Chapter 240: 240, The law cannot punish the majority

Originally, Ren Xiaosu thought the number of private troops was not that many, but he was wrong. As they assembled, their numbers exceeded even those of the Finance Consortium's combat brigade. Li Qingzheng went to inquire and found that private forces from multiple bunkers had been gathered together.

The private armies of various bunkers now share a common commander, Li Anjun, a direct descendant of the Li family, who also serves as the administrator of Bunker 107.

The officer in charge of the private forces at Bunker 108 is Liu Taiyu.

At this moment, the private armies of other bunkers have all assembled, leaving only Liu Taiyu staring at the lone Ren Xiaosu and his companions, his face etched with melancholy.

His soldiers had not come at all...

Liu Taiyu turned to Li Qingzheng: "Did anything happen on your way here?"

Li Qingzheng stood straight: "Report, sir! No accidents. The Iron Second Battalion's Eighth Combat Squad assembled on time. Please give your orders, sir—I..."

"Enough, enough," Liu Taiyu waved his hands irritably: "Do you want more chaos? Just stand there quietly and don't make a sound!"

With that, Liu Taiyu left, disappearing without a trace.

Someone in the squad whispered: "Did the people behind us fight each other?"

"Seems like it. Probably over conscription," Li Qingzheng muttered through clenched teeth.

Ren Xiaosu chuckled: "That's actually a good thing. The saying goes, 'the law does not hold the multitude accountable.' If all the outposts are in chaos, none of them will face punishment."

In truth, the people at other outposts understood this well. Now that the Li family needed soldiers for war, who had the time to pursue their responsibilities?

Someone looked at Ren Xiaosu: "Sergeant, was this all within your expectations? Were you planning to create chaos to invoke the law of the multitude?"

Ren Xiaosu cleared his throat: "Cough, cough, it's manageable. Everything is under control..."

At that moment, Chen Wudi said: "My master isn't that clever."

Ren Xiaosu fell silent, staring at Chen Wudi: "???"

In reality, the management of private forces had always been chaotic, especially after their expansion.

Ren Xiaosu and his group had rarely visited other outposts. Had they gone, they would have known that many outposts had never been fully staffed. Squad leaders had deliberately underreported numbers to embezzle rations, and now, suddenly ordered to assemble, they were caught off guard.

If the higher-ups found out about their embezzlement, the punishment would be far worse than mere reprimands—some might even be executed as a warning.

Thus, in this chaos, some had deliberately stirred the waters further.

When Liu Taiyu personally brought all the private forces back, the other private armies had already set out, leaving only the 108th Bunker's combat unit.

According to orders, they were to assemble at 7 a.m., but now it was nearly evening...

No one had attended to Ren Xiaosu's group during this time. The entire combat squad had been left to their own devices, as if they were sheep. Ren Xiaosu even had time to take everyone to the market to buy a stuffed pancake each, courtesy of Li Qingzheng.

As evening approached, Liu Taiyu returned with the main force. The soldiers of the private army were all bruised and battered, but the most shocking sight was that several combat squads had vanished entirely.

Many had torn clothes and lost shoes, while only Ren Xiaosu's squad remained somewhat intact.

Their combat squad was the Iron Second Battalion's Eighth Combat Squad. Originally, there were squads one through seven, but the Sixth Combat Squad had disappeared entirely—its members all conscripted, even its leader taken.

At this point, Liu Taiyu no longer mentioned punishment. Normally, he had gone to great lengths to embezzle everyone's pay, rarely overseeing military matters. Now, he was reaping what he had sown.

Ren Xiaosu estimated that the private army still had thirty-three intact combat squads, meaning roughly a thousand men.

Liu Taiyu stood before everyone and said: "You've eaten the Finance Consortium's food and drunk its wine. As they say, 'it takes a thousand days to raise an army, but only one day to use it.' Now is the time for you to repay the Consortium. My forces will advance along the Tantou Mountain, Fengyi Mountain, and Shuanglong Mountain line, ultimately establishing a stronghold there to prevent the Qing army's invasion."

Ren Xiaosu was stunned. Send the private army to build a stronghold? That was practically a death sentence.

Though the terrain still offered great advantages, the problem was that artillery range and accuracy had improved. You could occupy the high ground, but if the enemy had money, they could simply bombard it into oblivion.

Those on the high ground would die.

In such cases, extremely sturdy fortifications were needed to make the strategic high ground effective, but where would Ren Xiaosu's group find the time to build them?

The entire private army erupted in protest—no one wanted to die.

Yet the problem was that though they argued, no one dared to flee.

Liu Taiyu's personal guard was a reinforced company of 180 men, better equipped than Ren Xiaosu's squad.

But this unit was not meant for combat. One hand protected Liu Taiyu, the other oversaw whether the private army's combat squads followed orders.

Liu Taiyu smiled: "However, taking on great responsibility brings great rewards. Those who perform well in this war can join the Li family's regular army. Not only that, but they'll also receive generous compensation. At the very least, they can become official residents of the bunkers."

Some soldiers were immediately excited: "Can we enter the bunkers and gain resident status?"

"Is that true?"

Liu Taiyu smiled: "Would I, the battalion commander of Iron Second, joke with you? The Consortium's high command has issued the orders. Keep your hearts steady."

At this point, many were swayed. The refugees had little experience, and throughout history, they had always been deceived. Especially when gathered in groups, they were more easily fooled.

But Ren Xiaosu understood that Liu Taiyu dared to make such promises only because he doubted whether the nearly thousand-strong private army would survive.

Many in the ranks remained clear-headed, but none dared speak, leaving their comrades to excitedly discuss the offer.

Suddenly, Liu Taiyu clapped his hands, signaling silence: "All aboard. Move out!"

Liu Taiyu's off-road vehicle and the reinforced company's transport trucks did not lead the way but followed behind, watching for deserters.

From the rearview mirror, Ren Xiaosu said to Li Qingzheng: "Liu Taiyu is cowardly. He won't dare go to the battlefield himself. That leaves us more room to maneuver."

Li Qingzheng was taken aback: "What do you plan to do... Xiaosu, don't do anything reckless..."