The mage in the late Qing Dynasty

In the middle of Sakhalin Island, just as Matsudaira Kunyang was worried about, there were originally guard posts and roadblocks in Smyrnekhtun and the village of Sanjiang in southern Japan.

But once the Japanese and Russian sides withdrew from the Polonais Valley, Zhao Chuanxin asked Levitan to lead people to inform both sides: "Move the roadblocks and let pedestrians pass."

The Russian soldier at Smirnykh's security sentry said fiercely: "You'd better not interfere in our affairs."

Levitan glanced at his bandaged thigh with disdain: "Why, do you want to hurt your left leg too?"

The Russian soldier's expression changed, and the fear of having his thighs dominated hit his heart: "You, don't mess around."

Levitan warned him: "You are just a guard post. Unless the commander comes, you will let passers-by pass. Otherwise, you'd better turn a blind eye when sleeping at night."

Mao Zi could only submit and opened the roadblock in a low voice.

In the south, the little devils even endured their anger.

Levitan allowed the north and south to pass without any difficulty.

For the fugitive exiles from the North Island, the last stop before arriving at the Peacekeeping Bureau turned out to be the easiest part.

But the Peacekeeping Service had little appeal to Japan to the south.

The Peacekeeping Bureau is never enough to absorb the population, mainly because it needs to invest in too many projects.

This attracted a large number of people from the north, and even Kiryak people came with their young and old.

These Kiryak people originally submitted to the Qing court. When the Tsarist Russia came, some of them were exterminated due to various viruses, including smallpox, carried by the Tsarist Russians. The rest survived because they had stronger antibodies.

These people are strong and stocky, with medium to short stature. Because they have difficulty moving in the dense forest, only the short ones survive due to natural selection.

They have strong bones and strong tendons, and all coronoid processes, vertebrae and tubercles are particularly developed.

Their bodies are lean and muscular, as if there is no subcutaneous fat. It seems that all the fat is used to compensate for low temperatures and resist the severe cold.

They eat the fattest meat of seals, salmon and sturgeon, and they also eat whale blubber, usually with blood, eaten raw.

Because they eat raw meat, dried fish and frozen meat, their teeth are severely worn.

But they like bread. When they come to the Peacekeeping Bureau, they often see Kiryak people walking with bread under their arms.

They would also follow the fashion and buy prison uniforms worn by Maozi exiles, which was a spectacle.

Speaking of the Kiryaks, no matter the Russians, Japanese or Chinese like Neng Chengwen, there are at least two things that they cannot stand.

First, their body odor was too strong, and the smell of salty fish floated three miles in the wind.

Second, their attitude towards women is not even as good as towards their own hounds, they can kill them at will, which is similar to the love slaves.

After Zhao Chuanxin heard the news, he told Neng Chengwen: "Give them two ways. They can either go back the way they came. If they want to stay, first, they must take a bath and wash clothes. Second, they must not kill the women of their tribe. Women only need to go to work." We have too few people to enjoy equal rights in the Peacekeeping Bureau. As long as we are human beings, we must be respected.”

Kuroda Toshiro has been running near the Peacekeeping Bureau recently to observe Zhao Chuanxin's policy.

After he saw how to treat the Kiryak and Ainu people, he curled his lips and said to his entourage: "Zhao Chuanxin is insidious, cunning and hypocritical. He doesn't really value equality between men and women, he just wants to suck the whole island." He used the labor force. Look, what was built first? It was a tavern, a dirty tavern with prostitutes and gambling tables. The craftsmen spent their money on these sales after a long day of work. In the cave..."

Zhao Chuanxin's various "unhumane" demands persuaded some Kiryaks to retreat.

First, he asked everyone to go to public toilets, which made many people uncomfortable.

Secondly, the public bathhouse he built before the weather got cold was full of steam and smoke all day long. The boiler workers burned coal in shifts day and night without any time off.

Garbage must be placed in trash cans and then sorted by people, metals are recycled, and bones, fish bones and mollusk shells are thrown into the sea.

