Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 177 Old Fang, there's grain next door too, can we go there?

The contracts were all signed with major companies, so He Yuzhu was no longer involved. The people in his department were also reassigned; they were all professional technicians and naturally had to take charge of the specific details.

While everyone else was unable to return, He Yuzhu started thinking about what to do. Going back like this seemed like a waste, especially since there were still several countries bordering them.

So he sent a very short telegram to Team Leader Fang: "Our neighbor is also a grain-producing country. Requesting instructions on action!"

The reply from the other end was also very brief: "Understood, do not act, await reply!"

Actually, he had inquired around and found out that Cambodia and its neighbor didn't get along, so going through Cambodia would definitely be impossible.

Also, since we haven't established diplomatic relations with China yet, official channels definitely won't work.

It's not that he couldn't sneak over on his own, but the problem is that if he, a grown man, gets lost, wouldn't the people who came with him go crazy with worry?

It would be better to ask the higher-ups; if they don't allow it, then don't move and just go back to China.

Old Fang didn't keep him waiting long. A few days later, He Yuzhu received a telegram: "Return immediately, someone is in contact."

He Yuzhu gave some instructions to his companions and then set off to return to China.

Upon arriving in Nanning, he was approached by someone before he even left the airport.

The other party showed his identification and said that he was responsible for taking He Yuzhu to the destination, and that someone there would make arrangements. He Yuzhu then got into the car.

He wasn't worried about what might happen to him; even these imposters weren't a threat.

The car drove westward for several days. Based on the terrain and the people's clothing along the way, He Yuzhu knew that they had entered Yunnan.

When He Yuzhu arrived at his destination, he was stunned to see the person who had come to pick him up. It was an old acquaintance.

"Officer He, is that you?"

"I never expected it to be you."

"Come on, let's go inside and talk. It's been more than six years since we last saw each other."

"Yes, are the 8th Company Commander and the others here too?"

"No, it's not here, it's right here."

"Oh, you've become a company commander?"

"That was mentioned on the battlefield. By the way, Staff Officer He, where are you currently serving?"

"this!"

"Hahaha, I forgot about the rules as soon as I saw you, sorry."

"Be careful next time. You know why I'm here this time, right?"

"Yes, you must pay attention. That's what the higher-ups have said. But you can't just go like that; you have to disguise yourself as one of them!"

"They? Who?"

"The Bald Gang members who stayed over there, though they're not in the military anymore, still smuggle things over from time to time. We just caught a group of them recently."

"Can we talk?"

"It should be possible, but I'm not sure."

"Please introduce me to him."

"Aren't you going to rest?"

"No need, time is of the essence."

"it is good."

The man led He Yuzhu to the place where people were being held. When He Yuzhu saw those people, at first glance they looked like sailors, their skin tanned dark, but upon closer inspection, he could tell they were veterans.

"Which of you is the leader?"

"I am who I am. You can do with me as you please now that I'm in your hands."

"I'm not here to kill anyone. What's your name?"

"Shen Junchi".

"The name is quite elegant."

"Thank you for the compliment."

"Do you have any influence over your side?"

"What do you mean?"

"I have business to discuss with you."

"Hahahaha, are you kidding me? You're talking business with us, but now you're the soldiers and we're the bandits."

"I'm not kidding you."

"What is his identity?" Shen Junchi didn't answer He Yuzhu but looked at the company commander next to He Yuzhu.

"I don't know either. All I know is that he doesn't lie."

"Hmph, talking business with us? What kind of business?"

"Big business."

"How big is it? Tens of thousands of yuan?"

"Small."

"Hiss, you look young, but you've got quite the nerve. Do you think I don't know what money is in China?"

"I didn't say that."

"What do you want? What will you give in exchange?"

"Grain, as for what to exchange it for, that depends on what you lack!"

"How many?"

"As much as you want."

Shen Junchi fell silent. This was an incredibly arrogant statement; he really didn't dare to accept it.

The company commander standing to the side was also bewildered. "Is this something I can hear?"
What he didn't know was that their unit had already been assigned to this special operation, and as for their future whereabouts after the operation, that was unknown; in any case, they wouldn't be able to return to their original unit.

On the way, Lao Fang's people had already told He Yuzhu about this, so He Yuzhu was stunned when he saw this company commander. This kid was quite a tough guy on the battlefield.

"What, you're too scared to answer?" He Yuzhu mocked.

"Who said that?" Shen Junchi retorted stubbornly.

Your expression betrayed you.

"Hmph, I can't make that decision."

"Oh, who can make that decision?"

"You won't see it. Where we are, would you dare to go?"

"I should be asking you, 'Do you dare take me with you?'"

"Staff Officer He?" The company commander beside him panicked and hurriedly reminded him.

"Someone must have told you something before I came," He Yuzhu said softly.

