Newborn 1927

Jiang Tingxuan didn't linger; after handing over the supplies, he returned to Yantai. Yang Jiefang gave him a new purchasing list, and he prepared to go to Japan again. Before leaving, the brother and sister met alone. It's unclear what they talked about, but both seemed very happy.

With the radio in hand, the training of radio operators entered the practical stage. Yang Jiefang recalled Zhao Yuanbao and Chu Shiwu, the two intelligence groups, back to Qinglongzhai and had them learn how to use the radio to send and receive messages. The special forces were also required to learn how to send and receive messages. The only problem was the lack of a codebook. Yang Jiefang came up with a solution: use the book "Call to Arms" as a codebook. Everyone was familiar with this book, so they could use it immediately. Inspired by this, everyone chose books they were familiar with as codebooks, resulting in many sets of codebooks.

After arranging things at the stronghold, Yang Jiefang decided to go to Yantai and then Weihaiwei. Huang Sheng, leading an intelligence team, successfully infiltrated the Donghaidao Garrison Command with Shi Guangyi. He contacted Chu Yi in Yantai, relaying the intelligence he had gathered to Chu Yi, who then relayed it back to Qinglong Village. Both of them were only rudimentary literate; their oral reports were fluent, but they struggled when it came to writing. Their reports were riddled with typos and often poorly worded, leaving everyone confused. Yang Jiefang decided to personally travel to Yantai, partly to gather the latest detailed intelligence, and partly to build rapport with Shi Guangyi and his men, strengthening their brotherhood.

Upon hearing that Yang Jiefang was going to Yantai, the Qinglongzhai leadership initially opposed it unanimously. After their objections failed, they all demanded that Yang Jiefang receive enhanced protection. Since the last assassination attempt, they dared not let their guard down regarding Yang Jiefang's safety. Finally, after discussion, it was decided that Wang Dali and Chen Ergou would accompany Yang Jiefang, while Yan Donglai would lead a special forces team to provide covert protection. Gao Huilan and Jiang Xiaojun had also insisted on going, but Yang Jiefang refused. If anything happened, Jiang Xiaojun would be a burden; Gao Huilan, although skilled, had already made a name for herself in Yantai, making her a potential liability.

They set off in the morning, traveling non-stop, and entered the city by evening. Yang Jiefang and his two companions went straight to Chu Yi's residence. Chu Yi invited Yang Jiefang into the inner room, saying, "Little Boss, why did you come in person? Things are different now; it's too dangerous!" Yang Jiefang laughed, "It's alright. Yantai City isn't some dragon's den or tiger's lair. I've been in and out so many times." Chu Yi said, "Little Boss, you don't know how famous you are now. All the leaders in Yantai City hate you to the core." Yang Jiefang asked, "Is there any new situation? Tell me about it." Chu Yi replied, "I'll have Mantou tell you about the situation in Yantai later! Let me tell you about Rushan Village!"

Yang Jiefang immediately became serious and asked Chu Yi to sit down and explain slowly. Chu Yi said, "The cases you handled in Yantai were always thought to be the work of Rushan Village. As a result, there were quite a few clashes between Hei Xiazi and the Garrison Command. But now, they all know that it was Qinglong Village that did it, and the return of Shi Guangyi and his men proves this point. The two sides have reconciled and are planning to join forces to deal with Qinglong Village. Rushan Village originally had eight hundred men with guns, but recently they have been rapidly expanding their forces, and I heard that they now have two or three thousand men, divided into land and sea routes."

Yang Jiefang interjected, "Who are they?" Chu Yi replied, "Most of them aren't good people. They're the gangsters we recently cleared out of Yantai, bandits and local militias from Muping and Wendeng counties, and pirates from the sea. By the way, Lin Baozi was also dragged in. He didn't have time to ask for instructions or report, and after arriving at Rushan Village, he was under tight surveillance and couldn't send any intelligence out. It was my men in Rushan Village who discovered him and reported this to me." Yang Jiefang commented, "Hei Xiazi wants to clean up his own backyard first before using his troops against us. These people temporarily recruited will definitely be used as cannon fodder. Isn't Li the carpenter in Rushan Village? Didn't he recognize Lin Baozi?" Chu Yi replied, "It's strange, but according to the intelligence my men gathered, Li the carpenter doesn't seem to have betrayed our Qinglong Village's secrets. After arriving at Rushan Village, he only did carpentry work and didn't care about anything else."

