Sword: Heart of Iron

Chapter 221 The Banquet, The Second Meeting
After a long while, a group of people appeared at the end of everyone's sight.

A strong wind blew in their faces, and they could vaguely hear the fluttering of military flags and the rapid clatter of horses' hooves.

"It's Commander Wang!"

"Look! That man riding the white horse is Commander Wang!"

As soon as the procession appeared, the crowd stirred, with everyone talking and the students waving colorful flags and shouting excitedly.

There were even some foreign military officers present who, upon seeing Wang Feng, widened their eyes and tried to squeeze forward.

Chen Cheng glanced around and exclaimed, "What a grand spectacle!"

"Is this also what the Chairman meant?"

He Yingqin: "It's the same principle as Wuhan. Those foreigners like this kind of atmosphere. We have been fighting a long war of resistance and cannot do without the West. Stalin's red ideology is ultimately unreliable. If Chiang Kai-shek could tolerate the Eighth Route Army for the sake of fighting in Hankou, what other people or things in the world could not be tolerated?"

Chen Cheng nodded.

As the commander of the Wuhan Garrison, he understood better than anyone the importance of the Wuhan resistance against Japan.

If the resistance in Wuhan had not achieved the desired results, China might have truly perished.

There was no longer any opportunity to discuss external defense and internal stability.

Lin Sen stroked his long, graying beard:

"Sitting on a golden saddle, adjusting the white feathers, they shot down five Xiongnu chieftains in quick succession!"

"What youthful spirit!"

"With such young generals in our Republic of China, how can we not destroy the Japanese invaders?"

"Hahahaha!"

Lin Sen squinted at Wang Feng, who was sitting on a white horse in the distance, his admiration impossible to hide.

He Yingqin straightened his formal attire, preparing to step forward to greet him.

With Chiang Kai-shek absent, he, as chief of staff, took over the main reception duties.

Chen Cheng strode forward and followed closely behind.

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"drive!"

Wang Feng tightened the reins, his face solemn, his gaze fixed straight ahead, and rode his horse to the front of the crowd.

The white horse neighed repeatedly, as if showing off.

Zhang Hu followed behind: "Sir, the welcoming party is just ahead!"

Wang Feng: "Dismount. They've gone to great lengths to show respect, so we should reciprocate."

Zhang Hu nodded: "Yes!"

After saying this, the two stopped and jumped off their horses.

The soldiers behind him carried rifles, their steps light and quick, a hint of excitement on their faces.

Before joining the army, these soldiers were mostly farmers who longed for the big cities that the older generation talked about, not to mention that the mountain city was now the capital.

Everyone wants to take a look.

What kind of scene is it right under the emperor's nose?

However, judging from the situation along the way...

No city is as prosperous as Changzhi.

The two groups of people were traveling in opposite directions and finally met again.

Wang Feng brought his heels together and gave a standard military salute: "Chief of Staff He, Chairman Lin!"

Despite his advanced age, Lin Sen showed no airs of seniority in front of everyone, and stepped forward to grab Wang Feng's hands:

"Commander Wang, you must be tired from your long journey!"

He Yingqin stood behind him, completely unconcerned about this "usurping the host's place" behavior.

After all, in terms of nominal power, Lin Sen was the head of state and the person who represented the entire Republic of China on the international stage.

It's just that they lack military power and have always been in an awkward position of being sidelined.

Wang Feng responded with a smile: "I am not tired. The ones who are really tired are the soldiers who are accompanying me. After all, I have horses to ride and carriages to ride in, but these soldiers who are following me have walked hundreds of kilometers on foot."

The journey from Changzhi to the mountain city is over a thousand kilometers, but we traveled by train and military train, and also by waterway.

If it all depends on your two feet.

I estimate that by the time the Japanese army has entered the three towns of Wuhan, I won't even be able to reach the mountain city.

Lin Sen adjusted his reading glasses, his lips trembling. He wanted to say something to reward the army, but he was powerless to do so.

After all, military power was always firmly in Chiang Kai-shek's hands.

Seeing that the scene was a bit awkward, He Yingqin immediately stepped forward and took over the conversation: "Commander Wang must be tired from your journey. The Chairman in the city has already prepared a welcome banquet to welcome all the soldiers and make them feel at home!"

