Chapter 8: A Battle of Wits and Courage

  Zheng Nan Cheng brought Meng Sheng and Lian Zhu to the "military camp". Meng Sheng took a look, it was actually his alma mater where he used to steal clothes, couldn't help but laugh, and asked Zheng Nan Cheng while covering up: "Why choose this place as the military camp?"

  "This place used to be a school, located in the center of the city. No matter where something happens in the city, it can be quickly reached from here. It's also very close to my county government office, and I can get there in less than a minute by running."

  Meng Sheng thought to himself: Indeed, he has the temperament of ginger and cinnamon, becoming more pungent with age. This old fellow actually understands the art of deploying troops. Zheng Nan Cheng said to his attendants beside him, "Call them together." The attendant ran into the courtyard and shouted loudly, "Assemble! Assemble! Old Master Zheng is here!"

  People in the house heard the sound and ran out, about 200 people formed a crooked queue of five rows, each with their waist slanted, trousers loose, some yawning with sleepy eyes; some smoking and blowing smoke rings; some still laughing and joking. Meng Sheng estimated that if they hadn't heard that Old Man Zheng was coming, these people wouldn't have come out to assemble at all.

  Zheng Nan Cheng saw that the troops had assembled and shouted: "Xiao Liu! Come here!"

  A thin monkey-like man ran over. Zheng Nan Cheng introduced to Meng Sheng: "This is the deputy captain of the security team, Xiao Liu, who has followed me for more than ten years and is a good brother. If he wasn't addicted to smoking, he would be a good soldier." Turning his head again to Xiao Liu, he said: "Captain Qi died on duty, this is the new captain Li Meng Sheng, and this is Zhao Lianzhu. Hmm... let Lianzhu be the chief of staff from now on! From now on, you should listen to Captain Li's words, what he says is equivalent to what I say." After a pause, he added another sentence: "If you don't understand Captain Li's orders, come find me again."

  Xiao Liu understood Zheng Lao Ye's hint and nodded his head, saying: "Yes, yes."

  Meng Sheng and Lian Zhu only then learned that the team leader who was beaten to death had the surname Qi. Meng Sheng made a fist at Xiao Liu and said, "In the future, please give me more guidance, Sixth Brother."

  "No need for courtesy, no need for courtesy, just speak, just speak." Little Liu replied with a fist bump.

  "Comrades!" Xia Liu shouted to the troops, "This is our new commander Li and advisor Zhao! Commander Qi has stepped down, from now on we'll be taking orders from Commander Li!"

  A burst of laughter erupted from the group, it didn't matter who was the leader, as long as there was food to eat, wine to drink and women to hug, they would be willing to sacrifice themselves for Old Man Zheng when the time came. These bandits only acknowledged their master, not some leader. Seeing that Meng Sheng was just a young whippersnapper, they didn't take him seriously.

  Meng Sheng said to Zheng Nancheng: "Can these soldiers still fight bandits? They have a hard time fighting ordinary people, where are their guns?"

  Zheng Nancheng said: "They are all in the armory at the west end of the house, only the captain and deputy captain have short guns, others do not issue guns normally. The guns that were issued to them before were either pawned for money or exchanged for opium, or they shot each other while playing with money, so now only the guards at the city gate have guns. How is your marksmanship, little brother? Haven't seen it yet?" As he spoke, Skinny Monkey Xiaoliu handed his rifle to Mengsheng.

  Meng Sheng took a look and didn't reveal his two hands, after that he couldn't stand in this group of bandits, so he surrendered and said: "Alright, I'll make a fool of myself, if there's any mistake, please forgive me, Master Zheng." He turned back to ask Xiao Liu: "Does our security team have military rules?"

  "Anyone who doesn't listen to Master Zheng and Captain will be shot!" Little Six replied.

  Meng Sheng stood at the front of the troops, holding a wooden box gun and said: "From now on, I am your commander! Now I announce three military rules!" Meng Sheng had grown up playing in the army camp, and each rule was familiar to him. He recited them with ease: "First, those who do not advance when ordered, do not stop when halted, are not aligned during roll call, or do not respond when their name is called, will be killed! Second, those who bully civilians, rape women, steal people's property, or destroy others' belongings, will be killed! Third, those who despise the rules, disobey orders, speak out of turn, or anger their superiors, will be killed!"

  The team burst into laughter again, and Lian Zhu shouted: "What are you laughing at! At first, my young master..." The second half of the sentence was stopped by Meng Sheng with his eyes.

  "Now I command - disperse!"

