Newborn 1927

Yoshio Nakamura left satisfied, taking with him a large order. Yang Jiefang wasn't idle either; he met with another important guest—Cheng Jiaju from Qingdao. After arriving in Yantai, Yang Jiefang sent a telegram to Cheng Jiaju through the post office, inviting him to Yantai for business discussions. Cheng Jiaju put down his work and rushed over with his wife. Upon seeing him again, Cheng Jiaju couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion. Yang Jiefang instructed Jiang Xiaojun, who held the position of confidential secretary, to entertain Cheng Jiaju's wife, while he invited Cheng Jiaju to the reception room alone.

Yang Jiefang didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "Mr. Cheng, I've invited you here today because I have an important matter to ask you to do. I hope you won't refuse!" Cheng Jiaju replied, "Please just say it. As long as I can do it, I certainly won't refuse." Yang Jiefang said, "I'd like to ask you to go directly to Europe, to Germany, to bring back a group of people related to airplanes for me." Cheng Jiaju didn't quite understand and seemed a little bewildered. Yang Jiefang continued, “You should know that Germany’s economy was in a severe recession after the European war. According to the Treaty of Versailles, Germany is not allowed to have an air force or military industry. Their ace pilots and aircraft manufacturers are certainly not living well. I want to ask you to bring them here with high salaries. I want to manufacture aircraft and train pilots to build an air force, and I’m counting on these talents.” Cheng Jiaju quickly understood and said, “This is a costly project that won’t generate much revenue. Do you have that much money to invest?” Yang Jiefang replied, “I’ll handle the money. You just need to get things done.” Cheng Jiaju pressed, “What’s your budget?” Yang Jiefang answered, “No budget. I’ll spend whatever it takes.”

Cheng Jiaju pondered for a moment and said, "We need to find a pretext. Could you first purchase a few airplanes through the Dehe Trading Company? I'll handle this; I'll find an excuse to go to Europe and help you with this." Yang Jiefang said, "I was also planning to buy airplanes. Let's sign a purchase agreement. In name, I'll only order one airplane. After you arrive in Europe, you must order at least a hundred for me." Cheng Jiaju was stunned, and it took him a while to recover before he said, "I never expected that someone so young could make such incredible moves." Yang Jiefang replied, "This is nothing! There will be a second and a third batch. Before I have the ability to manufacture airplanes myself, I will order at least a thousand airplanes." Just hearing this number almost gave Cheng Jiaju a heart attack. Naturally, he wouldn't refuse such a large order placed by him.

After seeing Cheng Jiaju and his wife off, Yang Jiefang returned to his office. Jiang Xiaojun followed him in and slammed the door shut. Yang Jiefang sensed something was wrong from the sound of the door closing and looked at Jiang Xiaojun suspiciously. Jiang Xiaojun's face was ashen as she asked, "What exactly is your relationship with that Liu Yamei?" Yang Jiefang immediately replied, "You mean Dr. Liu? We're like siblings." Jiang Xiaojun snapped, "Lying! Don't think I don't know, you two live together." Yang Jiefang instantly understood and asked, "Did Mrs. Cheng say something to you?" Jiang Xiaojun didn't answer, but cursed, "You shameless scoundrels!" Yang Jiefang frowned, inwardly blaming Mrs. Cheng, a gossipy woman who had risen to power through a mistress, spreading rumors. At the same time, he thought that Cheng Jiaju often had her by his side; sooner or later, trouble would ensue, and he had to take precautions.

Seeing Yang Jiefang remain silent, Jiang Xiaojun assumed he acquiesced. Unable to refute him, she launched into a furious tirade, repeatedly hurling insults at him, all the while accusing him of being a "shameless couple." Yang Jiefang, knowing she'd been holding back her anger for days, let her vent, thinking that once she'd vented enough, she'd calm down. After a while, seeing he didn't seem to care, Jiang Xiaojun felt like she'd punched cotton and stopped. Finally, she said, "He's been so devoted to you, and this is how you treat me? Don't expect me to ever speak to you again." Then, she turned and stormed off home. Jiang Xiaojun was making a common mistake among many girls. Knowing full well that the man in front of her was a womanizer, she couldn't accept it but refused to let go; she always thought she could control him, making him completely obedient to her, but the result was always the opposite.

