Chapter 45

After peacetime arrived, the people of the Old District pooled their money to build a martyrs' cemetery, where all the soldiers who had died in the Old District were laid to rest. Among them was Sun Liancheng's gravestone.

Many years later, Zhang Chenye, surrounded by children and grandchildren, entered the martyrs' cemetery with the Zhang Family's eldest daughter, who had never married, to pay respects to Sun Liancheng. In the black-and-white photograph, Sun Liancheng's features were handsome and refined, his smile brilliant. For a moment, it felt as though they had returned to those days...

After roughly half a year, the production crew finally finished filming the Old District scenes. All that remained were several scenes of Sun Liancheng returning from abroad and first appearing in Yanjing, which would probably take only half a day to complete. With post-production added in, it would be another two or three months before the show reached the screen. Zhang Chaofan, speaking from experience, hoped the crew would take this opportunity to promote it heavily, an idea that happened to align with some of Zhang Xianyang's plans.

The Zhang Family bosses hosted the crew's wrap party at Nightfall Splendor, the most upscale venue in the Old District. At the same time, they saw off the military soldiers who were about to leave. After more than half a year together, most of the soldiers and the Old District brothers had developed a bond like family. As a result, the meal was somewhat subdued, with most people reluctant to part.

Holding a wineglass, Zhang Muyang walked up to Jiang Peize and smiled. "Do you remember the side job I mentioned to you before? Interested?"

The author would like to thank—

Slow Pig threw a landmine. Time: 2013-09-13 09:21:31

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*The site is being so glitchy, I can't search for anything~~

45

Chapter 45

Jiang Peize had actually been deeply dissatisfied with Zhang Muyang's habit of digging a hole and then leaving it alone for half a year. During the first two months, he thought about it every day. Later, he decided Zhang Muyang had probably only mentioned it casually and gradually stopped dwelling on it. Now that Zhang Muyang had brought it up again, Jiang Peize unconsciously pricked up his ears and asked curiously, "What kind of side job is it? Tell me first. But let me make this clear: we can't do anything that goes against national interests or violates the law."

Zhang Muyang shrugged, looking relaxed, at ease, and innocent. "Don't worry. We're all law-abiding citizens. How could we possibly do anything illegal? If you don't believe me, check our records. The Old Zhang Family has been spotless for generations."

Bullshit. Just because it hadn't been found out didn't mean it hadn't happened.

Jiang Peize rolled his eyes. Rather than bicker with Zhang Muyang, he asked directly, "What side job?"

"Last year, we publicly announced through the media that we were opening a security company. You remember that, right?"

Of course Jiang Peize remembered. The Li Family had tried to use public resources for private ends to secretly probe the strength of the Old District Zhang Family, only to lose more than they gained and boost the Zhang Family's reputation instead. He had been the one who cleaned up that mess in the end. How could he forget it?

"You don't mean you want me to act as a middleman and help you pick out retired soldiers, do you?"

"That's too small-minded." Zhang Muyang shook his head and said casually, "I want to ask whether your active-duty special forces soldiers would be interested in taking on part-time work. You know our security company is going international. Our weapons and equipment definitely aren't ordinary."

Jiang Peize's heart stirred, and he hurriedly asked, "How extraordinary are we talking?"

"That depends on the quality of your soldiers." Zhang Muyang gave him a meaningful smile. "Have you heard of the latest 'Soldier King' individual combat system developed by the United States?"

Jiang Peize pondered it for a moment before replying, "Of course I have. I heard you even sent a set to Yanjing through that kid Gu Anming. The brothers have been drooling over it."

"There are too many monks and too little porridge, and the research department has its eye on it. Drooling won't help you. By the time the military replaces its equipment, you might be retired without ever getting one. Why not come try it out with me first? Get familiar with the performance of their standard-issue weapons and satisfy that itch." Zhang Muyang spared no effort in tempting him, and Jiang Peize's eyes had already lit up. It was obvious he was struggling fiercely inside.

"You mean that as long as we work for your company, we can get our hands on a 'Soldier King' combat system?"

"Don't forget the prerequisite—you need Soldier King-level soldiers." Zhang Muyang further emphasized, "And for confidentiality, your men can only use the 'Soldier King' combat system while carrying out company assignments. Once the mission is complete, all weapons and equipment must be handed back."

That was still better than not even being able to see or touch it.

Jiang Peize excitedly struck his fists together, already imagining the sheer exhilaration of his soldiers using the 'Soldier King' combat system. But the next second, he thought of the military's ironclad discipline—perhaps it was the same for all government employees: those still in service were not permitted to take side jobs privately. Especially in their department. If it were domestic side work, it might be easier to make money, and misuse of public resources was hardly unheard of. At most, everyone would turn a blind eye. But from what Zhang Muyang was saying, they were clearly going abroad and heading global!

If they accidentally caused an international dispute, that would be one hell of a mess.

Seeing this, Zhang Muyang patted Jiang Peize's shoulder understandingly and said, "You don't need to rush. I know you can't make this decision yourself, so I didn't mention it earlier. Once we get back to Yanjing, discuss it among yourselves."

The reason Zhang Muyang had not brought it up half a year ago was, first, because Zhang Linmo had instructed him to deliberately whet the military's appetite. Second, they needed to secretly assess the military's strength. Third, they had to make full preparations for what would happen after the military agreed. Once the military came over, they would naturally see only what the Old District wanted them to see. Extending an olive branch was for better survival, but inviting wolves into the house would be more loss than gain.

