Newborn 1927

So the group continued on their way, and soon they saw a carriage parked by the roadside—the very one Bai He had been riding in. Zhao Yuanbao jumped down from the carriage and said, "You've finally arrived. Little Boss, Wu Junxu and his two henchmen have been captured alive, and they're just waiting for you to deal with them." Yang Jiefang asked, "Where are they?" Zhao Yuanbao pointed ahead and said, "Over there, in front of Miss Bai's parents' graves." A carriage couldn't go that way; they had to walk.

Before they could get close, Hou Fei came out to greet them. Yang Jiefang handed him the black leather suitcase for safekeeping and then continued on his way. Bai He and He Huan were burning paper money and paying their respects at their parents' graves, while Sun Zhiyong and his group were scattered not far away. At their center was Wu Junxu, who was bound hand and foot, while his two henchmen were left on the other side.

Yang Jiefang walked up to Wu Junxu and, without beating around the bush, went straight to the point, saying, "Quartermaster Wu, let me introduce myself. My name is Yang Jiefang, the young leader of Qinglong Village. I've invited you out here today because I have a favor to ask. Please forgive any disrespect!" Wu Junxu relaxed considerably upon hearing him introduce himself and said, "Qinglong Village? I know. With just a few guns from Black Widow's men, you dare to mess with me? You've got some nerve!" It was unclear whether he was questioning Yang Jiefang's identity or genuinely praising his courage. Yang Jiefang ignored him and said, "Quartermaster Wu, as the saying goes, a wise man doesn't fight a losing battle. If I were you, I wouldn't be so arrogant. This is the middle of nowhere, surrounded by my men. If I were to kill you, I could just bury you on the spot. Who would suspect it was me? At most, that poor couple would take the blame." Upon hearing this, Wu Junxu's tone changed, and he asked, "What do you want?"

Yang Jiefang praised, "That's right, that's how you talk things out. Our stronghold is short on firepower, and we'd like to get a few guns from Wu Junxu. That shouldn't be a problem, right?" Wu Junxu replied, "No problem. I sell at least a thousand guns to the black market every year. I take good care of my brothers in the underworld; you can ask around if you don't believe me! If you want guns, you can come and buy them from me openly and honestly. Why resort to such underhanded methods?" Yang Jiefang said, "You're a soldier, we're bandits. If we don't do this, we won't feel safe! Although our way of meeting isn't honorable, our sincerity is more than enough." Wu Junxu asked, "What sincerity?" Yang Jiefang took the black leather suitcase, opened it, and said, "Is this sincerity enough?" Wu Junxu didn't know that this was originally his own money; his eyes widened as he looked at it, and he said, "More than enough, how many do you want?"

Yang Jiefang closed the box and said, "That depends on how much stock you have. There's a company stationed at Warehouse No. 3 of the Xishan Fort Armory. I heard they're your men. Take us in and pick out a few guns. That shouldn't be too much trouble for you, right?" Wu Junxu was secretly delighted and asked, "How many men do you want to take in?" Yang Jiefang pointed around and said, "Just about twenty brothers to help move the supplies. Is that alright?" Wu Junxu immediately replied, "No problem, absolutely no problem."

At this moment, Bai He had finished her prayers and walked over, embracing He Huan. Yang Jiefang went to greet them. He Huan said, "Mr. Yang, thank you! Bai He has finally gotten rid of that demon." Yang Jiefang said, "I also have to thank Miss Bai. Without her help, how could we have invited Wu Junxu so easily?" Bai He asked, "May I ask him a few questions?" Yang Jiefang nodded and said, "Of course." He stepped aside and politely gestured for her to enter.

Bai He nodded and walked straight to Wu Junxu. Wu Junxu cursed, "You bitch, you actually conspired with some random man to scheme against me! Just wait till I get my hands on you!" But his words had no effect on Bai He. She looked at him coldly and said, "Two years ago, my father was framed, his business failed, and my family was ruined. You were behind all of this, weren't you?" Wu Junxu was stunned, staring at Bai He in shock. Bai He continued, "Two years ago, I was just a naive young girl, and I didn't understand many things. But later, I gradually realized that it was you who did it. To seize my family business, you first arranged for someone to place a large number of orders for my father, then robbed them on the way, causing him to incur huge debts and be driven to his death by his creditors. They even wanted to sell me to a brothel to pay off the debts. Then you stepped in to save me, making me grateful. Heh, you not only coveted my family business, but you also lusted after my body, right? What a clever scheme!"

Seeing that she understood everything, Wu Junxu didn't try to deny it and said, "That's right, I did it. Blame your father for being so unreasonable! Originally, if he had been willing to offer his daughter to me, I could have preserved his family business, but he refused. He's incompetent; how could he protect such a beautiful daughter like you? Humph... Even if I hadn't done it, someone else would have. It's better to benefit me than someone else! You brought this trouble upon yourself!" Is this what they mean by "beauty is a curse"? Being too beautiful has become a sin.

