under fire

Chapter 940
More than a month after the Chinese New Year, the spring sweep with the Royal Association Army as the main force was basically over.

At the critical moment when the comprehensive clean-up operation was about to be carried out in the area north of the Yellow River in North China, such a serious "security" incident occurred in a completely public security area.

All kinds of ghosts and monsters who took refuge in the devils began to move on the plain, trying to collect more information on the guerrillas in order to obtain rewards from the devils.

It's a pity that there are few people on the plain, and the eight roads will kill traitors at every turn,

After a long time, the ghosts and ghosts found that there was not much money to be made in the search for information, and there was a danger of their lives, so they gradually lost much interest in collecting information on the guerrillas.

It is difficult to support a family by relying on the food distributed by the imperial army alone, and those with connections will naturally find other ways to survive.

Is the fastest way to get money? Plant a big smoke!
If you want to survive in troubled times, who cares about those morals and ethics?
Tang County.

late at night.

More than a dozen well-dressed people in ordinary clothes gathered around the long strip made of two tables, smoky.

The middle-aged man sitting at the top with a bong in his hand looked around: "Almost everyone is here. Today we are calling everyone, mainly to discuss the matter of planting opium this spring."

A young man looked around: "Growing opium is a matter of cutting off children and grandchildren. Our Taoist school has decided not to grow opium from this year. Yang Daoshou publicly voted for the Eighth Route Army. In my opinion, everyone should vote for the Eighth Route Army."

The middle-aged man sneered: "Hehe, brother Wang Chunrong, it hasn't rained a single time until now. If you openly raise the flag to fight against the imperial army, I won't guarantee that you will still be able to hang out in the county in the future!"

Wang Chunrong slapped the table with a slap: "Don't pretend to be a good person, you colluded with the Rangers to lure the common people to plant opium, and sooner or later you will suffer retribution!"

The middle-aged man exhaled a puff of smoke ring: "Hehe, you have connections with Eight Roads. I kept my eyes open and closed my eyes and didn't expose you to the imperial army. You better think about it. When did Eight Roads care about the lives of ordinary people? Even if I give you some money and food occasionally, is it enough for everyone to fill their stomachs, do you want everyone to starve to death with you?"

"You can't say that, as long as we get rid of the little devil."

"Hehe, let's follow the Rangers. If we drive away the imperial army and restore the county, we will be heroes. There is absolutely no problem being a township chief or bureau chief. If we can't recover, we can maintain the current state. Everyone will not starve to death. However, if If you follow Eight Routes, it is a dead end now, and it will be a dead end in the future."

A young man opposite Wang Chunrong muttered in a low voice: "Then you also have to live to the day of recovery."

The middle-aged man knocked on the young man's forehead with a pipe: "Who are you? How dare you make irresponsible remarks about me?"

Wang Chunrong got angry, stood up and pointed at the middle-aged man: "Don't do anything, don't think that you have Lu Chaoyuan behind you, so you dare to dictate to me!"

The middle-aged man was stunned for a moment: "Well, if you look down on me, everyone will break up, boy, remember it for me, in this troubled world, you can only rely on me! As long as I say a word , No one dares to collect the opium you grow in this county, I will starve you bastards to death!"

Wang Chunrong grabbed the teapot in front of him and threw it directly: "Are you blind? The Eighth Route Army is dedicated to resisting the Japanese and the invaders, and you still take the opportunity to make money for the country."

The middle-aged man took the pot in his hand, not even a drop of water came out. Uh, it was empty: "Hehe, you grow opium, how can you be better than me?"

Wang Chunrong gritted his teeth: "Let's leave now, let's go"

The middle-aged man's voice was gloomy: "Go slowly, don't send it off!"

Several young people came out.

A young man was worried: "Brother Wang, in my opinion, the best choice for us now is not to offend any party and preserve our strength."

"Your remarks are dangerous."

"But what the traitor said makes sense. If we raise the flag of the Eighth Route now, within three days, everyone will die at the hands of the devils. By then, even if the Eighth Route can rule the world, what will we do?"

"Don't forget, since our Tianmen Society dares to resist the little devil, is it still afraid of death?"

"Brother Wang, your three brothers shot and killed the false county magistrate and were ordered by the provincial government. You can run away as soon as you run away, but the brothers and the whole family can't run away. Besides, the eight roads can protect you for a while, but can't protect you for the rest of your life. Right now , we are begging for work on the little devil's territory, if everyone is gone, how can we drive them away? Right now... it's better to be a man with your tail between your legs!"

"You mean, everyone continues to grow opium?"

"If you don't grow it, you might as well let everyone hang themselves"

The young man surnamed Wang was speechless.

