Chapter 56

In fact, apart from those who are beyond redemption, the mindset of most people, whether it be Liang Xing, Yang Qiu, or the Jiang brothers, has changed, though some may not yet be aware of this transformation.

"Master," Yang Qiu entered the room and, seeing Zhang Han reading a book by the lamp, stopped a few steps away and said with a smile, "That Liu Dequan, as soon as Xiao Dao placed a knife on his testicles, he immediately cowered. He spilled everything, no holding back, like beans pouring out of a bamboo tube."

Zhang Han smiled and put down the book. "This method isn't effective for everyone, Yang Qiu. You need to think more about this and come up with more ways to make people speak the truth willingly. In the future, our security guards may number in the hundreds or even thousands. We can't use this method on our colleagues. If they want to stay, let them stay; if not, let them leave. For those who know the inside story, such as the accountants, we need to secretly monitor them. If there's a situation, we must act decisively. The managers in various places also need to be watched. Money tempts people, and black eyes can't resist silver. I treat my subordinates sincerely and generously, yet there are still people like Liu Dequan. It's better to prevent problems before they happen so that everyone can have a good outcome. Don't you think so?"

"Yes, Master, you truly have a benevolent heart."

Yang Qiu thought about it. The Master's reliance on him was evident, but his distrust of the subordinates, even the managers of the branch stores, was clear. He was being asked to send reliable people to monitor them... Recently, Yang Qiu had about twenty people under him who were no longer responsible for other tasks and only handled these special assignments from Zhang Han.

"Master," Yang Qiu said, "We might be short of people for this."

"Take it step by step," Zhang Han said. "We can only select people from the trusted security guards. They need to be skilled, observant, and have good memory. It's best to choose those with special skills—stalking, scaling walls, lock-picking, poisoning, and interrogation. Each person should have at least one or two of these skills. Then, you can train them intensively. The training by Wang Changfu is just the foundation. Those who pass your test can have their monthly salary doubled. But there's one condition: you must be strict in your selection. Their skills must be solid, and they must be trustworthy. If there's a mistake, I'll hold you accountable."

Zhang Han spoke calmly and leisurely, as if he were discussing something trivial. But in the quiet of the large house, and in this private and serious conversation with Yang Qiu, the gravity of the matter was clear.

Yang Qiu felt a chill and bowed, promising to do as Zhang Han said and ensure the task was done well.

"Best to divide the personnel into groups. Right now, your people are all gathered in one place, which isn't good. You can buy several courtyards in the city, all of which should be discreet and off-limits to outsiders. Prepare the necessary training equipment and categorize the training. Have people practice these skills regularly, which is better than jumping straight into real operations. Also, divide them by specialty: one group for gathering and transmitting information from various places, one for coordinating with people in different locations, one for surveillance and theft, and one for apprehending or eliminating targets. Each group should be parallel..."

Zhang Han pulled out a piece of paper and drew detailed diagrams, explaining the relationships between the various organizational structures. Fortunately, Yang Qiu had been quite diligent recently, learning to read and write with Zhang Han every day, and he was familiar with Zhang Han's way of thinking and explaining. If it were someone else, even a scholar or a candidate for the imperial exams, they might not have been able to follow Zhang Han's train of thought.

After a long while, Zhang Han, somewhat tired, put down the pen. Yang Qiu was still staring at the diagrams, planning to take them away to fully understand the Master's intentions.

"Take it step by step, don't rush," Zhang Han reassured Yang Qiu. "Your bandits and tiger fighters might not be as good at regular combat as the footmen trained by Wang Changfu, but these tasks are your specialties. You can definitely do well."

Speaking of which, the bandits and tiger fighters were a standard large criminal organization. Yang Qiu had a handsome young man named Wang Faxiang under him, tall and well-built, with a height Zhang Han estimated at about 1.82 meters. This handsome guy was actually a kidnapper, specializing in sweet-talking innocent young girls and selling them to brothels or wealthy families. Zhang Han had many such scoundrels under him, almost like a concentration camp of criminals.

Hearing this, Yang Qiu indeed remembered that, apart from Liang Xing and the Jiang brothers' group, there were indeed fewer bandits and tiger fighters among the security guards now. Some had left voluntarily, while others were stationed in places like Datong, rarely being recalled. The tiger fighters were happy with their leisure, and most of the guards escorting goods for the accountants and mule traders were now footmen or soldiers, with Wang Changfu's training focusing on these people.

Unconsciously, it seemed that the internal structure of Heyu Sheng was changing.

"Alright," Zhang Han rubbed his temples and said, "What exactly happened with Liu Dequan? You can tell me in detail."

...

"Run, damn it! In the morning, each of you gets two fine wheat buns, whiter than a woman's chest, something you couldn't even eat during the New Year, and you stuff them into your dog mouths. And you still can't run? Have you all bound your feet?"

