Chapter 440: Formally Entered the System

Wang Jiayin was a bit dumbfounded hearing this: “A salt smuggler has ships, cannons, firearms, and built a large stockade? That audacious?”

Bu Zhan Ni: “Utterly outrageous! Who knows where she gets her nerve? Playing this big, isn’t she afraid the government will wipe her out? She even attacked my men.”

Wang Jiayin considered this seriously for a few seconds: “Brother Bu Zhan Ni, don’t rush into this matter. Allow me to think it over carefully. I’ll give you a reply soon.”

Bu Zhan Ni cupped his hands and left.

Wang Jiayin thought to himself: I don’t give a damn about Bu Zhan Ni’s men dying. Helping him seek revenge would just waste manpower. It’s not uncommon for their underlings to fight amongst themselves anyway. I have no need to wade into this muddy water. Now, this salt smuggler named Xing Honglang is quite interesting: building a stockade, having cannons, firearms, and ships. Seems rather capable.

As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Salt smugglers oppose the court too; there’s a good chance she could be recruited as one of ours.

If I could recruit such a capable person into my ranks, it would be far more useful than relying on wild cards like Bu Zhan Ni.

Having thought this far, he had already made up his mind. He quickly sent a trusted confidant, ordering him south along the east bank of the Yellow River to the ancient ferry dock, to recruit Xing Honglang into his rebel army.

Shi Jian was grinning cheekily at White Cat: “Wang Xiaohua!”

White Cat angrily retorted: “Don’t call me that! You know perfectly well my bandit name is White Cat. Call me White Cat!”

Shi Jian: “That won’t do. We’re about to enter Hancheng city. If anyone hears you using your bandit name, it could cause trouble.”

White Cat: “…”

He was utterly helpless. Shi Jian called out again: “Wang Xiaohua!”

White Cat: “Can’t you just not call me unless it’s necessary?”

Shi Jian laughed until he doubled over: “No can do, Wang Xiaohua! Hahahaha, I just can’t help myself, want to call out your name.”

Veins visibly pulsed and bulged on White Cat’s forehead.

Just then, a group of people emerged from the Hancheng city gate tunnel. Leading them was Shaanxi’s Commanding General, Wang Chengen.

Shi Jian and White Cat instantly stopped fooling around. Both their faces became dead serious.

Wang Chengen strode over quickly. He glanced at the grain carts, overjoyed: “Many thanks to Chengcheng County for once again aiding this General. This favor is one Wang Chengen will never forget.”

His confidant pointed out Shi Jian and White Cat. Wang Chengen immediately understood: these two were precisely the people the Chengcheng County Magistrate wanted to sneak into his army to mix in and gain military merits.

Such things were unavoidable for anyone working within the system. Colleagues would always want to arrange their sons or nephews into your department to loaf around. Although Wang Chengen was considered a decent general, even he couldn’t escape this kind of convention. He nodded: “Starting now, you two will work under me. I don’t have any particularly lofty posts to offer you both for now. How about you serve as Captains for the time being?”

So-called Captains were military officers managing around a hundred men, the same as commanding a company.

His army wasn’t short of Captains. All soldiers were already accounted for under their existing Captains’ commands. Meaning, he was giving them “empty titles.” Nominally in charge of a hundred soldiers, but without a single soldier actually under them.

Mixing in for military merit? Holding an empty title wasn’t strange at all.

Shi Jian and White Cat were mentally prepared and didn’t mind. They cupped their hands: “Many thanks, General! We’ll work hard.”

After this greeting, they were now formally entered the system.

They collected their identification tags and were assigned a tent. Happily, they headed towards their tent.

They hadn’t walked far when someone blocked their path. A rugged man who looked tough, radiating killer intent – he must have killed countless fierce bandits with his blade. He spoke very rudely straight away: “I’m surnamed Ma. The brothers here all call me Captain Ma. Let’s make this clear: I earned my captainship blade by blade, sword by sword. I’m not like you two, sneaking in through connections and back doors. I despise slackers like you. From now on, don’t swagger around in front of me to piss me off, got it?”

Hearing him speak like this, Shi Jian and White Cat both smiled.

Alright, this kind of situation had also been foreseen by the Deity. Moreover, the Deity had long prepared a method to deal with such people.

They hadn’t come to General Wang Chengen’s army to pick fights, but to infiltrate… and infiltration, naturally, meant winning hearts and minds first.

And winning hearts and minds… well, it naturally meant…

Throwing money at them was key!

Shi Jian walked towards Captain Ma with a smile: “Brother Ma, your formidable fighting skills, I admire them as soon as I see them! Ah, how dare I swagger before you? I respect you immensely! Look, here’s a little welcoming gift I prepared. Please don’t think it’s too little. Take it first. Later, I’ll send you some local specialties from my hometown.”

While saying this, he stuffed a large silver ingot into Ma Captain’s hand.

Captain Ma froze. Before he could react, he found a large silver ingot, at least five taels heavy, clutched in his palm. Dammit…

Wang Chengen’s officers hadn’t received military provisions or pay for a long time. They were literally so poor they couldn’t lift the pot lid. Suddenly, someone shoves five taels of silver at you. You tell me, don’t you feel like calling him Dad?

Captain Ma’s expression instantly changed. From vicious and menacing one moment, he became amiable and warm the next: “Huh? Hey, hey, hey? Brothers, a moment ago, I… that was…”

He was a bit awkwardly embarrassed: “What I said before didn’t sound good. Forget it! I was talking nonsense like a child. Please, brothers, don’t take it to heart. From now on, whatever you need, find Old Ma!”

Right then, White Cat also approached another nearby captain. He flipped his hand and stuffed an equally hefty silver ingot into the man’s grasp: “Brother, we’re new here. Tonight, let’s host a banquet, invite everyone to eat, deal? Everyone present gets treated! All comers included!”

Someone next to them said: “We’re in the military camp. Can’t drink liquor.”

White Cat: “No problem, no problem! We’ll have tea instead of alcohol! Eat more meat!”

Meat!

The word instantly made the eyes of all the starving soldiers nearby shine bright.

Shi Jian and White Cat made sweeping bows to the people around them: “Brothers, rest assured! With us two here, you won’t go hungry belly from now on. Tonight, the two of us foot the bill. We’ll go to the best restaurant in Hancheng and eat like kings!”

“The restaurants don’t have any grain to open up shop either!”

“That’s fine. We’ll bring our own grain. Pay the chef wages, just get him to cook it into dishes. Easy, right?”

“Good!”

“Great!”

The bunch of grunts were overjoyed. These two new “connection-havers” were damn good at handling people! Such connection-havers, the more the better!

Shi Jian and White Cat exchanged a glance and thought: Success! With the Deity backing us up, turning these people into our own folks was effortless. Just throw resources at them hard, and it’s done.