North America 1849, from Gold Rush to Warlord

Chapter 130 Where to Start?
The next day, early in the morning.

In the temporary state government building, which was converted from a private estate, Azu transformed a three-story detached house into his office.

The secretariat has also moved all its offices to the small building.

To ensure safety, Feng Zicai not only provided close protection, but also selected a platoon of the most elite militiamen to be stationed around the small building, with three layers of guards, both visible and hidden.

Today is Ah Zu's first day working in this small building!
To commemorate his hometown, Azu named this three-story building "Nianyue Building"!
The three-story building is Ah Zu's office.

The second floor of the small building houses the offices of the secretaries of the Secretariat.

The first floor of the building houses Feng Zicai's security office and a reception room.

Ah Zu had barely pushed open the door to his new office, and before he could even sit down properly, Victoria eagerly pushed the door open and came in.

"Hi, BOSS!"

Before Azu could answer, Victoria continued her report: "Late last night, that captain, the military representative, disguised himself and went to see De Sandis. The two talked for more than an hour before leaving!"

"Captain?" Azu thought for a moment. "That Captain Nicholson? The military representative from the Springfield Armory?"

"Yes!"

"Hmm... This military representative, he won't see anyone else, but he insists on seeing de Sandis... That's interesting!"

Azu pondered, "It seems there are still some people who can't stand by and watch us grow stronger!"

Victoria speculated, "De Sandis is a master of the California Freemasonry cleric. The fact that the captain went to see him late at night means that the captain must also be a Freemason."

Azu nodded: "Victoria, it seems you've grown a lot since you were in charge of intelligence for so long. You've learned to use your own brain!"

"Tch...!" Victoria hooked her arm around Azu's: "Don't treat us women like idiots! When we get smart, you'll be scared!"

"I'm only afraid you'll lock me up...!"

"Ugh..." Victoria punched Ah Zu lightly, "We're talking about serious matters!"

"Hehe!" Azu smiled and said, "Then guess again, why is that captain so eager to find De Sandis?"

“Hmm…!” Victoria pondered, “Perhaps, they’re gathering intelligence on us from de Sandis?”

Azu shook his head: "Gathering intelligence is certainly one of the purposes, but it's definitely not that simple. If it were just about gathering intelligence, the Freemasons would definitely have a simpler, more direct, and more secretive way."

“Then…!” Victoria continued to ponder, “Could it be that they’re after our pharmaceutical factory or our arms factory?”

Azu thought for a moment and shook his head: "The pharmaceutical factory is located in our base camp and is heavily guarded. They have no chance at all."

"Moreover, it is very safe and secure for us to ship penicillin through the church. Freemasons will do anything, but they still have at least a basic sense of respect for the church."

"As for the arsenal, the HM50 rifles we display may pique their interest, but this negligible benefit is not enough to warrant a major mobilization by the Freemasons."

"It's neither this nor that, what exactly does the Freemasons want?" Victoria said, somewhat annoyed.

“I can’t guess what they’re up to either!” Azu said calmly. “However, as long as we keep a close eye on that captain, know his movements, and connect all the clues, we’ll definitely find out what he’s up to.”

"Okay, I'll make the arrangements right away. Keep a close eye on him...!"

"Beep beep beep...!"

Victoria had barely finished speaking when a knock came at the door.

Monica pushed the door open and said, "My master, those military representatives from the United States Army are here again!"

"So fast?" Azu said, "Let them in!"

"Okay, master!"

A moment later, Monica led Lieutenant Colonel Miles and his entourage into the large office.

"Mr. Li, we meet again!"

Lieutenant Colonel Miles shook hands with Azu.

This time, it was just a normal handshake, with no intention of putting up a fight.

"So, Lieutenant Colonel, you've come to your senses overnight?"

“Yes!” Lieutenant Colonel Miles nodded. “We have also gained a better understanding of Mr. Li and the true strength of Huamei Industrial.”

