Newborn 1927

Yang Jiefang turned to look at the soldiers below and said, "Your cultural instructor said that most of you are unwilling to study. Can you tell me why?" The soldiers looked at each other, but no one stepped forward to speak.

Yang Jiefang didn't expect them to answer, and continued, "Let me tell you a story. There was a famous emperor in German history named Frederick the Great. He launched a Seven Years' War. That is to say, the war lasted seven years. After the war, a soldier complained to him, 'Your Majesty, I fought with you for seven years, and I'm still just an ordinary soldier. Some of the people who enlisted at the same time as me have already become generals. Why don't you promote me?' Do you know how Frederick the Great replied? He said, 'See that mule? Seven years ago it was pulling cannons, and it's still pulling cannons now. It eats worse than you, but works harder than you. It didn't complain, so why are you complaining?'"

The soldiers below couldn't help but burst into laughter. Yang Jiefang chuckled along and continued, "The soldier naturally objected, saying, 'How can a mule compare to a person?' Frederick the Great replied, 'A general becomes a general because he learns while fighting, acquiring the abilities required to be a general. Mules never learn on their own initiative; not only do their abilities not improve, but their strength is also diminished. In two years, they won't even be needed for tasks like pulling cannons. What use will they be then? Ask yourself honestly, have you ever proactively learned anything these past years? Have your abilities improved? If not, then what's the difference between you and that mule?'" This silenced the soldiers' laughter.

Yang Jiefang continued, “In my unit, we spend half the day on military training and the other half on academic studies, all to improve your abilities. If you seize this opportunity and study hard, you might become generals someday. Take your Brigade Commander Gao, for example. He also came from the ranks, rising from an illiterate recruit who couldn't even fire a gun to become a general. This ability isn't innate; it's learned through hard work. Now that he's a general, he's still studying diligently in Jinan. What reason do you have not to study hard?”

"Some might say that they're just ordinary soldiers with no connections, and even if they're highly educated, they won't get any recognition and will end up working for nothing. There's no need to worry about that! The Army Academy reserves a number of spots for ordinary soldiers every year. As long as you pass the exams and prove your abilities, you'll have the opportunity to study at the Army Academy. Your company commanders and battalion commanders all graduated from this school. Believe in yourselves; if they can do it, there's no reason you can't."

After he finished speaking, the crowd below began to stir. Some clenched their fists secretly, as if they had made up their minds. Yang Jiefang looked at the crowd's reaction with satisfaction, and finally said, "As the saying goes, smart people find solutions, while foolish people find excuses. Now, I have laid out the solution in front of you, and you don't know how to cherish it, but instead you're making excuses. You deserve to be mules and horses. Now tell me, would you rather be a general or a mule or a horse?" A bunch of people shouted back, "A general!" Some said, "I dare not dream of being a general; I would be content to be a company commander."

Yang Jiefang laughed and said, "All the top scholars are originally from the lowest ranks. Even generals started as company commanders. This brother's idea is good. Let's set a small goal first: to become a company commander. So, the first step is to learn cultural knowledge from your cultural instructors, and then we'll have a chance to pass the entrance exam for our army academy. Once we graduate from the army academy, becoming a company commander will be a piece of cake." The soldiers below cheered.

Yang Jiefang was fairly satisfied with everyone's reaction. He turned to Zhao Jianfeng and said, "You can continue with your lesson. I won't disturb you any longer." In order not to affect Zhao Jianfeng's class, he turned and left the classroom.

He then took a walk around the barracks, checking the internal affairs as he went. When he returned to the mess hall, Gao Li, Chen Fada, and several others were already waiting there. They all held their self-criticisms in both hands and handed them to Yang Jiefang. Yang Jiefang only glanced at them and knew that none of the seven self-criticisms were up to standard. Not to mention the content, they didn't even reach the required word count.

Gao Qiang spoke up, "None of them have ever been to school. Although Gao Li and Chen Fada know a few more characters, it's really difficult for them to write a thousand-word self-criticism. How about we punish them with solitary confinement?" Yang Jiefang turned to look at the group and asked, "What do you say?" What could Gao Li and the others say? They all replied, "We are willing to accept the punishment."

Yang Jiefang said, "These days, people starve to death on the streets every day. Yet you have money to eat and drink lavishly in the barracks. It seems you're being paid too much. You're all here for a warning. Your current positions will be temporarily retained, but starting this month, your pay will be halved. If there's a next time, you'll all be fired. Anyone object?" How could Gao Li and the others dare object?