Finally, Zhao Chuanxian requires everyone to dress neatly and cleanly, which is the most unbearable thing.

The Kiryak people never even wash their fur coats and coarse cloth gowns in their entire lives, but here they have to wash them every three days.

But the Koreans and Japanese from the South Island were surprised to find that running a laundry was a good business.

Originally, the efficiency of the Peacekeeping Bureau's series of construction projects should not be very high.

But what Kuroda Toshiro couldn't figure out was that there was always a continuous supply of various materials, and work would never be interrupted or delayed due to lack of materials.

The craftsman who was supposed to smoke a bag of Turkish tobacco after working for a while was now working hard and his body was exhausted. At night, he had to go to the tavern to eat, drink and gamble, and then continued to work the next day with dark circles under his eyes.

Even though they were about to collapse at any time, they worked desperately just to lose more rubles at night. It was really thought-provoking.

In this regard, someone explained Kuroda Toshiro's doubts: "It was Zhao Chuanxin who cast the spell on them..."

Kuroda Toshiro scoffed at this.

But he decided to take a closer look from the perspective of a Russian craftsman.

Sakhalin has 365 days a year, half of which is rainy and snowy, which is very bad.

The weather is gloomy today, with some small snowflakes floating in the sky. If you are working outside, your hands and feet will be numb from the cold unless the activity is open.

He saw a craftsman laying the barracks floor. There was a deep pit under the floor, and someone was burying pipes in it.

He asked the translator to ask: "What are these pipes for?"

The Russian craftsman raised his head and ignored him.

Kuroda Toshiro took out a Mitsui Tobacco Company Lady Pai Gyutu cigarette and handed it over.

Sure enough, this time the craftsman grinned and said: "Sir Sato said that part of the water pipe is to connect to the tap water tower next year, and part of it is to dig drainage pipes to connect to the sewage channel next year. Praise the Virgin Mary, praise Mr. Zhao Chuanxin , curse the damned F. O. Kononovich for never coming up with so many good ideas..."

"Where did you get the slaked lime?"

"There is no slaked lime. The fired mirage is used to mix the yellow clay from the valley. The bricks are given by you. The stone bricks and hollow pillars are brought by Mr. Zhao Chuanxin."

It is the ashes burned from sea oysters and various shells on the seashore to replace cement.

If the mirage ash is not enough, add yellow mud into it.

Sometimes yellow mud mixed with chopped hay is used to build walls.

The craftsman said: "This is what Master Zhao Chuanxin taught me. Praise him and curse the damned F. O. Kononovich."

Kuroda Liliang was speechless. Why do these people always curse F. O. Kononovich when they talk?

So, he began to inquire about the reason.

It turns out that various versions of conspiracy theories circulated among craftsmen and exiles.

For example, F. O. Kononovich was sanctimonious and did not want anyone to be rich, so he limited the income of all classes so that they just spent all their money and kept them working forever.

For example, he would let some patients with infectious diseases of unknown origin linger in the crowd, deliberately spread the disease, and then ask doctors to diagnose and treat them, in order to win people's hearts.

For example, in order to preserve the physical strength of the exiled prisoners and prevent them from lingering on women's bellies, syphilis was spread so that they would not dare to provoke those women who sold themselves, so that the prisoners would do their best to do manual labor.

These rumors are often just right. They are very common situations in the North Island. It can be said that they are true or not, and no one can explain them clearly.

But the exiles and craftsmen were more willing to blame their poverty on these "conspiracies".

Kuroda Toshiro was horrified when he heard this.

What a damn vicious method.

Speaking of F. O. Kononovich and the Russian authorities in the North Island, the craftsmen and the exiles cursed.

Speaking of Zhao Chuanxin and the Peacekeeping Bureau, their voices were gentle and affectionate, with sacred expectations on their faces: "Well done, Mr. Zhao Chuanxin. The glory belongs to the Holy Lord who dominates everything and Mr. Zhao Chuanxin. Mr. Zhao Chuanxin We will build barracks and some residential buildings this year, and we will build more next year. He promised that the money we make will be enough to buy these beautiful, strong, dry, and warm brick houses, so that the whole family will no longer suffer from the rain and snow. Such a house, think about it, a house, women, children, livestock, courtyard gardens and vegetable fields, this is comparable to life on land..."

