Chapter 59

Xinghai Trading, which had existed as a shell company, was finally officially expanded by Zhang Hao.

Although it was said to be an expansion, it still seemed unreliable. Zhang Hao directly transferred a few people from the craft factory and leased an office building in the suburbs.

Apart from this office building, there wasn't much difference from before, at most, the trading company had a few more full-time employees. But this transformation did indeed meet Zhang Hao's requirements.

As the territory of Da Qian in the Three Kingdoms world grew larger, the wars of conquest continued. Zhang Hao needed to purchase more and more items from the modern world. Not to mention other things, just food and medicine were a significant part of his needs.

Although Zhang Hao had stockpiled a certain amount of grain and fodder in the Three Kingdoms world, due to the wars and the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the grain cultivation in Qingzhou, Xuzhou, and Yuzhou was affected. Zhang Hao was confident in occupying these areas, and to stabilize the situation, he would need a large amount of grain, which the stockpiled amount alone would not suffice.

There was also medicine. As the war expanded, the shortage of various medicines became more severe.

For items like grain and medicine, it was manageable in small quantities, but if the amount was too large, it was best to contact the manufacturers directly, which would be more convenient.

For this reason, Zhang Hao had to sell some items to replenish his funds. This time, he sold some wild herbs. Elder Zhao Changgeng had contacted him several times, directly stating that the wild ginseng provided by Zhang Hao was exceptionally abundant. Zhang Hao speculated that this was probably due to the more abundant primordial energy in the Three Kingdoms world. The wild herbs in the Three Kingdoms world were rich, and selling a small amount was not a big deal.

In addition to wild herbs, he also sold some top-quality chicken blood stones. In the Three Kingdoms world, the origin of chicken blood stones was within Zhang Hao's territory.

Actually, Zhang Hao could easily obtain gems like sapphires and diamonds in the Three Kingdoms world, but selling these gems was too troublesome. In the end, he gave up on them. Now, he had already sent people to search for Shoushan Field Yellow Stones and was trying to contact the nobles of the Pyu Kingdom, which later became Myanmar, to get jade.

Items like jade, Shoushan Field Yellow Stones, and chicken blood stones were easier to sell with a reasonable excuse.

In short, Zhang Hao quickly became a billionaire, and then the money flowed out like a stream.

Just as he was considering what else to purchase, his phone rang. Looking at the number, Zhang Hao immediately perked up. It was his classmate Wang Zhi from Africa, whom he had contacted before, but at that time, Wang Zhi seemed to be busy and had agreed to talk later.

"Rat, what's so urgent that you're calling me? Are you, the new tycoon, planning to go hunting in Africa?" Wang Zhi's voice on the phone was filled with laughter.

They had been in touch all along, even though they hadn't met, Wang Zhi knew about the changes in Zhang Hao's situation.

"I do have that idea. I also want to see the African beauty who has captivated you," Zhang Hao said with a smile.

Wang Zhi really surprised Zhang Hao. This guy had fallen for a local woman in Africa and had even shown Zhang Hao her photos.

To be honest, although she was from a local tribe, the woman wasn't a typical dark-skinned girl. Her skin was slightly dark, but she looked more like a mixed-race person, fitting the aesthetic standards of the Chinese. However, finding a local tribal woman still made Zhang Hao feel a bit awkward.

"I heard that it's not easy to court a woman in African tribes. You have to hunt wild bulls to show your bravery, and compete with other tribal warriors. I read those materials and felt a bit scared for you. Anyway, I have to go over and help you. To be honest, are you interested in the custom of being able to marry multiple wives there?"

"Roll, it's the 21st century, okay? She has received modern education. Her tribe is near us and is quite civilized. There aren't so many complicated rules. Even if there were, I wouldn't be interested. But your concern is appreciated. Come over quickly, I'll treat you well and let you experience the charm of Africa," Wang Zhi laughed heartily.

Zhang Hao wanted to go to Africa to get some guns and ammunition. The world of the Legend couldn't provide them in the short term, and he wanted to prepare some guns and ammunition for the military leaders and his personal guard to practice. He had to find a way from elsewhere.

More importantly, in the Three Kingdoms world, Zhu Jun and Huangfu Song were being aggressive, and Zhang Hao felt it was necessary to prepare some backup. Guns were undoubtedly the best choice.

After much consideration, getting them from Africa seemed simpler, and with Wang Zhi there, he could at least get an introduction.

As for hunting, Zhang Hao wasn't very interested. In the Three Kingdoms world, he could hunt whenever he wanted. There was no need to specifically go to Africa for the experience. His passport had been processed a few days ago, so he immediately made plans to visit Wang Zhi in the next few days.

The visa was easy to get, and after getting vaccinated, Zhang Hao headed to Africa.

Wang Zhi was located at the border of Tanzania and Mozambique, with a good natural environment but a generally average social environment. It was a good place to see something different.

Meeting his classmate, they naturally had a joyful time. Although Wang Zhi had seen Zhang Hao's changes in height and appearance through video, he still couldn't help but be surprised and envious when they met in person.

Wang Zhi did his best to entertain Zhang Hao, whether it was local cuisine, various scenic spots, or entertainment venues.