Half a year earlier, several of the most advanced weapons that Zhang Xianyang had handed over—ones that matched Earth's current level of technological development—had already basically taken shape and entered use. Now, after more than half a year of training and coordination, the Dark Dragon Guard and Hidden Dragon Guard brothers had become proficient with these weapons. Combined with their genetically modified bodies, the two guards were now no weaker than the various Soldier Kings painstakingly trained by the military. With such strength as a guarantee, the Zhang Family bosses dared discuss with the other Old District bosses the possibility of tying part of their armed forces to the nation's war chariot.

Zhang Muyang's words left Jiang Peize restless and distracted for the rest of the time, completely losing his usual composure. He had already contacted his old man through a secure phone line, but the matter was too important. Although the Jiang Family patriarch held great power, he still did not dare make such a decision. After contacting the Gu Family and several other allied forces, the Jiang Family patriarch reported the situation Jiang Peize had described to the highest leader overnight. Jiang Peize still did not know what conclusion they would reach. But he could imagine that once the crew arrived in Yanjing, the city would be swept by one wave after another.

As for Zhang Muyang, after dropping a heavyweight bomb that kept Yanjing awake all night, he began handling the crew's publicity arrangements for their trip to the capital. As the crew's public-facing producer representative, Zhang Muyang carefully reviewed every public statement made by producers during this period and memorized the material Zhang Xianyang had urged Brain AI to compile, Thirty Days to Becoming a Producer, word for word. Compared to him, Zhang Xianyang, who spent his days with nothing to do, stood out all the more.

In truth, Zhang Xianyang was not deliberately slacking off. He simply knew his own limits. With Brain AI's help, he could now plan matters with ease and meticulous precision. But all that shrewd competence was limited to armchair strategy. From his previous life to this one, Zhang Xianyang had always been a spoiled young master, and he knew exactly what he was capable of. No matter how pleasing his words sounded, he was fundamentally a high-minded but ineffectual rich kid. He did not really understand how to communicate with people, nor did he understand how to control subordinates. Everything he could do was the result of Brain AI analyzing all the available information and summarizing it for him. He merely copied it wholesale, and so far, nothing had gone wrong—

But that was only so far, and only in the Old District, where no one could restrain him and everyone supported him without reservation.

Yet for the Old District's long-term development, safety, and stability, the younger generation would soon leave the Old District, leave Guandong Province, and work to expand their influence. Yanjing City was merely the beginning, never the end. No one knew better than Zhang Xianyang how deep the waters of the capital ran, nor did anyone know better than him just how ruthless the Kyoto Li Family and Kyoto Zhang Family could be. Thus, over the past half year, Zhang Xianyang had used the Old District's covert contacts in the capital and every piece of information he could access to gather evidence of the Li Family's and Kyoto Zhang Family's illegal activities. Zhang Xianyang believed all this preparation would definitely come in handy.

On the other hand, Zhang Xianyang had begun soaking in the nutrient solution specially developed for him by Brain AI. Unlike the comfortable experience Zhang Family father and son had when soaking in nutrient solution, Zhang Xianyang's pain when he first entered it was like having his body thrown into strong acid. The nutrient solution's cell-activation intensity was too great. Zhang Xianyang could feel every cell in his body being forcibly ruptured by the solution, then dividing and regenerating. Brain AI said this was to develop his body to the greatest possible extent. Because he had refused to train seriously for the first fifteen years of his life, he could only use pain to make up for the enormous gap between himself and the rest of the Zhang Family.

The pain was almost harder to endure than death. Yet Zhang Xianyang silently endured it because he did not want his family to worry. Every quiet night, after Zhang Muyang left with the Dark Dragon Guard on missions, Zhang Xianyang would sneak into the bathroom to soak in the nutrient solution. One hundred and eighty nights of torment honed the young man's willpower even as he endured in silence. As for how much Zhang Xianyang's body and mind would grow after silently surviving such a difficult transformation, no one knew.

Enough idle talk. After a series of meticulous arrangements, the day finally came for the crew to leave the Old District and head to Yanjing.

At Kanto Airport, the younger generation of Old District brothers preparing to leave with the crew were reluctantly saying goodbye to the older-generation bosses—or rather, most of them were reluctant to part, except for one boss who was threatening his son-in-law not to fool around elsewhere or bully his daughter, or he would lead men straight to Yanjing and castrate a certain second young master.

The three Zhang Xianyang brothers looked at the Zhang Family bosses and their second uncle's family, who had come to see them off. Their emotional second aunt's eyes were already red from crying as she hugged the three brothers and gave them instructions one by one. The weather was still cold, so remember to wear more clothes. Don't eat just anything. Take good care of yourselves...

After silently listening to his second aunt nag for a while, Zhang Xianyang smiled and said, "Don't worry. We'll take good care of ourselves."

Zhang Linmo glanced at Jiang Peize and the crew members standing some distance away. There had originally been a full five thousand soldiers who came to the Old District to help the crew film. Since there were too many of them to fly together, and it would have been too conspicuous to send them back to their base in military aircraft, the soldiers had already left by train. Only Jiang Peize remained, as he was responsible for escorting the Old District's younger generation to Yanjing. Lucky him, he got to enjoy a chartered flight.

Watching Jiang Peize stand there so obviously absentminded, Zhang Linmo sneered inwardly. He took a slip of paper from his pocket and handed it to Zhang Muyang, quietly instructing him, "This is our first time personally going to Yanjing, and we don't know what the situation there is really like. Cooperation is more likely for now, but nothing is absolute. If you judge that things aren't going well, contact the person listed here directly. We'll sneak back."

A glint flashed through Zhang Muyang's eyes, but he merely nodded silently.

Zhang Linmo then instructed Zhang Xiyang, "Once you arrive at Yanjing Airport, transfer directly to a flight for the United States. Don't linger in Yanjing. I've already arranged everything on the American side. Once you arrive, someone will personally recommend you to West Point Military Academy. Study hard. The Old Zhang Family's covert forces are still waiting for you to come back and inherit them!"