Reborn in 1878: America's Number One Bandit

Chapter 118 I'm sorry, our Chinese brothers
"Oh shit!"

Turik released his grip.

He didn't need an engineer to tell him that.

Even if you bring in laborers from the entire state, you won't be able to dig this tunnel in less than fifteen days!

It's obvious they're trapped now!

"Sir, what should we do?"

"How to do?"

Turik's face hardened: "They think they can stop us like this? What cowards!"

"They blew up the railway, so we rode horses; they destroyed the tunnels, so we climbed mountains!"

"Pass on my order: the entire battalion is to be converted into a cavalry force. We're going to San Francisco on horseback!"

Half an hour later, five hundred soldiers mounted their warhorses and left the pile of steel wreckage, taking a detour and rushing towards the old post road leading to San Francisco.

However, this slowed down the speed considerably.

As soon as they entered the narrow path leading to the coastal mountains, Turik's premonition came true.

A cold shot!
The flag bearer at the front of the procession fell to the ground with a thud, a bullet striking his forehead.

"hidden!"

Turik roared and rolled off his horse with his soldiers, hiding behind a rock.

Another shot.

This time it was the communications soldier next to Turik.

The bullet pierced his throat precisely.

"Damn it, I'll fight you to the death!"

Turik angrily fired back into the darkness, but the bullets only managed to scrape sparks off the rocks in vain.

The other side refused to engage in a decisive battle with them.

This ruthless bandit gang used sniper rifles to kill officers and communications soldiers, and set up roadblocks with burning horse-drawn carriages on the only mountain road they could pass through.

They would also throw logs and stones at the marching column from the hillsides on both sides.

They even used bamboo sticks coated with feces to set up animal traps, which they hid in streams specifically to pierce horses' hooves.

During the incident, soldiers and horses were constantly struck and fell to the ground, their screams never ceasing.

"Come out, you bunch of cowards who only know how to sneer at others, come out and fight me!"

Major Turik was furious and roared at the empty valley.

But all he received in response was a few chilling gunshots.

"Sir, we...we've suffered huge losses!"

A lieutenant crawled up to Turik: "They're not fighting us at all, they're just stalling us!"

"Of course I know they're stalling for time!"

Turik slammed his fist into the rock.

"Should we retreat back to Sacramento first? And wait until dawn..."

Turik's one eye glared at him: "You fucking say retreat again?"

"The more they act like this, the more it shows how bad the situation is in San Francisco. They're willing to do anything to stop us!"

"Listen, grizzly bears!"

“We’re the toughest nuts to crack in California. These rats don’t want us to get through, but we’re going to get through anyway. They’ve set up a blockade, but we’ll break through it with blood and bullets!”

"Charge!"

Turik was the first to mount his horse and charge into the canyon amidst the bullets.

The battle became more intense.

The Grizzly Battalion soldiers launched a frenzied charge.

The more this happens, the more determined they are to break through the blockade.

Turik and his militia battalion, like a herd of enraged bulls, plunged headlong into the trap set by the butcher.

This night in San Francisco seems like it will never end.

The flames of hell still burned throughout the city, but after midnight, another kind of torment began.

Cold, a cold that seeps into your very bones!
Thick fog rolled in from the bay, more like a shroud covering everyone.

Immediately afterwards, a light drizzle began to fall, carrying away the remaining warm air.

"Ah, Ah sneeze!"

Banker Jeffrey shivered uncontrollably and sneezed loudly.

"My feet, I can't feel my feet anymore..."

The mayor's wife huddled in a corner, her lips already turning purple from the cold.

These San Francisco elites, pampered and privileged, who traveled in carriages and with fireplaces, had never experienced such torment.

They were dragged from their warm beds, chased and terrified, and now they face the torture of nature.

They could have stayed outside, even if it was cold, but they didn't want to go back to that wooden shack that was worse than a cesspool.

But now, they have no choice.

"Fuck t!"

Crestwood finally uttered a curse.

His wife had begun to tremble in her unconscious coma; it was the convulsion of impending hypothermia and death!

"Get in, all of you get in! Do you want to die out there?"

He picked up his wife and kicked open the wooden door.

The familiar stench hit me again.

