In an instant, he felt his stomach swell, and then, as the carbon dioxide tumbled out from his stomach enveloping the hot air, he couldn't help but let out a loud belch.
"Belch..." Clearly pleased with himself, this Chu Military officer was astonished by the magical liquid in his hand, and curiously inspected the exquisite glass bottle, convinced that such a delightful drink must be quite valuable.
"What is this? It tastes so good." Meanwhile, his aide had already fallen for this orange-yellow beverage.
Under the scorching sun, to be able to drink something so refreshing was simply too pleasant, wasn't it? Consequently, he called several confidants over to novel experience.
The group was all smiles and laughter, with some soldiers curiously inquiring about Tang Country from two Tang Army soldiers, who seemed to have no secrets, answering every question. As for whether their answers held any value, only Heaven knew.
However, when chatting, people always share some things about themselves, and without realizing it, some inside information about the Chu Troops had made its way to the ears of the Tang Army.
"Don't even mention it. They say that in a few days, they're going to issue new rifles and provide special training, with personnel from above coming to instruct... If this goes poorly, it could mean yet another cut from our share." The officer shook his head, thinking he might receive less for himself again.
Here on the border, the Emperor is far away, and the higher-ups can't really manage things. But precisely because the Emperor is far away, any official that comes needs to be taken care of, and no matter what, a portion of money has to go out.
"Oh? New rifles?" The speaker was unintentional, but the listener was interested. A Tang Army soldier pulled out a cigarette and handed it to the small team leader.
The team leader, used to the routine, accepted the cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag, enjoying it immensely. He was an old smoker, except previously he used a pipe, which wasn't as convenient as a cigarette.
Moreover, the cigarettes from the Great Tang Group were clearly of better quality, and smoking such fine cigarettes seemed more prestigious. So, after puffing away, he continued, "I'm telling you, but you can't tell anyone else! This is a secret..."
"Good grief, brother, do you even realize this is supposed to be confidential?" A Tang Country soldier widened his eyes in disbelief at the Chu Military captain who had started spilling secrets.
Are the confidentiality regulations for show? He wouldn't dare be so bold even in his dreams, not to mention sharing a secret like changing to new weapons—heck, he wouldn't even murmur his own regiment's number in his sleep.
"Shireck Type 1, seen it before? Never mind, you must have heard of it." The team leader gestured, obviously having already seen the real thing, "It's pretty good, way better than the flintlock rifles."
"Bro, another one." Seeing the other party so forthcoming, the Tang Army soldier was not stingy and offers another cigarette, letting the other take one from the pack.
The recipient tucked the cigarette expertly behind his ear, a clear sign he'd been doing this often in the days gone by.
"Counting the ones right now, there must be at least 3000 people today, right?" The Chu Military officer finished his orange soda, gave a satisfied groan, and then inquired.
He didn't care for the confusing business of changing rifles; what he truly cared about was how many Gold Coins had come in today. Before his camp leader left, he had been explicitly instructed not to let a single coin go missing.
Favors are favors, but business is business. These soldiers didn't care if the Tang Army took land from Chu Country, or if the Tang Army seized Chu Country's population; they cared about the Gold Coins in their own pockets!
"We are here to deliver soda; we don't know the exact number." The Tang Army soldier with a cigarette dangling from his lips spoke carelessly as he lit the flame.
Before he could finish, two other Tang Army soldiers struggled across the border into Chu Country, lugging a heavy chest between them.
They walked heavily until they reached the door of a barrack, where the Chu Military captain in charge, along with several men, hurried over, not even bothering with the orange soda anymore.
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Inside the barrack, the Tang soldiers opened the chest to reveal neatly stacked Gold Coins, which could easily be counted without detailed scrutiny.
"There are 10,500 Gold Coins in total; we gave you an extra 100, off the books. Treat your brothers to some drinks!" The Tang Army squad leader was so generous that he gave away an extra 100 Gold Coins with a wave of his hand.
The Chu Military captains immediately approached with beaming smiles, verified the count, and after calculating the difference in prices for men, women, children, and the elderly, they found indeed there was an extra 100. They all eagerly rubbed their hands together, looking pleased.
"Sign here, for the handover." The leading Tang Army squad leader handed over a receipt, watched everyone sign, some even pressed their thumbprints, took back the signed receipt, and walked away.
As he walked out, he said, "The rest, we'll settle the count this afternoon!"
"You are playing with fire! Do you have any idea how much of a population loss this will lead to?" Looking at the crowded throng of civilians in front of him, the visiting official berated the camp leader, pointing at his nose.
That afternoon, the newly transferred official from the Chu Kingdom's Royal City finally saw the border refugees, a situation too big to be concealed and apparently not intended to be hidden.
Even though the welcoming camp leader tried to bribe the official with Gold Coins on the way there, and gave him a heads-up, the scale of the border crossings still shocked the official.