The Red Era: Living in Seclusion in a Siheyuan as a Boss

Chapter 756 A New Journey!!

After a thrilling battle in the valley, the assault team led by Liu Xiaotao and Zhang Jincheng not only successfully eliminated the potential threat of "toxic waste," but also annihilated the Sangduoma armored force sent by Boss Lang with lightning speed.

Before the smoke of battle had even cleared, Zhang Jin received some exciting news—Kang Laoda had personally led his army to defeat Lang Laoda's forces and successfully recapture the old city.

Without the slightest hesitation, Zhang Jin and the others boarded off-road vehicles and sped towards the old town amidst the flying dust, their faces filled with anticipation and excitement.

Although Boss Lang led his troops to withdraw from the old city on his own initiative and offered no resistance, allowing Boss Kang's troops to enter the city, he also left behind many contingency plans. The entire city seemed to have become a giant powder keg, with gunfire and explosions resounding throughout the city, and traces of battle visible everywhere on the smoke-filled streets.

The riots in the old city gradually subsided when Zhang Jincheng led his commando team to arrive.

The once bustling streets are now deserted. Occasionally, a few panicked citizens hurry by with their heads down, as if something terrible is chasing them.

Broken glass, overturned stalls, and still-burning flames silently testify to the fierce battle that had just taken place here.

Zhang Jin raised his hand to signal the convoy to stop, squinting as he surveyed the devastated city.

In the distance, the clock tower of Sz Hall was still belching black smoke, and the pendulum hung askew in mid-air, emitting a chilling creaking sound.

At this point, the assault team planned to turn around and head directly to Boss Lang's lair, which was also Boss Kang's current command post.

Zhang Jin suddenly said to Wang Tao, who was driving, "Let's not go for now, let's find a hotel to settle down first."

Zhuang Yan and Wang Tao found Zhang Jincheng's decision somewhat strange. Why did he go to the city but not go to see Boss Kang?

However, they knew that Zhang Jin must have a reason for doing this, so neither of them asked.

Wang Tao turned the car towards the street in the east of the city. Liu Xiaotao and the others in the second car were also puzzled, not knowing where they were going, so they had no choice but to follow.

The convoy slowly drove into a relatively intact street. Zhang Jincheng's gaze swept over the buildings on both sides and finally stopped in front of a six-story hotel called "Jade Hotel".

Although the hotel had several bullet holes in its exterior walls, the overall structure was intact, and there were two armed guards standing at the entrance.

"This is fine." Zhang Jincheng pushed open the car door and patted the dust off his clothes.

Fortunately, the hotels are still open to guests. In fact, the more war there is, the better the hotel business is, as many guests stay in the hotels and don't come out.

The lobby of the Emerald Hotel was almost empty, and the light from the crystal chandelier appeared hazy and dim through the dust.

The front desk manager was a lean, middle-aged man. When he saw the fully armed commandos suddenly enter, a hint of nervousness flashed across his face, but he quickly put on a professional smile.

"Are you gentlemen looking for accommodation? We also have deluxe suites on the top floor."

Zhang Jin interrupted him, saying, "I need five adjacent standard rooms, with a view of the city hall." He then handed over a stack of banknotes.

"Okay, gentlemen, please wait a moment." The manager, understanding the situation, didn't ask any further questions and quickly processed their check-in.

They booked five rooms in total, giving Liu Xiaotao and Zhang Jincheng a separate room, and the others shared rooms.

After making the arrangements, Liu Xiaotao went to Zhang Jincheng's room because there were many things to discuss.

"I was just about to look for you, but you came here by yourself." Zhang Jin said with a smile when he saw Liu Xiaotao coming over, and pulled out a chair in front of the desk for him to sit down.

"Oh, is there something you need?" Liu Xiaotao asked, feigning ignorance.

"Can't I chat with you if there's nothing wrong?" Zhang Jincheng jokingly retorted to Liu Xiaotao, after years of friendship.

Hearing this, Liu Xiaotao said meaningfully, "That's true. We haven't had a proper chat in a while. I remember the last time we chatted was on that little hill in the camp. I think we talked about alternative planting."

"Hahaha...you still remember." Zhang Jin said as he poured Liu Xiaotao a glass of water and placed it on the table in front of him, then continued, "I wanted to talk to you about this today..."

“Now that Boss Kang has recaptured the old city, we should consider our next steps.” At this point, Liu Xiaotao suddenly asked him, “By the way, why didn’t you go see Boss Kang right away, but instead stayed here first?”

"Think about it, when Boss Kang first took over the old city, there were countless things to do and everything needed to be rebuilt."

We can't help with these things, so let's not add to his troubles. It's not too late to go see him again in a few days when he's sorted things out.

"I didn't expect you to be so thoughtful and consider everything so thoroughly," Liu Xiaotao said sincerely.

Zhang Jin waved his hand and said, "Let's not talk about that now. Let's discuss what comes next."

On the way to the old city, I kept thinking about how to get the ban on flour in the old city going and how to carry out the second step of Operation Sharp Sword.

