The male supporting character was actually myself.

Having come this far, the suicide squad members gritted their teeth and charged forward, planning to carry the second young master back if things went wrong, so that he would know the cruelty of war and suffer some losses as a form of growth.

However, the dire situation that had been anticipated did not materialize; the sentries on the city walls were merely for show. A hundred or so men, armed with guns, were already at the city gates, yet the city's defenses remained completely ineffective.

"Holy crap? Second Master's information was really accurate? San Tu City has truly become a spineless coward?"

Even a weak cat can bite, so never let your guard down!

"Third squad, follow me! Build ladders up the city wall and open the city gate first!"

…………

Seeing this, the suicide squad's morale soared. They were preparing to rush forward, seize the outpost, and open the city gate according to standard siege tactics. But to everyone's surprise, the heavy city gate of Santu City creaked and slowly opened by itself!

Chapter Twenty-One: Money Should Be Spent Wisely!

The city gates slowly opened, and the lights from the streets inside the city illuminated the drifting, cold mist of the late autumn night, giving the deserted streets an eerie atmosphere.

"Gulp!" Someone swallowed hard and whispered, "Holy crap! This is like a ghost town!"

"How could such a huge and heavy city gate open by itself? Did it... know we were at the gate? That's terrifying!"

"Second Master, could this be a ruse? Be careful!"

Zhang Mingyuan glared at the other party, "Are we even worth designing? A few machine guns can just go around mowing us down. I think there's really infighting in Santu City. Maybe this is a good opportunity for us to pick up the pieces."

"Fortune favors the bold, brothers, follow me!" Jiang Chen, who had already taken control of the situation in the city, led the charge without hesitation.

The entire operation took less than four hours from start to finish. Only a few shots were fired, and the suicide squad suffered no casualties. They easily captured Santu City and seized control of the four districts. Afterward, they swiftly dealt with the leaders and then used a combination of kindness and force to reorganize and regroup the forces. By dawn, Santu City was completely under Jiang Chen's control.

"Why do I feel like I had a dream last night?" Zhang Mingyuan pinched his thigh hard, wincing in pain before he realized he was really sitting in the most famous council hall in Santu City.

This place was originally a gathering place for the bandit leaders who controlled the four major districts to discuss matters, but now it has been requisitioned by the second young master as a temporary government office.

A city that even 20,000 soldiers couldn't conquer back then was taken over by our group of about a hundred people in just a few hours.

He felt it was all like a dream and very unreal.

"I told you I had inside information, but you didn't believe me." After playing cheats all night, Jiang Chen rubbed his temples with his fingers and said slowly, "I have to stay here for a few days to implement the new policies. Pick two reliable people, give them some reward money, and have them go back and report the news. Also, ask the old man to send some more people over to help."

Although we've managed to incorporate those original soldiers through both coercion and enticement, we don't have enough troops stationed here, and some might still want to cause trouble. If we send a large force to guard Santu City and reorganize our military affairs, we can consider annexing Qin Laoxi.

Zhang Mingyuan felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this.

Second Master's ambitions are truly boundless! He took Santu City without firing a single shot, and before he's even settled in, he's already eyeing Qin Laoxi. I need to find a way to warn Second Master and teach him that taking too big a step can backfire...

However, he didn't say those words of advice because Jiang Chen assigned him a whole bunch of tasks.

Take inventory of the seized property, firearms, ammunition, vehicles, and other supplies;

Zhang Mingyuan was so busy that he couldn't even eat properly. He had to sort out the tax situation of the people of Santu City, conduct population statistics, measure houses and fields to determine property rights, and then draft a notice to post, stating that the Li family army had occupied Santu City. From now on, the taxes of the people under the rule of Santu City would be halved, and the debts owed to the four major bandit banks would no longer be collected.

In the Yucheng Marshal's Mansion, Li Tianxing, who was sitting in the garden drinking tea and playing with birds while being served by his concubines, immediately stood up when he saw the steward bring in a communications soldier.

"Where have the troops been dispatched? Is there some important military or political matter to attend to?" He hurriedly got up without even putting on his shoes.

