The Empire will continue to win

Lin Zengtai suddenly lowered his voice: "Mo Qing, cough cough, how's it going in Korea?"

"What do you mean?" Shen Moqing immediately became alert.

"Recently, there have been some rumors circulating in our school that the situation on the front lines in Korea is not good, and the army may have suffered a defeat."

"This is pure fabrication; refer to newspaper reports for accurate information."

The two remained silent, but Shen Moqing sensed the approaching storm. Secrets can't be kept forever; Empress Dowager, you'll be exposed sooner or later.

But there's no rush; it's not up to you to decide.

"Mo Qing, we have to go back to school. We can't delay any longer; it will take another half an hour to get there."

"Okay, thanks for today. I'll treat you all when you're on your day off."

"Then be careful."

.........

The intense gunfire from the factory office alarmed the entire factory. Upon hearing the news, everyone was shocked; some were skeptical, while others didn't believe it at all.

Shen Moqing did not give his subordinates any more time to react.

Meeting!

All managers at the workshop supervisor level and above must immediately attend the meeting at the factory office; those who are absent will be dismissed and investigated.

meeting room.

A gathering of wise men and righteous men filled the court.

"Why hasn't Supervisor Shen arrived yet?" someone complained.

"He's trying to intimidate us. When it comes to meetings, superiors like to arrive late; it's a sign of authority."

"Gentlemen, I heard they arrested a bunch of spies sent by the Eastern Kingdom, is that true?"

"There are no spies here. It's just the new official making his first move. It's an old trick in officialdom, nothing new."

"It has to be that guy again!"

"That gentleman is very knowledgeable."

"That man's ancestor was a deputy commander-in-chief; his family has a profound scholarly tradition."

Na Laishun, a descendant of the previous dynasty, wore a white silk jacket with a front opening, a black satin riding jacket, a jade thumb ring, a long horse face, and narrow eyes. He held a purple clay teapot in his left hand and loved to show off.

The Qing Dynasty has fallen, the Eight Banners have become history, and the queues are gone, but they are unwilling to forget their former illustrious status and often mention that they have one-quarter of the blood of the Longwu Emperor.

.........

"The supervisor has arrived!"

The group restrained themselves slightly, but still sat slouching and looking completely unconcerned.

Why aren't you panicking?

Because everyone here has a powerful background; they are either distant relatives of the imperial family or nephews or nieces of high-ranking officials.

So here's the question.

Why did this group of young dragons gather at Yanshan Heavy Industry instead of becoming officials?

This is because although the United Empire inherited the political legacy of the Ming and Qing dynasties, it innovated upon it and implemented a new official system.

The imperial court stipulated:

Civil officials of the seventh rank or above must have a degree of no less than that of a Juren (which blocked the path for wealthy people to obtain official positions through donations).

Military officers (army officers and above, navy warrant officers and above) must have a military academy graduation certificate (which blocked Xun Gui's path).

However, military academy graduation certificates are very difficult to obtain.

Naval Petty Officer School – easy entry, strict exit; Army Petty Officer School – strict entry, easy exit.

.........

The new official system is a one-size-fits-all approach with no room for flexibility.

Even under the particularly tyrannical rule of Ma Ying-jeou and the exceptionally united Longwu Emperor, the new official system was not changed after they came to power. As time passed, the new official system became the established system.

Ancestral rules must not be broken!

The longer the time, the stronger the binding force!

There are only two ways to become an official in the United Empire: one, take the imperial examination; two, fight in war.

In this way~

Those sons of noble families in the capital who were neither good at studying nor willing to shed blood either went to work in low-paying government offices like the Court of Imperial Sacrifices or the Court of State Ceremonies, or went to work for royal enterprises.

Of course, some people might ask – why didn't they become yamen runners, clerks, or soldiers?

The answer is quite simple.

Being a yamen runner is not a respectable job. Being a soldier is extremely dangerous. Being a minor official means a modest income.