Before Yang Jiefang transmigrated, he had a bad habit: he never tried to appease his girlfriend when she was angry. It wasn't that he lacked emotional intelligence or didn't know how, but rather that his girlfriends were often too demanding, and he simply didn't want to. If his girlfriend left in a huff, he never took the initiative to contact her or look for her. If she came back on her own, they would continue the relationship; if not, it was considered a breakup, and he would find someone else. This was also the reason he had one girlfriend after another. This time, it was his own fault, but he was habitually too lazy to appease her.

No sooner had Jiang Xiaojun left than Shi Zhongcheng came in to report, "The 1st Garrison Regiment has been fully reorganized and awaits the young commander's inspection." Yang Jiefang never procrastinated on military matters, and immediately accompanied Shi Zhongcheng to Xishan to inspect the troops. At the Xishan military camp's temporary garrison, the reorganized 1st Garrison Regiment looked brand new. They were all wearing newly issued camouflage uniforms, standing neatly on the drill ground awaiting inspection. The flagpole on the drill ground was empty; the original five-colored flag had been removed, to be replaced after Yang Jiefang's inspection.

With a loud shout of "Attention!" Yang Jiefang and Shi Zhongcheng made their grand entrance. Yang Jiefang returned the salute and shouted, "At ease!" He then glanced around, finding the officers satisfactory, and turned back to say, "Brother Shi, please introduce me to the officers of each rank!" Shi Zhongcheng agreed and led Yang Jiefang to the front of the First Battalion's ranks. The battalion commander was none other than Shi Guangyi, indicating his recent training performance had been good and had earned Shi Zhongcheng's approval. Shi Zhongcheng knew that Shi Guangyi had been captured and taken to Qinglong Village and was worried that he might cause trouble. Before he could introduce them, Shi Guangyi stepped forward, saluted, and said, "Reporting, Little Boss, the First Battalion of the First Regiment is fully reorganized and awaits inspection! Battalion Commander: Shi Guangyi." Yang Jiefang glanced around and recognized many familiar faces. He returned the salute and said, "Brothers, you've all worked hard. We are soldiers now, so please don't call me Little Boss anymore." Shi Guangyi loudly replied, "Yes, Little Commander." Shi Zhongcheng felt a chill run down his spine. They had initially thought that only Huang Sheng and a few others were spies planted by Yang Jiefang, but it turned out that everyone, including Shi Guangyi, was one. He secretly felt fortunate; if they had actually sent troops to attack Qinglong Village, they probably wouldn't even know how they died.

After inspecting the troops, Yang Jiefang presented a military flag to Shi Zhongcheng on the spot. Shi Zhongcheng ordered the flag bearer to hoist the flag. Then Yang Jiefang gave a brief speech, shouting loudly: "I often hear people say, 'Good iron isn't used to make nails, and good men don't become soldiers.' Haha, that was in the past, in other units. Here, only good men are qualified to be soldiers. The fact that you are all here shows that you are all passionate and good men! Not a single coward. It's been a long time since I sang, so today I'm going to sing a new song for you. The song is called 'We Soldiers': What's so different about us soldiers? It's just because we all wear simple military uniforms..."

This song was composed in the materialistic 1990s, when going into business and becoming a boss was the prevailing social trend. Many veterans, working as security guards, had low social status, which negatively impacted the status of active-duty soldiers. Through the contrast between similarities and differences, the song sings of the soldiers' heroism and nobility amidst their ordinariness. When Yang Jiefang sang it, it resonated deeply with these ordinary soldiers, filling them with a profound sense of pride, and quickly spread throughout the military.

