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

"This is not mysterious at all."

Lin Qi casually pulled over a high-backed leather chair and sat down, crossing his legs and calmly scanning the several influential figures in front of him who had wielded considerable influence in the history of the Republic of China.

There was no pretense of profundity, no mystification; the tone was as natural as disassembling an old machine tool in a laboratory.

The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop on the Persian carpet.

"Let's talk about the candidates first."

Lin Qi held up one finger and pointed to Liao Zikai standing on the left: "Fifteen hundred thousand silver dollars, plus a set of modern military pipeline diagrams that can be implemented in the South. This is a very heavy bargaining chip. The South desperately needs this money to save its life, so we must show the highest level of sincerity in our negotiations."

Liao Zikai's expression was solemn, and he nodded slightly.

"There are only a handful of veterans in the headquarters. With the master overseeing the overall situation in Guangzhou, he cannot be moved lightly. Wang is a brilliant writer, but he is a good-for-nothing who knows nothing about military affairs or industry. Hu is senior, but he is proud and arrogant and cannot bring himself to come to Shanghai to welcome a junior like me."

Lin Qi analyzed the political landscape of the highest levels in the South in detail: "After careful consideration, the only one who is both a core elder and in charge of finance and labor is Lord Liao. This job is perfect for you."

A thin layer of sweat was seeping from Liao Zkai's back.

This young man, who had only been back in China for a few days after returning from overseas, possessed an astute understanding of the personnel dynamics in the Guangzhou headquarters. His insight was truly astonishing.

Lin Qi raised his second finger and turned to Song Ziwen.

"As for Brother Ziwen, the information I've given to the outside world is that you're an overseas Chinese who brought capital back to China. Among the people in our headquarters, the only one who truly understands the operating logic of American financial groups and can talk to me on economic terms is you, who studied in the United States. I sent you here ostensibly as a bridge of communication, but in reality, it's to test my mettle and see if I'm a true master or just a charlatan."

Song Ziwen swallowed hard.

Yesterday afternoon's one-sided macroeconomic massacre is still fresh in my mind. He came here to investigate, but ended up being seen through completely.

"The last one."

Lin Qi's gaze passed over Song Ziwen and landed on Chang Kaishen, whose face was tense at the edge: "This Commander Chang studied military affairs in Baoding and Japan in his early years. Although he has the title of staff officer in Guangzhou, he has no real command of troops. With the military academy about to be established, he is more eager than anyone to make outstanding contributions to consolidate his position. He will definitely volunteer for such a highly confidential and prestigious task as welcoming guests across provinces. Furthermore, I have military blueprints in my hands, and you need someone knowledgeable in military affairs to take a look at them first."

Chiang Kai-shek's thoughts were laid bare by Lin Qi's analysis in public, and his cheeks twitched uncontrollably a few times.

He prided himself on being extremely shrewd, but now, in front of this young man, he felt like a naked child standing in the snow, with no secrets whatsoever.

"Now that the people have been chosen, all that's left is time and route."

Lin Qi picked up a glass of water from the coffee table to moisten his throat, without even pausing for them.

"After Renjie discovered my trump card and confirmed it was correct, he sent an urgent telegram to Guangzhou. From receiving the telegram and holding a meeting to finalizing the three of you, it took you a full day. Coming from Guangzhou to Shanghai, the land route is subject to strict checks by the warlords, so you must travel by sea. The coastal routes are blocked by the Zhili clique's warships, so for your safety, you can only take a foreign merchant ship flying the British flag."

Lin Qi stood up, walked to the huge Far East shipping route map on the wall of the hall, and lightly traced a line on the map with his finger.

"Jardine Matheson's liners set sail on odd-numbered days, and the journey takes three days. You could only have arrived at the Shanghai Shiliupu Wharf yesterday. Since we know which ship you're on and what time you'll dock, it's just a matter of having Lu Xiaojia send a guard company to the wharf to make a scene and pick you up. It's a piece of cake."

The words fell silent.

There was no insider leak, and no telegrams were intercepted.

It was all thanks to their extremely abnormal logical deductions about the current situation, personnel, and flight routes that they managed to calculate a top-secret operation as if it were as clear as the lines on the palm of their hand.

Zhang Jingjiang sat in a wheelchair, his chest heaving violently.

Liao Zikai closed his eyes and let out a long sigh, a sigh of utter resignation.

Not far away, the third young lady held a wine glass, her red lips slightly parted.

Looking at the composed man standing in front of the flight map, the curiosity in her eyes burned into a burning determination to win.

Such a man is the true king who can turn the tide in chaotic times.

