Did he trick the young marshal into becoming sworn brothers and then go south to Huangpu Military Ac

Yang Yuting completely put aside his doubts. In his opinion, no normal person would do such a foolish and absurd thing after sensing danger.

"Chief, what do we do now? The sniper is still lying in the woods in Erdaogou."

The adjutant asked cautiously.

Yang Yuting snorted coldly.

"Go to Changbai Mountain? That would be even better!"

He walked to the military map on the wall and traced his finger from Fengtian all the way to Changbai Mountain.

"Changbai Mountain is a deep, dense forest, teeming with wild beasts. If something happens there, you won't even find your remains! It's a hundred times easier to clean up the mess than in Erdaogou!"

"Issue the order immediately!"

Yang Yuting turned around, his face filled with murderous intent: "Have the men from Erdaogou withdraw. Also, send telegrams to the military stations along the way to find out which station the special train will refuel at, and what time it will arrive at Changbai Mountain. Since Lin Tuozhi wants to seek thrills in the deep mountains and forests, then I'll make sure he never leaves that black pine forest again in his lifetime!"

……

"Clang... Clang... Clang..."

The special train traveled north at a constant speed.

It's less than a ten-minute drive from Sujiatun.

Sujiatun, this inconspicuous little station, held significant strategic importance for the entire Northeast and the Fengtian Army.

It is the only way for the entire Fengtian hub to extend northward. Every day, countless munitions, coal and grain are dispatched and organized here, making it the main artery of the entire Northeast.

At this moment, inside the luxury compartment of the special train.

By noon, the early autumn sun in Northeast China was still scorching. The carriage was hot and stuffy, but Zhang Hanqing, sitting on the sofa, felt a chill run through his body, as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

He held a cigarette in his hand, long ash piling up, teetering on the verge of falling, yet he was completely unaware.

The spark burned his index finger, and he jerked violently, then threw the cigarette butt into the ashtray as if he'd been electrocuted.

Zhang Hanqing didn't dare to look up, and didn't even have the courage to glance at Lin Qi sitting opposite him out of the corner of his eye.

His face was filled with unbearable guilt, pain, and struggle.

His eyes, which were always so unruly and sharp, were now bloodshot and filled with confusion about the collapse of his faith.

As the crown prince of the Fengtian clique, he was not stupid; on the contrary, he possessed a political acumen that was difficult for ordinary people to match.

During the half hour or so that the special train was leaving Fengtian, his mind never stopped working.

Lin Qi's meticulous reasoning was like an incredibly sharp scalpel, ruthlessly cutting through the warm and gentle facade of the Fengtian clique's power core, revealing the ugly truth flowing within.

Yang Yuting's intention to kill his sworn brother is an undeniable fact.

However, in Fengtian City, on the Zhang family's territory, how could Yang Yuting dare to do this without the tacit approval of his father, the Northeast King, who manipulated power and schemes?

"The old man tacitly approved the assassination."

Once this thought took root in his mind, it spread like a poisonous weed, devouring Zhang Hanqing's reason.

He felt extremely ashamed, repeatedly calling him "elder brother" and vowing that no one outside the pass could touch a hair on Lin Qi's head.

The results of it?

The one who wanted to kill his sworn brother was none other than his own father!

The feeling of being betrayed by his closest relatives and the humiliation of being slapped in the face by the family power he was so proud of made Zhang Hanqing feel like a ridiculous clown in front of Lin Qi.

"Hanqing".

A long, strong hand gently patted his tense and slightly trembling shoulder.

Zhang Hanqing shuddered and struggled to lift his head.

The expected angry, disdainful, or cold look in Lin Qi's eyes did not appear.

Lin Qi, sitting opposite him, remained calm and composed. His eyes held no blame whatsoever, but rather a sense of tolerance and gentleness born from a profound understanding of life's vicissitudes.

"Big brother..."

Zhang Hanqing's voice was hoarse, as if his throat was stuffed with cotton: "I'm so sorry... I have no face to see you..."

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

Lin Qi smiled slightly, picked up the coffee pot on the table, and poured himself a small cup. His composure made it seem as if he were not on the run, but on vacation in some high-end club.

"I know what you're thinking, but there's no need to!"

Lin Qi took a sip of coffee, his gaze passing through the car window to the Northeast: "Hanqing, you are still young, and you still have the chivalrous spirit of the Jianghu people in your bones. But you must remember, you are not a bandit, you are the future of the Northeast. In the future, these hundreds of thousands of Fengtian soldiers and this vast land of the white mountains and black waters will all be handed over to you."

As he spoke, he put down his coffee cup, his tone gradually becoming serious.

"On the political chessboard, there is no pure black and white, only absolute interests and the law of survival. Many choices are not what you think they are. There is no right or wrong. Your only mistake is that you are not strong enough right now."

Lin Qi's gaze was like two sharp swords, piercing straight into the depths of Zhang Hanqing's soul.

"Only when you are truly strong, strong enough that no one dares to ignore your will, can we brothers truly stand tall!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Hanqing's eyes suddenly reddened, and tears almost fell. He sniffed hard and clenched his fists tightly.

"Brother, don't try to comfort me. It's my fault for being incompetent. I'm such a pathetic young commander! In the Northeast, I couldn't even send you off normally. I had to force you to escape like a criminal."

Zhang Hanqing gritted his teeth, each word dripping with blood.

"If I had enough power, if I had an iron army that only obeyed my orders, I'd like to see Yang Yuting dare to lay a finger on you!"

A hint of appreciation flashed in Lin Qi's eyes; this was exactly the kind of unwillingness and awakening he wanted from Zhang Hanqing.

"If you want to become powerful, the opportunity is right in front of you."

Lin Qi leaned forward and lowered his voice, like a strategist imparting unparalleled military tactics.

"Within a month, the second Zhili-Fengtian War will surely break out. Your Third Army Corps is the best-equipped and most powerful in the Fengtian Army. In this great war, the Third Army Corps will surely shine, and you will establish true prestige in the Fengtian Army based on your military achievements."

These words rekindled Zhang Hanqing's hope. Lin Qi nodded vigorously at him and continued.

"But Hanqing, you must remember what I said today: when you go back, don't trust anyone. You must place your personally trained, absolutely loyal confidants into the grassroots units!"

"Positions like division commander, brigade commander, and regimental commander can be given to those with senior experience, but company commanders and battalion commanders—the backbone personnel who directly control the power of firing at the grassroots level—must, and can only, be your loyal followers, Zhang Hanqing!"

Zhang Hanqing was stunned.

He attended a military academy, but his military leadership philosophy leans towards modern military thought.

In his view, the army should appoint officers based solely on merit, with those who are good at fighting being promoted.

"Big brother..."

Zhang Hanqing frowned and retorted, "If I really did that and replaced all the junior officers with my cronies, how would I be any different from the old warlords who formed factions and engaged in nepotism? Shouldn't ability be the primary factor in leading troops into battle? Although Yang Yuting is cunning, he does value talent when it comes to employing people."

"madness!"