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

In the early morning, a light drizzle fell on Guangzhou, making the cobblestone streets slippery.

Lin Qi did not ride in the car provided by the Grand Marshal's Mansion. He changed into a very ordinary dark blue coarse cloth long gown, wore a pair of black cloth shoes with a thousand layers of soles, and carried two wooden boxes wrapped tightly in oil paper.

He was not accompanied by any guards, but a bodyguard sent by Chiang Kai-shek followed him from a distance in plain clothes.

After passing through several bustling streets and alleys, we stopped in front of an extremely inconspicuous old house.

With peeling paint on the walls and faded red paint on the gate, if it weren't for the guard in military uniform standing at the gatehouse, no one would guess that this was the residence of Lin Zichao, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Grand Marshal's Mansion and a veteran of the Tongmenghui.

Lin Zichao was an honest and upright official who did not accumulate private wealth. He donated most of his life savings to the revolution, making him an anomaly in an era rife with warlords and rampant corruption.

He handed over his visiting card.

Less than two minutes later, the butler hurriedly came out to greet Lin Qi and invited him into the main hall.

The main hall was simply furnished with a few peeling armchairs and a banner with the words "The world belongs to all" written by the gentleman on the wall.

Lin Zichao walked out from the inner hall, wearing a gray cotton robe, with his signature long beard, and a thin face, but in excellent spirits.

He looked Lin Qi up and down, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

These past two days, rumors have been circulating in Guangzhou that the gentleman has brought back a remarkable person from Shanghai. This person is not only wealthy and powerful but also ruthless, having executed someone on his very first day at the Ishii Arsenal.

He had assumed he was an arrogant spoiled rich kid who had returned from studying abroad, dressed in a suit and tie, and spoke fluent English.

Unexpectedly, the young man in front of me was dressed in a traditional Chinese long gown, which concealed all his sharpness and gave him the calm and gentle demeanor of a traditional scholar.

"Dr. Lin."

Lin Zichao politely raised his hand: "I was busy with foreign affairs a few days ago and didn't go to the dock to welcome you. You just took over the arsenal and everything is in need of rebuilding. How come you have time to come to my humble abode?"

Lin Qi stepped forward, bowed respectfully as a junior, and placed the wooden box on the table.

"Senior Zichao, I am here today not to discuss official business, but only to acknowledge my ancestry."

Lin Zichao was taken aback, and his hand stroking his beard stopped.

"Recognizing one's ancestors and returning to one's roots? What's the basis for this idea?"

Lin Qi sat down to the side, his back straight.

"My grandfather went to Southeast Asia to make a living in his early years. He spent half his life wandering in foreign lands. Before his death, he left a will that the Lin family's roots are in Fuqing, Fujian. No matter where you go, you must never forget the generational names in the family genealogy."

His voice was calm and his pronunciation was clear: "Last night, while browsing through the roster of the Grand Marshal's Mansion, I came across the name and place of origin of the elder. When discussing the Lin family lineage of Fuqing, the elder is indeed a senior relative of mine. Today, I have specially prepared two boxes of ginseng brought back from Southeast Asia to pay my respects to the elder."

Lin Zichao suddenly sat up straight, staring sharply at Lin Qi.

In this era, clan consciousness was of paramount importance.

People with the same surname are even closer than those from the same clan. But the Lin family is a large surname in the south with many branches. Lin Zichao has seen many people come to claim kinship without permission.

"Which branch of the Fuqing family did your grandfather belong to, and how were his generational names determined?"

Lin Zichao's voice deepened. This was a secret, something that outsiders would never know.

Lin Qi remained expressionless and answered immediately.

"My grandfather came from the Changfang branch of Dongshi Township. My great-grandfather's generation had the character 'Yu' in their name. When it came to the younger generation, the family genealogy reads 'Shu Chuan Fang Yuan, Wen Zhang Bao Guo En'. My original name was Lin Tuozhi, and according to the generational naming system, it should have the character 'Chuan' in my name."

Lin Zichao's eyes suddenly widened.

