Chapter 4: Expansion of the Guarding Institution
The result of the interrogation left Lin Zhe speechless; this group of bandits was not a genuine Taiping army, but rather a gang of bandits and refugees who had migrated from nearby areas. Upon witnessing the strength of the Taiping army in southern Jiangsu, they raised the banner of the Taiping army to take advantage of the situation, plundering the local areas and even attempting to capture Yuyao County.
Even being an apprentice is something that countless people dream of, as even the most junior staff receive food and accommodation along with a monthly stipend. Generally speaking, the head of the household usually does not dismiss employees, which means that once one enters a large trading company, it essentially guarantees a lifetime of sustenance. In an era where even having enough to eat is a problem, being able to eat to one's fill has become the pursuit of countless individuals
The Lin family's commercial network in Yuyao spans the entire northern Zhejiang and southern Jiangsu regions, and they have maintained long-term cooperative relationships with several foreign trading firms. Lin Zhe naturally did not need to personally travel to Shanghai to procure foreign firearms; he simply issued instructions to his subordinates to purchase a batch of foreign guns.
In light of the chaotic situation, Lin Zhe believes it is still necessary to strengthen the protective forces of the courtyard. Whether for the safety of his own family or for escorting merchant caravans, this is indispensable
As for those village guards, they are even less reliable. In fact, these guards are merely ordinary servants and minor households from the Lin residence, temporarily armed with weapons to create an imposing presence. They have not undergone any training and possess no personal valor.
After dealing with the aftermath of their own casualties, there were still numerous corpses and injured individuals left behind by the bandits outside. The corpses need not be elaborated upon; they can simply be buried in any convenient location. As for the injured, they will be subjected to extrajudicial interrogation.
The second category is domestic slaves, including purchased servants and those born into servitude. They primarily engage in the internal affairs of the household, which involves serving others. Therefore, whether these individuals are young servants, maids, or managers and stewards, they lack personal freedom. Some managers and stewards may dress quite elegantly, and outsiders may refer to them respectfully as Mr. or Ms. Manager or Steward, but if the master is displeased, they can be beaten to death without consequence. Thus, regardless of whether they are young servants, maids, or managers and stewards, they all lack personal freedom. Some managers and stewards may dress quite elegantly, and outsiders may refer to them respectfully as Mr. or Ms. Manager or Steward, but if the master is displeased, they can be beaten to death without consequence
In this day and age, if one were to say that there is still a safe place in China, it would only be the treaty port of Shanghai. Due to the existence of concessions and the presence of a large number of foreign troops, Shanghai remained unaffected by the domestic civil wars, no matter how intense they were, from the Opium War until the Anti-Japanese War.
Lin Zhe promised the families of the deceased a quota for employment in the government shop, which is indeed a rare opportunity. However, in this era, securing a position in a large commercial establishment is a very difficult matter.
The third type consists of externally hired managers and assistants. Most of the major managers and assistants in the Lin family are of this kind. They are paid a salary for their work, and sometimes the major managers also receive bonuses. This group of individuals serves as the primary managers and assistants for the Lin family's business. The tasks referred to earlier by Lin Zhe pertain to this category.
In addition to the deceased, the government will also cover all medical expenses for the injured today, along with an additional reward of ten taels of silver
Considering that these guards will be crucial for his own safety in the future, he cannot treat this matter lightly. Lin Zhe thinks it over and ultimately feels that he needs to personally conduct the training.
Madam Lin snorted coldly: "These damned thieves, it would be too easy for them to die, but since over a hundred of them have escaped, we must be on guard to prevent their return!"
Madam Lin said: "Well, this matter is done. In today's world, the government cannot be relied upon!"
After pondering for half a day, Lin Zhe from *Tu* Bookstore felt that it was still necessary to source materials locally, recruiting from the children of their own household. Although the Lin family is primarily engaged in business, like all prominent families of the contemporary era, whether in commerce or politics, they prefer to acquire large tracts of land. While the amount of land owned by the Lin family may not compare to those landlords who regard land as their lifeblood, it is still quite substantial.
The issues regarding personnel and weapons have been resolved, but training remains a challenge. At the very least, it cannot be left entirely to Coach Wang. Coach Wang, originally from a bandit background, may be able to teach martial skills, but he certainly cannot instill military discipline in them.
Today's battle, resembling a brawl, has given Lin Zhe a certain understanding of the guards in his household. The official guards of the Lin residence number around fifty, but more than twenty of them are scattered in various locations, escorting merchant caravans or surrounding warehouses. Thus, there are fewer than thirty guards remaining in the residence. Most of these guards possess commendable individual skills, and among them, a few are formidable bandits with less than clean backgrounds, with Wang Jiaotou being one of the most outstanding.
Although Mrs. Lin is a woman of the household, she has managed the internal affairs of the Lin family for several decades. After the passing of Mr. Lin, she has also overseen the family business for many years. While there has not been significant growth during her tenure, she has still managed to maintain the scale of the family business in a highly competitive commercial environment, which is quite an achievement.
At the same time, they are also engaged in the re-export trade of tea and porcelain. Every year, the Lin family purchases a large quantity of tea and porcelain to sell to foreign trading companies
Like others, in the face of the threat of war, Lin Zhe's first refuge is Shanghai. To this end, he has already planned to gradually relocate the family business to the Shanghai area, and establishing a steam silk reeling factory is one of the important components of this industrial layout.