Another young man next to him said bitterly: "I don't care whoever gives me food, no matter whether it is the Eighth Route Army, the Wang government, or the Nationalist government!"

Wang Chunrong slapped that man on the back: "If the little devil gives you food, will you listen to him?"

"Can you stop talking nonsense? We are at odds with that little devil, why would we listen to them?"

"Then you should remember clearly that the Wang government was also supported by devils."

"Then you can find a way for everyone to live? Anyway, let's make an agreement first, and I won't do it!"

Faced with such a situation, Wang Chunrong did nothing else: "Leaving aside these things, if we can suppress the bandit Hu Quanlu, we should be able to get a lot of food."

The young man next to him immediately interjected: "The son of a bitch followed Wang Sanzhu some time ago, and was ambushed by the guerrillas of the national army, and we just killed him when he was injured.

Wang Chunrong was stunned for a moment: "Don't talk nonsense, it was the Eighth Route Army who beat them!"

"Impossible? It's been said in the newspapers, the guerrillas of the national army who beat them." The young man took out a newspaper and rattled it in the moonlit night.

"I said, when did you know how to read?"

"What's the matter if I don't know how to read? I specially asked the storyteller in the city to read it!" The young man smiled proudly.

Wang Chunrong shook his head, again speechless.

The young man continued: "You take the brothers to do things, we brothers have nothing to say, transport supplies to the Eight Roads, escort their personnel to cross the border, everyone is also nothing to say, we are doing everything to the Eight Roads, but they don't give money, and the two Without food, we have to think about living, don't you think?"

Suddenly, a black figure emerged from the side of the road.

Seeing that everyone was paying attention to him nervously, he immediately said jokingly: "I have something urgent, I am a step late, you don't wait for me..."

Wang Chunrong was not in a good mood: "Every time you have something to do, tell me quickly, how is your inquiry?"

"Wang Jingchang sent people to Wu Jinshan's place to buy a large amount of tobacco and soil. This time, we must rob his son-of-a-bitch."

"Did you find out the delivery time and route?"

"Not yet, things are a bit troublesome, Wang Jinshan and Eighth Road are fighting again, and their delivery time may be delayed."

The young man next to him yelled: "It's fighting again? Could it be that the sky is going to change in this area, and Balu just beat Wang Sanzhu and his son, and dare to fight Wu Jinshan?

"Hey, hey, it's the guerrillas of the national army who beat Wang Sanzhu, don't put gold on your dirty face." The newspaper man yelled.

"Shut up, you don't talk, no one will think you are dumb!" Wang Chunrong's mind became lively: "A few days ago, the devils in the city were defeated, and another group of devils came. Is there any news about them?"

"I heard that the imperial army is going to carry out some secret mission."

"Where did you find out?"

"Commander Lu is having a treat tonight. I'll have dinner with my cousin and listen to what his adjutant said personally during the dinner."

"In the future, don't hang out with those people surnamed Lu, he is not a good guy."

"Yes, every time this guy holds a temple fair, he arranges for professional gamblers to mix in and set up a gambling booth to deceive the villagers." The reporter agreed again.

"That's right, many villagers lost their homes and properties because of gambling, sold their sons and daughters, wandered around, and many of them hanged themselves in the end..."

"The club he opened in the Tangxian Hotel. He also brought in professional gambling teams from Tianjin and came up with many new tricks to cheat the fire guys out of money."

"The Wujing company, the Dashan pharmacy and the watch repair shop opened by the Koreans who he and the little devil opened are actually buying opium."

"The Dashan Pharmacy also hides a smoking hall."

A certain voice sang a different tune: "However, everyone has to think about it. If Lu Chaoyuan hadn't led the villagers to plant opium in exchange for food, the nearby villagers would have starved to death."

"Do you think he has such good intentions? He collects 150 yuan in taxes per acre, and together with Yu Jingsan, set up a pharmaceutical manufacturing company in Xilonghua Village, specializing in the manufacture of heroin, which is sold to Beiping, Tianjin, and Zhangjiakou. "

"That thing is a harmful spirit. As long as anyone is infected with that thing, ten out of ten people will become beggars, and it will also bring harm to parents, wives and children."

Wang Chunrong waved his hand: "Then tell me! Does this bastard deserve to die?"

"Damn it, this bastard should be taken to the dogs."

"Yes, he must be hacked into pieces."

"Why don't we all vote for him together?"

Everyone chattered about Lu Chaoyuan's crimes, their eyes were angry and their expressions were agitated.

"Lu Chaoyuan and Wu Jinshan are in the same group. As long as we keep an eye on Lu Chaoyuan, sooner or later we will find a chance to strike!"

"Hey, shall we still grow smoked soil?"

"Grow it! If you don't grow it, will everyone starve to death?"

　The base area is far from being as simple as we know.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)