As a young marshal, it's reasonable for me to have 300,000 private troops, right?

The next morning, the Marshal's car pulled up smoothly outside my cousin's house.

No one knew that Qi Fan was not idle that night.

Using the excuse that "the child is afraid of the dark and needs his cousin-in-law to accompany him," he stayed close to Lin and didn't move an inch, touching every part of her body he wanted to touch.

Qi Fan thoroughly enjoyed the sight of those big white hands, those big white legs, and those big white breasts.

Of course, he had his own "gentlemanly" explanation: this wasn't about being a hooligan, it was purely to win over his cousin's wife!

After a night of "hard work," his cousin-in-law's affection for him had soared to 80%. Looking at this result, Qi Fan was overjoyed and secretly admired himself as a "master of emotional management."

The morning sunlight streamed in through the window. Qi Fan had just finished washing up when his cousin-in-law brought him a steaming hot breakfast: millet porridge with delicate side dishes.

After breakfast, Qi Fan got into the car with his cousin-in-law and they returned to Fengtian together.

On the way, Qi Fan finally understood that his cousin-in-law had residences in both Fengtian and Harbin.

Her cousin worked as a clerk in a foreign firm in Harbin year-round. She was visiting him in Harbin when she happened to run into him on the train.

That's why the two of them came into contact.

The car smoothly drove into the gate of the Marshal's Mansion. After saying goodbye to his cousin-in-law, Qi Fan jumped out of the car and walked into the courtyard.

Standing beside the car, Lin smiled and waved to him, "Liu Zi, come visit your cousin-in-law often when you have free time!"

"Okay, cousin-in-law!"

Qi Fan turned around and waved, but secretly thought to himself: Go! I have to go! Once I, "Qi the Second," have matured a bit more, I'll definitely be here to see you every day!

Upon entering the main hall of the Marshal's Mansion, Qi Fan was stunned. Several of Zhang Zuolin's sworn brothers were gathered here, with mahjong sets laid out around the octagonal table, and smoke swirling around them. It seemed they were playing mahjong together, not for any serious business.

When Qi Fan walked in, everyone immediately stopped what they were doing and greeted him with smiles.

The fourth brother, Tang Yulin, was the most outspoken and was the first to speak up.

"Hey, Liu Zi's back! Come here, come here, let your fourth uncle have a good sip and see if he's lost weight these past few days!"

Zhang Zuolin was also sitting at the mahjong table. He glanced up and saw him, put down the mahjong tiles in his hand, and said with a stern face.

"Hey brat, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and greet your elders!"

His tone was stern, but there wasn't much anger in his eyes.

Qi Fan quickly composed himself, walked forward respectfully, and greeted everyone one by one: "Third Uncle, Fourth Uncle, Sixth Uncle..." He asked all the uncles and elders present.

As soon as he finished greeting him, the third brother, Feng Delin, put down his teacup and looked at him with a half-smile.

"Liu Zi, I heard from my brat Feng Yong that you were the one who made Mr. Yang Jingzhen faint at school the other day, is that true?"

Upon hearing this, Qi Fan immediately understood that Feng Yong, that little bastard, had tattled on him to his father!

His eyes darted around, and a brilliant idea struck him: since Feng Delin and his father were only superficially friendly, he didn't need to indulge this behavior.

The thought had barely formed in his mind when Qi Fan darted behind the screen, only his head peeking out.

"That bastard Feng Yong! All he does is tattle behind people's backs, what kind of hero is he!"

Before anyone could react, he shrank back and slipped out of the hall like a greased rag doll.

The uncles and elders in the room were stunned for a moment, then burst into deafening laughter, almost overturning the card table.

Feng Delin laughed and slapped his thigh, teasing Zhang Zuolin.

"Seventh Brother, your son is much more straightforward than you! He's adorably eccentric!"

He wasn't angry at all; on the contrary, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief: Qi Fan's loud and carefree attitude made him look like a spoiled brat.

