Newborn 1927

At the start of the operation, Chu Gu made a request: she wanted to participate in the raid on several brothels in the county town. Yang Jiefang agreed, and she would lead the raid, with Gao Ming and Gao Meng leading a small squad from the training team to assist her.

Next, Yang Jiefang sat in the government office building waiting. In truth, his wait was anything but easy. As the operation unfolded, reports poured in, which he quickly analyzed and assessed before issuing new orders. Brothels, opium dens, and casinos generally had fixed locations and clear targets, making them easy to target. Organized crime, however, was a different story. In chaotic times, the people were warlike, and many kept guns at home. Perhaps their intention was simply self-defense, not to commit evil. However, possessing weapons inevitably led to murderous intent. To nip these destabilizing factors in the bud, Yang Jiefang ordered his security team to search house to house. Anyone who voluntarily surrendered firearms and ammunition was exempt from punishment; those who concealed them were fined ten times the number of firearms they possessed; anyone who dared to resist with weapons was to be eliminated as organized crime. Yang Jiefang initially thought he wouldn't encounter any resistance, but to his surprise, some reckless individuals tried to incite the people to riot and resist with guns. As a result, the security team members showed no mercy and killed any armed resistance fighters, quickly bringing order to the situation.

Although the county town was small, it took a whole day to basically wipe out the four major forces of organized crime, prostitution, gambling, and drugs. More than a hundred people were arrested and imprisoned in the former county government jail. In addition, the jail was overcrowded with security guards captured on the battlefield.

That evening, Yang Jiefang summoned key military and political personnel from the county town to a meeting in the government office building's conference room. The room was dimly lit by a few oil lamps. Yang Jiefang first listened to reports from the team leaders who had participated in the day's operation, then gave the following instructions: "Those ringleaders who committed heinous crimes will be publicly executed tomorrow at the market. All accomplices will be sent to Qinglongzhai for labor reform."

Peng Dahu asked, "Young Master, what should we do with those security guards who were arrested? Actually, those people joined the security team mainly to make a living; they weren't exactly wicked." Yang Jiefang countered, "What are your thoughts?" Peng Dahu replied, "Isn't my security team short-handed? If those people are usable, they'll be a good supplement." He glanced at Mu Shiping and the others as he spoke. Yang Jiefang nodded, "Alright, you screen the personnel. Be strict. It's better to have fewer people than to recruit a bunch of scoundrels." Peng Dahu quickly agreed; if those people could be brought in, it would be very beneficial for controlling the various towns and villages in the future.

Aunt Chu asked, "We've rescued twenty-nine women who have fallen on hard times. They're homeless. What are your thoughts?" In the past, she would have taken them back to Qinglong Village without hesitation and incorporated them into the Phoenix Team. Now that the young leader was in charge, she naturally needed to consult him first. Yang Jiefang immediately recalled the process of reforming these courtesans in the new China and said, "Let's take them back to Qinglong Village first! They've suffered greatly both physically and mentally from their lives in the sex industry. We need to do three things: First, have the doctors at the field hospital give them a full medical examination. If they have any hidden illnesses, we must treat them. Second, we need to provide them with ideological education to help them overcome their past traumas and start a new life. Third, we need to teach them survival skills so they can support themselves. Our clothing factory, breeding farm, and the textile factory under construction can all accommodate them." Aunt Chu was overjoyed and immediately said, "Can you leave this to me?" Yang Jiefang nodded and said, "Okay, you'll be in charge."

At the end of the meeting, Yang Jiefang announced that the city gates would be open as usual the next day, allowing everyone to enter and exit freely. He also reminded Peng Dahu not to let his guard down.

The next day, Qixia County announced the restoration of normal order. Chu Gu, along with her eight sisters and Gao Ming and Gao Meng's squad, escorted the twenty-nine women to Qinglong Village. Accompanying them was an infantry company led by Sun Zhiyong, who were transporting a group of labor reform inmates to Qinglong Village.

The new county government staff reported for duty on time. The first thing they did was hand over the ill-gotten gains they had previously amassed. Yang Jiefang didn't investigate how much was turned over; he only needed an attitude. The county government wasn't short of money. During yesterday's operation, the raids on brothels, opium dens, and gambling dens yielded a considerable amount of wealth. The homes of the former county head and his cronies were also confiscated, as were those who resisted the security forces with guns; the spoils were substantial. Indeed, poverty is relative; even in the poorest places, there are rich people, and it was precisely these people who rebelled against Yang Jiefang. This provided ample justification for cracking down on the wealthy. The proceeds went to the new government, which was instructed to allocate a portion as start-up capital to establish the Qixia County Rural and Urban Credit Bank, which would set up branches in various townships.