"Haven't we already made a plan for this problem? Let tobacco farmers find alternative crops, and ban flour production throughout the country..."

"That's the overall plan. I'm thinking about how to leverage the role of our Sharp Sword Commando."

As long as the "Fourth Law" in the "Kim Jong-un Region" is not lifted, I don't think we'll ever get ahead.

This could be a long time, as our identity in the 'Golden Three Region' is unclear, making some tasks difficult to carry out.

What I mean is, could we establish a company or organization in the old town so that we could have a formal and publicly recognized identity?

This will make everything much easier from now on, what do you think?

Liu Xiaotao lowered his head and pondered Zhang Jincheng's words for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "You're right. It's definitely inappropriate to operate in the Kim Jong-un region as a 'military officer,' especially since many of the subsequent events are related to trade and economics."

Setting up a trading company would indeed be a good idea.

I will immediately report your idea to the commander-in-chief, and if the commander agrees, we will act accordingly.

"You seem even more anxious than I am. I think we should talk to the comrades and report to headquarters!"

Liu Xiaotao nodded, got up, and walked to the window, gazing at the lingering smoke in the direction of the city hall. The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the entire city blood-red, and the air was thick with the atmosphere of tension.

“Setting up a trading company is indeed a good idea,” he turned around, tapping his fingers lightly on the window frame, “but we need to figure out exactly what to do. It needs to be able to cover our identities, and it also needs to facilitate our subsequent operations.”

Zhang Jin took out a map from his backpack and spread it on the table: "I've studied it, and the area around the old town is suitable for planting rubber, sugarcane, and tea."

We can start with these few things and then gradually expand to other areas.

“That’s a good idea.” Liu Xiaotao’s eyes lit up. “Rubber, sugarcane and tea are all legitimate businesses, and they can boost the local economy.”

More importantly, we can use the opportunity of purchasing raw materials to conduct our work in various villages.

As the two were discussing something, Balai knocked lightly a few times and then pushed the door open. Seeing that the two seemed to be discussing something, he said somewhat apologetically, "I'm sorry, I hope I didn't disturb you. I'll come back later."

Zhang Jin quickly stopped him and warmly invited him in: "It's alright, let's chat some more, come in and sit down."

Seeing that Bale was a little reserved, Liu Xiaotao guessed that he might have something on his mind, so he said with a smile, "Balae, if you consider us friends, don't be shy. Just let us know if you need any help."

Zhang Jincheng jokingly said, "Bala, we have a saying, 'No fight, no friendship.'"

When we first arrived in the 'Kim Jong-il region', before we had even settled in, we almost fell into your trap. We really are destined to meet.

So don't stand on ceremony with us; I like making friends with straightforward people.

"Thank you... thank you all... I came here because... I... I'm here to work for you..." Bale struggled to get the words out. Zhang Jincheng and Liu Xiaotao exchanged a glance and smiled knowingly.

Seeing the two of them laugh heartily, Balai was completely bewildered. He stared at them blankly, thinking he had said something wrong, and became even more reserved: "If...if...you don't agree, then just pretend I didn't say anything..."

Seeing that Balai had misunderstood, Zhang Jin quickly said to him, "We really need someone like you who is familiar with the local customs and culture to help us. We would be happy to help you, so why would we disagree?"

"So, you agree?" Bale asked immediately, beaming with joy.

Zhang Jin said, "To be honest, we were just discussing setting up a trade company in the old town, so we really need your help."

"That's great, then I can bring my whole family back."

"Thank you, thank you..." Bale said happily like a child, thanking them several times.

Bale rubbed his hands excitedly, his dark face flushed: "When I was working for Boss Lang, I got to know a lot of merchants and bandit leaders near the old city. If the company needs them, I can contact them."

Zhang Jincheng's eyes lit up, and he patted Bale on the shoulder: "Great! This is exactly what we need." He turned around, picked up a map from the table, and pointed to an area in the southwest of the old city: "This area is flat and has abundant water resources, making it very suitable for developing cash crop cultivation."

Liu Xiaotao added thoughtfully, "However, we must pay special attention to the methods and approaches."

"We can't buy at rock-bottom prices like those old businessmen; we need to ensure farmers truly benefit." He turned to Bale, "What do you think is the best way to negotiate with the farmers?"

Balai thought about it carefully: "We Wa people value integrity the most. As long as the price is fair and promises are kept, everyone will be willing to cooperate. However..." He hesitated for a moment, "Some villages have been cultivating Yingsu for many years and may be waiting to see how things go. We need to do some work on them first."

"Hehehe, this is exactly the direction we need to work towards in the future."

"We'll try to get the old Baisheng here to completely abandon the cultivation of English corn and start growing cash crops instead..."

"That's wonderful, that's wonderful! Our local people are suffering so much, thank you for your help..." Bale was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes.

Subsequently, Zhang Jin called the other team members to his room to discuss the plan to replace the planting of "Yingsu" in the "Jin San area".

The team members arrived one after another, and the room quickly filled with people.