Yang Jiefang continued, "Gao Li, stay. The rest of you, disperse." The others, relieved, quickly saluted and left. Yang Jiefang looked at Gao Li and said, "I heard that Zhongye Cunfu has also come to northern Henan. Has he come looking for you?" Gao Li replied, "He has. However, I didn't see him, nor did I accept any more money from him. It seems he has given up on me." He glanced at Gao Qiang as he spoke. The meaning was clear: Zhongye Cunfu had found a better target and no longer looked down on him.

Yang Jiefang shook his head and said, "The Japanese won't give up easily. Nakano Murao has an organization behind him. Just because he hasn't come looking for you doesn't mean his people won't. You need to keep an eye on the people around you. If anyone behaves strangely, you must take it seriously!" Gao Li replied, "Yes." Yang Jiefang then asked, "I know you like to have a drink now and then, usually outside. Why are you drinking in the military camp today?" Gao Li was slightly taken aback, thought carefully for a moment, and said, "We're not allowed to bring alcohol into the military camp. We weren't planning on drinking. The third platoon leader found this alcohol, saying it was in the camp before we entered the northern Henan region. Oh, he was also stationed in this camp when he was under Shi Yousan."

Yang Jiefang frowned and reminded him, "Be careful of this platoon leader from now on. Also, can you quit drinking? You can't drink anymore, whether in the barracks or outside." Gao Li immediately replied, "Commander, I promise I won't touch a drop!" Yang Jiefang continued, "Don't think I'm heartless. I'm doing this for your own good. Once someone has a weakness, they can use it to deliver a fatal blow at a crucial moment. You also come from the Gao family, and you and Xiao Lan grew up together, so you're one of the closest people to me. I hope you can be a pillar of support for me and Xiao Lan, not a weak point for the enemy to attack me. Do you understand?" Gao Li was quite moved and said, "Understood! Please rest assured, Commander! Even if I'm shattered to pieces, I will never let the enemy harm you or Xiao Lan in the slightest!" Yang Jiefang shook his head and said, "I don't need you to be shattered to pieces, I just hope you're both alright."

Afterwards, accompanied by Gao Qiang and Gao Li, Yang Jiefang inspected the Eighth and Ninth Companies. As darkness fell, they stayed overnight in Ji County. Ji County was once the seat of the Yubei Circuit, though the circuit-level administrative unit had been abolished. Located along the Pinghan Railway, it was more prosperous than other county towns. Ji County has a long history and has produced many notable figures; Xu Shichang, the former president of the Beiyang Government, was from Ji County. However, Xu Shichang was now living in Tianjin, so Yang Jiefang naturally did not visit him.

The next morning, Yang Jiefang set off for Huaxian County, stopping to inspect any troop deployments along the way. With the New Year approaching, Yang Jiefang wanted to return to Jinan before New Year's Eve, leaving no time to inspect the entire northern Henan region. Two days later, Yang Jiefang and his entourage arrived at the headquarters of the Northern Henan Security Brigade in Huaxian County. The brigade's guard battalion commander was Wang Xunde, one of the eight who, along with Wang Xunyong and Wang Xuncai, had followed Yang Jiefang in Doushan Village years ago. He was also a staunch confidant of Yang Jiefang, and as the guard battalion commander, he held a prominent position within the brigade headquarters. In the absence of the brigade commander and deputy brigade commander, he could oversee all matters, large and small, within the brigade headquarters.

After the group settled in, Yang Jiefang immediately met with Wang Xunde alone to learn about the situation of the Yubei Security Brigade from another perspective. Afterwards, he asked Gao Qiang to invite Zhongye Cunfu to the brigade headquarters for a meeting. This was his main purpose in coming to Huaxian County.

Nakano Murao was a thin, middle-aged man with an ordinary appearance, easily lost in a crowd. He politely bowed and said, "My name is Nakano Murao, greetings to the young commander. May I ask what brings you here, young commander?" Yang Jiefang smiled and said, "Mr. Nakano, there's no need for formalities. Please sit! Gao Qiang is my wife's cousin; we're not exactly strangers." Nakano Murao sat down in the guest seat and replied, "Yes." Yang Jiefang continued, "I heard that Mr. Nakano is interested in getting into the coal business?" Nakano Murao replied, "That's a plan. Coal is an important industrial resource, and as an industrialized country, Japan has a relatively large demand for it."

