The Thirty-Third Chapter: Military and Business Affection

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  "General Manager? Haha, Commander, you've been promoted again? This time all six towns are under your management?" Wu Tongjin rushed into the cross courtyard of a four-entry sixteen-room house that Liu Mingjiu had just bought for 800 taels in Beichang North Gate, and excitedly ran to his side to ask as soon as he saw Liu Mingjiu practicing his morning fist.

  Liu Mingjiu made a gesture to stop, stood up straight, took the hot towel handed over by Deng Junyan, the newly hired butler, wiped his face and looked at Wu Tongjin with an excited expression: "I'm fine, but you're so excited, aren't you? Six towns, do you think it's a good thing? I have to put in a lot of effort! This is the power given to the team leader, not the rank given to the regimental commander. Do you understand?"

  "Haha, once you have power, won't you have a title too? Are you still afraid that after the five towns' 8,000+ security guards and 80+ police officers are under your control, they can still easily move against you?

  Wu Tongjin took the military uniform from Deng Junyan's hand and handed it to Liu Mingjiu to put on, while continuing to say: "From now on, the Six Harmony Escort Agency will also have a bigger space for recruitment. With your skills, as long as you have three months, won't you be afraid that the officials and soldiers of the six towns won't listen to you?"

  Liu Mingjiu buttoned up his coat and said, "It's easy to manage money, but hard to manage people. Your burden will be heavy later on. Don't be too pleased with yourself for now, you'll have your share of suffering later."

  Wu Tongjin helped Liu Mingjiu finish dressing, then stood to one side. Hearing what Liu Mingjiu said, he smiled without a care and said: "Heh heh, Commander, now our account is also quite profitable, right? With your guidance and those new ideas of yours, I'm not afraid of the increased workload. Besides, if we're afraid of having too much to do, are we still worthy of following you?"

  "Heh heh, you little rascal, hurry up and catch up with the tapeworms in my belly!" Liu Mingjiu took the clear water handed over by Han Zhen, rinsed his mouth, and walked towards the main house while continuing to say to Wu Tongjin: "This afternoon, you'll go with the military supply officer to the 9th company and each security team and police station to notify the logistics and officers of each department to come to our 8th company for a meeting. Do you understand what I mean, little rascal? This war is good, training is good, but this logistics thing is actually more important than training, so I must first systematize it for you."

  Wu Tongjin followed Liu Mingjiu into the house, turned around and closed the door behind him, then looked at Liu Mingjiu and said: "Commander, after being with you for so long, I've really come to understand many things that I'd never heard of before. There have been many times when I've suspected that you're a divine being sent down from heaven! How is it that the things you think of are even fresher and more useful than those of the foreign military troops in Tianjin?"

  "Don't flatter me, or I'll kick you flying two miles away." Liu Mingjiu smiled and signaled the housekeeper to hand a cup of tea to Wu Tongjin. After smiling again, he handed him a cigarette: "In the few days I've been away, has that Zhao family made any improper moves?"

  After Wu Tong ignited the cigarette and took a light puff: "How dare they show off now? Now those few, every day hiding at home. Old Mu said, although they still give Wang Xiaozuo offerings, but they don't even dare to bring letters or messages anymore."

  "Consider them sensible, otherwise after I take over the power of the six towns this time, I will first kill their families to warn the others. Liu Mingjiu also lit a cigarette and took a puff, looking at Wu Tongjin and continuing: "This afternoon when you go, call all the battalion commanders and above from each department, half of each department, I want to see what kind of officers those five towns have. Don't give me another group of old men. First, let's set up an officer rotation training and mutual transfer, so they won't drag my legs."

  Wu Tongjin's eyes widened as he listened to Liu Mingjiu, and he stood up in surprise, circling around Liu Mingjiu before saying: "Commander, what kind of brain do you have? You can even think of those past officials' tricks so quickly. Your time at the Military Academy wasn't wasted, I admire you, I really admire you!"

  "Is this related to flattering me? Are you looking for a promotion?" Liu Mingjiu pretended to kick Wu Tongjin, scaring him away quickly, and continued: "Just transferring military officers may not necessarily make those old soldiers, double-gun soldiers better and faster. After the officer transfer is completed, I still need to assign some of our brothers from the 8th Company and Linglong Tower Security Team to those garbage troops. You'll have to help me with this. Lao Luo's appointment as the company commander of the 9th Company has been finalized in the regiment, and your promotion has also been approved. From now on, you two will be captains, at the same rank as me."

