The bicycle sales were just the beginning; it would take five buyers to slowly build the trend.
Meanwhile, Zhuzi, Liu Meng, Zhang Tian, Wu Yong, and Tie Lao Ba, the five division commanders, had spent the entire day on high alert in their respective camps.
They were told assassination attempts would start today, but they ended up just worrying all day, with absolutely nothing happening.
Not only were there no assassins, but they didn't even see a single ant dare to bite them.
At night, they maintained double shifts and four sentries watching at the gates and entrances.
By dawn, there was still no sign of any activity.
Listening to the bugle calls for drills outside, Zhuzi walked out of his room. As soon as he stepped out, he saw a soldier rushing towards him.
"Division Commander! It's bad! Division Commander Tie was captured last night!"
Zhuzi was stunned. This scoundrel, after a quiet night where he didn't hear a single sound, just disappeared like that? Tie Lao Ba was gone just like that?
He quickly thought about it and said disdainfully, "Only Tie Lao Ba, that dullard! His Sixth Division always stayed back and fired cannons, so it's normal for him to be ambushed."
"A bunch of little brats. They were taken away by the Duke for two months, do they really think they can turn the tables upon their return?"
When Liu Meng, Wu Yong, and Zhang Tian received the news of Tie Lao Ba's abduction, their reactions were almost identical.
The County Duke's Mansion, front courtyard.
Fang Er smiled as he looked at Tie Lao Ba, who was tied up like a mummy and still unconscious.
"Come, wake up our Division Commander Tie."
Before him stood twenty soldiers. He had divided the six hundred men into thirty small teams; this was just one of them.
A lean soldier from the twenty stepped forward.
"Yes!"
The soldier walked up to Tie Lao Ba and sharply poked him under the armpit with his right hand. The unconscious Tie Lao Ba instantly let out a pig-like scream.
He thrashed about like a fish out of water, writhing back and forth.
After struggling for a while, until the pain in his body subsided, he realized something was wrong.
"Wasn't I in the military? Why am I on bluestone slabs?"
He quickly turned his head to look around.
"Good heavens, Duke, and a group of people with faces painted in garish colors are looking at me with strange eyes."
He then glanced at himself and immediately yelled out to Fang Er, crying, "Duke, I've been wronged~~!"
Fang Er put away his smile. "I notified you three days ago that there would be an assassination attempt on you."
"And you, instead of being the least bit cautious, were captured alive! If this were on the battlefield, you would already be a prisoner!"
"Don't untie him! Throw him into the side room to reflect properly."
Tie Lao Ba panicked and quickly shouted, "Don't, don't, Duke! At least let me know what happened!"
"Otherwise, I won't die in peace!"
Fang Er nodded at the twenty soldiers.
Then, the lean soldier walked up to Tie Lao Ba with a smirking face.
"Division Commander Tie, I apologize. Last night, our brothers sneaked into your camp. We knocked out your personal guards and then drugged you before carrying you out."
Tie Lao Ba was dumbfounded!
"Six divisions, three thousand soldiers, and they just carried me out like this?"
"And, it seems only these twenty people were involved."
"Go reflect! If there's a next time, I'll have you drinking wind on the flagpole!"
Fang Er stared at Tie Lao Ba coldly, saying with disappointment, "While these handpicked elite soldiers are very capable, Tie Lao Ba being captured like a pig without being able to retaliate is truly too disappointing."
"Arrogant soldiers are bound to be defeated. This fellow spends all day thinking about firing cannons from the rear, but pays no attention to defense. This time, it's a lesson for him."
Tie Lao Ba was carried by two men and thrown into a side room.
Yes, thrown. Those two soldiers showed no mercy. After tossing Tie Lao Ba, they casually closed the door from the outside.
Fang Er took out a stack of cards from his pocket. Printed on them were torches.
Looking at the cards in his hand, the twenty soldiers' faces showed immense joy.
By obtaining this card, they had passed the first test and earned the qualification to become torches for the Skyfire Army.
There were still two more tests. As long as they passed all of them and obtained three cards, they would be the undisputed Skyfire Army special forces torches!
On the first night, only Tie Lao Ba was captured; the others showed no signs of activity.
On the second day, no one returned to report on their mission.
But by night, things got lively.
This was merely an exercise, and all the Skyfire Army soldiers were equipped with blank ammunition.
Zhuzi's First Division was stationed outside the mansion, and they heard the commotion most clearly.
Fang Er had just finished his daily practice and lay down on his bed but hadn't fallen asleep when he heard the gunfire from the First Division.
"Crack, crack, crack," it sounded like firecrackers on New Year's, so noisy it kept him from sleeping. He got dressed and got out of bed.
"Master, what's happening outside?" Xiao Qing asked Fang Er with some worry, also woken up by the noise.
"It's nothing, just an exercise. I'll go and see. If you can't sleep, call Xing'er and the others to keep you company," Fang Er said with a smile, tucking Xiao Qing's exposed shoulder back under the covers.
He opened the door, went out to the back courtyard, and looked up at the moon hanging in the sky. He couldn't help but shake his head.
"These soldiers are a bit too eager."
It was only the second night, and they dared to make a move under such bright moonlight.
As soon as he sat down on a chair in the second courtyard, someone came to check on him.
It was three people from the group from the daytime. After passing the initial test, Fang Er had arranged accommodation for them in the mansion, and they were temporarily responsible for the mansion's security while waiting for the second assessment.
The guards at the mansion before were soldiers from Zhuzi's First Division. Because of this exercise, Fang Er had them withdraw.
Seeing Fang Er sitting in the courtyard, the three returned to their posts without saying a word.
Feeling a rumbling in his stomach, Fang Er used the walkie-talkie to call Li Baoju. He prepared a hot pot and started cooking it in the courtyard.
There were two rechargeable table lamps on the table, illuminating the courtyard brightly.
"Honestly, this early winter weather in Shenyang is quite a bit colder than in Chang'an, but sitting in the courtyard eating hot pot in this weather is more invigorating!"
"Hey? Say, what's going on outside?"
"I don't know, let's go and see!"
"Where's Brother Fang? He's not even asking about this level of fighting?"
"He's always mysterious and hard to find, is he not at home?"
"Huh? Someone's eating hot pot? And it smells like beef tallow!"
Fang Er heard the voices of conversation and knew that Changsun Chong and a few others had also been disturbed by the gunfire.
The voices grew closer, and figures emerged from the entrance of the side courtyard.
Indeed.
It was Changsun Chong, Fang Yiai, Zhang Daxing, and Qin Huaiyu, the four of them.
"Brother Fang, you're eating hot pot in the middle of the night and didn't call us. You're too unkind." Changsun Chong sniffed the air and sat down directly opposite Fang Er.
Seeing Fang Er sitting so calmly eating hot pot, he knew what was happening outside. If the enemy was attacking, he wouldn't be this calm.