"Yes."

"That's good."

"So you're just an advisor? What's the point of talking then?" Shen Junchi said.

"He was referring to the temporary position I held on the Korean Peninsula."

"Who are you trying to fool?"

"This is my identification." He Yuzhu took out the colonel's identification, opened it, and showed it to Shen Junchi. This was the only one that would convince a former soldier.

"Colonel, you? How old are you?"

"Believe it or not, it's up to you. I don't believe I can't contact you without you." He Yuzhu put away his documents.

The company commander next to He Yuzhu's ID card narrowed his eyes. It had only been a few years. The person who used to be half a rank higher than him now had to be called "commander".

He had been calling out to Staff Officer He for quite a while.

"Commander, sir."

"No need to call me that, just call me Staff Officer He," He Yuzhu said with a smile.

The company commander breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself, "Thank goodness, this guy's temperament hasn't changed."

"Can you let us go back?" Shen Junchi asked, thinking that He Yuzhu's identity must be real, after hearing that He Yuzhu was called "commander".

"No." He Yuzhu didn't answer, but the company commander next to him said.

"I was asking the colonel, not you."

"It's impossible to release them all. Of course, if you take me back and help me make a deal, it's not out of the question."

"hostage?"

"You just understand."

"I'm not confident I can help you with the deal you're talking about."

"Just do your best. What was your previous position?"

"Lieutenant, Lieutenant Company Commander."

"Are all these your soldiers?"

"Yes." Shen Junchi gritted his teeth and admitted it.

"Okay, I understand. Think it over, and have someone let me know when you've made up your mind." With that, He Yuzhu started to walk out.

"and many more!"

"What, you've already made up your mind?"

"You're coming back with me alone? Aren't you afraid we'll end up halfway?" Shen Junchi said, making a throat-slitting gesture.

The company commander next to him chuckled.

"why are you laughing?"

"I laugh at your overestimation of yourselves. Do you even know what he used to do?"

"Company Commander Duan" He Yuzhu spoke up to stop him.

"Staff Officer He, it's me."

"Be careful next time."

"Yes."

"What does he do?" Shen Junchi asked.

"You don't need to know what I did before, you just need to know that I'm here to do business with you."

Shen Junchi said with a dark face, "Have you all become like us, only caring about money, so quickly?"

"Bullshit!" Company Commander Duan roared.

"Hehe, you're getting really angry, aren't you?"

"Let's go, no need to waste words with him." He Yuzhu patted Company Commander Duan on the shoulder as he saw him roll up his sleeves to make a move, then turned and left.

"Yes," Company Commander Duan said through gritted teeth.

After leaving the cell and walking a short distance, Company Commander Duan mustered his courage and said, "Staff Officer He, I don't understand!"

"What don't you understand? Is it about doing business, or is it about not letting you beat him up?"

"I just can't figure it out."

"In business, who do you think I am? Are you tired of living, trying to use special channels? What's the point of beating him up, just to vent your anger?"

He Yuzhu snorted softly.

"I"

"Think about it yourself."

"Yes."

Over the next few days, He Yuzhu began to familiarize himself with the exact location of these people, what they were smuggling goods through, and the scale of their transportation.

The area where he was located was in the middle reaches of the Lancang River, which is the upper reaches of the Mekong River. These people naturally used boats to transport goods, but the boats were not very big.

Spices, ivory, and other foreign goods smuggled in from southern Thailand. What are they trading them for?
Tea, gold, silver, and some inexpensive daily necessities.

Despite repeated crackdowns, the profits are too high. These are all considered desperate criminals. This is just a small sample; who knows how many more have sunk into the river.

On the seventh day, Shen Junchi learned that they were going to be transferred to the local authorities, and he panicked. He sent someone to tell He Yuzhu that he was willing to cooperate.

The rest went smoothly. He Yuzhu didn't waste any words with them. He only asked him to take two people with him, returned one of the boats to him, and gave them back a small portion of the goods they had traded. He Yuzhu then boarded the boat with them and sailed down the Yangtze River.

These guys had their share of bad intentions on the way, but He Yuzhu always managed to subdue them completely, whether on the boat or in the water.

Upon arriving at the destination, He Yuzhu did not disembark. He had learned on the way that there had previously been more than half of the Bald Party Division's troops there. If he went there like that, he would most likely not be able to come out. Even if he had extraordinary abilities, he could not handle several thousand people on his own.

So he wrote a letter and asked Shen Junchi to take it back with him.

Shen Junchi asked him how to contact him again, and He Yuzhu told him to leave someone here to wait, and that he would come in a while.

Then He Yuzhu sailed south on his own.

As Shen Junchi and the others watched He Yuzhu's retreating figure, they all felt that this kid was not coming back. He didn't speak the language or know the geography, yet he dared to run around like this. Was he asking for death?

