The top was only looking for the elder brother Zheng Shaoting. The younger brother Zheng Abao was punished to kneel in front of the dormitory building with a bowl on his back. His elder brother was taken by Foreman Zhang all the way to the factory. Zheng Shaoting was stunned. It was noon now. The workers did not produce rifle ammunition on various lathe equipment under the guidance of foreign technicians as usual. On the contrary, no foreigner saw them today. There were Chinese workers everywhere, everyone was busy cleaning. Some were brooms in the corners under the cleaning machine, and some wiped the machine with rags. The passage inside the factory was even more amazing. One person pushed the cart and sprinkled the water from the large wooden barrels on it with a scoop. Five people behind knelt on the ground in a row and wiped the floor with mop.

"Foreman Zhang, what's wrong today?" Zheng Shaoting asked in a low voice: "Don't you give me the same production when the clock started in the morning?"

Foreman Zhang turned around and gave Zheng Shaoting a blank look, snorted coldly: "You little bastard, you are usually hardworking, and your mother is lazy and unlucky. At 8 o'clock in the morning, his Majesty's special envoy came over, indicating that His Majesty will come to inspect the day. The entire factory immediately stopped production, cleaned, and welcomed His Majesty in person. As a result, you were named by the Production General Manager and you couldn't find you everywhere. You deserved no luck!"

Zheng Shaoting screamed in his heart that he was in trouble. After he entered the main management room in the factory, he immediately bowed his hands at the door, not knowing whether he was whipped or deducted money.

Unlike the production factory with machines roaring and dusty outside, the main management room is decorated very luxuriously. As foreigners, wooden boards are wrapped around the walls, floors at the feet, and expensive imported wooden furniture inside. Behind the foreign-style desk that Mr. Wang claimed to be the same as Zhao Kuo in the imperial palace, the word "Qin" hanging on it was said that it was written by the imperial prime minister Huan Zhuguo. In addition to the glass lamp above his head, there is also a huge artificial ceiling fan. In the hot summer in Guangdong, four temporary workers took turns to pull the rope outside the main management room. As soon as the ceiling fan turned, the people below immediately breeze.

Of course, the workers would not feel comfortable coming in this place, and there were whips hanging on the wall next to the manager!

Pay raise? The temporary workers have never heard of it. There is nothing good about coming in here. They all come in standing and crawl out.

A temporary worker like Zheng Shaoting, who did not make any mistakes, had never been to the general manager's office several times. Now he is not in the mood to check the legendary general manager's office. He is full of anxiety and does not know what kind of punishment he will be punished. "I won't be fired, right?" Zheng Shaoting was sweating on his forehead, but he didn't dare to wipe it. He bent his waist and his forehead forward, waiting for General Manager Wang who was sitting upright in front of him to instruct him.

"Zheng Shaoting, yesterday I said my stomach hurts. The factory doctor couldn't see any problems, so you asked for leave to accompany me to see a foreign doctor. But when I came back, both of them were jumping around. It turned out that they were going to check in." Manager Wang said slowly after sitting behind the desk, and he couldn't hear what he was feeling in his voice.

Zheng Shaoting immediately bent his body lower: "Master, I was wrong. I was wrong. I was willing to accept punishment. I am young and ignorant. You must forgive us brothers, and we will never dare to do so again."

He couldn't help but be afraid that Wang Dali, the general manager of the production company, was actually a thug about fitters, carpenters, and assembly. Two years ago, he was just the thug leader in a casino in Foshan, but he had a background. The emperor attached great importance to the general manager of the Manufacturing Bureau. This young man was famous in the world and Haijing. Because his father was Chen Kai, he was one of the leaders of the reign of the Red Turban Uprising. In order to commend his merits, the emperor gave him a noble status. Because his son was favored by the emperor, he became the general manager of the large factory that even a nail was bought from the French. The first foreign-style factory in the Far East was not built by iron and cement at all. It was made by Zhao Kuo with silver. The emperor handed over the management of such a factory to Chen Kai's son, and it is conceivable how trusted Chen Kai's family was.