Yang Jiefang asked, "How did he end up joining Rushan Village? Have you found out the reason?" Chu Yi replied, "We've found out. His son was kidnapped, and they wanted money for his ransom. Normally, his son isn't a girlfriend, and bandits would ask for an exorbitant price. You'd just haggle and pay the ransom, and that would be fine. But he, I don't know if he's stupid or too doting on his son, just kept paying whatever they asked for, even raising the price three times in a row without ever haggling. It's hard not to be suspicious of his background. This matter eventually alarmed Hei Xiazi..." The father and son were thus sent to Rushan Village. Carpenter Li insisted he was just a carpenter from out of town and that he'd found the money. Whether Black Bear believed him or not, they remained in Rushan Village, continuing their carpentry work. "For his son's safety, Carpenter Li couldn't be so stubborn. He must have betrayed Qinglong Village. That Black Bear is shrewd! He didn't reveal a single word. Even when the three counties jointly besieged Qinglong Village, he didn't make a move. He's been waiting for the right moment to deliver a fatal blow!"

Chu Yi said, "Back then, he was still secretly fighting with the garrison command, so he probably didn't have time to deal with it. Now that they've stopped fighting, they're recruiting soldiers and buying guns and ammunition. Isn't that all to deal with us?" Yang Jiefang pressed, "He's buying guns and ammunition?" Chu Yi replied, "Yes. He bought them from that Jewish merchant in Weihaiwei. He bought over a thousand guns and countless bullets." Yang Jiefang said, "It seems that this Black Bear has made a lot of money from opium over the years!" Chu Yi said, "They don't just grow opium; they also smuggle goods and rob merchant ships."

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Yang Jiefang contacted Huang Sheng and Shi Guangyi. That evening, they quietly arrived and were very happy to see Yang Jiefang. After exchanging pleasantries, Yang Jiefang asked, "Have you encountered any difficulties? Tell us, and we'll solve them together." Shi Guangyi shook his head and said, "No, we're doing fine. I'm still a platoon leader, and my men are the brothers I brought back. They're all our own people, reliable." Yang Jiefang then asked, "How's life in the barracks? Is the training tough?" Shi Guangyi replied, "Don't even mention life; it's far worse than back in the mountain stronghold. The training isn't strict either; we train every three days, just assembling and marching in formation. How tough can it be? But the brothers know that our leader is destined for great things and will be needed sooner or later, so our platoon trains every day, and none of us dare to slack off." Yang Jiefang immediately turned to him and said, "Brother Chu Yi, provide them with food allowances according to the living standards of the brothers in the mountains, so they can go out and treat themselves occasionally. Also, since they are also brothers from the stronghold, their monthly living allowance of five silver dollars must be paid to them on time." Chu Yi managed the operating funds in Yantai City, and he immediately agreed. Shi Guangyi was filled with gratitude and immediately said, "Thank you, young master!"

Yang Jiefang turned back and said, "You're just a platoon leader, your position is too low. You need to find a way to climb up. But you'll have to find the opportunities yourself. If you need our cooperation, talk to Brother Chu Yi. Also, have the brothers make more contact with other people and exert influence. If there are any reliable ones, bring them in. I'll treat them all equally." Shi Guangyi agreed, his heart burning with even more enthusiasm.

Huang Sheng interjected, "There's an opportunity right now, Brother Shi, you'd better seize it." Everyone looked at Huang Sheng with suspicion. Huang Sheng continued, "I just received news that the higher-ups are sending someone to replace the current East China Sea Garrison Commander. Once this person arrives, there will definitely be internal reorganization, and officers at all levels are already preparing for it. If Brother Shi can seize this opportunity, he can definitely be promoted. Not to mention anyone else, his current company commander is a complete incompetent." His meaning was clear: he wanted Shi Guangyi to replace the company commander. Shi Guangyi replied, "Okay, I'll prepare."

Yang Jiefang asked, "Do you know who's coming? What's their purpose?" Huang Sheng replied, "We're not sure who's coming yet, but I heard they're a formidable figure. Their purpose is simple: they're coming for our Qinglong Village. Little Boss, in your eyes, the so-called joint encirclement by the three counties is a joke. But outsiders don't see it that way. Just looking at the numbers, the combined army of the three counties is quite large. We were able to win easily, definitely because of our superior numbers. There are rumors that our Qinglong Village has about ten thousand people, conservatively estimated at three to five thousand. The Donghai Garrison, with its current force of just over a thousand, doesn't dare to make any rash moves. There are also rumors that the higher-ups will send more troops, but we don't know exactly how many. It's a military secret; we'll only know when they arrive. Little Boss, we must be careful!"

The newly arrived garrison commander and his troops were undoubtedly the new enemies of Qinglong Village. Yang Jiefang smiled easily and said, "It's alright. You all do your jobs well, and leave the rest to me." Seeing his confident demeanor, the others felt reassured. Huang Sheng and Shi Guangyi didn't linger; after reporting, they returned to their camp.