He Yuzhu did this with a purpose; since he was already here, he couldn't leave empty-handed.

After traveling a short distance on the water, he reached the shore, found a village, bought a few sets of local clothes, put on some makeup, and then swaggered off towards Bangkok.

On the road, he would hitch a ride on oxcarts, elephants, cars, and trains—basically anything available. If there were no vehicles, he would even set up his own to continue his journey. His fluent Thai and tanned face didn't arouse any suspicion.

Upon arriving in Bangkok, He Yuzhu wandered around and discovered that the Bald Eagle had a lot of things and quite a few Bald Eagles, so it seemed to be another place like South Korea.

Then he focused on the port, working as a laborer for a while, and then he got his chance.

Bangkok Port is the only port open to foreign trade, and its draft is too shallow, so all ships are under 10,000 tons. All goods can only be unloaded here.

One night, Bangkok Port was robbed; several ships carrying munitions, industrial equipment, and rice destined for export were all stolen. (A 15,000 cubic meter container can hold approximately 70,000 tons of rice.)

He Yuzhu didn't kill anyone, though knocking someone unconscious was inevitable. That night, the Bangkok White Eagle Bank was also robbed, and all the US dollars and gold disappeared. He Yuzhu didn't know the exact amount; he didn't have time to count it.

The next morning, when Bangkok's military and police sealed off the city and imposed martial law and search, He Yuzhu was already on a northbound train.

He jumped off the train halfway through the journey and headed north. He prayed at every temple he came across, but as a result, all the golden Buddha statues that had been there were gone the next day. Anyway, this guy didn't believe in Buddhism.

After going around in circles for about half a month, He Yuzhu returned to the place where he had let Shen Junchi and the others disembark.

There really was someone waiting for him—one of Shen Junchi's subordinates, who had been waiting for who knows how many days, looking disheveled.

Upon seeing him, she exclaimed with delight, "Mr. He, you've finally returned!"

"What, do you all think I'm not coming back?"

"No no."

Where is Shen Junchi?

“He is in our settlement.”

"What about the letter?"

“It’s been sent up, and our leader is very interested, so he told me to wait here.”

“Go back and send a message. I’ll wait for him here for three days. Just have your leader and Shen Junchi come. Of course, if he doesn’t dare to come, then never mind.”

"This"

"how?"

"I'm going right now, I'm going right now." This guy had already had enough of staying here, but he didn't dare to go back and say what He Yuzhu had said.

The young man walked ahead, and He Yuzhu followed him all the way until he saw someone at the realm of cultivation. He stopped and looked through his binoculars. The settlement was quite large, but it was only limited to that many people. At that time, only a few could bring their families. Most of the soldiers were bachelors, and very few local women were willing to marry into the settlement.

After waiting outside for more than a day, He Yuzhu finally saw Shen Junchi and his group. There weren't many people, just a squad, all fully armed.

It seems their leader still doesn't believe in any rain pillars.

Seeing these people's equipment, He Yuzhu thought to himself, "Damn, this is really shabby. These guys aren't using any Bald Eagle equipment. They're using domestically made goods from the 1940s: Chiang Kai-shek rifles, Czech-made light machine guns, and Mauser pistols. Only one of them is carrying a pistol."

He Yuzhu observed for a while and, seeing that there was no large group of people behind him, he followed, and remained at the back.

That evening, He Yuzhu disarmed the group and then tied them one by one to a tree using their belts.

"It's you?" Shen Junchi exclaimed in surprise when He Yuzhu woke everyone up and used a torch to check on them one by one.

"Yes, it's me."

"You are untrustworthy."

"You're the ones who broke your promise. You're fully armed; are you planning to arrest me?"

"Is there a problem with me, a deputy division commander, leading a platoon?" a middle-aged man asked.

"No problem, the problem is, I'm all alone, so I have to be careful."

"Are you trying to capture us and take us back to claim credit?"

"No, no, no, I said it's business, and it's business."

"Is this how you're going to talk to us?"

"I really wouldn't dare go to your place if I had no other choice. It's not that I can't beat a fully armed squad, it's just that it's too much trouble. When it comes to business, it's not good to see blood."

"Then you can just let me go, okay? Since you were able to take down this whole group of us without making a sound, you're not afraid of me, are you?"

“No problem, I just didn’t know who was in charge before.” He Yuzhu stepped forward to untie the person. Of course, he had seen the person’s ID, so it seemed that the person was sincere, otherwise he wouldn’t have brought something to prove his identity.

Another point suggests that these people must be having a tough time here, otherwise why would they risk doing big business with China?

Ignoring the others, the two approached the fire. The man said, "My name is Qi Mingzhao, deputy division commander of the ** division."

