Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

Second War Zone, Pacification Headquarters, General Logistics Depot.

This place is the material hub of the entire Shanxi province. The mountains of military rations, brand-new uniforms, and boxes of ammunition all demonstrate the solid resources of the Second World War Zone today.

However, at this moment.

Inside the core accounting room of this warehouse, the atmosphere was as oppressive as an icebox.

Sun Ming, Chu Yunfei's loyal confidant who had followed him since Chu Yunfei's early days, was sitting expressionlessly behind a square table, wearing a brand-new military uniform with the special insignia of "General Headquarters of Military Law Enforcement" on the collar.

Before him lay a mountain of account books.

Behind him stood a dozen or so military law officers, all with equally stern expressions and pistols at their waists.

Inside the accounting office, the warehouse manager and several officers were already drenched in sweat and standing anxiously.

"Commander Sun," the warehouse manager forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, "You see, we've been checking for two days now. Our warehouse has a huge volume of transactions, so it's inevitable that there will be one or two discrepancies from time to time."

Sun Ming ignored him. He simply tapped lightly on a medicine inventory list with his fingers. The sound was not loud, but it struck the hearts of everyone present like a heavy hammer.

"Last October, the third batch of US aid supplies entered China via the Yunnan-Burma Road and were then transferred here in batches by relevant transport teams."

Among them, 500 boxes of sulfonamide powder and 20,000 vials of penicillin were seized.

Sun Ming read slowly, his gaze fixed on the warehouse director like a hawk: "The outbound records show that 70% of them were transferred to the front-line troops in Nankou, Changshan and other places before the counter-offensive in North China."

However, the remaining 30% was recorded in the books as 'daily losses' and 'distributed to various military hospitals'.

However, when I sent people to check the acceptance receipts from various military hospitals, the numbers didn't match.

Director Wang, with daily losses reaching 20%, isn't there a problem with your warehouse management?

Sun Ming slammed the ledger shut with a sharp crack, startling the director who trembled all over.

Sun Ming's voice suddenly turned cold: "Tell me! Where did the rest of the life-saving medicine go?!"

"I," said Wang, the warehouse director, stammering, sweating profusely, unable to utter a single word.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the accounting office, and a gentle voice rang out: "Oh dear, Commander Sun, what's wrong? Why are you so angry?"

“We are all serving the Party and the country, and we are all working under Commander Yan. Let’s talk things out.”

Everyone turned around and saw a middle-aged man in a Zhongshan suit, with a refined demeanor, walking in with a beaming smile, surrounded by a group of entourage.

The visitor was none other than Liang Huazhi, a trusted confidant of Yan Xishan and the Secretary-General of the SX Provincial Government.

"Secretary-General Liang."

Sun Ming stood up and gave a respectful salute, but his expression remained cold.

Liang Huazhi smiled and waved his hand. He first patted the warehouse director Wang's shoulder reassuringly, then turned to Sun Ming, looking very sincere: "Commander Sun, I know that you are here to enforce military discipline on the orders of Commander Chu."

"This is great news! We in Shanxi will absolutely give our full support!"

But what about...?

He changed the subject, lowering his voice slightly: "The situation in Shanxi is rather unique."

As you know, we are on the front lines and have been supporting ourselves alone for many years, so there are bound to be times when we have to compromise.

If the water is clear, there will be no fish.

This Director Wang has been with Commander Yan for many years; even if he hasn't made any great contributions, he has certainly put in a lot of hard work.

I think there might be some misunderstanding regarding these accounts.
Let him make it up.

We should prioritize unity and not let trivial matters damage our family harmony, don't you agree?

Liang Huazhi's words were impeccable, serving as a plea, an implication, and a subtle form of pressure.

However, Sun Ming seemed not to understand the hidden meaning in his words.

"Secretary-General Liang."

Sun Ming's voice remained unwavering: "I am acting on the orders of Commander Chu, and even more so on the orders of the Military Commission!"

"Military law is as firm as a mountain; there are no exceptions, and certainly no favoritism!"

"The accounts don't match, they just don't match!"

"I no longer have the authority to handle this matter."

Sun Ming's gaze passed over Liang Huazhi and looked towards the door. His tone suddenly became extremely respectful: "Everything must be decided by Your Excellency!"

Liang Huazhi's expression changed, and he turned around to look in the direction Sun Ming was looking.

Outside the warehouse gate, a dark, menacing group of figures had appeared.

Dozens of military trucks, fully loaded with armed soldiers, have completely surrounded the logistics depot!
Those soldiers, all dressed in Central Army uniforms, carrying Thompson submachine guns, had cold eyes and exuded murderous intent.

Liang Hua was immediately taken aback; these were Yan Xishan's most elite guard troops.
The car door opened, and Chu Yunfei, surrounded by a group of officers, slowly stepped out of the car.

