The first game of the East Factory is much better than the second game. It is not only responsible for the "Jiangbei Bureau" of the Qing Dynasty, but also the base camp of the East Factory and the place where the factory supervises the public.

The first bureau is located on Changping Road, which is a very magnificent granite European-style building. There are more than 20 steps, and the eight huge Roman columns on them are each illuminated by a strong light. Two cast-iron lions lie on either side. Two columns of guards stood straight on the steps, their bayonets glowing coldly on their shoulders.

"Tsk," Xiang Xiaoqiang got out of the car, looked at the grandeur in front of him, and secretly admired, "If there is a blood-red 'swastika' flag on each side, the atmosphere will be perfect." ”

"Brother, please."

Li Zhien smiled and waved his hand.

"Ah," Xiang Xiaoqiang also smiled, "Brother Li, please." ”

More than a dozen cars and two military vehicles were parked in the open space in front of the building. Those in military uniforms and those in civilian clothes scattered in the corners and talked softly. The air was cold and heavy.

Although the building was so close, the two of them had to go through three checks before they could get in. Especially Xiang Xiaoqiang has no documents, Li Zhien has to sign to guarantee him at every checkpoint in addition to showing his documents.

The conference room on the top floor is quite large, with marble floors and walls, four or five meters high, almost like a chapel. Six large fireplaces were burning in a circle, and the firewood was "crackling", and just like that, it still made people feel cold.

In the middle of the room is a large long table, covered with green velvet tablecloth, and several lights shine directly on it, like a large table for gambling in Las Vegas. Tea is served at each seat. The entire room was lit only around this table, which was pitch black, except for the dark red glow of the six fireplaces.

There were many pairs of sofas scattered around, and the people who attended the meeting had not yet arrived, and the first to arrive on these sofas were resting or chatting softly, and the bright spots of cigarettes in the darkness flickered and dimmed.

……

"Brother, this way, please."

Li Zhien walked in gently with Xiang Xiaoqiang and reminded him to pay attention to his step.

"Okay, you're welcome."

Xiang Xiaoqiang promised, his eyes were difficult to adapt to the darkness for a while, and he wondered how opening a bird would be like entering a movie theater.

"Shh," Li Zhien hurriedly whispered, "Don't be loud, speak softly...... There are already a lot of adults here, Brother Xiang, let's find a corner and sit down. ”

The two of them found an inconspicuous position to sit down with their tails between their legs like little shrimps. Li Zhien looked around, leaned over and lowered his voice and said to Xiang Xiaoqiang:

"Brother Xiang's true identity is only known to our own people in Dongchang. The other officials didn't know, and when the meeting was held later, Brother Xiang didn't have to show it, just said that it was our Dongchang people...... How, you see? ”

The second half of this sentence is said in a consultative tone. Xiang Xiaoqiang understood that he was still a friend in their eyes, and although his position was low, he had no right to give orders to himself.

"Brother Li, don't worry, little brother understands."

A fat head on the sofa behind him turned to look this way, and shouted:

"Come on, young man, it's just right, the tea is gone, come and pour the tea for your governor!"

When Xiang Xiaoqiang heard the word "Dugong", he immediately jumped up.

He was excited, the superintendent of the East Factory? This is a great opportunity!

A clear male voice in the darkness laughed:

"Don't bother others, Master Hou's tea, Ji Mo will pour it with you personally."

The fat man was probably talking happily, holding him down, and laughing:

"Sit, sit, let's chat, pour tea and let them do this kind of thing."

After that, he reached out and grabbed Xiang Xiaoqiang's clothes, pointed to the teapot on the coffee table and shouted:

"Why don't young people have eyesight, come, hurry up and refill this pot of water!"

Li Zhien saw that the man was rude, and he was about to call Xiao Qiang like a little girl, he couldn't help but lose his color, worried that he wouldn't be able to get off the stage, and was about to grab the job and take it over, when he saw Xiang Xiaoqiang respectfully agree, turned around and ran over with the teapot on his table, and said with his waist down:

"Two adults, this is the tea on our table, it has not been touched, it has just been brewed, it is still hot, and the small one pours it for the two adults."

Xiang Xiaoqiang's Mandarin obviously attracted the attention of the other party, and the man called "Dugong" raised his head, looked at him sharply in the dark, and asked with interest:

"Oh, how many rounds?"

Xiang Xiaoqiang looked at the chubby "Hou Ye" next to him, and said with a slight smile:

"Back to the Governor, from the Second Bureau."

"Two rounds. How many? ”

"Back to the Governor, five places."

"Oh......" The Duke pondered for a moment and said softly, "Jiang Meilu's place." ”

Suddenly, he remembered something, glanced at the fat man, then stared at Xiang Xiaoqiang, and asked word by word:

"So, you're ......"