……

Two days later, at the Shiliupu Wharf in Shanghai.

A British ocean liner with a displacement of 3,000 tons sounded its horn and spewed thick black smoke, preparing to leave the Huangpu River.

Lin Qi stood on the first-class deck, facing the slightly salty sea breeze of early winter, watching the bustling Bund gradually recede into the distance.

His scheme in Shanghai has come to a perfect conclusion, with the Green Gang's underground logistics network and the Jiang-Zhe warlords' covert green light all in place.

Next, we went to the real battlefield in the south and transformed that impoverished base area into a heavy industrial base.

A very faint scent of French perfume drifted in on the sea breeze.

The third young lady changed into a navy blue dress with an extremely fitted cut, and draped a pure white cashmere shawl over it.

Wearing high heels, she walked gracefully to Lin Qi's side and gently placed her hands on the railing of the ship's side.

The reason given for the sudden boarding of the ship by the third young lady of the Song family was flawless: to visit her second sister and brother-in-law in Guangzhou.

When the younger sister visits her older sister and brother-in-law, no one dares to utter a single complaint.

"What is Dr. Lin looking at?"

The third young lady turned her head to the side, the sea breeze blowing through her carefully styled hair, her voice clear and melodious.

"Look at this river."

Lin Qi did not turn around: "The river flows eastward, carrying away countless heroes and valiant men. The general trend of the world, like this river, cannot be stopped."

The third young lady chuckled softly, her beautiful eyes sparkling with delight.

"Dr. Lin is not only proficient in business, but also has a bit of a poet's sentiment. I heard from my older brother that he spent a few years in Boston. I also happened to study at Wellesley College, so we are practically alumni."

Her conversation flowed extremely naturally, attempting to use their shared experience of studying abroad to bridge the gap between them. This sophisticated approach to conversation was far more effective than any overt attempt to seduce or grope.

Lin Qi knew perfectly well what was going on in this woman's mind.

To be fair, the Third Miss is at the peak of her beauty and has an exceptional temperament. Any ordinary man would have been captivated by her long ago.

Lin Qi was well aware of the capitalist nature behind the Song family; they were pure comprador capitalists who leeched off foreign goods and financial scissors by trading in foreign goods.

This is a mortal enemy of his original intention to establish an independent and self-reliant heavy industry system.

If we really get involved with her, the procurement of special steel for the arsenal and the introduction of equipment for the chemical plant will all be controlled by the Jiang-Zhe financial tycoons.

More importantly, Lin Qi keenly noticed out of the corner of his eye that Chiang Kai-shek, dressed in a long gown, was staring intently at them with an almost sinister and hateful gaze from the shadows around the corner on the upper deck.

He's here to work on the military industry, not to fight over women. With Chiang Kai-shek's vindictive nature, if you completely offend him for a woman, you'll inevitably face countless hidden attacks when setting up a factory in Guangzhou. It's a very bad deal.

We must act swiftly and decisively to extinguish the Third Miss's hopes.

Lin Qi turned around, leaning against the ship's railing, meeting the Third Miss's eager gaze, a very realistic look of melancholy appearing on his face.

"Wesleyan College is a good school."

Lin Qi sighed and looked into the vast depths of the sea: "Seeing these rolling waves reminds me of my fiancée who is far away in San Francisco."

The smile on the third young lady's lips froze slightly, and her fingers resting on the railing unconsciously tightened by half an inch.

"The doctor is so young, yet he's already engaged."

She forced herself to keep her voice steady, trying not to let the other person see that she had lost her composure.

"It was an arranged marriage by my grandfather years ago. She was the daughter of a family friend. We grew up together and had a deep bond."

Lin Qishun made up a story without even writing a draft: "The situation back in China this time is dangerous, and swords have no eyes. It is a great regret of my life that I was unable to bring her with me. Once I have set up the arsenal in Guangzhou and the situation has calmed down, I will definitely bring her here to get married."

In short, it was concise and to the point, even using terms like "deep affection" and "childhood sweethearts," completely sealing off any room for ambiguity.

If it were a typical young lady from a respectable family, she would have already backed down upon hearing such words, or even felt embarrassed.

Lin Qi underestimated the socialite's competitive spirit and ambition.

The astonishment in the third young lady's eyes lasted for less than a few seconds. Looking at Lin Qi's handsome and cold face, her desire to conquer him was like being doused with boiling oil, becoming even more intense.

So what if we get married?

What is a fiancée anyway?

In this turbulent world, there's no reason why she wouldn't get the man or the power she sets her sights on.

Instead of backing down, she took a small step forward, shortening the distance between them.

