Chapter 146: Recruiting Talent

Cheng Feng was also taken aback when he heard the notice issued by the County Magistrate; what kind of Immortal-level maneuver was this?

The refugees have been here for so long, and only now are they thinking about distributing grain?

They really couldn't even catch a hot meal even if they were eating shit.

However, watching the county government officials maintaining order there, Cheng Feng's heart stirred; perhaps he could use this tailwind to help his own plan rise.

The next morning, as sunlight spilled over the earth, Cheng Feng sent out all the newly initiated Hong Sect disciples. They wore Ordinary clothing, appearing completely unremarkable as they mingled in the crowd, heading toward the city gate in teams of ten. They carried an important mission—to search for anyone among the refugees who possessed special talents.

The Hong Sect's talent recruitment activities, which had once disappeared from view, reappeared in the world of the jianghu.

This time, Cheng Feng focused his gaze on physicians, Martial Artists, construction workers, people skilled in accounting, those who were literate and educated, and even those who had military experience.

Before the mission, Cheng Feng warned everyone that this operation could not be conducted under the name of the Hong Sect; the bottom line was to only find people and not cause trouble.

They must not become enemies with the government soldiers; they only needed to observe carefully or leave behind a message or mark.

There were five teams in total, ten people per team, and each team had ten vouchers; as long as they found the talent required for the mission, one voucher was worth one tael of silver, until the team's supply was exhausted.

A powerful force requires not only brave and skilled warriors but also cannot function without comprehensive logistical support.

Although the Hong Sect currently possessed a group of brothers skilled in wielding a Sword, in Cheng Feng's eyes, logistical strength was equally vital. This philosophy stemmed from the valuable experience of the infrastructure-obsessed Zhonghua Family from his past life.

"If you want to be rich, build roads first; if you want to succeed, people must go first," Cheng Feng kept this firmly in mind.

The current Hong Sect was like a huge, pure, and flawless sheet of white paper, quietly waiting for him, this ingenious and talented painter, to carefully depict a magnificent and grand blueprint.

Therefore, Cheng Feng had to act with extreme caution, avoiding any conflict or friction with the government as much as possible.

At this stage, the main resource the Hong Sect could provide to the refugees was grain, but the living quarters would need to be built by the newly joined refugees themselves.

Coincidentally, on the street near the Sishui Gang, the Hong Sect had already spent a large sum of money to purchase a vast area of old houses, which could be fully and reasonably utilized.

Regarding the future planning of the county, Cheng Feng already had a clear direction in his heart: the county was merely a rear supply base or a logistics department; the vast, hopeful, and fertile fields outside the city were the real goal.

Cheng Feng intended to draw on the strategic policy proposed by a certain great man from his past life—encircling the cities from the countryside.

The reason for making such a decision was truly because the situation within the county was intricate and complex, with interpersonal relationships deeply intertwined; the water was simply too deep, making it difficult to see the true state of affairs. To ensure the Hong Sect could develop and grow smoothly, Cheng Feng had no choice but to adopt this expedient measure.

With chaos everywhere, once talent was selected, they could recruit people to establish a hidden base.

There would certainly be difficulties and obstacles, but with Cheng Feng's current manpower and strength, doing this much was already the limit.

Most of the refugees had gathered outside the city, scattered everywhere; fierce officials held whips, lashing those who did not maintain their formation.

As the sun rose, the order at the city gate gradually stabilized. Porridge sheds were set up one by one on the side of the main gate.

The refugees were divided into several long lines, waiting noisily for the porridge to be served.

After scattering the Hong Sect disciples, Cheng Feng sat under a large tree at the city gate, quietly observing it all.

At first, the Hong Sect brothers began their actions with excited expressions. Everyone employed their own unique skills and methods, hoping to find someone with technical expertise to join their ranks.

Some asked passersby one after another if they possessed any specific skills; some loudly proclaimed that their shop was hiring accountants; others claimed the medical clinic needed a physician to preside; and some even put up signs indicating they were recruiting physically strong people to guard the premises.

However, when Cheng Feng saw that vast expanse of emaciated refugees, he couldn't help but feel speechless at the disciple looking for strong men to guard the place. Was it really reasonable to look for strong people among these frail crowds? It was as difficult as looking for an oasis in the desert.

The entire morning passed, and the disciples returned to Cheng Feng's side with disappointed expressions, reporting the results to him. Cheng Feng nodded one by one to show he understood, but his heart remained completely unmoved.

Not everyone wandering in these chaotic times possessed skills. Most of these displaced people were just Ordinary folk who could only survive by scratching a living from the soil.

Those with real ability could thrive wherever they went. After pondering for a moment, Cheng Feng instructed everyone to keep trying. Then, he turned to leave the place, continuing to think about the next step of his plan.

A commotion came from the right side. Cheng Feng looked up and saw a group of fierce government soldiers rushing toward them. They brandished whips and shouted loudly, driving away the refugees who were not following the rules.

Cheng Feng's heart tightened; he knew these were people from the county government. He stood up, preparing to leave. However, when those soldiers saw someone wanting to leave, they brandished their whips and struck toward him.

Cheng Feng flashed aside, dodging the whip. Cheng Feng instantly understood that these soldiers were targeting him.

Thus, Cheng Feng shouted loudly: "Stop! We are here to help, not to cause trouble. Doing this will only make the refugees more chaotic!"

When those soldiers heard this, they stopped one after another, looking at Cheng Feng suspiciously. One of the leading soldiers walked up, approached Cheng Feng, looked him up and down, and asked: "Are you from the city?"

Cheng Feng nodded, holding onto the leading soldier without letting go, and said: "That's right. Our shop is short of hands, and we wanted to come over to see if there was anyone we needed. Officer, we are willing to help the government maintain order, and at the same time, we are willing to provide help to the refugees."

The leading soldier heard this, squeezed the object in his hand without changing his expression, and a flash of sharp light crossed his eyes.

He nodded and said kindly: "Good, since you are here to help, then stay. However, you must follow our rules and not act without authorization."

Cheng Feng nodded, indicating his agreement. He knew this was the best result for now.

At the very least, they could continue their talent recruitment activities here and lay a solid foundation for the development of the Hong Sect.

Cheng Feng had long had a contingency plan for when the government soldiers came to cause trouble.

Anyone would certainly feel uncomfortable having people bossing them around on their own turf.

Cheng Feng had also consistently emphasized before not to clash with the government soldiers.

Therefore, the only thing that could move the government soldiers was enough silver.

Cheng Feng spent ten taels of silver in exchange for short-term peace in the future.

The questioning work of these disciples would remain very smooth for the next few days.

Cheng Feng also wanted to punch every single one of them.

But to get red-faced over such a small matter, that would be truly lacking in sophistication.