Wang Feng frowned, glancing at the "long guns and short cannons" of the media reporters beside him. Further away, he also saw a group of foreign military officers with Western faces. He felt helpless. Although he was indifferent to this scene, he still had to cooperate and go through with the formalities.

"Then I'll trouble Chief of Staff He to lead the way."

He Yingqin smiled and said, "Don't rush that. Come, let me introduce you. This is Chen Cheng, the commander of the Wuhan Garrison and the commander of the Sixth War Zone!"

As he spoke, he turned to the side and pointed behind him.

Wang Fengjing bowed.

Chen Cheng smiled and walked over, looking him up and down, his eyes filled with increasing satisfaction.

With his handsome appearance and spirited demeanor, he is truly a young prodigy!
Who says our military lacks pillars of talent!

It's a pity he was just a local military leader.
Chen Cheng extended his hand: "Commander Wang, I've long admired your name!"

Wang Feng shook it.
He Yingqin then introduced several other people, all of whom were prominent figures in the Nationalist government.

Perhaps because Chiang Kai-shek was not present, the atmosphere was not as tense as Wang Feng had expected.

There's even a hint of harmony.

After the core generals finished boasting to each other, a bunch of media reporters swarmed around them. Wang Feng was squeezed in the crowd and wanted to answer the reporters' questions, but he couldn't answer them all.

It's too noisy!

Fortunately, the military police led by He Yingqin came to the rescue in time, stabilizing the situation and allowing Wang Feng to extricate himself from the predicament.

After completing the formalities, the group entered the city.

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Two hours later, Wang Feng walked into the huge banquet hall, and was immediately stunned as soon as he entered.

A dazzling crystal chandelier, a soft Persian carpet, delicacies on a plate, and a grand Western symphony.

The sheer luxury before him left Wang Feng somewhat dazed.

Is this still 1938?

Is this still during the War of Resistance against Japan?

While the rich wine and meat smell, the road with frozen bone!
This line of poetry became concrete in Wang Feng's mind at that moment.

He Yingqin greeted him with a smile: "Commander Wang, you've finally arrived!"

Behind them followed a group of high-ranking officials of the Nationalist government. Some of them Wang Feng had seen in the welcoming party outside the city, but most of them were unfamiliar faces.

"Commander Wang, I've long admired you!"

"I have long admired your great name!"

"Commander Wang, please come visit my humble abode sometime!"

In an instant, Wang Feng became the center of attention.

This banquet was originally arranged for him.

Zhang Hu stood in front of Wang Feng, carving out a space in the crowd.

He Yingqin smiled and said, "Take your time. With so many people surrounding him, how can Commander Wang possibly react in time?"

The high-ranking officials present gave an awkward smile:
"Chief of Staff He is right!"

"We were presumptuous!"

"."

Some officials were quite perceptive; knowing their rank wasn't high enough to stand out in the crowd, they would tiptoe around for a couple of glances before stepping aside.

The number of people remaining in front of Wang Feng suddenly decreased by more than half.

The first to step forward was H.H. Kung, who was swirling a wine glass filled with red wine.
"Commander Wang, you've just arrived in the mountain city. The journey must have been bumpy. Please rest for a few days before gradually taking over the administration."

"Don't rush things, take it slow!"

Wang Feng responded with a smile: "Dean Kong is too kind. Millions of people are still on the front lines of a constantly changing battle. We soldiers are in the rear, how can we relax?"

The welcoming procession outside the city was very large, and Kong Xiangxi was among them. The two even greeted each other.

Zhang Hu frowned: "Sir, who is this person?"

Wang Feng introduced with a smile: "This is the current Premier of the Executive Yuan, Mr. H.H. Kung, who is mainly responsible for finance and foreign affairs."

"Am I wrong?"

Kong Xiangxi laughed heartily: "Commander Wang is absolutely right, but in the end, all official positions are the same, big or small, there is no difference!"

The other officials stood by, smiling obsequiously.

Wang Feng glanced around but did not see Chiang Kai-shek.

Shouldn't it?

Seeing his strange expression, Kong Xiangxi asked, "Commander Wang?"

Wang Feng came to his senses: "Ah, the banquet hall looks quite nice. We don't have such a grand setup in Changzhi!"

As they were speaking, a maid dressed in a green-blue cheongsam came over, holding a bottle of foreign liquor, intending to pour wine for Wang Feng.

