The life of Lao Liu since 1944

After Hou Jie explained everything in detail the night before, Ma Wu got up early the next morning before dawn and opened the heavy and simple door of the warehouse with excitement and nervousness.

As the door was slowly pushed open, a beam of morning light quietly poured into the warehouse, illuminating a row of neatly arranged large wooden boxes. These wooden boxes looked ordinary, but Ma Wu knew that they contained great power and possibilities.

He approached the wooden boxes, opened them one by one, and confirmed that they were filled with various guns and ammunition. Then, he ordered his men to move these precious supplies to the open space in the center of the compound. Following Ma Wu's instructions, the men carefully counted each weapon and equipment and carefully checked its performance status.

After a rigorous and orderly operation, Ma Wu's awe of Hou Jie re-emerged. He knew that with these weapons and equipment, other gangs and street thugs would no longer be considered a threat. At least without the use of the army, almost no force could compete with them.

What's even better is that with these weapons, as long as he does not commit any crime, government officials would not dare to take action or put pressure on him easily without sufficient evidence.

Therefore, in order to further strengthen his power and influence, Ma Wu decided to gather all his men in the courtyard. When everyone was present, he began to give an inspiring lecture and warning.

He stressed the severity and complexity of the current situation and required everyone to remain highly vigilant and loyal. Then, he selected fifty guys who had served in the army and had gun skills.

Although most people are not very accurate in shooting skills, there are exceptions, such as Ding Zhiming and Zhang Yongren, who were injured in combat and failed to return to the army after recovery. They are not only proficient in gun operation, but also have certain practical experience. Their joining will undoubtedly greatly enhance the combat capability of Ma Wu's team.

As the direct leader of a team, Ma Wu knew the importance of the people left behind. Therefore, while carrying 30 guns to ensure the safe transportation of grain, he deliberately left behind a group of smart and capable people to watch the house. These people were not only familiar with the terrain, but also had a keen insight into market dynamics. Their task was to ensure the safety of grain throughout the transportation process and prevent any possible theft or accidents.

When Ma Wu led the team to the bustling vegetable market, his majestic aura and the gun in his hand immediately caused panic among passers-by. Seeing this scene, the onlookers took the initiative to give way and did not dare to step forward to watch, for fear of causing unnecessary trouble. The team moved forward slowly, and after turning a corner, an amazing scene appeared in front of them: a long team was winding like a giant dragon, with no end in sight.

This line of people is exactly those who come to buy food. They carry their bedding rolls, and some even carry dry food and drinking water. They are obviously ready to spend the night here. This scene is particularly precious in this era of material scarcity. Food has become a necessity in people's lives. People who don't have food stored at home can only wait in line here, hoping to get a share of the limited supply.

As the sky gradually darkened, the children in the crowd began to cry, and the adults looked ahead anxiously, hoping to buy food as soon as possible. Seeing this scene, Ma Wu couldn't help but feel deeply moved. He understood how difficult the lives of these ordinary people were. He signaled to the familiar faces in the team, asking them to maintain order and ensure that the team could move forward smoothly.

As the team continued to move forward, some people were afraid, and some familiar people nearby came forward to ask: "Boss, are you still selling grain today? Is the price of grain the same?" Ma Wu answered loudly: "I am still selling grain, the price remains the same, and it will be the same in the future. Please put your mind at ease." Hearing this answer, the people thanked him repeatedly. Although their lives were difficult, their hearts were full of gratitude and hope.

As time went by, people began to talk. Some said, "It seems we can buy cheap food today." Some said, "For many days, the price here has been very fair. Many people from other places come here to sell food." Some said, "I hope the price can remain the same in the future." These words are full of expectations for life and hope for the future.

Arriving in front of the stall, Ma Wu jumped off the carriage without hesitation and neatly packed up the goods on the stall. He deliberately exposed the pistol on his waist. The cold gun reflected a dazzling light in the sun, like a sword ready to be unsheathed at any time, warning the people around him. The younger brother beside him also seemed to understand and quickly showed the weapon in his hand to deter those possible saboteurs.

Not far away, a spy saw this scene. He quietly observed the surrounding situation and had already made a judgment in his mind. He knew that if he went forward to find out the truth now, it would probably only cause unnecessary trouble. So he chose to retreat and planned to report the situation here in detail to his superiors after returning.