Early the next morning, Yang Jiefang, along with Wang Dali and Chen Ergou, left Yantai and boarded a boat to Weihaiwei. Weihaiwei was currently a British leased territory. When Weihaiwei was leased to Britain and when it was returned, Yang Jiefang had no idea. While other time travelers were well-versed in history, Yang Jiefang felt like a complete history novice. Aside from some major events, he knew very little. And those major events were currently beyond his reach.

Because of its small size and population, Weihaiwei was not given a governor by the British. The current administrator was Johnston, a China expert who had reportedly served as a tutor to Puyi, the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty. He implemented a policy of "using Chinese to govern Chinese," attracting a large influx of Chinese to settle in Weihaiwei. In recent years, the country had been plagued by warlord conflicts and rampant banditry, leading to a massive influx of refugees. Many of these refugees flocked to Weihaiwei, causing its permanent population to double during Johnston's tenure. Among those on his ship were some who planned to find work and settle in Weihaiwei.

Yang Jiefang had two purposes for going to Weihaiwei: first, to purchase weapons from the Jewish merchant named Henry; according to the information he received on the first day, Henry was the arms supplier for Hei Xiazi of Rushan Village. Second, to consult the British People's Hospital about treatment options for gynecological issues and infertility; it would be perfect if he could bring a doctor up the mountain. He was still very concerned about the rehabilitation of those women in distress.

As the ships entered the harbor, Yang Jiefang immediately spotted a massive fleet, flying the British Union Jack and anchored near Liugong Island. He carefully counted them: a single aircraft carrier with six planes; six cruisers, fourteen destroyers, and eleven submarines leisurely floating on the surface, along with a submarine supply ship; in addition, there were several sampans and gunboats. The sight of such a massive fleet brazenly anchored in a Chinese port immediately darkened Yang Jiefang's expression.

Since his transmigration, he had always regarded Japan as a mortal enemy, neglecting the Western powers, led by Britain, who had also brought heavy disasters to China, with their troops stationed in major Chinese cities. At this moment, Yang Jiefang placed Britain, the world's superpower, on the same level as Japan, both enemies he had to face and strike.

After disembarking, Yang Jiefang didn't rush to do his business, but lingered in the harbor for a while. He gazed at Liugong Island across the water, then looked back at Weihaiwei behind him. How could Wang Dali and Chen Ergou not guess what he was thinking? Chen Ergou said, "Such a large fleet, it won't be easy to fight!" Yang Jiefang sneered, "If it were easy, I wouldn't be here to fight. Just wait! One day, I will make them understand: those who offend China, no matter how far away, will be punished!" After saying that, he didn't linger and turned to walk towards Weihaiwei.

Based on the information provided by Chu Yi, he found the EC Trading Company. When the receptionist heard he was looking for Henry, she immediately asked, "Sir, do you have an appointment?" Yang Jiefang replied, "No. I'm from Yantai. Mr. Andrew, the lobby manager of HSBC, referred me." The receptionist asked Yang Jiefang to wait a moment and immediately went inside to inform him. Soon, a young Chinese man followed him out. The man was dressed in a suit and tie, stood upright, and said, "Sir, my surname is Qi, you can call me Troy. Please follow me!"

Yang Jiefang, thinking he was going to see Henry, followed him to an empty meeting room. Troy said, "Mr. Henry is very busy right now. If you need anything, just let me know." Yang Jiefang was a little annoyed; it seemed the name Andrew wasn't working well. So he said, "You just said your name is 'Cao Ni'?" "It's Troy," Troy corrected. Yang Jiefang still shouted, "Cao Ni." Troy's lips twitched, and he said, "My Chinese name is Qi Xiaobao. You can just call me Xiaobao!" Yang Jiefang immediately said, "You should have said so earlier! A dignified Chinese man, why take a foreign name? Now I don't know how to address you. You think you're so great just because you've learned a few foreign words? In the eyes of foreigners, you're no different from any Tom, Dick, or Harry. My surname is Yang, so you can call me Yang Sanshao."

Qi Xiaobao's face flushed red, and he said in a deep voice, "Then may I ask, Young Master Yang, what brings you here?" Yang Jiefang said, "Your company is a trading company, so of course you're here to discuss business. However, I suspect you can't make the decisions yourself. Perhaps you should send someone else who can!" Qi Xiaobao replied, "Everyone is very busy. Please explain your purpose, Young Master! If I can't make the decisions, I will certainly send someone else who can!" Yang Jiefang said, "I want to buy guns, a lot of guns. Can you make that decision?"