  "Ah, Commander Lian, you're really my brother! You didn't forget about us even after your promotion? Hehe, this time I've also become a senior lieutenant officer! Thank you, thank you, Commander Lian!" Wu Tongjin didn't expect that Liu Mingjiu would actually help him get promoted too.

  This lieutenant and captain, not to mention the difference of one level in between, but also differ by six dollars each month's military pay. From then on after arriving at the 8th Battalion was sent by Liu Mingjiu to be the logistics officer, managing money and food, Wu Tongjin, now indeed has some thoughts like an accountant in a business firm. Although still thinking of him as a soldier first, many times he has already shown his pursuit of wealth. However, Liu Mingjiu is very at ease, this subordinate's nature is loyal and kind, several times someone sent money to let him use his power for personal gain, all were severely dealt with. Once there was a soldier who wanted to go to the Security Regiment as a platoon leader, gave him 300 silver dollars, unexpectedly was directly kicked out of the room by this kid, the next day together with Luo Xiliang forced Liu Mingjiu, and kicked that soldier into the Liuhe Escort Agency. Finally, added a sentence: "Aren't you mixing for money? The Liuhe Escort Agency only wants you to have skills, taking on several big tasks is more than the money you sent me."

  At this time, the Liuhe Biaoju had expanded to over 900 guards, each with a warhorse, a German Mauser G98 rifle, and one or even two Mauser C96 pistols. Their equipment was so impressive that even the bandits and some of the non-regular troops of the Second Division couldn't help but look on in admiration. All this was thanks to the hard work of Wu Tongjin, his cousin, and the Huang family father and son.

  Before Liu Mingjiu went to Chengde, the Liuhe Commercial Company had also expanded its operating capital. The business funds of 800,000 yuan quickly became a large commercial entity in Chaoyang. However, Liuhe did not open a store or acquire property, and all funds were used for business transactions except for renting storefronts and warehouses in Tianjin, Jianchang, Chaoyang, and other sixteen places. Liu Mingjiu told the shareholders that this was the model of Western trade companies during meetings with other shareholders, which made them admire him for a long time. The company's investment was managed by the Ba Lian public treasury, so every time they settled accounts, Wu Tong would go in to handle it, and he would not let a single penny go unaccounted for.

  A troop can have poor equipment, as long as it can keep up with the times and other troops. However, if a troop does not have excellent logistics, once a battle starts, no matter how good the equipment is, they will undoubtedly lose. This principle, Liu Mingjiu had heard his superiors mention many times in the armies of later generations, so after he took over the 8th Company, he kept instilling this idea into the entire company.

  Two people were in the room, chatting enthusiastically, when a figure pushed open the door and walked in. Seeing that Wutong Jin was also there, he turned around to leave. Wutong Jin saw the figure and immediately knew who it was, with a sly smile on his face, saying: "Don't go, I'll leave instead. Hehe, give you two your private space, or else I'm afraid one day our General Manager will suddenly remember something and drag me onto the training field."

  After finishing speaking, Wu Tongjin rushed into Liu Mingjiu's room and made a ghost face. Before Liu Mingjiu could do anything to him, he quickly ran out of the room.

  "This kid, he can really run fast." Liu Mingjiu looked at Wu Tongjin running out and put down the apple he was about to throw. He stood up and walked to the door, saying to the newcomer: "Why did you come so early? Did you sleep well last night?"

  "Ah, slept quite well, now that you're fine, I can sleep soundly too." The person was none other than Zhao Bilin, who had already half-concealed her feelings for Liu Mingjiu, which were known to many.

  Liu Mingjiu looked at her shy and innocent, charming expression, and his heart fluttered for a moment. But he immediately thought of the question he had been thinking about before, that he couldn't take advantage of such a good girl. So he quickly spoke up: "Come in and sit down, it's windy by the door, on such a cold day, you're not even wearing much, be careful not to catch a chill."