Ma Wu jumped onto the table, waved to the crowd around him, and said loudly: "Fellow villagers, from today on we will implement a purchase limit policy here. There are too many people queuing up to buy food, and it's too chaotic, so for the sake of fairness, each person can only purchase 20 kilograms of rice and flour, and no more will be sold. This is to prevent speculation and price gouging, so that everyone can buy cheap food. Please forgive me!" After he said these words, he did not wait for their reaction, because he was only responsible for escorting the goods and watching the scene, and other matters would be left to Zhang Dalong to handle.

Zhang Dalong is a special guy. People who have read books are different and have good brains. After he took over the management of the vegetable market, he managed it in an orderly manner. The price of grain is cheap and affordable, the shipment volume has increased greatly, and the supply is stable and reliable. All these efforts have successfully reduced the grain price in the city by as much as 20%. Such a move will undoubtedly touch the interests of many people, so it is only a matter of time before something goes wrong. Fortunately, the young master has the ability to prepare so many guns in advance to maintain order, otherwise I really don’t know what to do.

Ma Yong came to a spacious and well-ventilated room at the back, sat down at a table, and directed and arranged the work. He divided the younger brothers into two shifts, held a meeting to inspect the situation in the entire vegetable market, and said: "If there are troublemakers, bring them out and give them two slashes to teach them a lesson. If they still don't know what's good for them, then shoot them to death. But bullying and oppression of the people are not allowed. Once violations of the regulations are discovered, they will be severely punished and will not be tolerated!" When the younger brothers heard this, they all nodded and agreed. They said they would definitely follow Ma Yong's instructions and would not do anything that would harm the overall situation.

During the Republic of China period, the social order in Shanghai was in chaos, and major cities such as Beijing and Tianjin were also suffering from gang disputes and deteriorating public security. Gangs were everywhere, and fierce fighting and conflicts often broke out between them in order to compete for territory, interests and spheres of influence; crimes such as theft and robbery were common, and the streets were full of instability.

In turbulent times, it seems that lives are lost every day, injuries and disability occur frequently, and social justice is difficult to guarantee. In this context, the law of survival becomes extremely cruel, as the saying goes, "the strong prey on the weak." Without sufficient ruthlessness and determination, not only is it difficult to carry out business activities normally, but even basic life safety cannot be guaranteed.

Ma Wu sat in the back, full of expectation and anxiety. He was expecting a tyrannical villain to appear, so that he could punish him to warn others and curb the arrogance of other lawless people. However, things did not go as he wished. After a whole day, the expected scene did not happen, which forced Ma Wu to think more deeply about the current situation and adjust his response strategy.

Zhang Dalong was extremely busy, like an ant on a hot pot, running around in circles. Due to the serious shortage of manpower, he had to personally order his subordinates to go out and find and recruit new helpers. He knew that in order to keep the business going steadily, there must be enough manpower and a sound organizational structure.

According to the established plan, the self-made grain books will be fully used next year. This is undoubtedly an important preparation work and requires full preparation in advance. From design, printing to distribution, every link needs to be carefully planned and executed.

Zhang Dalong arranged for someone to contact the printing factory to ensure the quality and progress of the grain book production. Similarly, someone was also needed to recruit more people to meet production needs.

As the business developed and expanded, the original location could no longer meet the needs, so Zhang Dalong had to spend money to buy several courtyards as new bases. All these trivial matters and complex situations made him overwhelmed and overwhelmed.

In order to cope with these challenges, Zhang Dalong promoted several capable assistants: Hu Yuanzhu was responsible for account management and various financial matters; Li Gui was responsible for communication and negotiation at various key links; Zhang Yongren was responsible for the transportation and dispatch of goods; Ding Zhiming was responsible for security work; Wu San was responsible for protecting the young master's family and collecting gossip in the market for reference. In this way, a makeshift team was initially established, with everyone doing their job and cooperating with each other.

While ensuring that internal management is in place, Zhang Dalong also pays great attention to communication and cooperation with the outside world. He has in-depth exchanges with grain merchants, not only providing them with a stable supply of goods, but also making appropriate concessions on prices.

Through mutually beneficial cooperation, he consolidated the relationship with all parties. At the same time, he also actively established contacts with government officials and expressed his sincerity and gratitude by giving gifts. This was not only to maintain a good relationship with the government, but also to ensure that his business could be recognized and supported by the government.