The generational names are all correct. Not only are they correct, but a branch of the Dongshi Township Changfang family did indeed flee to Southeast Asia during the Taiping Rebellion and have been out of contact ever since.

Such obscure family secrets would never be known to outsiders.

More importantly, Lin Zichao's mind works extremely fast.

The young man in front of me has a huge sum of money in his hands, and the boss in the headquarters listens to him without question.

He held the power of life and death over the arsenal.

And what about himself? A foreign minister in name only, with no money and no gun.

With their status and position, there's absolutely no need for them to lower themselves and try to curry favor with this penniless old man.

The only explanation is that they are truly of the same bloodline.

The wariness and official air on Lin Zichao's face vanished instantly, replaced by barely concealed excitement. He stood up, walked to Lin Qi, and placed his hands on Lin Qi's shoulders.

"Okay! Okay!"

The old man's eyes welled up with tears, and he nodded repeatedly: "My Lin family of Fuqing has been wandering for decades, yet we have produced such a worthy son as you. Our ancestors are truly blessed."

Lin Qi stood up respectfully.

The genealogy is real, and he is indeed a member of the Lin family, but his place of origin is fake. His ancestors did not go to Southeast Asia, but went to the north.

But today, in this main hall, it remains an undeniable fact.

After acknowledging their kinship, the atmosphere completely changed. It was no longer the polite formalities of officialdom. Lin Zichao pulled Lin Qi into the study and had the steward brew some of the finest tea that he usually couldn't bear to drink.

"Takumi, I've heard about what you've been up to outside."

Lin Zichao sighed: "You're tough. That cancerous growth in the arsenal should have been removed long ago. But you're new here, and the bigger the tree, the more the wind will blow against you. Those locals may outwardly submit, but who knows how they'll trip you up behind your back."

Lin Qi took a sip of tea.

"Uncle's words are wise, and I know that the bigger the tree, the more the wind will blow against it. But time waits for no one. Headquarters is currently short of guns and ammunition. When dealing with foreign warlords, no matter how eloquent you are, you can't compete with the range of artillery."

This statement struck a nerve with Lin Zichao. He was in charge of diplomacy and dealt with the British, French and other warlords every day. They had their gunboats moored at the mouth of the Pearl River and didn't take the headquarters seriously at all.

"You understand Western affairs."

Lin Zichao leaned forward: "In your opinion, how should we break this diplomatic predicament?"

Lin Qi put down his teacup and gently stroked the rim with his fingertips.

"It can't be broken, and there's no need to break it."

Lin Zichao frowned.

"The great powers want interests, not justice. The British in Hong Kong want a monopoly on trade in the Pearl River basin and will never allow a strong, unified regime to be established in the south."

Lin Qi's analysis was incisive: "Uncle, negotiating treaties with them is useless; we must exploit their greed. British merchants and the Hong Kong Governor's Office are not a united front. As long as we offer the trading companies a 20% tariff rebate, those British merchants will themselves storm the Governor's blockade. The headquarters' current diplomatic focus should not be on the great powers' governments, but on those profit-driven comprador capitalists."

Using foreigners to fight against other foreigners, and using commerce to coerce the government.

Lin Zichao was horrified. This extremely utilitarian and even somewhat unscrupulous diplomatic logic completely overturned the orthodox diplomatic concepts he had adhered to for most of his life.

But he had to admit that this method was more effective than any protest letter in this chaotic world.

"A great talent."

Lin Zichao stroked his beard and sighed deeply, his eyes filled with satisfaction and admiration: "With you in my Lin family, how can we not bring glory to our family?"

The time is right.

Lin Qi didn't continue showing off; he changed the subject and got to the point.

"Elders, as a junior in the military industry, I'm ultimately in logistics. There's been a fierce debate at headquarters lately about leading troops on the front lines. Has the principal been chosen for that military academy that's about to be established?"

Lin Zichao shook his head.

"Yesterday, the gentleman called me over and asked if I had any suitable candidates. Wang recommended his people, and Hu also had his own plans. I'm not familiar with military affairs, so I didn't say anything. What, do you have someone in mind?"

Lin Qi nodded, his expression solemn.

