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

Yu Fengzhi was always thorough in her work. She handed over the meat filling and flour for making dumplings to the cooking team, and then had a few heartfelt words with Qi Fan before tactfully leaving the military academy.

She knew in her heart that Qi Fan had been deliberately avoiding any special treatment here, and that staying any longer would only cause him trouble. It was better to leave it at that and keep the favor just right.

As evening fell and the bugle call signaling the end of training sounded, Qi Fan gathered Zhang Xuecheng, Zhang Tingshu, and Bao Yulin, and patted them on the shoulder.

"Come on, let me take you out to relax. I've booked a private room at Fuxing Restaurant."

Upon hearing that there was delicious food, the three of them instantly shook off their fatigue and followed Qi Fan excitedly out of the military academy.

As soon as he entered Fuxinglou, Qi Fan called out to the proprietress behind the counter.

"Boss lady, first a plate of braised beef, a plate of braised pig's trotters, and then a pot of stir-fried fish! Spicy, please!"

The proprietress looked up and saw that all four of them were wearing military uniforms from the military academy. She immediately looked troubled and stepped forward to ask softly.

"Gentlemen, are you students from the Martial Arts Academy? I'm so sorry, but our shop has rules that we can't sell drinks to students. Please understand."

"I don't need you to sell it; I have my own wine stored here," Qi Fan waved his hand casually.

"It was sent by Yu Fengzhi. You can check and you'll find out."

As soon as the name "Yu Fengzhi" was uttered, the proprietress immediately realized what it meant and quickly smiled.

"Oh my, you must be Young Master Zhang! I'm so sorry I didn't recognize you! Please come into the private room, I'll go get the wine right away, it'll be right there!"

As he spoke, he enthusiastically led the four of them toward the private room that had been reserved in advance.

A short while later, the proprietress brought in two jars of fine liquor and also served the cold dishes that Qi Fan had ordered.

Qi Fan picked up the wine jar, poured a full glass for himself and the other three, and raised his glass with a smile.

"Come on, everyone, raise your glasses! Training has been tough lately, so let's not talk about training or military affairs today, let's just have a good drink and relax!"

Zhang Tingshu and Zhang Xuecheng immediately raised their glasses, clinked them with Qi Fan's, and took a big gulp.

But Bao Yulin, standing next to him, didn't move. He just kept his head down, picking at the food in his bowl, his face gloomy and unpleasant, completely out of place with the lively atmosphere at the table.

Qi Fan put down his wine glass, noticed his unusual behavior, frowned, and asked.

"Yulin, what's wrong? You look so down. Is the food not to your liking, or is something on your mind?"

When Qi Fan asked him this question, Bao Yulin seemed to have made up his mind and suddenly raised his head.

"Hanqing, to be honest with you, I don't want to stay at the Military Academy anymore. I've already written my resignation letter and plan to hand it in first thing tomorrow morning."

The atmosphere in the private room froze instantly upon hearing this.

Qi Fan's smile vanished. He didn't get angry immediately, but turned to look at Zhang Tingshu and Zhang Xuecheng, and asked in a deep voice.

"What about you two? Do you think the same way?"

Zhang Tingshu pursed his lips and didn't say anything, but simply shook his head slightly.

Zhang Xuecheng immediately expressed his opinion, his tone firm.

"I'll listen to you, brother! I'll be wherever you are. The training is tough, but I'm not afraid of hardship. I just want to learn some real skills!"

Upon hearing this, Qi Fan patted Zhang Xuecheng on the shoulder with satisfaction and praised, "Well done, Xuecheng! You have guts!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned his head sharply to look at Bao Yulin, his eyes instantly turning fierce, and he raised his hand to give Bao Yulin a loud slap!

The sound of a "smack" was particularly jarring in the quiet private room.

"You fucking coward!" Qi Fan shouted angrily.

"Now you're telling me you want to desert? You can't even handle this little bit of hardship, what great things can you possibly accomplish?"

The slap completely stunned Bao Yulin. He covered his face, his eyes filled with astonishment.

Zhang Tingshu and Zhang Xuecheng were also completely stunned. The two stood there, not realizing that Qi Fan would suddenly take action. No one expected that he, who had been gently urging them to drink just a second ago, would become angry the next.

Qi Fan was still furious and raised his hand to slap someone a second time.

Zhang Tingshu and Zhang Xuecheng then came to their senses and rushed forward, grabbing Qi Fan's arms tightly and urgently trying to persuade him.

"Hanqing! Don't be angry! Let's talk this out. Fighting won't solve anything!"

