Lin Shenhe leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs and sitting very relaxedly. If he looked nervous, the jianghu figures in front of him would inevitably look down on him. In terms of personality alone, Lin Shenhe himself could be classified in the relatively serious category. Having to pretend to be carefree made Lin Shenhe really unhappy in his heart.

"Master Lin, we came to find you today because we want to defect to you." The few people sitting opposite asked somewhat apprehensively. They were all gang leaders, or former gang leaders, in the Fengyang Prefecture area. Gangs were supported by both financial resources and armed force. Once the flood passed, rural property was basically gone. Needless to mention financial resources; the People's Party raided everywhere and was now the largest violent group in Fengyang Prefecture, which gangs simply couldn't contend with. And these former gang leaders were in an even more miserable situation; they even had to run to the refugee camp in Fengtai County to survive.

"Did you commit some crime again?" Lin Shenhe asked seemingly carelessly.

"Master Lin, stop laughing at us. We brothers are convinced," a former gang leader answered embarrassedly.

Carrying the reputation of gang leaders, if not under the rule of the People's Party, these people wouldn't have fared too badly even in a refugee camp. Traditional porridge distribution places always had various problems of the strong bullying the weak; they could get considerable benefits by forming small groups. If lucky, they could even collude with officials and take on the business of "maintaining order." That would be a salted fish turning over [change of fortune]. Of course, the premise was not being under the rule of the People's Party.

Today, this group of people was completely convinced. As the saying goes, "A fallen phoenix is inferior to a chicken." If the police effectively controlled the scene of the refugee camp in the early stage, since Lin Shenhe became the second-in-command of the police system, these figures who used to be considered prominent were suppressed. The refugee camp adopted a policy of focused strikes, that is, striking various troublemakers by focus and frequency through repeated actions.

Before Lin Shenhe joined, the police system had finally suppressed those guys who snatched other people's rations. The method of striking this part of people was also simple and brisk: hang them after catching them. In a camp of more than a hundred thousand refugees, hanging fewer than 200 people made others lose the guts to snatch anymore.

After Lin Shenhe took office, he launched an action to deepen order. The first round struck at thieves. Refugees always had some valuable things on them. At least things refugees thought were valuable. Theft was most likely to trigger disturbances in the refugee camp. Losing the "valuables" carried with them, refugees immediately felt the sky was falling. Relying on the attitude of "mobilizing the masses to struggle against the masses" [Note: text says "reactionary masses" likely typo for "mobilizing"], Lin Shenhe won over those who reported crimes on one hand, and recruited people to disguise themselves and mix into the underground black market on the other, successfully cracking several theft rings. After these people were also hung on the gallows in public, the theft gangs were also in panic. Under the exposure of the masses, theft gangs were dragged out one after another. After public trials in front of the refugees, this group of people was sent to "labor camps" engaging in heavy physical labor.

"Applying both kindness and power" was not just to establish prestige. Lin Shenhe investigated the influential figures among the refugees clearly. Targeting those families with many people and great power, he absorbed some able-bodied men into the police system. Targeting those relatively lonely and weak ones, he conducted "talks."

Knowing they couldn't hide behind the scenes to manipulate, nor could they stand up to oppose the People's Party directly, these former gang leaders also understood the situation, so they simply came to surrender. Facing the seemingly lazy Lin Shenhe, these former heroes said respectfully: "Master Lin, people go to high places, water flows to low places. With a character like you, Master Lin, we sincerely want to defect to the People's Party."

Although Lin Shenhe was happy in his heart, he said coldly with his mouth: "Our People's Party doesn't care for old titles. You call me Comrade Lin from now on. No Master Lin this or that; we are not a gang."

"Yes, Comrade Lin. We really want to defect to the People's Party."

"If you want to defect to the People's Party, you have to work for the common people. If you are willing, simply join the police. At least you can eat your fill." Lin Shenhe threw out a plan directly.

