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

Mu Haisheng immediately stood at attention: "Yes, sir! I'll take care of it right away!"

He had just left Gu Cheng's office when Gao Tianqi came around from the other side of the courtyard.

He first glanced cautiously to see if Mu Haisheng had gone far before jogging into Gu Cheng's office.

Upon looking up and seeing it was him, Gu Cheng was taken aback: "What's wrong? Why are you acting so suspiciously?"

As he said this, he noticed that his friend's face was flushed red to the roots of his ears, with an expression of undisguised ecstasy.

During his school days, he was nicknamed "Little Calculator" because he was known for his shrewdness in calculation and his calm and meticulous nature. The original owner did not recall him ever showing this expression before.

"Jingchuan, we've really struck it rich this time! Who would have thought that such a small South Manchuria Railway branch in Lianshan would hide so many good things!"

As he spoke, he quickly spread the compiled list on the table, pointing to the items with barely suppressed excitement in his voice: "Rifles, two single-digit quantities of bullets... Besides rice, there's even a whole box of Western medicine! These are all rare items!"

Gu Cheng looked down at the list, which clearly listed all the supplies that had been transported back from Lianshan overnight:

More than forty Type 38 rifles, over six thousand rounds of ammunition, and two boxes of Japanese hand grenades; in addition, there were even four light machine guns, which were weapons that the regiment urgently needed.

Twenty bags of refined white rice, more than ten sets of military overcoats... The most eye-catching item was a whole box of Western medicine: sulfonamide tablets, hemostatic powder, bandages, and disinfectant, all of which were the most urgently needed items in the city at the moment.

"Tianqi, is this what you call getting rich?"

Gu Cheng handed the list back to him, saying, "Look at you, so full of yourself. From now on, you'll be in charge of everything in the regiment, from guns and ammunition to the smallest details. Today's battle is just the beginning... Once we stabilize Jinzhou and tighten our grip on military power, will we still have to worry about these things?"

Gao Tianqi suppressed his smile, then tucked the list back into the ledger before slowly saying, "Yes, yes, yes, you, Master Gu, come from the Feng family and have seen the world, but you know the situation in the regiment... This batch of supplies just fills the gap, especially the light machine guns."

Gu Cheng gestured for him to sit down first, then leaned back slightly: "Give the rifles to Yang Song first, let him replace the brothers' equipment, then issue them to the regiment... As for the bullets, they can be issued normally."

Also, keep two bags of white rice; mix the rest with other grains... Most importantly, lock all the machine guns in the warehouse until the equipment approved by Fengtian arrives, then distribute them.”

Gao Tianqi immediately understood.

The Fengtian Army had close ties with Japan, and its main weapons were primarily Japanese, but its brand-new equipment was still quite eye-catching.

Gu Cheng's expression was solemn: "Tianqi, this is no laughing matter - although we have left ourselves a way out in the matter of robbing Lianshan, neither the Japanese nor Wang Chengbin can be fooled. If the news leaks out even a little, we will be in big trouble. At that time, even the Marshal may not be able to protect you and me."

Gao Tianqi nodded repeatedly upon hearing this, saying, "Yes! You should be careful... These Japanese are not easy to fool. I will remind the brothers to keep their mouths shut again."

The two were whispering when Zhang Tingshu knocked on the door and entered. Seeing them, he raised an eyebrow and smiled, "What are you two talking about now? So secretive, are you afraid someone will overhear?"

Seeing the telegram in his hand, Gu Cheng guessed that it was a reply from the Marshal's Mansion, so he stood up and greeted him with a smile: "Guess what? We're here discussing what's going on about you."

Zhang Tingshu raised his hand and punched him lightly: "Get lost! If you really have something against me, say it to my face. Don't mutter behind my back like a girl. Look, the approval from Fengtian has come down, take a look!"

Gu Cheng smiled as he took the telegram and quickly scanned it. Zhang Tingshu, looking slightly excited, leaned over and quickly added, "Look, the General Staff has restored the 105th Infantry Regiment's designation. Also, the Marshal's Office has allowed us to replenish our troops through various means such as incorporation and local conscription, so we no longer have to be subject to the previous quota restrictions."

In addition to these, the higher-ups also approved a batch of equipment, explicitly stating that it would be transported from Fengtian within three days and would arrive in Jinzhou very quickly!

Gu Cheng read the telegram twice. The contents were exactly the same as what Zhang Tingshu had said. The words showed the importance that the Marshal's Office attached to the defense of Jinzhou. However, when his eyes swept over some words, his brows furrowed slightly.

Seeing his expression, Zhang Tingshu's smile faded. "What's wrong, Jingchuan? The approvals were all good, weren't they? The unit number has been restored, and equipment and manpower are all secured. Why are you unhappy?"

Gu Cheng placed the telegram on the table: "You only look at the surface; look at the wording—"

He looked up at the two men and said slowly, "Although the 11th Mixed Brigade is still dawdling around near Fengtian, the wording of this telegram clearly reminds us that Tang Yulin has already taken action."

Zhang Tingshu and Gao Tianqi exchanged glances, clearly a little confused.

Gu Cheng took a deep breath and explained: "You've forgotten that Tang Yulin's 11th Mixed Brigade was originally an independent mixed brigade directly under the command of the Marshal, and was on the same level as the 54th Brigade; while our 105th Regiment, in the end, was still a regiment under the 54th Brigade, and was under the command of Brigade Commander Sun."

But from the wording in the telegram, I can tell that Tang Yulin has been negotiating with the Marshal all these days, and it would be appropriate to give him the entire defense zone of Jinzhou.

Zhang Tingshu frowned: "So, between us and Fourth Uncle, who's in charge of whom? He's just a brigade commander, how can he possibly control our regiment?"

"Nominally, he can't control us, but in reality, he can hinder us."

Gu Cheng let out a sigh of relief. "Tang Yulin will soon be transferred to Jinzhou. At that time, he will be the highest military commander in the region. Our 105th Regiment will be stationed in Jinzhou... Whether it is combat and city defense or supply coordination, we will have to listen to his war zone control."

However, our organizational structure, personnel, and core military authority still belong to Brigade Commander Sun and the Fengtian General Staff; they are not considered subordinate units of his 11th Mixed Brigade.

Zhang Tingshu suddenly realized: "Good heavens! I knew he was dawdling around in Fengtian. So he wanted to swallow up the area around Jinzhou and then control us?"

Gu Cheng nodded.

Jinzhou is the throat of western Liaoning, and both Sun Liechen and Tang Yulin coveted this fertile land.

However, given that the 105th Regiment had been disbanded and the Marshal's Office was going to transfer the 11th Mixed Brigade to Jinzhou, Sun Liechen must have had reservations. Therefore, it is not surprising that he temporarily abandoned Mu Haisheng and his men.

Now that the 105th Regiment's designation has been restored, and it has been approved to recruit new soldiers and receive equipment, it is clear that no matter who it is, whether it is the Marshal or the Little Zhuge of the General Staff, they have all planted a very troublesome nail in the fat meat that Tang Yulin is trying to get his hands on.

Gu Cheng chuckled inwardly, but then again, it wasn't just Tang Yulin who was upset; Sun Liechen was naturally unhappy as well.

He saved Jinzhou, but gave the spoils to others.

So the old fox that the commander-in-chief planned to use the 105th Regiment as a thorn, stabbing one end into Tang Yulin's Liaoxi territory and the other end tying down Sun Liechen's 54th Brigade, thus balancing them on both sides so that neither could monopolize Jinzhou!