Chapter 193: The Fake Foreign Devil

The morning mist had not yet dispersed when the Adjutant's sharp whistle pierced the tranquility of the Military Camp.

The soldiers of the Security Regiment spilled out of their barracks, cursing and swearing; each one was yawning incessantly and disheveled, some not even having fastened their belts properly, as they stood in crooked lines under the officers' reprimands.

At the same time, on Yezhu Ling, Regimental Commander Yang and his soldiers had just finished eating.

A night of marching had left everyone exhausted, and the soldiers were all napping in sheltered spots.

A fast horse galloped over; the soldier flipped off the horse, rushed panting to Regimental Commander Yang, stood at attention, and saluted: "Report to the Regimental Commander! The Security Regiment has moved out in full force, over eight hundred men, carrying only light weapons; they didn't even bring the Machine Guns!"

Upon hearing this, a look of determination appeared on Regimental Commander Yang's face: "Good! The fish has taken the bait! Everyone, immediately move into the pre-set positions, and clean up all traces on the road for me—don't let them spot any flaws!"

On the other side, Zhao Xikui was riding on horseback; as soon as he entered the mountain path of Yezhu Ling, he raised his whip and shouted: "Brothers, put in some effort! Fifteen miles ahead is Zhao Jia Zhuang! If we arrive before dawn, everyone gets a reward of two Big Ocean coins!"

The Security Regiment soldiers, who had originally been somewhat listless, immediately perked up upon hearing there was a reward, and their pace quickened significantly.

Regimental Commander Yang watched from a hidden spot as the enemy all crawled into the pocket, a cold sneer flashing across the corner of his mouth.

He steadily raised a Rifle, the muzzle aiming at the figure on horseback who was gesturing and shouting within the ranks down the mountain.

"Bang!"

A crisp gunshot broke the silence of the valley.

The bullet precisely drilled into Zhao Xikui's head; his body tilted, and he tumbled straight off his horse, dying on the spot.

This gunshot was like a signal for the attack! In an instant, hundreds upon hundreds of hand grenades rained down from the cliffs on both sides like hailstones.

"Boom, boom, boom—!"

The deafening sound of explosions rose and fell in the valley, echoing incessantly.

The Security Regiment was instantly stunned by this sudden blow, men and horses toppling over, falling into complete chaos.

Immediately following this, the eight Heavy Machine Guns ambushed on both sides of the mountain opened fire together.

"Da-da-da... da-da-da..."

The scorching flames wove into a net of death, shrouding the entire valley.

The battle had no suspense; in less than a quarter of an hour, the gunfire gradually ceased.

When clearing the battlefield, the count showed over three hundred of the Security Regiment were killed, and the remaining five hundred-plus were all taken prisoner.

As for the People's Liberation Army, only fifteen men suffered minor injuries, with zero casualties.

Regimental Commander Yang looked at the captured weapons and ammunition and laughed heartily: "Haha, this battle was fought, it was damn satisfying!"

He immediately gave the order for the Second Battalion to be responsible for covering the rear and clearing the battlefield, while the main force was to immediately set off for Zhao Village to transport grain.

He Yuzhu woke up, and the sun was already high; it was nearly eight o'clock.

He Daqing had already left in advance with the grain transport team, leaving only five soldiers for him.

What surprised him slightly was that Regimental Commander Yang had actually left ten thousand catties of grain for Qin Family Village.

He Yuzhu shook his head at the five young soldiers and said: "Fine, this is what I call a son paying his father's debts. My old man promised to prepare the banquet, but since he has left, comrades, today you'll have to suffer and serve as my kitchen helpers; we have to get this wedding banquet set up!"

Near noon, the dishes were basically prepared.

But when the people who were to eat arrived, He Yuzhu was dumbfounded; there were a full 600-plus people.

It turned out Chen Qingshan had only invited all the families who had helped him raise livestock, plus various relatives of the Qin Family, counting on setting up over forty tables, which should have been enough; only when the banquet started did he realize it wasn't enough at all, as even the most distant relatives of the Qin Family had all come.

Seeing more and more people arriving, with not even enough seats, He Yuzhu had no choice but to pretend to take a large amount of canned pork from the cart—though it was actually from his space—and directly cut them open and pour them into the large pot to stew with cabbage.

And don't you know, many villagers had never eaten canned food, and they all quite liked this dish.

As the banquet was nearing its end, Chen Daya's little Apprentice, Ma Yan, hurried over with two assistants.

Seeing her, He Yuzhu asked: "Hey, little Yanzi, did you come to contribute to the Master's gift today too?"

Ma Yan blushed and said: "I didn't even know the Master was getting married today. I'm here to pass on a message for Sister Xiangxiu."

"Hurry and tell me, is it good news or bad news?"

"She said 'the matter has passed,' and Sister Daya can return home with peace of mind," Ma Yan whispered.

"That's great!" He Yuzhu laughed.

It seems things are progressing smoothly on Lao Zhou's side; nine times out of ten, he has really turned that Bureau Chief Xu.