"This..." The gang leaders were not interested in this suggestion. They felt there was no need for them to mix with those juniors to patrol, and the People's Party police were not easy to be either. "We are used to being wild, Master Lin, oh, Comrade Lin. Being police might delay your affairs. Can you let us do something else?"

"Then what do you want to do?" Lin Shenhe finally sat up straight from the chair.

"How about helping you fight? I heard the Insurance Corps has been capturing cities and seizing territory everywhere recently, conquering a large territory. We can help you fight."

"Ha," Lin Shenhe smiled maliciously, "The Insurance Corps isn't bandits. We don't fight for ourselves; we fight for the common people. I won't hide it from you gentlemen either; aren't you fighting for yourselves? Whichever of you feels that you fight to get a few mu of land distributed and then farm well, I will let you join the Insurance Corps. If you want to be a grass king [bandit chief] in this troubled time, then forget it."

Hearing Lin Shenhe's words, these leaders immediately became indignant: "Master Lin, you are looking down on us! Do you think our brothers are afraid of death?"

"Call me Comrade Lin, don't call me Master Lin. I actually have something to ask you gentlemen. Our People's Party wants to attack Hefei; I wonder who is willing to volunteer to go to Hefei."

Hearing this, the eyes of these gang leaders lit up immediately. This was a good opportunity. One of them immediately said: "I have friends in Hefei; I am willing to go. I wonder what Comrade Lin prepares to let me do?"

"Do whatever you can do. It would be best if you can take Hefei."

"Then how many people and how many guns will you give me?"

"When we arrived in Fengtai County, we had no people and no guns. We created such a career from scratch. If you think you have the guts, go there and start doing it first."

Hearing Lin Shenhe say this, the gang leaders looked at each other one by one. "Master Lin, are you making fun of us?"

"What I said is all truth; how is it making fun of everyone?" Lin Shenhe finally looked a bit more serious. "Gentlemen, if you feel you can't do this business of capturing cities and seizing territory, there must be a business you can do, right?"

Finally finishing the talk, Lin Shenhe felt quite tired. Sending this group of people away, Lin Shenhe immediately went to report to Chen Ke. When announcing himself at the door, the guard stopped Lin Shenhe. "Director Lin, Chairman Chen is discussing matters. Please wait a moment."

"Okay." Just as Lin Shenhe prepared to stand outside the door and wait, he heard the sound of the door being pulled open. Chen Ke stood at the door and said: "Come in. Comrade Lin Shenhe."

The one talking with Chen Ke in the room was Yan Fu. After the three sat down, Chen Ke asked: "Comrade Lin Shenhe, how was your talk with the gang people this time?"

Contrary to the carefree appearance shown in front of the gang leaders, Lin Shenhe sat straight. First he briefly introduced the conversation process, then said very seriously: "Those people are full of thoughts on how to rebuild the gangs; they have no intention of sincerely defecting to us. After all that talk, they just want to borrow our power. In my view, these people are all scourges."

"Then does Comrade Lin Shenhe have any ideas?" Chen Ke asked with a smile.

Lin Shenhe answered neatly and crisply: "I see this group of people seem unable to hold back. If we give this group of people a chance, trouble will definitely occur. Simply send them out and eliminate them secretly halfway. Now that the flood has just passed, the roads are not very peaceful either. Now is the best time."

Hearing this, Chen Ke felt very satisfied. Clearing out unstable factors in the refugee camp of the base area this time was a task Chen Ke assigned to Lin Shenhe. Although Lin Shenhe's method was a bit brutal, it was a very desirable plan from both short-term and long-term perspectives. In the short term, eliminating the core of unstable factors had immediate effects. In the long run, gangs have always followed whoever has milk as mother [opportunistic]; the new system advocates "laborers are most glorious." One side hopes to get something for nothing, the other wants to fully develop productive forces; eventually, they definitely can't piss in the same pot. Now is indeed a good time to clean up these people. Later when the rule of law is promoted, killing people will be very troublesome. However, Chen Ke's heart moved suddenly; Lin Shenhe's idea could speak to his heart quite well, and this feeling was not very good.

