North America 1849, from Gold Rush to Warlord

Chapter 54 I will take you home

This time, the Razor Gang ambushed them late at night, resulting in four deaths and about ten injuries.

Although most of the injuries were not fatal, and Ah Zu had prepared enough medicine in advance, they all needed to recuperate for a period of time.

Fourteen were killed or wounded, and a quarter of the manpower was lost overnight. Of the team of more than fifty people, less than forty were still able to work.

The four dead brothers were placed on a high pile of firewood, and Azu personally lit the flames.

Everyone gathered together to bid farewell to the four brothers.

The brother who was making dirty jokes with me yesterday is now a corpse.

For a moment, everyone was in low spirits.

"Brothers, no matter how far your homes are, I'll take you home!"

Standing beneath the blazing fire, Azu spoke in a heavy voice.

"I promised you that even if you sacrifice yourselves, you will receive all the wages and bonuses earned during the gold rush, plus a $2,000 compensation for your families!"

“I have your hometown addresses and family names here. Whether your home is in America or China, I will send this money to your families.”

"So, you can go without worry!"

What Ah Zu is talking about is no small sum of money!
If calculated based on the gold panned from this Golden Lake in later generations, each person would receive approximately $15,000, plus a $2,000 compensation.

Seventeen thousand US dollars, which is more than twelve kilograms of gold!
In an era where a monthly salary of thirty or forty dollars is considered a high salary, this is money that most people cannot earn in their entire lives!

Moreover, among those who sacrificed their lives were three Chinese laborers. In that impoverished era of the late Qing Dynasty, those twelve kilograms of gold would have been enough to allow their families to live a life of luxury from then on.

So, their deaths were not in vain!

Hearing Ah Zu's words, their morale, which had just been somewhat low, began to pick up again.

Having chosen to pan for gold, they were certainly aware of the dangers they faced and the possibility of losing their lives at any moment.

But as long as the gold reaches my family, it's all worth it.

Ah Zu continued, "Last night, Ah Yan and Harley, along with several brothers, risked their lives and blew up the Razor Gang."

"Brothers who charge ahead fearlessly like this deserve a great reward!"

"I hereby announce that Ayan and Harley will each receive a reward of one thousand dollars, and the other brothers who followed along will each receive a reward of five hundred dollars!"

"Also, each injured brother will receive a reward of three hundred dollars!"

As soon as Azu finished speaking, almost everyone around him cheered.

"Long live the boss!"

"Long live Azu!"

Morale soared to unprecedented heights.

The three elders, including Xiongpi, who were watching from the sidelines, were also deeply moved by the scene.

Three old men, dressed in bison hides and wearing feathered crowns, huddled together whispering to each other, seemingly discussing something.

After cremating the four fallen brothers, their ashes were collected and would be sent back to their respective hometowns after this year's gold rush. Once all this was over, Elder Bearskin, along with two other Blackfoot tribe elders, found Azu.

"Li, I want to discuss something with you!"

"Of course, respected elders, please come inside and we can talk slowly."

Azu invited the three elders into his cabin and offered each of them a glass of rum.

Elder Bearskin took the wine glass, took a sip to moisten his throat, and then said, "Li, do you give everyone this much money? Whether they are white people or brothers from the Far East like you?"

Ah Zu replied, “Of course, only by treating everyone equally can we work together! Gold panning is an extremely dangerous business. Without enough money, people’s hearts will change, they will become lazy and complacent, they will steal my gold, and they may even betray me… Such things are all too common!”

Elder Bearskin thought this made perfect sense: "So, you used money and gold to buy their loyalty?"

"Hehe, Elder Bearskin, you put it too harshly! I prefer to call this a binding of interests. I make the lion's share, they make the smaller share, and only by sharing the benefits can we achieve the same goal."

The explanation was too profound, and the three old men from the Blackfoot tribe clearly didn't understand it.

"Ahem!" Elder Bearskin said loudly, "I see that you have suffered many casualties, so you must be short-handed, right?"

"Of course! This is a headache for me too. Letting untrustworthy people participate in the gold rush will bring more trouble and danger."

"So, would you trust our Blackfoot Clan and Blood Eagle and his people?"

Upon hearing this, Azu's eyes lit up: "Respected Elder Bearskin, what you mean is...?"

“Li, if you trust our Blackfoot Clan and Blood Eagle and his men, I hope they can join your gold rush team.”

A surge of joy welled up in his heart, but Azu's face showed a hint of unease: "Of course I trust the Blackfoot Clan and the Blood Eagle, but...!"

Elder Bearskin continued, “We are not interested in gold and money. These things cannot feed my people, nor can they protect them. Instead, they attract greedy wolves.”

"Then, Elder Bearskin, what do you need?"

Elder Bearskin replied, "We need more grain, more wine, guns, and those exploding iron balls!"

"You mean, Blood Eagle and the others stayed with my team, and their due money and gold were exchanged for food, wine, guns, and grenades?"

"Those exploding metal balls, are they called hand grenades? Hmm, that's quite fitting, the sound they make when they explode really does sound like thunder!"

Elder Bearskin continued, “Only with enough food and wine can my people be fed. Only with guns and grenades can we kill those white men who have taken our homes and land!”

“My tribe is very large, with more than two thousand people. If you need more people to pan for gold, we can provide them for you.”

Azu looked thoughtful and did not rush to agree.

Seeing this, Elder Bearskin assumed that Azu still had some concerns, so he said, "Li, the people our Blackfoot tribe gives you will all be healthy, honest, hardworking, and brave. They will absolutely not cause you any trouble, let alone steal gold or betray you!"

"As long as you treat us Blackfoot people the same as everyone else, they will be your most loyal subordinates. If something like last night happens again, they will be the bravest and most fearless warriors!"

Azu asked curiously, "Elder Bearskin, your Blackfoot tribe is the true master of this land and has enough manpower, so why don't you mine for gold yourselves?"

Elder Bearskin replied, “I have said that gold cannot buy food and clothing or security; it will only attract greedy jackals! Even if we find gold, no one will trade with us fairly; instead, it will bring even greater disaster.”

Azu couldn't help but retort, "Elder Bearskin, if you don't trust others, why do you trust me?"

(End of this chapter)