Chapter Two I spend my days singing wildly to the empty sky, living in reckless abandon. For whom am I so bold and unrestrained?

After being mocked by two ordinary officers, and with the young man’s unceremonious attitude, Yan Laoxi’s face turned dark with anger. Yet once he got a clear look at the young man seated before them, he was forced to swallow his fury.

This man was a division commander from Sanqin Province, named Liu Jianguo. At a time when the Jin-Sui Army was suffering a crushing defeat, even their ally, Baldhead, had given up on them and withdrawn all his forces. But Liu Jianguo still brought an entire division to reinforce the Jin-Sui Army. This rare show of loyalty made it impossible for Yan Laoxi to curse him out.

And it was not just that. Liu Jianguo’s reinforced battalion of just over a thousand men had decisively wiped out two Japanese battalions that were pursuing the 34th Brigade of the Jin-Sui Army, preserving a whole brigade’s worth of troops for them. This was truly remarkable.

For this reason, Yan Laoxi made a special trip to visit Liu Jianguo’s division. What he saw shocked him deeply. This was no crude imitation of the German-equipped divisions that Baldhead commanded; this was the genuine article—a reinforced division with authentic German weapons and equipment, featuring the latest arms rumored to be from America as well. They were armed to the teeth. No wonder a single battalion could so easily annihilate two second-line Japanese battalions.

Before the Japanese invaded Shanxi, perhaps Yan Laoxi would not have thought much of this division. But times had changed; the weight of this ten-thousand-strong German-equipped force could not be underestimated. It was truly an elite unit.

With all this in mind, Yan Laoxi forced himself to restrain his anger, trying to mediate with a gentle tone. “Let’s not get upset—no need for anger. We’re all on the same side here. Young men should have spirit—that’s a good thing. But the problems we face now aren’t ones that spirit alone can solve. We can’t—”

Liu Jianguo raised his hand to interrupt. “Chairman Yan, I have only one question: are you really going to abandon the whole of Shanxi?”

Yan Laoxi said nothing, but his silence spoke volumes.

Though he had long suspected this answer, Liu Jianguo still felt bitter disappointment. “I have wasted my days in reckless pride, but for whom am I so bold and arrogant?”

This line, originally meant as praise, took on an entirely different meaning in the current context. Everyone in the Jin-Sui Army was educated; they knew exactly what this phrase implied. Liu Jianguo was directly calling them all cowards, only daring to show their strength at home—timid turtles, useless!

For a moment, everyone present, Yan Laoxi included, was flushed with shame and fury.

So only Liu Jianguo is a hero, and we’re all cowards?

Bang! A Jin-Sui Army division commander slammed his fist on the table. “Liu Jianguo, are you looking to die?”

“Apologize!”

“Apologize to us at once!”

“Otherwise, we won’t let you off!”

The Jin-Sui Army might be afraid of the Japanese, but when it came to infighting, they showed no fear at all.

“That’s right! Apologize right now!”

“Apologize to everyone!”

...

At that moment, Yan Laoxi’s gaze toward Liu Jianguo had lost all semblance of kindness, replaced by a chilling coldness. To be called useless to his face—how could he endure that?

If Liu Jianguo didn’t offer a satisfactory explanation, Yan Laoxi would not be so polite. He couldn’t kill him, but he could certainly teach him a lesson.

Liu Jianguo ignored the angry crowd, motioned to the two men behind him to stay calm, then stood up and looked each person in the eye, one by one. At last, his gaze settled on Yan Laoxi.

Just as Yan Laoxi thought Liu Jianguo was about to give in and apologize, Liu Jianguo suddenly spoke.

“Chairman Yan, since your Jin-Sui Army lacks the courage to defend your own homeland, let us outsiders protect the people of Shanxi in your place. Across Shanxi and the whole country, our compatriots have donated money and supplies to support us in the war against the Japanese. Yet here we are, a hundred thousand strong, preparing to retreat without firing a single shot! You Jin-Sui Army may be able to bear that disgrace, but I cannot! Nor can the four hundred million people of our nation! Since I dared to bring my men here, I never planned to return alive! If you call yourselves men, then when the First New Division takes over the positions, don’t try any tricks!”

With that, Liu Jianguo didn’t spare the gaping crowd another look. He threw on his greatcoat, called to his two companions, and strode toward the door.

Their footsteps echoed through the conference hall. Everyone watched as the three men headed for the exit.

Just as they reached the door, Li Yunlong suddenly turned and grinned. “Honestly, it’s better if you leave—we were worried you’d drag down our First New Division!”

Before anyone could react, Li Yunlong caught up with the other two.

“Hey, what was that line of poetry again?”

“I remember now: ‘Laughing, I stride out the door—how could we be mere weeds and brush?’”

The officers in the hall were left stunned; by the time someone snapped out of it, the three men were already gone.

Yan Laoxi’s face was a mask of gloom. He never expected Liu Jianguo, who had always seemed so easygoing, to turn on him so abruptly. And he himself was the commander of the entire Second War Zone—a man second only to the head of state in all of Daxia.

Yet he had been publicly insulted by a youngster!

He was so infuriated he wanted to kill someone. But Yan Laoxi dared not make a move. Liu Jianguo was not alone—his whole division was encamped just outside the city. Moreover, the major domestic media outlets and foreign journalists from Europe and America were all present in the city. Any action against Liu Jianguo would be leaked immediately, and Yan Laoxi would be crushed by a tidal wave of national outrage. Even Baldhead would seize the opportunity to profit from his misfortune.

A Jin-Sui Army general, recovering his wits, sneered, “Ignorant brat—so arrogant it’s laughable! He dares challenge a hundred thousand Japanese with just a single division. It’s like throwing an egg against a stone!”

Others agreed, “Exactly! He got lucky, ambushing two careless second-line Japanese battalions, and now he’s lost all sense of proportion! I bet the Sakata Regiment will wipe out that First New Division before we even have to lift a finger!”

“Right, right! It’s just a pity about all the men and equipment Liu Jianguo has.”

Another officer’s eyes gleamed greedily. “Chairman, rather than let the Japanese have them, why not us?”

Yan Laoxi narrowed his eyes for a moment, then shook his head. “No matter what, they came to reinforce us. If we seize Liu Jianguo’s First New Division, our reputation will be ruined, and no one will ever help us again. We must know gratitude.”

A young Jin-Sui Army regimental commander couldn’t help but say, “Chairman, why don’t we send some men to hold Changye? Even a regiment would do!”

But Yan Laoxi had already resolved to withdraw. “Say no more! I will not send our men to die like that. Enough—everyone, prepare for retreat!”

Without waiting for further objections, Yan Laoxi waved his hand and strode out.

Seeing their leader’s resolute attitude, some sighed and left with heavy hearts.

Yan Laoxi was not as magnanimous as he appeared—he was petty to the extreme!