Chapter 33: Ways to Generate Wealth in the Base Area—Suppressing Bandits and Mining Gold

The drought spreading throughout the Wutai Mountain region was primarily caused by a severe scarcity of water resources, a situation further exacerbated by declining rainfall. Upon taking control of the area and establishing a base of operations, Su Changqing and the First Column began mobilizing the local populace to dig wells for water. With the aid of his "Entrepreneur System," Su was able to pinpoint the exact locations of underground rivers. By sinking wells directly into these hidden veins, they successfully extracted water, significantly alleviating the drought.

Beyond digging wells, the construction of water conservancy projects was deemed a task of utmost importance. The plan included building reservoirs, ponds, and water cellars to regulate runoff and store water during the wet season for use during dry spells. Historically, water infrastructure in the Wutai Mountain region was virtually nonexistent, which meant that any drought inevitably led to widespread crop failure. If the First Column intended to maintain a long-term presence in the area, food and clothing were critical concerns; without a functioning local agricultural sector to provide rations for the troops and crops for textile production, their ability to root themselves in Wutai Mountain would be severely compromised.

Fortunately, Su’s implementation of policies such as "stripping the local tyrants and redistributing the land" won him immense support from the local people, who enthusiastically participated in the construction of water projects. However, Su recognized that blind construction could do more harm than good, and this was where the need for expertise became clear. Through the system, a group of water conservancy experts arrived from universities in Beiping and other cities. These professionals, already sympathetic to new ideologies and admirers of Yan’an, were easily solidified in their commitment through the system’s "ideological branding." Su welcomed these talents with open arms. "Poaching them?" Su thought to himself with a smirk. "That’s not the word for it—the Wutai Mountain base needs talent, too."

Currently, agricultural production in the Wutai region—and indeed throughout the Great Xia nation—remained tethered to the feudal era. Without industrialization, Su could not yet produce the agricultural machinery needed to modernize farming. The Wutai Mountain base was in its infancy, starting from scratch. Beyond basic supplies, Su faced a desperate need for capital, resources to drive industrial development, technical talent, and skilled workers. Of course, equipment was also an urgent priority. Had it not been for the Entrepreneur System, each of these problems would have been a massive headache, but with the system at his disposal, the path forward became much clearer.

For Su, the first priority was capital. After arriving in the Wutai region, the Rainbow Army had swept through the local corrupt gentry, landlords, and venal officials. Beyond opening granaries to feed the starving, they had seized significant funds to fuel their development. Yet, this was far from enough. Consequently, the two fastest ways to generate wealth were "bandit suppression" and "mining."

According to the system’s intelligence, there were over a dozen bandit gangs of varying sizes lurking in the vicinity of Wutai Mountain. While not particularly powerful, these bandits were wealthy from their exploits of highway robbery and murder. To the locals, they were a deadly scourge; to Su, they were both a whetstone for his troops and a source of quick capital. Since the establishment of the base, over six hundred local youths had joined the Rainbow Army, but these recruits lacked combat experience. Sending them directly into battle against the Japanese invaders would surely result in heavy losses. These bandits, therefore, were the perfect targets for training.

Furthermore, intelligence indicated that about sixty kilometers from the base lay a gold mine. Under normal circumstances, this mine would not be private property. However, the local militia commander, who hailed from a nearby village, had seized the mine upon its discovery. He had led a unit of militia and his own fellow villagers to forcibly expel the local population from the surrounding area. Those who refused to leave were dealt with through various means—assassination and body disposal became commonplace. It was rumored that the number of villagers who had inexplicably vanished was too high to count on two hands, not to mention those maimed or wounded. Backed by guns and colluding with the local government, the commander funneled the bulk of the mine's profits to his superiors, effectively turning the mine into the private property of himself and the Yang Family Village.

Even though everyone knew the mine had been seized through criminal means, they remained silent out of fear. The villagers of Yang Family Village grew incredibly wealthy off the mine and grew increasingly arrogant, boasting that anyone who dared covet their ancestral gold mine would pay with their life. They had reason to be bold; it was said that villagers who accidentally wandered into the mining area while gathering firewood were often gunned down by the Yang villagers using bird guns, bows, or Hanyang rifles. To terrorize the locals, they even decapitated those who strayed into the area as a warning to others.

Bandits and a village of bullies—Su smiled. Were these not the perfect targets for funding his cause?

"Li Yunlong!" Su called out as he stepped out of his room.

"Here!"

"Commander, is there an operation?" Having been busy with construction, Li Yunlong had been itching for action. Seeing Su’s demeanor, his eyes began to shine.

"Lead several battalions and use the veterans to train the new recruits. Clear out the bandits from these locations marked on the map. Can you do it?"

Li Yunlong stood at attention and saluted. "Mission guaranteed!"

"Kong Jie!"

"Here!"

"Take a company to Yang Family Village. In accordance with the base’s administrative decree, take control of the gold mine they occupy."

"Understood, Commander!"