"Excuse my bluntness, but they probably don't recognize you as the deputy division commander anymore. There's no need to use it to show off your status."

"you"

"Just tell the truth."

"Alright, I, Qi, am now the leader of this Chinese community in northern Thailand. Is that a suitable title?"

"This is acceptable."

"As far as I know, there is no shortage of food in the country, so why do you suddenly need so much food and risk doing business with us?"

"How long has it been since you went back to China? Do you know how many people live in China?"

"This"

"Nowadays, every family has four or five children. You can do the math yourself."

Qi Mingzhao opened his mouth wide, while the newborns on their side counted on their fingers.

"That's not the case."

"There are some special reasons that I can't say, just tell me if you can get the food."

"Yes, but what will you use to exchange it? Money from China can't be used here."

"what do you want?"

"Weapons and equipment, gold, and US dollars."

"You really dare to ask for it."

"What, you can't produce it? Then what's the point of talking? Release my men and I'm going back."

"Wait, any weapon will do?"

"I doubt you'd be too embarrassed to bring out something so rubbish, right?"

"You've picked one, I'll go back and ask around for you, but don't get your hopes up too high."

"Weapons alone are not enough; we also need gold. You should know that we are paying real money to buy food."

"What about other things, like daily necessities, appliances, or farm tools?"

"Electrical appliances? Are you kidding me? You've been traveling around Thailand, haven't you? You saw them with electricity?"

What about bicycles?

"That's fine, but the quantity shouldn't be too large."

"Okay, I understand. I'll wait for news."

"You're just leaving?"

"Otherwise, why would I sign a contract with you?"

Where are our weapons?

"Don't even think about doing anything funny under that biggest tree up ahead. You can't afford the consequences." He Yuzhu said, then got up and left.

After He Yuzhu left, Qi Mingzhao helped his men untie their bonds. Shen Junchi said, "Commander, are we just going to let him go like this?"

"Otherwise what, Lieutenant Shen, you've really given me a lot of trouble. We can't afford to mess with someone like that."

"There are several thousand of us."

"Bullshit, he's capable of taking us down without a sound. Do you think he won't be able to kill me after I get back?"

"Oh!"

"This is incredibly embarrassing. Take your things and go home."

"Yes." The group dejectedly took their things and walked back.

He Yuzhu returned to his starting point in China at night. The patrolling soldiers saw a boat on the river and shouted, "Who's on the river? Hands up!"

He Yuzhu, not wanting to be captured by his own people, shouted, "I am Staff Officer He, get your company commander here."

"Staff Officer He? You're not allowed to move!"

Then, the flashlight beam shone over, and the soldiers saw that it really was Staff Officer He who had just put away his gun, and one of them had already run to call their company commander.

"Staff Officer He, why did you come back alone? How did the talks go?"

Do you have a radio station here that can contact the higher-ups?

“We don’t have any. The people who brought you here haven’t left yet; they should have some.”

"Okay, take me to them."

"it is good."

When He Yuzhu met those people, they learned that He Yuzhu wanted to use a radio, so they told him that they had one and brought it with them.

He Yuzhu asked, "Who is in charge of sending the telegrams?"

"Me," one person answered.

"Then everyone else, go outside and wait."

"Yes."

These people were told before they arrived that He Yuzhu should be treated the same way as the military rank on his identification.

After everyone left, He Yuzhu asked again, "Do you understand the confidentiality regulations?"

"Understood, Colonel He."

"Good that you understand. I'll tell you what to do and you can send it."

"Yes."

Then, to the telegraph operator's astonishment, the telegram was sent, followed by a long wait.

This deal is really unexpected; no one has done it before. It's like helping others build their power.

Actually, He Yuzhu didn't care at this point. He was just taking a chance, and he had already made quite a bit of progress this time. He just hadn't figured out how to use it yet.

Why doesn't he trade himself? This isn't his personal matter. If he trades, who can he explain it to?
If it weren't for his past performance, there would have been no way he would have been allowed to leave; anyone else might have defected.

Two hours later, He Yuzhu received a reply: "You are ordered to return to Beijing immediately. Someone has taken over this matter."

Actually, if this is what He Yuzhu wants, he can just act as the matchmaker. The actual process is too complicated and involves too many things, so he's really not suited for it.

"Received, return to Beijing immediately." He Yuzhu instructed the telegraph operator to reply.

After He Yuzhu went back to rest, the telegraph operator gave another telegram to the person in charge on their side.

The next morning, the man found He Yuzhu and said, "Colonel He, we can't take you back. We can only take you to the nearest station."

"can."

Then He Yuzhu was taken to the long-distance bus station. This time, he didn't go to see his comrades-in-arms, nor did he have time. He just bought some Yunnan fruits and some Pu'er tea and boarded the bus.

　Thank you to readers Sangeng and Shu10096 for the generous donations!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)