Siheyuan: Hang Jia Dongxu, smash Banggeng to death!

The next day.

The press conference was held in the building that housed the former headquarters of the Kwantung Army after the liberation of Beiping.

The hall was spacious and bright, and the audience was packed with reporters, both Chinese and foreign.

Lin Tian walked in through the side door, wearing a well-tailored little suit. Despite being only eight years old, his eyes were sharp.

The entire room fell silent instantly, all eyes fixed on that small figure.

Someone raised their camera, and the flash went off in a flurry.

Someone was quickly jotting something down in a small notebook.

Some people whispered among themselves, "This is the commander of the Chinese Independent Brigade? Is he really just a child?"

Lin Tian walked onto the stage, sat down in the main seat, glanced around at the audience, cleared his throat, and spoke in a clear, crisp voice:

"Hello, fellow journalists. I am Lin Tian, ​​commander of the Huaxia Independent Brigade. Welcome. Please ask me any questions you may have."

A sea of ​​arms shot up from the audience.

A Chinese female reporter wearing a cheongsam was the first to stand up. She was from Ta Kung Pao, had her hair in a ponytail, and had a heroic air about her.

"Commander Lin, I'm a reporter from Ta Kung Pao. First of all, congratulations on your liberation of Northeast China. My question is, will you still take action against the Japanese?"

This is something that people around the world want to know.

A slow smile crept onto Lin Tian's lips: "Yes, those who offend China, no matter how far away, will be punished."

Another burst of flashbulbs went off in the audience.

The female reporter nodded and sat down, quickly taking notes in her notebook.

A blond, blue-eyed foreign journalist stood up. He was from The Times of the United Kingdom, dressed in a sharp suit, and spoke Chinese somewhat awkwardly.

"Commander Lin, I am a reporter from The Times of London. I would like to ask why you ordered the killing of prisoners? According to international law, killing prisoners is illegal. What is your explanation for this?"

The atmosphere in the hall instantly became tense, and all eyes were on Lin Tian.

This is a difficult question to answer, otherwise it would cause controversy internationally.

Lin Tian said coldly, "Prisoners? Are there any? Where would there be prisoners on the battlefield? I don't know anything about them."

The reporter paused for a moment, then opened his notebook and read aloud: "According to our intelligence, during the battles in Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning provinces, you ordered the killing of surrendered Japanese soldiers, the total number exceeding..."

"The prisoners you're talking about, are you referring to those ordinary people who surrendered?"

Lin Tian interrupted him, his voice turning cold, the chill of which made the temperature in the room drop several degrees.

"Then I'll shoot you dead first, then raise my hand and apologize, saying my gun went off accidentally."

"Then, does that mean I'm not the enemy, not the murderer, but a prisoner?"

The reporter was taken aback, and stammered, "This...this is different..."

"What's the difference?"

Lin Tian stood up, placed his hands on the table, leaned forward, and stared at the ground with a sharp gaze. "This is the difference between an individual and a group. They invaded our country, slaughtered our compatriots, bullied our sisters, and burned down our homes."

The crimes they committed are countless. Now that they can't be defeated, they're surrendering, thinking they can get away with it? Dream on!

The audience was silent.

The reporter's face flushed red and then turned pale.

"Next."

Lin Tian's tone returned to calm.

A bespectacled male reporter from The New York Times stood up and asked a question in English, which was simultaneously translated by the translator beside him.

"Commander Lin, I am a reporter from the U.S. New York Times. May I ask how you managed to become a commander at such a young age?"

You also possess a powerful army; how come I've never heard of the Chinese Independent Brigade before?

This is something the whole world wants to know.

Lin Tian picked up the water glass on the table, took a sip to moisten his throat, then put the glass down and began to spout nonsense with a straight face:

"China is so vast, it's normal that you haven't heard of it. We are the Ming Dynasty's protector of the dragon, and our purpose is to safeguard the existence of the Chinese land."

A buzz of discussion arose from the audience.

The Ming Dynasty?

The Dragon Protector Clan?

What is all this about?

The reporters looked at each other in bewilderment. Some thought they had misheard, some were scribbling notes in their notebooks, and some were taking pictures like crazy.

"As for why the army is so powerful..."

Lin Tian paused for a moment, then said, "Study the Yongle Encyclopedia more, and you'll learn from Western thieves; they steal much better."

Only a wild boar like the Wild Boar would forsake a treasure trove and let an old witch sell out its kingdom.

All the reporters present were stunned.

They didn't understand what "wild boar skin" meant, but they understood who "old witch" referred to—that was big news!

The flashes went off in a flurry, and all the camera lenses were pointed at Lin Tian.

Another reporter stood up and asked a question in heavily accented Chinese.

"Commander Lin, I am a reporter from the French newspaper Le Figaro."

What are your views on the current international situation, especially your attitude towards everyday life?

Lin Tian leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the table. "A comfortable life? Invaders must be defeated. In China, we serve morning tea to friends and artillery to wolves."

The press conference lasted for two hours.

The reporters asked many questions: about the war, about politics, about the economy, and about culture.

Lin Tian answered each question perfectly, leaving no room for error.

He was neither like an eight-year-old child nor a traditional warlord, but more like a mature politician.

After the reception, reporters flocked out, rushing to the telegraph office and newspaper offices, vying to publish their stories.

The next day, newspapers all over the world were reporting on the interview.

The Times of the United Kingdom ran the headline: "Commander of the Chinese Independent Brigade declares 'Those who offend China, though far away, will be punished.'"

The New York Times headline read: "Eight-year-old commander claims to be from the Ming Dynasty's imperial clan, sparking heated debate."

Le Figaro wrote: "The mysterious Chinese general refused to admit to killing prisoners, asking the reporter, 'Was that considered a prisoner?'"

The Yomiuri Shimbun, however, was in a state of panic: "The commander of the Chinese Independent Brigade has declared that he will continue to fight against Japan, and the safety of the Empire is in grave danger."

The entire land of China was in an uproar.

In the teahouse, the storyteller turned Lin Tian's answer into a joke and told it with great enthusiasm.

In the classroom, the teacher read the newspaper to the students, and when he got to the exciting parts, the students applauded and cheered.

People on the streets and alleys were talking about it, saying that a young hero had emerged in China, who became a commander at the age of eight and defeated the Japanese invaders.

Chiang Kai-shek was reading the newspaper at his official residence, his hands trembling slightly.

"The Ming Dynasty's imperial clan? The Yongle Encyclopedia? What is this child's background? Everything he says is strange."

Dai Li stood respectfully to the side and said, "Chairman, we are still investigating, but this unit seems to have appeared out of thin air, with no background and no historical record."

"Investigate, keep investigating, you must find out the truth."

Inside a cave dwelling in Yan'an, the old general, pipe in mouth, read a newspaper and laughed heartily. "This kid's interesting, a member of the Ming Dynasty's imperialist clan?"

The "Protectors of the Dragon Clan" protect the emperor, but they are protecting China. That's well said; we are also protecting China.

……