed good news." Tang Chao excitedly said: "Xiao Mao, I'm looking forward to seeing your masterpiece."

  "Boss, don't have too high expectations for these armed robots," said the kitten. "They look like humans, but after all, they are not real humans, all with metal skeletons, limited by materials, the flexibility of joints can't meet perfect requirements, movements are very stiff, almost like legendary zombies."

  "It's already quite good, I don't expect them to really be bodyguards, as long as they can stand in the inner city and intimidate outsiders from afar." Tang Chao said with a very satisfied smile.

  "It can't be said to be a bluff, after all, if they really take action, even you, boss, won't be their opponent." The kitten said stiffly: "As a secret ultimate armed force, they are still fully qualified."

  "Whatever, if it really comes down to letting these armed robots take action, I'm probably done for in this world anyway." Tang Dynasty said with a smirk: "Never mind that, little cat. I need a steel mill with an annual output of around 300,000 tons and a thermal power plant with a total installed capacity of 200,000 kilowatts. What equipment and accessories do you need? Help me prepare them. If everything goes smoothly, we should be able to use them by the second half of next year."

  The kitten raised a question: "Equipment is not the problem, but boss, where did you get so many industrial workers and technical engineers?"

  "I'll be damned! Fine, I'll just have to set up a vocational technical school myself and train all the workers personally!" Tang Chao gritted his teeth and said fiercely.

  Now whenever the population issue is mentioned, Tang Dynasty feels like his brain is going to explode, because in terms of local governance and civil administration, Tang Dynasty, who has always considered himself a technical expert, basically doesn't understand anything!