He didn't even glance at Liang Huazhi who came to greet him, and went straight into the accounting room.

"Your Excellency!"

Sun Ming immediately stepped forward, saluted, and reported.

"I know everything." Chu Yunfei's voice was as cold as iron, devoid of any emotion.

He glanced around at the ashen-faced warehouse officials in the accounting office, finally fixing his gaze on Liang Huazhi, but his face remained expressionless.

"Secretary-General Liang, how have you been?"

"Commander Chu, it's been a long time."

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Liang Huazhi's forehead: "Such a small matter, and you have to go to all this trouble?"

"I am doing my official duties."

Chu Yunfei said calmly, and then gave an order that left no room for doubt.

"Pass on my order! Guard company, immediately seal off all warehouses, and no one is allowed to enter or leave!"

"All ledgers and receipts shall be sealed up and placed under the control of the military law department!"

"Sun Ming!"

"To!"

"I'm giving you one day to re-inventory all the supplies in the warehouses!"

"I need to know just how many things have vanished without a trace!"

"Yes!"

With Chu Yunfei issuing a series of orders, the entire logistics depot was completely taken over by his troops.

Liang Huazhi and his intercessors were politely but forcefully "invited" aside, their faces turning pale and then red, but they didn't dare utter a single word.

Chu Yunfei waited quietly to the side.

Sun Ming had already investigated for two days, so this time he didn't have to wait long.

However, Sun Ming keenly sensed the underlying meaning in Chu Yunfei's words.

Sun Ming, who had originally intended to handle the matter lightly, now gestured to his subordinates to uncover all the previously unreported intelligence.

Three hours later.

A written report appeared in Chu Yunfei's hand.

The above is Sun Ming's investigation results.

The Taiyuan General Warehouse in the Second World War Zone was not only short of medicines, but also of large quantities of military cloth, some gasoline, flour, and even weapons and ammunition.

"Hmph!" Chu Yunfei snorted angrily and immediately slapped the report aside.

His gaze swept over Director Wang, the warehouse manager.

Director Wang trembled violently and collapsed to the ground.

To be fair, the deficits and corruption in the Second World War zone are hardly a problem.

Even if Dai Yunong personally led a team to investigate, they would only tacitly accept that such a situation had occurred.

But Chu Yunfei was different.
It's highly unlikely he'd tolerate any wrongdoing, especially corruption related to military supplies.

A box of penicillin could potentially save two lives.

"Sun Ming..."

"Have!"

"Investigate thoroughly and find out the specifics of this industry chain as quickly as possible!"

"Yes!"
-
Shanxi, the headquarters of the Second World War Zone. In stark contrast to the chaotic and somber atmosphere of the frontline logistics depot.

The area was heavily guarded, and the atmosphere was somber.

The air was filled with the aroma of fine Longjing tea and a faint scent of sandalwood.

The tea that Yan Laoxi received was also delivered by someone arranged by Chen Zejun.

Compared to Chu Yunfei, Yan Laoxi seemed to prefer tea tasting.

Da da da.

Liang Huazhi's face turned ashen. He hurried through the corridor and almost ran into Yan Xishan's inner study.

At this moment, the head steward of the Yan mansion, who always maintained a refined and composed demeanor in public, was completely drained of color from his face.

Inside the study, Yan Xishan sat in a chair, holding a thread-bound copy of "Zizhi Tongjian" in his hands.

Beside him was Yang Aiyuan, the deputy commander of the Second War Zone, who was also dressed in civilian clothes.

The two were talking in hushed tones.

The two old friends, who no longer held real power, no longer engaged in their usual infighting.

"Sir!" Liang Huazhi staggered as he entered, his voice trembling, "Something terrible has happened!"

Yan Xishan casually put down his book, raised his eyelids, and a glint of shrewdness flashed in his seemingly cloudy old eyes: "What's the matter that you're so panicked?"

"Chu Yunfei has sealed off the main logistics warehouse!"

Liang Huazhi said urgently, "He sent people to check the accounts, and Director Wang and the others couldn't withstand it at all, so they all confessed!"

"Your security forces have now taken over all the warehouses and are taking inventory one by one!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Aiyuan raised an eyebrow and revealed a gloating expression.

As a soldier, he had always disliked those civilian officials who made money in the rear.

Yan Xishan's expression remained unchanged. He simply picked up his teacup slowly and blew away the foam: "Inspecting the accounts is a power granted to him by the Chairman."

The warehouse was sealed off to prevent someone from destroying evidence.

Arresting people is a necessary procedure in the trial process.

"Huazhi, you've seen your share of storms, how can you be so easily flustered?"

Liang Huazhi had previously been in charge of liaising with the Yan'an side and was regarded as a "leftist" by the Jin Army faction.

Without the Jinxi Incident, Yan Xishan would have remained firmly in power in Shanxi.

