[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-from-special-forces-to-the-multiverse":3,"chapter-from-special-forces-to-the-multiverse-from-special-forces-to-the-multiverse-chapter-153":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","From Special Forces to the Multiverse",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2315203,4527,"Chapter 153: Factory Hiring","from-special-forces-to-the-multiverse-chapter-153",153,"\u003Cp>'Ah.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without hesitation, Lu Tong drew his sword and charged toward the front-line troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Bang, bang, bang.' Several bullets struck his joints.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man who had just moments ago wielded his blade bravely and charged at them now lay helplessly on the ground like a mortally wounded beast, letting out agonized, piercing screams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bullets’ astonishing penetration and destructive force shattered his joints, tore his flesh into unrecognizable ruin, leaving behind vast, horrifying wounds. His body trembled in agony, his blood staining the surrounding earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The disciples behind him trembled violently at the sight of the neatly lined rifles; at this moment, they realized how laughable their former reliance on martial strength seemed before an army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faced with such enemies, they lacked even the courage to resist and were easily taken away. Lu Tong was severely wounded but still alive—such a notorious figure must be handed over to the people for public trial and then executed according to law.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Tong, now a broken man, was taken by the revolutionary army to their prison, which was already overflowing. Inside were not only past criminals of heinous deeds but also gentry and Jurchen nobles undergoing labor reform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The labor reform for these people was simple: teach them to read and write. What surprised him most was that the students of these masters were none other than the mud-stained peasants he had always despised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew that in daily life, he had to bow and grovel before these masters—there was no choice; for thousands of years, the scholar class had always held the highest status.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when he appeared before the magistrate’s court, he had to kneel and kowtow, while these men did not. As for those mud-stained peasants—not to boast—he wouldn’t even deign to speak to them, not even his own subordinates cared to acknowledge such lowly beings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the gentry masters in prison patiently taught them anyway, supposedly to meet the prison’s quotas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those peasants showed no interest in the Confucian and Mencian doctrines the masters taught, dismissing them as feudal trash and refusing to learn. They wanted to study Marxist-Leninist philosophy instead—it was useful. To apply for factory work, to join the revolutionary army, or to become an official of the People’s Government, one had to pass exams in Marxist-Leninist philosophy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the disciples who came with him were taken out and shot. Only he remained here. The prison guard told him that someone of his high status as a criminal boss would be held back for the final public trial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he no longer cared. His heart was as dead as ash. All his family—his wife, his children—had been blown to pieces by artillery. His lifetime’s hard-won wealth had been seized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every joint in his body had been shattered. A once-mighty martial hero was now merely a cripple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he were released alive, what difference would it make? Death was his best choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After three months in prison, the facility remained perpetually overcrowded—even as people were constantly taken out and shot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brothel madams and their enforcers, usurers in the city—all were taken out and executed without exception. Only minor hoodlums underwent labor reform before being released.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Hey, never thought the People’s Government would be so kind—after throwing us in here, they still let these masters teach us poor devils to read and write. Brothers, once I’m out of this prison, I won’t waste my life like before. I’ll study hard and prepare for the factory entrance exam.' The man speaking was Ma Sanban, a petty thug from the prefecture who lived by stealing chickens and picking pockets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Big Brother Ma, becoming a craftsman is a brutal job—hard work, exhausting labor, and the government often delays wages. Your children and grandchildren will all be workers.' A nearby hoodlum quickly urged him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Hey, I’ve always said you lot have no vision. The world in Song Guo has changed. The highest status isn’t held by the old masters who barked orders anymore—it’s held by revolutionary soldiers and workers. Do you know how much factory workers earn each month? Two taels of silver!' At this, the prisoners in the cell gasped in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the time of Emperor Zhenzong of Song, silver had been scarce, and its value kept rising—generally, over two thousand copper coins equaled one tael.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One tael of silver could buy at least six shi of rice. One shi was about sixty-six kilograms, so monthly wages meant at least eight hundred catties of rice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing how high the workers’ wages were, they were filled with envy. If only they could get into a factory themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Pfft, you’re already jealous? This wage is just one of the benefits. Once you become a worker, there are many perks: meals in the canteen—I tell you, the food is excellent, four dishes and one soup, sometimes even buns and dumplings.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'The dormitories house four men each, clean and sanitary. If you marry, you get a couple’s room—even housing is provided. Your children get access to nursery schools and primary schools for workers’ kids. During festivals, the factory doesn’t just give days off—it distributes gifts: rice, flour, oil, and special seasonal items—mooncakes with five-nut filling for Mid-Autumn, zongzi with meat for Dragon Boat.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Near the factory is a Labor Park—with a swimming pool, a bathhouse. On your free time, you can bring your family to exercise, swim, bathe.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they listened to Ma Sanban’s description, everyone around him was filled with envy, thinking that if only they could pass the exam, their later lives would be blessed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Hey, giving workers such high pay and distributing land to farmers—that must cost a fortune. Where’s the revolutionary army getting all this money?' Someone in the crowd stood up to ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'You’ve hit the nail on the head. I tell you, every benefit and wage the workers enjoy is not given lightly. To enter a factory, you must undergo training to learn real skills. The literacy test is just the baseline. Before being accepted, you must complete training, then prove you can handle factory work before being hired.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Ma Sanban finished, everyone around him asked: 'Big Brother Ma, why are you telling us all this? Aren’t you afraid we’ll steal your job?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Steal your job? I’ll tell you—the factories are desperate to hire as many as possible. They’re scrambling for workers, afraid they won’t get enough. The more, the better.' Hearing this, the prisoners slapped their thighs and exclaimed: 'If it’s true, we can’t miss this chance! We’ll study hard, learn to read, and take the exam. Even if we don’t get hired, we’ll still learn plenty. Learning a trade the old way? You’d have to work for free for years.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the others’ excitement, Ma Sanban felt a quiet relief—he was glad the martial gangs hadn’t recruited him back then. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have even made it to the factory—he’d have had his skull blown clean through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The revolutionary army and police had terrified these hoodlums lately—everyone who’d ever worked as a black glove had been taken out and shot, not one left alive.\u003C\u002Fp>",1180,"2026-06-20T13:48:22.834Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","a40103d55c4882e6f202181d689666afa1a1c6bebff3e8ab661cb8d9d2f25d79","from-special-forces-to-the-multiverse-chapter-154","from-special-forces-to-the-multiverse-chapter-152",205,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Ffrom-special-forces-to-the-multiverse-cover.jpg"]