After hearing this, Kuroda Liliang remained calm on his face, but just sneered in his heart.

Sure enough, he watched these craftsmen working until night.

He found that whenever these craftsmen were tired and wanted to take a rest, they would take a look at the stone tavern with hollow columns not far away, as well as the department stores, restaurants and clothing stores next to it, and their bodies would be infused with a sense of energy. Feeling inexplicable energy, he got up and continued working.

In the evening the overseer came.

The overseers are people from Levitan, the executive officer of the Peacekeeping Bureau. They check whether today's progress is up to standard, writing and drawing in notebooks, while the craftsmen nod and bow.

After the supervisor completed the inspection and settled the accounts, the craftsmen and the exiles left happily.

Some people went to clothing stores to buy new clothes, some went to restaurants to have a big meal, and more people went to pubs.

Kuroda Toshiro followed the craftsman during the day, and the craftsman's destination was clear - the tavern.

The craftsman said to Kuroda Toriya: "This is Sakhalin's Paris. There are many ways to make a living, and it is also a place to make friends. It is noisy and lively. You can have a drink to relieve your fatigue, or you can try your luck at the gambling table. If you have more money, , hugging your Japanese geishas, ​​their bodies are softer and more beautiful than our Russian women..."

Kuroda Liliang remained calm and followed him into the tavern.

He wanted to order a glass of vodka for the craftsman, but the craftsman said: "During this period, I am used to drinking a kind of shochu called tequila. You should order that for me."

Kuroda Toshiro also tried it, but felt he couldn’t get used to it.

When these exiles and craftsmen left work, the tavern suddenly became lively and overcrowded.

The gambling tables were occupied, the wine tables were crowded, and even the open spaces were crowded with people.

God knows how the "unruly" wood like ash was made into the bar table top, with its unique texture.

There is also a karaoke machine on the bar. A song costs 10 kopecks, which is not cheap.

But there are a lot of records stuck in a wooden groove. If you ask for any song, the Japanese bartender will skillfully find it.

The Dutch stove in the corner was unlit, for the heat of one's breath alone would make it impossible to wear a peacoat.

The geishas here are different from those in Japan. They don't paint their faces as white as ghosts, and their teeth are not blackened. Instead, they paint their faces with a little bit of red to make them look healthy.

Their lips are painted with a kind of lipstick, which is bright but not bright, giving people the urge to have a kiss.

It is said that this kind of lipstick is sold in the nearby department store and is worth a lot of money.

They wore bright kimonos, stepped on high heels, took small steps, exuded various fragrances, and always shuttled among the crowd with sincere smiles. To Maozi, they were full of exotic style.

But no one dared to touch them without permission, because there were guards in the tavern watching them, and they might be whipped.

There was a gambling table full of people. Kuroda Toshiro looked at it and couldn't help but frown.

It turned out that he was familiar with several people at the table.

Peacekeeping force training sergeant Masayoshi Sato, peacekeeping force company commander Neng Chengwen, peacekeeping force executive officer Levitan, North Island's betrayer Boyarkov, and... Kuroda Toriya's old acquaintance, lawyer Jiang Taoroku...

These people gathered around a table and played a kind of low-level card game called Shtos.

In front of each of them, there were piles of silver rubles, Japanese silver dollars, Lugang Town female general money and a kind of beautiful banknotes.

The number is staggering.

Kuroda Toshiro saw that Jiang Taoroku had won, so he rang the bell next to him.

When the bartender saw it, he went to get the money from Jiang Taoliu and shouted: "Mr. Jiang Tao won 38 rubles, Mr. Jiang Tao will treat you this round!"

The tavern suddenly cheered, but no one was surprised except Kuroda Toriya.

His frown deepened.

