North America 1849, from Gold Rush to Warlord

Chapter 156 The Taste of Peaches

"Damn it! Tell me now, what do you want in exchange for selling us this gun?"

Despite Brigadier General Thomas's roar, Azu remained remarkably calm.

"General, I've said it before, this kind of firearm will not be sold, at least not now!"

Azu said, "Today's firepower demonstration is just to prove that line infantry tactics have been completely eliminated."

"The future of warfare has been completely transformed. A revolution in infantry tactics is needed, including by the U.S. Army!"

Brigadier General Thomas and all the members of the U.S. Army delegation who were observing the display of firepower were so shocked that they were trembling.

In just a few minutes, their unwavering belief in courage, faith, and honor was utterly destroyed!

It also destroyed everything they had studied and practiced in the army since they became soldiers!
All their tactics, courage, faith, and glory... were torn to shreds in the face of such unimaginable firearms!
Even their confidence as soldiers was easily crushed to dust by these powerful firearms!
Brigadier General Thomas took a few deep breaths, managing to calm his turbulent emotions somewhat.

Brigadier General Thomas pointed to the five machine guns below the reviewing stand: "Governor, please tell me, what are the names of these powerful weapons?"

"This is our newly developed, revolutionary HM51 heavy machine gun!"

Apart from his name, Ah Zu did not reveal any other information.

The five machine guns were quickly removed, giving the observing officers no chance to observe them up close.

But Brigadier General Thomas persisted, asking, "Governor, state your terms. I believe that with sufficiently favorable terms, there is nothing in the world that cannot be bought!"

Azu smiled slightly at him: "General, what do you think I'm lacking right now? Power, money, strength...? I'm sorry, but I don't think the entire United States Army, including you, can offer me the conditions I want!"

Brigadier General Thomas's mind raced, and after much deliberation, he finally slumped back into his seat.

"You really seem to have everything! What a shame... my gun...!"

Azu paid little attention to the group of dejected army officers and hastily ended the incomplete firepower demonstration.

Soon after, Azu found an opportunity to be alone with Colonel Wharton in a luxury suite at the Rosewood Hotel.

"It hasn't been that long since we last met, should I already call you Governor?"

Colonel Wharton's tone was not without sarcasm when speaking to this Chinese man who had just turned twenty.

Azu raised his glass and lightly clinked it against Colonel Walton's: "Titles and forms don't matter. What matters is that our partnership remains intact, right?"

Walton nodded slightly: "That guy, Brigadier General George, is finally completely taken care of! Everyone in the Southwest Command, including myself, is relieved."

"If we continue to let him run rampant like this, the entire army in the southwest will probably be wiped out along with him!"

At this point, Walton changed the subject: "However, Governor, although Brigadier General George has been taken down, a greater crisis is lurking in the shadows, are you aware of that?"

"Oh...?" Azu raised an eyebrow: "Colonel, do you have any new information or intelligence?"

Walton nodded emphatically: "The night before last, someone disguised themselves as a hotel staff member and entered this suite...!"

"What……?"

Ah Zu was shocked to find that someone had easily infiltrated his hotel without his knowledge!
Colonel Walton said in a deep voice, "Governor, there's no need to be surprised! I think that waiter's disguise is very similar to that of Captain Nicholson; his disguise skills are exceptionally high."

"It's perfectly normal that the ordinary people in your hotel can't tell the difference."

Azu replied, "You mean the Freemasons have sent new experts?"

Walton nodded: "On the joint recommendation of George and Nicholson, I recently joined the Freemasons. I became a very junior apprentice, but...!"

"Heh!" Walton chuckled. "I rise through the ranks in the Freemasons much faster than I do in the military!"

"In just a few months, I have become a full member of the third rank of Freemasonry and am qualified to know some of the basic inner workings of Freemasonry."

"At the Freemason headquarters, there is a legendary organization called the Solomon Temple!"

"This Temple of Solomon belongs only to the Grand Master, and the Temple has only thirteen Hidden Knights!"

"According to legend, every Hidden Knight is a top-notch assassin, spy, and schemer."

Walton lowered his voice and continued, "If I'm not mistaken, that Nicholson, and the one who entered my room the night before last, should both be one of the Thirteen Hidden Knights!"

“The Thirteen Hidden Knights of Solomon’s Temple…!” Azu remembered this name deeply.

Walton said, "Currently, the Freemasons still trust me a lot! My cooperative relationship with the governor has not been exposed. That's why the new Hidden Knight thought of contacting me."

Azu asked, "What was his purpose in contacting you?"

"Trying to convince me to just assassinate you!"

Walton answered bluntly, "They know I've had plenty of opportunities to come into contact with you. If I could seize one of those opportunities and take you out, that would be perfect!"

"They even promised me that if I could kill you directly, they would not only guarantee my survival, but also promote me to general within a year."

"Moreover, within the Freemasons, they were able to make me a high-ranking master-level core member of a syndicate in a very short time!"