"We believe that with Huamei's capabilities, we are fully capable of fulfilling this order from the U.S. Army!"

"Therefore, Mr. Li, please take a look at the contract. If there are no problems, we can sign it now!"

Azu took the contract handed to him by Lieutenant Colonel Miles, read it through clause by clause, found no problems, and immediately picked up a pen to sign his name.

As Monica took the contract to use Huamei Industrial's seal, Azu casually glanced at the group of people opposite her.

"Huh? Such a big deal as signing a million-dollar contract, where is Captain Nicholson from yesterday?"

“This…!” Lieutenant Colonel Miles paused for a moment before saying, “Captain Nicholson received an urgent mission and left San Francisco this morning!”

"Oh? I see...!"

As he spoke, Ah Zu glanced at Victoria.

Victoria understood immediately and left the office without a word.

A moment later, Monica returned with the contract that had been stamped, and both parties each received a copy, thus completing the signing.

Lieutenant Colonel Miles took out a draft from the First National Bank of New York from his briefcase and handed it to Azu, saying, "Mr. Li, this is the 30% prepayment for this order, totaling $310,000. Please check!"

Azu took the draft without even glancing at it, then handed it to Monica and said, "Having completed such a large order, I had originally prepared a banquet to entertain everyone, but it's a real shame that Captain Nicholson is absent!"

"Mr. Li, as long as Huamei Industrial can successfully complete this order, I believe there will be many more opportunities in the future!"

That noon, Azu hosted Lieutenant Colonel Miles and his entourage with the highest level of hospitality in the presidential suite of the Rosewood Hotel.

After a drinking session, the two parties, who were initially at odds, reconciled and got along exceptionally well.

In high spirits, Miles put his arm around Feng Zicai's shoulder and laughed heartily, "Mr. Feng, you are definitely the most generous and best drinker I have ever met among the Chinese!"

At the banquet, Zuo Zongtang, Feng Zicai, and Shi Dakai were all present.

With Feng Zicai and Shi Dakai's drinking capacity, even outnumbered, they easily gained the upper hand and soon got the military representatives completely drunk.

When the banquet ended, only Lieutenant Colonel Miles, with his big beard, was still able to open his eyes and speak.

"Mr. Li...you...you believe me, hiccup...from now on, your...your Huamei Industrial...military...arms orders...will definitely be plentiful! Hiccup...!"

Before he could finish speaking, Lieutenant Colonel Miles collapsed under the table.

"Carry them away to rest, and don't forget to arrange for the best girls...!"

Two days later, when Lieutenant Colonel Miles and the other military representatives left San Francisco, they were all carrying "local specialties" given to them by Huamei Industrial!
On the ocean-going sailboat, when Miles and his companions opened the outer packaging of the "local specialties," they were instantly dumbfounded when they saw the golden, heavy local products.

"Tsk tsk...!" Miles' eyes were dazzled by the golden light. "What a pity, Nicholson left early. He won't get a share of this 'local specialty'!"

"Hahaha...!" The other military representatives burst into hearty laughter.
-
Almost simultaneously, Azu also received the latest intelligence.

“Boss, our men have tracked down Captain Nicholson who rode away alone!” Victoria reported.

"Oh?" Azu asked, "Where did he go?"

"They're heading southwest, straight towards the Nevada desert!"

“The Nevada Desert…!” Azu stood up and looked at the map of America on the wall.

Beside him, Victoria used a red pencil to trace Nicholson's route on the map.

"The Nevada desert, there's nothing there, it's a godforsaken place, what would he be doing there?"

Looking at the red route, Azu rested his chin on his hand, deep in thought: "It seems that this captain is very likely going to cross the Nevada desert to find Brigadier General George Phillips!"

Hearing what Azu said, Victoria also remembered something: "According to the latest intelligence, Brigadier General George Phillips and his headquarters are heading from White Sands Base in New Mexico to Monterey, California!"

