Espionage: I became sworn brothers with Zheng Yaoxian at the beginning, and became the Seventh Broth

Chapter Thirty-Five: Fearless "Wolf Soldiers" Fight Across a Thousand Miles

A monotonous and routine life always passes by quickly.

Before we knew it, it was early March.

After a grand graduation ceremony, the tenth cohort of students from the Whampoa Military Academy graduated ahead of schedule.

No flowers or top hats.

There were no white doves spreading their wings and taking flight.

These elaborate and impractical rituals all originated from the West, and the iron-willed soldiers of the Republic of China looked down on them.

The moment they stepped out of the school gates, only one belief remained in their minds.

Serving the country with utmost loyalty.

Outside the school gate, vehicles dispatched by various local military units were waiting to greet them.

One foot in the school gate, the other in the military camp.

There was absolutely no time for a smooth transition.

With their luggage and backpacks tossed aside, thousands of Whampoa Military Academy graduates silently set off for all parts of the country.

Even tougher training awaits them.

And then there's the impending national calamity.

Ye Shaohong stood at the school gate, watching his classmates and friends slowly leave. His heart was filled with turmoil, and he wanted to shout angrily to make a promise to them to meet again.

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't utter the words.

Only one tear slowly slid down her cheek.

Others may not know the fate of his classmates, but how could Ye Shaohong, with his soul from a later life, not know?

The Battle of Shanghai a few months later, and the ensuing Battle of Nanjing, nearly wiped out all of the Nationalist government's elite forces. In this battle, the Hunan Army mobilized its entire strength, its only 13 divisions.

However, this battle became the swan song of the Hunan Army, with almost all of the 90,000 Hunan soldiers dying in the battle.

From then on, the Hunan Army was no longer designated as a unit.

The Guangxi Army, known as the "Wolf Soldiers," consisted of 60,000 men who marched thousands of miles, first by train, then by ship, and finally on foot.

It took them nearly a month to travel from the southwestern border to the southeastern front.

Within a day of arriving at the battlefield, the Guangxi Army had exhausted all its main force divisions. Eight days and nights later, 60,000 iron-blooded wolf soldiers had all shed their blood on the battlefield.

There was also the Sichuan Army.

Wearing straw sandals, they trekked thousands of miles day and night, traversing mountains and valleys. They carried a flag bearing the character for "death," used it to wipe away blood when wounded and to wrap their bodies after death, and carried the most rudimentary weapons and wore the most tattered clothes, shouting slogans as they bravely fought the enemy. By the end of the battle, 60,000 of the 80,000 Sichuan soldiers had perished, and almost all officers of company and platoon level and above had been killed in action.

In addition, the Yunnan Army, Guangdong Army, Guizhou Army, Fujian Army, Henan Army, Anhui Army, Northwest Army, and Northeast Army also sent troops to support the Shanghai-Nanjing front.

By pooling the resources of the entire nation, a total of 700,000 combat-ready elite troops were eventually assembled.

They all left behind immortal heroic spirits.

Among them were Ye Shaohong's classmates and friends, as well as those young faces who had just been smiling at him a moment before.

What could Ye Shaohong say when he thought of these martyrs who were almost forgotten by the Chinese people in later generations?

Silent farewell is the best way to say goodbye.

Just as Ye Shaohong was feeling sad and melancholy, Zhang Rou'er appeared behind him without him noticing.

Seeing the tears slowly streaming down Ye Shaohong's face, Zhang Rou'er was quite surprised and puzzled. She clearly had no idea what fate awaited those who had left today.

Zhang Rou'er was simply wondering how Ye Shaohong, who was usually so assertive and domineering, could also have such a sentimental side.

But this is a farewell between men.

Although Zhang Rou'er was puzzled, she did not utter any sarcastic or mocking remarks.

She simply took out a clean handkerchief from her bosom and handed it to Ye Shaohong.

"Wipe it."

"How old are you? Still crying like this? If your classmates and instructors see this, they'll laugh at you."