Bai He, enraged, shouted, "I'm going to kill you!" Knowing that Yang Jiefang had a gun hidden on his waist, she turned around and drew it. Yang Jiefang dodged, shouting, "Miss Bai, this won't do! This person can't be killed." He Huan rushed forward, kicked Wu Junxu to the ground, turned around and pulled Bai He aside, trying to calm her down.

Yang Jiefang approached Wu Junxu again and asked, "Wu Junxu, are you alright?" Wu Junxu sat up straight and said, "How about you hand her back to me? I'll give you a discount." Yang Jiefang asked with a smile, "What kind of discount?" Without thinking, Wu Junxu casually replied, "How about 20% off?" Yang Jiefang immediately chuckled and said, "Is she that valuable? Um... Zhao Yunbao, keep a close eye on her. This is our 20% discount, so don't let anything go wrong!" Zhao Yunbao agreed, glaring menacingly at Bai He. Bai He sensed something was wrong and shouted sharply, "What do you want?" Yang Jiefang smiled and said, "Miss Bai, I'm sorry, the brothers are short of guns, so I'll have to trouble you." Bai He exclaimed in surprise, "You... you want to use me and then discard me?" Yang Jiefang gave her a thumbs up and praised, "Miss Bai is indeed incredibly clever! Old Wu, you're quite the lucky one!"

Yang Jiefang instructed Zhao Yunbao to keep an eye on Bai He and her companion, then ordered the others to split up. Sun Zhiyong led a sniper team, along with Liu Yishou, Liu Heizi, and Tiedan, to secretly head to Warehouse No. 3, where they would hide and provide cover. The remaining men, along with Wu Junxu and his two henchmen, went openly. Before leaving, they made some preparations. Wu Junxu and his two henchmen each had a ring of explosives wrapped tightly around their waists, with a section of rope left at the back. Yang Jiefang said, "Old Wu, the warehouse is full of your men, so I have to be careful. I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you. Look carefully, once you pull this rope, it will explode in about three to five seconds. You probably know better than I how bad it will be. So, behave yourselves, it's good for everyone." Wu Junxu and the other two readily agreed.

They then spent a considerable sum to find five mule carts nearby, all flatbed carts used for hauling goods. Together with Wu Junxu's luxurious horse-drawn carriage, they swaggered towards Warehouse No. 3. Along the way, Yang Jiefang kept talking to Wu Junxu, extracting information and carefully instructing him to cooperate. He assured him that as long as nothing went wrong, the transaction would proceed smoothly. Wu Junxu said irritably, "Are you really here to buy weapons?" Yang Jiefang replied, "If I said I would lead these twenty-odd brothers to rob a warehouse guarded by over a hundred soldiers, would you believe me?" Wu Junxu shook his head, "Indeed, unbelievable." Yang Jiefang said, "That's right! This is my first time out on business, and I don't want it to be my last. I have to be careful. You have to understand, Old Wu!" Wu Junxu nodded, "I understand." What he truly thought, however, remained a mystery.

Yang Jiefang continued, "Old Wu, I heard you still owe the brothers their pay?" Wu Junxu smiled awkwardly and said, "It's not me who owes them, it's the higher-ups." Yang Jiefang said, "The brothers risk their lives for you, how can we let them go hungry? That's not right. When we get to the warehouse, I'll pay them all, so the brothers can focus on their work. Of course, this money won't be given away for nothing; it will be deducted from the transaction." Could Wu Junxu object? He had no choice but to agree. In his mind, he was already planning how to deal with these bandits when they got to the warehouse.

In the afternoon, the group arrived smoothly at the gate of Warehouse No. 3. Yan Donglai drove the carriage at the front, carrying Wu Junxu, Yang Jiefang, and Hou Fei. At the gate, they were naturally stopped by the guards. Following Yang Jiefang's instructions along the way, Wu Junxu poked his head out and cursed, "Are you blind? Don't you recognize my carriage?" The duty sergeant quickly bowed and smiled obsequiously, "Commander Wu, you're in the carriage? How could I not recognize your carriage? It's the driver who looks unfamiliar." Wu Junxu shouted, "Enough nonsense, open the gate immediately!" The duty sergeant didn't dare to delay and quickly ordered the gate to be opened. He came running over excitedly, asking, "Commander Wu, what brings you here today?" Quartermaster Wu replied magnanimously, "I'm here to distribute your pay today, all the back pay you owed will be paid in full." The squad leader was overjoyed and said, "Really? Didn't they say they were short of money?" Quartermaster Wu said, "They are short of money, so not everyone can get a share. You're my men, how can I let you starve with me? Go tell the others to assemble at Warehouse Number Three in a bit for pay distribution. If anyone is late or doesn't come, consider it a voluntary withdrawal, and don't cause me any trouble later!" The squad leader agreed and ordered two soldiers to go and notify the others. He then led the group to Warehouse Number Three.