Yan Fu frowned slightly. Lin Shenhe had thick eyebrows and big eyes, looking quite handsome. No matter how you looked at him, he should be a person of inspiring righteousness, not so ruthless. But speaking of assassinating people, Lin Shenhe actually didn't care, and even had a kind of frankness that it should be so. This couldn't help but make Yan Fu feel very unaccustomed. However, Yan Fu couldn't interrupt on such matters. He looked at Chen Ke's thoughtful expression and silently guessed Chen Ke's thoughts.

Chen Ke was indeed thinking about things. Even a person like him who hated the Manchu Qing had to admit one thing: the Manchu Qing had no secret service agency. However, every time after admitting this fact, Chen Ke had to explain slightly: having no secret service agency meant a great weakening of government effectiveness. Absolutely not building a lawless secret service agency that arrests people casually is one thing, but whether a secret service agency is built or not is another matter.

But most comrades in the base area had relatively sunny personalities; the head of the secret service agency absolutely could not be of this character. As a relatively dark job, in history, the Party's secret service agency was in the hands of Premier Zhou, this scheming [black-bellied] handsome guy. Lin Shenhe was just a new comrade; no matter how capable he was, Chen Ke was not too assured. But the situation had changed so much recently; if there wasn't such an organization, it was indeed inappropriate.

Turning his head to look at Yan Fu, Chen Ke felt he still had to hurry up and build this organization. Attacking Anqing was planned work. After taking Anqing, the enemy would not only be the Manchu Qing; dealings with those revolutionary parties would inevitably increase. And the revolutionary parties of this period had a common characteristic, which was being keen on assassination activities. Moreover, in history, this group of people assassinated the Manchu Qing, and not long after the revolution "succeeded" slightly, assassinations between various "revolutionary comrades" began. Especially the two major forces, Tongmenghui and Guangfuhui, were both famous for assassination.

In the news brought back by Yan Fu, the Yuewang Society had all joined the Tongmenghui, and Tao Chengzhang, the famous leader of the Guangfuhui, was also full of interest in Anqing. Having two such "neighbors" in the south in the future, Chen Ke was actually very uneasy in his heart.

"Then what does Comrade Lin Shenhe plan to do now?" Chen Ke asked.

Lin Shenhe didn't shy away either; he still said seriously: "Civil affairs are not something I can intervene in, but I want to ask, when exactly will these disaster victims be allowed to return to their hometowns? We can also make some preparations first. Actually, there are quite a few common people among these disaster victims who are willing to live a good life properly. Organizing them now would be better than doing it later."

"Comrade Lin Shenhe, I will discuss this issue at the Party Committee meeting. Your current job is to ensure the security of the base area after our main troops depart. So write a report as soon as possible. What preparations should be made, what adjustments should be made, all must be written clearly."

"Yes, Chairman Chen." Lin Shenhe knew this was also an order to leave. He continued to ask: "Are there any other instructions?"

"Hurry up and do this well. You can go down."

After Lin Shenhe went out, Chen Ke turned to Yan Fu and said: "Mr. Yan, I have a view relatively close to Comrade Lin Shenhe: gangs are unreliable. My proposition has always been 'rely on the mountain, the mountain falls; rely on the river, the river dries.' But the gang's idea is 'living off the mountain when by the mountain, living off the water when by the water.' We are not people on the same path. This time we want to take Anqing, so I absolutely cannot pin hope on the Yuewang Society. Regardless of what the Yuewang Society thinks, we must place everything on our own plan. Only our own strength is the only thing reliable."

Chen Ke spoke very frankly. Although Yan Fu had worked hard running around, and the news brought back was not bad, Chen Ke still spoke very unceremoniously, without considering anyone's face at all.

Hearing this, Yan Fu nodded in deep agreement. "Chairman Chen, I also have this thought." This was not Yan Fu being polite; this was Yan Fu's heartfelt words.