Ye Shaohong did not offer a detailed explanation in response to Zhang Rou'er's teasing.

He casually took the handkerchief and put it into his pocket without even looking at it.

"Hey, you..." Ye Shaohong's sudden action made Zhang Rou'er both ashamed and angry. She wanted to ask for the handkerchief back, but she found that in the brief moment when her cheeks turned red and she was at a loss, Ye Shaohong had already picked up his bag and stepped out of the campus.

"Sister Rou'er, let's go!"

"Weren't you going to come home with me? If we don't leave now, we'll miss the last ferry."

This was something the two of them had already discussed beforehand. After hearing from Ye Shaohong that he would have a fifteen-day vacation after graduation, Zhang Rou'er had the idea of ​​going home with him.

The subsequent arrangements and arrangements fulfilled her wishes.

But Ye Shaohong didn't want to act with her.

Through this period of contact, Ye Shaohong was almost certain that Zhang Rou'er was a member of our Party's underground network.

Ye Shaohong is keen to return to the organization.

But he didn't want to contact our party members in this way. The reason is simple.

Too risky.

The people in the Special Service were all cunning and treacherous. Even with Zheng Yaoxian's intelligence, he could not completely shake off suspicion of being a member of the Communist Party.

There are many reasons for this, but no one can deny that the stupidity and impulsiveness of his teammates did indeed cause Zheng Yaoxian a lot of trouble.

This also caused Zheng Yaoxian to fall into dire straits several times.

Ye Shaohong was not as intelligent as Zheng Yaoxian, nor was he as quick-witted and resourceful; he was self-aware.

Naturally, they were unwilling to take unnecessary risks.

Avoiding Zhang Rou'er's entanglement became his only option.

But Zhang Rou'er was unwilling to let him off easily.

Whether it was an overt rejection or a veiled warning, Zhang Rou'er showed no intention of backing down. She even came up with various reasons to defuse the awkwardness between them.

Finally, Ye Shaohong was pushed to his limit, and he began to reveal his greedy and lustful side to Zhang Rou'er, hoping to scare away this woman who had designs on him.

Still found nothing.

With no other option, Ye Shaohong had to resign himself to his fate and agree to Zhang Rou'er's request to return to their hometown.

That's how they ended up traveling together.

After a long and winding journey, involving ferries and horse-drawn carriages, which took two days, they finally arrived back in Fenghua, Zhejiang Province, at noon on the third day.

It is also the hometown of Chiang Kai-shek.

Once inside Fenghua City, Ye Shaohong finally found an opportunity to completely get rid of Zhang Rou'er.

He was truly exhausted. Throughout the journey, Zhang Rou'er had been subtly probing his views on democracy and freedom. Although she hadn't explicitly revealed her true identity, her implication was almost entirely undisguised.

During this time, Ye Shaohong also considered whether he should tell Zhang Rou'er about the position he was about to take up.

So that she'll back down.

However, out of consideration for his elder sister's reputation, and because of Zhang Rou'er's overt and covert protection of him during his four years at military academy, Ye Shaohong ultimately gave up.

Upon returning home, the moment he opened the courtyard gate, a petite figure instantly rushed into Ye Shaohong's arms.

He looked down and burst out laughing instantly.

The person in front of me is a little girl who is twelve or thirteen years old.

She is also Ye Shaohong's youngest sister.

Like most Chinese families, the elders of the Ye family were busy with business and social engagements, so the youngest sister was raised and cared for by Ye Shaohong and his older sister from birth.

The bond between the siblings was beyond words.

In Ye Shaohong's heart, his younger sister was the most precious treasure.

It was a thought he could never sever throughout his life.

The younger sister's attachment to him far exceeded that to her parents. Under these circumstances, it is understandable that when Ye Shaohong returned home, the younger sister would fly towards him like a bird returning to its nest.

"Second brother, second brother, you're finally back."

"I miss you so much!"