Afterwards, Yang Jiefang followed Shi Zhongcheng to the regimental headquarters operations room. Before Yang Jiefang could ask any questions, Shi Zhongcheng said directly, "Commander, the troop reorganization is complete, and I need to make another trip to Jinan. I'll have to trouble you to keep an eye on things here." Yang Jiefang replied, "Don't worry! I'll come here often these next few days, and I guarantee there won't be any trouble." Shi Zhongcheng naturally knew Yang Jiefang's capabilities; it was just a polite remark, said casually. Then, Shi Zhongcheng added, "I just returned from Jinan, and I'm going back again after only a few days. I need a reason." Yang Jiefang said, "As the saying goes, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. You're going to Jinan this time to plead poverty!" Shi Zhongcheng asked curiously, "Plead poverty? What do you mean?" Yang Jiefang replied, "Your garrison brigade has a strength of over three thousand men, but the pay you receive is only enough to support a little over a thousand. Where did all the money go? You not only need to plead poverty, but you also need to file a complaint. First of all, this Donghai Dao official can't escape. He's embezzled quite a bit over the years, hasn't he?" Shi Zhongcheng was speechless for a moment. He said, "I just spent three million to buy an official position, and now I'm going to complain about being poor? Isn't that inappropriate?" Yang Jiefang said, "Then you should complain about being poor even more. If everyone thinks you're foolish and rich, will you have a good life in the future?" Shi Zhongcheng asked, "You're not short of money, yet you're telling me to complain about being poor. Do you have other ideas?" Yang Jiefang chuckled and said, "You can't get money by complaining, but you can get power. The power to intervene in local affairs." Shi Zhongcheng realized that Yang Jiefang's desire to control Jiaodong was not just military control, but comprehensive control.

Yang Jiefang added, "Once we get to Jinan, if you need to contact me secretly, just find someone. That person is my brother; he's doing business in Jinan. Here's his contact information." He then handed Shi Zhongcheng a small slip of paper. Shi Zhongcheng took the slip, opened it, and carefully memorized its contents. A storm raged within him. This incredibly young commander had already extended his reach to Jinan; his ambitions certainly wouldn't be confined to this small corner of Jiaodong.

Yang Jiefang stayed at the Xishan military camp that day, walked around to each company, chatted with the soldiers, and built relationships with them. Although he couldn't remember all of them, he wanted to get to know them first.

The next morning, after seeing Shi Zhongcheng off, he returned to headquarters. Surprisingly, someone was waiting for him there – his other fiancée, Mu Yanshu. In fact, Mu Yanshu had been coming to headquarters every day for the past few days, but her confidential secretary, Jiang Xiaojun, had always stopped her at the door. Jiang Xiaojun, seeing Mu Yanshu, was like a rival meeting, her eyes blazing with jealousy, and she used various excuses to prevent her from entering. Mu Yanshu didn't have Gao Huilan's confidence to confront Jiang Xiaojun. She didn't argue, make a scene, or get angry; she simply had a guard relay a message that she had come and gone. Whether the guard actually relayed the message or not, she didn't care. She came again the next day, and Jiang Xiaojun naturally continued to stop her. The two were locked in a stalemate: one arrived punctually every day, and the other would always block her at the door.

When she came again today, Jiang Xiaojun surprisingly didn't stop her. If she didn't stop her, who would dare? Mu Yanshu thus entered the headquarters smoothly. Yang Jiefang actually knew that Mu Yanshu had come these past few days. He initially thought something was wrong, but after inquiring, he learned she was just there to maintain a good relationship. Considering Jiang Xiaojun was holding a grudge, he didn't intervene, letting her do as she pleased. He didn't have any feelings for Mu Yanshu yet; meeting her now felt more like guilt. After chatting with her for a few moments, he got back to work.