"Hehe!" Azu smiled slightly: "Very good terms, what do you say, Colonel? Are you interested?"

Walton raised his glass slightly in a gesture of respect: "Comparatively speaking, I still think that 1% of Huamei Pharmaceutical Factory's shares are more practical and more appealing!"

"As far as I know, even those penicillin distributors have made a fortune by following in your footsteps, Mr. Governor."

"Wouldn't a shareholder like me become a millionaire very quickly?"

Ah Zu laughed and said, "Colonel, I have already deposited your 1% share of the profits from 1850 into the East West Bank using an anonymous account."

As he spoke, Azu took out a golden card from his pocket.

The card had a long string of numbers on it.

Then, Azu whispered another string of numbers into Walton's ear.

“Colonel, did you remember?” Azu smiled at him. “As long as you use this card and the password I gave you, you can withdraw your annual dividends from East West Bank at any time.”

As he spoke, Ah Zu held up three fingers: "As for last year's dividends, it's this amount...!"

"Three...one hundred thousand?"

Walton confirmed it in a trembling voice.

Azu nodded silently.

With slightly trembling hands, Walton put away the gold card: "If I weren't temporarily tied up, I could have used this fortune you gave me to retire and enjoy life in Europe!"

"Heh! Colonel, you're only forty-one years old, and you're already thinking about retiring? Isn't that a bit too early? You worked so hard to become a colonel, you should at least become a general and make your name in history, right?"

"General... haha?" Colonel Walton chuckled dryly, "Isn't George the general? After he completely disappeared, he didn't even make a ripple?"

Walton added, "Those Freemasons are just using me as a pawn! Even if I really did kill you, how could I possibly escape San Francisco? How could I possibly escape California?"

“You are now the first governor of California, elected by the people in all your right, a real big shot! If I dare to lay a hand on you, I will immediately become the enemy of the people.”

"Even if I manage to escape alive, not only will California not be able to accommodate me, but there will be absolutely no place for me in the entire United States."

"They even made me a general, and a master-level core member! Hah…!" Colonel Walton sneered, "Those Freemasons are just playing me for a fool!"

Azu knew, of course, that Wharton was a smart and pragmatic man. So he wasn't worried at all that the chief of staff would be lured away by the Freemasons with empty talk.

Azu simply asked, "Did the Colonel obtain any useful information from the newly arrived Hidden Knight?"

Walton pondered for a moment, then shook his head: "That guy is very tight-lipped; he's revealed almost nothing except for trying to persuade me. But...!"

"But what?" "Heh...!" Walton chuckled reservedly, "However, he underestimated me. I'm a staff officer with an intelligence background...!"

"Although he disguised himself very well and did not reveal any useful information, I could smell a faint scent on him."

"What does it taste like?" Azu asked curiously.

"A sweet peach flavor...!"

"Ah...?" Azu's mouth gaped slightly, and he asked in surprise, "Sweet peach flavor? What does that taste like?"

Walton shook his head and replied, "I have no idea what that tastes like! Maybe he just ate a peach, or drank peach wine, or just messed around with some peach-scented woman... well, anything is possible!"

“Peach flavor, hahaha, I’ll remember that!” Azu laughed heartily, “I didn’t expect that the Colonel would have such a keen sense of smell.”

“This is just a basic sense of smell for an intelligence officer!” Walton replied. “If I can’t find any possible clues from these clues, then my more than ten years of experience as an intelligence officer have been for nothing.”

Azu nodded in agreement: "I will secretly investigate this mysterious peach flavor... If that guy just happened to eat a peach or drink a glass of peach wine, he probably won't find any clues."

"But having a clue is better than having no clue at all!"

Azu said, “According to the Freemasons’ character, if they fail to persuade you, they will definitely use other methods. First, they will try to kill me or the people around me, then dismantle Huamei Industrial, obtain penicillin and gold, and finally seize the huge interests of the entire California.”

“Governor, you’d better find a way to protect yourself! My and my descendants’ happiness depends on you.”

Azu replied, "It's not a big problem. I won't give them the chance to assassinate me."

Colonel Walton then changed the subject: "By the way, that kind of heavy machine gun you showed us today... can't we really sell it to the U.S. Army?"

Azu thought for a moment: "Our own California National Guard hasn't even finished its re-equipment yet, where would we find extra machine guns to sell to the U.S. Army? But...!"

"But what?" Walton quickly pressed.

As a true soldier, who wouldn't be tempted by such a revolutionary and powerful weapon?

"However, once my National Guard has completed its re-equipment, it is not impossible to sell a small number to the U.S. Army."

The reason Azu conducted the daytime display of firepower was twofold: firstly, to demonstrate to the U.S. Army and warn the new general not to repeat the mistakes of his predecessor.

Secondly, it was estimated that if Lincoln came to power and became president two years later, the start of the American Civil War would not be far off.

