Top-notch Little Horseman

"The best course of action..."

Ye Chen nodded slightly and said, "If we want to move goods smoothly, we naturally have to bribe the gatekeeper. Otherwise, if we always exceed the limit, it might arouse suspicion."

Although the horse camp had an excess quota, it was impossible to demand it for a whole month in a row. In addition, with the warhorse falling ill, the demand for pasture was naturally not that great.

That bastard Zhang San will definitely make a move; this matter must be resolved.

"The ranch gatekeeper?" Qian Wansan immediately understood Ye Chen's meaning, but this matter was of utmost importance. If things went wrong, he could really get himself into trouble.

"It's not going to work... The border troops have their own factions, and the truth will eventually come out. This route is not feasible for now," Qian Wansan said, shaking his head.

If he bribed the guards, then he wouldn't need to cooperate with Ye Chen anymore. Smuggling with the guards was a capital offense.

Even the General would not agree to let him do this. Once the truth comes out, the Qian family will be doomed.

There was absolutely no reason or explanation for it.

"In that case, I can only offer a middle-ground solution." Ye Chen picked up the teapot, filled Qian Wansan's cup, and then poured himself a cup of tea as well.

"I have an idea. If I contribute the amount by myself, it will definitely arouse suspicion. But if I can contact a few more team leaders, and each of our teams can contribute an extra fifty kilograms of fodder, then we certainly won't be discovered."

"But if we do that, with so many people talking, it's hard to guarantee that the news won't leak out."

Upon hearing this, Qian Wansan began to think seriously. He had considered this idea before, and if it worked, there would be almost no trouble later on.

In these chaotic times, everyone wants to earn more. If there are multiple people sharing a cake, everyone will definitely want to have a bigger slice.

Uneven distribution will inevitably lead to disaster.

To implement this strategy, the person in charge must be strong enough to control the overall situation and maintain order.

Ye Chen was clearly out of the question, and Qian Wansan was even less likely to step forward.

"Well... if there's no better way, I'm afraid this is the only thing we can do," Qian Wansan said, frowning.

As long as his safety isn't involved, there's room for maneuver; he doesn't care if Ye Chen and the others die.

"In that case, it's settled then. But I still think it's better to cooperate with the security guard. It will be more convenient later and can improve the efficiency of cooperation."

Qian Wansan smiled and said, "Alright. This is your business, it has nothing to do with me."

After finishing their business here, Ye Chen didn't linger any longer.

The most urgent task is still modification; the modification of the electric cannon must be completed as soon as possible. After leaving the Qian residence, Ye Chen took the monkey to the foundry.

As agreed, the roast chicken was handed over to Er Gouzi, who was munching on a cornbread bun.

Qin Mengyao's skills are truly excellent. The aroma is incredible. The moment the oil paper is opened, tears well up in the eyes of many craftsmen, who can't help but shed them.

Er Gouzi didn't eat alone; besides his two employees, he also invited two chefs over, and the group ate roast chicken together.

These were all helpers picked out by Er Gouzi; some were skilled in woodworking and smelting, while others were skilled in making bullets.

Er Gouzi essentially formed a working group for Ye Chen.

Er Gouzi and the others ate with great relish, and soon the roast chicken was reduced to just bones.

"Big brother, this is the little thing you asked me to make yesterday. I stayed up all night and managed to modify it for you." Er Gouzi said, taking out the steel pestle that Ye Chen had given him from behind his back, which he had now polished into shape.

"Is this what you wanted?"

Er Gouzi polished that thing into a triangular military dagger with three blood grooves on each side.

Ye Chen was overjoyed when he saw the triangular bayonet that Er Gouzi had polished, and he hurriedly took the triangular bayonet.

The triangular bayonet danced and twirled at his fingertips, creating whistling sounds as it flew, making him appear quite formidable.

"The craftsmanship is excellent; this is exactly what I wanted."

Compared to swords, Ye Chen preferred these dark, sturdy steel lumps; they were durable and reliable.

This thing can also be attached to the front of a lightning gun, instantly turning it into a bayonet.

The key point is that against heavily armored opponents, he is even more effective than a spear; one thrust will kill anyone.

This weapon draws blood extremely quickly, and with current medical technology, there's simply no way to stitch up the wound.

"Brother, take it easy. I've tried that thing, even hard armor can't withstand it," Er Gouzi kindly advised Ye Chen.

"If you poke this thing once, even a god can't save you."

While Er Gouzi was impressed by Ye Chen's ingenious ideas, he was also extremely worried that his older brother might be a psychopathic killer.

After all, every requirement for armed transformation put forward by Ye Chen could be described as insane.

"Of course, your older brother just likes to do research, he would never dare to kill anyone, so don't overthink it."

Ye Chen has the appearance of a harmless and obedient child, which makes people feel extremely at ease.

……

For the next two days, Ye Chen underwent intensive training and regularly delivered roast chicken to Er Gouzi.

On the third day, Er Gouzi came to Ye Chen's door in person and pulled him to his room at the foundry.

"Big brother! This is fixed!"

Er Gouzi retrieved a cloth bag and took out an item from it—the very same electric musket that Ye Chen had requested be shortened and whose magazine was now filled with steel balls.

"It's done!" Ye Chen was overjoyed. He took the electric gun and began to examine it carefully.

"That's great. The flint hammer has been modified too. Have you tried it?" He examined it over and over, carefully checking every detail.

This is his trump card, a trump card that he can use to save his life in the future.

Er Gouzi did more than just saw the barrel shorter; he reinforced the entire gun body, repaired the airtightness of the barrel, and made the fit with the bullet perfectly precise.

With the current level of industrial capacity, it is entirely possible to pass down a gun for three generations, so that the gun remains even after the person leaves.

"This is the first shot after the modification, and I was thinking... it would be more meaningful if my older brother could try it out."

Er Gouzi's fur hasn't even fully grown in yet, but he's already emphasizing the importance of this first time.

"It's so short, won't it explode?" The smoker who came with Ye Chen had never seen such a strange musket before and couldn't help but worry.

"Old Smoker, you can question my character, but you absolutely cannot question my skills!" Er Gouzi said angrily, looking at Smoker with a serious expression.

"The gun I'm equipped with has a 20% lower gunpowder content, which leaves more room for small steel balls; it can hold a full fifty of them."

Er Gouzi explained tirelessly, "But because of this, its range is very short. It can probably only hit about 10 paces. Any further and it's like scattering beans."

"Ten steps? That's enough." Ye Chen looked at the lightning gun in his hand and nodded in satisfaction.

"A long gun is fast at a range of 10 paces, and a short gun is both accurate and fast at a range of 10 paces."

As Ye Chen spoke, he had already loaded the short gun and pulled back the flintlock hammer.

He raised his gun, aimed at a large tree about five steps away, and pulled the trigger without any warning.

"Bang!..."

With a loud bang, the steel balls transformed into a torrential downpour, spraying towards the large tree.