The warehouse door opened, and Yang Jiefang glanced inside, frowning. "Why is it empty?" he asked. The squad leader quickly explained, "The front half is empty, but the back half has something in it, separated by a wall." Yang Jiefang said "Oh," and then added, "Commander Wu just said that anyone who's late or doesn't come to collect their pay will automatically forfeit it. The brothers guarding the gate can't be left out either. Call them all over!" The squad leader hesitated, saying, "If they come too, who'll guard the gate? Should I collect it for them?" Yang Jiefang sneered, "Collect it for them? Heh, you're just taking a cut from the goose's back." "You think I don't understand? Today we're gathering all the brothers together and distributing the supplies to each one to prevent anyone from skimming off the top." The squad leader immediately denied it, saying, "How could we do that? We're all in the same boat, how could we do that?" Yang Jiefang said, "You wouldn't dare do that, we have to be careful. But what you said makes sense, the gate can't be left unguarded. Here's what we'll do! You guys go and guard the gate, and relieve the guards." He randomly pointed to a few people, including two of Wu Junxu's henchmen. They were familiar with the people here and wouldn't arouse the guards' suspicion. The squad leader was still a little hesitant, looking at Wu Junxu without moving. Wu Junxu ordered, "Just do as Young Master Yang says!" He even called him Young Master Yang, which showed that his status was not simple, so the squad leader finally agreed. Gui Liqiu led Wu Junxu's two henchmen to follow the squad leader to replace the guards at the gate.

The guards rushed over as fast as they could; who wouldn't be eager to collect their pay? But the assembly speed was still appalling; it took over ten minutes to gather enough men. Zhang Zongchang's troops were characterized by large organization but small numbers. The garrison brigade stationed in Yantai actually only had a little over a thousand men, but the company guarding the warehouse was a full-strength unit. A company of just over a hundred men, standing back to back against the wall in three rows—the formation was hardly better than that of Qinglongzhai. Only a few carried guns; the guards basically came empty-handed. Some were even disheveled, putting on their clothes as they walked—they were fast asleep.

Yang Jiefang frowned and shouted at Wu Junxu beside him, "Quartermaster Wu, is this the elite company you mentioned? How can you tell they're elite?" Wu Junxu's face turned as red as a pig's liver, completely at a loss for words. He was thinking to himself, "When did I say such a thing?" The guards, confused by Yang Jiefang's identity, stared at him blankly. Yang Jiefang continued, "Marshal Zhang has spoken. Now is a time when we need men. He's not afraid to spend money, he's only afraid his men are useless. As long as you have ability, you can get money, you can get a position, and if you want a woman, he'll even give you his wife." This remark drew a burst of laughter from the crowd. Zhang Zongchang was known for his generosity, so he naturally didn't doubt Yang Jiefang's words.

Yang Jiefang took a cloth bag from Hou Fei's side, placed it in front of everyone, and pulled out a handful of gold bars and silver dollars. The guards all showed greedy expressions, seemingly believing that they would really receive their pay. Yang Jiefang smiled and said, "There's a special rule for distributing pay today. This money is for those who are capable. What does 'capable' mean? That's easy to explain; we'll let the facts speak for themselves. Everyone listen carefully: we'll all do push-ups in front of everyone, in units of one hundred. If you can complete one hundred push-ups in one go, you'll receive your full pay; if you can't, you'll receive the amount you did complete. For example, if you do fifty, you'll only receive half; if you only do ten, you'll only receive ten percent. All previous debts will be cleared; if you're really good and do more, you'll receive the extra pay based on the number you completed. How about that? Not bad, right?" Wu Junxi agreed, "Indeed, not bad. Who gets more or less depends on their ability."

Wu Junxu agreed, so who could object? Yang Jiefang gave the order to have everyone do push-ups, and Yan Dong called out the commands and counted.

They were counting meticulously when Sun Zhiyong's sniper team arrived as scheduled. They had taken a longer route in broad daylight. Yang Jiefang glanced at Sun Zhiyong at the door, then with a wave of his hand, he and his men rushed in, each armed. Yan Donglai and his group, who were already inside, simultaneously drew their pistols, pointing them at the guards doing push-ups on the ground. Yang Jiefang also drew his gun, but instead of pointing it forward, he pressed it against Wu Junxu's back. The guards were almost completely stunned, staring in astonishment at the dark gun barrels. Two men reacted, instinctively reaching for their pistols, but lost their balance and slammed face-first to the ground. Immediately afterward, a gun barrel was pressed against their heads, and they dared not move.

Yang Jiefang shouted, "Don't move! Anyone who moves will be shot. We're just here to ask for a few guns, not to kill. These guns belong to Commander Zhang; your lives are your own. It's not worth losing your lives for someone else's few broken guns!" Such simple yet philosophical words naturally persuaded most of the men. The guards indeed didn't move, their hands on the ground, looking ahead. Then they confiscated their few weapons, completely taking control of the situation.