Zhang Jincheng cleared his throat and pointed to the map, saying, "Comrades, we plan to establish a trading company in the old city, mainly dealing in cash crops such as rubber, sugarcane, and tea."

This will not only provide new livelihoods for the local people, but also provide cover for our work. Ultimately, we will complete the 'replacement' planting plan and eradicate the Anglo-Soviet poison…”

Veteran team member Zhuang Yan frowned and asked, "How do we solve the funding and sales problems? After all, transportation here is inconvenient, and the transportation costs will be very high."

"That's not a problem..."

"I agree!"

"I agree……"

Finally, the commando team members all agreed to Zhang Jincheng and Liu Xiaotao's plan to establish a trade company in the old city, and use it as a cover to carry out the subsequent "alternative" planting plan in the "Jin San area".

This plan was reported to Commander-in-Chief Liu Wu.

Commander-in-Chief Liu Wu quickly approved their plan and allocated special funds.

Soon after, the "Old Town Agricultural Trade Company" was officially established in the Old Town, with Zhang Jincheng serving as general manager, Liu Xiaotao in charge of external liaison, and Balai becoming the company's local affairs manager.

But this is all for later.

That night, the commando team checked into the hotel and suddenly received a call from Boss Kang on the radio.

Kang asked them why they hadn't reached the old town yet, and Zhang Jin explained it to Kang.

After a moment of silence on the other end of the radio, Kang Laoda's hoarse voice came through the current: "The situation in the old city is complicated right now, you need to be extra careful."

I've received word that Boss Lang's troops are not far from the old city; he won't accept defeat...

Zhang Jin's expression hardened, and he exchanged a glance with Liu Xiaotao: "Thank you for the reminder. We've already settled into the hotel and were just about to bother you again in a couple of days..."

"Hey, why are you bothering me? I've been looking forward to you guys coming to see me soon..." Kang Laoda said heartily.

The next morning, Boss Kang personally went to the hotel. Upon meeting Zhang Jin, he was very dissatisfied and said that Zhang Jin should come to see him earlier.

Zhang Jincheng smiled and explained again, while also making a rough agreement with Elder Kang that they would talk again in a few days after he had dealt with the old city matter.

Through this incident, Boss Kang gained a deeper understanding of Zhang Jincheng.

I have great respect for his behavior. When he saw victory, he was willing to step back and stay behind the scenes. Such magnanimity is something that not everyone can have. The hardest thing for a person to do is to retire unscathed when he has achieved success and fame.

The command has approved the commando team's idea of ​​opening a trading company, believing that operating under the name of a trade company would be very beneficial for assisting local crop substitution in the later stages, and especially for domestic enterprises to carry out economic activities in the "Golden Three Regions".

Before leaving, Boss Kang patted Zhang Jincheng on the shoulder and said, "Brother, I knew I hadn't misjudged you. Your sincerity in caring for us ordinary people is more precious than anything else." He lowered his voice and said, "I'll have someone keep an eye on Boss Lang. You two focus on running the trading company."

Ten days later, the "Old City" Trading Company was officially established with great fanfare, and Boss Kang personally came to unveil the company's plaque.

On opening day, the old town streets were bustling with people. Zhang Jincheng, dressed in a sharp suit, stood at the company entrance, watching the brand-new signboard gleam in the sunlight, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

Wearing brand-new traditional clothing, Bale was enthusiastically distributing candy to the onlookers, his dark face beaming with a proud smile.

Kang Laoda and his men also arrived at the celebration party with smiles on their faces.

This made the merchants in the old town look at this newly established trading company with new eyes, and they all began to speculate about the company's background.

But no one could have imagined that this newly established small trading company would one day accomplish something that would shock the world.

Kang Laoda also made a surprise guarantee, and in accordance with the agreement, began to fully launch the "ban on powder" operation around the old city.

However, this time he didn't act rashly with a one-size-fits-all approach, but was much more cautious.

Kang Laoda hopes to solve the problem of feeding the local people first, and not let the local people lose income because of stopping the planting of Yingsu.

Zhang Jin said he agreed to first demonstrate the replacement planting in a few representative locations, and then gradually expand the program.

Only if the local residents stop planting Yingsu will the subsequent ban on "flour" be much more effective.

It can be said that the cultivation of Anglo-Soviet plants is the root cause of the problems in the "Kim Jong-il region," but completely eradicating Anglo-Soviet plants, which have a history of cultivation for over a century, is by no means an easy task.

Just as Zhang Jincheng worried, stopping the planting of English Su here is a hundred times more difficult than restoring the old town, and the situation is much more complicated.

After the opening ceremony, Zhang Jin immediately convened a meeting with the core team.

In the conference room, he pointed to the topographic map on the wall and said, "The first batch of demonstration sites were selected in the three villages of Mangka, Banlao, and Nanla."

"Balae, you're in charge of contacting the chieftains of these villages. We'll set off tomorrow."

Bale nodded excitedly, feeling that he had found his true direction in life here. "Okay, Manager Zhang, I'll go back and prepare now."

(End of this chapter)