Outnumbered? I'll conquer America with an unlimited number of suicide soldiers.

Chapter 22 Yixing Hall

Inside a factory in Chinatown.

I once slept until dawn.

The first thing he did upon waking was to summon two engineers, point to the several lush oak trees outside his window, and say, "Take men and cut down all these trees, along with all the other trees around the house that can be climbed."

He didn't want to one night have someone repeat the scene of Leon's raid on the Hound Gang's villa, and have someone silently sneak into the second-floor window along the tree branches.

Then, he strolled into the kitchen and called Jianyuan over to make a bowl of noodles.

He originally wanted to eat rice noodles, but the rice in Chinatown was not quite right. No matter how many times he tried, the rice noodles he made did not have the smooth and chewy texture he remembered. So he had to use noodles made from refined wheat flour instead.

Heat the stove, heat the wok, add lard and fry a soft-boiled egg, then set aside. Add more lard, then add chili peppers and minced pork and stir-fry until fragrant, then set aside. Once the water boils, add the noodles, cook briefly, then transfer to a bowl.

Snow-white noodles are topped with glossy, oily minced meat sauce, topped with a golden fried egg, and finally sprinkled with a pinch of bright green scallions.

I once held this bowl of noodles, swallowed it down in no time, let out a satisfied burp, and then strolled off to the factory.

Inside the factory, everything was in perfect order.

The Chinese laborers were divided into rows and stood in front of the brand-new machine tools, their surfaces gleaming with the cold light of machine oil, as engineers trained them. The training focused on the weapon assembly process, with the engineers explaining what to do at each step.

In another area a little further away, the atmosphere was more serious.

Another group of workers gathered around several machines specializing in handling metal and gunpowder, learning how to manufacture fixed-load metal cartridge cases. From stamping copper sheets to loading precisely weighed black powder and installing mercury fulminate primers…

The explanations for each step were extremely detailed, and the training was conducted again and again, with no mistakes allowed in any step.

In a corner of the factory, Su Song and others were gathered around an old steam engine, fiddling with something.

Curious, he approached and asked, "Su Song, what are you doing?"

"My lord."

Su Song looked up and stood up, saying, "Didn't we build a few new steam engines a few days ago to power machine tools? This old one is just sitting here collecting dust."

"We plan to modify it, replacing the steam engine with a steam locomotive, and then send it to Yuanguang's gold mine. The ore transportation there relies entirely on human labor and horse-drawn carts, which is too inefficient. A steam locomotive would greatly improve efficiency."

A pot-shaped machine?

He blinked once, then slapped his forehead.

How could he forget about this?

A boiler-camera is a machine that combines a boiler and a steam engine.

It can consume almost anything that can be burned, such as coal, firewood, heavy oil, and even straw and hay.

Although it has a relatively low horsepower, it is versatile and highly adaptable.

It can do almost any job needed in rural areas and mines, including irrigation and drainage, threshing and milling rice, pressing oil, and sawing wood.

It was precisely for this reason that my country imported and copied this machine, which had become popular in the mid-19th century, in large quantities in the previous generation.

"This thing is great, we can build a lot of them. The lawsuit over Dutch is about to start, and once we get the legal development rights for the gold mines, we can have one for each gold mine."

Su Song shrugged and said, "There aren't many technical difficulties in building this thing, and the blueprints are readily available. The problem is, we're short-handed."

He counted on his fingers as he recounted the past: "The materials team has been working on the alkaline converter steelmaking method and open-hearth furnace steelmaking method you mentioned. They're constantly battling with ore, lime, and refractory bricks, trying to develop alloy steel with superior performance and lower cost."

"The key personnel in the weapons team are developing the machine guns, rifles, and revolvers you mentioned, while also having to allocate manpower to train workers and familiarize them with the standardized production process for rifles. They are extremely busy."

"Those of us working on electrical engineering were working on improving generators, trying to create generators that could work without an external power source, laying the foundation for the wireless telegraph machine envisioned by our colleagues who later worked on communications."

"As for Zhan Tianyou and the others who work on power systems, as you can see, they're making a pot-loading machine here."

"In addition, the chemistry team is working hard to develop the camera, screen printing method and high-speed printing press that you need, my lord, to prepare for the newspaper."

"As for me, I'm preparing to set up a coal tar distillation plant. Basic chemical raw materials such as benzene, toluene, and phenol must be produced domestically as soon as possible, otherwise the trial production of trinitrotoluene and sodium cyanide will be out of the question."

He concluded, "Small-scale manufacturing is manageable; we can step in and fill in. But for large-scale, stable production, we lack sufficient skilled workers."

