Now that they had a bright and promising future ahead of them, they naturally had to think about their brothers. It was very difficult for bandits to have a good ending. If not for someone suddenly providing them with money and supplies to support them in this desolate place, their current lives would have been quite difficult.
In the past five years, there had not been any caravans passing through the valley. If they wanted to eat, they would have to rob other bandits. If they continued fighting day after day, when would it ever end?
Three years ago, when they were at their poorest, the bandits were at the point where they had to eat wild vegetables and gnaw on tree bark and roots. It was a miserable life for the bandits.
Some of the bandits even went back to work in the consortiums' factories.
It was only two years ago when the Qing Consortium started keeping an eye on this place that their situation took a turn for the better. At first, they only transported food over to ensure that they did not starve to death or disperse. Then last year, they started secretly sending weapons over.
This was a gradual process.
Of course, the bandits did not know it was the Kyung Clan that was funding them. They did not care who it was either. What they were concerned about was how long this support would last.
Everyone knew the person who sent them the firearms had an ulterior motive. They probably wanted the valley to fall into chaos first so that they could reorganize themselves.
But so what if they knew the other party's motive? They had to at least survive.
It wouldn't be a bad thing if they could be recruited. At least they would be able to make a living.
Right now, a brighter path was right in front of them. It was up to them whether they wanted to take it or not.
Jin Lan whispered, "It's useless for you to tell me about this. You have to tell those two bosses."
"Alright then." The bandit hesitated for a moment before finally going to look for Ren Xiaosu.
Ren Xiaosu was currently telling Yang Xiaojin about the results. "I wonder if they've heard of Old Xu's power. What if they don't know what's good for them?"
Actually, Ren Xiaosu was just making a casual move. He thought that with Xu Xianchu's current reputation, people might link him to Xu Xianchu if he used Xu Xianchu's signature power, "Shadow Clone." That way, their identities as members of Stronghold 178 would be even more authentic.
However, Ren Xiaosu was worried that these bandits might not have heard of Xu Xianchu before.
Yang Xiaojin looked at him and said, "Aren't you afraid you'll mess things up?"
"We can always go back," Ren Xiaosu said indifferently.
As they were talking, the bandit came over. Ren Xiaosu looked at him calmly. "What's the matter?"
"Boss," The bandit hesitated for a moment before saying, "Can you let me go home?"
Ren Xiaosu raised his eyebrows. "Do you think you can take sick leave and go home? Who gave you permission to go home? "
"No, listen to me," Bandit explained, "I want to call all our brothers over …"
Ren Xiaosu was stunned for a moment. He looked at Yang Xiaojin. The plan had worked. It seemed that this group of people knew their stuff!
He deliberated for a moment before saying, "What do you know?"
The bandit hurriedly shook his head in horror. "I don't know anything, really. I didn't know you were from Stronghold 178!"
"Get lost." Ren Xiaosu did not know whether to laugh or cry. "I'll give you one day."
"Alright, alright, thank you!" Bandit was grateful as though this was an opportunity Ren Xiaosu had given him.
"Gratitude received from Zhang Yiheng, + 1!"
With that, Zhang Yiheng rode off by himself on his motorcycle. Ren Xiaosu was not afraid that he would not come back. Even if he did not come back, he would only lose one person. Ren Xiaosu did not care about that.
He turned around and said to Yang Xiaojin, "My method should have worked."
What Ren Xiaosu was most worried about was that he could indeed use the entrapment method to recruit these bandits. But after forcefully suppressing and recruiting them, he would not be able to control hundreds or even thousands of bandits when they gathered together.
So it was only now that Ren Xiaosu could finally heave a sigh of relief.
Yang Xiaojin sat quietly on a mound and rested her chin on her hand. She looked at Ren Xiaosu with a smile. Who could have expected that Ren Xiaosu would come up with so many tricks just to exterminate the bandits?
To be honest, Yang Xiaojin did not care at all whether the mission to exterminate the bandits would succeed or not. What did it have to do with her? She just did not want to quarrel with Yang Yu 'an over such a trivial matter.
Yang Xiaojin could have lived a good life in the stronghold, but she did not like it there. She would rather lie in the wilderness for three days and three nights than stay in the stronghold.
But now, she wanted to see what else Ren Xiaosu could come up with.
Ren Xiaosu looked at Yang Xiaojin. "I'm getting more and more convinced that the chaos in the valley must have been caused by the Kyung Clan. In fact, they've been plotting this since last year."
Yang Xiaojin tilted her head to the side. "Mhm."
"The Kyung Clan must be plotting against the Soong Clan and the Yang Clan for plotting here. However, the Kyung Clan probably does not have absolute authority over this place yet. We've all heard that there are three forces fighting in the north. Who knows, one of them might be from the Soong Clan trying to stop the Kyung Clan's plans." Ren Xiaosu said, "But if the Kyung Clan wins, there won't be any bandits here anymore. All that will be left will be the Kyung Clan's puppets. Qing Zhen … won't be easy to deal with. Aren't you worried?"
"I'm not worried," Yang Xiaojin said calmly.
"Are you blaming the Yang Clan for using you as a pawn?" Ren Xiaosu asked.
"I don't resent him, nor do I feel close to him." Yang Xiaojin changed the subject and said, "What do you want to do next? I get the feeling that you're very interested in this valley?"
Ren Xiaosu thought for a moment and suddenly said with a smile, "Maybe I'll settle down here permanently one day?"
"You want to leave the stronghold? Is it because of Yan Liuyuan? I can feel his rejection of the stronghold, "Yang Xiaojin asked.
"It's probably because of Liuyuan. I don't want to make things difficult for him." Ren Xiaosu looked at the sky. "But it's not only him. Even I don't like the stronghold. I feel more at ease here."
"So you want to gain a foothold here, right?" Yang Xiaojin thought for a moment and said, "But it won't be easy. We've only just started, and it'll still take a long time for that to happen."
Ren Xiaosu suddenly asked, "Will you come and help me?"
The clouds were rolling in and out of the blue sky, and the yellow ground of the wastelands was quiet. The refugees had just finished digging the canal and were about to call it a day. Even the wind had stopped blowing.
Ren Xiaosu seemed to have asked casually.
Meanwhile, Yang Xiaojin was taken aback. She chuckled and got up to walk back to the settlement. "That depends on my mood."
At night, the roar of motorcycles came from the distance in the wastelands. It sounded like there were quite a lot of them. Ren Xiaosu watched from afar while Jin Lan ran up to him. "Bro, should we get our weapons? What if those bastards are up to no good? "
Ren Xiaosu turned around and saw that Yang Xiaojin had already walked to a hidden slope and occupied a vantage point. He smiled and said, "Don't worry, it'll be fine."
Not to mention him, just Yang Xiaojin alone would be enough to beat up these useless bandits.
At this moment, Ren Xiaosu suddenly remembered he had discovered a sniper taking out the remnants of the Divine Arms Battalion at the Li Consortium's camp. This was probably done by Yang Xiaojin as well.
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