Yang Jiefang pointed at Gao Qiang and said, "My unit has regulations that military officers cannot interfere in local government affairs, let alone engage in private business. So, it's impossible for you to cooperate with him in mining. However, you can cooperate with me. Of course, this is not a cooperation with me personally. Are you willing?"

Nakano Murao immediately stood up and said, "It is truly my honor to cooperate with Commander Yang." Yang Jiefang smiled and continued, "Let's jointly invest in a coal mining company. You will be in charge of mining in Datong." Nakano Murao asked curiously, "Why Datong? Doesn't Jiaozuo have abundant and high-quality coal resources?" Yang Jiefang replied, "Mr. Nakano, you are unaware of this. I have reached a cooperation agreement with Commander Yan of Shanxi. We plan to jointly establish a large steel plant, which requires a large amount of coal." Nakano Murao then asked, "May I ask where this steel plant will be located?" Yang Jiefang replied, "Suiyuan, so we will mine raw coal from Datong for coking. As everyone knows, Shanxi people are very shrewd in business. I am worried that Commander Yan might try to take advantage of me regarding the raw coal supply. Therefore, I want to find a reliable person to supply the raw coal."

Nakano Murao said, "You mean I should be the one to supply the raw coal, and we can't publicly acknowledge our partnership?" Yang Jiefang replied, "Yes." Nakano Murao continued, "Then can I openly cooperate with Commander Yan? If I can't get involved with him, I'm afraid it will be difficult to secure this business." Yang Jiefang nodded and said, "Sure. You can also hint to him that Gao Qiang has a stake in this." Nakano Murao glanced at Gao Qiang and replied, "That should solve the problem. May I ask, what are your thoughts on the shareholding structure, Commander?" Yang Jiefang replied, "No rush. You go to Shanxi first. Once you've met Commander Yan and secured the deal, we can discuss the shareholding structure."

For Nakano Murasaki, being able to connect with both Yang Jiefang and Yan Laoxi was a tremendous stroke of luck, and he was naturally happy to facilitate it. He immediately stood up and said, "Commander, if there are no other instructions, I'd like to set off for Shanxi as soon as possible." Yang Jiefang replied, "Alright, you can prepare first, and I'll have Gao Qiang send two people to accompany you later." Nakano Murasaki understood that Gao Qiang wouldn't send anyone; it was definitely Yang Jiefang who would send people with him. Given the importance of the matter, it was reasonable for Yang Jiefang to send someone. Knowing he couldn't refuse, he said, "I'll go back and prepare first, just come find me when you depart." He then took his leave. Gao Qiang got up and saw Nakano Murasaki out.

Yang Jiefang called Wang Xunde over and instructed him, "From now on, everyone who has been in contact with Nakano Murao must be thoroughly investigated." Wang Xunde replied, "Yes, I'll arrange it right away." Yang Jiefang then quickly drafted a telegram and had the communications department send it to the special forces. The telegram ordered Gui Liqiu to send several special forces members who could speak Japanese to accompany Nakano Murao to Shanxi.

Gao Qiang returned and asked, "Commander, what do you need me to do?" Yang Jiefang replied, "Just stay at the brigade headquarters and don't do anything. I have arrangements for the people who went to Shanxi with Nakano Murao. Once they arrive, you take them to find Nakano Murao. I've sent Nakano Murao away now, so you need to figure out how to win over Nakano Ryoko." Gao Qiang responded, "Yes, Commander. Don't worry! If I still can't win her over, I'll make her disappear completely." Yang Jiefang reminded him, "Making her disappear directly is a bad strategy. Turning her to our side and using her is the best strategy." Gao Qiang respectfully agreed. As for whether he could do it, Yang Jiefang wasn't too sure.

The next morning, before Yang Jiefang had even had breakfast, Wang Xunde came to report that Gui Liqiu had arrived. Yang Jiefang immediately had him brought in and asked, "Where are the men I asked you to select?" Gui Liqiu reported, "Both the overt and covert teams have entered the city." Yang Jiefang asked, "Do you understand your mission?" Gui Liqiu replied, "Yes, we understand. We must prevent Zhongye Villager from leaving Shanxi alive." Yang Jiefang pressed, "Do you know how to do it?" Gui Liqiu said, "Vanish without a trace, neither alive nor dead." Yang Jiefang shook his head and said, "He has an organization behind him. If something happens to him, someone will definitely investigate. So we need to choose a good time, preferably one where we can frame Yan Xishan!"

Gui Liqiu laughed and said, "Finding someone to take the blame, isn't that our specialty? Don't worry! I will make sure that Old Yan can't get away with it."