But this time, even if people were disgusted, no one ran away.

Even the strongest stench can't compare to the freezing rain outside.

The door is closed.

The banker took out a match and struck it several times before finally lighting it.

Startled by the sudden light, a large rat squeaked and darted past Mayor Samuel's feet, disappearing into a dark corner.

"what……"

Just as Mrs. Penny was about to scream, her husband covered her mouth.

"Don't make a sound, don't fucking make a sound!"

Samuel growled, "Are you trying to embarrass me, you bitch!"

Penny shook her head helplessly, tears streaming down her face.

They endured it all in the darkness.

They even began to miss the icy rain from earlier; at least that rainwater was clean.

Just hours ago, this group of people were enjoying French-style escargot on silver cutlery, but now they are fighting with rats and cockroaches for this dirty territory.

Their only solace was the thought that sustained them.

"It'll be dawn, just wait until it's dawn."

Barkley huddled by the door, burying his head in his knees: "The National Guard, Major Harrison's Grizzly Battalion, they'll come, they'll hang all those bastards..."

"Yes, hang them!"

"Leave no one behind!"

It's finally dawn.

Morning light shone slowly into this hellish place through the cracks in the wooden planks.

When Crestwood saw each other's faces clearly, they both gasped in shock.

His wife, Eleanor, still had black grime and tear stains on her face, and her dress was torn to shreds, making her look like a ghost that had just crawled out of the ground.

Mayor Samuel's fat face even had a piece of undigested vegetable from last night's vomit still stuck to it.

They stared at each other, seeing only dishevelment, filth, and humiliation!

"Barkley."

Crestwood's voice was hoarse.

"Yes, sir..."

"Go and see."

The senator said, “Go see if those bastards have left. Go see if our troops have arrived.”

Barkley nodded mechanically.

The man in black outside the alley had left. He stumbled to the entrance of Guang'an Lane.

The black-clad guards were still there, their faces expressionless, as if they hadn't moved all night.

Barkley didn't dare to talk to them, he just clung to the fence and looked towards the street corner.

With just one glance, his heart sank to the bottom again!
Those damned Irish thugs, they're still here!
Congressman Davis's body still hangs high on the gas lamp post, swaying back and forth in the morning breeze.

Instead of dispersing, the thugs seemed to have set up camp.

They lit a campfire, dragged the sofas and carpets they had looted from the wealthy neighborhood onto the street, and gathered around them, drinking the stolen whiskey and eating roasted meat!

They treated Chinatown like a walled city.

There wasn't a damn National Guard in sight!
"No, no, this is impossible..."

Barkley retreated, looking utterly dejected.

"what happened?"

Seeing him like this, Mayor Samuel's heart sank.

"The thugs are still there."

"The army hasn't come, damn it, the army hasn't come!"

"How could this be?"

Banker Jeffrey was on the verge of a breakdown: "Wasn't the telegram sent? What the hell are those Sacramento gentlemen doing? Don't they want San Francisco anymore?"

"It's over, we're all finished..."

"My daughter, my money, God..."

"Shut the hell up!"

Crestwood, surprisingly, calmed down and grabbed Barkley, who was still wailing, shouting, "Barkley!"

"S-Sir?"

"Sacramento..."

The senator narrowed his eyes: "Something happened to him too."

This is not a question, but an affirmative statement.

He understood immediately.

If Sacramento hadn't also run into a huge mess, given Governor Irwin's temperament, the Grizzly Camp's bayonets would have been plunged into the bellies of those thugs before dawn.

This riot was no coincidence!
“Jesus…”

Barkley and the mayor immediately realized what was happening, their blood running cold!
If they can't even count on Sacramento, then what about them?

"We can't just sit here and wait to die!"

Mayor's wife, Penny, said tremblingly, "Thugs outside, thugs inside..."

She glanced at the guards in black.

They are now trapped between two hells!

Crestwood released Barkley: "We still have friends."

“Barkley, go again, but don’t beg or threaten.”

"Go, please, please invite Mr. Aoyama over for a talk."

After a while.

As expected, Aoyama arrived.

He seemed to have just gotten up, having changed into a clean black Chinese-style short shirt, looking refreshed.

