After Shen Feng stated his purpose, Lin Yue and Cao Fuliye were immediately confused. They clearly hadn't expected Shen Feng to still want to wage war at this time. Everyone knew that war was costly and labor-intensive, yet Shen Feng chose this path, seemingly intending to confront the mutated birds in the Dabashan Mountains.
Lin Yue couldn't help but ask, "City Lord, is there no need to be so hasty? We have plenty of time to act after the autumn harvest. Besides, there have been no reports from other areas about mutated birds launching large-scale attacks on humans, except for the incident where migratory birds threw zombies into Yan Jing."
Shen Feng shook his head and said seriously, "If it really happens, it will be too late. Alright, you two pack your things and prepare to provide backup in the Wuling Mountains. Cao Fuliye, take a few large mercenary groups and make it a quick trip. Don't draw attention."
At this point, no one could make decisions for Shen Feng. Previously, Professor Chu would inform him what to do, and Shen Feng would follow. But now, Shen Feng had to ensure every step was flawless, so he approached every matter with caution. As long as something could be resolved quickly, he wouldn't delay.
Upon hearing Shen Feng's command, Lin Yue and Cao Fuliye knew that the City Lord's decision was irreversible. They could only agree and then prepare to set off again.
Previously, Shen Feng had intended to open another trade route. After all, a large portion of the supplies obtained by Yuzhou was delivered via waterways. If the Three Gorges were to blockade Yuzhou, the connection between Yuzhou and the outside world would be problematic. However, at that time, Shen Feng dared not openly pursue such a course of action, fearing that headquarters might catch wind of it.
Now that Yuzhou was blockaded, to continue developing, they had to open new shipping routes. This was done to evade supervision, and in simpler terms, it was smuggling.
Of course, Shen Feng had not taken any measures. Smuggling could not be exposed. Once exposed, it would become a trigger for many problems. Therefore, Shen Feng employed a frontman named Qin Xiaogao, recommended by Lin Yue and Cao Fuliye. Qin Xiaogao was said to be very skilled in business and had previously transported zombies from the Guizhou battlefield to Yuzhou.
As things stood, the first wave of smuggling had already begun. Shen Feng remained in Yuzhou, but a glider was already set up on the top floor of the City Lord's mansion. If anything went wrong, he could fly to Wuling Mountain and Dongting Lake within half a day. However, with the presence of four ability users and several mercenary groups, the actions involving the meteorite grain would likely go unnoticed.
Shen Feng believed his actions were discreet, even the army had not been mobilized. In such circumstances, the matter could be handled silently. However, there is no airtight seal in the world. As long as information surfaced, someone would always find a way to inquire about it.
So, after Cao Fuliye and Lin Yue departed with three mercenary groups, the pangolins of Yuzhou immediately relayed important information: "Today, Lin Yue and Cao Fuliye returned to Yuzhou with Yue Hengyi's family, but they immediately set off again, their destination unknown. They are heading southeast, possibly entering the Wuling Mountains."
Upon receiving this news, headquarters immediately began to pay attention. Satellites could now observe the ground. Under satellite surveillance, headquarters eventually discovered that many vehicles were heading towards the Wuling Mountains, and the local army seemed completely unaware of this movement.
The Tianlong Bureau learned of this and quickly stated, "This must be the supplies Yuzhou is acquiring from the outside. Since Yuzhou is to be blockaded, let's have the army attack this convoy and cut off Yuzhou's ability to obtain supplies from the outside."
However, after careful consideration, headquarters did not agree to this. Instead, they calmly stated, "No need to interfere. Cutting off Yuzhou's supplies this time will only alert them and make Yuzhou more vigilant, making it even harder to catch them in the future. What should be done now is to find out who dares to trade with Yuzhou and target the source."
Headquarters did not agree with the Tianlong Bureau's suggestion but chose a better approach to deal with Yuzhou from a broader perspective.
Disrupting Yuzhou's acquisition of supplies was simple, but doing so would make Yuzhou's future trade more secretive and harder to detect. It would be better to target the source and directly eliminate the forces trading with Yuzhou.
The Tianlong Bureau was unwilling to accept this and subsequently stated, "We want to report that the Tianxuan Bureau and Yuzhou have an improper relationship. We heard that Yun Laizhe of the Tianxuan Bureau and Ke Yiming of the Ability Management Bureau are ill and recuperating in Yuzhou. Moreover, their movements are very free and unhindered, which indicates that the Tianxuan Bureau has ulterior motives."
"Don't make baseless accusations. They are there for their private affairs. Ke Yiming's wife is in Yuzhou. Is visiting relatives not allowed? Isn't that too overbearing?" Gong Changfa quickly explained when the matter involved him.
The decision-makers at headquarters heard the argument between the two organizations and felt helpless. They had cultivated ability users hoping they would cooperate wholeheartedly, but it seemed that wholehearted cooperation might not be an option. The enemy had not even appeared yet, and two of their subordinate organizations had already started infighting.
Ultimately, headquarters mediated the dispute but also ordered Gong Changfa to have Yun Laizhe and Ke Yiming return to Yan Jing immediately and not act without authorization. As a punishment, Gong Changfa was to send people to the southeastern coast to gather information on those trading with Shen Feng.
Luo Qing and Xu Xing waited by the Dongting Lake for a long time. Finally, in the evening, they saw Lin Yue and Cao Fuliye appear, followed by over three thousand mercenaries. These mercenaries were equipped with firearms and cold weapons. The reason for using both was poverty.