"I can handle this myself, there's no need for that."

Kong Xiangxi smiled knowingly: "Commander Wang misunderstands. This banquet hall is mostly used to invite foreign guests. The scale is a bit high, but that's understandable."

Wang Feng grinned, outwardly agreeing with him.

In addition to gold and jade, it is defeated.

That's how diplomacy works for weak nations; no matter how much they try to please foreign envoys, they can't gain the status they deserve.

Kong Xiangxi did not linger there. After offering two toasts, he gave the opportunity to the people behind him.

Wang Feng was somewhat surprised when he saw who was walking towards him.

Wang Jingwei?
You scoundrel!
Huh?
To make sure he wasn't mistaken, Wang Feng switched his perspective to an overhead view. Just as he was about to check his personal information, he noticed something amiss.

In the past, three-dimensional maps only had "dots" of three colors.

One is green, representing one's own troops.

One is blue, representing friendly forces.

One is red, which usually represents local troops.

But this yellow...
What means?
Based on Wang Jingwei's identity, he vaguely guessed the reason.

Could he be a fence-sitter?

Wang Feng frowned and zoomed out. To his surprise, he discovered that these "yellow dots" made up almost half of the population in the entire mountain town.

Is this still the capital?

Wang Jingwei, oblivious to Wang Feng's unusual behavior, walked over with a smile:
"Commander Wang, seeing you today, you truly are as the rumors say, a dashing and heroic young man!"

Wang Feng looked around, forced a smile, and replied:
"Thank you."

Judging by the timing, it's not yet time for Wang Jingwei to betray the government. At present, he is still the Vice President of the National Government and the Chairman of the Political Council, holding a high position and wielding great power, making him a core figure.

Besides, there were so many people in the banquet hall, so it wasn't appropriate to do anything.

All I can do is force a smile and hope this will pass soon.

Wang Jingwei asked in confusion, "Commander Wang?"

Are you feeling unwell?

Wang Feng quickly replied, "No, I'm sorry, I was a little distracted just now."

Wang Jingwei smiled knowingly: "It's alright. You've traveled such a long way and have to attend a banquet tonight. It's normal to be tired. Wait a little longer. The Chairman is busy with important matters and will be here soon."

Wang responded, and then symbolically clinked glasses with Wang Jingwei.

After dealing with those, the next group consists of mid-level officials.

In reality, his actual rank wasn't low, but in Wang Feng's view, he was indeed "middle level".

Li Hongkun, Mayor of Shancheng.

Zhang Qun, Chairman of the SC Provincial Government and sworn brother of Chiang Kai-shek; He Guoguang, Commander of the Mountain City Garrison.

These people behaved very appropriately; they simply came over to offer a toast and didn't say much more.

Next came a group of young officers.

From this point on, the atmosphere gradually became strange.

Wang Feng frowned.

This feeling is indescribable and inexplicable.

If Kong Xiangxi, Wang Jingwei, and other high-ranking officials from the central government came to offer a toast just now, it wasn't a matter of squeezing out or fighting; it was simply to get acquainted with them.

Are these young officers there to flatter or to express their envy?
Wang Feng couldn't understand it.

This group, though described as young officers, are not young; the youngest, judging from their appearance, is over thirty.

If we're really talking about age...

I was probably the smallest person in the entire banquet hall.

"Could it be that they think I stole their path to promotion?"

Wang Feng frowned.

Judging from the conversation, most of these young officers graduated from the Whampoa Military Academy, mainly from the first four classes.

I'm from the fifth cohort.
That's it!

Wang Feng's brows relaxed, and he understood.

Ultimately, it's because I got promoted too quickly.

In less than a year, they covered the ground that others take twenty or even thirty years to cover.

On the battlefield, there are countless examples of promotions made on the front lines.

But someone like myself, who has consistently achieved remarkable feats and been promoted rapidly, is truly a one-of-a-kind case.

It's no wonder these people act this way.

The Whampoa Military Academy placed the highest emphasis on seniority.

The first generation is more noble than the second generation, the second generation is better than the third generation, and the third generation is better than the fourth generation.

This trend was started by Chiang Kai-shek.

If I remember correctly, his favorite saying was, "He's only a fourth-term graduate of the Whampoa Military Academy, and you're a first-term graduate!"

When reprimanding subordinates, they always like to bring up someone to belittle them, and over time, this practice has become a trend.

