Chapter 070 The Cost of Life

Zhang Xiaolin hurriedly said, "Master Jin, this angry thing is my younger brother's duty. The younger brother's eyes are clumsy and misread the limelight, causing my commander to stray into the typhoon. Please punish him!"

Zeng Guozhang took a breath and shouted, "You useless thing, watch me go back and clean you up!"

Zhou Charter smiled secretly. Just now, Zhang Xiaolin mistakenly identified them as Japanese, and Zeng Guozhang wanted to go out one of his eyes. Now, Zhang Xiaolin admits that he has misread the limelight and almost let Marshal Zeng be buried in the fish's belly, but Zeng Guozhang only has one sentence "go back to deal with you", and that tone is obviously very appreciative of Zhang Xiaolin.

It seems that Zeng Guochang's trip was not to mislead into the typhoon, but to see the typhoon and deliberately drilled into it.

It's just that Zhou Charter doesn't understand why this Zeng Guochang is willing to risk his life?

"I don't know what General Zeng did on this trip?" Zhou Charter asked.

Zeng Guozhang smiled and said, "It's not a business. Like the owner of Jintang, do some foreign yarn business."

Foreign yarn and opium are contraband of the customs of the Qing Dynasty. The so-called foreign yarn trade is actually smuggling. It is reasonable for the youth gang to engage in smuggling. However, Zhou Charter knows that the smuggling of foreign yarn is profitable, but he can't exchange it for it!

Zeng Guochang is unwilling to reveal the truth, and Zhou Charter is not convenient to ask more questions. I have to change the topic: "This time, I have been saved by Marshal Zeng. As the saying goes, I don't say thank you. If General Zeng is useful in the place, General Zeng just needs to say a word."

"It's easy to say." Zeng Guozhang was also rude: "I don't know what you two plan to do?"

Zhou Charter sighed: "After the capital was reduced in this transaction, I had to return empty-handed. General Zeng also asked us to take us to Shanghai for convenience. When we arrive in Shanghai, we will take a boat back to North Korea.

Zhou Charter wants to go to Shanghai. First, Shanghai is an international city with mixed fish and dragons. When you arrive in Shanghai, you can act at the opportunity, or try to get in touch with Wu Peifu and Luo Mingfang, and then make plans. If the Qing court does not let him go, you can also try to go abroad and advance and retreat freely. Second, Zhou Charter is not willing to have too much contact with the Youth Gang. The Youth Gang is a person outside the system and often does some treacherous activities. The court is hostile to the Youth Gang, and the people are also deeply wary of the Youth Gang. If they are trapped in this organization, it will be detrimental to Zhang Jun's reputation.

Zeng Guozhang nodded: "When I arrive at Chongming Island, I will arrange for Master Jin to go to Shanghai."

Zhou Charter said, "In addition, there is one more thing, please ask General Zeng for help. Although he survived by hitting the gunpoint of the Beiyang sailor, he did not dare to show off. General Zeng, please keep it a secret for me.

Zhou Charter knew that although he had escaped for the time being, if the court knew that he was still alive, it would inevitably pursue him. Now Zhang Jun is divided, and Guo Erpa are desperate and alone, and it is difficult to fight against the court. The best way is to hide your name for the time being and don't leak the wind.

Zeng Guozhang smiled and said, "This is the rule in the world. Zeng naturally obeys the order. Please rest assured that the people on this ship are Zeng's hardcore brothers. They all know the rules and will never talk nonsense."

People who live in the world know what to say, what not to say, and can't be said to death. The rules of the Qing Gang are more clear. The so-called three-talk and three-non-talk principle, can talk, Xiangtang can talk, and help can talk; teahouses do not talk, wine and bathhouses do not talk.

The two were gossiping, and as they were talking, a young disciple walked to the bow of the boat and said to Zeng Guozhang, "Marshal, sir, please come over and talk."

Zeng Guozhang nodded and got up and said, "Master Jintang, excuse me."

"Grand Marshal Zeng, please." Zhou Charter got up and arched his hand, looked up and saw a woman's face in the second-floor porthole.

The woman's eyebrows are long and shawl, her face is ruddy, and her big black eyes under her sword eyebrows are unfathomable, with a sassy heroic spirit.

Zhou Charter had to look carefully, and the woman disappeared in a flash.

The people in black around followed Zeng Guochang, and there were only two people left on the bow, Zhou Charter and Guo Erchang.

"Two poles, did you see the person in the porthole?" Zhou Charter asked.

"I saw it, but I didn't see it clearly." Guo Er pole said, "There are women on this boat! These guys are by no means a yarn trader! Damn, this Zeng Guozhang refuses to tell us the truth, which is not interesting enough!"

"We didn't tell the truth either." Zhou Charter laughed.

"Brother, what should we do?"

"Let's take one step." Zhou Charter said, "This commander-in-chief Zeng is very righteous and will not embarrass us. Let's beware of that Zhang Xiaolin, this guy is very good.

An hour later, the ship docked in a small town called Little Black Sand on Chongming Island.

Located on Chongming Island at the mouth of the Yangtze River, it is an island formed by silt of the Yangtze River, surrounded by the river on three sides and facing the East China Sea in the southeast. Chongming Island is fertile in soil, rich in products, facing the sea, developed fisheries, and good maritime transportation. It is a veritable hometown of fish and rice. However, for some reason, the government of successive dynasties did not pay attention to Chongming Island and always regarded this island as a foreign land.

