"I wonder where Brother Zhou found this golden cone?"
It was still afternoon, but hot wine and hot dishes were suddenly served in the Juyi Hall. The boss of Mangshan Chief Building, who was previously thought by Zhang Xing to be the key to the Golden Cone Plan... actually was indeed... at this time, he finally
I can't bear it anymore.
"I have never seen it with my own eyes before." Boss Zhou chuckled, still in his original rough manner. "But since I achieved the Great Perfection of the Zhengmai, I couldn't control my temper and started traveling around. I met a life-and-death person in Huainan before.
My confidant, I did hear him tell some of the stories here..."
"That's true." The boss of the building rubbed his fair and fat face, still a little uneasy. "But if you want to know the origin of this, you have to be a real person in the Jianghuai area..."
"My Zhou Yi's life-and-death acquaintance is naturally a real big shot." Boss Zhou laughed jokingly. "As far as I know, only three or four of these golden cones were sent out, and this one is only four or five...
Each one of them is a first-class big shot, a great hero. Brother Zhang said it was given to him by Boss Zuo on the Huaihe River. I think this origin is very appropriate. In addition, his previous words and attitude make it hard to fault.
, this is the only thing missing, so I nodded and accepted it as a guarantee."
"I think so too." At this moment, Boss Lou could only nod...
Having said that, after drinking two glasses of wine, Boss Lou looked at someone again, but it was Boss Han who had taken the initiative to consider the idlers before.
Seeing this, Boss Han just cupped his hands and smiled bitterly: "Now, if I don't tell you, you won't believe it... In fact, I am an old member of the Golden Cone Master's family, and I was ordered to be here... But also
I was just ordered here, and there was no verbal explanation from above. I just saw the golden cone and knew that I should probably come forward on my own, that's all."
When Boss Lou heard this, he didn't know what to say.
Unexpectedly, Zhou Yi from last week came to ask: "What is the origin of Boss Lou? He has such a foundation in the Jianghuai area, and now it happens to be directly involved with Mangdang Mountain, and Mangdang Mountain has almost eliminated the power in Huaibei."
We are all swept together, why do you think you are the only one on the mountain who has fellowship with others, and only you know the obstacles involved?"
Boss Lou laughed in embarrassment: "I underestimated him and you all. In fact, it's because I'm separated by a layer and don't know that person's true foundation and influence... It's not so much that I am the one, but that I am the one who has underestimated him.
It would be better to say that we have a closer relationship with Second Master Zuo. This time, Uncle Zuo also ordered us to come over specifically to do this business, and Uncle Zuo actually has a golden awl there."
Only then did Zhang Xing realize that only Boss Han was Chen Ling's direct confidant.
Others, including people like Boss Lou and Boss Zhou, have indirect influence and control... and this is more in line with the current situation.
You must know that the Zhongli Chen family is a powerful figure in Jianghuai, and the level of the current head of the family, Chen Ling, is also very similar. The family training and other similar things are very similar. There is no need to deliberately do any collusion in the village, how complicated it is.
At the same time, he has also lost his rank. He only needs to hold on to the soldiers in his hands and control the situation of these powerful people from the overall situation... When necessary, it should be his pot, and naturally it will be his pot.
From the current point of view, the three Zuo brothers who are really working hard to operate this matter are obviously one level lower than Chen Ling. The three Zuo brothers are also black and white, and they are also sitting on the ground, but those three brothers are nothing more than
It is because of the success of this generation, that is, the cultivation of the second child and the official position of the third child suddenly appeared. Although the prestige is great, whether it is the foundation or the strategy, it inevitably falls behind the pattern and level.
However, I really don’t know what Zuo’s purpose is in doing this. But Zuo’s main profit, that is, the Whale Gang, is the one who eats this bowl of rice. It is directly related to the interests, and all operations are carried out.
statement.
Moreover, what does this have to do with Zhang Zirong?
The current situation, where everyone has their own perceptions and levels, is just right for Mr. Zhang to deceive and fish in troubled waters.
Just as he was thinking about it, the boss over there suddenly came to raise a glass and smiled at Zhang Xinglai: "Master Zhang, we are from the same group!"
Zhang Xing could only smile bitterly and raise his glass: "He's just a messenger!"