“The land route from New Mexico to California crosses Arizona and Nevada!” Victoria said, staring at the map. “Based on the timeline, Brigadier General George Phillips should be around this location now!” As she spoke, Victoria drew a circle on the map with a red pencil.

Azu stared at the circle Victoria had drawn, which clearly marked the border between Arizona and Nevada.

In later generations, the place inside this circle was called Las Vegas!
Victoria continued, "Our men dare not get too close, for fear of being discovered by that captain!"

“But there are plenty of gangs and Native Americans along the way from California to Nevada!” Victoria said. “Boss, should we send our men after them…!”

With that, Victoria slashed her neck hard!
Azu shook his head: "Killing a mere captain won't solve the problem!"

"Moreover, since he dared to venture alone into the wilderness of California and Nevada, he must have something to rely on. If we fail to take him down, we might just alert him."

Azu pondered, "Since he first approached De Sandis and then Brigadier General George Phillips, he must be trying to use the brigadier general to deal with us."

"Moreover, he must have already agreed on the target with de Sandis...!"

“Then let’s arrest that old bastard De Sandis and torture him…!” Victoria said through gritted teeth.

"How can such a beautiful foreign woman be so violent?"

Ah Zu admonished her, "If a problem can be solved with your brain, don't resort to violence!"

"The more you rely on violence to solve problems, the more likely you are to be devoured by violence in the end!"

Azu continued to ponder, "With the forces Brigadier General George Phillips currently commands, it's impossible for him to launch a full-scale attack on us. He has neither the authority nor the military strength to do so."

"However, it is entirely possible that if we mobilize thousands of regular troops to target one of our industries."

Victoria chimed in, "Our businesses are all over California, how would we know where he'd target us?"

Ah Zu thought for a moment and said, "Go and invite Mr. Zuo over!"

"Ok!"

A moment later, Zuo Zongtang followed Victoria into Azu's office.

Azu remained standing in front of the map of America and said in a deep voice, "Victoria, explain the current situation to Mr. Zuo!"

During the two or three months on the "Barbara", Zuo Zongtang learned a lot of English from Wu Qingfeng.

With his diligent study and practice over the past few days, Zuo Zongtang's intelligence and learning ability have made normal English communication much easier.

After Victoria finished her explanation with gestures, Azu asked, "Mr. Zuo, in your opinion, where will they attack?"

Zuo Zongtang also stood in front of the map of America, looking at the dots and lines on the map, and said in a deep voice: "If it were me, those insignificant industries would not be worth their attention at all."

"As the saying goes: 'Attack where you must defend!' They will definitely target our most core industries!"

Azu replied, "At present, although we have many businesses throughout California, there are only three that are truly our core and lifeline!"

Azu used a red pencil to mark on the map: "One of our bases is located in the southern suburbs of San Francisco...!"

"It will absolutely not be our base camp; that would be tantamount to suicide!" Zuo Zongtang categorically denied.

Azu continued, “The second place is our mining base located in the Giant Elephant Mountain, where gold is produced in an endless stream, and it is the lifeblood of our Huamei Industry!”

Zuo Zongtang nodded: "This is very likely!"

Azu added, "However, that brigadier general already suffered a great loss a few months ago at Elephant Mountain!"

Zuo Zongtang continued nodding: "I don't know the personalities of that brigadier general and that captain! If the brigadier general is the kind of person who holds grudges, it is very possible that he will choose Giant Elephant Mountain again, determined to regain the face he lost last time."

Azu deeply agreed, though he himself was unsure of the personalities of the brigadier general and the captain.

Azu added, "And the third place is the eight model villages we built in the northern part of the Central Valley!"

"There live our eight thousand compatriots who reclaimed and settled the land!"

Zuo Zongtang pondered, "Both Giant Elephant Mountain and Model Village are possibilities in my opinion!"