The Chen family was the emperor's favorite minister, and Wang Dali was the favorite minister of the Chen family. Not only that, he was good at being a man in the world and had a good relationship with several Guangxi Changmao officials in this manufacturing bureau, so although he might not even know how to do it, he sat firmly in this high-paying position.

Not to mention a production chief, he is an art officer - a formal worker in the manufacturing bureau. Those workers who learned manufacturing skills from foreign technicians also made these farmers jealous of high salaries. According to rumors among the workers, the names of these art officers were registered and might one day be sent by Zhao Kuo to a shipyard or other factory to serve as high-ranking officials. They are no longer civilians, but are completely official.

But Zheng Shaoting is not an art official at all.

As the son of a blacksmith, Zheng Shaoting was familiar with manufacturing. Since the start of recruiting people in this manufacturing bureau, he has become a temporary apprentice and is still an apprentice. With his unofficial identity, Mr. Wang can let him get out of bed with just one word.

However, beyond Zheng Shaoting's surprise, General Manager Wang's tone was still calm.

Mr. Wang said, "Your brother is a child, forget it. You are also an old employee of our manufacturing bureau. You used to be fully attending and worked very well. If you don't do this, you will take care of your brother more."

"Yes, yes, thank you, the general manager!" Zheng Shaoting's heart that jumped into his throat fell into his stomach again. He really didn't expect that the general manager with a whip hanging on the wall would be so easy to talk to today.

"You have been here for a year. I heard from technician Stephen, you are one of the few in our manufacturing bureau who masters all the manufacturing techniques of the French Minnie gun?" Mr. Wang asked, looking at a list in his hand.

Stephen is an American technician and also takes Zheng Shaoting to teach him a few people. Zheng Shaoting quickly nodded and said yes.

"It means you are very smart. Look up your head." Manager Wang nodded with satisfaction and said, "Your Majesty is coming to inspect tomorrow, do you know?"

"Yes, yes, when I came, Foreman Zhang told me." Zheng Shaoting raised his head first, bowed and said, "I will go out soon and clean up immediately. I will work hard tomorrow and not embarrass you and the manufacturing bureau." "Okay, now there is something for you to do." General Manager Wang continued, he looked at Zheng Shaoting in fear and fear, and waved with a smile: "Xiao Zheng, come here."

Zheng Shaoting walked to General Manager Wang's desk in panic. General Manager Wang observed the young man for a while and laughed. He said earnestly: "Xiao Zheng. Do you know how important the Manufacturing Bureau is to the Song Dynasty and His Majesty?"

"I know, I know." Zheng Shaoting nodded quickly.

Mr. Wang smiled and explained: "Now, fighting with the Qing Dynasty. War is fighting weapons, and weapons is fighting silver. Arms will be the most important industry in the Song Dynasty in the next 10 years. Like salt and iron in the past, our manufacturing bureau is just a small test, but His Majesty has invested nearly 400,000 taels of silver. I heard that we will soon buy more guns, cannons and equipment, and the imperial court will invest more, and the manufacturing bureau will become bigger and richer. So it is a blessing for you to work in the manufacturing bureau. We must cherish it. The young man is so smart and has a bright future!"

"Why is he so polite to me?" Zheng Shaoting was confused and could only say timidly.

General Manager Wang continued: "Our General Manager Chen said that the arms manufacturing bureau is equivalent to the opium guild of Boss Zhong Jialiang. It is necessary to build a gold mountain and satisfy Your Majesty. Therefore, you must let Your Majesty return tomorrow!"

"What's the relationship between Your Majesty and I, an apprentice?" Zheng Shaoting forgot to nod. He looked at General Manager Wang blankly, not knowing what the other party was selling in the gourd.

"Tomorrow, the Manufacturing Bureau will present the best side to Your Majesty, so we have selected a few technical backbones to show His Majesty our learning and manufacturing results these days." General Manager Wang said very seriously: "You are the backbones, so tomorrow we will send you and several other people to show His Majesty."

