Chapter 2, Illegal Armed Groups

Stop!

Scatter and hide

In the past, Yang Qiu would never have wavered in this belief. However, having just visited the Memorial Hall of the Xinhai Revolution and understanding the chaotic domestic situation that persisted for decades after the Xinhai Revolution, modern individuals are at a loss for choice. Especially when faced with those who are essentially gangsters, armed members of the Ge Lao Hui who exploit the name of revolution for personal gain, it is astonishing that the party members would collaborate with them, and even equip themselves with firearms purchased from Japan. This alone reveals many issues.

So, that hat-wearing bastard is simply toying with me

Yang Qiu took a deep breath and lowered his voice: "Brother Ma, have you heard a saying?"

How could they have such a thing!

Adult, be careful

Upon seeing a man in black with a gun stepping out from among the armed men, Xiao Anguo hurriedly approached to negotiate. However, before he could say much, the other party demanded to inspect the carriage, which made him somewhat anxious. It is important to note that this batch of guns is essentially a powder keg; if exposed, it would be truly disastrous.

This was bought by my second uncle from the United States. Yang Qiuling had a sudden inspiration and shifted the responsibility onto her second uncle, who was doing business in Shanghai, saying: "He was afraid that I would suffer losses, so he specifically bought these two short guns at a high price for my self-defense."

What do you mean?

Yang Qiu, who carried a gun and dressed like everyone else, changed into a short jacket. The slightly open front of his clothing gave him a more heroic appearance typical of a figure from the martial world. However, only he knew that this was to give the precious item in his arms a "sunbath"

Upon seeing the gun in the other party's hand, Yang Qiu was greatly astonished

Yang Qiu recalled the phrase "A warm call to the brother, many heroes of Xichuan are known." It is said that the Ge Lao Society and the Tiandi Society had connections. During the late Qing Dynasty, these groups of three to five, armed with fierce knives, had a significant influence in the towns of Sichuan.

While Yang Qiu was still unclear about what was happening as he was introducing the pistol to Bingwen, he suddenly heard a loud shout from ahead, followed by the sound of gun bolts being pulled all around. The bearded Ma Kui even rolled behind the cart.

Yang Qiu, who stands at 1.78 meters tall, undoubtedly stands out in this era. He quickly discerned the situation ahead, as he saw several burly men dressed in black short jackets suddenly emerge from both sides of the mountain hollow, and to his surprise, these individuals were armed.

The scorching sun dampens one's spirits, and although the soldiers driving the carriage shout incessantly and the whips crack loudly, the wheels of the carriage continue to roll forward at a leisurely pace

A common logistics soldier in the new army of Hubei, lacking money, support, and territory, even though he was a soldier in his past life and had worked in an automobile factory, he still cannot produce anything now, even if he were to bring over the latest 29-axis linkage machine tool from Germany in the future

The victor of the recently concluded Russo-Japanese War is Japan

Huzi, Bingwen. You are still young; this place is not like other provinces. The local customs in Sichuan have always been fierce, and the power dynamics are complex. Additionally, the local ethnic groups such as the Miao and Tibetan people have their own backing, and now there are members of the Nationalist Party stirring up trouble. Even Lord Zhang and Lord Li do not dare to underestimate the situation, which is why we have been ordered to proceed with light and secretive transport. If it were simple, why would our brothers have to endure such hardships

"Brother Yang, who is making fun of you? Oh, what kind of gun is this?" Bingwen, who was in the same car as Yang Qiu, turned his head and saw Yang Qiu playing with a short gun he had never seen before. His eyes lit up, and he immediately leaned closer.

The Russo-Japanese War marked the first practical deployment of the Mosin-Nagant in the Far East. After Japan's victory, many were captured; however, due to differing standards, most of them became lost. Unexpectedly, a portion of these weapons actually found their way into the domestic market

"Revolutionary Party ... ... ." Yang Qiu softly murmured, noticing that Xiao Anguo was still arguing with the other party, she inquired, "Brother Ma, do you trust them?"