The other party jogged over, saluted, and said loudly, "Reporting to the Commander! Yesterday, the Second Young Master personally selected a hundred-man suicide squad to raid Tulang Pass and capture Santu City. Now, all the forces in the city have been dealt with, and the remaining surrendered soldiers have been integrated and incorporated. The Second Young Master requests that the Commander send a large force to guard Santu City!"

"What did you say?" Li Tianxing stared wide-eyed, mouth agape, thinking he'd misheard. "Say it again, you son of a bitch! Who? What suicide squad? Where did they take down?"

"The Second Young Master personally selected a hundred-man suicide squad from the elite troops to raid Tulang Pass overnight and capture Santu City. Now, please send a large force to guard it."

The news was so explosive that Li Tianxing's heart skipped a beat and he almost collapsed into his chair. It took him a while to process the message from the communications soldier.

"Damn it, I wasted all my breath trying to talk him out, and he didn't listen to a word I said, and he still went!" He slapped his thigh hard. "Send the order down: the army is to set out and dispatch 10,000 men to support the Second Young Master! What were the casualties like during last night's attack on Santu City? Was the Second Young Master injured?"

"Reporting to the Commander: There were no casualties during the attack on Santu City, and the Second Young Master didn't even fire a single shot!"

The communications soldier thought for a moment and lowered his voice, saying, "I saw it all clearly when I was there. As soon as the Second Young Master walked to the gate of Santu City, the city gate... opened by itself without any wind or anyone being there, as if it was deliberately opened wide to wait for the Second Young Master to lead us in! The scene was so shocking that now the whole of Santu City is talking about it, saying that the Second Young Master is the chosen one who will one day unify the world!"

Li Tianxing: !!(o'?'o?)?

The city gates opened by themselves to let people in?!

Having marched for many years and seen many strange and bizarre things, I have never seen a city gate open by itself!

"The brothers are all saying that the Second Young Master is a reincarnation of the Martial Star, with divine assistance! Otherwise, how could he have taken Santu City so easily without firing a single shot or even firing many shots?" the communications soldier continued confidently.

His words immediately gave the concubines, who were always opportunistic, something to talk about, and they gathered around, chattering away.

"Congratulations, Commander! With the Second Young Master as our Martial Star, our Li Family Army will definitely become more and more powerful!"

"The Second Young Master is simply a genius in warfare! He said that if we take Santu City, the gods and ghosts will help us take it immediately. The Commander-in-Chief won't have to worry about military supplies anymore!"

"Yes, yes, I heard that Santu City is a place built of gold. The Second Young Master is brave and powerful, helping you conquer the country. And now the Eldest Young Master is getting married. It's truly a double blessing!"

"General, your two young masters are both outstanding individuals, excelling in both literary and military arts. Congratulations!"

…………

"Lieutenant Li, help me pack." Li Tianxing was both happy and worried. He was happy that his youngest son had really captured that city and the future was bright; he was worried because his son was too young and he had brought too few of his own men. What if he couldn't control the situation and internal strife broke out? Wouldn't that be extremely dangerous?

He hurriedly issued an order for the army to set off immediately, first sending three thousand men as an advance force to reach Santu City as quickly as possible to be under the command of the second young master. Then he instructed Lieutenant Li to pack his things, as he wanted to go there personally!

That kid acts recklessly and doesn't consider the consequences. What if he leaves behind hidden dangers? Wouldn't that be a huge problem?

I must personally be there to oversee things and sort everything out before handing it over to him. As for the manor... it's just a formality of preparing for the wedding anyway, which is already quite a hassle. Going out for a walk will keep me from seeing it and getting upset.

That afternoon, when Li Tianxing led three thousand soldiers to Santu City to support his youngest son, the script was finally updated.

The plot remains largely unchanged. After being forced to marry Zhang Ziqiu, Li Dongchen is depressed and drowns his sorrows in alcohol every day. One day, while he is having fun, he sees the popular sister duo at the Paramount Ballroom—the Ruan Xiangqin sisters—and his buried tender feelings of love are touched again.

While he, the best supporting actor, is fighting on the front lines, the male and female leads are engaged in a tragic love story in the peaceful and stable home front.