And now.

It's no wonder these senior students feel bad looking at their juniors who have already achieved high positions.

On the one hand, they wanted to make friends and hoped that I could help them in the future; on the other hand, they were too embarrassed to admit it, feeling inferior and ashamed, afraid that others would laugh at them.

Most importantly, he set a precedent and became an object of imitation for many.

The continuous promotions sent a signal to almost all the young officers.

As long as one has military achievements, one can break through the barriers of seniority that have existed for thousands of years in terms of promotion in a short period of time.

If he can do it, why can't I?

Besides, I'm the senior!
Wang Feng smiled, and after figuring it out, he didn't pay much attention to the matter.

After enduring wave after wave of social engagements in the banquet hall, guards finally rushed in from outside.

"The Chairman has arrived!"

At the sound, everyone present immediately put down their glasses, straightened their posture, and stared intently at the door.

Wang Feng also followed suit.

However, no one dared to stand in front of him. The people around him immediately took a step back to ensure that the first thing Chiang Kai-shek saw when he stepped into the room was the upright-looking Commander Wang.

The officials present could clearly tell who the real protagonist was at this banquet.

As the sound of military boots grew louder, Chiang Kai-shek strode into the banquet hall, surrounded by a group of guards.

"Greetings, Chairman!"

Everyone, regardless of whether they were soldiers or not, immediately raised their hands in salute.

Chiang Kai-shek looked around, his gaze lingering briefly on Wang Feng before looking away.

Wang Feng remained completely unmoved.

When Chiang Kai-shek entered, he immediately switched his perspective to the overhead panel. Unlike Wang Jingwei and others, he was the "blue dot".

They are still a trustworthy partner.

Of course, that may not be the case in the future.

Chiang Kai-shek raised his hand in greeting and walked past the crowd with his head held high. However, he stopped in front of Wang Fengshen.

Wang Feng: "Chairman."

Chiang Kai-shek rested his hands on his cane, his gaze sweeping back and forth:
“Wang Feng, even to this day, you still refuse to call me principal.”

He spoke very softly, and since Wang Feng and the other officials were quite far apart, practically no one could hear him clearly.

Wang Feng was taken aback: "When I was still at Whampoa Military Academy, I always kept Chairman Chiang's teachings in mind, but now that I have graduated, I am a general of the country."

"good."

Chiang Kai-shek was expressionless, defying any expression of joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness. He uttered two words softly, then turned and left.

Wang Feng watched his departing figure, his brows furrowing even more deeply.

This was my second meeting with Chiang Kai-shek.

The first time was in Guide. After the meeting in the morning, Han Fuqu was punished. In the afternoon, he summoned himself, Li Zongren, Bai Chongxi, and Cheng Qian to the headquarters for a secret meeting.

The discussion was ostensibly about the separation of military and political power in local areas.

Secretly, however, he was using the so-called "three-surname slave Lü Bu" to warn himself.

This is the second time.

It wasn't pleasant.

But Chiang Kai-shek truly lived up to his title as Chairman. The higher he stood, the more he feared losing face in front of others. It was indeed not easy for him to remain calm and composed.

Behind.

Kong Xiangxi, Chen Cheng, and others watched Wang Feng's retreating figure and discussed it privately.

"What did the Chairman just say?"

"I couldn't hear you, the orchestra was too loud."

Did you hear me?

"No no!"

Chiang Kai-shek walked onto the stage and cleared his throat.

Everyone immediately turned around in unison.

Wang Feng showed no sign of discomfort and turned to look at Chiang Kai-shek on the stage.

Today's banquet is not overtly political.

From the perspective of the event's arrangements, it was simply a welcome banquet to greet guests and wash away their dust; the purpose was very simple.

Chiang Kai-shek made a few casual remarks on stage.

The crowd was quite mixed, including all the officials and military officers who were prominent figures in this mountain city, as well as some people from all walks of life. Under such circumstances, there was no point in listening to their speeches.

They were basically repeating the same old things.

To put it simply, it's just going through the motions.

Wang Feng listened to a couple of sentences casually, then went to the dining table and began to eat heartily.

He couldn't bear to eat these delicacies when he was in Changzhi. In order to free up more military funds to fight the Japanese, almost all the senior officers in the garrison tightened their belts.

They ate slightly better than ordinary soldiers.

