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

10:00 AM.

Colorful flags fluttered and military music resounded in front of the gates of the Whampoa Military Academy.

Having weathered the trials of the mud and the assassination attempts, the first-term graduates of the Whampoa Military Academy, dressed in brand-new gray uniforms, varied in physique, but their upright spines and the fervent faith in their eyes deeply moved all the onlookers.

The spirit and morale of this student soldier force were completely different from any old warlord army.

On the high platform in front of the auditorium.

The gentleman, dressed in formal attire, delivered that famous speech destined to be recorded in history.

"The unique hope of opening this military academy here today is to create a revolutionary army to save the nation from peril!"

The applause from the audience was thunderous and lasted for a long time.

Chiang Kai-shek, as the official principal, stood beside the teacher. He was in high spirits, his face glowing, enjoying the gaze of the five hundred future generals below the stage.

At that moment, he felt that the whole world was under his control.

Lin Qi, dressed in an ordinary training uniform, stood very discreetly half a step back from Chiang Kai-shek.

He kept his achievements and fame hidden, seemingly content to remain an unknown blacksmith.

The entire headquarters was immersed in the extreme joy of the successful opening of the Whampoa Military Academy and the boundless excitement for the future.

however.

In this glorious moment of celebration and joy for the entire island.

In the shadows behind the viewing platform, a pair of eyes gleamed with extreme coldness and resentment.

That was Xu Chongzhi, the commander-in-chief of the Guangdong Army who was originally the most promising candidate to become the principal of Whampoa Military Academy.

Commander Xu, dressed in a general's uniform, tightly gripped a jewel-encrusted riding whip in his hand, the leather of which was deformed from his grip.

He coldly looked at Chiang Kai-shek, who was enjoying immense glory on the stage, and then glanced at Lin Qi, who remained consistently low-key.

Originally, this position of principal belonged to him!

He has control of this new army!

But now?

Not only were they stripped of their rights, but they were also relegated to a nominal, sinecure.

This morning, his most trusted confidant was thrown into the Grand Marshal's Mansion like a dead dog by Lin Tuozhi and executed on the spot!

This not only slapped Xu in the face, but also utterly disgraced and destroyed the prestige of the Guangdong Army that he had painstakingly built up!

Xu Chongzhi coldly looked at the Huangpu students below the stage, whose eyes were filled with fervor.

A cruel, insane smirk slowly crept onto his lips.

"What a fine group of disciples of the emperor..."

"Since you're not going to give me any face, then you can forget about having any peace from now on..."

……

The military band put down their brass instruments, and the last note dissipated into the sky above Cheung Chau Island.

The opening ceremony has ended.

The crowd surged out through the makeshift wooden passageway, the air thick with the stench of cheap tobacco, the fishy smell of the river wind, and the paste-like odor of the newly issued uniforms worn by hundreds of student soldiers.

Lin Qi walked down the steps from the viewing platform, the rough wooden planks creaking under his military boots.

Instead of following Chiang Kai-shek, who was surrounded by admirers, he deliberately slowed down and lagged behind the crowd at the banquet.

Lin Qi took out a pack of cigarettes, took one out and put it in his mouth. While striking the match, his gaze swept past the flickering flame and precisely landed on a person.

1. Xu Chongzhi stood there.

Xu Chongzhi was not wearing a military cap, and he was holding a horsewhip inlaid with broken agate in his hand.

He squeezed the leather handle of the whip until it was deformed, staring intently at Chiang Kai-shek, who was surrounded by a crowd in the distance, and then forcefully focused his gaze on himself.

There was no anger in his eyes, only an indescribable chill.

Xu Chongzhi met Lin Qi's gaze, nodded, then sneered and strode away.

Lin Qi flicked out the match and exhaled a puff of smoke.

He knew all too well what Commander Xu was thinking.

Originally, the position of principal of Whampoa Military Academy and the power to establish the military academy were all in his hands.

As a result of his interference, not only did the position of principal fall to Chiang Kai-shek, but even his brigade commander was thrown into the Grand Marshal's Mansion this morning like a dead dog and was investigated on the spot.

Cutting off someone's source of income, seizing their military power, and killing their trusted confidant—this enmity runs deeper than the sea.

Lin Qi leaned against a wooden pillar, his mind racing with calculations.

This is precisely the core reason why he absolutely refused to accept the official position of principal of Whampoa Military Academy.

While the capitalist imprint of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang conglomerates must be guarded against, the guillotine of the Guangdong army hanging over our necks is the most deadly weapon at present.

Chiang Kai-shek and Xu Chongzhi were sworn brothers who had drunk blood together. Because of this relationship, Xu Ruwei would not go too far in his methods due to face-saving and the rules of the headquarters. At most, he would try to trip them up.

But what if Lin Qi were in that position?

If an overseas Chinese with no connections, who suddenly appeared out of nowhere, killed his people and seized his power, Xu Chongzhi would definitely overturn the table without any scruples!

Even more deadly is that, as a time traveler who has the script of history in his hands, he has an extremely precise countdown to death hanging in his mind—his husband's liver disease, at most, has more than half a year left.

Six months later, Mr. Lin died at Wuzhangyuan. The headquarters was leaderless. Xu Chongzhi, who lost the last chain of control, would definitely lead 20,000 Guangdong soldiers to mutiny. The first thing he would do was to take a machine gun and shoot Lin Qi, the principal.

Lin Qi knew that construction would take a long time. He wasn't a god; with his current few broken machine tools, he couldn't possibly conjure up a main force capable of directly confronting tens of thousands of Guangdong troops within a few months.

Therefore, Chiang Kai-shek was pushed to the forefront to act as a human shield and take the brunt of the firepower, while he played a game of cat and mouse with his sworn brothers.

He hid under the title of vice principal, quietly building up his army at Shijing Factory and brainwashing these future prodigies in Huangpu, creating an absolutely loyal inner circle.

This is the right path for a cunning old fox.

Otherwise, he didn't have any special feelings for Chiang Kai-shek, so why would he let him get away with it?!

Having figured this out, Lin Qi threw his half-smoked cigarette on the ground, crushed it with the sole of his shoe, and strode towards the instructor's office.

The Whampoa Military Academy was built on a massive scale. The General Headquarters poured all the resources it could muster into this single elite force, and the instructor lineup was nothing short of luxurious.

Lin Qi pushed open the office door, and the room was filled with the mixed smell of tea and ink.

Several long tables, pieced together, were occupied by several influential figures who would later wield great power in both the military and political spheres.

Hu Zhantang, who was in charge of political ideology, was looking at his lecture notes with a brush.

Weaponry instructor Qian Muyin was wiping the bolt of a Mauser pistol with a piece of linen cloth soaked in gun oil.

Tactical instructor Gu Mosan, wearing round-framed glasses, was hunched over a table studying a well-worn map of the Guangdong defense zone.

Seeing Lin Qi walk in, the group nodded perfunctorily.

In the eyes of these traditionally trained instructors, Lin Qi, the vice principal, was nothing more than a lucky bookworm.