20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 696: Fierce Fire Cooking Oil
"Om-"

It’s a bright day, but the spring air is chilly.

Over the provincial capital of Fengtian, five planes were circling low over the Marshal's Mansion.

Accompanied by bursts of loud cheers, the plane turned sharply upward, with five trails of colored smoke trailing from its tail and colorful ribbons dropping from time to time.

The Marshal's Mansion was packed with people. Cars picking up and dropping off VIPs formed a long queue, with the front of the cars pushing against the rear of the cars, unable to move for a long time, and the entire street was blocked.

Chinese and foreign reporters swarmed in, all equipped with film, and frantically pressed shutter buttons at the guests at the Marshal's residence. The spotlights flashed non-stop, almost blinding people.

This was the 13th year of the Republic of China, in mid-March of the lunar calendar, when the fiftieth birthday banquet of Northeast King Zhang Dashuai was celebrated.

For a time, powerful officials from all provinces across the country sent representatives to gather in Fengtian.

There are quite a lot of people coming.

The Beiyang capital, the southern Guangdong, the Anhui warlords, the Mongolian princes, and even the abdicated emperor in the Forbidden City sent representatives to Fengtian to celebrate his birthday.

For provincial governors, every move was a political event, so naturally there would be foreigners present to observe.

The White House of the United States and the consulates of England, France, and other countries also sent envoys to show their support and congratulations.

Celebrities and heroes gathered here.

Just talking about this scene, even if compared with the eastern tour of the Qing emperor, it is probably not inferior.

Marshal Zhang specially approved a three-day holiday in the provincial capital so that he could enjoy the holiday with the people.

The flight performance of Northeast Aviation Bureau is just a warm-up. The main event of the birthday party is the singing party, which is the highlight that will make people's cheeks pop.

Marshal Zhang was forthright and issued an order that all prominent businessmen and wealthy people inside and outside the provincial capital could enter the garden to watch.

Ordinary people can also enjoy the fun.

Although one cannot enter the Marshal's Mansion, the radio tower in the city has already been modified. As long as one has a radio box at home, one can listen to the live broadcast of the meeting at the Mansion.

It doesn’t matter if there is no electric box, Siping Street has specially installed wired loudspeakers to broadcast the celebration in real time.

The provincial capital was already deserted and bustling with activity.

The common people spontaneously gathered at the intersections around the Marshal's Mansion, waiting and hoping to catch a glimpse of the celebrity.

As they were talking, they saw a car slowly approaching.

The car door opened and a man got out. He looked to be in his forties, wearing a neat suit, with his hair combed back, and had a handsome appearance.

Just this appearance and demeanor alone was enough to scare the onlookers.

The young students were immediately excited, and when the female students saw this man, they stared at him with admiration in their eyes.

After being stunned for a long time, he did not dare to recognize him. However, the Chinese and foreign reporters present immediately rushed forward and exclaimed:
"Oh, isn't that Wang Zhaoming?"

He drew his sword and made it into a piece of steel, living up to his youth - the patriotic hero who assassinated the King Regent back then was referring to him.

As soon as he finished speaking, reporters surrounded him.

Someone holding a notepad shouted, "Mr. Wang, Mr. Wang, reporter from Shengjing Times, could you please give us your opinion on the 'presidential bribery case'?"

Mr. Wang stood still and spoke passionately: "The Zhili warlords control the capital, and Cao and Wu manipulate public opinion. Such behavior deserves death!"

Look, this is a heroic man who stands tall and proud, a hero of the time!

When the young students heard this, they immediately burst into cheers and applause.

Another reporter followed up by asking, "Mr. Wang, recently the society has generally paid attention to the policy and line of the Southern Cantonese. Are you prepared to follow the lead of the North?"

Mr. Wang blinked his eyes and suddenly smiled, "I came to Fengtian this time as Mr. Sun's special envoy to celebrate Marshal Zhang's birthday. I have no other state affairs to discuss."

"Besides celebrating birthdays, do you have any other tasks?"

"May I ask if the Southern Kingdom of Guangfu is prepared to unite with Feng and Anhui to jointly deal with the Zhili warlords?"

"Mr. Sun has advocated the Northern Expedition many times, but no action has been taken. Can you explain the difficulties that Guangfu is facing now?"

The reporters' questions were like a machine gun fire, but Mr. Wang avoided answering them all the time. He just said "no comment" a few times and then entered the Marshal's Mansion under the escort of bodyguards.

No one felt discouraged because there were so many celebrities from all walks of life in front of the Marshal's mansion.

A wave of unrest, a wave of up again.

As soon as Mr. Wang left, someone suddenly shouted, "Boss Mei is here! Boss Mei is here!"

Since Marshal Zhang is celebrating his birthday and there is going to be a private performance, how can he miss the famous actors and actresses from Beijing and Tianjin?

Is there anything else that needs to be said, Boss Mei?

She is the most popular and famous opera singer at the moment.

In an instant, all the young girls and wives went crazy, as if they could not live anymore. They howled, cried and laughed, and started throwing lottery tickets and cheering in the street.