After hearing this, I waved my hand dismissively: "Wanting people is easy, isn't it?"

Projects involving core secrets, such as the development of weapon prototypes and the synthesis of special chemicals, were all handled by suicide agents.

I currently have sixty-four summoning slots per day. After deducting those regularly dispatched to various parts of California for infiltration and reconnaissance, and those used to supplement the manpower in Chongyue, the remaining slots are enough to meet your needs.

"As for things like camel-shaped machine manufacturing and weapons assembly, which are not classified, Arthur and his team have recently discovered several gold mines that use only Chinese laborers. They can just raid them and bring the Chinese laborers back."

"If that's not enough, post job advertisements in Chinatown. Our compatriots who can travel overseas are hardworking and resilient; with a little training, they can become good workers."

As they were talking, a thought suddenly occurred to him, and a slight ripple stirred in his consciousness.

The spies from Yixingtang have sent back a message.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The spy named Zhao Sanjin was successfully transformed using the skill "fear of death" a few days ago.

Jianyuan and his men killed several Yixingtang members who came looking for trouble on Yixingtang's territory, and only then did they finally succeed once.

After the conversion was successful, Zhao Sanjin was told to continue his normal life and contact him again if anything major happened. Unexpectedly, news came back after only three days.

In the consciousness connection, Zhao Sanjin's voice rang out: "My lord, I have learned an important piece of news."

Chen Jinkui, the head of Yixingtang, nicknamed "Smiling Tiger," has recently become infatuated with a prostitute named Caiyun from Xinghualou. He is willing to spend a fortune to redeem her from her servitude and has already arranged to formally take her as his concubine in three days, hosting a banquet at his villa.

"Wow, I didn't expect this old hand to be such a romantic?" Zeng raised an eyebrow. "Taking a concubine and throwing a banquet? Quite an affair, isn't it?"

Zhao Sanjin confirmed, "Yes, the invitations have been sent out widely. The leading figures of the six major guilds and the other four major gangs have all received them. Although it's not a grand banquet like the wedding of the main wife that involves inviting the whole street, the event will definitely be quite large."

Most importantly, according to the rules of the triad, on such a joyous occasion, those who were scattered throughout the various casinos, taverns, and opium dens would all return to the main villa to offer their congratulations and present gifts. At that time, all members of the Yi Xing Triad would gather at that villa.

He blinked once, and a smile slowly spread across his face, as if he had finally found it after searching high and low.

"I was just figuring out how to wipe them all out to prevent future trouble. Now, this is a golden opportunity; they've practically offered themselves up for the guillotine."

"Were the chefs for the banquet either their own staff or hired from outside?"

Zhao Sanjin replied, "They were hired from outside. Chen Jinkui is very concerned about his reputation, so he specifically requested the head chef of Yuanfanglou to be in charge of the overall cooking. In addition, he borrowed some chefs from several famous restaurants in Chinatown to assist him. The ingredients and drinks were all sourced from outside."

"That makes things easier."

He grinned and said, "Zhao Sanjin, you figure out a way to take on the miscellaneous tasks of coordinating the hiring of external chefs and supervising procurement. That way, Jianyuan and the others can sneak into the kitchen under the guise of being chefs."

"Once they're in the kitchen, whether those bastards drink alcohol or foot bath water is entirely up to us."

Zhao Sanjin understood: "My lord, do you mean to learn from Sun Erniang of Shizipo in Water Margin and drug them with sleeping pills?"

Zeng nodded: "That's right, there are plenty of datura flowers growing in the wild in California. This stuff is one of the main ingredients in anesthetic. We'll find an opportunity to add it to the food and drinks..."

Before he could finish speaking, Li Shizhen, who happened to be passing by, interrupted.

"My lord, if I may be so bold, I'm afraid your idea won't work."

"Huh?" Zeng was taken aback.

Li Shizhen patiently explained: "Reality is not a fictional story. The datura flower itself has a distinct bitter taste and pungent smell, which is difficult to mask when added to wine or even dishes."

Furthermore, Cantonese cuisine emphasizes freshness and the original flavor of ingredients, often using light broths or steaming/blanching methods. The effect is even more obvious when datura is added.

"Is that so?" Zeng scratched his head and began to ask the expert, "Then, Li Shizhen, do you have any good suggestions?"

As Li Shizhen frowned and pondered deeply, Fleming, who was beside him, spoke up: "My lord, perhaps we could consider using morphine."