"The one who delivers the letter is the true confidant." Boss Zhao, who had been silent until now, suddenly interrupted, but took the opportunity to put down his wine glass and angrily responded. "Everyone, I can trust Boss Zhou, Boss Lou and Boss Han. Since these three
We are all here to guarantee, and I am also willing to do this business. It’s just that a few of them kept talking like they were playing charades. Don’t they look down on us? If you want to do business, you should learn from Zhang San.
Brother, did you show your business spirit like that just now?"
"Forgive me, Mr. Zhao, that's what happened." Boss Han quickly responded. "Although Mr. Zhang has brought my benefactor's token, he is just here to ensure that this business will not be overtaken by the Longgang Army Brigade.
The business itself is more about Boss Zuo, which is also the case with Boss Lou... Therefore, it doesn't matter whether I know the name of my benefactor."
Boss Zhao just sneered and shook his head: "I just think we don't deserve to know."
And the 'neighbor' Wang Boss who had met Zhang Xing in advance also came to provoke him with a smile, but he targeted Zhang Xing: "Actually, it doesn't matter whether we are worthy or not, because now Boss Zhou and Boss Lou are included.
, the four bosses all want to do this business, how can we not go? It’s just you, Mr. Zhang, who worked so hard to convey the message, even at the cost of fighting with one person.
I personally lead the team to fight, but I don’t want to know who the big banker is who dares to suppress Longgang’s army?”
"Of course I want to know." Zhang Xing responded simply. "But I want to solidify the instructions of our Uncle Zuo, so that I can save myself from being unable to talk to him when I go back to see him... Everyone, I know that you still want to find out the truth of the information privately.
Hypocrisy, but can we establish a way? When will the troops be sent out? Our Master Zuo asked me to come here because the matter is urgent. Once it is late, the convoy will be completely untouchable after crossing Longgang! "
"How many more days do we have the chance?" Boss Wang wanted to say a few words without hesitation, but Boss Zhou at the top suddenly spoke coldly, forcing the former to shut up immediately.
"The day after tomorrow, there will be a chance in two days." Zhang Xing blurted out.
"So urgent?"
"If it were not urgent, there would be no need for brothers to come in such a hurry with the Golden Cone." Zhang Xing responded sincerely. "I have calculated that the only chance to take action is after the convoy passes through Linhuan County and reaches Chengfu on the bank of Wishui River.
Before the county... It's too early, we can't reach it, but it's too late, let alone people crossing the Wishui River from Chengfu, Longgang's army is right in front, and there is no way to grab it... That is, from the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month on the day after tomorrow
, during the two-day free period until the 24th, we need to dispatch troops quickly."
"Boss Zuo or Brother Zhang, do you have any plans?" Zhou Yi continued to ask, frowning.
"Our Master Zuo didn't say it, but I have a saying in my family that we will mobilize the troops immediately tomorrow and go to Jishan first... As we go, the bosses will go to Huanshui to inquire about the news. If you feel that our Master Zuo has no intention of harming you,
, without stopping for a moment, Jishan gathered Xu’s family members and pounced directly; and if they felt that our master Zuo was not trustworthy, or there were other problems on the road, they would not stop them from stopping in Jishan, or go directly south to continue looking for him.
The fleet's trouble." Zhang Xing spoke smoothly, as if he had really considered it for a long time.
"It makes sense." Zhou Yi nodded. "Brother Zhang has thought it through... But there is another thing. There are some wild boys from the East over Yutou Mountain... There are quite a few hard-headed ones among them, and they are like
Jianghuai is not involved here, I'm afraid it won't be easy to convince them with a golden cone."
"As long as we send out troops, we can't help them in the brigade." Boss Zhao said in a muffled voice.
"Boss Zhou is just afraid that they won't send troops." Boss Wang complained helplessly.
"About this matter." Zhang Xing suddenly raised his head. "To be fair to Boss Zhou, my uncle Zuo sent me here specifically, and he has a reason... In my resume, the relationship between the Luolongtan experience and Xu Dalang from the East is not fake.
, the brothers who were traveling with me were also from the Eastern Territory. This time, I even saw an acquaintance from the Eastern Territory around the fleet. I called Du Po Zhen and came over from the mountains to inquire about the situation... Just for this matter,
This rich errand just fell to me... Before I came to meet the uncles, I had already asked my brother from the East to find Du Po Formation and go to the Immortal Cave."
