Chapter 24: The Old Camp

Lin Shize brought Liu Wu to the training grounds to observe the soldiers currently undergoing drills.

"If we could take charge of these five hundred elite soldiers, I could consider a counter-offensive against Mengla," Lin Shize remarked. "Do you understand, old Liu? In truth, offense is the best form of defense."

"We must spread the flames of war into Mengla; that is the only way to drastically reduce the casualties of our own people."

"As long as the farmers can rest and recover, our grain supplies will no longer be so difficult to secure, and our soldiers will not have to fight on empty stomachs."

As Lin Shize held forth on the training grounds, Liu Wu looked at him as if he were a fool, thinking to himself, "It’s over. The boss has lost his mind. He’s just been promoted to battalion commander, and he’s already thinking about leading a counter-offensive? This is sheer fantasy."

The two wandered from the afternoon until dusk, yet there was no sign of Zhang Jiawen sending anyone to look for them, let alone any orders to lead troops.

That evening, as Lin Shize chewed on his rations, he paced back and forth anxiously, his saber clattering rhythmically against his armor with every step. "This isn't right. By now, he should have sent word for me to lead the troops back. Why is there no movement?"

Liu Wu and the other soldiers squatted on the ground, their eyes tracking Lin Shize’s restless figure. Liu Wu swallowed a mouthful of hard rations with difficulty, wanting to offer some advice. The sky was already dark; the regional commander had likely forgotten all about them. Forget about leading troops—they should be grateful just to keep their heads.

"Brother Lin!" Sun Zheng called out from afar, walking over with long strides.

Lin Shize let out a long sigh of relief; he had finally arrived.

"Brother Lin," Sun Zheng said, "the commander orders you to go to the Old Camp and select one thousand soldiers. From now on, they are under your command."

The smile that had begun to bloom on Lin Shize's face froze. He was certain this was a deliberate scheme by Zhang Jiawen. The Old Camp was a place where all sorts of riffraff and monsters resided. Although he was authorized to pick a thousand soldiers—a force equivalent in size to a full regiment—the Old Camp was filled with nothing but dregs: seasoned slackers, the disabled, and those discarded from every other unit.

Lin Shize’s chest heaved. This was clearly a massive pit dug for him to jump into, and yet, he had no choice but to leap.

Zhang Jiawen was his direct superior, and his orders could not be defied. Lin Shize took the document from Sun Zheng’s hand; it ordered him to proceed to the Old Camp immediately to assemble his unit. Between the lines, Lin Shize could almost sense Zhang Jiawen’s smug gaze.

Seeing that Lin Shize’s expression had turned ghastly, Liu Wu leaned in and whispered, "Boss, I have a few acquaintances in the Old Camp. Why don't we go over and assess the situation first?"

Lin Shize looked at the setting sun on the horizon and sighed, "Then let's go."

Lin Shize had prepared himself for the state of the Old Camp, but when he actually arrived, he realized his preparations had been woefully inadequate. The sun had already set, yet the gates to the Old Camp were wide open. Inside a military tent, four or five soldiers were rolling dice. Seeing someone arrive, they even warmly invited them to join the game—what hospitable fellows! Their uniforms were so filthy and black with grime that it was impossible to tell when they had last been washed.

Lin Shize felt his vision darken; it was as if the sky had collapsed.

The assembly bugle had been blown three times, yet the area in front of Lin Shize remained empty. Some of these damned soldiers even stepped out to relieve themselves before returning to their tents, yawning as they went back to sleep.

Liu Wu gave a bitter laugh. "Boss, it's no use. These people only care about money, not rank. Even if the commander himself came, it would be futile."

"Old Liu," Lin Shize insisted, "no matter what, we must scrape together one thousand men tonight."

Liu Wu frowned. "That won't work, Boss. The Old Camp has its own officers. Shouldn't we pay them a visit?"

Lin Shize glanced at the tents with a dark expression. "Ignore them. Just find a way to assemble one thousand men immediately."

Liu Wu nodded and walked toward a distant tent to see if any of his old acquaintances were still there. Before long, a veteran soldier scurried over, bowing and scraping. "Master, according to your orders, you should have ten company commanders and one hundred platoon leaders."

"All one thousand brothers need to eat," the veteran added. "We’ve been here so long we’re too hungry to even walk."

Lin Shize laughed and pulled the veteran over. "Tell me, is there any way to resolve this?"

The veteran wiped his nose. "Master, Old Liu and I are old acquaintances. To be honest, I know a lot of people here. As long as you are willing to spend the silver, I can certainly gather a thousand men for you."

Lin Shize patted his own armor. "Look at my gear, man. I don't lack money. But I have one requirement: these thousand men must have seen blood and be capable of killing. I have plenty of silver."

The veteran looked at Lin Shize and his men, all of whom were clad in identical, high-quality iron armor, and was overjoyed. Even the main camp didn't have many suits of iron armor like these. This man must be from a prestigious military family; following someone like this meant instant prosperity.

The veteran swallowed hard. "Master, as long as you have the silver, I will handle this beautifully."

Lin Shize unhooked his money bag and tossed it to the veteran. "I didn't bring much today, but there should be a hundred taels of silver in there."

"Let me tell you clearly: the soldiers under my command receive hundreds of taels in rewards for a single battle. You can ask Old Liu—this boy has quite a fortune now."

The veteran was a seasoned fox in the army. When Liu Wu had approached him earlier, he had barely recognized him. The iron armor Liu Wu wore alone was worth at least a hundred taels, not to mention the personal guards behind Lin Shize, who were all outfitted in matching iron plate. They carried custom-made long sabers—not the broken, rusted junk issued by the camp—and the hard bows on their backs were accompanied by quivers filled with twenty arrows each.

This equipment was better than that of the commander's own personal guards. The gear on these few men alone was worth at least fifteen hundred taels. This guy was undoubtedly loaded.

The veteran gave a military salute. "Boss, I, Wang Li, am willing to be your subordinate. I will go through fire and water for you without hesitation!"

"Wang Li, you had better be sure," Lin Shize said. "My soldiers are well-treated, but once you're in, you don't just get to walk away. If anyone turns deserter, I will chop his head off and hang it at the camp gate!"

Wang Li knelt on the ground. "I’ve been a soldier for two years; I understand that military law is merciless. I've only been rotting away here. I am perfectly willing to follow you through life and death!"

"Good!" Lin Shize helped Wang Li up. "This silver is yours to use. As for how you do it, that's your call. I don't care about the process—I only want results!"

Wang Li clutched the silver to his chest. He glanced at the other tents and leaned in to whisper, "Boss, the Old Camp may look like nothing, but there are factions underneath. If you want the right men, we have to use money to poach them."

Lin Shize smiled. "That's easy. Go ahead. It's just money, right? I'll have someone bring more copper coins."

"Anyone who joins me today and follows my lead gets a reward. Keep your eyes peeled. If anyone fails to satisfy me, I’m coming after you."

Wang Li nodded hurriedly, assuring him that he would get the job done.