Seeing that he had looked over, Fleming slowly said, "Morphine is a alkaloid extracted from opium, and it is colorless in itself. Although it is slightly bitter, the bitterness is very easy to mask with alcohol or strong sauces."

"More importantly, alcohol and morphine have a synergistic inhibitory effect on the central nervous system, which can significantly accelerate and deepen the effects of sedation and hypnosis."

If the dosage is calculated correctly, unless the person is a severe addict, in a drinking setting, thirty minutes is enough to put most people into a deep sleep or even a coma.

"Let's do it!"

He had always been quick to offer advice, and instructed, "Fleming, I'm leaving the morphine matter to you. Remember to control the dosage; I need living people, not a villa full of corpses."

Fleming smiled slightly, placed his hand on his chest, and bowed: "Please rest assured, my lord."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Inside a den of opium dens at the Yixingtang stronghold.

Under the dim glow of an oil lamp, rows of simple wooden couches were laid out. On the couches were people indulging in narcotics and living a life of debauchery.

Most of them had vacant eyes and sunken eye sockets. Only when they lit up and smoked their pipes would their smoke-covered faces briefly radiate a happy glow, accompanied by a satisfied sigh.

Holding a bottle of whiskey, Zhao Sanjin walked past the beds to the innermost room and stopped in front of a cubicle with a worn blue curtain.

He put on a smile that was slightly ingratiating but not overly obsequious, and reached out to lift the curtain.

Inside was a middle-aged man wearing a silk shirt with a shiny bald head, fiddling with an abacus and checking the account books.

Zhao Sanjin said, "Master Ma, look what I brought you."

"Sanjin? Oh, what a rare guest."

The man called Master Ma glanced at Zhao Sanjin and closed the ledger in his hand. "Why aren't you working at the tavern? What are you doing here in this smoky, chaotic place?"

Zhao Sanjin chuckled and placed the liquor on the table. "Isn't it because I know you like to drink foreign spirits?"

I recently acquired a bottle of fine whisky, but I don't really like the taste. To avoid wasting it, I took the time today to bring it over for you.

Master Ma reached for the bottle of whiskey, uncorked it, and took a sniff. He nodded in satisfaction: "Not bad, it's a good bottle."

He said with a half-smile, "You're the kind of guy who never comes to my door without a reason. So, what's on your mind? What do you want me to do for you?"

Zhao Sanjin rubbed his hands together, his smile widening: "Then I'll tell you the truth. Isn't there a joyous occasion at the Dragon Head Temple in three days?"

I heard that it's still unclear who will be in charge of overseeing the banquet procurement, the hiring of external chefs, and all the miscellaneous tasks in the kitchen.

Master Ma's face immediately darkened: "You dare to skim money off the head of the company? Zhao Sanjin, have you been drinking too much these past few days and gone mad, or are you tired of living? Be careful you don't live to enjoy the profits!"

"Oh dear, I wouldn't dare to even have such a thought."

Zhao Sanjin waved his hands repeatedly and said, "Master Ma, you know me best. Of the four vices—wine, women, wealth, and anger—I'm obsessed with food."

"I heard they're hiring the chef from Yuanfanglou to cook, so I thought I'd take advantage of my proximity and ask him to prepare a couple of authentic hometown dishes for me, so I can satisfy my cravings after all the hard work I've done."

"To be honest, I've been in San Francisco for several years now, and I've been eating either hard bread or half-cooked Western food every day. I'm really craving that taste."

Master Ma stared at him for several seconds before his expression softened. He pointed at Zhao Sanjin with annoyance and said, "You, you, that's all the grit you've got!"

"Alright, considering you're usually quite sensible, I'll choose you as the person when I go back tonight."

Zhao Sanjin's face immediately lit up with a smile: "Thank you so much, Master Ma! Thank you so much, Master Ma, for making this possible!"

"But let me make this clear from the start: I've given you the job, so the responsibility is now yours."

Master Ma's expression turned serious, and his tone suddenly became more serious. "These next few days, you have to keep a close eye on everything from the purchase of ingredients and the inspection of alcoholic beverages to every step of the process in the kitchen."

The head of the association, all the elders of the various branches, and the council members must ensure that the food and drinks served to all the VIPs are in perfect order.

If someone finds anything unclean, substandard, or doesn't like the taste, it will spoil the fun for the head chef...

He narrowed his eyes: "Then you'd better prepare to use your worthless, worthless life as an apology to the Dragon Head!"

Do you understand?

Zhao Sanjin's expression grew even more respectful: "Understood, understood. Master Ma, please rest assured, I will handle this matter perfectly, without the slightest mistake!"