Liang Huazhi was naturally not sidelined in the mountain city, and instead became a leading figure in the anti-Gang movement in pursuit of power.

As one of the bridges for communication between the two sides, Yan Laoxi valued Liang Huazhi highly.

Moreover, he had a close relationship with Yan Laoxi's sister.
"Sir! This time it's different!" Liang Huazhi's voice was almost crying. "The drug smuggling case that Sun Ming investigated has far-reaching implications! Several department heads and section chiefs in our agency, as well as many local officials in the counties below, are involved!"

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Xishan finally put down his teacup and sat up straight.

He was actually aware of this matter, but he never inquired about it.

After all, a loss of 20% is actually acceptable.

Yang Aiyuan, standing to the side, snorted coldly and said in an undisguised sarcastic tone, "Fine!"
He is truly a good official from Shanxi!
While our brothers on the front lines were fighting the Japanese with their lives, lacking medical supplies, these people were making a fortune by reselling life-saving medicines in the rear!

For a few dirty bucks, they'd even touch weapons and medicine!
I think Chu Yunfei should have all these bastards dragged out and shot!

These words were like a needle, piercing Liang Huazhi's heart.

He turned around abruptly, glaring at Yang Aiyuan, his usual gentleness gone, replaced by a flushed, excited expression.

"Deputy Commander Yang! You're just making sarcastic remarks without any sense of the pain!" Liang Huazhi's voice suddenly rose as well: "You soldiers are receiving American aid, armed with Soviet weapons, and even receive double pay during wartime, with no shortage of uniforms or rations!"

"But what about us? What about us provincial government officials and those below us?"

"Since the start of the war, the finances have been strained, and officials' salaries have been reduced again and again, now less than a third of what they were before the war!"

"Which of their subordinates doesn't have a family to support?"

"Prices in Shanxi are skyrocketing these days, and it's becoming increasingly difficult to make ends meet!"

"They made a mistake, but they were forced into it!"

"You well-fed men have no idea how hungry we starving men are!"

Yang Aiyuan suddenly stood up, glaring angrily: "Forced?"

"Is it acceptable to sell arms and collude with the enemy when forced into a corner?"

"So, according to you, they're in the right?!"

Liang Huazhi hurriedly explained, "I didn't say they were right! I just said there was a reason for it!"

"enough!"

Just as the two were about to start arguing, Yan Xishan, who was sitting on the heated kang, finally slammed his hand heavily on the kang table, making a muffled sound.

The study fell silent instantly.

Yan Xishan slowly glanced at the two men, his cloudy old eyes revealing no emotion.

He remained silent for a long time, so long that Liang Huazhi and Yang Aiyuan felt uneasy.

Finally, he spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable determination.

"Aiyuan is talking about national law and military law. Huazhi is talking about human relationships."

He said slowly, "Military law must be respected, but human sentiment cannot be ignored either."

"After all, they are all old friends who have followed me, Yan Baichuan, for many years."

Yan Laoxi looked at Liang Huazhi and said, "Chu Yunfei's strike was carried out on the Chairman's orders and was also an attempt to establish his authority. We cannot stop him, nor should we try to stop him by force."

He paused, then changed the subject: "But killing chickens is permissible."

"If you want to kill all the chickens in this pot of soup from Shanxi, then this pot of soup will get cold."

He pondered for a moment before finally making his decision.

"Huazhi, go and call Yufa here."

"Yes."

Soon after, Xie Ming strode into the study.

Yan Xishan took out a letter from under the kang table, picked up a brush, wrote a few words on it, put it in an envelope, and sealed it with sealing wax.

He handed the letter to Xie Ming and instructed in a meaningful tone, "You, go to the main logistics warehouse in person and deliver this letter to Yunfei personally."

"Tell him that only the three of us know the contents of the letter."

Yan Xishan pointed to himself, then to Xie Ming.

The last one, naturally, is Chu Yunfei.

"Tell him again that I, an old man, know it's difficult for him."

"Investigating cases is fine. Murder is also acceptable."

"But everything should be done in moderation."

"Killing one to warn a hundred, that's acceptable."

"But don't escalate it, and don't make everyone feel insecure."

"After all..." Yan Xishan's voice became distant and complex, "Shanxi is full of our own people."

"If you discourage your own people, it will be difficult to lead this team in the future."

"Yes, sir." Xie Ming took the heavy letter, bowed, and withdrew.

The study returned to its previous tranquility.

Yan Xishan picked up the "Zizhi Tongjian" again, as if nothing had happened.

Yang Aiyuan continued chatting with Yan Laoxi in a casual manner.

But both Liang Huazhi and Yang Aiyuan understood that this "King of Shanxi" had already begun his political maneuvering in the way he was best at.

Instead of confronting Chu Yunfei head-on, he used a private letter and the sentiment of being "one of their own" to try and draw up his final, acceptable line for the impending purge. (End of Chapter)