Regarding the matter of guns and ammunition, when Zhang Hao mentioned it, Wang Zhi was a bit worried. He knew the reason for Zhang Hao's expulsion and was naturally concerned that he might do something bad. If something went wrong, it wouldn't be worth it.

Zhang Hao understood his concerns. Although he didn't explain the reason, he assured him that he would not do anything illegal. As brothers for many years, seeing Zhang Hao's determination, Wang Zhi chose to trust him.

This matter wasn't difficult for Wang Zhi. He was already responsible for contacting the security team in the mining area. Additionally, Wang Zhi gave Zhang Hao a surprise. The local woman he was pursuing was the daughter of a chief of a large tribe, and Wang Zhi had a good relationship with the tribe. So he planned to buy the guns and ammunition under the tribe's name, making it even easier.

Zhang Hao prepared to pay with gold, which was safer than bank transfers and highly recognized by the locals. It also saved him the trouble of transferring funds from China.

Through Wang Zhi, Zhang Hao gave some gold to the chief and nobles of the tribe as gifts, and everyone was happy.

Zhang Hao didn't mention any compensation to Wang Zhi, just gave him a piece of chicken blood stone to play with. Wang Zhi didn't understand it, but after hearing Zhang Hao say it was a decent decoration, not expensive but rare, he didn't hesitate to accept it.

While waiting for the guns to arrive, Zhang Hao happily followed Wang Zhi around, hunting and barbecuing, which was quite fun.

However, the sudden change in the situation in the Three Kingdoms world made Zhang Hao lose his mood for playing.

Zhu Jun gave Zhang Hao a big "surprise."

In the Qian王府 of Liyang City, okay, the so-called Qian王府 was just a simple renovation of the former governor's residence, more like a change of sign.

Zhang Hao wasn't against luxury and comfort, but this place wasn't where he would stay long-term, so he didn't want to make a big fuss.

In the main hall, a large map and a sand table were laid out with various flags. Gu Yong was giving Zhang Hao a detailed explanation of Zhu Jun's recent offensive. After the explanation, Gu Yong and many of the military leaders responsible for the war bowed to apologize.

"Alright, all of you get up. This time, it's not your fault, of course, you did make some mistakes, but so did I. We'll discuss the self-criticism and punishments after the war," Zhang Hao said, looking at the sand table.

This time, Zhu Jun truly showed Zhang Hao the demeanor of a famous general. Although Zhang Hao had always considered Zhu Jun a capable general, this time he had a personal experience. Or rather, for the current Zhu Jun, Zhang Hao didn't know how to describe him, so he could only call him a famous general.

Zhang Hao and his people were well aware of Zhu Jun's plan to directly attack Yangzhou, but they didn't take it too seriously. Even though most of the troops were in Xuzhou and Jingzhou, the defense of Yangzhou wasn't that weak, especially with the artillery and various technological advantages.

Most importantly, the Jinghai Navy was blocking Zhu Jun's path.

But Zhu Jun gave Zhang Hao and his people a lesson, showing them that nothing was impossible and that they should never be careless or underestimate others.

Zhu Jun utilized every advantage of time, place, and people. It was the rainy season, and there were frequent mountain floods. Zhu Jun had dammed the water upstream, causing a massive flood. The Jinghai Navy had to retreat temporarily.

When the water from the upstream damming had mostly drained, the flood calmed down. Seizing this opportunity, Zhu Jun broke through the Huai River defense and landed on the southern bank.

Just thinking about it, Zhang Hao knew that crossing the river was no easy task. Even though the river was calmer, it was still in flood, and the casualties reported by the navy downstream showed how severe the losses were. They had crossed the river at night.

Zhang Hao had to admire Zhu Jun's coldness, authority, and leadership. His bravery was also commendable. Zhu Jun led by example, participating in the river crossing, which was a matter of life and death.

Afterward, Zhu Jun used a trick to deal with the defenders in the city. Most of his troops were hidden near the riverbank, using the complex terrain to gradually eliminate several reconnaissance units that ventured out of the city.

Although the plan to infiltrate the city by disguising as Qian troops failed, Zhu Jun didn't mind.

During a heavy rainstorm in the early morning, he directly chose to attack the city, relying on his massive numerical advantage and strict orders, successfully capturing the well-fortified Shouchun.

The casualties that day were so severe that the Huai River, already muddy, turned an odd color from the blood.

Zhu Jun discovered another weakness of firearms: they were difficult to use in rainy conditions. He fully exploited this, leading to the largest victory for the Han forces since the war began.

Zhu Jun didn't use any special strategies, just relying on his determination and immense authority, he achieved his goal at a heavy cost.

Honestly, Zhang Hao didn't know how to evaluate Zhu Jun's achievement this time. It was admirable, but he didn't like it. However, the ability to make soldiers fight so hard was impressive. After all, the armies of this era didn't have the awareness of the Red Army in later times.

PS: Thank you to readers "Heartbroken`No Heart" and "Fallen Hell Baron" for your support. I was previously embarrassed that others' books had support but mine didn't. Thank you both for helping me out of this state. You will have good luck, and I, Niu Dou, will give you a luck buff.

Finally, I beg for recommendations and favorites. It's rare to get a strong recommendation, so I hope everyone can take the trouble to support me and give Niu Dou more confidence.

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