Madmen don't keep diaries

Chapter 484, Section 483: Zhou Xiuqing and Cheng Chuiyi

Feng Xiuhu's attitude was not friendly, and his tone was impatient.

Upon seeing this, the long-haired female student immediately stood up straight, bowed slightly to Feng Xiuhu, and became serious. This was the most common formal greeting among students under the new education system, with no difference between men and women.

Once she straightened up, the long-haired female student's expression became much more serious: "Mr. Ma, we were negligent in not introducing ourselves first."

She cleared her throat, pressed her hand to her chest, and said with neither arrogance nor servility, "My name is Zhou Xiuqing. I am an ordinary student at Qizhi State College, and also the president of the Student Self-Government Association, the president of the Zhenqiu Hometown Association, the chief editor of the school newspaper Xinchao, and the commander-in-chief of the strike committee."

Feng Xiuhu nodded in agreement: "It sounds pretty ordinary."

A flicker of surprise crossed Zhou Xiuqing's eyes, but she quickly composed herself and gestured to the short-haired female student beside her: "This is my classmate and close friend, Cheng Ziyi."

Cheng nodded slightly to Feng Xiuhu, as if to say hello.

Feng Xiuhu tapped the table: "Let's get down to business. We have no relationship whatsoever. Is it too presumptuous of you to order me around with just a letter?"

"It was indeed a bit presumptuous. Xiuqing apologizes to Mr. Ma Er with tea instead of wine."

Zhou Xiuqing readily admitted her mistake, picked up her cup and drank it all in one gulp before continuing, "I hope Mr. Ma can understand that we resorted to this desperate measure because we had no other choice."

The restaurant waiters brought the dishes one after another. Feng Xiuhu twirled some peanuts and listened leisurely as Zhou Xiuqing explained the whole story.

After listening to what was said, Feng Xiuhu understood.

Still going against the foreigners, Zhou Xiuqing couldn't find any help from the students, so after hearing about Ma Erye San, she came specifically to recruit Feng Xiuhu.

To put it bluntly, they wanted Feng Xiuhu to work for free.

Feng Xiuhu found this strange and asked, "How did you know I was in Zhenqiu City? Do you have connections in the underworld?"

Zuanshanbao did spread the news that Feng Xiuhu had come to Yu'ai Prefecture, but that was limited to the major mountain strongholds. How could Zhou Xiuqing, a student, know about it?
Zhou Xiuqing laughed and said, "Mr. Ma Er is underestimating himself too much. Second Master and Third Master fought against foreigners in Qianyu City and killed them. Their reputation has spread far and wide. Even in the academy, many students regard Mr. Ma Er's integrity as their standard."

That's a bit of an exaggeration. Feng Xiuhu just lacks understanding of the situation, but he's not stupid, so he won't believe Zhou Xiuqing's flattery.

So he waved his hand to skip the topic and said, "Whether it's a strike or a demonstration, you shouldn't come to me with these extracurricular activities. In the end, there are only two or three of us. If you want to do something, you should go to a business association or a powerful family that can rally a large following."

Zhou Xiuqing smiled wryly: "Mr. Ma's insight is profound, but how could I not understand the reasoning behind this?"

"But Mr. Ma may not know this, but rumors about the treasure of the Southern Yu Kingdom are rampant. Merchant families are all profit-driven people, and they are focused on the treasure. They have no time to join the students in criticizing the foreigners."

Feng Xiuhu was taken aback—he hadn't expected the topic to circle back to the "Mountain Bandit King."

He asked curiously, "If the chamber of commerce and aristocratic families don't want to pay attention to you, why don't you try a different approach? Workers, farmers, and hard-working street vendors—if you can win over these people, the results might be even better."

Zhou Xiuqing still smiled bitterly: "Mr. Ma, do you think that the matter of the Nanyu Restoration Treasure is only a matter for those with power and influence?"