The old and young men were not much stronger either. They unfurled a banner with eight big words written on it - peerless beauty, unparalleled in the world.

The sensation caused by Mei Lang's visit to Fengtian far exceeded that caused by military and political leaders from all over the country.

Everyone rushed over, and the bodyguards were so frightened that they quickly lined up to stop them, shouting, "Get out of the way, all of you, get out of the way, stand further away!"

Boss Mei was quite modest. He immediately clasped his hands together and smiled at the audience, saying, "I am so ashamed to thank you for your kindness."

As he spoke, he walked quickly towards the Marshal's Mansion, taking with him half of the onlookers on the street.

Just at this moment, the Jiang family's car slowly drove over.

Jiang Lianheng, wearing a long gown and a mandarin jacket and a top hat, got out of the carriage and, escorted by several bodyguards, walked towards the Marshal's residence in a very low-key manner, sticking to the wall.

The whole street suddenly became much quieter.

The people were somewhat timid, and dared neither cheer nor spit, so they could only look around and pretend not to see anything.

The few reporters who were around stopped taking pictures, except for one young man who raised his camera. Before he could press the shutter, the Jiang family's bodyguard pointed at his nose and scolded him:

"Fuck you, did they let you take the photo? Which newspaper are you from?"

The young reporter shuddered all over, quickly lowered his camera, and his face turned pale with fear.

Fortunately, Jiang Lianheng did not want to cause trouble. He just waved his hand hurriedly, said "forget it", and then walked into the Marshal's Mansion.

The guard at the door recognized him and greeted him with a smile on his face, "Hey, Boss Jiang is here?"

"Brother, you've been very busy today." Jiang Lianheng greeted with a smile.

"Well, we're all the same!" the guard sighed. "The Marshal's birthday party has such a grand ceremony, with so many celebrities. If you want to keep Fengtian City safe and sound, and nothing goes wrong, the military and police will be busy, and you won't have a rest either!"

This is no exaggeration.

So many important figures suddenly came to Fengtian, ostensibly to celebrate Lao Zhang's birthday, but secretly they all had their own agenda. Naturally, the security of the provincial capital became the top priority.

The military and police have an unshirkable responsibility and should do their best, but after all, there are more civilians than officials, so it is inevitable that there will be areas where they fail to look after the situation well.

The guests who came to celebrate the birthday were either rich or noble. How could the people online not be jealous? If there was any mistake, it would be on the front page of the news tomorrow.

The green forest bandits don’t care who you are. Even if the king of heaven comes, they will kidnap you as long as there is profit to be made.

The "Lincheng train robbery" that shocked the country last year is a ready-made example. The entire train was stopped and even foreigners were kidnapped as hostages, not to mention several celebrities? If the Fengtian event is to have a beginning and an end, without any mistakes, and not let outsiders laugh at it, the Jiang family's online prestige is really indispensable.

The position of leader is not given for nothing, and the orders from underworld are often more effective than the words of officials.

Jiang Lianheng was quite polite, not daring to take credit for himself, and hurriedly said with a smile: "No, no, no, this is mutually beneficial, we are all doing our job, and we are all working for the old commander. I still have to rely on you!"

As they were talking, guests kept coming in and out of the Marshal's mansion.

The guard was busy, so he said, "Okay, Mr. Jiang, don't be polite. I'm too busy here, so I won't talk to you any more. You should hurry in and watch the meeting!"

"Okay, okay, thank you for your hard work, brother." Jiang Lianheng took a step and was about to walk in.

"Oh, right!" The guard suddenly called him, "Boss Jiang, there are too many distinguished guests in your house today, and the banquet hall in the brothel is not big enough. After the party, I will have to trouble you gentry to go to the military governor's office for the banquet."

Jiang Lianheng nodded, naturally having no reason to complain.

Those who could dine at the Marshal's Mansion were at least high-ranking officials at the governor's office, or representatives of the royal family. With his status, being able to attend a banquet at the governor's office was already a great honor from Old Zhang. Not to mention bringing honor to the family, it was also a blessing that brought glory to his face. How could he be dissatisfied?

Walking into the courtyard, the grass and trees in the yard have just sprouted. From a distance, it seems that spring is getting stronger, while from close up, winter is not yet gone. It is the season when all things sprout.

The Marshal's Mansion was extremely bustling, and it seemed like it had turned into a "market".

On the east side of the courtyard wall, the stage for the performance had already been set up, and entertainers from all walks of life were preparing for the show backstage. Singers, magicians, and all kinds of famous actors gathered together.

Looking around, there were people everywhere, including representatives in military uniforms, politicians in suits, gentry in long gowns, Lao Zhang's foreign advisers, and new and old veterans of the Fengtian clique.

Birds of a feather flock together.

Not long after entering the door, everyone found their own circles one after another, gathered in groups of three or five, and talked about all sorts of things, having a great time chatting.

When people in military uniforms get together, they naturally talk about military matters.

"Hey, have you visited the Northeast Arsenal?"

"We visited the Arsenal, the Aviation Department, and the Military Academy yesterday."

"How about it?"

"Well, the Fengtian Army's weapons are well-deserved. In terms of scale and output alone, they are the best in the world."

