Republic of China, 1922: Rise from the Post-Zhili-Fengtian War

"Hehe, Sixth Master, you're right."

When his name was called, Yang Yuting, who was standing to the side, just chuckled twice. Sun Lianchen felt like he had just dropped his words and was a little confused. But he quickly turned his gaze to Gu Cheng and asked, "Jingchuan, you've made so many fuss in Jinzhou. Have you gone back to see your uncle yet?"

The other day we were drinking together, and I mentioned you to him. He kept saying you're heartless... So many days have passed, and you haven't even sent a message, just causing trouble in Jinzhou!

Upon hearing this, Gu Cheng quickly replied, "Oh dear, I just arrived in Fengtian and haven't even had a chance to go back and see my uncle yet; I've been so busy these past two months that I've completely forgotten about him, I deserve a beating!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Liechen laughed twice more, then pulled him along as they walked deeper into the marshal's mansion: "We old brothers all know each other, don't we? He may be sharp-tongued, but he cares about you more than anyone else... Now that things are settled, you'd better make time to go back, don't let him keep nagging. Don't let his endless chatter fool you, he's secretly very happy!"

As the group walked side by side, Gu Cheng felt a surge of emotion.

Feng Delin had nothing but praise for him.

From the moment he received the order at the Marshal's Mansion, everything from money and personnel to connections both inside and outside the headquarters paved the way for him.

Now that he has established himself in Jinzhou, it's time for him to go back and visit his uncle, who is sharp-tongued but kind-hearted.

Just as he was thinking this, Yang Yuting suddenly raised his hand to look at his watch and casually interjected, "Sixth Master, you are about to take up your post in Jilin. There are still some handover documents to review at the General Staff Headquarters. What do you think—"

Sun Liechen's smile froze slightly, then he waved his hand impatiently: "Alright, alright, I know. Official business is important, official business is important."

He turned to look at Gu Cheng, patted him on the shoulder again, and said, "Jingchuan, go see the commander first, we'll talk later. Don't forget to go back and see your uncle, and give him my regards."

Gu Cheng quickly replied, "Don't worry, Sixth Uncle, I will definitely pass on the message."

Zhang Tingshu also bowed and said, "Sixth Uncle, take care."

Sun Liechen nodded, glanced at Yang Yuting again, and turned to walk towards the other end of the corridor.

Yang Yuting nodded slightly to Gu Cheng, a cold smile still on his lips, and turned to follow Sun Liechen away.

Gu Cheng watched the two walk away, the smile on his face gradually fading.

Zhang Tingshu curled his lip and said, "That old bastard Yang Yuting, is he doing this on purpose? Talking so sarcasticly, what's with all this talk about official business?"

Gu Cheng didn't respond.

Yang Yuting did it on purpose, of course. He remembered the complaint he filed against Yang for embezzling funds from Jinzhou.

Now that he has escorted Haruhi Yumi back to Fengtian, a great achievement, he is probably even more unhappy and will most likely find an excuse to upset him.

"Let's go, the commander is still waiting." Gu Cheng straightened his clothes and strode towards the main hall.

As the two walked around the corridor, a familiar figure came up from the main hall entrance to greet them—Zhao Xishun, Zhang Zuolin's personal bodyguard.

Seeing Gu Cheng approach, a smile appeared on his face, and he quickly came to greet him: "Jingchuan! Oh, I've been waiting for you two for a long time, the handsome man has been waiting for you for a while."

He stepped aside to let the two of them go upstairs, and said with a smile, "Come on, he's in a good mood today, he'll definitely reward you two handsomely later."

As soon as he entered, he saw Zhang Zuolin wearing a black silk robe, examining a jade vase with a magnifying glass.

Hearing the commotion as they entered, the old fox didn't put down his magnifying glass. He merely glanced at the two of them before continuing to admire the antique.

Gu Cheng and Zhang Tingshu exchanged a glance, stepped forward together, stood at attention side by side, and raised their hands in salute.

Zhang Zuolin didn't put down the magnifying glass, nor did he even look up. He simply lifted his eyelids behind the lens to glance at the two of them, his gaze lingering for a moment on their crisp military uniforms before returning to examining the celadon vase.

The vase was smooth and lustrous, with exquisite carvings, and gleamed softly under the lamplight, clearly indicating its high value.

"You're back?" he grumbled, his tone unreadable. "Damn it, that bitch... I finally caught her."

Gu Cheng and Zhang Tingshu remained motionless, waiting for him to continue.

Zhang Zuolin put down the magnifying glass, turned around, leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and glanced at the two men.

There was neither anger nor laughter in those triangular eyes, but something indescribable, like scrutiny or satisfaction, yet his words were sharp and unforgiving.

"But the moment you two grabbed the man, this little devil brought me the 'leg of lamb'."

He picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, and slowly put it down. "It was sent personally by the Kwantung Army Headquarters. They said it was a 'visit of condolences,' but in reality, they were there to sound out what was going on."

"How can those little devils be so shameless? They're the ones causing trouble, and they're also the ones offering the lamb leg. Damn it, do you think I want that piece of junk lamb leg?"

He picked up the magnifying glass and gently tapped the jade vase, producing a crisp sound, as if he were tapping someone's head.

"I, Old Zhang, am a common man; I don't like this kind of thing." He glanced sideways at Gu Cheng, his smile clearly probing. "Jingchuan, guess what I like?"

Gu Cheng smiled slightly: "You like guns, cannons, territory, and soldiers who can fight—these are what the Marshal truly values. As for vases and calligraphy, those are the things of pedantic scholars; the Marshal wouldn't even look at them."

Zhang Zuolin was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter, the sound of which echoed throughout the hall.

He pointed at Gu Cheng and said to Zhang Tingshu, "Listen to this, listen to this! This kid's been in Jinzhou for two months, and he's gotten quite the smooth talker!"

Zhang Tingshu quickly chimed in, "General, Jingchuan is right! Sending this broken vase is not as practical as giving a few boxes of hand grenades! Those things can explode and kill enemies, much better than a vase."

Zhang Zuolin laughed even harder.

He quickly wiped away the tears of laughter, pointed at Zhang Tingxu, and shook his head: "You two lads, you're both good talkers. For every one thing I say, you have ten to say. Fine, fine, I can't argue with you."

He suppressed his smile, leaned back in his chair, and scanned the two faces back and forth several times before his tone suddenly turned serious.

"But then again, the Jinzhou matter was handled quite well. The people were arrested, the evidence was complete, and the South Manchuria Railway Company didn't dare to say a word. I didn't misjudge them."

He paused, then added, dissatisfied, "But—your progress is way too slow! Damn it, they'd be old and dying by the time they've had a baby!"

Gu Cheng and Zhang Tingshu exchanged a glance, but neither dared to utter a sound.

"Jingchuan, tell me—what stage is the construction of the Jinzhou Camp at now?" Zhang Zuolin casually tossed a magnifying glass onto the table and glared at the two of them as he asked.

Gu Cheng replied truthfully, "Reporting to the Commander, the foundation of the main camp has been laid, and the main structure of the barracks is under construction. It is expected that the main framework will be completed before winter."