"Oh, I understand. There is no problem with making guns. I will do a good job and will not disappoint Your Majesty." Zheng Shaoting shouted as if he suddenly realized and nodded quickly.

"It's not that simple, haha, young man." Seeing Zheng Shaoting's relief, he realized the worldly feelings and saw through what the young man was thinking. He pulled out a piece of paper from the drawer and handed it to Zheng Shaoting.

Zheng Shaoting took it and was stunned. The paper read a worker's resume: Bai Qiuguo, a native of Haijing, a first-class art official who earned half a tael a day. He joined the Manufacturing Bureau in January 1854. Teacher Charles.

"What is this?" Zheng Shaoting was confused.

"If Your Majesty asks you tomorrow, you must remember it. You can't say that you are Zheng Shaoting, you are this Bai Qiu Kingdom." Wang Dali looked at Zheng Shaoting and said slowly.

"I? This? This? What does this mean?" Zheng Shaoting was stunned. Why didn't he call Zheng Shaoting in front of His Majesty? He became Bai Qiuguo, who had never heard of among the workers? He also became a first-class art officer? General Manager Wang snorted coldly and said, "Actually, your temporary worker apprenticeship is generally just to do cleaning, do chores and other chores, and let you learn Western gun making technology. Mr. Chen is extra mercy. You have many crafts. But normal, those who master Western technology should be art officers. If Your Majesty knows that your temporary worker will demonstrate to him tomorrow, will we not lose all our situation? Right?"

"Okay, take this piece of paper and memorize it carefully. No mistakes are allowed tomorrow." As he said that, General Manager Wang took out a piece of Spanish silver dollar from the drawer, slapped it on the table with a snap, and said, "This is a raise for you. I will give you a good answer to Your Majesty tomorrow, and there is another one."

Then he sneered: "If you go out and talk nonsense or your mother messed up tomorrow, will you believe it if I peeled off your skin?!"

Holding the resume I had never heard of, he put a silver dollar in his pocket. Zheng Shaoting walked out of the supervisory office, but his mind was full of resentment: Where can I get half a tael of daily salary? Art officer? Damn! I just heard that, there are almost 300 workers in the factory now. Who has the fuck seen a few art officers? They are all temporary apprentices doing everything! Every day, from dawn to dark, the wages are only 1 qian of silver, and even if you eat a pig, you may not be able to swallow the chaff!

"Damn it, if I hadn't learned the craftsmanship, would I be angry with those bunnies? I have money, so I immediately left this ghost place and set up a musket workshop by myself." Zheng Shaoting was very angry, but a worker next to him greeted him. He stopped immediately and smiled and returned the gift.

The person who greeted him was a short young man with a braid with a few pocks on his face, which made him nickname Qin Mazi among the workers. Now he was sweeping the gray and spider webs on the high pillars of the factory with a broom tied to a bamboo pole, and asked Zheng Shaoting with a smile: "Shaoting, you are unlucky today! Are you arrested by Wang Dali?"

"Hi. I was scolded." Zheng Shaoting replied,

"You haven't been whipped either. Why, what do he want you to do?" Qin Mazi asked with a smile.

"Nothing." Zheng Shaoting smiled.

"Stop teasing, buddy." Qin Mazi smiled disapprovingly: "You are the backbone, you are skillful and skillful. You must have been asked by the fucking General Manager Wang to pretend to be an art officer tomorrow and wait for the emperor to inspect."

Zheng Shaoting was stunned and then smiled: "Damn, do you all know?"

"It's not you, 13 people." Qin Mazi smiled.

When it was time to start, Zheng Shaoting, his younger brother and Qin Mazi and a few friends were squatting in front of the dormitory and eating boiled vegetables with white water, General Manager Wang came. He took out the list and read the names of 20 people, asking them to follow him to the factory in front.

Zheng Shaoting was naturally among them. The two of them followed Mr. Wang into a yard next to the factory that they had never been to. Zheng Shaoting knew that this was the place for supervisors and officials to have dinner, and they didn't know what to bring them here.

