Chapter 21

"General, may I have a word?"

Before the newly appointed Foshan General could speak his terms, Lin Sha suddenly interjected.

"Who are you?" The newly appointed Foshan General's eyes turned cold as he looked at Lin Sha, his tone unfriendly.

"Asha, don't be rash!" Huang Feihong sternly shouted, then bowed to the Foshan General: "General, this is..."

"Don't worry, Master, I know what I'm doing!"

At this critical moment, Lin Sha didn't care about his nominal master's face and rudely interrupted him. He then walked to a distance of about ten feet from the Foshan General, bowed, and said solemnly: "General, my name is Lin Sha, I am Huang Feihong's junior disciple!"

"What do you have to say?"

The Foshan General was displeased, having been interrupted by a young, inexperienced boy. If it weren't for the many eyes watching, he would have had the boy arrested on the spot for his lack of manners.

Ignoring the Foshan General's unfriendly gaze and his nominal master's anxious look, Lin Sha smiled slightly and pointed to the Shuhe Gang members lying on the ground and the gleaming machetes, his face solemn: "General, these gang members are truly too arrogant. They dare to rob and vandalize right under the noses of foreigners, not only disgracing our Great Qing but also tarnishing the reputation of the government in the eyes of foreigners!"

"Oh, how so?"

The Foshan General was startled, his eyes filled with a stern expression as he asked.

"In the bustling Foshan port area, not far from where foreigners gather, gang members dare to commit violent acts with weapons. How will the foreigners view this?"

At this point, Lin Sha's tone turned cold, his face filled with a killing aura: "They will think that the government cannot control the situation, and the safety of foreigners in the area will not be guaranteed!"

"So what?"

The Foshan General's eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze full of suspicion and uncertainty as he looked at Lin Sha.

"Given the nature of foreigners..."

Lin Sha lowered his voice and chuckled, but his words were bone-chilling: "To protect their interests in the port area, they will send troops to maintain order, and even..."

He deliberately paused, glanced at the Foshan General who was listening intently, and then said solemnly: "Demand the expansion of the concession area!"

"Alarmist talk!"

The Foshan General was inwardly shaken but maintained a calm expression, sternly rebuking him. He wasn't just a second-rank official for nothing; his eloquence was also quite good. He countered sternly: "How do you know these people are gang members? Besides, one of the fighting parties is from the militia. How do you explain that?"

That's exactly the attitude I wanted!

As the saying goes, negotiation is about discussion and negotiation. It's better to have an open discussion to reach a consensus and resolve issues than to harbor resentment and plot against each other.

"Whether it's alarmist talk, General, you should be more clear than this young man!"

Lin Sha smiled slightly, saying something that made the Foshan General's face change slightly. He then quickly changed the subject and argued: "These guys are full of ruffian airs and don't look like good people. Just by their uniform clothing and machetes, they are either gang members or rebels!"

This statement not only changed the expressions of the Foshan General and the surrounding soldiers but also shocked the Shuhe Gang members lying on the ground, who turned pale with fear.

Damn rebels, what a big hat to put on them!

If it were to be confirmed, not only would the entire Shuhe Gang be finished, but their families and friends would also end up in jail. This kid is really ruthless!

Huang Feihong had a strange look on his face, opening his mouth but not knowing what to say.

"Don't throw around accusations. What about the militia members involved in the fight?"

The Foshan General was secretly surprised by the young man's ruthlessness and did not take the bait, directly countering: "Don't try to confuse the issue. The problem with the militia hasn't been clarified yet!"

"General, the militia members did nothing wrong; they were acting in self-defense!"

Lin Sha was not at all polite in his rebuttal: "Look at the militia members; they only had sticks, which are nothing compared to machetes. Besides..."

Before the Foshan General, whose face had changed, could speak, Lin Sha quickly said: "This is where the militia members do small business to supplement their income. When they suddenly encountered gang members with knives shouting and fighting, their first reaction was naturally to grab something to defend themselves!"

"Hmph, smooth talk!"

The Foshan General had been looking for an opportunity to crack down on the militia. Now that he had the chance, he wasn't about to let it go. He sneered: "No matter how eloquent you are, you can't absolve Huang Feihong of responsibility. Moreover, the foreigners are very dissatisfied and want an explanation from me!"

"The issue with the foreigners is actually easy to resolve!" Lin Sha was inwardly alarmed. The Foshan General kept emphasizing his nominal master's responsibility, clearly determined to play the antagonist. He didn't hesitate to take over the conversation.

"Oh, let's hear it..."

The Foshan General's eyes lit up at this, not minding Lin Sha's previous rudeness, and eagerly asked.

Compared to dealing with a well-known civilian like Huang Feihong, it was more important to appease the foreigners.

"General, just tell the foreigners that the militia is a quasi-military force of the court, and they are in the port area to protect the safety of foreigners!"

Lin Sha chuckled, suggesting a rather dubious idea.

"Hehe, you really know how to flatter yourself, but will the foreigners believe it?"

To his surprise, the Foshan General actually considered the feasibility of the idea, then shook his head and sneered.

"General, you might also tell the foreigners that with the militia stationed in the port area, they can conveniently purchase the necessary living supplies. To ensure a stable supply of goods, they won't resort to violence!"

Lin Sha chuckled, completely ignoring the Foshan General's sarcasm.

"This..."

The Foshan General was hesitant, unsure if the idea was feasible.

Seeing this, Lin Sha was delighted and quickly added: "Besides, the militia is preparing to organize people to specifically do business with the foreigners in the port area, providing them with sufficient living supplies. This will prevent any further accidents, which will benefit the General, the government, and the foreigners!"

The Foshan General was quite moved. For him, it was best to reduce the trouble with the foreigners. However, thinking about his previous intention to suppress Huang Feihong and the militia, he felt conflicted.

Seeing the confident expression on the young man's face, he was even more annoyed. His anger flared, and he waved his hand and turned to leave: "I will consider this matter later. Take all these gang members away!"

A large group of soldiers rushed forward, apprehended all the obedient Shuhe Gang members, and then retreated like a tide. From a distance, the Foshan General's voice could still be heard: "Huang Feihong, you got lucky this time. If you fall into my hands again, you'll be in for a rough time..."

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