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

Gu Cheng waved his hand, telling them to get back to their work. The two men, feeling as if they had been granted a pardon, quickly took their leave and turned to walk briskly into the depths of the construction site.

Mu Haisheng took a few steps and then looked back. Seeing Gu Cheng looking at them, he quickly turned his head away and quickened his pace, as if afraid of being called back.

Gu Cheng watched the two figures leave without saying a word.

The sunlight shone on them so brightly it was almost blinding, but Gu Cheng saw them arguing about something as they left.

Ting Shu stood aside, watching them walk away.

With his intelligence, he had noticed it too, and whispered to him, "Jingchuan, this Cai Changyuan has too many ideas of his own—and I think he instructed Lao Mu to convey some of these things."

Gu Cheng turned to look at Zhang Tingxu, nodding thoughtfully: "Very likely. Mu Haisheng is honest; he shouldn't have so many hidden agendas."

At this point, he turned his gaze to the two people who had already walked away and continued, "I heard Li Mao say before that Cai Changyuan doesn't have much say under Tang Yulin. He's a good commander... but he's been stuck in the 11th Mixed Brigade for so many years and he's got some resentment."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Tingshu frowned: "Even if there's any resentment, that's all in the past... Why are you stirring things up now?"

Gu Cheng glanced at him, shook his head and smiled, gesturing for him to walk out of the camp as he said softly, "I don't think this matter is as simple as you think... Cai Changyuan has been able to serve as Tang Yulin's deputy for so long, and also get along so well with people like Tang Zongxi, he must be incredibly cunning."

Zhang Tingxu, who was walking alongside him, was taken aback: "What do you mean? Did he do this on purpose?"

The two had already left the construction site. Li Fei, the driver standing by the car, straightened his back and saluted, then immediately ran up to open the car door for them.

"Go to the Jinzhou garrison."

Gu Cheng first directed the driver to drive, then continued speaking to his good friend, "Now that he is Mu Haisheng's superior, the words are coming from his mouth."

In this way, when these veterans panic and come to us to cause trouble and complain, he can step in and play the good cop, saying, "I'll go and talk to Master Gu on your behalf, and try my best to keep you here."

Firstly, the veterans would feel indebted to him; secondly, he would gain a good reputation among his brothers for "caring for his subordinates."

Zhang Tingshu looked somewhat surprised: "You mean... when the 11th Mixed Brigade started its reorganization, he was giving himself preferential treatment? I'm telling you, Jingchuan, isn't this going against you?"

Gu Cheng glanced at the scenery outside the window and smiled: "It's not about competing with each other, it's about testing the waters."

"What are you testing?"

"The bottom line," Gu Cheng said in a low voice, "He wants to know how far I can tolerate him going in this matter of reorganizing the army."

Today he mentioned "laying off those old, disobedient employees," and I didn't back down. If he brings it up again next time, and I still don't give in, he'll know—there are some lines you can't cross.

Zhang Tingshu was silent for a moment, then suddenly sneered: "This Cai Changyuan, he's got a good plan. He was timid under Tang Yulin for so many years, but now that he's under you, he's starting to act tough."

Gu Cheng said calmly, "He's not trembling, he's just unwilling to accept it. Capable people, after holding back for a long time, all want to test their abilities."

Seemingly noticing his friend's displeasure, he smiled again, "What's wrong with you? This is both a good thing and a bad thing. If used well, it's a knife; if used poorly, it will hurt you."

Zhang Tingshu shrugged: "So what do you plan to do? Give him a warning?"

"No rush," Gu Cheng shook his head. "He hasn't crossed the line yet; he's just testing the waters. If I push him too hard, it'll make me seem guilty. Let's see what he does next."

Zhang Tingshu looked at him with some concern: "I'm afraid you're too composed. Some people, the more composed you are, the more they think you're easy to bully."

Gu Cheng closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair: "Then he'll give it a try."

He opened his eyes and stared at the fields and villages rushing past the window, his mind racing.

Cai Changyuan, Mu Haisheng, Zhao Dehou, the army reorganization, the military camp, the chamber of commerce, Kikuchi, Yang Yuting… one thing after another, all piled up together. But what's meant to happen will happen.

By the time the car entered the Jinzhou base area, the sun was already setting.

The sentries outside the camp gate saw the vehicle from afar, stood at attention and saluted, and then several soldiers quickly lifted the wooden barricades away.

The car stopped outside the central command tent. As soon as Gu Cheng got out of the car, he heard a hearty laugh coming from inside.

"Mr. Gu, you've arrived!"

Ji Jinchun strode out to greet them, pulling Gu Cheng with one hand and Zhang Tingshu with the other, his enthusiasm as if he had seen his long-lost nephew.

"Uncle Ji," Gu Cheng smiled, "I was delayed on the way, sorry to have kept you waiting."

"You flatter me by saying that!" Ji Jinchun pulled him inside. "I don't have that many rules here."

"Come, come, sit inside. I've had some tea made; it's this year's newly harvested Longjing tea—sent by an old subordinate of mine from Hangzhou, which I usually can't bear to drink."

The two entered the house and took their seats as host and guest.

Zhang Tingshu followed behind, and Ji Jinchun also invited him to sit down.

Gu Cheng didn't waste any words with him and went straight to the point about the recent military reorganization.

Ji Jinchun was also a straightforward person: "Master Gu, the recruitment of new soldiers is going more smoothly than expected. We have recruited 437 people from several counties in western Liaoning and towns around Jinzhou. They are all farmers in their early twenties, with good strength and a solid foundation."

Liu Xiangjiu is leading the training, and he says that if these promising youngsters can be trained, they can be promoted to higher levels by the end of the year.

As he spoke, he pulled out another roster, pointing to the densely packed numbers on it, "Among the veterans, after removing those who are seriously injured, disabled, or truly unable to work, there are still 923 left, all of whom are willing to stay and be transferred to other posts."

I've already had the lists distributed; they've compiled a list of how many people are needed for the main construction site, warehouse, material yard, and logistics. Cai Changyuan submitted a number, but I haven't approved it yet; it's still being verified.

Gu Cheng held his teacup, listening to him speak, his gaze fixed on the lists, without interrupting.

Ji Jinchun continued, "However, there are some things I need to tell you. Several officers from different companies have privately told me that the information about veterans being transferred to other posts is not being relayed in the same way across different companies."

Some companies were clear and concise, which put everyone at ease; others were vague, leaving the men uncertain and demotivated. I had someone investigate and discovered that Cai Changyuan had directly relayed the messages from those vague companies.

As he spoke, he glanced at Gu Cheng again, and seeing that his expression remained unchanged, he continued, "Master Gu, I'm not complaining about Cai Changyuan. I just feel that the reorganization of the army must be fair and impartial. The message conveyed by each company must be consistent, so that the brothers don't have any doubts. What do you say?"

Gu Cheng put down his teacup: "Uncle Ji, you handle this matter. Reiterate the message to each company, explaining each point clearly. Don't find it troublesome. If anyone spreads rumors or causes trouble again, come to me, and I will speak to them personally."

Ji Jinchun nodded, straightening his back: "Understood."