"If it has been passed on, then so be it, what is there to fear?" Despite having a baby face, Bingwen has quite a temper, and after hearing this, he immediately said indignantly

"It’s a disaster, it’s related to the Brotherhood of the Kuomintang!" Ma Kui whispered to Yang Qiu as he leaned closer.

In the blink of an eye, Yang Qiuxian exerted force with both hands and forcefully pushed Bingwen and Ma Kui aside. Before the two could get back up, he leaped onto the horse-drawn carriage, suddenly kicked off with his legs, and, using the momentum, swooped down like a hawk towards Xiao Anguo

Mosin-Nagant

"Brothers? The Brotherhood!"

"Illegal armed forces!" Yang Qiu said with a crooked smile, and Bing Wen, who was on guard nearby, perked up his ears and also broke into a grin.

"What is inappropriate!" A man in black holding a gun warned Yang Qiu and others, "Recently, Sichuan has been unstable. Our leader has received orders from the Ge Lao Association to strictly inspect this route. We now suspect that you are spies sent by the Qing court to seize the railway!"

The Mosin-Nagant rifle is indeed a rare item. During the Beiyang period, the military was predominantly equipped with German and Japanese weapons, with a small number of French and Italian arms also entering the country. However, Russian rifles... are not commonly seen

"Illegal armed forces?" The whispering laughter made Ma Kui scratch his head, still puzzled about what it meant. Suddenly, Yang Qiu noticed something flashing in the low bushes ahead, and immediately, all the hairs on his body stood on end.

When Ma Kui saw Yang Qiu frown, he thought he was unaware of the Ge Lao Hui, so he introduced it while remaining on guard: "The Pao Ge, also known as the Ge Lao Hui, is quite renowned in Sichuan. One of their leaders, Qin Zai Geng, is said to have joined the Nationalist Party in recent years. Given the current situation, it seems we cannot pass through."

If it were not for his personal interest in firearms, and if he had not previously visited the Xinhai Revolution Memorial Hall where such old guns were also displayed, he probably would not have been able to distinguish what type of rifle the other party was holding

Bingwen did not suspect anything; in this day and age, many wealthy young men like to carry a gun. Although Yang Qiu was orphaned, he came from a good family background in his early years, and he had a second uncle who was doing business in Shanghai, so buying a gun was not a big deal.

Who goes there

This is called ... ... fashion in the popular language of later generations

"Brother Ma, there is something I do not understand. We are the official army, so why do we have to be so evasive? If we reveal our identity directly, what could they possibly do?" Yang Qiu pretended to ask naively.

I am Xiao Anguo, entrusted by the Dong family to escort a batch of mountain goods to Chengdu

"Mountain goods? Let's take a look." The man in black held a Mosin-Nagant, speaking while his eyes kept darting towards the cart, giving Yang Qiu a very strange feeling. At this moment, it was not surprising to have checkpoints in Sichuan, but these people seemed... not genuine

Can fashion save the nation

Ma Kui smiled, took out a cigarette from his pocket but did not light it, and after smelling it under his nose, suddenly asked back: "Huzi, you have been drinking foreign ink in Shanghai for seven or eight years, do you particularly believe in their set of ideas?"

The intuition honed during his previous military service caused him to suddenly squint his eyes, as a strong sense of danger emanated from those inconspicuous armed men in black. The ability to procure weapons from the Japanese indicated that these individuals were far from ordinary

Industry is not merely a matter of a single statement; even with a multitude of machines, skilled workers and vast resources are still required

How is it?" Ma Kui sneered, "Nowadays, the Party members are everywhere in Sichuan, with people from Guangzhou and Shanghai all meddling in our affairs. On top of that, we have these fearless local brothers. It won't take half a day before our message with guns reaches the Governor's Office in Sichuan.

This is inappropriate...

Yang Qiu was slightly taken aback, not expecting this rough-looking man from Henan with a face full of stubble to respond to her question. That said, over the years, those who have gone abroad or attended new schools or foreign institutions and received education in new ideologies, how many of them do not speak of revolution at every turn

The only channel through which these rifles, which even the main Russian forces are not fully equipped with, have flowed into the country.