He and Zhang Zuolin were bound to have a falling out sooner or later, and if this guy was a cunning and scheming person, he would be in trouble in the future.

Now it seems there's absolutely nothing to worry about.

Little did Feng Delin know that the "good-for-nothing" appearance he saw was all an act by Qi Fan, who deliberately put on a show of weakness and concealed his incompetence, as this was the safest way to survive in chaotic times.

Not two days after this incident, Zhang Zuolin hired a new tutor for Qi Fan and his children.

This gentleman's name is Bai Peiyan. He was a former prefect of the Qing Dynasty and was very knowledgeable.

In the original story, it was this Mr. Bai who first realized that Zhang Xueliang was not suited for studying and advised Zhang Zuolin to teach him according to his aptitude.

Qi Fan attended classes with Bai Peiyan for a week, and Zhang Zuolin then transferred him to his headquarters, ostensibly to "learn military affairs through observation and exposure."

That afternoon, Qi Fan, Feng Yong, Zhang Xuecheng, and a few other children finished their classes and strolled around the streets together, chatting and joking, making quite a scene.

Just then, the rapid clatter of hooves came from behind, accompanied by arrogant laughter.

"Be careful!"

Qi Fan shouted, and the group quickly moved to the side of the road.

A lavishly decorated carriage sped past, and several young children dressed in school uniforms leaned out of the carriage, making faces at them and spouting incomprehensible vulgarities.

"Hey! Those little devils still dare to be arrogant?" Qi Fan's anger flared up instantly.

As a patriotic youth of the 21st century, he couldn't stand seeing these petty people bullying him on our turf. "On our Chinese soil, how dare you bully me?"

"Chase them! Let's teach them a lesson!" Feng Yong, who also had a fiery temper, was the first to chase after the carriage.

Qi Fan, Zhang Xuecheng, and the others followed closely behind. A vegetable vendor by the roadside happened to have a basket of unsold eggs, so the group grabbed a few and threw them towards the back of the carriage.

"Smack! Smack!" The egg hit the carriage with pinpoint accuracy, the bright yellow yolk running down the child's face, startling the Japanese child inside who screamed.

Qi Fan ran the fastest, and with the momentum, he grabbed the edge of the carriage, pulled hard, and leaned half his body inside, then raised his fist at the Japanese child inside.

"Hit him!"

The other children caught up, some pulling at the carriage curtains, others kicking into the carriage, and a chaotic fight broke out instantly.

At first, Qi Fan and his friends, relying on their superior numbers, beat the Japanese children until they cried for their parents.

Upon seeing this, the Japanese coachman immediately jumped out of the carriage, grabbed his riding whip, and rushed over.

The driver was a grown man with great strength; when he lashed out with his whip, he almost struck Zhang Xuecheng.

The situation reversed instantly! Qi Fan and his friends were just kids; how could they possibly beat adults?

Before long, he was beaten back by the coachman.

Qi Fan couldn't dodge in time and took several solid punches to his chest and back, making him grimace in pain.

The commotion on the street grew louder and louder, and soon attracted the attention of patrolling police officers.

At this time, a treaty was signed in Northeast China, and Qi Fan and his group were located at the South Manchuria Railway Station, which was under Japanese jurisdiction. The police there were mostly Japanese as well.

"Take them all away!"

The lead policeman shouted sternly, completely ignoring Qi Fan and the others' explanations, and dragged them to the police station like chickens.

The Japanese children in the carriage stuck their heads out and made faces at them triumphantly, which made Qi Fan grit his teeth in anger.

Qi Fan, who was being dragged forward by the police, was not flustered at all; on the contrary, he felt a sense of exhilaration.

Just kidding. His father, Zhang Zuolin, was notoriously protective of his son. Even if he had done something wrong, his father would still protect him fiercely.

Before long, these police officers were instructed to respectfully send him back.

As for the chaotic battle with the Japanese devils just now, Qi Fan felt extremely satisfied. As a patriotic young man of the 21st century, he should beat the little devils to a pulp!