Chapter 34: Su Changqing Rebukes Kong Jie, Purges the Tyrants of Yang Village, and Seizes Control of the Gold Mine-Guerra de Resistência: Estrela de Huangpu, Subjugando Li Yunlong no Início(As coisas mudaram, e as pessoas também não são mais as mesmas.)

"Damn it!"
"Damn it all!"
"How on earth did we provoke this bunch of Red bandits?"
"Why would a group of Red bandits come to Mount Wutai?"

Yang Zizai, the commander of the local security forces, who had always been accustomed to bullying the locals and acting as a local tyrant, never expected the Rainbow Army to show up on his home turf. A fully armed cavalry company had suddenly appeared, and before he knew it, they had struck a heavy, decisive blow right at his forehead.

The security forces were hardly a match for the Rainbow Army cavalry, who had been tempered by the bloody Battle of Baizhang Pass. Faced with the cavalry's charge, the security forces offered almost no resistance. Some surrendered, while others fled. Yang Zizai had intended to escape, but he was a high-priority target. After his horse was precision-hit by a bullet, he tumbled to the ground, his face battered and bruised. Realizing there was no chance of escape, he immediately covered his head with his hands and crouched down before the cavalry soldiers.

"Run! Why don't you run, you little brat?" a soldier shouted, aiming his rifle at Yang's head.

Crouching on the ground with his hands over his head, Yang Zizai offered a fawning smile. "Sir, how would I dare? How could I possibly dare?"

"Glad you know your place. Keep it steady."

"Commander, what should we do with these captives?" a soldier asked, turning to Kong Jie.

"Tie them up with rope. Send a few comrades to escort them back to the base for the column commander to deal with. As for this Yang Zizai, he's from Yang Village—take him with us. The column commander's order is to seize the gold mine controlled by Yang Village. Although the village has a poor reputation, they are still local civilians. Using Yang Zizai might allow us to take control of the mine without spilling blood."

Kong Jie was a man of steady temperament, though he lacked flexibility. He was a soldier who obeyed orders to a fault—a trait that was both a virtue and a flaw. If someone like Li Yunlong had been in his shoes, he might have launched a direct assault on the village, as breaking rules was second nature to him. But Kong Jie was different. Even though he was thoroughly disgusted by the thugs in Yang Village, he knew that if the Rainbow Army launched a full-scale attack, the media and newspapers controlled by the Blue Sky Party would twist the facts, spread rumors, and smear their reputation. This forced Kong Jie to avoid rash actions.

Su Changqing had intentionally sent the steady Kong Jie to deal with Yang Village instead of Li Yunlong. It was a calculated move meant to "teach" Kong Jie a lesson. After all, when it came to being a "troublemaker," Li Yunlong didn't even hold a candle to Su Changqing. If the truth about the staged ambush and assassination of the official had leaked out, it would have been a far greater transgression than all of Li Yunlong’s errors combined.

Su Changqing remained unscathed because he had handled the matter "cleanly." Even the Blue Sky Party didn't know who had carried out the assassination. Though the high-ranking officials had their suspicions, they chose to turn a blind eye. After all, Su Changqing had been recovering from injuries at the time, and logically, he should have had no "channel" to obtain the sensitive information regarding the official’s travel itinerary.

Su Changqing was satisfied with Kong Jie’s obedience, but he hoped Kong Jie would eventually learn to adapt. After all, if the sky were to fall, he, the tall one, would be there to hold it up. At that moment, Su Changqing was following behind Kong Jie’s cavalry company with a few guards, heading toward Yang Village.

***

"What are you doing?" Yang Zizai shouted at the villagers of Yang Village, who stood before them brandishing bird guns and bows. "I am the security commander, a man of this village! I have brought the commanders here to take over the gold mine. Do you intend to resist the Rainbow Army? Do you want to oppose the commanders?"

Seeing the hateful glares of the villagers he had led to occupy the mine, Yang Zizai felt humiliated. These greedy wretches were now pointing their weapons at him. He was furious.

"Yang Zizai, take these soldier dogs and get out of our village!" one villager spat. "You traitor! This gold mine belongs to Yang Village. It's ours! Get out! You aren't welcome here! If you dare covet our gold again, we’ll shoot you down with our guns and arrows!"

Blinded by greed, the villagers no longer feared Yang Zizai. In their eyes, the mine was private property, and anyone who tried to take it was an enemy. Some of them had even studied the policies of the Rainbow Army, and because they knew the army was strictly disciplined regarding civilians, they felt emboldened.

A villager stepped forward, aiming his bird gun at Kong Jie with a sneer. "Get out! Take another step, and don't blame me for what happens! Damn you wild dogs, do you even know who owns this gold?"

"Since when did this mine belong to the Yangs?" Kong Jie retorted, his voice rising in anger. "Do you think I don't know what you did to seize this mine? This wasn't originally your village. How many people did you kill to take this place?"

"The affairs of Yang Village are none of your business!" the villager shouted back. "One more step and I'll fire!"

"Damn it, refusing to drink a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!"

*Bang!*

The shot rang out. It missed the soldiers, but the sheer arrogance of the act ignited the fury of Su Changqing, who was watching from a distance. The villagers continued to clamor, "Don't be afraid, fellow villagers! These Red bandits have discipline; they won't dare touch us! This gold is ours, and no one can change that! Think of the life we’ve lived thanks to this mine. Are you willing to watch these bandits steal it away? Whoever tries to take our gold, we take their life!"

Su Changqing could no longer hold back. "Kong Jie!" he roared. "What the hell are you waiting for? Do you think these are innocent villagers? These are bandits—an armed force opposing the Rainbow Army! Do you want our soldiers to die here?"

As the shout echoed, Su Changqing raised his Mauser rifle and fired. *Bang!* The bullet struck the villager with the bird gun, killing him instantly.

Kong Jie snapped out of his trance. "Comrades, fire!"

The soldiers, who had been restraining themselves, immediately opened fire. Faced with a rain of bullets, the sight of blood, and the reality of death, the once-arrogant villagers were finally overcome with terror. Death made them realize how tragically wrong they had been.

"Spare us! We were wrong! We’ll hand over the mine, just spare our lives! I don't want to die, I was misled!"

But amidst the pleas, the gunfire did not cease. In an instant, the village was littered with bodies. Once the rebellion was quelled and news spread that the survivors would be sent away for "reformatory labor," the villagers in the surrounding areas of Mount Wutai, who had long suffered under the tyranny of Yang Village, lit lanterns and set off firecrackers in celebration. It was clear how much they had hated the village that had monopolized the mine and terrorized the region.

With Yang Village completely dismantled, Su Changqing took control of the gold mine.