  The crowd of people dispersed in twos and threes, but before they had gone far, Meng Sheng shouted loudly: "Gather!" And they all hastily lined up again.

  The queue stood as before, Meng Sheng didn't say a word, walked to the side of the queue, glanced with his eyes, and saw that the first row had formed an 'S' shape. In the most prominent position, a team leader was holding a cigarette and swinging his legs. Meng Sheng raised his hand and fired a shot, accurately hitting the cigarette head, scaring the team leader to sit on the ground in an instant. The rest of the people were all frightened, and they ran away in all directions, hugging their heads.

  Lian Zhu hurriedly ran over and said to Meng Sheng: "Are you addicted to killing people?"

  Zheng Nan Cheng was also startled and hastily pulled out his pistol. He saw Meng Sheng fire another shot into the air and loudly shout: "Everyone return! No one is allowed to disperse without orders!"

  The squad of Ding stood in line again, this time standing much stronger than the first time, except for the team member who was hit by a smoke bomb and couldn't get up from the ground.

  "Have you all memorized the military rules?" Meng Sheng said with a gloomy face.

  "Got it." replied faintly.

  "Speak louder!"

  "Remember!" The voice was a bit louder, but not uniform.

  Meng Sheng raised his hand and fired another shot, hitting the clothesline on one side of the playground, causing the hanging clothes to fall to the ground.

  "Speak louder!"

  "Got it!"

  This time the voice had a bit of a military tone, Meng Sheng warned with satisfaction: "Remember the military rules! Those who violate them will be killed! Disperse!"

  Tuan Ding was overjoyed and quickly ran back to his house.

  Meng Sheng returned the gun to Xiao Liu, who was still trembling, and said to Zheng Nancheng: "Master Zheng has been frightened."

  "Indeed a hero emerges in his youth! Little brother's marksmanship is godly, I wonder where he made his fortune before?" Zheng Nan Cheng asked with a mixture of surprise and curiosity while tightly gripping his handgun.

  Meng Sheng saw that Zheng Nan Cheng was already on his guard, fearing another repeat of the disaster at the Commander's Mansion. He hastily explained: "To be honest with you, Lian Zhu and I were soldiers under General Feng Yu Xiang (who was stationed in Shaanxi at the time). Since the government had not allocated funds for a long time, we hadn't received our pay for some days, so the two of us escaped to find something to eat. Just now Meng Sheng startled all the brothers, please forgive me, Old Master Zheng."

  Zheng Nan Cheng hesitantly put away his pistol, then suddenly broke into a smile and said: "From now on, you and I are like brothers of the same family. With you here, I no longer have to worry about bandits attacking! Tonight we'll set up a grand banquet to welcome our two young brothers!" He also ordered Xiao Liu to say to his brothers: "Tell them that tonight we're setting up a banquet in the county hall!"

  "Yes!" Little Liu replied, coming back to his senses.

  In the evening, the county government hall was brightly lit and bustling with activity. Zheng Nan Cheng sat at a table with his three concubines, Meng Sheng, Lian Zhu, Xiao Liu, and several other prominent figures from the county, while the rest of the guards sat at the first table below them.

  Zheng Nancheng introduced Meng Sheng and Lian Zhu to everyone, lavishly praising them, and even touted Meng Sheng as a pillar of the state and a savior of the people. Meng Sheng also swore to be loyal to Old Master Zheng and protect the safety of the county town. Everyone toasted Meng Sheng and Lian Zhu with wine, and even Zheng Nancheng's concubines flirted with Meng Sheng. Meng Sheng was flattered to the skies, drinking until he vomited loudly, before everyone finally let him off.

  The wine party ended, and Meng Sheng was supported back to the barracks by Lian Zhu. When they arrived at the house where the captain lived alone, Lian Zhu put Meng Sheng on the bed and complained: "That Zheng Nan Cheng doesn't trust us at all, you're drunk like this, you don't even know how to die!"

  Meng Sheng suddenly sat up and made a silencing gesture, running to the window to look outside, saying: "What are you talking nonsense about!? What is this place?!"

  Lianzhu pointed at Mengsheng and said: "You're not drunk, so why are you pretending?"

  "If I don't pretend to be a drunkard again, we'll both really die!"

  Lian Yu Le said: "Big brother, you're still so clever!"

  "Haha, fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me! Can't even learn from one mistake?" Meng Sheng said with a pleased smile.

  "You say you killed the battalion commander and became the battalion commander. If you kill Old Man Zheng, aren't you going to become the old master?" Lian Zhu said.

  "Being a master?..." Meng Sheng muttered to himself with a thoughtful expression.