Chiang Kai-shek.

Lin Zichao pondered for a moment, and the image of the quiet, cautious middle-aged military officer who usually stood by his teacher's side came to mind.

"He's a bit inexperienced."

Lin Zichao gave an honest evaluation.

"Low experience is an advantage."

Lin Qiyi pointed out incisively: "The people recommended by Wang Jingwei and Hu Jintao all have their own factions behind them. Once these people become the principals, the military academy becomes their private property for power struggles. Chiang Kai-shek is different. He has no roots in Guangzhou and no private army. As the principal, he can only rely wholeheartedly on the teachers, so that the soul of this new army can be firmly held in the hands of the headquarters."

Lin Zichao's eyes lit up. He hadn't figured out this political logic before, but Lin Qi's words had enlightened him.

More importantly, this was the first time their own prodigy had spoken.

In clan-based thinking, if a member of the family asks for something, as long as it doesn't violate major principles of right and wrong, the elders will do anything to get it done; this is called protecting one's own offspring.

"rational."

Lin Zichao slammed his hand on the desk, his tone resolute: "I've investigated Chiang Kai-shek, and he's a fairly reliable person. Since Tuozhi thinks highly of him, he must have his reasons. This afternoon I'll go to the Grand Marshal's Mansion to meet with you, sir. I, Lin, will risk my reputation to protect his position as principal."

Lin Qi stood up and bowed deeply.

"Thank you, Uncle."

At noon, Lin Zichao didn't let Lin Qi leave and insisted that he stay at the mansion for lunch.

Lin Qi ate this meal with great clarity.

There were no delicacies, just four dishes and a soup: eggplant with minced meat, braised tofu with scallions, a plate of green vegetables, and a steamed salted fish—authentic home-style cooking.

But the people eating at the same table were of extremely high quality.

Besides Lin Zichao, there were three other middle-aged people sitting at the table.

One was the deputy superintendent of the Guangdong Customs, another was the second-in-command of the Guangzhou Telegraph Bureau, and the third was the section chief of the General Headquarters' Logistics Department.

The entire family shares the surname Lin and are all branches of the Fuqing lineage.

Lin Zichao picked up a cup of rice wine and pointed at Lin Qi.

"This is Tuozhi, a descendant of the Changfang branch of our Dongshi Township."

Lin Zichao glanced at the three people at the table, his voice not loud, but exuding absolute authority: "From now on, in the Guangzhou area, whatever Tuozhi needs to do is a matter for the Lin family. Customs documents, telegram lines, military supplies allocation—you few must cooperate fully. Anyone who dares to hold Tuozhi back can get out of the Lin family ancestral hall."

The three quickly raised their glasses, agreeing repeatedly, their eyes filled with awe and affection as they looked at Lin Qi.

Even Lian Zichao has spoken, so this is the core figure of the new generation of the Lin family.

Lin Qi drank the rice wine, his mind clear as a mirror.

After this meal, his sphere of influence in the south was completely established.

Not only did they have Chiang Kai-shek's promise of military power and Lin Zichao, a political ace among the upright leaders, but they also carved out their own underground bloodline within this massive and bloated warlord bureaucracy.

The deputy customs inspector could allow his military smuggling equipment to bypass all inspections and land smoothly.

Being the second-in-command of the telegraph bureau allowed him to intercept confidential movements within the Beiyang government and even the headquarters in a timely manner.

The head of the quartermaster department was able to secretly allocate various scarce copper and iron raw materials into the warehouse of the Ishii Arsenal.

These people did not hold high official positions, but they were all stuck at the most critical juncture.

The rain stopped in the afternoon.

Lin Qi walked out of the Lin Mansion, clutching a note that the deputy customs superintendent had secretly slipped to him earlier. The note depicted the defenses of several extremely well-hidden smuggling wharves on the outskirts of the Pearl River Estuary.

This thing is more precious than tens of thousands of dollars.

Lin Qi stuffed the note into his pocket and looked up at the gloomy sky.

Everything is ready. Now we're just waiting for the military academy to advertise its recruitment and for us to meet the future generals and commanders!