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

"Brother, please thank Uncle for me! He gave me a house and money... Now that I'm in trouble, Uncle helped me find people without hesitation. I'm truly grateful—"

Gu Cheng sincerely thanked Feng Yong over the phone, but Feng Yong on the other end exclaimed "Ouch!" followed by Feng Delin's voice: "You brat, did you cause trouble in Jinzhou? What, no? Damn it, don't give me that crap... I heard from Yu Ting that you dared to mess with the Japanese—"

Gu Cheng's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly smiled apologetically, "Uncle, the Marshal was just trying to scare you. I don't have time to mess with those Japanese devils! I run around Jinzhou City dozens of times a day, and I've worn out two pairs of leather boots! It's alright... Uncle, I remember all the kindness you've shown me!"

On the other end of the phone, Feng Delin snorted and cursed, "You little brat, you dare to mess with Erhu... Do you know that after Yuting was dismissed from his post, he came to the old house and blocked me twice, saying that if it weren't for my sake, he would have blown your skull off!"

"You little rascal, I told you this was a deal that would offend people, and I told you to keep a low profile, but why wouldn't you listen? Luckily, I pleaded for you at the Marshal's mansion. Marshal Yu said: 'Young people should work hard, and we're waiting for you to make a name for yourself in Jinzhou.'"

Gu Cheng remained silent.

He instantly grasped the meaning behind those words.

Zhang Zuolin made nice promises, encouraging the young man to make achievements, but in reality, he was putting him in a vulnerable position in Jinzhou, testing and testing him.

He tacitly allowed him to reorganize the 11th Mixed Brigade and cause trouble in Jinzhou, giving him authority and the responsibility to shoulder the burden.

However, this is also a time-limited assessment, with a maximum window of six months to one year.

If he can accomplish these things, then he is a promising talent... It would be natural for him to be stationed in Jinzhou and formally promoted to brigade commander.

But if all the efforts yield no results, and military discipline remains lax and defenses are riddled with loopholes, Zhang Zuolin could easily find a pretext to replace him without Yang Yuting secretly sabotaging him or Tang Yulin's old subordinates stirring up trouble. At that time, no one would speak a word of justice for him.

On the other end of the phone, Feng Delin listened to him remain silent for a long time, and his tone changed from angry cursing to the earnestness of an elder: "You need to understand the importance of things... Commander Yu is very shrewd. As soon as Tang Yulin left, Jinzhou, the gateway to western Liaoning, was left empty. The Zhili Army is eyeing Shanhaiguan with covetous eyes, and the Japanese are secretly taking advantage of the situation. He has no one at his disposal to keep order, so he pushed you up."

Letting you run wild isn't because we genuinely value you; it's because we have no other options. If you succeed, you'll reap both fame and fortune; if you fail, you'll be the first to take the blame, and no one can save you.

Gu Cheng tightened his grip on the phone receiver slightly and replied in a low voice, "Uncle, I understand."

"Good that you understand." Feng Delin's voice deepened a bit. "The two men I sent to you are both respected figures in the industry. They can keep things under control... Of course, if you do a good job as their superior, a steady stream of brothers will come to join you."

Gu Cheng kept every word of advice firmly in mind: "I've kept Uncle's words in mind... Please take good care of yourself. I'm so sorry I couldn't help you during my time in Jinzhou!"

"You're starting to spout nonsense again. I hate hearing that from you the most..."

Feng Delin started cursing again on the other end of the phone, "I don't need to worry about filial piety for now. Your uncle is still healthy. When I can't move anymore, you and your good-for-nothing brother should just thank God that you don't think my old bones are ruined and smelly!"

After saying all that, he hung up the phone with a bang, not caring whether Feng Yong had anything else to say to Gu Cheng.

Hearing the busy tone of the call being disconnected from the receiver, I shook my head and chuckled helplessly.

My uncle is always stubborn but soft-hearted; he may scold me, but he'll take care of everything perfectly.

With Feng Delin backing him up in Fengtian, and veteran generals Ji Jinchun and Liu Xiangjiu coming to his aid, the weight on his heart finally lifted.

Currently, the 11th Mixed Brigade is undergoing reorganization, and the foundation for the construction of the main camp has already been laid.

The most important thing is to find a way to get back the 40,000 silver dollars that Yang Yuting had embezzled.

Just as he was pondering how to handle the situation, Yang Song rushed in: "Master Gu, Miss Wang has arrived... she said she came specifically to express her gratitude."

"Miss Wang, which Wang...?"

Gu Cheng was lost in thought and didn't react for a moment. It wasn't until he met the other person's gaze that he realized, "Oh, the daughter of the Min family! It must be because of her father's illness. Please invite her in."

Gu Cheng tidied up the documents on the table and then walked towards the living room where guests were to be received.

I was taken aback as soon as I entered. Yang Song said that Wang Yuyou had come, but he didn't mention that there was another woman with her.

Unlike Wang Yuyou's simple cheongsam, the woman wore a smart riding outfit, and was bright and spirited. She looked up at Gu Cheng and immediately smiled: "Oh, it's Jingchuan? On the way here, Shoufang mentioned this acting brigade commander once; he's so young! I didn't expect it to be you!"

His memory raced, and Gu Cheng suddenly remembered that this was his senior brother Jiang Dengxuan's younger sister, Jiang Yingrong.

He had met Zhang Xueliang, the Young Marshal, several times at banquets. He was three years older than him, had a cheerful and outspoken personality, was unconventional and acted freely, and was on very good terms with Zhang Zuolin's daughter, Zhang Shoufang.

Wang Yuyou looked at the two of them from left to right, then asked with slight surprise, "Sister Jiang, do you know Commander Gu?"

Jiang Yingrong stepped forward and punched Gu Cheng: "So you're familiar with him? Back then, when Hanqing bullied you, I was the one who stood up for him! You don't know, I was very weak when I was a child. I was raised in Master Feng's house and didn't talk much. I was as shy as a little girl."

Hearing her mention these embarrassing old stories, Gu Cheng's face flushed involuntarily: "Sister, you can't talk like that! Sister Yingrong, don't bring up my past in front of Miss Wang!"

As she spoke, she gestured for Yang Song to prepare tea and refreshments, and with a smile, she led the two women to their seats. The quick-witted Jiang Yingrong continued, "But who would have thought that you'd grown into such a handsome young man in just a few years… Shoufang said you resigned from your guard post and went to Japan. Look, you're back to serve our Fengtian Army! But I really didn't expect that at such a young age you'd become a commander guarding this region!"

Wang Yuyou didn't rush to sit down, but instead offered a couple of words of agreement, then bowed to Gu Cheng: "Commander Gu, thanks to your timely arrival of a doctor that day, my father was able to turn the tide! I don't know how to repay such a great kindness—"

Gu Cheng quickly stepped forward to support her: "Miss Wang, please don't say that. Officially, your father is the head of the Fengtian Army, so I should take action; personally, my family elders have also had a long-standing friendship with him, so there is no reason for me not to take action."