1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 3978

This wasn't the first time this had happened. According to Li Yuande, similar situations occurred with each batch of immigrants arriving in Phuket. To prevent this from recurring, the special forces division specified the settlement location for each immigrant during the signing of resettlement contracts, essentially determining the immigrant allocation plan in advance.

When new immigrants board the ship, they are already informed of their destination and are well aware of the official arrangements. However, if they decide to stay in Phuket, they will still try to find a way to do so, and it is not uncommon for some to throw tantrums and cry.

A significant proportion of the new immigrants from China wanted to stay. Many who were originally slated to settle in Hambanpo, Fubo, and Zhenhai ports, after being incited by a few, actually joined together to request the government to revise the original resettlement plan.

Chen Pingliao frowned upon hearing the news. This was not good news. A last-minute change to the immigration resettlement plan would require readjusting transportation capacity and the distribution of various related supplies, and would also affect subsequent immigration work arrangements. This whole host of adjustments would be quite troublesome to handle, and the special operations division was unlikely to agree to their request.

Sun Zhen sneered, "When we were migrating immigrants to Jinzhou before, many people only wanted to settle near the Jinzhou camp for a peaceful life. The area north of the Jinzhou Isthmus wasn't so safe, so many people were unwilling to accept the government's arrangements for settlement. Some restless people, like now, made demands on the government, asking to be treated according to their wishes. But Commander Qian won't tolerate them. If they refuse their immigrant status, then they'll have to be punished!"

In 1636, the Haihan Army launched a spring offensive and captured the Jinzhou Isthmus defense line occupied by the Manchus in one fell swoop. Chen Pingliao was born that year, so he did not know about the resettlement of immigrants in Jinzhou at that time. Sun Zhen, on the other hand, was a witness to that period of history and knew very well how Qian Tiandun dealt with those immigrants who did not obey the arrangements.

Anyone who refuses to comply with the government's immigration arrangements and intends to renege on the signed resettlement contract will be considered to be breaking the law, and will have all their entitled immigration benefits revoked, and will be punished with three years of hard labor, with no upper limit. If the disturbance is too serious and the impact is too bad, it is not impossible for them to be shot.

Chen Pingliao asked, "Won't the people we brought along cause trouble?"

Sun Zhen shook his head and said, "Even if they had a few more lives, they wouldn't dare! I warned them before they boarded the ship that anyone who dared to cause trouble on the way would be punished for treason!"

Sun Zhen didn't bring many immigrants from Liaodong, only about a hundred people in total. Most of them were craftsmen urgently needed by the Special Forces Division. Although they were called immigrants, it would be more accurate to say they were hired workers. The Special Forces Division provided the positions and wages, and hired these craftsmen to work in the area under its jurisdiction, while also training some local apprentices to learn their skills.

Chen Yixin promised them that if they stayed with the special forces division for five years, they could voluntarily return to China. Regardless of whether they returned to China, they would receive a generous resettlement allowance from the Northern Region.

These people wouldn't have to worry about making a living once they arrived at the special forces division, and they could choose where to go after five years. Naturally, they wouldn't be as picky as other immigrants. Whether they stayed in Phuket or not wasn't that important to them. In addition, there had been prior warnings, which is why Sun Zhen was so certain that the people he brought wouldn't participate in any disturbances caused by the new immigrants.

Phuket remains under martial law, so any unrest there will only result in the intervention of the military. Although the new immigrants did not resort to any radical measures, but simply gathered at the pier to express their unwillingness to accept the official resettlement plan, it was still considered a demonstration.

The garrison quickly dispatched a company of soldiers, apprehended all the immigrants, and through a combination of coercion and intimidation, quickly apprehended several key figures who were orchestrating the rebellion. At the command of the leading officer, soldiers immediately pulled these troublemakers from the crowd and took them away. Those immigrants who had initially intended to join the commotion, seeing the army's serious enforcement, fell silent, afraid to make any further moves lest they be arrested as accomplices.

Any of the troublemakers who were captured and put up any resistance were immediately struck on the head with a rifle butt and dragged away.

It was only then that these newly arrived immigrants seemed to realize that they were fighting against a special forces division known as the "Ever-Victorious Army." Standing on the opposite side of this force, even if they were killed by them, ordinary people would only applaud without asking why.

The arrested individuals were immediately interrogated to determine whether they were simply being disobedient or if there were other reasons—such as being instructed to infiltrate the immigrant community and cause trouble in Phuket to disrupt local morale.

Such incidents are not uncommon within the Special Operations Division's jurisdiction. Many neighboring countries are also unhappy to see Haihan settle down here, so they sometimes try to cause trouble for the Special Operations Division. They certainly can't defeat the Special Operations Division in a fight, but there are many ways to create chaos among the civilian population, incite conflict, and disrupt order. Arranging for people to infiltrate as immigrants and cause trouble is one of the simplest and easiest methods.

As long as special operations divisions do not sever ties with neighboring countries and stop bringing in people from surrounding areas, it will be difficult to completely prevent hostile forces from infiltrating through immigration. The only option is to strengthen the identity verification and daily management of those entering the country and applying for citizenship.

Li Yuande did not stop at any other ports on his return journey, so the immigrants he brought back were mostly from neighboring countries and were mostly Chinese citizens. It was quickly confirmed that they were all Han Chinese and not foreign spies.

However, this status will not be a shield for them. The consequences of causing trouble here are severe. Several ringleaders have all had their immigration status revoked. What awaits them next is being sent to a gem mine near Hamban Port, where they will only be able to deal with stones in the mine for the next few years.

In less than an hour, the immigration dispute was resolved. The officer who led the arrest announced the results of the trial and the punishment to the still-shaken immigrants. Only the ringleaders who instigated the disturbance were convicted, while the others were considered to have been misled and would not be punished further.

Of course, anyone who disagrees can stand up and defend themselves. But anyone who isn't out of their mind knows that standing up at this point will only lead to trouble, and they'll most likely end up joining the group of guys who got arrested.

Sun Zhen seemed a little unsatisfied: "If it were before, those guys who led the charge would have been half-dead, if not dead. Now it's been much more lenient; they were only punished with a few years of hard labor."

Chen Pingliao said, "After all, they are all citizens of this country. If someone who hasn't obtained citizenship dared to cause trouble like this, it probably wouldn't be so easy for them."