In his impression, Jiang Taoliu was a serious and meticulous lawyer. How could he do such a frivolous and ruinous act?

When the bartender finished shouting, the tavern became frantic, and the gamblers at other gambling tables squandered their money as if it was not their own - it was all their hard-earned money during the day.

The craftsman told him: "This tavern is still too small. Another larger tavern is being built next to it. It is said to have a ventilation structure with a return air structure. The furniture is all Vienna-style furniture. The floor needs to be painted, and the outer walls will be painted Red, people can party day and night, it’s really a paradise on earth.”

Toshiyoshi Kuroda thought: It looks like hell on earth to me.

Soon, Boyarkov over there lost all the money in front of him. He pushed the playing cards and said in a disinterested voice: "I won't play anymore. It's boring. God is not on my side today. Let's continue tomorrow."

So the game broke up.

Kuroda Toshiro hurriedly said goodbye to the craftsmen and followed Jiang Taoroku.

"Jiang Taojun, wait."

Jiang Tao turned around six times and saw Kuroda Toshiro, so he stopped and waited.

"Mr. Kuroda, what's the matter?"

"Why do you want to gamble?"

Jiang Taoliu said with a serious face: "Mr. Kuroda, I am working for Mr. Zhao now, so it is not convenient to reveal more."

In fact, this sentence is tantamount to revealing some content.

But Kuroda Toshiro was not satisfied and asked in detail: "What on earth are you doing?"

Jiang Taoliu looked around, pulled him to a quiet place, and whispered: "It's okay to tell you, but don't spread it. In fact, we are acting. The money is fixed. Every day, the four of us have to pay at least two Rounds of tequila. When one person loses all his money, the game is over."

"To make people in the tavern go crazy?"

"Exactly."

"But why did Zhao Chuanxian do this? Is he crazy about money?"

"No, this is for the efficiency of the project and to divert conflicts. I can only say this much. Kuroda-kun, again, I work for Mr. Zhao now."

Kuroda Toshiro wanted to ask again, but Jiang Taoliu left without giving him any face.

It can be seen that Jiang Taoliu is no longer happy to think about Shu, and is completely in the Zhao Chuanxin camp.

Kuroda Toriyama almost stayed up all night.

The next day, he went to the construction site in an attempt to tell the craftsmen the truth.

"Zhao Chuanxin is fooling you..."

"Your mother, I think you are looking for a fight. Compared with living in the north, this is already a paradise life..."

Kuroda Toshiro: "..."

He observed for three consecutive days and discovered more phenomena.

For example, some Russian businessmen "smuggled" to the Peacekeeping Bureau to resell the prisoners' prison uniforms, and then sold them to Kiryak people who wanted to follow the fashion, or sold them to the hard laborers in the Doue coal mine at a higher price.

There are also some Russians who want to make loan sharks here and charge 10% daily interest.

Gamblers flocked to it, but soon the Russians who made the money lost all their money, because the Peacekeeping Bureau not only did not protect them, but instead protected the people who made the loans.

Because the laws formulated by Jiang Taoliu for the Peacekeeping Bureau clearly stated that usury was not protected by law, but the free citizens of the Peacekeeping Bureau were protected by local laws and could not be harmed by those people.

Zhao Chuanxin used these radical methods to prevent the spread of loan sharking.

If you want a loan, you can only go through the formal process and go to the Lubinfu Bank newly built by the Peacekeeping Bureau.

There are already gamblers who think there is an opportunity to take advantage of and fail to repay the loan. They are punished by dredging after the deadline. They soak in the cold river water every day. They will soon get sick and die in serious cases, which is equivalent to a direct death sentence.

No one can tell whether Sakhalin's peacekeeping bureau in Paris is a paradise or a hell.

Kuroda Toshiro also had to admire: "Zhao Chuanxin is indeed the most shining hero of this era."

…

Zhao Chuanxin basically said goodbye to his original "idleness" style.

Reality forced him to keep moving forward.