"If we want to ensure our safety, we must divide our forces to guard the area!" Zuo Zongtang continued, "However, once we divide our forces, facing an enemy force several times our size, it is far too risky! In my opinion, rather than holding our ground, we should take the initiative to attack!"

“Mr. Zuo means…!” Azu pressed.

"What I mean is, we should ambush elite troops on the enemy's inevitable route and defeat them in one fell swoop, once and for all!" Zuo Zongtang pointed to the location of Las Vegas on the map and emphasized several points with his finger!

"Should we take the initiative?"

Azu pondered for a moment and said, "The enemy has several thousand troops. If we were to ambush them, it would certainly require a large-scale operation, and such a commotion would not be kept secret from anyone. If we were to ambush the American army without any reason, it would be tantamount to openly turning against the entire United States!"

"With our current strength, we have no chance of winning against the entire United States!"

Zuo Zongtang then realized his mistake and quickly said, "Master, I was being presumptuous!"

"No, no, no!" Azu patted Zuo Zongtang on the shoulder: "It's not that Mr. Zuo is being presumptuous, but you're new here and don't understand the current situation!"

"If we consider the issue solely from a military perspective, Mr. Zuo's idea of ​​taking the initiative and ambushing the enemy is undoubtedly the best solution!"

"But we can't just consider military issues; there are also the political risks that come with them!"

"The master's words of admonition are well-deserved!" Zuo Zongtang said with heartfelt admiration.

Ah Zu looked up at Victoria and said, "Hurry up and keep in close contact with our spies. We must confirm their target as soon as possible!"

"Okay, BOSS!"

Victoria hesitated and said, "Boss, how about we arrest that old man De Sandis and interrogate him?"

“His wife, children, and elderly parents are all in San Francisco. I don’t believe he would dare not to confess honestly!”

After thinking for a moment, Ah Zu shook his head and said, "Don't touch him unless absolutely necessary! If we do, our moles planted in the Freemasons might be exposed."

"Keeping this old guy around is still useful."

"Well... alright, let's spare his life for now!"

Ah Zu added, "No matter where their target is, we must strengthen our vigilance in advance!"

After considering it, Azu ordered, "Send Feng Zicai and Shi Dakai to me!"

"Okay, BOSS!"

A moment later, Feng Zicai and Shi Dakai both appeared in Azu's office.

Without any further pleasantries, Azu gave the order directly: "Feng Zicai, you will personally lead a core militia battalion, equipped with heavy equipment and ample ammunition, to garrison Giant Elephant Mountain!"

"No problem, boss!"

"Shi Dakai, you will also lead a battalion, with heavy equipment and ample ammunition, to garrison the model village!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Remember, you will set sail in the middle of the night, so as not to attract anyone's attention!"

"Yes, sir!" Feng Zicai and Shi Dakai bowed and accepted the order at the same time.

"Feng Zicai, Shi Dakai, you must organize the miners and villagers, dig trenches, and train them diligently. If attacked, send someone to report immediately, and you must hold out for at least three days!"

"Especially the model village you are stationed in, Shi Dakai. The eight villages are several miles apart. If one village is attacked, the other villages must provide timely support, but remember not to let the enemy surround and attack the reinforcements."

"As ordered!"

After giving orders to his two valiant brothers, Azu turned to Victoria and said, "Also, send someone to inform the Blackfoot Clan to prepare for battle. They are a surprise force if absolutely necessary!"

"Okay, BOSS!"

"Master...!" Zuo Zongtang suddenly said, "Why don't I go with Brother Shi? There are eight village chiefs and eight thousand people. I'm afraid Brother Shi alone will not be able to manage them all!"

"Besides, I am new here and have not yet accomplished anything, yet I have been treated so kindly by my employer. If I do not contribute my meager strength, I will feel uneasy!"

After thinking for a moment, Azu finally nodded: "It's good that Mr. Zuo is willing to go! In this way, Model Village will surely be safe and sound!"

(End of this chapter)