  Zhao Biling still slightly lowered her head, following Liu Mingjiu who had already turned around and walked into the room. She sat down in a chair on one side and softly opened her mouth: "I heard that Commander Liang has handed over all military and police power of the entire Jianchang North Six Towns to you, is it true?"

  "Ah, yesterday when I left your house, I received this appointment at the troop department." Liu Mingjiu took a cup of hot tea from the butler and placed it on the tea table beside Zhao Bilin, continuing to say: "This time my responsibility is even more important, tens of thousands of brothers, alas! I don't know what our superiors are thinking. However, they trust me so much, I'm really quite happy about it. I believe if Zhao Lianzhang and Li Lianfu knew in the afterlife, they would also be smiling."

  Zhaobi Lin handed over the teacup, took a light sip and put down the cup: "Where is your ability? Liang Shizhang is just making use of it. Looking at the second generation of the entire Yi army now, it seems that it's hard to find someone more capable than you. Although Liang Shizhang and those people are conservative, they will choose the latter among the system and a group of elite soldiers who can fight."

  Liu Mingjiu was shocked, not expecting that the seemingly weak and only eighteen-year-old Zhao Bilin would have such insight. Being able to see through Liang Cunhua's thoughts wasn't anything unusual, but a young girl who hadn't experienced much of the world being able to see through it as well, that was what was truly surprising. As a result, he couldn't help but stare at this girl who looked like a certain celebrity from later generations, and he didn't know how they grew up, but both sisters of the Zhao family surprisingly resembled celebrities from later generations.

  After a moment, Zhao Bihua discovered that Liu Mingjiu had stopped talking. She raised her head and saw Liu Mingjiu staring at her with his eyes. Her face turned red all the way to her neck, and she buried her head in her chest again, coquettishly scolding: "What are you looking at? I don't have flowers on my face."

  Liu Mingjiu was immediately awakened by this loud shout, and he smiled foolishly: "Nothing to see, nothing to see. I really didn't expect that at such a young age, with a weak appearance, you would have such meticulous thoughts, it's really beyond my expectations, really beyond my expectations."

  "What's the big deal? Our school is much more intense than I thought. However, they are all radicals, if their words weren't so radical, when you have time to enter Beijing City, I really want to introduce you properly." Zhao Bili said while still lowering her head.

  However, Liu Mingjiu heard something in the words, he was very clear that the people Zhao Bilin said were the ones who later truly changed China's fate and finally made China a world-renowned Asian power. But thinking of politics, Liu Mingjiu couldn't help but think of more things. So he opened his mouth to Zhao Bilin: "Whether it's radical or conservative, we just do our own thing well, no matter what kind of political force it is, it's best if you don't participate in any of them. Politics is really troublesome and dangerous. Can you listen to me?"

  "What's your business, speak up?" Zhao Bi Lin still didn't raise her head and continued to say: "Your views are not much more backward than those of our school teachers and those radical people, I will listen to what you have to say."

  Liu Mingjiu also couldn't help but blush when he heard her say that. It wasn't because he was being praised by someone who liked him and whom he also liked, but rather because if he weren't a strange transmigrator, he probably wouldn't have been able to say those words, and this blush was a blush of embarrassment and shame.

  "Promise me, after returning to school, just focus on studying and don't participate in any activities. Such as demonstrations, protests, gatherings, we are just ordinary people, don't get involved in politics, I don't want to hear one day that you got arrested or had an accident." Liu Mingjiu expressed his true thoughts, staring straight at Zhao Bilin waiting for her response.

  Zhao Bili raised her head, this time without lowering it again in embarrassment, but instead kept eye contact with Liu Mingjiu. After about five minutes, she finally spoke up: "En, I'll listen to you, I won't participate with them, thank you for your concern."

  Liu Mingjiu saw Zhao Bilin's face turn red again after finishing speaking, and he already completely understood that this girl had really fallen in love with him. Otherwise, she wouldn't have agreed to him so easily on such a major matter. What should he do? Liu Mingjiu couldn't help but also fall into a state of indecision and entangled thoughts.

  (Note: The above remarks are not meant to be derogatory in any way, but rather to express admiration. They simply represent the thoughts and words of an ordinary person. Readers are also asked not to misunderstand, as people have different aspirations.)