Li Dongchen spends money like water, throwing lavishly to become the female lead's top male fan, and incidentally recruits a subordinate named Zheng Chao to act as a go-between and a henchman, while also cheering for his master.

Zhang Ziqiu was extremely distressed by her unrequited love. While alone in her empty room, she remembered the good qualities of the original owner of the body who had been a devoted admirer. So, on a dark and windy night, she took a pot of drugged wine and sneaked into Li Jiangchen's room. The next morning, Li Dongchen discovered her and summoned his father and many concubines to watch.

Thus, Li Jiangchen, having committed a grave error, was banished from her home and forced to guard the border day and night, expanding the marshal's territory and amassing wealth for the male protagonist's extravagant spending. After winning the heart of the beauty with a large sum of money, Li Dongchen successfully took Ruan Xiangqin as a concubine, bringing her into the mansion and vowing to love only her for the rest of his life and never take another concubine.

After enjoying a night of pleasure, Zhang Ziqiu discovered that she was pregnant.

However, the two brothers were born too close together, and it was impossible to tell whose child it was. When Li Dongchen found out, he believed that he had been cuckolded and subjected Zhang Ziqiu to all kinds of humiliation and torture. In addition, the four sisters, including Ruan Xiangqin, also tortured her in private, and Zhang Ziqiu, who was six months pregnant, died.

Li Dongchen was overjoyed when his wife died and promoted Ruan Xiangqin, who was originally his concubine, to the position of his eldest son's wife.

Ruan Xiangyun was also moved by his interactions with him and stopped clamoring for revenge. She and Zheng Chao became a couple, and from then on, the male and female protagonists lived a happy life of composing poems, appreciating the wind and moon.

As the war situation became increasingly unstable, Li Jiangchen was dejected after learning of Zhang Ziqiu's death. He suffered a series of defeats and eventually fled back to Yucheng. When he tried to seize the family property, he was shot and killed by the grown-up Ruan Yunfei.

Subsequently, Li Tianxing led the Li family army in a bloody battle to buy his only son a chance to escape. Li Dongchen took all the family property of the Marshal's Mansion and the Ruan siblings and went overseas to live out their remaining years in peace...

"We really should report to the main system and ask the script team to give them some training. They should at least broaden their perspective." Jiang Chen shook his head helplessly after reading the script. It seems it still needs to be revised.

We can't feel sorry for the script team who's scratched their heads so much; they'll only get it approved when it's revised to align with positive values!

He angrily put the script away, looked around but still couldn't find the fluffy little thing. He wondered where the little guy had gone. Could it be that he encountered a bug in the mission world and was caught and arrested?

"It's bad, Second Master!" Just as he was worrying about the little white cat, his subordinate suddenly rushed in, panting, "Old Qin has noticed something's wrong and sent troops over. It seems he wants to test us. The commander-in-chief only brought three thousand men, and the heavy weapons haven't arrived yet. What should we do?"

Jiang Chen waved his hand dismissively, "How did you defend Santu City before? Bring out cannons! Don't hold back on the supplies in the warehouse, give them a good thrashing!"

"Yes!" The subordinate accepted the order and left.

When the people on the street heard that Qin Laoxi had sent troops again, they rushed out to buy rice, flour, oil, vegetables and other supplies, instantly turning the whole city into a frenzy. The troops who had just arrived at the garrison were stunned.

The people of Santu City have become accustomed to the constant warfare in recent years. They don't care whether the city is now under the Xu or Zhang family, as long as taxes aren't increased, they're considered good leaders.

Therefore, upon seeing a group of people in military uniforms guiding the crowd and directing traffic, someone whispered a word of advice: "If Qin Laoxi attacks, the city gates won't be open for several days. The city will be short of supplies then, so we need to hurry and grab them now."

Don't just stand there like idiots! Buy some and stock up! If the lockdown lasts ten days or two weeks and the fighting never stops, you'll starve to death if you don't have stockpiled supplies!

The suicide squad members were immediately stunned. "No way! We follow the Second Young Master into battle, fighting for our country. We don't need to worry about food, lodging, or clothing. Were you often subjected to city blockades before? Did people really starve to death? Didn't the garrison troops care?"

