Chapter 4, Stealing Grain, Collecting People

Cheng Pan contemplated a possibility and walked towards the dock, where he saw eight cargo boats moored.

Time slowly passed for several hours. Around four o'clock in the morning, Cheng Pan under the water plants began to move. Due to the strict curfew, apart from the sound of the night watch, there was no other noise in Anqing City, making it exceptionally quiet

Cheng Pan hid far away, watching the team advance. He had considered finding a Mongolian grain storage point. However, the reality was harsh; generally, any grain storage during the Yuan Dynasty was guarded by soldiers. Although the guards were not very strict, Cheng Pan was certain that if he dared to sneak over, he would definitely face dire consequences.

After a day of hustle and bustle, Uleji looked at the eight cargo boats that were loaded to varying degrees and felt a bit bored

At this moment, the guard soldiers were dozing off, and no one noticed a reed pole approaching the boat on the water, with Cheng Pan clinging to the bottom of the boat. The 10-meter sensory range allowed him to have a clear understanding of the cargo boat.

Cheng Pan arrived at a land temple last night and saw a group of beggar children. With a cunning demeanor, he took out a steamed bun and began to devour it. The young beggars, unable to contain themselves, were blinded by greed and started to surround him to rob him. These malnourished little rascals, who appeared weak but were actually fiercer than two strong men, were no match for Cheng Pan. After a brief struggle, Cheng Pan managed to make all the children cry. A few of the more defiant ones were hung from the beams and had their bottoms beaten with a wooden board for half an hour before they finally begged for mercy. After conquering them by force, Cheng Pan tossed out some carrots and, as if by magic, produced a pile of steamed buns, one for each of them. He then declared that as long as they followed him and listened to his words, he would take care of them. Just moments ago, the twelve little brats had been filled with hostility, but they immediately swore allegiance to him.

In the evening, he arrived at the upstream, saw that no one was around, and jumped into the water. Like a dead log, he floated into the water grass about 300 meters away from the boat, using a reed pipe to breathe and lying in ambush.

Cheng Pan began to leave the inn, starting to look for a suitable courtyard. Halfway there, a noisy procession came towards him; it was a convoy transporting grain. At the forefront were several Mongolian soldiers on horseback, recklessly clearing the way in front of the convoy. They trampled over the stalls along the street without a care, continuously cracking their whips at passersby. Compared to them, the urban management team seemed utterly weak. They trampled over the stalls along the street without a care, continuously cracking their whips at passersby. Compared to them, the urban management team seemed utterly weak

Cheng Pan carefully exchanged the stones and food in the space. After cautiously making the exchange ten times, he switched to the next ship

He slipped away while no one was paying attention

Cheng Pan finished his meal and booked a mid-range room with the boss. He went in and settled down. Lying on the bed, Cheng Pan reflected on his gains over the past few days

This is a simple task, the rowing is very smooth, and now it is autumn, the river is safe, anyone can take a trip. Why was I assigned to this task? Uleji feels very resentful; he is filled with grievances about being transferred away from the bustling world of Anqing City. With a stern face, he lectured the two Han soldiers to keep a good watch and then headed to the largest brothel in the city to spend his last spring night before leaving.

950 cubic meters, nearly 800 tons of grain is enough to recruit soldiers. I can compete with the spies in Red Alert. Such a large amount of grain cannot be easily purchased; grain has always been a heavily regulated commodity in China throughout history. Purchasing beyond a certain quantity can lead to trouble, and many have perished under the charge of hoarding. As for the fate of Uleji and the duty-bound Han army, it is not worth mentioning; the loss of 15,000 shi of grain is undoubtedly a monumental case. Grain is a heavily regulated commodity in China throughout history, and purchasing beyond a certain quantity can lead to trouble, with many having perished under the charge of hoarding. As for the fate of Uleji and the duty-bound Han army, it is not worth mentioning; the loss of 15,000 shi of grain is undoubtedly a monumental case. Families near the dock and boats running on the river will all be implicated.

Soon, Cheng Pan discovered that the team was heading towards the dock. It was the first time Cheng Pan had seen a grain transport ship. During the Yuan Dynasty, the status of maritime transport was relatively weaker compared to canal transport. The Yuan army had just quelled the rebellion in Jiangxi. However, they had not yet returned to their base and were still in the south extinguishing the remnants of the uprising. This was a military grain transport.

Cheng Pan whispered excitedly, "We can give it a try, there is a 70% chance."

It must be said that theft is an addictive behavior, and theft that carries almost no risk is even more irresistible.

Five kilometers outside of Anqing, I gazed at my stolen goods. I felt that my ambush was worthwhile

Now, Cheng Pan is quietly consuming three portions of food at a corner table in a restaurant in Anqing City. You may wonder why he does not sit by the window like protagonists in other novels, sipping a drink and enjoying a signature dish. Firstly, due to Cheng Pan's continuous and rigorous internal training over the past few days, which involves sitting and practicing for five to six hours every night, his true energy has grown to the thickness of a chopstick. Although his physique has not changed and his muscles do not appear bulging, their resilience has significantly increased. He can now lift a stone lock weighing two stones, equivalent to one hundred kilograms, with one hand and easily raise it above his head. Moreover, his skin has become somewhat fairer (to prevent any unwanted attention and protect his modesty, his face is now smeared with black ash), but the side effect is an increased appetite, leading to rather ungraceful eating habits. Secondly, Mongolian gentlemen occasionally enter the restaurant, and to avoid conflicts arising from seating arrangements, it is better to maintain a low profile.

Gold and silver have been collected in excess of 10,000 taels, which is basically sufficient. However, only 8 cubic meters of grain have been gathered (Note: one cubic meter of grain weighs 800 kilograms), which is far from enough and has not even filled a corner of the sea of consciousness space. (The sea of consciousness space is currently 1,000 cubic meters, and this person is too greedy.) Cheng Pan stood up and made up his mind: "Forget it, stealing from the grain store would attract too much attention. It's better to steal a little; stealing too much would leave half a room empty, which is too shocking. Every time I am present during such incidents, it draws the attention of those with ulterior motives, which is not good. It's better to rent one room, buy enough grain, and have someone deliver it. Then, when no one is around, I can collect the goods and leave, just like in a picture book."

Since Cheng Pan has been descending the river, he enters every city he encounters and steals upon entering. The value of the stolen goods amounts to over ten thousand taels of silver, yet he still feels that the capital to start his business is insufficient

After obtaining the food supplies, Cheng Pan resolved the issue of replenishment after recruiting personnel. Following the recruitment, Cheng Pan finally curbed the style of a bandit king; indeed, the fewer people involved in thievery, the better, as a larger number increases the target size, making it disadvantageous for stealthy operations

Within twenty minutes, Cheng Pan stole four boats, filling over ninety percent of the consciousness space. He then quietly escaped from the crime scene with the flowing river.

The instigator of such a major incident, this is of no concern to them. On the third day after the major case in Anqing occurred, he appeared in Tongling County, Chizhou Prefecture, Jiangsu and Zhejiang Province, which is present-day Tongling, Anhui. Cheng Pan was dressed in the attire of an ordinary laborer from the Yuan Dynasty, accompanied by twelve other youths dressed similarly, among whom there were ten boys and two girls. The oldest was 15 years old, and the youngest was 11 years old.

The ship did not experience severe rocking because it was not completely emptied at once. However, the slight creaking sound of the hull caused the duty soldier to glance over, but he did not see anyone. The soldier muttered, "The waves are really big," and then ignored it.