After a brief discussion, He Zonghan, Liu Haoran, and Gao Jiaji made a decisive choice and raised their banners once more.
The people of Zhima Ditch were all former subordinates of the three. In the past, they had followed them in plunder and slaughter, living boldly and indulgently. After being forced to farm for an entire year, resentment had long since taken root in their hearts.
Now, upon hearing that Manchu incursions had drawn away imperial forces and left Shanxi weakened, and that their leaders intended to rise again, these old ruffians responded with eager enthusiasm.
In the blink of an eye, the three men had once more gathered an army of five thousand.
He Zonghan addressed them loudly. "The Hedong Circuit is incredibly wealthy! There are newly built saltworks, textile mills, cement factories, coal mines, and steel plants. The workers there are all rich—money in every household. Yet they hoard it and refuse to share with us. Why should they feast while we starve? We'll go to the Hedong Circuit, plunder those heartless rich folk, kill them all, and make a great fortune. Then we'll cross the Yellow River and join our elder brother, the Chuang Wang!"
"Agreed!"
The five thousand men slipped out of Zhima Ditch under cover of secrecy, following mountain trails southwest toward the Hedong Circuit.
East of Hedong City, just over twenty li away, a colossal factory stood upon a barren stretch of land.
Its full name was the Shanxi Yuncheng Iron and Steel General Factory, commonly referred to as the Yun Gang Factory.
The factory had been built far from the city. The reason was simple: Li Daoxuan, having learned from the lessons of later generations about relocating state-owned factories to the outskirts, had decided from the very beginning to place large industrial sites like this steel plant well away from urban centers. This was to avoid future population growth crowding the city and forcing another relocation.
At dawn, the factory was already awake.
Large groups of workers were exercising on the main drill ground, keeping their bodies strong. A smaller number crowded into the canteen, holding bowls of porridge and nibbling salted vegetables as they eased into the day.
Among them, two figures stood out. One was named Qi Cheng, the other Chen Ergou. Both were skilled technicians—men who wore Blue Hats.
Yet their Blue Hats were slightly different. Each bore a circle, and within it the character "probation," marking their status.
They were Labor Reform prisoners from Huanglong Mountain. Due to a shortage of skilled manpower across the region, and because both possessed valuable technical expertise, they had been granted special clemency, allowed to atone through service.
The two sat at the edge of the drill ground, chewing steamed buns and salted vegetables while watching other workers run laps.
Steelworkers were truly different from ordinary laborers. Their bodies were solid and powerful, muscles bulging beneath bronzed skin. Sweat glistened under the morning sun, reflecting a healthy, vibrant sheen.
Qi Cheng watched with envy. "I really do envy them. If not for this 'probation' mark on my hat, I could live just as openly and confidently."
Chen Ergou chuckled. "Don't worry. We've been making up for our crimes for quite some time now. We've earned plenty of merit, and our sentences have been reduced significantly. At most, another year."
Qi Cheng's spirits lifted. "That's right. In a year, we can finally remove this mark. Hahaha—then we'll be proper citizens of Gao Family Village, earning the same wages as the other Blue Hats. Life will suddenly look much brighter."
The more they spoke, the lighter their hearts became.
Just then, a worker in a Yellow Hat came running over, calling from afar. "Engineer Qi! Engineer Chen! A strange, massive vehicle has arrived from Gao Family Village. We can't quite make sense of it—could you come take a look at the factory gate?"
Qi Cheng and Chen Ergou stood up at once. "Coming, coming!"
They hurried to the main gate of the Yun Gang Factory, where many Yellow Hats had already gathered, forming a circle and craning their necks in curiosity.
Pushing through the crowd, they saw what everyone was staring at: a massive iron vehicle of peculiar design. It somewhat resembled a train, yet it did not run on rails. Instead, it stood proudly upon the cement road.
"What on earth is that?" Qi Cheng and Chen Ergou could not help but exclaim.
"This is the newest automobile developed by Young Master Bai!" the driver announced proudly. "No need for tracks—it can go anywhere there's a road. I'm the first driver, and I drove it all the way from Gao Family Village to here. Quite the distance, wouldn't you say? Hahahaha! It's just that… it uses a lot of coal."
As he finished speaking, he cried out dramatically, "Does the Yun Gang Factory have any coal? Hurry and give me some! I've burned it all up—the vehicle can't move anymore!"
The surrounding workers burst into laughter. "This is a steel plant—of course we have coal! Hahaha! But it can't be given out freely. A leader has to approve the allocation."
"Where are your leaders?" the driver wailed.
"They're away on business," the Yellow Hats replied with grins. "Right now, the highest-ranking people in the factory are Engineer Qi and Engineer Chen."
The crowd parted neatly, presenting the two Blue Hats.
The driver glanced at the probationary marks on their hats and immediately realized they were Labor Reform prisoners. He couldn't help thinking, So this massive steel factory is being run by two convicts? That's absurd.
Outwardly, however, he smiled warmly. "Esteemed Blue Hat brothers, could you approve a small amount of coal for me? This is Young Master Bai's Experimental Car No. 2—a top-tier technological product of Gao Family Village. In the future, it will handle all road transport for the village. If you allocate some coal, the Village Committee will certainly approve."
Qi Cheng and Chen Ergou were still marveling at the iron vehicle. Hearing this, they naturally raised no objection.
Qi Cheng asked for paper and brush, wrote an authorization approving a certain number of jin of coal for Young Master Bai's experimental vehicle, signed his name, and pressed his handprint beneath it.
Workers immediately fetched two large baskets of coal and cheerfully helped load them into the vehicle's coal bin.
The scene was bustling with activity.
Suddenly—
From the northeast corner of the Yun Gang Factory came a hollow kong-kong-kong sound—the striking of sticks against hollow bamboo.
An alarm.
A guard in the northeast shouted at the top of his lungs, "Bandits are attacking! Bandits are attacking! Close the factory gates—quickly, close the gates!"
At the cry, the entire Yun Gang Factory plunged into instant chaos.
Shouts and screams echoed everywhere.
The massive iron gates to the east and north slammed shut at once, producing two heavy, resounding crashes.
Workers scattered in panic throughout the factory grounds. Their families poured out from the residential area as well, running about like headless flies.
"What's happening?"
"Where are the bandits?"
"Where did they come from?"