Chapter 245: Welcoming Victory

He Yuzhu raised the corner of his mouth in a smirk and mocked, "Biao Shu, just relying on these forty-some men of yours? If they don't draw their guns, give me five minutes, and I guarantee I'll have them looking for their teeth all over the floor."

"Arrogant!" A cold glint flashed in Biao Shu's eyes, and ten burly men lunged forward in response.

He Yuzhu darted out like a leopard, weaving and dodging through the crowd; wherever his fist wind struck, someone would collapse to the ground.

In no time at all, the ten strong men were lying scattered across the floor.

The rest of the group was about to swarm him, but Biao Shu suddenly burst into loud laughter: "Miss Zhao, let's call a truce! Everyone, stand down!" After the crowd retreated, he personally poured two cups of tea. "Little brother, you have great skills. We didn't know each other before the fight; how about we start over?"

He Yuzhu and Zhao Ying looked at each other and smiled, knowing that this game of chess had finally returned to the right track.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Zhao Ying said, "Uncle Biao, I hear your gang has been having constant friction with the Fourteen K, and you've lost quite a few brothers. To speak from the heart, I'm always uneasy about this. If we let you buy shares in the shipping company, are you confident you can suppress those Fourteen K people?"

Biao Shu's face darkened, and he slammed a palm onto the table: "How could we, Wo On Lok, be afraid of them? Don't worry, Miss Zhao, we can handle our own affairs and will never implicate your company. But these shares... they absolutely cannot be less than twenty percent."

Zhao Ying smiled slightly, her tone indifferent: "Ten percent. Our total investment this time is no less than ten million US dollars. Ten percent is one million US dollars, worth several million Hong Kong Dollars. Relying on collecting protection fees, when on earth would your gang ever earn that amount? I came today because I feel Biao Shu values integrity, unlike some who abandon righteousness for profit."

"Ten percent is absolutely impossible! It's not even enough for the brothers' hard-earned money!" Biao Shu waved his hands repeatedly.

Zhao Ying lit a cigarette, took a puff, and said slowly, "Biao Shu, let me finish. We need to recruit six hundred security personnel in the shortest possible time, and we will cover all expenses. We will also pay their future salaries. Partnering with your gang is precisely to have you help us block harassment from other gangs; to put it bluntly, it's just borrowing your name..."

"Deal!" Biao Shu slapped his thigh hard.

The next day, He Yuzhu set off for refugee gathering areas like Kowloon Walled City to begin large-scale recruitment.

He specifically picked those who had been soldiers, had experienced hardship, and were relatively honest.

It was considered good for an ordinary Hong Kong resident to earn 150 Hong Kong Dollars a month, so He Yuzhu offered a high salary of 300 Hong Kong Dollars directly; once the news broke, there were many applicants.

In just one day, he recruited over two hundred people.

At the same time, he purposefully looked for skilled workers—especially those who understood mechanical repair, knew how to fix clocks and watches, or had worked as fitters or blacksmiths in factories.

This type of talent was also quickly recruited, numbering over fifty.

Over the next few days, he set up recruitment points in several areas, and in less than a week, he had recruited nearly a thousand people.

He Yuzhu clearly informed everyone in advance: "Any security personnel who cannot endure the hardship during training will be dismissed without exception."

He Yuzhu led the training himself; although he had never been a soldier in his previous life, his university military training experience made him quite familiar with basic military drills.

After a month, these refugees were not only able to follow orders and prohibitions, but their bodies had also become much sturdier due to eating fish and meat every day.

Just then, the twenty-five people sent by Liu Rusi also arrived.

These people were all from the Military Statistics Bureau, and many of them had even attended the Whampoa Military Academy; their cultural level was not bad. They chose to follow the official-less and title-less Liu Rusi rather than Shen Shichang, which showed they no longer had faith in the Bald Party and were willing to go into business. With these people joining, He Yuzhu felt much more relaxed.

He Yuzhu assigned them to the teams as instructors to lead the 600 people who had remained after the selection.

At the same time, the bicycle production equipment purchased from the United States continued to arrive in Hong Kong.

Zhao Ying was mainly responsible for building the Warehouse and the pier, while He Yuzhu was mainly responsible for building the Bicycle Factory.

The procedures for buying land and obtaining approvals were handled quickly, and the factory was built very fast.

Uncle Biao came to see them several times and was also impressed by the security personnel He Yuzhu had trained. Seeing that this Eastern Shipping Company was indeed very capable and would make money in the future, he felt reassured.

And He Yuzhu was not idle at night either.

He successively "visited" police stations, the British Army's air base in Hong Kong, military camps, and even Warships, silently collecting a large amount of weapons and ammunition; he also snuck into British-owned banks several times and had a bountiful harvest.

In the blink of an eye, it was the end of September.

The company's operations were gradually getting on the right track, and the twenty-some core members under Zhao Ying were highly capable and able to perform their respective duties.

He Yuzhu then proposed to Zhao Ying that he wanted to return to the Mainland.