"That's it!" Boss Lou sighed. "The men of the Zuo family are really proper, smart and thoughtful!"
"Isn't it true that Gaoming is still under the old benefactor Han?" Boss Zhao continued to say in a dull voice.
"Okay." Zhou Yi suddenly stood up. "I'll decide the result... If anyone is dissatisfied, he can speak up on the spot."
While the others were still hesitant, Zhang Xing suddenly stood up and made a gesture of obeying orders, which also caused several other bosses to stand up one after another.
"This opportunity is rare. The uncles of the Zuo family and the man from Huaishang rewarded us with the food, and Brother Zhang came to repay the hard work. We really can't delay... We have to take action when it's time to do it, otherwise how can we make a fortune?" Zhou Yi twirled his beard seriously.
Let's talk. "Brother Zhang will go to see Du Pozhen privately later, and we will post together to make it clear to the people in Yutou Mountain. We will force them to send troops here tomorrow. We will not wait until the deadline! The plan to send troops."
Just follow the two-pronged approach that Brother Zhang said! As for anyone who still has doubts, I understand, just find out as you go... As for that person's name, Xiao Zhao, don't worry, I will tell you when we get to Jishan
The bosses said it to each other face to face! In short, with thousands of words, I just want you all to follow me and make a big fortune this year and no longer be poor next year!"
After everyone heard the end, they obviously still had some reactions and thoughts.
But at this moment, Zhang Xing took the lead and shouted at the top of his lungs: "Follow Boss Zhou, and we will make a fortune together this year!"
The others had no choice but to work together and shouted: "Follow Boss Zhou and we will make a fortune together this year!"
After shouting this sentence, Zhang Xing suddenly took the initiative to applaud again, so that his palms turned red, forcing the other people to look at him sideways and clap along with him. This made Boss Zhou feel embarrassed for a moment, and kept saying what Brother Zhang was doing in the family.
It is not advisable to be a sect, but he has a proud chest and a proud belly.
At this point, Zhang Xing finally passed the court and used the golden cone plan that he suddenly decided to use, and it was a great success... It can only be said that his judgment was wrong when he came, and he was in a mess, each with his own agenda.
Mangdang Mountain is ten times easier to deal with than Chen Ling's.
But the matter was not over yet. He still had a huge hole to fill, the only hard hole in this trip... Moreover, in the name of this incident, he said goodbye to the bosses in a grand manner and turned around to go first.
Returning to the Immortal Cave, he asked Chef Fan to come over and put some hot wine on the table, then set up a fire on the stone slab to slowly roast the meat. After eating three strips of barbecue and five or six glasses of ice wine, Du Po Zhen's old face that had experienced many vicissitudes of life finally followed Qin's.
Bao appeared in front of Zhang Xing together.
Seeing this person coming, Zhang Xing immediately came to see Chef Fan who was eating across the street: "Third Master, please go and look after me. Boss Du is my best friend. If someone overhears you, I will silence you."
words."
Chef Fan was stunned for a moment, and could only rub his hands, picked up a bowl of dried meat, and walked out while chewing. He walked seventy or eighty steps and saw Qin Er walking thirty-four steps in the middle.
After settling down, he sat down and ate the dried meat.
On the other side, watching the people around him leave, Du Pozhen calmly sat down and shook his head with emotion:
"Desperate Sanlang, Desperate Sanlang...Zhang Sanlang, you and Qin Erlang are so brave!"
"Boss Du is really brave. If you dare to go that day, you dare to come today!" Zhang Xing extended his hand to invite. "Drink two glasses of hot wine, so as not to be delayed in talking about things later."
"That's fine." Du Pozhen took the wine and poured it for himself. After eating five or six glasses of wine and chewing seven or eight sticks of meat, he put down his hand and looked at the other party quietly.
"People of the Ming Dynasty do not speak secretly." Zhang Xing thought for a moment and then spoke directly. "Food on the Huanshui River is of great importance. It is inevitable. I was ordered to lead the people from Mangdang Mountain across the Huanshui River and throw themselves into the official army's trap.
I want Boss Du to help me."
