In another time and space, the Changguang Coal Mine, located at the junction of Changxing County and Guangde Prefecture, is an important coal base in Zhejiang Province. At its peak, it could supply one-third of the coal used in Zhejiang.

Moreover, Changguang Coal Mine is a typical gas-fertilizer coal mining area. This kind of coal is most suitable for high-temperature dry distillation to produce coal gas, and can also be used for coking coal. It can also be coked alone, but the strength of the coke obtained is not as good as that of special coking coal. But for Zhao Hao, it is enough.

The most crucial point is that although the Changguang Coal Mine is surrounded by mountains, it has a canal that leads directly to Taihu Lake. Coal ships can leave in the morning and arrive in the evening, making transportation more convenient than taking stones from the West Mountain to build the Wusong River embankment.

Zhao Hao took great pains to choose Xishan Island as the main base, largely because of the existence of Changguang Coal Mine.

Of course, Changxing County was under the jurisdiction of Huzhou Prefecture in Zhejiang, while Guangde Prefecture was under the jurisdiction of Nanjing. It was difficult to deal with both places, not to mention that the coal mine was right at the junction of the two places? So Zhao Hao wisely used the inferior coal on Xishan Island at the beginning, and then got involved when he was strong enough.

That seems to be enough for now...

Therefore, the next stop of Zhao Hao's trip is Changxing County. He needs to conduct an on-site survey before he can get the Changguang Coal Mine into his own hands.

~~

The next morning, when Zhao Hao set off, Jin Ke rushed back.

Although he had specially taken a shower before coming to see him, the security chief's face was still weathered.

"Brother Jin, why bother to fight with a bunch of rookies?" Zhao Hao was very satisfied with his number one general.

"I have to see it with my own eyes to know the quality of these new guys so that I can teach them according to their aptitude." Jin Ke stood straight, looking at Zhao Hao with a fiery and firm gaze, and it seemed that his loyalty had greatly increased.

Young Master Zhao felt a little embarrassed being stared at.

This is certainly not because of his improved personal charm, but because he turned his boasting into reality...

In Zhao Hao's overall planning of Xishan Island, the entire Xishan Island is divided into three parts. The North Island is the main production area of ​​limestone for cement and is planned as a factory pollution area. The main island has pyrite and coal mines and is planned as a core scientific research area.

South Island is the smallest in area and has no mineral resources. It is planned as a conference and convalescent area. Jiangnan Guest House is located on South Island.

In addition to holding secret group meetings and training new employees, this area also had an important function, which was to house the Qi family soldiers who were injured in the anti-Japanese war.

This was Zhao Hao's original promise to Qi Jiguang, and it was also the key measure for him to gain the loyalty of a large number of former Qi family soldiers such as Jin Ke and Wang Rulong.

What's more, the reverence for the anti-Japanese heroes is deeply rooted in Zhao Hao's soul. He will certainly not go back on his word or compromise.

In the past six months, he has built two large-scale sanatoriums next to the Guanyin Temple, which house more than 300 disabled veterans and relatives of soldiers who died in battle.

In addition to providing them with free food, they were also given a considerable amount of mountain land, allowing their families to raise chickens and grow tea on the island in exchange for expenses, so that the whole family could live and work in peace and contentment.

Zhao Hao also regularly arranged for doctors from Jiangnan Hospital to come to the island to examine the wounded soldiers and treat their injuries.

The disabled soldiers were so grateful to Master Zhao that they really regarded him as their second parents. None of them felt ashamed to eat for free, and those who could move all asked to do their bit for Master Zhao. Zhao Hao couldn't resist, so he had to let Jin Ke take care of the arrangements.

Most of these disabled veterans joined the training team to help Jinke train new recruits...cross it out and change it to 'newly recruited security guards'.

Some of them were injured in their legs and feet and had difficulty in moving. They were assigned by Jinke to serve as security team leaders in key departments on the island, such as the Summer Resort, the Guest House, and the cement yard. Although they were disabled, their sense of responsibility, vigilance, and especially loyalty were far beyond the reach of the newly trained security guards.

This is where Jinke expresses his gratitude to Zhao Hao.

He followed the Marshal in the fight against the Japanese invaders for six years, fighting in battles from north to south. The biggest regret in his life was not that he was wrongly accused by the censor and impeached and removed from his post as a third-rank commander, but that he had to demobilize and return home after watching so many of his fellow comrades get injured and disabled.

It is sad that these heroes who have won countless battles are treated much worse after returning home than those bear-like soldiers. The soldiers have been soldiers for generations, and at least the guards will take care of them in case of death, so they will not starve to death.

But the Qi Family Army was a conscripted army! They were just ordinary people when they took off their uniforms. Those with healthy limbs could still support themselves, but what about the disabled soldiers who lost their ability to work? No one cared...

Although the Marshal had tried his best to give them money to return home, how could that little money be enough for them to support their families? Once the money was gone, they would become a complete burden to their families, and if they were unlucky, they would be looked down upon. Many people could not bear this humiliation and committed suicide.

After learning about this, Jin Ke used up all his savings to help his former comrades, but his ability was limited and there were too few people he could help, so he has always felt deeply regretful.

When he agreed to let Zhao Hao join the gang, although it was a helpless move, he also had the idea of ​​selling himself for his brothers.

But even though he had followed Zhao Hao to Xishan Island, he still had doubts in his heart. He always felt that it was okay for Master Zhao to recruit retired brothers with healthy limbs. But he might not really take all the injured and fallen soldiers and their families to Suzhou to be raised as promised.

How much money would that cost, and it would cost every year. How long would I have to bear the responsibility, and I might even be suspected. Only a fool would do such a thing that would lose money, right?

But this fool...oh no, this young master, really did it. And he did it without any discount, beyond expectations. Zhao Hao properly settled all the disabled brothers or bereaved families they found, and the treatment was so good that it felt like a dream.

What else could Jin Ke say? He could only offer his loyalty to the young master without reservation.

~~

Although the bandits in Taihu Lake had been basically eliminated by the security team, Jin Ke still insisted on escorting Zhao Hao to Changxing.

Mr. Zhao couldn't refuse, so he happily agreed.

The two sat on the deck, drinking tea and talking while enjoying the warm sunshine of early spring.

"It's only been more than half a year, and the pirates on Taihu Lake have disappeared." Zhao Hao smiled and praised Jin Ke, saying, "This is all thanks to Brother Jin."

"In fact, most of the pirates were scared and dispersed." Jin Ke said modestly: "We only captured 3,000 prisoners on the island to serve as laborers, which is not enough to satisfy Mr. Hua's appetite."

Jiangnan Group, a large and law-abiding company, certainly would not illegally detain or employ people. All the captives had been sentenced to labor service by Kunshan County and Wu County, and then exiled to Xishan Island... Although they had basically never been to court, all the documents were complete.

Yang Chenglin and Cai Guoxi were also rewarded by Nanjing for their contributions in suppressing bandits - each of them had a son appointed as a captain of the Imperial Guards, which was truly a godsend.

Of course Zhao Shouzheng also had one, but unfortunately he only had one son, who already had a civil servant position. He could only keep this qualification for the time being, in case he had another son in the future.

But then again, even if he had another son, it was unlikely that he would look down upon a mere hundred households.

At least a commander is worthy of it!

ps. Please give me monthly votes for the second update!