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

Gu Cheng considered his words carefully before speaking quickly: "Sir, even if they launched a sneak attack, they left traces... There were no prisoners in the 11th Mixed Brigade's camp, but I captured three survivors at the construction site of the Jinzhou camp. I have sent people to interrogate them, and we will have results soon."

In addition, I plan to house the wounded at the headquarters of the 105th Regiment. The 11th Mixed Brigade's camp was destroyed, so they can be housed together near the Jinzhou camp.

As he was speaking, Zhang Zuolin impatiently interrupted him: "Aren't these just the most basic things? Now I want to know how you plan to deal with the Japanese next move."

Gu Cheng continued, "As long as I maintain order within the city and apprehend the mastermind, the Japanese will have no excuse to station troops in Jinzhou. However…"

He paused for a few seconds, then continued, "But, Commander, the pressure from Fengtian will require you and the Chief of the General Staff to handle. Also, I need a batch of grain and funds."

Zhang Zuolin cursed, "Damn it, you've caused all this trouble, and I'm supposed to clean up your mess? And you just took office and you've already filed a complaint against Yang Yuting, and you even said you wanted us to withstand the pressure from the Japanese?"

Gu Cheng sensed a hint of bias in his words and then smiled: "General, don't you think some people in our Fengtian Army are too audacious?"

Although this arsenal is also part of the Fengtian Army's assets... if someone secretly colludes with outsiders, even the richest family fortune will be emptied out sooner or later.

The other side fell silent. Gu Cheng continued, "Sir, if you think about it carefully, you'll realize that... no matter how capable the Japanese are, it's impossible for them to so smoothly lure the enemy away from their camp, launch a surprise attack, and then intercept and kill them."

Zhang Zuolin's voice came through: "So you suspect that someone leaked the information to the Japanese?"

After a brief pause of two or three seconds, he said softly, "But Yang Yuting is impossible."

Gu Cheng chuckled lightly: "Sir, you've misunderstood... What Uncle Sun reported is one thing, but what's happening in Jinzhou is another."

"You, Commander, surely know perfectly well the whole story of how the 11th Mixed Brigade came to be under my command."

After a brief silence, the other person said, "You mean...?"

Gu Cheng nodded: "Is that former subordinate truly willing... Even if he himself is absolutely loyal to the Marshal, not all of his trusted subordinates over the years can accept such a change... Once a rift develops in people's hearts, it is easy for others to take advantage of the situation."

In addition to this, there was another matter. Previously, in order to rectify military discipline and eliminate the malpractices in the army, I publicly executed a group of scoundrels and scoundrels who had committed evil deeds and disturbed the people.

These people lost their lives, and their relatives and family members must have harbored deep resentment. With this discontent, they would be easily won over by the Japanese in secret.

At this point, Gu Cheng let out a long breath and continued, "General, I now understand the significance of your military reforms: not only the army, but the entire Northeast needs a transformation... I think we should start with Jinzhou."

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone.

Having spent decades on the battlefield and seen countless people and events, General Zhang could easily discern the deeper meaning in Gu Cheng's words. However, this matter was too far-reaching, involving the high command of the Fengtian Army, and he had always been unwilling to delve into it.

"I'll give you five days to thoroughly investigate the whole matter. As for military funds, I'll allocate a portion to you first. From now on, you'll have to find your own way to raise the funds for the troops' expenses."

Before Gu Cheng could reply, the phone was abruptly disconnected, leaving only the monotonous dial tone.

Gu Cheng slowly put the phone back where it was.

The commander's words made his stance clear: he agreed to provide the financial and logistical support needed for the current investigation, but also made it clear that he would not provide long-term support for the military affairs in Jinzhou. With a five-day deadline looming, he had to deal with and resolve the numerous hidden dangers in the surrounding area one by one.

The morning light outside was blinding. After a night of bloody battle, Gu Cheng could still smell the burnt and bloody stench in the air. The entire brigade headquarters was silent.

Yang Song quickly stepped forward and whispered, "Master Gu, good news. Staff Officer Gao's condition has stabilized. The renowned doctor that Manager Bai invited treated him promptly. The bullet has been removed, and the wound has been healed and treated. He is not in immediate danger of death, but he has lost too much blood and will not wake up for a while. He just needs to rest and recuperate."

Gu Cheng's tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, felt much more at ease.

As long as Gao Tianqi is alive, there is still a glimmer of hope for further questioning and review of the details.

Before he could speak, Yang Song continued his report: "In addition, there has been a breakthrough in the interrogation of the three prisoners captured at the construction site overnight."

All three were bandits from the Goubangzi area, who plundered and roamed the Liaoxi region year-round. This time, they had been secretly bribed with a large sum of money to lead a group to launch a night raid on the Jinzhou camp and set it on fire.

They were just low-level thugs who were paid to do the dirty work. They had no idea who their superiors were, who they were in contact with, or whether the Japanese army was involved. All they knew was to lead their men to do the work on time, and then they could collect their silver dollars.

This statement was exactly what Gu Cheng had expected.

With meticulous planning and inside agents within the military, how could the Japanese possibly allow low-level bandits to know core secrets?

These people were merely cannon fodder, pushed out to their deaths to create chaos in Jinzhou.

As for the group that attacked the 11th Mixed Brigade, they were all fearless and had excellent marksmanship, so they were clearly a different group.

Gu Cheng sneered, "They know nothing when questioned? Looks like we need to dig deeper into the clues... Since they're courting death, let's send them on their way! Immediately gather two hundred elite cavalry, fully equipped with firearms and ammunition!"

Yang Song was taken aback: "Mr. Gu, where are you going?"

"Go to Goubangzi." Gu Cheng said dryly. "These scattered bandits are the only obvious breakthrough point on the entire line. The soldiers are useless, so let's capture the bandit leader."

I will personally lead the troops to raze this bandit stronghold to the ground and capture the leader alive. I want to personally ask who dares to collude with foreign enemies in Jinzhou territory!

With only five days left in Fengtian, the city's spies are hidden in the shadows, and there is no trace of them. The only clue that has been exposed is this group of bandits.

Without completely eradicating the bandit's den and getting the bandit leader to talk, it's impossible to catch the mastermind behind the scenes, let alone thwart the Japanese military's garrison plot.

"Your subordinate obeys!" Yang Song dared not delay and immediately turned around to receive the order, loudly commanding the troops to assemble.

Before long, the sound of horses' hooves rang out in the camp. Two hundred elite cavalrymen, clad in armor and armed with spears, stood in formation, exuding a fierce aura.

"Brothers, these damned bandits dared to collude with the Japanese and attack our territory... Now we'll show them what we're made of!"

At Gu Cheng's command, two hundred iron cavalrymen charged at full speed along the Liaoxi official road.

The morning breeze fluttered the military flags, and the rolling hooves of horses crushed the dust along the way.

Goubangzi is not far from Jinzhou. It only takes a little over an hour for cavalry to march before the distant, barren mountains come into view.