There were more than 20 people wearing silk or robes sitting on the bench inside, and there were 7 or 8 guys wearing luxurious gold and silver sitting on the table. Zheng Shaoting looked at his tattered coarse cloth clothes and straw sandals, and stood at the door like dozens of ragged brothers and beggars around him. He didn't know how to move forward and retreat, nor did he know what medicine Mr. Wang bought in the gourd.

Manager Wang ran to a young man on the cafeteria table. From his nodding and bowing posture, Zheng Shaoting and the others recognized who the young man was - wasn't it just Chen Qirong, the general manager of the Song Dynasty Manufacturing Bureau who sometimes came to inspect!

"Young Master Zheng is here." Zheng Shaoting and the others muttered in a low voice, bent their waists, and looked at the young man wearing a yellow robe and a red scarf on his head.

After asking for instructions for a while, General Manager Wang turned around and shouted at the workers: "Sujing. Listen well. Your Majesty may inspect the art officer's canteen tomorrow. You 20 people will show up in front of the factory emperor tomorrow. If it is time for lunch, you must line up to come here to eat. The emperor likes to stroll around and has no airs. Maybe he will come here to eat with you. Your identities have been recieved? Tomorrow you will line up to make meals here. You must say that you eat chicken wings and pig trotters here every day, and you are very satisfied with the local food. If the emperor asks whom, who is wrong, I am the fucking Wang Dali here, and swear in front of the young master, I will eat you to death! In Haijing, I peeled your skin!"

As he said that, he pointed to those who were wearing silk and said, "Dear Art Officials, you have also paid attention. Don't make mistakes. They are all brothers. Please ask you all tomorrow. I also hope you will work hard for your monthly salary. Don't be careless." He said that, he clasped his fists.

Only then did Zheng Shaoting and the others realize that the guys in front of him who had never seen before were the local registered art officers!

After Wang Dali said that, he reached out to invite a man with a big belly on the stage and said, "This is our purchasing manager, General Manager Li. He is now acting as the emperor. I will pretend to be you. How do you answer some questions? You are optimistic."

Manager Li coughed and said in a long tone: "This guy, you earn half a tael of silver a day, why are you wearing such a broken out?"

Wang Dali bent down and bowed, "Your Majesty, let's go around the machine when we do our work. It's dirty and can't be worn well." In the dormitory, Zheng Abao was very excited. Although such people were not allowed to appear in the factory tomorrow, the elder brother would pretend to work in front of the equipment as a dozen art officers selected, and accept possible questions from the emperor. What a glory it would be.

Qin Mazi also came over, sat on Zheng Shaoting's broken mat, and spoke out loud about what happened today.

Zheng Shaoting lay on his broken mat, turned around and asked with a smile, "Mazi, I remember you came to the ground earlier than me, but you are not good at making guns. Why did you also get into the so-called art officer team tomorrow?"

"Brother, you don't understand?" Qin Mazi smiled strangely: "Brother and Wang Dali's servant Lao Li have a good relationship and curry favor with him every day. This time, he naturally sneaked into the reward team again. This reward of two silver dollars."

"You are so awesome, why don't you get the title of an art official? They are all raised by the emperor." Zheng Abao curled his lips disdainfully. He didn't like a stubborn guy like Qin Mazi.

"Brother Xiao Zheng, art officials must be friends and relatives from their upper class. I heard that one of them gave him 500 taels and got the title of art officials. How could I be so rich?" Qin Mazi smiled.

"You don't have to work, you get money every month. This kind of good thing is worth 500 taels or 1,000 taels, and it will last for a lifetime." Zheng Shaoting laughed.

Qin Mazi widened his eyes and said, "You really don't know. If you really give 1,000 taels, you will get 500 taels. That's because you are their confidant. The art officers who really know how to make guns and cannons in our manufacturing bureau have just started with five guys, but later they became more and more messy, with temporary workers and apprentices working everywhere. Art officers have become the title of retirement."