He picked up his coffee cup and casually waved it above Lin Qi's hand, which was gripping the railing, as if they were clinking glasses.

"In chaotic times, people come together and part ways unpredictably. Dr. Lin's loyalty and sense of justice are truly admirable."

The third young lady's smile deepened, revealing an extremely strong sense of aggression: "However, no one can predict the future. Perhaps the environment in Guangzhou is more conducive to nurturing people and can inspire different thoughts in doctoral students."

Lin Qi frowned almost imperceptibly, but did not reply.

This woman is more troublesome than he imagined. It seems he'll have to stay away from her in Guangzhou from now on.

……

Several days later, in Guangzhou, at Tianzi Wharf.

The passenger ship has not yet fully docked.

Liao Zikai and the others standing on the deck had already seen the situation on the shore and gasped in surprise.

The entire dock was placed under complete martial law by heavily armed guards, with sentries every three steps and patrols every five steps.

At the very front of the pier, the gentleman, dressed in a gray Zhongshan suit, stood facing the river breeze. Behind him, all the core military and political officials of the Grand Marshal's Mansion stood in a row.

This kind of display is not welcoming an overseas Chinese at all; it's welcoming a warlord with an army of 100,000.

The moment I stepped onto the pier.

The gentleman took two steps forward, grasped Lin Qi's hands tightly, and shook them vigorously.

"Tuozhi, I've been waiting for you for so long, and you've finally come. On behalf of millions of suffering people, I thank you for your timely help during this most difficult time."

The gentleman's eyes were even slightly red. This was by no means a show, but a genuine expression of emotion from a revolutionary who had suffered repeated defeats and was in dire straits, when he saw real hope.

Lin Qi was not arrogant; he returned the handshake with great tact.

"Sir, you flatter me. I only brought back a few blueprints and a few measly coins. It was you and all the pioneers who truly risked your lives."

After exchanging pleasantries, the gentleman took Lin Qi's hand and began to introduce him one by one to the prominent figures who had left their illustrious names in history along the pier.

Each time someone was introduced, the other person responded with an extremely respectful smile and warm greetings.

Lin Qizheng stepped into the very center of the power vortex of the Republic of China.

At the same time.

Thousands of miles away, in Fengtian, at the Marshal's Mansion.

The snow was falling heavily outside the pass, and the goose-feather-like snowflakes completely covered the courtyard of the Marshal's Mansion.

Zhang Hanqing had just had a big argument with the old marshal in his room about military spending.

The old marshal scolded him for being a spendthrift and not knowing the value of firewood and rice. He was already full of anger and had nowhere to vent it, so he slammed the door and went back to his study, ripped open the collar of his military uniform, and kicked over the armchair next to the charcoal brazier.

"Damn it, the old general is so stingy, he won't even spend a penny to buy a few crappy airplanes."

Outside.

A trusted adjutant rushed in, his military boots kicking up mud and water, clutching a newly translated copy of a telegram tightly in his hand.

"Young Marshal, great news! An urgent telegram has just arrived from the south."

Zhang Hanqing snatched the telegram in frustration and glanced at it.

At first, he thought that one of the major warlords from the Zhili or Anhui cliques had secretly defected to the South.

The telegram clearly stated: Sun Yat-sen, accompanied by his entire Grand Marshal's staff, solemnly welcomed a mysterious VIP at Tianzi Wharf, with unprecedented courtesy.

But when his gaze continued downwards and settled on the name of the mysterious official—"Lin Tuozhi"—it was as if he had seen the other person's face.

He froze, as if he had been frozen in place, even his breathing stopped.

A full minute passed.

Suddenly, a wild, unrestrained, and even somewhat neurotic laugh erupted from the study.

Laughter pierced through the wind and snow, echoing in the courtyard of the Marshal's Mansion.

"Hahaha! Good! Lin Tuozhi is quite something."

Holding the thin telegram, Zhang Hanqing paced back and forth in the room, so excited that he slammed his hand heavily on the desk, causing the calligraphy brushes in the pen holder to scatter all over the floor.

"Big Brother is truly a god. He went south all by himself, and in just a few days, he not only penetrated into the heart of the enemy, but also made Sun Dapao treat him like a god."

Zhang Hanqing's eyes were filled with fervor and self-satisfaction; he was now completely immersed in the perfect strategic map he had drawn up.

In his view, the more the South valued Lin Qi and the more power they gave him, the deeper the Fengtian clique's influence in the South would be.

"The old general always scolds me for being naive!"

He pointed south and laughed arrogantly, "I've made the right move in this grand strategy for the world."