Jiang Xiaojun stormed home yesterday, hoping for some comfort, but instead received a scolding from her father. Feeling wronged, she quit her job as a confidential secretary, determined to ignore Yang Jiefang unless he came to apologize. Her ignoring him conveniently allowed Mu Yanshu to come to the headquarters every day. When Yang Jiefang had time, they would chat briefly; when he didn't, she would sit quietly. When Yang Jiefang went out, he would take her with him if it was convenient, but she wouldn't cling to him if it wasn't. Yang Jiefang suddenly realized that foot binding had one advantage: women couldn't jump or run, and this made them quieter.

That afternoon, Jiang Tingxuan came to report on his work. He was now the president of the Jiaodong Rural Credit Bank and was preparing to establish a head office. After finishing his report, he casually mentioned, "My second uncle has come to the city. You mentioned last time that you wanted to find a reliable person to oversee the construction of the Yantai Industrial Park. My second uncle has always been involved in industry, and he wants to give it a try." Yang Jiefang replied, "Then invite him over for a visit, let's talk face-to-face and see what specific ideas he has. If he's suitable, let's put him in charge!" Jiang Tingxuan said, "How about we go to my house for dinner tonight? We can talk things out behind closed doors." Yang Jiefang smiled and agreed.

That evening, Yang Jiefang arrived at the Jiang family home as promised. Jiang Tingxuan and Jiang Xiaojun greeted him at the door, and it was clear that the girl was still sulking. Yang Jiefang greeted her, but she ignored him, like a haughty little peacock. Yang Jiefang didn't mind and followed Jiang Tingxuan to the study. Jiang Qingfu and Jiang Xingfu were both there. After exchanging pleasantries, they began discussing business.

Yang Jiefang said, "Second Uncle, this industrial park will be a heavy industrial park, which is very important for our future development. From the very beginning of the planning, we must consider the scale of development ten or twenty years from now. Take the steel plant as an example, it should be built to a scale of more than 100,000 tons of pig iron per year within three years, and the annual steel production should reach the level of one million tons per year after ten years. The construction of supporting facilities should take this as a reference."

Jiang Xingfu nodded and said, "I understand now that you've said that. As long as there's no shortage of funds, I don't think there will be any major problems." Yang Jiefang said, "Since you're so confident, I'll entrust the industrial park to you." He was currently short of talent and couldn't find a better candidate. If he didn't hand it over to the Jiang family, he'd have to go to the Mu family, but the Mu family was also facing a talent shortage; otherwise, they wouldn't tolerate a widowed woman in power. Jiang Zhenguo might even have to find someone from her maternal family in Huang County.

Regarding the funding issue, Yang Jiefang reminded him, "Brother, the autumn harvest is approaching day by day, and we can't let our harvest plan be delayed." Jiang Tingxuan replied, "I understand. Once the head office has finished its preparations, I will take care of this matter. With the experience of wheat futures trading, I guarantee I can earn even more this time."

Jiang Qingfu then spoke, "Young Yang, you haven't visited a single person on the list I gave you these past few days. That's not good. You're new here, you need to be more proactive; it will benefit your future career." Yang Jiefang smiled and said, "I've been too busy these past few days, I simply haven't had the time. I'll definitely visit those I need to after a while." Jiang Qingfu nodded and added, "There's no rush, you should keep that in mind. In a couple of days, a special envoy from Beijing will be coming to Yantai. Would you like me to introduce you?" He was indeed his father-in-law! His intention to promote him was self-evident.

Yang Jiefang asked, "What is the purpose of Beijing sending a special envoy to Yantai?" Jiang Qingfu replied, "The Beiyang government used Yantai customs duties as collateral to secure a loan of 30 million taels of customs silver from HSBC. Naturally, Beijing has to send a special envoy to Yantai to handle this matter." Yang Jiefang was furious upon hearing this and said, "Using customs duties as collateral? What kind of bastard did such a despicable thing?" Jiang Qingfu frowned and said, "The person who could use Yantai customs duties as collateral is naturally Wang Kemin, the Minister of Finance of the Beiyang government."