"I said Mazi, if you put your thoughts on asking for gossip and learn from foreigners, you will not be worse than me. You are just too smart." Zheng Shaoting smiled, and this comment immediately aroused the laughter of the workers around him---Qin Mazi is indeed such a smart guy.

"I can't compare with you. I'm not a blacksmith. Didn't you say that you made the shotguns by yourself when you shot Guangzhou? At that time, I was delivering opium to the big customers." Qin Mazi curled his lips indifferently, and said with him: "Shaoting, you are the boss of our manufacturing bureau, and you are with Lao Li next door. You are the most skilled among us. I fucking admire you very much."

"What's the use of admiring me? You are not the emperor. No matter how good we are, we are just a temporary apprentice." Zheng Shaoting smiled.

"Fuck, in the same bureau, there is no money for working, and no money for not working. What the hell is this world!" A worker scolded loudly in the darkness next to him.

"Don't say that, whether it's long hair or the Qing Dynasty, the world will always be like this. It's not as hard as the backstage if you work!" Qin Mazi smiled and said, "If you are Chen Kai's son, you are awesome."

In the bitter laughter in the dark, the crumbling workers' dormitory slowly fell into silence in the night.

At noon the next day, Zhu Qingzheng, who was visiting the navy, came back from outside the city. His wife had already prepared a banquet for him and was waiting for him.

"It's so rich." Zhu Qingzheng smiled as he hung the brand new general's military cap on the newly built Western coat rack, and followed the terrifying buttons in the Western military uniform. He smiled at the banquet on the table in the main hall.

Then he asked, "Why did you put the dining table in the main hall?"

The wife smiled and said, "You don't know that this is made by the Shandong chef sent by His Majesty. The imperial edict says that the chef's craftsmanship is very powerful, so let's try it. What I think is the imperial gift land. Should it be placed in the main hall so that it will not lose its etiquette?"

"Your Majesty doesn't care about this." Zhu Qingzheng smiled. He sat at the table and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, I really admire him. Apart from his love of eating, he is probably the simplest emperor."

The couple was talking and laughing, and the wife asked, "How was the mahjong game yesterday?"

"Hey, brother, I thought of a way to lose to me, but I brought back a bag of silver dollars. It's too late that you're going to bed, so I'll throw it over the flowerpot." Zhu Qingzheng said with a wry smile.

"Brother, he has also made a fortune. His money shop has made a lot recently." His wife said in a low voice.

"He is not satisfied with this. After the show ended last night, he asked me how much the arms would be needed. He wanted to estimate the profit. He wanted to make the arms as big as the drug dealer Zhong Jialiang's business. He was also jealous of He Liu and He Bo. Alas, we are going to overthrow the Qing Dynasty. Now the Qing Dynasty has not been destroyed. Why are he in a hurry?" Zhu Qingzheng said while eating fish.

"I heard from my sister-in-law that Your Majesty likes my brother very much." The wife said.

"Yes, Your Majesty likes money very much. He lost money to His Majesty and me in different ways. Alas, Your Majesty was holding his arms and shoulder to shoulder with him when he was playing mahjong yesterday, calling him brothers." Zhu Qingzheng frowned and sighed.

"Your Majesty likes Big Brother, that's a good thing. Why do you have that expression?" the wife asked with a smile.

Zhu Qingzheng shook his head and ate fish in a silence. After a long time, he said, "Accompanying the king is like a tiger, since ancient times. Your Majesty is extremely smart. If the eldest brother thinks that Your Majesty is brother and brother, it is your Majesty who likes him, it would be a good idea. Yesterday I saw him and Your Majesty like him, and I was sweating all over my head."

At this moment, there was a noise outside the yard. Chen Kai held the corner of his robe and ignored the servants and rushed in.

"Brother?" Zhu Qingzheng was stunned with rice in his mouth and holding the rice bowl.

Before he could react, Chen Kai hit the ground with his knees and knelt on the steps outside the main hall.

"Brother, what happened?" Zhu Qingzheng threw away his job and rushed outside the hall in amazement.
Chapter completed!