Isn't this nonsense?
Feng Xiuhu pondered, "Treasure hunting is time-consuming, laborious, and expensive. If you don't have some wealth, you won't even bother with it. Ordinary people can just listen to it for fun. If they really get involved, then it's really just about participation." Zhou Xiuqing shook his head and said, "Mr. Ma, you've misunderstood. Ordinary people may not be looking for treasure, but they will want to make money."

"Indeed, most of those preparing for the treasure hunt are wealthy families, but the problem is that they don't do it themselves."

"To form a treasure hunting team, money is one aspect, but manpower is even more important. If Mr. Ma has some free time, he can inquire around the city. Which hunters, herb gatherers, and other people familiar with the mountains and fields haven't been recruited? In addition, major families have posted notices widely, and those skilled in martial arts, those knowledgeable in feng shui, and those who can read faces and tell fortunes are all in high demand. Even craftsmen who can unlock secret mechanisms and strong porters are sought after."

"Although these people are not after the treasure, they can still make a fortune from this opportunity."

Feng Xiuhu suddenly realized what was happening and understood completely.

The students wanted to demonstrate against the foreigners, and they should have gathered as much support as possible. Unfortunately, they were out of luck and missed the opportunity. Just as the treasure map appeared, everyone, rich or poor, was dreaming of getting rich and had no time to pay attention to the students. Zhou Xiuqing wanted to succeed, but she couldn't find any support. When she was desperate, she turned to Feng Xiuhu as a last resort.

"But the principle remains the same."

Feng Xiuhu helplessly spread his hands: "I only have two or three people. More or less of us won't make a difference, and we really can't help much."

"Who said that!"

Zhou Xiuqing was eager to retort, but was interrupted by Cheng Zhuiyi who raised her hand.

The short-haired girl hadn't said a word since she took her seat, only listening quietly. But her sudden action made Feng Xiuhu glance at her a few more times.

Zhou Xiuqing seemed to listen to her a lot.

Cheng Zhuiyi slowly spoke: "Mr. Ma, there is no need to be modest. Although you and Mr. Ye are alone, your influence is even greater than that of the established business families."

"Nowadays, foreigners are in high spirits, and there are quite a few people in Yu'ai Prefecture who are filled with righteous indignation. The only thing missing is a leader who can win people's hearts. If Mr. Ma could step forward, he would only need to raise his arm and call for help. There would be no shortage of people responding. At that time, it would surely be a scene of upheaval and upheaval."

So, not only are they making Feng Xiuhu work for free, but they also want him to be the one to stick his neck out.

You know what, just thinking about that grand scene where everyone would respond to his call, Feng Xiuhu was actually a little tempted.

Fortunately, although Mr. Feng loved to show off, Shunzi didn't fall for it.

Snapped!
Shunzi slammed his hand on the table, his tone unfriendly: "Easy for you to say! Although I also dislike the foreigners acting arrogantly in Daxuan, I know that the foreigners have obtained the government's approval to build factories and mines. If you oppose the foreigners, you are opposing the government. My elder brother has been pushed to the forefront by you. If it is investigated later, you will be able to get away easily because you are students, but my elder brother will suffer the most."

Zhou Xiuqing said righteously, "How could Mr. Ye say such a thing? When you and Mr. Ma were fighting against the foreigners in Qianyu City, were you also so hesitant and indecisive as you are now?"

Shunzi was too lazy to argue with her: "You're just a delicate little girl. You've only read a few books and you've already become so arrogant. I can't explain it to you."

Cheng's anxious gaze remained fixed on Feng Xiuhu's face. Ignoring Shunzi, she asked Feng Xiuhu directly, "I believe in Mr. Ma. If you were afraid of the government or foreigners, you wouldn't have acted righteously in Qianyu City. Now, we students and Mr. Ma are both righteous people and should work together. If Mr. Ma refuses due to concerns, I'm afraid that once he leaves Yu'ai Prefecture, he will find it difficult to find like-minded friends again."

(End of this chapter)