The mercenaries wanted to use firearms, as technology was the primary productive force. If they were still fighting with swords and sabers like in ancient times, there would be no progress. However, bullets also cost money. Every shot fired consumed a considerable amount of money. Therefore, the mercenaries had to minimize the use of firearms during normal times and only use them at critical moments.
"Two beautiful ladies, you've waited a long time. We're here!" Cao Fuliye shouted loudly from atop a large cart.
Luo Qing looked at the group and asked, "Did you encounter any danger along the way?"
Cao Fuliye smiled and replied, "With over three thousand of us, who would dare to rob us? We didn't encounter anything unusual. Don't worry, I'll protect you."
After receiving this answer, Luo Qing was clearly relieved. As long as they didn't encounter any danger, it would be easier. Their task was to find a way to bring the grain back to Yuzhou, which would be a great achievement, and they would receive substantial rewards upon completion of the mission.
Qin Xiaogao, however, jumped down from the cart and said, "I suggest we sleep under the trees during the day and travel at night. I've been through the Wuling Mountains before and personally witnessed bandits blocking the road to rob people. This is a junction of three provinces, and they will scatter if things go south. Traveling during the day is too dangerous."
Qin Xiaogao was worried about encountering an ambush while traveling during the day, which could jeopardize the grain. After much thought, traveling at night under the cover of darkness was the best option. It would only take one night to traverse the Wuling Mountains.
Lin Yue looked at Qin Xiaogao and asked, "Are you suggesting we travel without rest and cross the Wuling Mountains from the side of Dongting Lake immediately?"
Qin Xiaogao nodded and said, "That's right, that's what I mean."
Lin Yue then looked at Cao Fuliye with a troubled expression. They had only arrived in Yuzhou yesterday, and after traveling all day today, they had reached the side of Dongting Lake. The bumpy mountain roads had almost made the two ability users throw up. Under these circumstances, to cross the Wuling Mountains at night would be too painful.
"Old Cao, what do you think?" Lin Yue asked with a grimace.
Lin Yue hoped to rest for a night before departing. After all, they had been traveling continuously for a while and were in desperate need of rest. Why did people often hear about long-distance drivers getting into car accidents and dying suddenly? It was precisely because they didn't get effective rest. Therefore, to avoid such situations, what was wrong with resting for a night?
Cao Fuliye did not answer Lin Yue's question but looked at Luo Qing and asked, "Miss Luo, what are your thoughts?"
Luo Qing looked at the large amount of supplies on the boat and, prioritizing safety, felt it was best to bring the grain back to Yuzhou first. She directly stated, "I think Mr. Qin's suggestion is very good. It's just a night of hardship, but it can prevent us from being targeted by mountain bandits."
Xu Xing, however, said, "We shouldn't be so timid. We are people of Yuzhou, who would dare to rob us? Look how tired everyone is. Isn't it better to let everyone rest for a night?"
Cao Fuliye hesitated for a moment and looked at Qin Xiaogao. As the person in charge of smuggling, his opinion could not be ignored. He continued to ask, "Mr. Qin, what is the strength of these mountain bandits you know of? Let's get a general understanding."
Qin Xiaogao quickly recalled and thought carefully. He said, "There are probably over thirty mountain strongholds. Weaker strongholds have only twenty to thirty people, while stronger ones have over three hundred people. However, this is information from a year ago. I don't know if the forces on the mountains have strengthened during this time."
Cao Fuliye, who had been worried about being robbed by bandits, immediately relaxed upon hearing that the strongest force had only a few hundred people. He said, "Only a few hundred people? How can they be our match? We have over three thousand people here, plus four ability users. Don't worry, let's rest for a night and then depart tomorrow!"
Qin Xiaogao was immediately distressed upon hearing this answer. He hadn't expected them to disregard his advice at all. He was insignificant in front of the four ability users, and his words carried no weight. He could only follow their suggestions.
"Then how about we rest for a day and a night, and then enter the mountains at dusk tomorrow to travel at night?" Qin Xiaogao continued. Since they needed to rest, they might as well rest for an extra day. In any case, traveling at night was the most suitable method.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he said this, all four ability users began to object. Lin Yue and Cao Fuliye wanted to return to Yuzhou as soon as possible. Luo Qing felt that time was pressing; she had been away for five or six days and further delays would affect the City Lord's plan. As for Xu Xing, she was eager to encounter bandits so she could display her might.
"No, we'll travel tomorrow morning. At worst, we'll clear the path ourselves. With Brother Lin Yue here, he can sense how many people are breathing in the mountains. There's no need to worry about ambushes," Cao Fuliye said seriously.
The other three ability users unanimously agreed, and thus the plan was set. Qin Xiaogao could only silently pray that nothing would go wrong tomorrow.
The group, having finally traveled from Yuzhou to the side of Dongting Lake, had traversed many mountains and winding paths. When the mercenaries heard that they could rest, they immediately cheered. However, when Qin Xiaogao notified them to load the grain from the boat onto the carts, it immediately ignited the mercenaries' anger.
"He's truly a petty person who has gained power. In the past, you, Qin Xiaogao, were just like us mercenaries. Now you don't sympathize with us and are compressing our rest time by making us load the carts. If this is bearable, then nothing is unbearable."
"Exactly. We've heard for a long time that you, Qin Xiaogao, never dared to get close to the front lines during battles. Now you're bossing us around. Shameless."
"You're just good at taking advantage of opportunities. By latching onto the City Lord's mansion, you can command us."
The mercenaries from the three mercenary groups were full of spirit. Upon hearing Qin Xiaogao's command, they immediately began to complain, clearly displeased with Qin Xiaogao.
Qin Xiaogao's face turned even uglier as he listened to the surrounding gossip.