Next, Yang Jiefang organized county government staff to study his new policies. In fact, the main content of the new policies wasn't much; it was covered in a day. The key was changing these people's mindset, shifting their traditional approach of managing the people to one of serving them—no easy task. Yang Jiefang knew it couldn't be rushed; he first instilled this awareness in them, letting them gradually change through their work. The next focus of the study was: how to lead the people of Qixia out of poverty and into prosperity?

Yang Jiefang solicited suggestions from everyone, and based on their advice, he made changes to the positions of those people. After two or three days of hard work, the county government was finally up and running again.

Peng Dahu's side was also quick to act. He selected 200 men from the more than 300 prisoners and incorporated them into the security regiment, reorganizing it. The reorganized regiment had three battalions, each battalion with three companies, and each company with three platoons. The remaining men were sent to redeem themselves by assisting the security regiment in the rural pacification campaign. Yang Jiefang visited the reorganized security regiment, inspected it, and even sang a "Heroes' Song" with everyone, making a brief appearance.

Upon returning from the security regiment, Zhao Changgui reported, "Sun Zhiyong has returned from Qinglong Village." Yang Jiefang said, "His return is just in time. The security regiment has completed its reorganization and is preparing to expedite the clearing of the villages." Zhao Changgui continued, "He also brought back someone, Tian Dan from Yang'er Mountain, who wants to see you." Yang Jiefang said, "Let them in."

Soon, Sun Zhiyong and Tian Dan were led in. Yang Jiefang didn't look at Tian Dan, but instead asked Sun Zhiyong, "How did things go? Did it go smoothly?" Sun Zhiyong replied, "The journey was smooth, and we arrived safely at Qinglong Village. Brother Tian came to join Qinglong Village, and when he heard you were here, he followed." Yang Jiefang turned to look at Tian Dan and said, "Brother Tian, ​​I once invited you to do something big together. But you looked down on me back then. What's wrong? Have you changed your mind now?"

Tian Dan suddenly knelt down on both knees and said, "Young Master, we were blind and couldn't recognize a hero. Please forgive us and save Yang'er Mountain, save our Boss!" Yang Jiefang immediately jumped up from his chair and shouted, "What are you doing? You're older than me, kneeling down to me is like shortening my lifespan! Um... Sun Zhiyong, don't just stand there, quickly help him up!" Sun Zhiyong said expressionlessly, "Let him kneel! That way he'll feel better." Yang Jiefang pressed, "What exactly happened? Hurry up, get to the point!"

Tian Dan said, “Our Yang’er Mountain stronghold was attacked by the Laiyang County Security Corps, and we suffered heavy losses! The entire stronghold is gone. Three or four hundred brothers were captured and taken to the county town. The government even announced that the chief and chief Xu must surrender themselves, or they will all be beheaded. In order to save those brothers, the chief and chief Xu went to the town to surrender themselves. This trip is sure to be very dangerous, and those three or four hundred brothers may not be able to be saved. Now, only the young chief can save them. Please, young chief, save them!”

Yang Jiefang actually knew about this long ago; in fact, he was the one who orchestrated it. He just hadn't expected Tian Yisan and Xu Zishan to be so loyal, choosing to surrender themselves in the city despite knowing they were doomed. He had initially looked down on Xu Zishan's character, but now he realized the man wasn't entirely without merit. He immediately began to calculate how to make things most advantageous for himself.

Sun Zhiyong chimed in, "I remember when Little Boss fell off his horse and was unconscious, the three counties joined forces to try and wipe us out. Our leader wrote to Yang'er Mountain for reinforcements, and even sent a hundred guns and five thousand rounds of ammunition. But what did you do? You took the guns and ammunition, but not a single person came to our aid. If Little Boss hadn't woken up in time, our Qinglong Village would probably have been wiped out long ago. Now that you're in trouble, you come to Little Boss for help again. What kind of people do you take Little Boss for?"

Tian Dan looked ashamed. He had always advocated for a full-scale rescue effort. However, internal opinions were divided; many worried about the possibility of defeat and being sent to their deaths in vain, preferring to remain neutral and live one more day at a time. In the end, Tian Yisan chose a compromise: to assess the situation before making a decision. He figured the battle would last at least ten days to two weeks; it wouldn't be too late to intervene once the situation became clearer. Who would have thought it would turn out like this?