Bao Yulin was thoroughly enraged by the slap. He lowered his hand from his face and glared at Qi Fan with red eyes.

"Go ahead and hit me! Even if you slap me to death today, I'm still leaving! I'm not going to suffer this!"

Qi Fan was held tightly by the two men. He struggled a few times but couldn't break free, and his emotions gradually calmed down.

He took a deep breath, sat back down, picked up the wine glass on the table, and took a big gulp of baijiu. The spicy liquor burned his throat, but also suppressed some of his anger.

He looked up at Bao Yulin and asked in an icy tone, "Do you know who your father is?"

Bao Yulin opened his mouth, but before he could answer, Qi Fan turned to look at Zhang Tingshu beside him and repeated in a deep voice.

"Tell me, do you even know who your father is?"

The two fell silent instantly.

How could they not know? Bao Yulin's father was Bao Guiqing, the military governor of Jilin, and Zhang Tingshu's father was Zhang Zuoxiang, the principal of the military academy; both were prominent figures in the Fengtian Army. They understood the meaning behind Qi Fan's words perfectly.

Qi Fan slammed his wine glass down on the table, the bottom of the glass making a dull thud as it struck the surface.

"With our status here in this military academy, we're like goldfish! Everyone's staring at us!"

His tone was filled with exasperated anger: "You're just leaving like deserters, aren't you ashamed? You're not only disgracing yourselves, but also your fathers, and the entire Zhang and Bao families!"

After a pause, Qi Fan's voice deepened, and his gaze swept over the two of them.

"Look at those ordinary soldiers in the military academy! What kind of lives do they lead? They can grit their teeth and endure it, so why can't you?"

Bao Yulin and Zhang Tingshu were both taken aback and lowered their eyes.

They weren't fools. Qi Fan's words hit the nail on the head. Compared to those low-ranking soldiers, their own suffering was nothing. Their so-called "unbearable" was nothing but spoiled bratness.

Seeing that the two had fallen silent, Qi Fan softened his tone and continued.

"Remember this: we're not here to enjoy ourselves, we're here to learn real skills! Only when we become stronger can we change this chaotic system and make our brothers suffer less! Not only do you have to stay, you have to set an example for me!"

He leaned forward slightly, his eyes sincere and resolute: "We've grown up together since childhood. From now on, I hope you can all become my right-hand men, supporting the future of the Fengtian Army and protecting this land in Northeast China!"

Upon hearing this, the anger in Bao Yulin's eyes gradually subsided, replaced by shame and emotion.

Zhang Tingshu also raised his head, his eyes showing a newfound determination.

Yes, if others can endure hardship, why can't we? Rather than running away, staying and achieving results is the real skill.

Seeing that the two of them relaxed, Qi Fan knew that his words had worked, and his tense expression eased a little.

He picked up the wine jar, poured a glass of wine for each of them, filled his own glass, and raised it.

"Drink this glass, and we'll pretend this never happened. From tomorrow on, everyone better be on your toes and show everyone what you've got!"

As he spoke, he turned and patted Zhang Xuecheng on the shoulder, extending an olive branch with a smile.

"After you graduate from the military academy, you'll be the same. How about becoming a regimental commander under me?"

Zhang Xuecheng's eyes lit up, and he immediately raised his glass, his face full of excitement and conviction.

"Brother! I'll go wherever you go! Even if it's just to be your foot soldier, let alone the commander, I'd be happy to!"

This is absolutely true. Over the years, Zhang Xuecheng has long regarded Qi Fan as his own brother.

Although they were cousins, Qi Fan always treated him with utmost sincerity, never missing out on any good things, and always taking the blame for him when he got into trouble.

He had always had complete faith in Qi Fan and had long since made up his mind to follow Qi Fan for the rest of his life.

Bao Yulin took a deep breath and raised his glass, his voice slightly hoarse but incredibly firm.

"Hanqing, I was wrong. I've torn up this resignation letter. From now on, I'll work hard for you and never say anything like deserting again!"

Zhang Tingshu silently raised his glass and nodded: "I'll stay too, and train hard with you."

"Okay!" Qi Fan smiled and clinked his wine glass heavily against the two men's glasses.

"Cheers! From today onward, brothers, let's be of one mind and forge ahead together!"

The three men tilted their heads back and downed their drinks in one gulp. The pungent liquor went down their throats, but warmed their hearts. The heavy atmosphere in the private room completely dissipated, replaced by the tacit understanding between brothers and the determination to move forward side by side.