A Journey Through the Flames of War in the Republican Era

Song Hongfei's father, Song Ziyu, as the eldest son, is the head of the Song family, one of the five major families in China, and the helmsman of the Song family's vast business empire. His mother, Shen Jinying, comes from the Shen family, a prominent conglomerate in Southeast China, and her family is also a well-known wealthy merchant family.

Of course, parents cannot be careless about their son's future; it's always on their minds. Song Hongfei's parents have always been very open-minded, a tradition deeply rooted in the Song family's values ​​and upbringing, dating back to Song Qiaosun, the founder of the Song clan. He placed great emphasis on his children's education, cultivating their talents, knowledge, and abilities, especially fostering their independence and self-reliance. Song Hongfei had a long talk with his parents, who both respected their son's wishes.

Song Ziyu, with his keen insight and worldly wisdom, agreed with Song Hongfei's idea and said slowly, "It seems you have thought this through carefully. You are right. Everyone knows the relationship between the Tax Police Corps and the Song family. To avoid suspicion, we can naturally rule them out first."

However, her mother, Shen Jinying, was a little worried and said, "The situation is turbulent now, and going to the combat troops is both hard and dangerous."

The father laughed heartily, "I think Hongfei's mind is now filled with thoughts of the nation and its people, of resisting foreign aggression, of war and conquest, of galloping across the land and breaking through enemy lines for thousands of miles!"

Song Hongfei couldn't help but say, "Father, you have such keen insight! Nothing can be hidden from you!"

In fact, Song Ziyu had another consideration in mind. He believed that Song Hongfei grew up in a family like theirs and had never experienced any setbacks since childhood. Letting him experience some setbacks and trials would be beneficial to his personal growth.

The mother laughed and said, "That's why they say 'no one knows a son better than his father.' How could your parents not know what you're thinking?"

“Although the Ordnance Bureau, the Ministry of Military Affairs, and military academies all offer high-ranking positions and generous salaries, it’s still different from leading troops in combat,” my father continued. “You must remember one thing: in warfare, surprise is key, but in leading troops, orthodox tactics are key, not surprise. To be an invincible commander, you must first become a hero in the hearts of your soldiers!”

Song Hongfei pondered those words, and suddenly a jolt went through him. He looked at his father with some surprise.

Mother laughed and said, "Your father once told me that the Army Chief of Staff Huang Keqiang was impressed by his military talent and wanted to keep him by his side as an assistant. However, he later went into business after taking over the family business founded by your grandfather. I just thought he was bragging to me."

Song Hongfei was filled with respect and said, "My father has never mentioned this to me before."

The father laughed heartily: "How can you say it's nonsense? Well, nowadays, we can only let bygones be bygones."

Song Hongfei's admiration was already welling up, and he said, "These are indeed wise words of wisdom for a leader. I will definitely keep Father's teachings in mind."

The father laughed with satisfaction and said, "A man who does not aspire to great things is wasting his life."

“I’ve thought about it,” Song Hongfei said with a smile. “The Training Corps Commander Gui Shuaizhen has been very sincere in inviting me these past few days. The firearms I designed are being tested and used in training at the Training Corps. They have repeatedly invited me, saying that as the designer, I am well-suited to the task, and that I can keep track of the equipment’s performance and develop tactics so that I can make further improvements.”

A smile appeared on the father's face. He nodded and said, "This is a good start. Great things start right, and good endings always follow."

"In this era, you've chosen this path, and with it, you've chosen your own destiny, which will be swept up in the tide of the times," my father said earnestly and solemnly. "Studying in military school, experiencing the battlefield, then go for it! A man should be prepared for danger!"

Song Hongfei was filled with excitement, and a surge of lofty ambition welled up from the bottom of his heart.

Each generation has its own ideals and its own destiny. He didn't know what the future held, but one thing was clear: he had closely linked his own fate with that of the nation.

Song Hongfei harbored a far grander ambition deep within his heart, one he had never shared with outsiders, including his parents—"Give me three thousand elite warriors, and I will restore the mighty land of China. I will raise the Han flag atop Mount Fuji, and let the barbarian concubines revel beneath the cherry blossoms!" Since Heaven had granted him such an opportunity, he should thank Heaven and dedicate himself to establishing a great cause for his nation and country amidst the chaos of war!

The warm days spent with family flew by, and there was one thing that concerned Shen Jinying the mother the most. These past few days, relatives and friends had been coming and going, all praising Song Hongfei's extraordinary handsomeness and talent; his reputation spread quickly. In a short time, many ladies had openly or subtly expressed their interest, saying they had daughters of marriageable age and wanted their families to arrange a marriage, and so on.

