Liu Tiezhu understood that Guo Qixing was once again showcasing the Guo family's power. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before the Guo family replaced the other three. For now, he had no conflict with Guo Qixing, and their cooperation was going smoothly. But that didn't mean this relationship could last forever. When absolute interests were at stake, even a father and son might turn on each other and kill. So he had to come up with a plan to pave his own way forward.
Seeing Liu Tiezhu standing there in silence for a long time without a reply, Guo Qixing worried he might be overthinking things and explained, "Brother Tiezhu, you're an honored guest of the Guo family. Once we take down the Ming family, the Guo family won't treat you poorly."
Liu Tiezhu smiled. He didn't take Guo Qixing's assurances to heart. He handed Guo Qixing a cigarette, lit one for himself, took a few puffs, and said, "Let's not talk about the future for now. Let's discuss the copper mine. This has to be done quickly. Once Lin Changxing is out of danger, he might back out."
Guo Qixing replied, "I plan to act tonight. What do you think?"
Liu Tiezhu nodded. "No problem, but we need to move fast."
After finishing his talk with Guo Qixing, Liu Tiezhu left the military camp, mounted his horse, and headed straight for the Apricot Blossom Tavern. Guo Qixing's words had been a wake-up call, making him realize that continuing to develop alone would make it hard to gain a firm foothold.
At the Apricot Blossom Tavern, Ergouzi had been waiting for days without seeing Liu Tiezhu and was starting to get anxious. When he finally saw Liu Tiezhu arrive, he was thrilled and immediately called for the tavern owner to bring out the best food and drink. Once the dishes were served, Ergouzi waved the owner away and shut the door.
"Brother Tiezhu, I haven't heard from you in days. I've been worried sick."
"You have to stay calm when doing big things. If you get anxious after just a few days without seeing me, how can I rely on you in the future?" Liu Tiezhu shot Ergouzi a glare, then pulled out ten packs of fine cigarettes and bottles of liquor that Lin Changxing had gifted him, handing them over. "Take these back to the mountains later and give them to Uncle and Big Brother. I'm the captain of the Ming family's action team now, so I'll be able to get plenty more good stuff."
Ergouzi took them, and his eyes lit up on the spot. These were top-tier cigarettes and liquor—only wealthy households could afford such things on the market. Snapping back to reality, Ergouzi looked at him with a pleading expression. "Brother Tiezhu, I want to work with you too. You're the captain of the Ming family's action team now. Surely you can find a spot for me?"
"Put away those little schemes. I have something more important for you to do." Liu Tiezhu cut him off and then laid out his plan to form a military unit. Before, he lacked the money and resources to do it. Now that he had everything, it was time to properly arrange a backup plan.
Ergouzi said, "Brother Tiezhu, forming a unit burns through a lot of cash. With our current capabilities, even putting together a fifty-man squad would be tough." Their assets were around two hundred thousand, but that wasn't nearly enough to sustain a fifty-man unit. Every day, just feeding fifty people was a significant expense. On top of that, monthly wages and the cost of ammunition and equipment added up to a huge sum. Their current assets were far from sufficient.
"Don't worry. Since I've decided to form a unit, I'll find a way." Liu Tiezhu pulled out several stacks of bills. These were the six thousand yuan Guo Qixing had given him after liquidating the Li and Zhang families' supplies. Besides that, the copper mine would bring in several thousand more. That money could sustain them for a while. Liu Tiezhu knew that even with all these bills combined, it was still a drop in the bucket for supporting a hundred-man unit. So from the moment he decided to form the unit, he had already set up a series of plans. First, there were Jiang Tianliang's black-market operations. Second, he could use his position to get more resources. As long as he remained the action team captain, he could find ways to procure supplies.
Seeing the bag full of bills, Ergouzi's breathing quickened again. He thought to himself how easy it was to make money in the city. In just over ten days, Liu Tiezhu had amassed so many supplies and bills. If they were stuck hunting in the mountains, they'd never get their hands on resources like this in a lifetime.
"Brother Tiezhu, even if we have supplies, finding people is still a problem. Where do we recruit to form the unit?" After calming down, Ergouzi asked another key question.
Liu Tiezhu said, "Don't worry about the personnel. I'll handle it. Take these things back to the mountains and come back in a week. I'll have the people ready for you, and you'll be in charge of training them in hand-to-hand combat and shooting. I'll arrange for Yang Hua to assist you and keep the unit in line." In these times, with money, finding people wasn't hard. When he left the camp, he had already thought of Yang Hua, who was still with the Ming family.
"Where will the training base be?" Ergouzi asked.
Liu Tiezhu replied, "In that bamboo grove at Liujia Village. When you go back, tell your sister-in-law I'm safe."
After finishing the arrangements, Liu Tiezhu got up and left. By the time he returned to the camp, it was already dark. As soon as he walked in, Yan Wanli saluted and reported, "Captain Liu, the Ming family steward brought word that you've been appointed captain of the action team. Also, the steward relayed Third Master's order for you to recommend one team member as your assistant. Earlier, all the team leaders brought gifts, saying they had important matters to report. I took the liberty of having them leave the gifts and told them to come back tomorrow if they had anything to discuss."
"You did well." Liu Tiezhu patted Yan Wanli on the shoulder and handed him a pack of cigarettes. "Please make a trip to the Ming family and bring Yang Hua to me." As he spoke, worried Yan Wanli might mistake the person, Liu Tiezhu described Yang Hua's appearance in detail.
After sending Yan Wanli off, Liu Tiezhu glanced at the gifts on the table. Besides the visible cigarettes and liquor, there were bulging items wrapped in red paper. From their size and shape, it was obvious without thinking that these were bills. These team leaders weren't really coming to report—they were trying to curry favor. As the newly appointed captain, Liu Tiezhu had the authority to decide their fates. After all, on missions, everyone wanted the safest assignment. Moreover, with his promotion, the assistant position was now open. By the rules, the candidate would be chosen from among them. Liu Tiezhu didn't have the final say, but he had the right to recommend. Whoever he recommended would likely get the spot. If someone landed that position, their future would be incredibly comfortable. As a shrewd man, Liu Tiezhu saw right through their intentions. But the assistant role was critical—he had to use someone he trusted, one of his own.