"Back to the Duke, his subordinates are from five places...... Small direction. ”

The man's eyes seemed to glow, and he looked him up and down, and nodded in praise:

"Well, well, sure enough. Well done lad. ”

When Xiang Xiaoqiang heard this, his heart suddenly warmed. Since last night, I tried my best to save people, from Jinyiwei to Dongchang, I have interrogated and interrogated, and no one has ever said a word "good" or a word "thank you".

Xiang Xiaoqiang bowed and smiled humbly:

"The Governor complimented him."

The man laughed:

"What's the saying? Or a monk from outside who can chant the scriptures. It's just that...... Oh, it's a pity, it's a pity. ”

"Duke," Xiang Xiaoqiang understood what he was sorry for, and smiled, "It's nothing to pity, as long as Dugong is willing to carry love, under ...... It is not uncommon for subordinates to be such foreign monks. ”

"Huh?" The Duke's eyebrows condensed into a large pimple.

Xiang Xiaoqiang's nervous legs were actually weak at this time, but he knew that it was a pity to give up this opportunity, so his brain spun quickly, and he took a deep breath and said:

"Although the subordinates grow outside...... Foreign, but there is a Chinese poem that his subordinates have been familiar with since childhood. ”

The Duke stared at him thoughtfully, stared at him for a moment, and then spoke:

"Which one?"

Xiang Xiaoqiang brewed his emotions, and said softly and slowly:

"A few days with the wind in the North Sea, back from the Yangtze River. The minister's heart is a magnetic needle, and he refuses to rest without a guide. ”

The Duke knew that this poem was Wen Tianxiang's "Yangtze River", which was written when he went south to return to the Song Dynasty after he escaped from being captured by Meng Yuan for the first time. He nodded:

"Hmm. So what? ”

Xiang Xiaoqiang gritted his teeth, let it go, and continued to say numbly:

"If the Duke had grown up overseas, he would have known how sad the situation of the local Chinese did not have a strong and unified motherland. Although they are well-off and have no worries about food and clothing, they are inferior everywhere and are looked down upon, like wandering children, thinking about ...... day and night."

"Hmm, ahem." The Duke glanced at the fat man beside him, and coughed lightly at Xiao Qiang.

Xiang Xiaoqiang felt that this governor should have listened to it, so he said softly:

"The 'Yangtze River' in this poem belongs to here, and I am willing to change it to ...... Changed to 'Indian Ocean'. ”

"Hmm."

The Governor was noncommittal in the dark.

Xiang Xiaoqiang said again:

"Last night's incident on the Yangtze River, the governor can temporarily be used as a letter of determination for his subordinates."

"Hmm."

……

"Hey," the fat man on the side couldn't stand it, "I say, what the hell are you two fighting?" ”

The Duke laughed, patted Xiao Qiang and said:

"Alright, you go first."

Then he turned his face and whispered to the fat man and smiled:

"Master Hou doesn't know, we are here to hold this meeting today, it can be said that it is because of this kid."

He whispered a few words in his ear.

"Oh?!"

The fat man couldn't help but look in the direction of Xiao Qiang in amazement.

Xiang Xiaoqiang returned to his seat, and Li Zhien immediately grabbed him excitedly, lowered his throat and said:

"Brother Xiang, it's really yours, I didn't expect you to be able to talk to the factory superintendent! Ah, yes, could it be that the factory governor named you to come? ”

Just now they spoke in low voices, and Li Zhien didn't hear a few words here, so Xiaoqiang said humbly:

"What's the matter, the factory supervisor just asked me a few words because of my different accent, and he couldn't say anything."

"Brother, tell my brother," Li Zhien said with a smile, "What did the factory governor ask you?" ”

"Ask me which bureau I belong to, where I belong to, isn't there a 'Hou Ye' sitting on the side, he is probably an outsider, and the younger brother followed Brother Li's teachings, and for the time being, he just said that he was from the second bureau and five places. The factory supervisor said a few more official words such as 'do a good job'...... Well, there's nothing wrong with that, right? ”

"Well, well," Li Zhien also relieved himself at this time, "yes, it should be said so." So very good, so very good. ”

"Oh......" Xiang Xiaoqiang's heart itched again, "Brother Li, who is the person surnamed Hou next to the Dugong?" ”

"What's the surname Hou?"

"Hey, that's the fat ...... The one who is quite rich. ”

"Shh......h Brother, listen up, his surname is not Hou, his surname is Zheng, his name is Zheng Gongyin, and he is the Marquis of Changping, the son of the king of Yanping County today, and the uncle of the saint today. ”

Ah,, they're all big guys......

At this time, the lights in the room were all on, and the chattering on all sides stopped abruptly, and everyone knew that it was about to begin.

Xiang Xiaoqiang saw clearly that there were already more than 20 people sitting in the room, some in military uniforms and some in civilian clothes, and everyone began to nod and greet those who were a little farther away and had not seen it before.

At this time, a girl wearing a dress and combing two braids came to Xiang Xiaoqiang's side, and in front of everyone's eyes, she stretched out a big book in front of him, and said in a sweet voice:

"Can you sign it?"