Over time, the residents of Chongming Island also became disovinced. In the Ming Dynasty, Japanese pirates and pirates gathered on Chongming Island as a base to harass the southeast coast. During the Qing Dynasty, the connection between Chongming Island and the mainland was strengthened, but the administrative level of Chongming Island was only a small town, and the government's control over Chongming Island was still very limited. Chongming Island is still a gathering place for heroes outside the system. Three teachings and nine streams converge here, and major gangs have docks on Chongming Island.

In the 72 docks and 128 helpers of the Qing Gang, there was no Chongming Island. The sphere of influence of the Qing Gang is mainly the area with the canal as the axis. However, at the end of the 19th century, the Qing Gang cut off food transportation and it was difficult to survive by canals. Many gangs began to make a living, and their sphere of influence began to expand to the sea.

Ten years ago, Zeng Guozhang, the owner of the Qing Gang Huangshi'an, came to Chongming Island and set up a pier to open an incense hall to expand his power. In just ten years, Zeng Guochang had some tricks. In just ten years, he subdued or expelled or allied the three teachings on Chongming Island. Now, this Qing Gang boss who finally arrived on Chongming Island later became Chongming Island and became Chong The Mingdao giant ry ended the situation of gangs on Chongming Island and formed a dominant situation of the youth gang. Zeng Guozhang claimed to be the grand marshal of Chongming, and the government had no choice but to close his eyes.

Zeng Guozhang dominated Chongming Island, but still maintained friendly exchanges with other gangs. When Hongmen, Triad and Ge Lao Hui came to Chongming Island, Zeng Guozhang treated each other with courtesy. There was only one. General Zeng had the final say on the business on Chongming Island. Zeng Guozhang is also fair. He has money for everyone to earn, and it is not difficult for other gangs. If gang members provoked the government in Jiangsu and Zhejiang and ran to Chongming Island, Zeng Guozhang also refused to accept them. Over time, Chongming Island has become a gathering place for heroes of the world, and Zeng Guochang's power has become stronger and stronger, becoming a respectable flag in the world.

Little Black Sand is the dock of the Qing Gang on Chongming Island. This was originally a small fishing village. After Zeng Guochang came to Chongming Island, he settled on Little Black Sand. The Youth Gang has a benefit. Although they do some illegal things, they will never harass their neighbors. On the contrary, they also donate funds to help their neighbors pave roads, build bridges, build temples and cities. Therefore, after the arrival of Zeng Guochang, the small black sand has become increasingly prosperous, becoming a large market town with a population of 30,000, and the people in the town also live and work in peace. Many children of the local people joined the Youth Gang. These people are good people during the day, and at night, they pick up guns and become Marshal Zeng.

In fact, Zeng Guozhang's Youth Gang is already a semi-military organization with more than 1,000 people, more than 300 guns and more than 20 large and small ships. Chongming Island has completely become an independent kingdom. Little Heisha is the capital of this kingdom. There are enemy buildings and walls built around the town, which can resist the attack of officers and soldiers at any time.

The ship was close to the dock, and immediately there were gangs in black to pick up, tie the cables and build the trestle bridge. Zhou Charter and Guo Erpole walked to the dock from the trestle.

Zhou Charter looked up and saw a tall and towering bluestone tower on the dock. There was a gang patrol with live ammunition on the tower. There was an arched stone gate under the tower, facing the sea, and a wall around it was very neatly repaired. Behind the wall, the corners of the eaves of the house could be faintly visible.

Zhou Charter nodded secretly. This Zeng Guochang has some military literacy. This tower is a fortification, which is dangerous, easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Dozens of gangs are carrying goods along the trestle to the dock. Those goods are packed in sacks. According to Zeng Guozhang, they should be gauze.

However, Zhou Charter found that when the gangs carrying sacks crossed the trestle, the trestle was pressed down and bent.

The yarn doesn't have such a heavy weight!

Guo Erbao whispered, "There are arms in the sack!"

Zhou Charter nodded, and he also saw that some sacks had flaws, revealing the oil paper inside.

oil paper prevents ammunition from getting damp.

However, even if arms are smuggled, Zeng Guochang does not have to drill into the typhoon!

Zeng Guozhang's trip must have deliberately avoided all the ships at sea. Only in a typhoon, he would not meet the ships of the Qing army.

There must be something on this ship that Zeng Guochang thinks is worth exchanging his life.

Zhou Charter stopped and looked back at the ship. The people on the boat were busy carrying sacks on the deck, but they did not see the shadow of Zeng Guochang and Zhang Xiaolin.

After a while, the sacks were transported, and all the people left the boat and carried the sacks into the city gate. The ship is empty.

"Have you seen that woman?" Zhou Charter asked in a low voice.

"No." Guo Erchang said, "That woman should have disembarked early with Zeng Guochang."

Obviously, in the eyes of Zeng Guozhang, that woman is more important than the master of Dongxue. Moreover, Zeng Guochang doesn't want outsiders to see her.

Is it that she is something worth exchanging with life in Zeng Guozhang's mind?