Chapter 151: Securing the Colossal Cannon

"Are my questions that difficult? I just want to know where you come from and why you are opposing me."

Gao Ning blew on his hot tea and took a light sip.

Whether it was a problem with the tea-roasting technique or the tea leaves themselves, despite trying many varieties, Gao Ning always felt that the tea he drank during missions fell short of the tea materialized inside the mystery train.

It always felt like something was missing.

The fat man remained utterly silent.

"I can't read your expression. Are you facing death unflinchingly, or are you just so emotionally detached that you have no idea how terrifying death is?

Or perhaps you're hoping I'll kill you?

What on earth is your ability? A puppet? Mind control, or something else entirely?"

The fat man's reaction was very strange, which led Gao Ning to suspect all along that this might not be the enemy's true body. Thus, he had been hoping to extract some useful information from the interrogation.

Judging by the current situation, however, it seemed to be a failure.

Gao Ning shook his head in slight disappointment, placed his teacup on the nearby table, and turned to leave.

Directly beneath the fat man was the access point to the ore refinery; once the trapdoor below was opened, a person would fall straight into it.

"Wait!"

Just as Gao Ning stepped out of the interrogation room, the fat man suddenly spoke up.

"So you aren't mute! Decided to talk now?"

Gao Ning turned his head, only to see the fat man's eyes suddenly turn somewhat vacant. He muttered to himself, "There really is a response? Could it be that I'm not dreaming after all? I time-traveled? But why did I get captured the moment I crossed over? What kind of place is this..."

Gao Ning's face darkened, and he turned and walked away.

The trapdoor opened, and the fat man let out a miserable scream as he fell from above directly into the ore refinery. Amidst the clattering of the tipping buckets, the figure vanished entirely.

Gao Ning's fund count surged once again by over a thousand.

Gao Ning curled his lips in disdain; he was truly a rookie with no real value.

At Fangniugou, Zhang Shaolong, who was deeply immersed in the honeymoon bliss of a newlywed life with Han Xiuer, suddenly heard a cold mechanical chime ring in his ears.

He froze abruptly, muttering to himself, "I didn't even do anything yet. It's already completed?"

Han Xiuer patted him with concern. "Dear, what's wrong with you?"

"Nothing, nothing, just zoned out for a second!"

Meanwhile, on Gao Ning's end, the Red Alert interface lived up to expectations, once again granting a reward after the sacrifice.

[Mission Two Completed]
[Reward: General Building Blueprint: Grand Cannon!]

Gao Ning's eyes lit up. This was rather interesting.

The firepower of the French Grand Cannon was extremely formidable, capable of launching a single shell over a hundred kilometers away.

Produced by the system, production costs were not an issue at all. As long as there was sufficient electrical energy, the shells could be manufactured on-site by nanobots, which would decompose raw materials themselves. There was no need for specialized production or transportation.

This greatly alleviated logistical pressure.

Most importantly, with the French Grand Cannon, Gao Ning finally possessed a heavy-duty weapon he could proudly showcase.

Over the recent period, the reputation of the Black Mountain Bandits had spread far and wide, and their numbers were steadily increasing.

Aside from actively suppressing and absorbing other bandit groups, Second Master Gao would also lead expeditions out from time to time, specifically raiding government military camps to charge through and plunder large numbers of able-bodied men.

These men were then thrown into the core troops, where specialized system units trained them, resulting in a remarkably high conversion rate.

Because of the Black Mountain Bandits' reputation for righteousness, commoners even took the initiative to defect and join the mountain stronghold as bandits. As a result, their numbers had expanded recently like a blowing balloon. Originally numbering just over 5,000, the force had ballooned rapidly.

Had it not been for ongoing training and attrition, the headcount would likely have already surpassed 20,000.

The growing commotion eventually caught the attention of government authorities.

Laojingou was a bit too remote, and even Yuanbao Town was somewhat out of the way. Few high-ranking officials ever passed through there, so it had been overlooked for a long time.

As their scale gradually grew recently, Gao Ning began pondering a way out.

He had already dispatched several spies to Fengtian carrying plenty of gold and silver, preparing to pull strings and purchase an official post.

Indeed, the spies' methods were quite effective. Barely half a month later, they managed to pull various connections and establish contact with Guo Songling.

For the price of 10,000 silver dollars, the official appointment document for a patrol garrison cavalry and infantry guerrilla commander was approved.

Don't underestimate this seemingly small official post; the document did not restrict the number of soldiers under his command, but instead explicitly stated the words "recruit at will."

This was the most valuable part.

With the document in hand, Gao Ning transformed overnight into an official government figure.

Consequently, he began flagrantly expanding their equipment on a large scale, ordering the bandit forces to move near Yuanbao Town and set up several checkpoints around the perimeter.

This illegitimate business was finally brought out from the shadows and into the open.

One day, the three time-travelers gathered together once again.

Sitting in a private second-floor room of a restaurant, with a table full of fine food and wine, Gao Ning and Zhang Shaolong ate happily, while Ye Zimei looked somewhat sullen.

"Ever since we arrived in this plane, nearly a year has passed. I still haven't found my mission target, yet the two of you have already eliminated your mission rivals. It's so unfair!"

Zhang Shaolong was riding high on success lately. Following the traditional adage of following her husband, Han Xiuer was gentle, obedient, and well-behaved—far better than modern women. With no worries about food, clothing, or money, and a father-in-law who was a wealthy local squire, this was simply the life of his dreams. Therefore, he was not in the least bit anxious.

Hearing this, Zhang Shaolong smiled. "Third Sister, your mission target is too young. At this time period, they might not even be ten years old yet, and it's unclear if they'll even appear in Yuanbao Town. I think you'd better not be too anxious; just wait slowly. Any plot changes so far belong entirely to the Zhu family's side. Even if a butterfly effect occurs, it's impossible for it to ripple into another branching storyline. So you should put your mind at ease and just focus on managing your current escort agency business."

Ye Zimei scratched her head in frustration. "Mother Zhu talked to me the past couple of days, wanting to find me a husband and marry me off! What on earth is happening to my life? I've run all the way back a hundred years ago, yet I still can't escape the fate of going on blind dates?

Do you two have any idea? When Mother Zhu talked to me about this, my eyeballs almost popped out of my head!"

Gao Ning chuckled and said, "Shaolong snatched Han Xiuer away, leaving Chuanwu without a bride. Of course Mother Zhu is setting her sights on you."

"I reckon she doesn't want you to go on a blind date; she wants you to marry Chuanwu."

The other two widened their eyes in surprise. "No way?"

"I think it's very likely. What, our Third Sister isn't willing? Chuanwu is quite a handsome guy..."

"Well, about that..."

This time it was Gao Ning's turn to be astonished, noting from Ye Zimei's tone that she actually seemed somewhat moved.

Realizing the strange looks in their eyes, Ye Zimei cast a reproachful glance at them. "What? Haven't you ever seen a woman fangirling? Making such a big fuss over nothing!"

Zhang Shaolong shook his head. "Forget it, anyway, you can make your own decisions about such matters. I only run a restaurant and can at most help you gather some information; for everything else, you'll have to rely on Gao Ning."

Gao Ning made a hand gesture. "Rest assured, I haven't forgotten!"