When the Civil War begins, I might as well add fuel to the fire and make the flames burn even brighter.

The machine gun in his hand was one of the most powerful weapons that fueled the war!

The American Civil War mobilized more than three million people on both sides, a scale not much smaller than that of Germany, France, and Britain in World War I.

Millions of people from both the North and South fought for four or five years, but only 500,000 died, and even with the wounded, the death toll barely exceeded one million, indicating that the intensity of the fighting was clearly insufficient.

It's important to know that in World War I, the battle of the Somme alone resulted in 1.3 million casualties on both sides!
The fighting was not intense enough and the casualties were not heavy enough, one of the main reasons being the lack of the Maxim machine gun, a deadly weapon.

Colonel Walton was overjoyed to hear that Azu's tone had softened.

"Governor, you're a very important person now, so you have to keep your word!"

Colonel Walton jumped up immediately: "If you say it can be sold, then it absolutely must be sold!"

Azu calmly nodded: "Walton, we've known each other for so long, and you're my friend after all. When have I ever gone back on my word?"

"That's good, hahaha, that's good...!" Colonel Walton was overjoyed: "With such a powerful machine gun, let's see who can stand against our American Army!"

Ah Zu added, "However, I have one condition!"

"What conditions? Just tell me!"

"Southwest Command of the United States Army, immediately cease all proactive suppression and extermination operations against Native Americans!"

"Huh? This...!"

Chief of Staff Walton was immediately in a dilemma: "Governor, could we change the terms? You must understand that the extermination and suppression of Native Americans is a fundamental national policy of the United States! If our Southwest Command does not comply, it will attract a lot of criticism and accusations!"

“I’m not saying we shouldn’t wipe them out at all!” Azu replied, “For those stubborn Native Americans who actively attack and provoke white people and even us Chinese, we can still wipe them out and keep them in check!”

"Now that California has passed the Indian Rights Act, if the U.S. Army continues to suppress and exterminate those law-abiding Native Americans, wouldn't that be a huge disrespect to me?"

Chief of Staff Walton pondered for a long time before finally saying, "I can't make that decision myself. I need to discuss it with General Thomas before I can give you an answer."

“Okay, I’ll be waiting for your good news!” Azu laughed. “But my machine gun won’t wait for anyone.”

"Haha, you absolutely must save your machine gun for us! I'll definitely persuade the general...!"
-
After leaving Walton's room, Ah Zu summoned Victoria, Monica, and Sixth Master to his secret intelligence room.

These three individuals were respectively responsible for intelligence gathering on external, internal, and underground levels.

Azu recounted the information he had just received from Colonel Walton to the three of them.

"What...?" Sixth Master was the first to be shocked: "Someone disguised themselves and infiltrated our hotel, and we didn't even know? These bastards, just wait until I get down here and I'll teach them a lesson...!"

Throughout the Rosewood Hotel, there are specially trained informants everywhere.

Whether you're a hotel guest or a visitor coming and going, no one can escape the ever-present eyes of surveillance.

Hearing that someone had disguised themselves as a waiter and sneaked into a luxury suite, Sixth Master, the hotel's general manager, felt utterly humiliated.

Azu calmly said, "This is not anyone's fault. It just means we encountered a master. The ordinary staff of the hotel simply could not have recognized the master's disguise."

"Sixth Master, not only can we not punish anyone, but we must also pretend nothing happened, understand? Otherwise, it will expose many of our hidden tricks...!"

Sixth Master then realized what had happened: "Okay, boss, I'll pretend nothing happened."

Ah Zu continued, "The source of that peach flavor, um... remember this, and secretly observe for any related clues."

"This clue is far too faint, and we can't launch a large-scale investigation. So, apart from the three of you, just have the core intelligence personnel keep a close eye on it."

"Understood, Boss!"

The three of them nodded in unison.

Azu continued, "The Freemasons are preparing to strike again, and we need to strengthen our surveillance and intelligence gathering. We especially need to pay close attention to those who have only arrived in San Francisco in the last month or two."

San Francisco, as a newly emerging and bustling western city, has a considerable population flow.

The permanent resident population has exceeded 50,000, and with the addition of new residents and migrant workers, the total population is close to 100,000.

Moreover, people from all over the world are represented, and their composition and background are extremely complex.

Trying to find Freemason agents by casting a wide net is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Azu didn't have high hopes for this either, and continued, "Since the Freemasons want to target us, they will definitely take further action. As long as they take action, they will eventually slip up."

"In addition to external investigations, we also need to strengthen internal investigations."

"Our company now has more than 30,000 employees!"

"With such a large number of employees, it's inevitable that there will be some bad apples!"

Azu looked at Monica and said, "It's time to activate our internal monitoring mechanism."

“Monica, you and your people need to focus on those who frequently go out, have frequent contact with outsiders, and those insiders who have suddenly made a fortune, understand?”

Monica giggled sweetly, "As you wish, my master!"

(End of this chapter)