I don't even consider it a good fit.

Some people may ask – why don't they go to the naval officer school like Shen Moqing and become officers after graduation?

The answer is that graduating is difficult.

To graduate, you have to participate in naval battles. Naval battles are very fair; the captain's chance of being killed is not much lower than that of an ordinary sailor.

.........

Among the many royal enterprises:

Railway companies need specialized knowledge.

The telegraph office needs even more specialized knowledge.

Ocean-going vessels carry significant risks.

Saltworks in Qinghai is too remote.

Overseas mining, a wild and untamed land.

In the end, only Yangtze River Shipping and Yanshan Heavy Industry remained.

Taking everything into consideration, Yanshan Heavy Industry offers a simple job, good pay, excellent benefits, and best of all, it's just a stone's throw from Beijing – the best of all!

This is how the situation came about.

.........

Near the gun factory assembly workshop.

Four short, honest-looking men secretly met up. They were all fugitives, Dong Sang spies lurking in the factory.

"What should we do?"

"Let's split up and escape before we're exposed."

"I suggest you die a violent death!"

"Shattered jade?"

"Yes." The one who proposed suicide was a short, stocky fitter, his voice calm yet maniacal. "You must understand, the reason we've been lying low all these years isn't because we've been so good at hiding, but because the management of Yanshan Heavy Industry has been so chaotic. Gentlemen, for the sake of the Empire, let's all commit suicide! The Ministry of War will not forget our families."

"Black Card Disaster!"

"Onboard!"

The crowd responded enthusiastically, as if facing death was an easy thing to do. This is not surprising, as overseas spies are among the most principled people.

For assassinations, weapons are everywhere.

.........

Inside the meeting room.

Shen Moqing thought to himself, now that he had caught the spy, the rest of the spies should have been scared away.

This is called "beating the grass to scare the snake".

The bushes are too big, and the best way to cross them is to throw a firecracker. Boom! It will scare away all the poisonous snakes and rats in the bushes.

He coughed lightly twice:

"By order of the two Empress Dowagers and the Emperor, I have been appointed as the supervisor of the gun factory. I have arrested 11 spies as soon as I took office. What does this signify?"

puff~

Someone actually burst out laughing.

"You son of a bitch, what are you laughing at?"

"Lord Shen, my mother is the wet nurse who serves the eldest princess in Prince Gong's mansion, not some bastard." Na Laishun stood up, clutching a purple clay teapot in his hand.

"What's your name?"

"Na Laishun, also known as Master Na, lived in Rongxian Hutong, west of the Forbidden City."

Na Lai Shun?

It sounds like a lowly name.

"Good, the traitors have already jumped out!" Shen Moqing shouted sternly. Before taking office, he had carefully prepared 999 hats, but now only 998 remain.

The old man immediately panicked.

Someone nearby chimed in, "Lord Shen, that man isn't a traitor. He's just an honest, law-abiding man who loves life."

"Yes, yes, we can all testify that he's an honest man."

Before the words were even finished...

Gunshots suddenly rang out downstairs.

Bang bang~ Bang bang bang~

Gunshots were mixed with screams.

Oh no! Shen Moqing decisively drew his gun, took a few steps back, leaned against the corner of the wall, and cursed inwardly, "Damn it, has the Dong Sang spy gone mad?"

Boom~

The conference room door was kicked open.

"Black Card Incident, Banzai!!!"

Authentic Japanese~

A short, stocky, honest-looking man rushed into the conference room carrying a bomb, like the third prince of the East Sea Dragon King wielding a water-repelling pearl, cutting through the waves.

The crowd screamed and retreated.

bang bang~

Shen Moqing fired calmly, knowing that firing first could harass the enemy even if it missed – a battlefield experience he had learned in Busan.

The first shot was missed.

The second shot hit the honest man in the waist.

swoosh~

The explosive charge, hissing and sparking, flew in an arc towards him.