Madmen don't keep diaries

Chapter 52 A Road
Feng Xiuhu walked over with a sneer and slapped the leading owl man to the ground.

He glanced at his palm in confusion.

Deciding to ignore it for the time being, Feng Xiuhu kicked the owl man on the ground hard, making him scream in pain.

The brothers behind them gathered around, and the momentum of the owls who were shouting slogans gradually weakened and their voices gradually became silent.

Feng Xiuhu was a little disappointed - he was prepared for a fight between the two sides.

Feng Xiuhu asked them, "What are you doing here?"

The owls looked at each other, and no one dared to look Feng Xiuhu in the eye.

The leader of the owls was the bravest. He lay on the ground and said, "We have to get to work!"

Feng Xiuhu lowered his head and asked him, "What if I don't give in?"

The leading owl stiffened his neck, his face determined: "Then we'll come back tomorrow!"

Feng Xiuhu was so angry that he laughed.

"It's really strange. You didn't make a fuss when the Rat Tail Gang occupied your village building. I just stopped you from working, but you made a scene. Do I look easier to talk to than a lame rat?"

The leading owl man said confidently: "If the house is destroyed, we can rebuild it, but if the job is gone, will you pay us?"

These words hit home, and all the owl people echoed: "That's right!"

Feng Xiuhu shook his head: "I won't send it, but I can also choose not to receive it."

"Starting next month, Dicheng will no longer have to pay taxes to Lady Fengyu."

As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd of onlookers became anxious before the owls could say anything.

"How can that be done!"

"If we don't pay taxes to the Queen, who will protect us?"

"If you ask me, it would be better to give the money for the offering to the Empress and change the way it is said."

The Owl people, on the other hand, were not very resistant to Feng Xiuhu's words - they worked in the factory area and were more accepting of the Church of the Mist than most people in the city.

Shunzi led a few brothers to pick out the most violent people in the crowd and slapped them a few times, and the crowd shut up again.

The leader, the owl, was quite clear-headed. He added, "Paying taxes and working are two different things. One is sending money abroad, the other is collecting wages. They're not the same."

Feng Xiuhu laughed and said, "You're quite greedy. You want to have both."

Thinking along these lines, the leading owl felt as if he was in the wrong, so he kept silent at first.

Feng Xiuhu suggested an idea: "If you want to earn money, I'll find a way for you—but you have to build it yourself."

Not only the leading owlman, but all the owlmen looked over.

Feng Xiuhu stretched out his hand and Damazi handed him a pickaxe.

Ding!

Feng Xiuhu threw the pickaxe in front of the leading owl man.

"Carve a path along the white stone wall."

Feng Xiuhu was not just making a fuss. He had seen with his own eyes that the stairs from the factory area to the port area were built in this way.

He glanced at the silent residents of the city below and said, "Anyone who wants to work can come and do it. Ten copper beads a month."

Feng Xiuhu paused, "If you don't want to work, I won't force you. I can't control whether you want to believe in the Goddess of Wind and Rain. But if you don't work, I will collect the silver offerings and the tax for good weather and good harvests."

He grinned coldly, "Not only will I collect it, I'll even double it. It doesn't matter if you can't hand it over. We'll follow the rules and sell it to the port area. Sell your wives and children first, and then sell yourselves."

Everyone's expression changed. Some were angry but dared not speak, while others gritted their teeth.

Feng Xiuhu didn't take it seriously and continued, "I'm kindhearted, sir. I'm afraid you'll miss home, so I'll buy you back myself—and then you can chisel the wall for me. But now you're considered lowly servants, so you won't get paid."

Now no one was angry, and everyone's faces turned pale with fear.

They had never seen such a vicious person.

The wall was chiseled a lot, but the wages were gone.

Even Shunzi couldn't stand it any longer and stepped forward to persuade him, "Brother, we are all from the same village..."

Feng Xiuhu glanced at him and said suddenly, "I forgot you two are acquaintances."

"It's good to be an acquaintance. Then you will lead the brothers as the supervisor. Anyone who dares to slack off will be whipped to death."

Shunzi didn't dare to speak again, fearing that if he said one more word, the "folks" would suffer even more. Feng Xiuhu clapped his hands: "I've finished speaking. Who agrees and who disagrees?"

Wherever his eyes passed, those who looked at him lowered their heads and avoided him.

Feng Xiuhu was satisfied: "Then why are you still standing there? Go to work!"

After a brief silence, the first one to move was the leading owl man.

Without a word he got up from the ground, picked up his pickaxe and walked towards the wall.

As he moved, more and more owlmen gradually followed him.

Then more people started moving, going home to look for tools, and then gathering at the white stone wall.

Watching this scene, Feng Xiuhu's face didn't show much expression.

He is not happy at all.

Shunzi noticed that Feng Xiuhu was in a bad mood and approached with concern: "Brother?"

Feng Xiuhu patted his shoulder and said, "Shunzi, remember, you'll get used to being a lowly child after a while."

"We must be respectable people."

After saying that, he turned and walked back.

……

After taking the elevator up, Miao Gensheng, who was guarding there, saw Feng Xiuhu and hurried forward to hand him a crumpled piece of paper.

Ermazi has news.

Ermazi led several brothers to gather information up there. They would not be back for a few days. The information was transmitted through the pipes used by the elevator to collect copper beads.

He wrote the message on a piece of paper and threw it into the pipe. Miao Gensheng would take it out when he saw it.

The note said that someone broke into the mansion on Bibo Street last night. After wandering around for a while and making sure that no one was inside, they left shortly afterwards.

In addition, a worker came to check the elevator this morning. After discovering that the elevator was damaged, he asked around for a while. Er Mazi approached and asked questions. It turned out that no one was working in the factory last night, so they sent people to inquire about the situation early in the morning.

Feng Xiuhu had anticipated this, so he just ignored it and took Shunzi back to the house.

When he entered the room, he found that the house was no longer habitable, so he turned around and broke into Xi Yao'er's room next door.

Xi Yao'er was humming a little tune while dressing up in the house when someone suddenly barged in, startling her. Turning around and seeing it was Feng Xiuhu, she patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief: "My dear master, why are you so impatient?"

She glanced at Feng Xiuhu coquettishly, walked to the door and took Feng Xiuhu's arm.

"I'm about to burst."

Feng Xiuhu put his arms around her slender waist and shoulders.

A look of joy appeared on Xiyao'er's face, and she was about to speak.

Feng Xiuhu pressed her shoulders and pushed her out.

Bang.

The door is closed.

Feng Xiuhu pulled Shunzi to the bed and began to take off his clothes.

He said excitedly: "Quick, Shunzi, protect me."

Shunzi glanced at the door, then turned back to look at Feng Xiuhu: "Brother, let Xiyaoer serve you."

"Oh?" Feng Xiuhu said with a serious expression, "She also knows how to protect the law?"

"That's not what I'm talking about." Shunzi said hesitantly, "If you don't let her serve you, her heart will always be in suspense and she will be in turmoil."

Feng Xiuhu couldn't help but frown: "She's a swing? Why is she so unstable?"

Shunzi glanced outside the door again and lowered his voice, "Xiyao was bought to serve, but you refuse to let her serve. How can she feel at ease?"

Feng Xiuhu glared at him. "Who said she was a servant? She's clearly the one doing the accounting. I still pay her a salary every month!"

Unable to explain, Shunzi stammered, not knowing what to say.

Feng Xiuhu taught Shunzi: "Doing two people's work for one salary? This is unacceptable!"

(End of this chapter)