"Then I won't tell secret words." Du Pozhen responded calmly while sitting in front of the stone slab. "Even if Zhang Sanlang tells ten thousand truths today, I can't agree to it."
"If you don't agree, you will face life and death?"
"Between officials and gangsters, life and death are the fundamental truth." Du Pozhen's expression remained unchanged. "On the contrary, there are fewer of us being honest with each other."
"Boss Du." Zhang Xing thought for a while and said it seriously. "It's a rare opportunity for us to have such a close friendship. Let's not talk nonsense. You tell me your interests and I will tell you mine."
How about coming out with the knowledge and then worrying about success or failure..."
"If it weren't for the chance encounter that day and the similar meeting of minds, I wouldn't have come." Du Po Zhen extended his hand in front of him. "Zhang Sanlang will speak first."
"The first one is the origin of this grain." Zhang Xing spoke clearly. "The taxes in Jiangdong are half higher than those in the east... This time the grain is not made up by transshipment, but it is really insufficient and has to be postponed until today.
, and our patrol team worked very hard to collect everything from the big families without disturbing the people... Once they are robbed, Jiangdong will probably have to pay taxes, and then the land will probably be starved to death."
Du Pozhen's face turned dark and he was silent for a long time before he spoke: "This is obviously too much exploitation by the imperial court."
"I know." Zhang Xing nodded calmly.
"You know?" Du Pozhen sneered.
"I know!" Zhang Xing nodded seriously again.
Du Po Zhen finally fell silent.
"Secondly, several of the real big bandit leaders in the mountain are all well-established. Boss Lou is a member of the Zuo clan of the Whale Gang; Boss Zhou is an old friend of Chen Ling, the general of Yingyang Zhonglang in Longgang; Boss Han is simply Chen Ling. Ling's subordinates... Chen Ling regards the powerful Jianghuai and Mangdangshan gangsters as his private property. The Whale Gang also wants to use the power of the gangsters to respect themselves... What you think is black may be white, and what you think is white may be black... …Almost all of the people in the Juyi Hall are local tycoons who have been around for decades or hundreds of years and so-called heroes who are ready to take away their property and leave. You are the only ones from the east who are real bandits." Zhang Xing continued to come. speak.
"I know." It was Du Pozhen's turn to say this calmly.
But this time, Zhang Xing did not pursue the question like the other party did. Instead, he picked up his chopsticks and knocked them on the stone slab, making a clanging sound: "Since you know they are all fake and bad, why do you still follow them?"
"Because of poverty, because of hunger, and because of downfall." Du Pozhen twisted his neck, stared at the other party seriously, and spoke slowly. "Because my brothers are as poor, as hungry, and as downcast as me... Zhang Sanlang once told me that he had been in poverty before, but he had never been as depressed as me... When I was a boy, my family was in poverty. I was poor and lived in the wild with the sky as my quilt and the ground as my mat. When I was hungry, I stole sheep from my friends' houses. He stole one sheep after another, but he just didn't see it. Finally, his aunt found out and filed a lawsuit, forcing us to flee to other places together. Once we were in other places, I felt much more confident when I stole other people's sheep, because I couldn't. Let the brothers who ran away from home for me be as hungry as me... Zhang Sanlang, let me ask you, today all my brothers are so poor that they have to sneak out from the east to beg for a living. Now that I have official rations, you Even if it makes perfect sense, how can I not steal it for my brother to eat? Besides, to put it another way, if we don’t steal government food, do we still have to steal the sheep of poor people?”
Zhang Xing was silent for a long time, so that Qin Bao looked back several times.
And gradually, Du Po Zhen became a little impatient.
But finally, having had a bold plan in mind, Zhang Xing, who was even more determined after gathering at the Yitang today, made up his mind and slowly asked a key question: "Who is your brother?"
Du Pozhen was startled for a moment, then quickly woke up and lowered his head in response: "Of course it's my two or three hundred brothers... But Zhang Sanlang, even though you are an official, I recognize you as half a brother."
"This is my blessing." Zhang Xing was determined. "But now, you just want to find a way for your brothers to survive, right? You don't care about anything else? Because you are so poor that you don't care about anything else, right?" The tens of thousands of people on Mangdang Mountain are not where your loyalty lies, are they?"