Wang Changfu walked at the front of the line, cursing as he went. The security guards were used to his curses and, hearing them, they picked up their pace, though no one dared to mouth back.

The running track was in the back courtyard of the mule and horse trading post, about five acres in size, consisting of several small courtyards and civilian houses that had been relocated. The mule and horse trading post, grain warehouse, and miscellaneous goods warehouse, along with the silver vault, covered nearly twenty acres. The entire area north of the North Gate was almost entirely owned by Heyu Sheng, a small corner of the large fortress of Xinping. It was fortunate that Xinping was a large fortress, only slightly smaller than a garrison city. If it were a small military fortress of about a square mile, with so many government offices, troops, and shops, finding such a space would have been extremely difficult.

The current training plan for the security guards was devised by Zhang Han and Wang Changfu. Physical training had been intensified, and now about 60-70% of the guards were footmen and strong soldiers. These guys were already physically fit, and the previous training standards had been more accommodating to the tiger fighters, who were aggressive and willing to fight but generally lacked physical endurance. Now, with the footmen and soldiers as the main force, the guards could handle the training, and Wang Changfu, though harsh in his curses, was quite satisfied with them.

There were about fifty guards in training, running on a dirt track compacted by stone rollers. In an era without running shoes, running on this ground was actually good for the knees. The Ming army's training did not include running, but anyone from the future would know the benefits of running. No physical training should exclude running; it would be foolish not to use such an effective method.

In the middle of the track, there were weapons like swords and spears, and some tea and drinks to help the guards replenish their fluids. Their daily meals were also nutritious, consisting of fine wheat buns or noodles, which were easy to digest and gentle on the stomach. They had meat for lunch and dinner every day, with local farmers bringing pigs or chickens to sell. The trading post alone needed about twenty chickens or two whole pigs daily. The aroma of meat and vegetables filled the area around the North Gate, and the food at other shops had also improved, though many owners secretly cursed Zhang Han.

By the tenth lap, Wang Changfu turned and saw Zhang Han. He called out for everyone to continue and jogged over to Zhang Han, smiling. "Master, you're here."

Zhang Han smiled. "Yes, I came to see how the training is going."

Wang Changfu looked at the few people with Zhang Han, including Zhou Fengji, Liang Hong, Liang Xing, Yang Qiu, and Zhang Chun, the people Zhang Han relied on the most. He immediately understood that today's visit was not simple.

"Let's go to my room to talk," Wang Changfu said.

Wang Changfu had his own office for discussing training plans and meeting people, giving it a somewhat official feel.

Many people whispered privately that a fugitive border soldier, who had almost been shot, could now have such a position... Zhang Han kept the monthly salaries of the managers confidential. Although Wang Changfu was not a manager, he and Liang Xing, Yang Qiu, and others received the same salary as managers, and no one knew the exact amount. It was known that Wang Changfu had bought a two-courtyard house in the fortress and married a wife last month. At the age of thirty, he had married a sixteen-year-old girl, making many people envious to the point of bleeding eyes.

It was said that the garrison troops in the fortress were quite interested, but Zhang Han was wary of breaking rules and did not dare to recruit these registered border soldiers. If he had a military rank, he would have considered recruiting some of the "night raiders," the elite of the border cavalry. These men could survive on the wind and dew, carrying only a few dry cakes and remaining hidden in enemy territory for days, staying on horseback for days and nights, sleeping on the horse when tired, and shooting arrows from horseback with skills far superior to ordinary enemies. Even the armored soldiers of the enemies were often no match for the night raiders. Among the hundreds of thousands of border soldiers, only a few were qualified to be night raiders.

There were fewer than thirty night raiders in Xinping Fortress. If Zhang Han could recruit them, his strength would significantly increase, but unfortunately, this was not possible.

Zhang Han nodded but did not leave immediately. He watched the people running and said, "How are the boots made by Wang Mazi? Why haven't they been worn yet?"

Wang Changfu replied, "Wang Mazi and Li the Shoemaker, along with a few apprentices, usually make enough for a year with one batch. They've hired a few helpers, but it still takes about half a month."

"Urge them. The boots are very important."

Zhang Han had personally designed the shoes, with soft leather soles and uppers, and mid-calf boots. In an era without concrete roads, these boots could protect their feet during training and looked impressive when worn. He had initially planned to make two pairs for each person, but then realized there were only two shoemakers in the fortress... This was not surprising, as ordinary people rarely bought shoes. The women in the alleys sat and sewed shoe soles daily, making their own shoes. Spending money on shoes was a waste, and only the rich and officials' children bought shoes. In the fortress, with a population of tens of thousands, there were only two shoemakers, which was not surprising.