"We have only two years to reorganize the army. If we continue to leave it alone, it will become a hidden danger in the future!"

"Yeah, Feng Zhang can finally compete with Zhi Wu this time."

When business people get together, they naturally talk about business-related matters.

"There has been no major war outside the Great Wall for 20 years. The political situation is stable, the railway is well developed, and Lüda is a good port. It is a good place to invest and do business."

"Yes, the Fengtian radio industry is developing very quickly. In the future, we will not have to rely on foreigners to transfer. We can directly send telegrams to foreign countries. This is much more convenient."

"Have you visited Northeastern University? It was just built last year. Wow, the campus is so huge."

"Not only is the campus large, but I heard that the annual funding is more than that of the Imperial University of Peking. I don't know where the Zhang family got so much money from!"

"Well, get a loan from the devils!"

"Maybe. I don't have much confidence in Fengpiao. I'd rather buy Dayang notes to preserve their value. Let's wait and see!"

The guests were either sitting, standing, or strolling around the rockery. They were all chatting animatedly, trying to gather information about Fengtian from all walks of life.

Not long after, a foreigner suddenly walked to the door of the brothel with a camera.

The surroundings immediately became quiet, as everyone knew that Marshal Zhang was coming to pay his respects.

Sure enough, following a few greetings from the master of ceremonies, Marshal Zhang, dressed in military uniform and with a sword at his waist, walked slowly out of the mansion accompanied by a group of trusted generals and Japanese politicians. He stood on the stone steps and waved to the guests in the venue.

He was extremely thin, and his features even looked a bit like an old lady.

There are very few northerners with such appearance as him.

Everyone rushed forward and bowed to congratulate the birthday boy.

Jiang Lianheng stood in the rockery gate of "Heavenly Reason and Human Heart" and looked up with everyone else.

Marshal Zhang had prepared a speech, but he forgot the words while speaking. He stood there and said several times, "Everyone, eat and drink well, drink and eat well," and then said, "Well, there's one more thing..."

What else is there, but I can’t remember it.

There was silence for a moment, and he only muttered "Fuck it" under his breath, and then he waved his hand and said, "Forget it, there's no more, everyone watch the show!"

Everybody laughed out loud and praised the old commander, saying that he was frank, open-minded, and unconventional, which was the true quality of a hero.

Marshal Zhang didn't care at all. He walked down the stairs and went straight to the main seat in front of the stage and sat down.

Seeing this, the rest of the people also took their seats one by one.

The party began immediately, and drum singers came on stage to warm up the party. Boss Mei was a big shot, so naturally he had to wait. The room was full of high-ranking officials and no one urged him to hurry, so they were all willing to give Boss Mei some face.

Jiang Lianheng was a Fengtian gentry and a secret agent consultant in the provincial capital, so he managed to get a seat in the last row.

Behind him, there are countless wealthy merchants who can only stand there and act stupidly.

He was listening to the actors on the stage singing "Yiyayaya" when he suddenly felt someone patting him on the shoulder from behind.

Jiang Lianheng turned around suddenly and saw Lao Chai, a man in a black police uniform and a big hat on his head, bending down and smiling at him.

"Boss Jiang, are you listening?"

"Hey, Mr. Jiang?"

Jiang Lianheng recognized this man. When Wang Tiekan was reorganizing the police force, it was this Mr. Jiang who helped to communicate and replaced the position of "Detective" Captain Zhao.

In recent years, the Jiang family has helped him "solve strange cases" many times, and Mr. Jiang Erye has become the district chief as he wished.

Seeing that it was an acquaintance, Jiang Lianheng was a little surprised, so he stood up and said, "I didn't notice you just now, come and sit down!"

Mr. Jiang waved his hands and said, "Boss Jiang, you are making fun of me. I am just an official of such a low rank, how can I have a seat? I have to lead a team to patrol the city!"

"Patrol? Then why do you have time to come here?"

"Well, about this...how about we talk for a moment?"

Jiang Lianheng frowned, stood up immediately, followed Mr. Jiang Er around the rockery, and found a secluded corner in the courtyard.

Although I didn't know the reason, I gradually had an idea of ​​it.

Sure enough, when they arrived at the place, Mr. Jiang looked around and saw that there was no one around. He smiled bitterly and asked, "Boss Jiang, the old commander is celebrating his birthday these three days, and the security in the whole city has been tightened. Have you... explained everything to the people online?"

"This is the job the Patrol Police assigned me last year. How dare I neglect it?"

Jiang Lianheng asked back, and immediately guessed the reason, and asked hurriedly: "What's the matter, is there something wrong in the city?"

Mr. Jiang had a gloomy face and was so upset that he kept sucking his teeth. After thinking for a while, he finally revealed the truth: "I just received the case. This matter is big and small..."

"Second Master, please stop keeping me in suspense. Just tell me what's going on. Has a guest from out of town been kidnapped?"

"It's not that serious. It's not a kidnapping case, but a theft case. A guest from out of town lost something. If it was money, I wouldn't bother you, but he lost... Oh, this old guy, the birthday gift he prepared for the old commander was stolen!"

(End of this chapter)