"Mind their business? Mind their business!" a thin, dark-skinned old man cursed. "People are starving to death all the time! Sometimes the soldiers who were beaten cower in the city, too afraid to go out. They even steal from us when they have no food!"

"Sigh... All the capable ones have moved away, leaving only us poor folks. We want to leave, but we can't bear to part with our dilapidated homes and businesses. At least we still have a roof over our heads to shelter us from the wind and rain. Besides, in this world, it's all the same no matter where you go. We might as well stay here and endure it. Anyway, there's a lot of business going around every day, so it's easy to find work, and they pay well, but the taxes are just too damn heavy!"

Upon hearing this, the suicide squad members hurriedly explained, "After the second young master of the Li family took over San Tu City, he issued new regulations. From now on, taxes will be halved, so you don't have to worry about excessive taxes."

"Half the cut? The policy is good, but I don't know how long you can stay here."

"What goes around comes around. You should prepare to withdraw your troops. Who knows when other troops might invade..."

…………

Amidst the various opinions, Jiang Chen had already climbed the city gate tower, his hands behind his back, watching the small dots that were constantly moving in the distance.

"Qin Laoxi's troops have been mobilized. This time, we're going to have a tough battle. Jiang Chen, hurry up and go downstairs. Your father can watch from here." Li Tianxing, whose body was slightly overweight, still looked energetic in his military uniform, his face full of the demeanor of a general, skillfully directing the artillery to prepare.

Jiang Chen had already used his soul weapon to probe the situation. The force of several thousand people was just a test; attempting to attack the city would be far too frivolous.

"Didn't we just agree that Santu City would be under my control?" He straightened his collar, puffed out his chest, and was clearly a head taller than the old man. He said with some dissatisfaction, "Couldn't you step back and take a look at my performance first? If you really think my fighting wasn't good enough, you can give me your orders. I haven't even had my fill of taking Santu City yet!"

Li Tianxing glared at him, his tone tinged with anger, "Enjoying it? You're enjoying war? Last night's smooth sailing can't last forever. Don't be complacent; you need to consider personnel allocation and calculate weapon and ammunition reserves. Military operations have costs to consider!"

"Tch~ You're so stingy when it comes to costs during wartime, but the money you save goes straight to the boss and is spent on foreigners. What has he learned?" Jiang Chen secretly sowed the flames, then excitedly cracked his knuckles and said, "Money should be spent wisely! On my command: Ready... Fire!"

"boom!"

"boom!"

A row of more than a dozen cannons on the city wall fired simultaneously, exploding into more than a dozen huge plumes of smoke with dazzling light.

"Ready...fire!"

Without giving the other side any room to maneuver, more than a dozen cannonballs were fired, instantly silencing the already cratered hilly area.

The advance force sent by Qin Laoxi was wiped out before it even reached the range of the machine guns in Santu City.

"What the hell?! When did that guy surnamed Li take the city?" Qin Laoxi cursed as he looked through his binoculars from a great distance.

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Martial Star Descends to Earth, the God of War Reborn

Qin Laoxi's territory was right next to Santu City, so naturally he had spies planted in the city.

Everything was perfectly fine until noon when the scouts suddenly sent back a short message using the most primitive method, saying that there was trouble in the city.

He didn't explain exactly what the trouble was. When he sent people to investigate, they found that the entire city of Santu was under guard, making it impossible to enter or leave. Even all transport routes were suspended, and the merchants only said they were waiting for new policies.

Qin Laoxi sensed something was amiss and wanted to send someone over to investigate. He figured if the four major bandits in the city were fighting amongst themselves, he might be able to take advantage of the chaos to gain some benefits.

Unexpectedly, the four bandits, whom they had been fighting for several years, whom they had just dispatched troops to fight, were nowhere to be seen. Instead, they saw that old bastard Li Tianxing on the city wall with a young man by his side, who looked like his son.

Damn, the Li family army has really made something of themselves, huh? They even managed to sneakily take over Santu City. They must have used some insidious and cunning scheme!