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

Sun Liechen frowned, thought for a while, and then said, "You and I both know the Marshal's temperament. He's always been one to 'not act until he sees the rabbit.' It won't be easy for the Japanese to take Jinzhou from him!"

But the Japanese are very arrogant; if they don't achieve their goals, they will definitely sabotage them in secret.

"That's what I think too." Gu Cheng nodded. "Moreover, I suspect that the Japanese might be secretly contacting people in Jinzhou City, not only to spy on us, but also to cause sabotage, and even to contact those treacherous lackeys who would do anything for their own gain, to make things difficult for us."

Sun Liechen frowned even more deeply: "You've hit the nail on the head. The Japanese are masters of this; if they can't do it openly, they'll resort to underhanded tactics. Tell me, where do you think they'll start?"

"Our main camp is the first to be affected." Gu Cheng looked up. "The main camp is under construction, and materials are being delivered one after another... I think we need to be extremely careful with the routes for transporting materials."

Furthermore, if the craftsmen and their men were to sabotage the work, it would at least delay the project or, more seriously, undermine morale.

The female spy they didn't catch earlier might have been a pawn they planted to spy on the camp's defenses and seize an opportunity to strike.

Zhang Tingshu's face darkened: "That's right! The craftsmen are all recruited locally, and their morals are mixed. If the Japanese spend a lot of money to bribe a few greedy ones to mix some rotten wood into the materials or tamper with the foundation, we won't be able to find out in a short time. By the time we discover it, we'll be in big trouble!"

"And then there's the livelihood of the people in Jinzhou City," Gu Cheng continued. "The Japanese might contact local thugs, destitute vagrants, and even some people who are dissatisfied with us, and have them spread rumors everywhere:"

They say that the construction of the camp will require the requisition of grain and labor, mistreating the people, or that they are deliberately inflating grain prices, hoarding supplies, disrupting order in the city, causing panic among the people, and thus putting pressure on us.

Sun Liechen's brows relaxed slightly, but he still had some worry: "Since you have a plan, I feel a little more at ease. However, although there are troops in Jinzhou, they have to guard the city gates and protect the main camp, as well as guard against spies. It is inevitable that they will be stretched thin."

"Tell me, what's your plan? If needed, I can stay for a few days to help you set up defenses before heading to Fengtian."

Gu Cheng quickly waved his hand: "Sixth Uncle, absolutely not. Your priority is to take Ting Shu to Fengtian as soon as possible. Once all the money is in the account, we will have more confidence."

However, since the Japanese dared to make the request to station troops, they might also make some small moves in Fengtian. It is more important for you to personally meet with the Marshal, not only to persuade him to refuse them, but also to keep an eye on the movements of the Japanese special envoy, than to stay in Jinzhou to help me set up defenses.

I've already made all the arrangements. Next, I'll have Lao Mu, Cai Changyuan, and Lu Qingshan send more people.

On one hand, we monitored the material transport routes, assigning a squad of brothers to escort each material shipment and setting up hidden sentries along the way; on the other hand, we reinforced the fences around the main construction site, patrolling in three shifts, with sentries increased to one every ten steps, and we specifically instructed the patrolling brothers to strictly check anyone acting suspiciously. As for the craftsmen, I also gave them advance notice, assigning specific personnel to guard the materials and verify the entry details, ensuring no one had any opportunity to cheat or tamper with the materials.”

Zhang Tingshu chimed in, "Sixth Uncle, Jingchuan has considered everything thoroughly. Staying here won't be of much help. We should go to Fengtian as soon as possible, hand the credentials to the Marshal, calm our minds, and provide support to Jingchuan from Fengtian."

Sun Liechen pondered for a moment, then finally nodded: "Alright, we'll do as you say! Tingshu and I will check the last batch of vouchers overnight, and we'll set off before dawn tomorrow, striving to reach Fengtian as soon as possible to meet the Marshal."

"Be careful in Jinzhou. If there's any emergency, whether it's bandits causing trouble or the Japanese plotting something, immediately send someone to deliver a message to me by fast horse. I'll risk my life to get back and help you."

"Please rest assured, Sixth Uncle!" Gu Cheng stood up, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said, "I will definitely guard the camp and Jinzhou well, and I will never let you be distracted."

The group quickly reached an agreement and immediately divided the tasks: Sun Liechen and Zhang Tingshu continued to verify the credentials, while Gu Cheng, along with Yang Song, rushed to the Jinzhou camp overnight to check the defenses again and instructed the patrolling soldiers to be on high alert.

As night deepened and the waning moon hid behind the clouds, the Jinzhou camp was silent except for the footsteps of patrolling soldiers echoing back and forth across the construction site. The beams of flashlights pierced the darkness, illuminating the compacted foundation and the mountains of materials.

After Gu Cheng finished his inspection and saw that the sentries were well-guarded and the hidden sentries were all performing their duties, he felt a little relieved. He instructed Lu Qingshan to guard the camp well, and then returned to the Gu residence to be on standby at any time.

What you fear most is what will happen.

Around two in the morning, a burst of rapid gunfire suddenly shattered the tranquility of the night, followed by shouts of battle coming from the west side of the camp—

Under the cover of night, a group of bandits, armed with homemade guns and broadswords, charged madly toward the camp construction site. There were about a hundred of them, each one fierce and shouting vulgar slogans. Their target was the warehouse where timber and ammunition were stored.

"Oh no! Bandits are attacking!" The soldiers on the western outpost immediately fired a warning shot. The sharp gunshots were particularly jarring in the quiet night.

The Fengtian Army soldiers, who were already prepared, reacted instantly. Following Gu Cheng's pre-arranged plan, they quickly occupied advantageous terrain around the construction site, set up their rifles, and pulled the triggers on the bandits who were charging at the front.

Gunshots rang out incessantly, and several bandits at the front fell to the ground. But the rest of the bandits remained fearless, using the cover of darkness and the construction site's materials to desperately charge forward.

Holding a Mauser pistol, Yang Song stood on high ground in the camp and shouted commands: "First squad, guard the warehouse; second squad, flank from both sides; third squad, guard the breach in the foundation. Don't let the bandits get any closer!"

The soldiers responded in unison, their movements swift and efficient, quickly forming a tight defensive line.

The bandits' homemade guns were of limited power and short range, no match for the Fengtian Army's regular rifles. However, they had the advantage of numbers and were all fierce and brave. For a time, the two sides fought fiercely, with shouts of killing, gunshots, and the clash of knives and axes intertwining and echoing through the night sky.

As soon as the gun fired, Gu Cheng, who had just fallen into a deep sleep, jumped up.

He couldn't help but curse, then pulled a pistol from under his pillow, grabbed his clothes, and ran outside.

At this moment, all the lights in the front and back yards came on. Mu Haisheng rushed over, pulling up his pants, and said, "Master Gu, judging from this commotion, it's the main camp!"

Gu Cheng was furious: "I knew these bastards were coming! Tell the brothers to grab their weapons and hurry to the main camp to provide support!"

But as soon as he finished speaking, he remembered something and yelled at Gao Tianqi, who ran out of the west wing, "Tianqi, take another team and go to the mixed brigade's camp outside the city. Tell them to guard the camp strictly and not wander off!"