Zhao Chuanxin had dogtail grass in his mouth, hoping to use it to reduce his smoking: "Jiang Tao, remember, the Ainu people are protected by law, and no one is allowed to bully or enslave them. The Ainu people are free citizens of the Peacekeeping Bureau. , with the establishment of a 'rice law', any grain store or department store under the jurisdiction of the Peacekeeping Bureau must sell the rice that the Ainu people love, and it must be sold at a fair price. This kind of waste that is protected by the Peacekeeping Bureau will probably disappear if it is not protected."

The Ainu are a strange race.

They are different from other indigenous neighbors in Sakhalin. Their body hair is sparse, but the cute slaves are particularly prosperous.

Even Maozi calls them Maoren.

The Ainu people are also short and strong, but they are not aggressive and extremely hate violence. They are a nation that is very easy to be conquered, enslaved and excluded.

The Japanese are best at bullying them, but the Tsarist Russians will protect them to a certain extent.

As a result, after a lot of protection, the number of Ainu people has decreased over the years, and Zhao Chuanxin deserves the title of "the first-level protected waste of the Peacekeeping Bureau".

Jiang Taoliu was stunned when he heard this: "Are you going to add the first-level protected waste of the Peacekeeping Bureau to the law?"

"Have you been acting stupid these days?" Zhao Chuanxin spit out the dogtail grass, took out a cigarette and lit it irritably and cursed.

Jiang Taoliu bowed: "I was wrong."

"You are good at correcting mistakes, and you are also great. Remember, figuring out the essence of the problem is like a ten-month pregnancy, and solving the problem is like giving birth in one day. Einstein said - if I am given 1 hour to answer a question that determines my life or death, I will spend 55 minutes to figure out what the question is asking. Once I know what it is asking, the remaining 5 minutes are enough to answer the question."

"Uh... OK."

Jiang Taoliu thought: Who is Einstein?

In any case, with rice, the Ainu people can be retained.

The Ainu people are the most obedient labor force.

In a blink of an eye, autumn has gone and winter has come.

Representatives from Lubin Prefecture, Yanbian, Sakhalin Peacekeeping Bureau, Hong Kong Island, Macao Island, and Hankou went to Lugang Town for a meeting.

Usually, there were only Hong Kong Island and Macao Island, but this year four more places were added. After all, they have already formed a scale.

Neng Chengwen heard that he had the opportunity to return to the inland as a representative of the Sakhalin Peacekeeping Bureau. He was so excited that he couldn't sleep for several days in a row.

On the day of boarding, those who saw him off included Sato Masayoshi, Jiang Taoliu, Levitan, a group of junior officers and a Japanese female clerk.

The Russians in the Peacekeeping Bureau were very excited, because before coming to the Peacekeeping Bureau, Neng Chengwen was still an exile.

But now he has the identity card of a free man in the Peacekeeping Bureau, and his past crimes are forgiven, and he can travel freely between the inland and Sakhalin, which is very exciting.

Poyarkov was also excited, because he was Neng Chengwen's follower this time, which was a complete surprise.

However, when he was about to board the Baikal, the crew and the Russian soldiers stopped Neng Chengwen: "You can't board the ship with this identity certificate, I want to see your previous identity certificate."

Everyone was so excited that they felt as uncomfortable as if they were slapped hard in the face.

Neng Chengwen said angrily: "I am a freeman of the Peacekeeping Bureau. Listen carefully, it is the Peacekeeping Bureau."

The other party said firmly: "I said, it depends on your previous identity!"

Levitan said coldly: "Do you know who you are dealing with?"

The other party also sneered: "I only know that the Baikal is a Russian merchant ship, owned by Russian merchants, and we have the right to choose who to board the ship."

The Peacekeeping Bureau was so angry that they trembled.

If Neng Chengwen could not board the ship, it would be equivalent to them never being able to set foot on land again.

At this time, a voice came: "Whether you can leave or not, the Peacekeeping Bureau will speak first. Whether Sakhalin is in chaos or not, the Peacekeeping Bureau has the final say..."