I heard that the Lin family has stored a large amount of wealth in their estate in the east of the city, which sparked my interest in launching an attack. However, I did not anticipate that the Lin family had a considerable number of troops in the estate, and we were unable to take it down even after half a day. By the time Lin Zhe arrived with reinforcements, the situation turned tragic!
Compared to foreign firearms, it is the users of traditional firearms that are difficult to find
Although I am not well-versed in military affairs, I have watched quite a few war movies and am aware that it is quite popular these days to execute by firing squad. Teaching a group of commoners to line up for a firing squad should not be a problem.
Where do the personnel come from
Lin Zhexian first inspected the wealth stored in the village of Zhuangzi and, upon discovering that there was no shortage due to the chaos, left more than thirty people to guard the village. He did not linger and then returned with Wang Jiaotou and the others.
The Lin family, a large clan, consists of three groups of people. The first group is the relatives. The Lin family has been passed down for hundreds of years. Although the direct lineage currently has only Lin Zhe as its sole descendant, there are still collateral branches. Some of the members from these collateral branches continue to rely on the Lin family for their livelihood.
In such a place, it naturally became the preferred refuge for countless wealthy individuals and businessmen amidst the chaos within the country
Lin Zhe has always been a person who prefers to take action. Since he has decided to expand the scale of the guardhouse, he quickly drafted the recruitment standards for the guardhouse and disseminated them to several of his estates, leaving the detailed affairs to be managed by the local management committee.
Upon returning to the Lin residence, Lin Zhe first met with Madam Lin. Upon learning that Lin Zhe had returned safely, the evident worry on her face visibly eased. She then inquired about the day's battle and whether the goods in the village were safe, among other matters. When she heard Lin Zhe mention that he had killed over ten bandits, her expression shifted.
The main business of the Lin family is raw silk. However, due to the impact of war, the numerous directly operated and cooperative hand-loom silk workshops in northern Zhejiang and southern Jiangsu have suffered severe damage. At this time, establishing a machine silk-reeling factory in Shanghai is a significant measure to replace these hand-operated workshops
However, the Lin family is not particularly well-educated, but they are not short of money. Several years ago, Lin Zhe's father, who passed away due to illness, spent several thousand taels of silver to donate for a candidate for the position of deputy governor. However, this donation for the candidate was more about facilitating business rather than a genuine desire to hold an official position.
The number of managers, clerks, and workers directly employed by the Lin family reaches as high as 1,000, while those who rely on the Lin family for their livelihood exceeds 10,000.
Moreover, achieving the level of management is essentially comparable to that of a department manager in large enterprises of later generations. If one can reach the level of a chief manager, it is essentially equivalent to the position of a general manager in a large enterprise.
Historically, during the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom period, the number of Chinese in the Shanghai concessions surged from several thousand to several hundred thousand, leading to a total population in the Shanghai area exceeding one million. Among these individuals, wealthy merchants and influential figures brought substantial capital to Shanghai, while countless war refugees provided a large supply of cheap labor, thereby fundamentally establishing the economic and demographic foundation of the largest city in the Far East
Such an elderly lady cannot be regarded as an ordinary old woman. She has a clear understanding of the recent domestic situation and is aware that the government forces have suffered repeated defeats in recent years. It is a vain hope to rely on the government forces to protect the homeland and ensure the safety of the people. To guarantee the safety of her family and her business, she must rely on herself
The Lin family of Yuyao is a large business with a history spanning several hundred years. It began its engagement in the raw silk trade during the Chongzhen period of the Ming Dynasty. After more than two hundred years of development, its reach has extended to all raw silk production areas in the Yangtze River Delta. In Suzhou, Hangzhou, Shaoxing, Ningbo, and other locations, it owns multiple hand-operated silk reeling workshops. In addition to domestic sales, it also exports a significant amount.
However, these individuals are merely skilled in personal combat; it is not an issue for them to engage in one-on-one battles with swords and knives. However, if it comes to fighting in formation, that would be quite a stretch.
Recruiting guards from one's own household not only helps to ensure loyalty to a certain extent, but also the children of farmers tend to be honest and simple, making them easier to train. Furthermore, this provides a way out for the children of one's own household, helping to solve their food security issues
On the way back, Lin Zhe was already planning to transfer the goods from the eastern village of the city. The current situation is chaotic, and even Shaoxing, which is far from the war zone, is not safe. It is better to transfer the goods to Shanghai, the treaty port, as soon as possible.
Lin Zhe's original self also lacked the talent for the imperial examination. After many years of failing to pass even the lowest level, he had already decided to spend some money to purchase an official title. Of course, this was not for the purpose of becoming an official, but rather to facilitate his business dealings, just like his father.
In simple terms, the Lin family is a business family primarily engaged in the silk trade. Of course, in this era, the lines between officials and merchants are blurred. Although the Lin family is rooted in commerce, they also encourage their descendants to pursue education and enter the officialdom. However, while a few have achieved the status of scholar, none have succeeded in becoming a provincial graduate, let alone a successful candidate in the imperial examination.
Lin Zhe immediately said: "The child also thinks this way, not only to guard against those thieves returning, but also because the situation will become increasingly dire in the future. Therefore, the child is considering whether to purchase another batch of firearms from the foreigners and recruit some guards. This way, in case anything happens in the future, we can at least hold them off to some extent"