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6 month 25 day.

Wang Feng woke up in bed, shook his head, and tried hard to recall what happened last night. It seemed that he walked back on his own, without being helped by someone else.

"Luckily, I didn't drink too much."

Unlike Changzhi, the mountain city is not like this. From an aerial viewpoint, in addition to the massive number of "yellow dots", there are also many "red dots" hidden in the city. Yesterday, he zoomed in to take a closer look and found that they were all Japanese spies, who were very well hidden and spread to almost every industry.

Some of these spies had even married and had children in China. Even if Dai Li, the Kuomintang's top intelligence agent, came to investigate, he probably wouldn't find anything. These spies, hidden deep within the country, were like remote-controlled landmines buried deep inside. They were fine as long as they were safe and sound, posing no threat.

I'm afraid that one day I might suddenly receive an explosion signal and, taking advantage of their unpreparedness, strike their vitals.

Yesterday, I made a big fuss about entering the city, causing quite a stir.

To this day, these Japanese spies have made no move.

Wang Feng stretched and got out of bed.

"Who cares? If those Japanese devils dare to come, we'll wipe them all out!"

As he put on his clothes, he muttered to himself.

The three-dimensional combat map is a powerful tool for counter-espionage. Currently, the main force of the First Column is stationed outside the city, with Zhang Hu personally leading two companies of soldiers to guard it.

Combined with the overhead view, it's no exaggeration to say that, barring any suicidal act, Japanese spies would never have had the chance to assassinate him.

There was a knock on the door.

Zhang Hu gently pushed open the door: "Report!"

Wang Feng buttoned up his shirt: "What's wrong?"

Zhang Hu handed over an envelope: "Sir, this was sent by someone from the Central Military Academy. Please come to take up your post today."

Wang Feng opened it, glanced at it casually, and tossed it aside.
"Get the car ready, let's go!"

Zhang Hu: “Yes!”

----------

Wang Feng hastily finished his breakfast in the jeep. By the time the convoy arrived at the Central Military Academy, the sun was already high in the sky, and it was almost afternoon.

The jeep and the troop transport truck behind it drove straight past the gatekeepers and into the school.

As the incoming dean of academic affairs, regardless of how many days I serve, whether it's a short or long term, I still have this much power.

The soldier turned around and said, "Sir, we've arrived."

When Wang Feng came to his senses, he found that the car had stopped in front of a simple building with a touch of classical charm, and in front of the building stood a huge sculpture.

Look at this.

It should be Mr. Sun Yat-sen, the founding father of the Republic of China.

In a daze, a group of people dressed in military uniforms or Zhongshan suits walked over.

Wang Feng rolled down the car window but didn't get out: "Who are you?"

While asking the question, he actually switched his view to the overhead screen and learned the identities of the group of people in front of him from the information displayed there.

The man in the lead, dressed in military uniform, was Chen Jicheng, the director of education at the Central Military Academy.

Although Chiang Kai-shek held the title of principal, he rarely visited the military academy. The actual management and training were handled by the chief of education.

This position may seem to have little power, only able to play a role within the military academy, but it can still be considered as having half a world of students.

As long as no one makes a fundamental mistake, basically no one will cause trouble for the head of education.

Chen Jicheng bowed slightly: "Commander Wang, you've finally arrived!"

"Commander Wang, we've been waiting for you for so long!"

"."

As soon as he spoke, the crowd behind him immediately echoed his words.

Wang Feng is now taking up the position of Director of Academic Affairs, a rank below the Dean of Education. From the information obtained from the overhead view, it can be seen that among the group of people in front of him, besides Chen Jicheng, there are quite a few others whose positions are at the same level as the Director of Academic Affairs.

But these people all understand.

Wang Feng's title of Dean of Academic Affairs is only a concurrent one, and he will probably be leaving in less than two days.

Outside the military academy, he was a beloved anti-Japanese hero and the commander of the garrison district. Rumors circulated in some rural areas that Wang Feng's anti-Japanese deeds had been mythologized.

We're not going to be colleagues in the future, just passing acquaintances. There's no need to put on airs. Just try to build good relationships; you never know when that might come in handy.

Wang Feng smiled and got out of the car: "Hello, if I'm not mistaken, you must be Chief Education Officer Chen!"

Chen Jicheng: "Exactly!"

(End of this chapter)