Holding the original shares, they fought all the way to the Korean War!

Zhou Tianyang did not speak immediately.

He lowered his head, as if mentally reviewing those experiences and sorting out a clear outline.

Then he raised his head and began to narrate in a calm tone.

He recounted how he encountered guerrillas being chased by the Japanese in southern Shandong and how he helped them with the ambush.

It describes how they successively destroyed Japanese strongholds and captured a large amount of equipment in Shandong.

He recounted how he encountered Deng Chen's team at Yingchou Ridge and how he persuaded them to follow him back to Shanxi.

He spoke of these things concisely, without deliberately exaggerating the intensity of the battle or his role in command.

It was like reporting on a routine task.

The causes, consequences, key points, and final results of the matter were explained clearly.

Brigade Commander Chen listened quietly without interrupting.

His gaze remained fixed on Zhou Tianyang's face, occasionally picking up his teacup to take a sip of water.

He nodded slightly occasionally, but never interrupted.

"After that battle in Wolf Valley, we bypassed the area of ​​that brigade's stronghold."

"Follow the path westward, and you'll eventually return to Lijia Yu."

After Zhou Tianyang finished speaking, he looked at Brigade Commander Chen.

The courtyard was quiet for a while.

Commander Chen leaned back in his chair, his gaze still fixed on Zhou Tianyang's face, and spoke after a few seconds of silence.

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a certainty that came from careful consideration.

"Your trip was indeed extraordinary."

He paused, as if considering his words.

"Your main task was to escort Comrade Liu Ping safely to Shanghai, and you have accomplished it."

"Regarding the incident in Shanghai, headquarters has already issued an internal notice, although it did not specify who was responsible."

"But those in the know understand what really happened."

"The deputy commander-in-chief personally approved that this matter be classified as top secret and should not be mentioned casually in the future, but the credit will be given to you."

Zhou Tianyang didn't speak, but listened quietly.

Brigade Commander Chen continued:

"You did the right thing by taking over Deng Chen's team on the way back."

"More than 300 veterans, especially those who survived battles like the Battle of Shanghai and the Battle of Nanjing, are all precious gems."

"The fact that they came back with you is your own achievement."

He paused, his gaze lingering on Zhou Tianyang's face for a moment, and his tone held a slightly different quality from before.

"However, it seems like you've left something out in what you just said."

Zhou Tianyang's gaze shifted slightly, but his expression remained unchanged.

He looked at Brigade Commander Chen, waiting for him to continue.

Suzhou.

Brigade Commander Chen only said this one word, and then fell silent.

He just sat there, looking at Zhou Tianyang, waiting for him to finish the sentence.

The courtyard fell silent for a moment.

Zhou Tianyang's fingers gently tightened on his knee for a moment, then relaxed again.

He lowered his head, as if thinking about something, then raised his head and his gaze returned to Commander Chen's face.

He spoke, his voice a few decibels lower than before, but still steady.

"Brigadier, I stopped in Suzhou for a while and went home."

Brigade Commander Chen remained silent, watching him quietly and waiting for him to continue.

Zhou Tianyang did not avoid that gaze. He sat on the stone bench and remained silent for a few seconds.

It was as if she was mentally organizing how to say those words, and then slowly opening her mouth.

"I haven't been back for eight years. My father has aged, my mother's hair has turned mostly white, my eldest brother has taken over the family business, and my younger sister has all grown up."

He paused here.

He picked up the teacup and took another sip of water, as if to moisten his throat before continuing.

"My dad doesn't know exactly what I do outside, but he can guess."

"He didn't ask any questions, he just gave me some things."

Brigade Commander Chen's gaze lingered on Zhou Tianyang's face for a moment.

He could tell that Zhou Tianyang had more to say, but he didn't rush to ask and just waited quietly.

Zhou Tianyang reached into his pocket and took out something wrapped in oil paper.

He placed the oiled paper package on the stone table and pushed it towards Commander Chen.

"Brigadier, this is what my father asked me to bring back."

Brigade Commander Chen's gaze fell on the package of oil paper, but he did not reach out to open it.

He glanced at Zhou Tianyang first, as if to confirm something.

Zhou Tianyang nodded without saying anything.

Only then did Brigade Commander Chen reach out and pick up the package of oil paper.

Inside were two silver notes, one for 300,000 and the other for 50,000.

He rewrapped the oil paper, placed it on the table, and his gaze returned to Zhou Tianyang's face.

"This is 350,000 silver dollars."

Commander Chen's pupils contracted slightly.

He glanced down at the package of oil paper, then looked up at Zhou Tianyang.

"Your father gave you 350,000 silver dollars?"

"Yes."

Zhou Tianyang's voice remained steady.

"My father told the troops to buy more food and ammunition so that everyone would suffer less."

Brigade Commander Chen did not respond immediately.

He sat there, his gaze fixed on the package of oil paper, and remained silent for a long time.

His fingers tapped lightly twice on the edge of the table, a slow rhythm, as if he were processing what he had just heard.

Then he spoke, his voice a few decibels lower than before, carrying an indescribable meaning.

"Tianyang, what kind of person is your father?"

"Merchants from Suzhou, dealing in cloth and medicinal herbs."

Zhou Tianyang's tone remained calm, but it contained something more than before.

"My family owns several shops in Suzhou and some farmland outside the city. We're not extremely wealthy, but we're doing alright."

"The 350,000 silver dollars he gave this time was raised by selling some of his shops and farmland."

He paused, then lowered his voice even further.

"I told him that in chaotic times, fixed assets cannot be kept, so it is better to sell them and convert them into cash as soon as possible."

"He moved faster than I expected."

Brigade Commander Chen listened quietly without immediately responding.

He lowered his head, his gaze fixed on the package of oil paper on the table, which lingered for a long time.

"That's 350,000 silver dollars!"

He repeated the number in a low voice, as if talking to himself or confirming something.

"This would be enough to solve a lot of problems in the Eighth Route Army."

Zhou Tianyang didn't say anything, he just sat there quietly.

He could tell that the brigade commander's feelings were complicated at that moment.

Commander Chen was silent for a moment, then raised his head and looked back at Zhou Tianyang's face.

His expression had returned to its usual composure, but there was something more in his eyes—a deeper kind of emotion.

"Tianyang, I will accept this money on behalf of the organization."

"On behalf of the Eighth Route Army Headquarters, I thank you for your family's support in the fight against the Japanese."

He stood up, walked up to Zhou Tianyang, and extended his hand.

Zhou Tianyang also stood up and shook his hand.

The two clasped hands, shook them vigorously, and then let go.

Commander Chen sat back down on the stone bench, leaning slightly forward with his hands crossed on the table.

His gaze fell on Zhou Tianyang's face, and his tone became a few degrees more serious than before.

"But Tianyang, I need to make this clear to you."

Zhou Tianyang looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"The organization can't just take this money for nothing."

Brigade Commander Chen's voice was not loud, but every word carried an unwavering certainty.

"This is your family's money, it's what your father saved up by selling off half his life's worth of assets. It didn't fall from the sky, nor was it seized."

"The organization will not take a single needle or thread from the masses. This is an ironclad discipline that cannot be broken."

He paused, his tone becoming more serious.

"This 350,000 silver dollars is considered a loan from the organization to your family."

"Once the war is won, the organization will repay you with interest."

"This is a matter of principle, there's no room for discussion."