It was still drizzling outside, and Mai Ling followed behind him, holding an elegant oil-paper umbrella for him.

Behind them were two men in black carrying a large wooden barrel that was emitting billowing steam.

The wooden barrel was placed heavily in the middle of the alley.

A sweet aroma of ginger soup instantly dispelled half of the stench in the alley.

Those upper-class people who had endured a cold and hungry night couldn't help but swallow hard when they smelled the aroma.

"Ladies and gentlemen."

Qingshan cupped his hands in a gesture of respect: "I'm sorry you all have to suffer here. There's really nothing I can do. You see, Chinatown is a small place with a lot of people, so this is just how it is. Please get used to it."

He spoke so sincerely that Senator Crestwood's eye twitched.

Adapt? They're fucking going to die here!
You'll get used to it once you're completely dead!
"It's too cold, so I had someone prepare some hot ginger soup for everyone."

Aoyama kindly picked up a wooden spoon, scooped up a bowl, and handed it to Penny, the mayor's wife, who was closest to him: "Madam, please. Have a sip to warm yourself up."

Penny took the bowl of soup with trembling hands. The scalding heat was the most wonderful sensation she had ever felt in her life!
She took a big gulp without thinking.

"Cough cough, it's so hot, oh God..."

A spicy yet sweet heat surged into her stomach, and a warm feeling quickly spread throughout her body.

She was so comfortable she almost moaned.

Everyone stared intently at the wooden barrel.

Qingshan smiled and gestured to his men to distribute the goods.

"Everyone, drink slowly, there's enough for everyone."

"Alright, everyone, it's dawn now. Finish this bowl of soup to warm yourselves up, and then you can leave."

"boom!"

Mayor Samuel dropped the wooden bowl he was holding to the ground.

"leave?"

"of course."

Qingshan feigned surprise as he looked at them: "Didn't we agree last night? We'd only stay one night. I've done more than enough. Look, it's already dawn."

"No, you can't do that!"

Jeffrey glared at him: "The thugs are still outside. If you let us out now, you're murdering us!"

“Murder? Sir, that word cannot be used carelessly.”

Aoyama's face immediately darkened.

"Yes, Mr. Aoyama!"

Barkley didn't care anymore and knelt down in the mud with a thud: "Please, please take us in for one more day, just one more day. The army must be on its way, it's just been delayed!"

"Please!"

"We'll give you money, and even more money!"

The wealthy businessmen and celebrities panicked and surrounded him, pleading desperately.

Aoyama frowned, looking quite troubled.

"Gentlemen, it's not that I don't want to take you in. It's just that the longer you stay here, the more dangerous Chinatown becomes."

"I have tens of thousands of Chinese brothers here to protect. I can't risk their lives for the sake of a few dozen distinguished guests like you, can I?"

His righteous words left everyone speechless.

"Ugh……"

Aoyama sighed again. He walked to the wooden houses and kicked the broken door: "My Chinese brothers are suffering so much. More than 40,000 people are crammed into this godforsaken place that even rats would avoid."

"You've all seen it, and you've all experienced it."

“I contacted farmers in Northern California these past few days and, using the name of the Chinese Youth Association, just sent over 20,000 people over. Otherwise, you wouldn’t even have had a pigsty to sleep in last night.”

Those present were all cunning old foxes.

Listen carefully to what is being said.

Hearing what Qingshan said, they quickly realized that it was Chinatown that had made the offer.

Crestwood whirled around and glared at Samuel Black!
"Samuel!"

He roared, "Look at yourself, you fucking show me!"

"Is this the San Francisco you've built? Is this how you treat your allies?"

“I…I, a senator…”

The mayor was startled.

You have let down our Chinese brothers!

Crestwood used the same words that Aoyama had just used, speaking them clearly and precisely: "They traveled thousands of miles across the ocean to come here. They built our California. They laid the railroads so that you and I could come comfortably from Sacramento. They cleared the land so that we could have bread to eat!"

"They have made such great contributions, how have we repaid them?"

"You actually let them live in this kind of cesspool, a place even dogs wouldn't want to stay in!"

"Samuel, this is a disgrace to you as mayor, and a disgrace to San Francisco!"

(End of this chapter)