"Yes...all." Du Pozhen sighed, and then spoke with difficulty. "But Zhang Sanlang, no matter what, I must tell my brothers rules and loyalty. They are waiting for me to give them a way to survive, and you Don’t give them a way to survive.”
"Then if I give you a big chance of survival and ask you to bring tens of thousands of brothers, can you still enforce rules and loyalty to them?" Zhang Xing suddenly asked something incomprehensible.
"What do you mean?" Du Pozhen frowned slightly.
"If I can think of a way to promote you to replace the Zuo family and do the Huanshuikou business, would you be willing to take it?" Zhang Xing's eyes were bright and he said something earth-shattering.
"How..." Du Pozhen wanted to question, but then thought of the other party's identity and background, but fell silent. After a moment, he simply nodded. "I think it's okay."
"Things are not that simple." This time, it was Zhang Xing's turn to shake his head. "First of all, you have to cooperate with me and do this... Secondly, you have to wait until the inspection and I take advantage of the opportunity to deal with the Zuo brothers later this year.
...Finally, after you have mastered the Whale Gang, you have to collect and raise the scattered idlers on Mangdang Mountain as much as possible... Once things are done, it will be a good thing to kill three birds with one stone, and you will be lucky.
, I have come to such a state that even this irrelevant bandit and idle guy on Mangdang Mountain can be worthy of the conscience of heaven and earth."
Du Pozhen thought for a moment, neither shaking his head nor nodding: "If we can have this future and prevent the brothers from stealing sheep, why can't I accompany you to do this... This is a small business or a big business to find a way for the brothers to survive.
It’s just a difference; secondly, since I recognize you as half a brother, and you say this, why can’t I gamble with you? Just the last one..."
"How about the last one?" Zhang Xing answered with a frown.
"Isn't the last one a bit difficult?" Du Pozhen asked seriously. "The Long Whale Gang originally had more than ten thousand trackers, but suddenly there are thousands more idlers...can they make a living?"
Zhang Xing finally raised his head and laughed: "Brother Du has never done such a big business, right?"
"It is true that he was born in a humble family." Du Pozhen said one thing without getting angry at all. "And he has been humble all his life."
"Then let me tell you!" Zhang Xing lay down on the blood-stained leopard skin behind him, took out his chopsticks and tapped on the stone slab in front of him. He immediately felt like he was pointing out the world on the keyboard. "What's going on in the world?
, it’s nothing more than two things, one is to make the pancake bigger... This thing is quite difficult, I don’t have a clue yet, so I won’t talk about it for now; the other is to divide the pancake... Logically speaking, each person can take one bite.
Any leftovers can be saved for other things, but the reality is that the people at the top would rather eat one bite and throw away a hundred, or pile up the cakes for fun and not eat them, but force the people below to share one bite among ten people.
.”
"That's true." Du Pozhen said with emotion.
"Those who farm do not have enough to eat; those who raise silkworms do not have silk to wear; those who build houses have no place to stand; those who make blacksmiths do not have a good pot at home... This has been the case since ancient times." Zhang Xing originally wanted to talk at length, but he had just finished speaking.
After a few sentences, he found it boring and could only shake his head. "Do you know how you showed your flaws last time? Because those deacons are all popular and drink sweets, and they are used to pampering themselves. How could they still be as full of calluses as you?
, all ten fingers are covered with wounds?”
"I understand." Du Pozhen suddenly responded. "You are trying to say that the profits of the Long Whale Gang are enough to support half of the people, but they are all eaten by the helmsmen, deacons, guardians and the gang leaders themselves... So,
As long as I become the leader of the Long Whale Gang, and I can still treat my gang members with the same rules and loyalty as I do to my brothers, I will definitely be able to support them... right?"
"Yes." Zhang Xing nodded softly.
"That's it." Du Pozhen suddenly stood up and held his hands in front of the stone slab. "Brother Zhang, please take us other brothers for a ride!"
Zhang Xing felt relieved and lay paralyzed for seven or eight breaths before he got up. Then he suddenly jumped up on the big stone slab and roared loudly in the Immortal Cave, shocking everyone in the cave to look:
"In that case, I would like to invite Mr. Du and all brothers to follow me, Zhang San, for the time being and make a fortune in the New Year!"
PS: Happy New Year to everyone!
Thanks to the second battalion commander Shangmeng and Mr. Wang for the reward!