Yang Jiefang immediately said, "Perhaps they have their difficulties. This joint encirclement by three counties does sound quite frightening. It's understandable that some people choose to protect themselves. However, Brother Tian, ​​you overestimate me. If they were outside the city, we could still think of a way, but once they're inside, things will be much more difficult."

Difficult doesn't mean impossible. Tian Dan understood this perfectly and immediately said, "Young Master, as long as we can rescue the Chief and the brothers, we'll pledge allegiance to Qinglong Village. We'll be at your service through thick and thin." Actually, before Tian Yisan and Xu Zishan entered the city, they had also asked them to seek refuge with Qinglong Village, but they didn't expect Qinglong Village to rescue them. In their view, it was uncertain whether Qinglong Village could survive this calamity, so how could they possibly enter the city to rescue people? Tian Dan only learned after arriving at Qinglong Village that they had not only repelled three attacks but had even captured Qixia County in one fell swoop, so he rushed over to ask for help.

Sun Zhiyong interjected, "Don't talk about cheap deals! You don't even have a stronghold anymore, and you still have the nerve to use joining our Qinglong Stronghold as a condition?" Tian Dan lowered his head in response.

Yang Jiefang sat down again, pondering, "How many brothers do you have left? Are they still usable?" Tian Dan immediately replied, "Forty-nine men, all skilled fighters who broke through the encirclement. Although they aren't as strong as the young master's men, they're still usable." Yang Jiefang nodded and said, "I've thought of a way; it might work. Get up first; what kind of posture is that, kneeling here?" Tian Dan was delighted and quickly stood up. Yang Jiefang then said, "This time we captured over two hundred members of the Laiyang County garrison. Counting the hundred or so we captured last year, that makes over three hundred. Let's exchange them and get our brothers back. I'll write a letter now; you can send someone to Laiyang County." Tian Dan immediately said, "No need to send anyone else; I'll deliver the letter myself." Yang Jiefang dictated a letter on the spot, which Tian Dan wrote down, addressed to the Laiyang County magistrate. Tian Dan took the letter and, without delay, immediately left the city for Laiyang.

After Tian Dan left, Sun Zhiyong said, "Yan Donglai and Zhao Changming have sent word back to Qinglong Village that Laiyang County is basically under their control. Should we do what we did here and pull off another attack?" Yang Jiefang shook his head and said, "No rush, let's hold off for now. Any other news?" Sun Zhiyong replied, "The young lady has also entered Haiyang County, but not by force. She entered openly under the name of the Gao family's security team. The garrison was wiped out, and Bai Lang is making a show of attacking the county. The officials and wealthy households in Haiyang County are all living in fear, relying entirely on the Gao family's security team to protect the county. The young lady is taking advantage of the situation to expand her power." Yang Jiefang smiled; this girl was indeed clever. Since nothing else major had happened in Qinglong Village, Yang Jiefang was relieved.

Next, Yang Jiefang asked Sun Zhiyong to write a letter for him. This letter was addressed to Zhao Changming and Yan Donglai. In addition to instructing them to rescue Tian Yisan and others, he specifically instructed Zhao Changming to seize the opportune moment and establish a security regiment. The establishment model should be modeled after Qixia County.

Then Yang Jiefang called Zhao Changgui in and said, "Send someone to Laiyang to deliver a message to me." Zhao Changgui said, "Then let Chen Ergou go. That kid is clever; he won't mess things up." Yang Jiefang thought for a moment and said, "Call Wang Dali and Chen Ergou in." Zhao Changgui shouted twice towards the door, and Wang Dali and Chen Ergou answered and came in. Yang Jiefang instructed, "You two go to Laiyang County, find Zhao Yuanbao, and deliver this letter to him. Remember, the contents of this letter are very important; there can be no mistakes!" Chen Ergou stepped forward, took the letter, and laughed, "Don't worry! Even if I lose it, I can't lose the letter." Yang Jiefang said, "You can't lose the person either. Be careful on the road. After delivering the letter, you go back to Qinglong Village. Brother Changgui, tell everyone to prepare; we're returning to Qinglong Village tomorrow. Also, inform Huang Sheng that his intelligence team is withdrawing to Qinglong Village with him."