He casually reached into his pocket, pulled out a bag of candies wrapped in oil paper, and stuffed it into Ma Yan's hand: "Here, take this back for your grandparents to sweeten their mouths."

The little girl happily took the candy and carefully put it into her pocket.

Beiping City, No. 5 Courtyard, Baihua Shenchu Hutong.

Hu Yunbin had been back with Xu Damao for five days.

The guest coming this afternoon was the third party he had arranged to meet.

The first two parties had both been scared off because Hu Yunbin's asking price was too high.

This time, the guest was said to have some background, claiming to be from the Kong Family.

Two Bodyguards wearing black short-sleeved outfits with bulging waists escorted a short, fat man wearing gold-rimmed glasses and a silk long gown into the living room.

The fat man held his head slightly high, sweeping a scrutinizing gaze over the slightly dilapidated living room. He did not stand on ceremony and got straight to the point: "I am Kong Lingchen. I heard Mr. Hu has a fine sword, so I came specifically to take a look. If the item is truly good, the price, well, that is not a problem."

Seeing the other party ignoring him, Hu Yunbin hurriedly instructed Xu Damao: "Damao, what are you standing there for! Go boil some water and brew a pot of good tea for Mr. Kong!"

Kong Lingchen waved his hand, somewhat impatiently: "No need for the trouble. I am busy with official business; I will take a look at the item and leave."

Seeing the visitor not following the rules, although Hu Yunbin was unhappy, he dared not be negligent and hurriedly brought out a long wooden box from the deepest part of the cabinet in the inner room.

He carefully opened the box, peeled back layers of wrapped brocade and oil paper, and finally, the Bronze Sword, shimmering with a dark golden luster and exquisite patterns, was revealed.

"Mr. Kong, please take a look," Hu Yunbin carefully held out the sword, "This sword is a genuine antique from the Warring States period. Look at this quality... although it has gone through over two thousand years, the blade is still sharp enough to cut a hair!" As he spoke, he actually plucked a hair from his own head, placed it on the edge of the blade, and blew on it lightly; the hair instantly snapped into two pieces.

Kong Lingchen took the sword, examined it carefully for a moment, and nodded slightly: "Name your price."

Hu Yunbin took a deep breath and held up one finger.

"One hundred thousand?" Kong Lingchen sneered and shook his head.

Hu Yunbin hurriedly added: "Mr. Kong, I won't lie to you, yesterday a Manager from an American firm offered eighty thousand Big Ocean coins, and I couldn't bear to part with it."

Kong Lingchen placed the sword on the table, his tone brook no argument: "Thirty thousand, at most this much."

The expectant smile on Hu Yunbin's face froze instantly, and he said in astonishment, "Kong... Mr. Kong, you aren't joking, are you?"

Kong Lingchen adjusted his glasses and said righteously, "Mr. Hu, I am not like those merchants who only know how to affect elegance. I am buying this sword to present to the visiting special envoy from the United States! This concerns whether we can secure vital aid; it is for the great cause of the Party and State! The rise and fall of the nation is the responsibility of every man! Mr. Hu, you surely understand this principle, don't you?"

Hu Yunbin was so angered by his high-sounding words that he laughed, shook his head, and said, "Mr. Kong, I don't understand your grand principles. I only recognize one truth: this item is worth this price. Without ninety thousand Big Ocean, even if the Emperor's Second Uncle came, I wouldn't sell it!"

"Hmph! You don't know what's good for you! Let's go!" Kong Lingchen's face darkened, and he flicked his sleeves and left. The two Bodyguards also glared coldly at Hu Yunbin and followed closely behind.

Hu Yunbin stared at them until they disappeared at the courtyard gate, then spat on the ground and cursed in a low voice, "Asshole! Fake foreign devil! Who the hell does he think he is!"

Xu Damao happened to walk in carrying freshly brewed tea. Hearing the cursing, he asked cautiously, "Siqiang, who are you cursing?"

"Who else? That man surnamed Kong from just now! Putting on airs, spouting nonsense about the nation and the world, but when it comes to money, he's stingier than anyone! Clearly, he wants to use the treasure to suck up to the Americans, yet he portrays himself as if he's saving the country and the people. He's a damn hypocrite! A bastard!"

Xu Damao set down the tea tray, his face filled with worry: "Siqiang, I think this man has a significant background and a big mouth. The news that we have such a valuable item has probably already spread. For something worth one hundred thousand Big Ocean, how many people must be green with envy? If a thief or a gang of robbers comes tonight, the two of us won't be able to handle them."

Hearing this, Hu Yunbin's expression also turned grave; Xu Damao's words had indeed struck a chord with him. "Hmm, you make sense! I thought too simply about this matter. We can't stay in this place anymore. I'm going to go hide the item in a place where no one can find it right now!"

Three hours later, at No. 5 Xinjiekou Baihuashenchu, a series of urgent knocks suddenly rang out, "Boom, boom, boom," striking the courtyard gate.

Hu Yunbin, who was sitting in the room drinking tea, gave a start, and his teacup fell to the ground with a "clatter," shattering into pieces.