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

Hearing his friend's words, Gu Cheng fell silent.

It's not that he doesn't like Wang Yuyou... Having lived through two lifetimes, he has never actually met a girl like her.

Gu Cheng had met all sorts of women—the shrewd and sophisticated women of Fengtian social circles, the capable and efficient women of the Japanese military academy, and the shrewd and worldly women of Jinzhou merchant families.

There are all sorts of girls in the 21st century... They are all smart and beautiful, but each of them carries a thin shell, like glazed porcelain, which looks shiny but only makes a solid sound when tapped.

She is like a still, deep pool of water, not in a hurry to flow anywhere, nor in a hurry to show people how clear she is.

He didn't say much, but every word carried weight... He didn't do much, but everything he did was spot on. That bag of tobacco, and that phrase, "Yu'er understands everything here"—

Like a slender vine, it neither entangles nor makes a fuss, yet it quietly takes root in Gu Cheng's heart.

In this chaotic world where everyone is eager to prove themselves, her silence and gentleness became a force that Gu Cheng could not ignore.

The temperament that Gu Cheng had never seen in anyone before was a calm and serene beauty in this turbulent era... The gentler and more tender she was, the more precious she became to Gu Cheng.

"You're right. Once the exam arrangements are settled, I really should bring this up."

Gu Cheng gazed at the pomegranate tree in the courtyard and said in a low voice.

Gao Tianqi smiled, a smile that was somewhat mischievous, and also one of her own delight for him: "I've known you for so many years, and this is the first time I've heard you say something like that. It seems that Miss Wang has really got you wrapped around her little finger."

Gu Cheng did not deny it, but a slight smile appeared on his face that he himself did not notice.

"Alright, let's eat. We have things to do after we finish."

…………

That evening, after Gu Cheng and Zhang Tingshu finished dinner, the butler Zhou Ran brought in two staff officers from the General Staff Department.

Both men were good friends of Zhang Tingshu, and they came to Jinzhou to join him after he was promoted to chief of staff.

Su Nan was a graduate of Yenching University and a native of Fengtian; while Lin Jiusi was from Shanxi and followed his family to Northeast China after his family fell on hard times.

The two men stood at attention and saluted. Su Nan spoke first: "Reporting to the brigade commander, all the written test papers have been graded. Forty-seven people have passed, and the list has been preliminarily compiled. Please take a look, Master Gu."

As he spoke, he handed over a list with both hands.

Gu Cheng took the list and placed it on the table. Without looking at it in a hurry, he gestured for them to sit down first: "Tell me about the situation."

Su Nan sat down and adjusted his glasses: "Overall, the difficulty of this test was moderate, and it differentiated students quite well. The highest score went to Zhou Demao from the Second Battalion—"

Upon hearing the name, Gu Cheng's face immediately darkened, and he coldly asked, "Did you bring his exam paper? Let me see it."

The two exchanged glances and took out several test papers from their briefcases: "Brigade Commander, after the papers were graded, the top ten papers have been brought here for your review."

Gu Cheng nodded silently, picked up the ten test papers on the table, and looked at them one by one.

He moved slowly and looked very carefully, but Gao Tianqi, who was sitting next to him, knew that he was looking for something whose answer was already known.

After flipping through all the papers, Gu Cheng turned the stack back over and placed Zhou Demao's paper on top.

"You two sit down."

Gu Cheng gestured for them to sit down, then handed the exam paper to Gao Tianqi, who was standing next to him. "Here, take a look and see if I wronged that bastard."

Gao Tianqi reached out and took it, then lowered his head to examine it closely.

This is Zhou Demao's exam paper.

His handwriting was neat and his answers were complete, with almost no blank spaces—just as he had guessed that morning, he answered the entire paper with ease, as if he already knew the questions and only needed to write down the answers in his mind.

Gao Tianqi's brows furrowed, and he said in a deep voice, "This is too obvious! To fool us like this is to treat the entire General Staff like monkeys!"

Without hesitation, Gu Cheng raised his hand and gently tapped the table.

Gao Tianqi immediately understood and handed him a fountain pen.

Gu Cheng took it and immediately drew a horizontal line under the three characters "Zhou Demao".

Clean and neat.

"Zhou Demao's exam qualification has been revoked."

Gu Cheng announced the decision, and Su Nan and Lin Jiusi exchanged a glance, clearly surprised by the decision, but neither of them asked any further questions.

Gu Cheng then asked, "How did those four brothers who took the extra exam do?"

He was referring to Li Dazhu and the three who came with him… Lin Jiusi immediately replied, “You mean Li Dazhu? Because it was an impromptu exam, they had to hand in their papers a little later… but all four of them didn’t do well and have been eliminated.”

Gu Cheng frowned: "What, even Li Dazhu won't do? Isn't he literate?"

Su Nan adjusted his glasses and nodded, saying, "Yes, the handwriting is messy, he didn't get many of the calculation problems right, and the picture recognition question and the last question were both blank."

Gu Cheng thought for a moment and said, "Since Zhou Demao has been disqualified, let Li Dazhu fill the vacant spot."

Su Nan paused, as if he hadn't quite heard him: "Brigade Commander, you mean... let Li Dazhu advance to the next round? But his written test score—"

"I know," Gu Cheng interrupted him, "but don't forget—the circumstances under which he took the exam. He rushed over from the construction site this morning, without even having time to change his clothes, his hands were covered in mud, and he almost couldn't hold his pen properly."

Besides, I've dealt with this person several times, and he's quite capable... He can learn to calculate, and he can relearn and recognize characters. I don't want to miss out on a talented person because he failed a rushed exam.

Su Nan nodded: "Brigade Commander, I understand. I'll arrange for Li Dazhu to be included in the next round."

Gu Cheng smiled: "It's not an arrangement, it's giving him a chance. Let him participate in the physical fitness test, run and carry loads with those forty-seven people. If he can do it, he'll stay; if not, he'll be eliminated. Fair competition."

After saying this, his smile deepened. "Judging from your appearance, you two rushed over without having dinner yet, right? Old Zhou, quickly tell the cook to prepare a couple of side dishes, and also—"

Just as Lin Jiusi was about to wave his hand, Yang Song stepped in and whispered a message to Gu Cheng, saying that Deputy Brigade Commander Cai had arrived and had something to discuss.

Gu Cheng remained calm and turned to Gao Tianqi, saying, "Tianqi, you accompany Su Nan and Lin Jiusi to eat first. Old Zhou, have the cook prepare two hot dishes and a bowl of hot soup, so they don't go back hungry."

Gao Tianqi understood, stood up, and waved to Su Nan and Lin Jiusi. The two glanced at Gu Cheng, then at Gao Tianqi, and without asking any further questions, followed Gao Tianqi out of the side hall.

Once their footsteps faded into the distance under the corridor, Gu Cheng turned to Yang Song and said, "Tell him to wait for me in the study. I'll be right there."

Yang Song responded and turned to leave quickly.

The study door was ajar, and the light was on inside.

When Gu Cheng pushed open the door, Cai Changyuan was standing in front of the desk, his back to the door, his gaze fixed on the wall with the Jinzhou defense map hanging on it.