Although Zhao Ying tried hard to persuade him to stay, He Yuzhu's mind was made up, and she had no choice but to let him go.

He Yuzhu traveled all the way to Heifengzhai.

When He Daqing saw the full one thousand units of Penicillin, his hands trembled slightly with excitement, and his eyes grew moist.

"Zhuzi, you have truly solved an urgent need! The higher-ups have repeatedly ordered me to procure this batch of medicine, but my connections are too limited; I ran myself ragged and still couldn't gather it. I didn't expect you to just..."

He Yuzhu smiled slightly: "Dad, this is just the beginning. In two days, there will be two more trucks of military supplies coming."

"Really?" He Daqing's eyes lit up, and then he slapped his thigh and laughed: "If Lao Yang knew this news, he would be overjoyed! He just got promoted to Division Commander, and the over one thousand new recruits are still empty-handed, waiting for equipment. He goes to Liu Xiaohua every day to find a way, but Liu Xiaohua doesn't just manage the factory for our division, but the entire People's Liberation Army's arsenal. How could he supply him specifically? Isn't he just making him wait?"

When He Yuzhu proposed taking his mother, Shen Guizhi, and He Yushui away.

He Daqing was a bit dissatisfied.

"Taking your mother back at this time? Isn't the city too chaotic?"

He Yuzhu explained: "The Northeast is almost liberated now, and no one is looking for trouble with us in Si Jiu Cheng anymore. They should all be planning to leave themselves a way out!"

He Daqing was skeptical: "Will it really be like that?"

"It's true. I just feel that letting Mother and my sister stay in the Shanzhai is too much suffering. It's better to go home."

At this moment, He Yushui ran in, and seeing it was He Yuzhu, she immediately complained: "Brother, you haven't brought me candy for several months."

He Yuzhu immediately took out a large bag of colorful candies and chocolates and said: "Is it because you ran out of candy? The little friends in the Shanzhai don't want to play with you anymore?"

He Yushui pouted: "That's not it."

He Yuzhu took out three small bear toys and said: "These three bears are for you and your two little friends."

He Yushui touched the cute teddy bear and said: "This toy is too cute, but what about my new friend Xiaoqi?"

He Yuzhu said: "I'll go to the car and get you two more."

Only then did He Yushui become happy.

He Yuzhu said: "Brother is going to take you back to Si Jiu Cheng, are you willing?"

"I want to take Xiaomi and Dahua with me. I also want to take Xiaoqi with me, but I don't know if she is willing to come with us."

He Yuzhu glanced at He Daqing and asked: "Dad, do you still want me to get supplies next?"

"Of course! Need you even ask!" He Daqing said.

"Then let the Li Family and the Wang family go over together; they can help with things and look after the house. Send Ershuan to me too! I'm very familiar with him."

"Fine, I promise you!" He Daqing said.

In mid-October, with everything arranged, He Yuzhu took the three families and set off on the road back to Beiping.

When He Yuzhu led the three families into the Ninety-five Courtyard, it was just the time for dinner.

Their arrival immediately drew the attention of the neighbors.

Although Yan Bugui was polite with his words, his eyes were constantly scrutinizing these three uninvited families, as if trying to see through their identities.

Seeing the Wang family and the Li family return, there was more depth in Yi Zhonghai's eyes, as if he had understood everything.

He Yuzhu first settled his own family and let the other three families rest in his house for the time being, then headed straight to He Ji Restaurant at Shichahai to look for Siqiang.

Siqiang and Chen Daya were nowhere to be seen in the restaurant; only Li Xiangxiu was managing things at the counter. Upon hearing He Yuzhu's purpose, she smiled and said, "Your Siqiang already cleared out the East Cross Courtyard for you; he bought a small courtyard nearby. It's just that Qin Huairu is still watching the house for you. I'll tell her, and she can just move back to her own room."

Just as she was speaking, Qin Huairu arrived upon hearing the news. As soon as she saw He Yuzhu, she greeted him warmly: "Zhuzi, I bought a room for one hundred and ten Big Ocean. Just put the things I left at your place outside the door, and I'll move them back after I get off work."

He Yuzhu nodded and said, "Thank you for your hard work watching the house these days." He then turned to Li Xiangxiu, "Sister Li, do me a favor and let Qin Huairu go back and move her things now, will you?"

"Go ahead. And call me Sister Li from now on!" Li Xiangxiu replied readily.

Returning to the Siheyuan, He Yuzhu immediately allocated the East Cross Courtyard to Xiaomi's family, Dahua's family, and Xiaoqi's parents—Xiaoqi also had a young brother.

He Yushui had finally persuaded Xiaoqi's family to come along; after all, Xiaoqi's father was originally an old subordinate of He Daqing, and arranging for one more family was no burden at all for He Yuzhu.

As the twilight deepened, this Siheyuan added three new households and suddenly became lively.

The courtyard echoed everywhere with the cheerful laughter and play of He Yushui and the three little girls.

Jia Zhangshi gritted her teeth in her own room and said hatefully, "This bunch of bandits is back again; I must go and report them!"