Reborn in 1878: America's Number One Bandit

Chapter 64 Don't be fooled, they're definitely scammers.

Liang Kuan frowned immediately upon seeing the person.

These men were strong and burly; they were clearly not to be trifled with.

However, Leung Foon was afraid of Americans, Irishmen, Mexicans, everyone but Chinese.

"Hey! You guys, what are you doing here!"

The army (the new-faced assassin) didn't even glance at him. Facing the group of curious Chinese laborers, he announced loudly, "Our apple orchard is hiring. Short-term or long-term positions are available. Is there anyone willing to work here?"

Finding a job in California is not easy. Chinese workers have no bargaining power, and apart from foremen leading the way, they have never encountered anyone coming to their door to recruit workers.

The workers immediately perked up!
Working on an apple orchard, no matter how tiring, will never be more tiring than working on a railway!

But before they could react, Liang Kuan exploded first.

"Hiring? Are you lost, kid?"

"You're not playing by the rules, are you? How dare you come to my territory and try to steal someone!"

These Chinese laborers were his cash cow.

He could siphon several cents off each person's wages every day.

If he gets poached, what will he do for a living?
Liang Kuan chattered on and on, but Da Jun simply ignored him.

"Anyone willing to work on the farm, whether a day laborer or a long-term worker, will receive one Eagle Spread a daily wage!"

This number immediately made all the Chinese laborers present doubt that they had heard correctly.

A soaring eagle! Every day!

They worked like animals every day, from dawn till dusk, risking landslides and being crushed to death, and all Liang Kuanfa got them was fifty cents!
The wages at the farm are double what they are here!

One month's work here is equivalent to two months' work here.

They travel across oceans, risking their lives, just to earn a few more dollars to send home.

Moreover, can farm work be as tiring as laying railway tracks?

At least you don't have to worry about stones falling on your head.

For a moment, every Chinese laborer was excited.

Seeing that the workers' minds had completely wandered, Liang Kuan panicked.

He absolutely could not let this man take all the workers away.

"Don't be fooled by him, everyone! Wake up, you bastards!"

He pointed at the army and roared fiercely, "One Eagle a day? California doesn't pay that much right now!"

"This man is a fraud! He's a human trafficker! He's going to lure you all there and sell you to illegal mines in Nevada! You'll die in the mines, and we won't even find your bones!"

As expected, the workers hesitated again after he finished speaking.

Yes, the wages are ridiculously high for Chinese people.

What Liang Kuan said seems to make some sense.

In this foreign land, people's hearts are treacherous, and even compatriots cannot be completely trusted.

If it really is a scam, then we'll be doomed.

Noticing the workers' fear, Liang Kuan smiled smugly.

People of the lowest class are just people of the lowest class. They believe everything you say when you try to scare them. They should just stay here and make money for themselves!
Dajun curled his lip.

The boss had already given me instructions when I arrived.

“These people must be recruited voluntarily. They are compatriots, not slaves. You set the conditions, and they can come if they want to, or you can not force them if they don’t want to. This is called respecting individual destiny.”

Thinking of this, Dajun was too lazy to waste any more words.

There are plenty of Chinese laborers in California; this one won't make a difference.

He was about to urge his horse on when he seemed to remember something.

"Go if you want, don't go if you don't. As for worrying about whether I'm lying to you..."

"...There is indeed someone on our farm whom you all know."

These words immediately piqued the interest of the Chinese people again.

"An acquaintance? Who is it?"

"Don't tell us you're lying to us..." The laborers whispered among themselves, and the little flame that Liang Kuan had just suppressed rekindled.

Seeing that the desired effect had been achieved, Dajun pulled on the reins and turned his horse around.

As the burly man was about to leave, a curse from the day he was gone seemed to frantically claw at the hearts of the laborers, like countless tiny hands.

It might be fake, but it could also be real!

What if they weren't lying?
Wouldn't that be a great opportunity that would be missed?
Liang Kuan added fuel to the fire, shouting, "Get the hell out of here, you liar! Don't you dare delay my men from getting to work!"

At that moment, two young laborers suddenly pushed their way out of the crowd.

"We'll go with you to take a look!"

The two who stepped forward were Erzhu and Zhou Dapao.

Both of them had been in the United States for less than a year, and their families were so poor that they couldn't even afford to eat, which is why they crossed the ocean to gamble their lives.

Zhou Dapao, being straightforward, shouted at the top of his lungs, "We'll go see for ourselves! Let's see if it's really as you say! If it's a lie, we'll just come back!"

Liang Kuan scoffed, "Idiots! You two are complete brainless idiots!"

"Come back? Do you think this is a brothel? You can't just come and go as you please?"

"Once you're locked in the dungeon and whipped until your skin is torn and bleeding every day, you'll know just how damn precious these 50 cents are!"

These words made Erzhu and Zhou Dapao pause for a moment.

Fortunately, Erzhu was more quick-witted than Zhou Dapao.

He gritted his teeth and said stubbornly, "I have to go and see for myself before I can feel at ease! What if it's true?"

"A piece of eagle soaring!"

Zhou Dapao also quietly added from the side.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Liang Kuan, enraged, laughed and waved his hand dismissively, "Go on! Good advice is useless against a damned devil! I'm telling you right now, if you two come back unharmed, I'll change my name!"

Erzhu and Zhou Dapao ignored him and quickly caught up with the army that had already taken a few steps.

The army did not turn back, but simply threw two water bags off their horses.

"Drink some water to soothe your throat. There are two more carriages waiting outside the town later."

……

The horse-drawn carriage was the most common type of flatbed cart used for hauling goods.

Erzhu and Zhou Dapao clung tightly to the edge of the vehicle, sitting on the bumpy floor.

Neither of them dared to speak.

Zhou Dapao's legs had begun to tremble uncontrollably.

He wanted to ask something several times, but when he saw that towering figure in front of him, he swallowed his words back.

Erzhu was also uneasy.

The words Liang Kuan had said kept flashing through my mind uncontrollably.

"Sold to illegal mines, they died in the mines, their skin torn and bleeding..."

Since following the leader, the man hadn't said a word.

They didn't even mention the orchard's situation. Damn it, could this really be a road of no return?
He began to regret it.

He thought of his blind mother sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed) in his hometown.

If he dies, who will take care of her in her old age and see her off in her final days?

but……

"One silver dollar a day..."

Just when he was about to be driven mad by this uncertainty, the carriage slowed down.

"arrive."

Dajun's voice rang out on its own, and Erzhu and Zhou Dapao practically rolled off the vehicle floor using both their hands and feet.

They stood there, blinking blankly.

The high walls, barbed wire, and menacing guards armed with shotguns that I had imagined... were nowhere to be found!
(End of this chapter)