This immediately stirred up the thoughts of Song Hongfei's mother, Shen Jinying, who was now single-mindedly focused on arranging a marriage for him. Shen Jinying turned to Song Hongfei and gently persuaded him, "You're 25 this year, it's time for you to settle down. Since you came back, many parents have asked me about you—the Liang, Yu, Sheng, Huang, Yang, and Xie families. Their daughters are all from prominent families with excellent backgrounds, and they are all very talented, virtuous, beautiful, and kind. I think the Liang family's daughter is very suitable. How about we arrange it between our two families, and you go and meet her?"

This move really startled Song Hongfei. He was preoccupied with military matters and had no interest in a blind date. Song Hongfei stammered and tried to appease his mother, who was extremely concerned about this matter, with excuses such as "my career is not yet accomplished" and "the Xiongnu have not been defeated, how can I think about a family?"

Soon, the appointments from the Ministry of Military Affairs and the Training Corps of the Chinese National Government came through, which conveniently relieved Song Hongfei, who was being pressured by his mother to no avail. Song Hongfei bid farewell to his parents on the grounds of military orders and rushed from Shanghai to Nanjing.

A doctoral degree is extremely rare in the entire Chinese military, and a doctoral degree holder serving in a combat unit is unprecedented in the Chinese military.

Upon hearing that Song Hongfei was to take a position at the Training Corps, Yu Dawei was furious and launched into a tirade of curses, angrily denouncing the Training Corps for their despicable act of stealing his job while he was still in Germany for negotiations. However, he had already known Song Hongfei's intentions and could only feel regret and pity in silence.

Xu Yuexiang, Zhang Wenbai, Chen Cixiu and others were also furious. They glared at Gui Shuaizhen and angrily questioned him whether he had played some underhanded tricks.

Gui Shuaizhen quickly put on a smiling face and repeatedly explained that this was the decision of the Military Commission. Gui Shuaizhen knew very well that these big shots had qualifications that he could not compare with. Although he was overjoyed, he had to be careful and keep a low profile during those days.

The Military Commission was fully aware of the "talent war" among various parties. Normally, such a minor matter as an individual appointment would not need to go through the Military Commission, but the various factions below were fiercely competing for it, offering increasingly higher and higher prices, and the matter was escalating.

In particular, Yu Dawei, the director of the Ordnance Bureau, was determined to win the position and even offered titles such as assistant director, chief firearms designer, and director of ballistics and computer research, with the rank of major general! The rank of major general is quite impressive, and this caused a stir at the Ministry of Military Affairs and the Military Commission, which had no choice but to intervene.

The leaders of the Military Commission smiled wryly: "This is a rare sight that hasn't been seen in many years. Is this Song Hongfei really that sought after?"

The Military Commission had another consideration: the factionalism and infighting within the Kuomintang were deeply entrenched problems, and forming cliques and factions was always a major taboo. However, the inexperienced Song Hongfei did not belong to any faction; if he were to be assigned to any faction, he could only be considered to belong to the Central Army's direct line.

After careful consideration, the leaders concluded that the reasons given in the Training Corps' report were the most sufficient, practical, and reasonable, and also aligned with Song Hongfei's own wishes.

Therefore, the Military Commission approved Gui Shuaizhen's report from the Training Corps and agreed to appoint Song Hongfei as the battalion commander of the Training Corps' sergeant battalion. After being appointed by the Personnel Department, he was granted the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Army Infantry.

The Military Commission also appointed Song Hongfei to serve concurrently as an advisor, instructor, or staff officer at the Ordnance Department, the Central Military Academy, and the Transportation and Logistics School. At the same time, he was also appointed as a member of the liaison group of the Military Commission's "German Military Advisory Group," responsible for liaising on matters related to Sino-German military cooperation.

The meaning was clear—I sent these people. That way, even if anyone had ulterior motives or was dissatisfied, they would have nothing to say.

Everyone was full of admiration for his superb political skills.

Song Hongfei's main job was in the Training Corps, but he also had connections with the Ordnance Department, the Central Military Academy, the Transportation and Logistics School, the Military Commission, and the Ministry of Military Affairs. He was quite surprised to hold so many enviable positions. Even his superior, Gui Shuaizhen, and even the Minister of Military Affairs, He Jingzhi, looked at Song Hongfei with some strange eyes.

Suddenly, Song Hongfei became a hot commodity. Even a fool could see the high regard and cultivation the top leadership had for him, let alone anyone who wasn't stupid.

To avoid criticism, the Military Commission conferred upon Dr. Song Hongfei the rank of lieutenant colonel, which, given his education, talent, and world-renowned achievements, was indeed not high. However, considering his age of under 25 and that this was his first appointment, it was not low either. After all, at that time, military ranks were strictly regulated, and most graduates of the first and second classes of the Whampoa Military Academy received ranks of lieutenant colonel or colonel, although their specific job titles were another matter.

Song Hongfei couldn't help but admire the political maneuvering skills of the high-ranking military commission officials; they were truly masterful and unparalleled.