A courtyard house; Li Yunlong, a subordinate of the deputy director of Harbin Military Engineering I

He pointed to several circular scars, his voice hoarse like sandpaper scraping iron, "This caliber, Hanyang rifle!! We're fighting each other! Renfeng... you've crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood..."

Zhang Renfeng looked down at the scars on his body and smiled casually, "Big Brother is as professional as ever, recognizing the Hanyang Rifle at a glance."

"Professional my foot!" Zhang Rende slammed his hand on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), his palm trembling from the impact. "How many battles have you fought all these years? These wounds... which one of these wounds wasn't life-threatening? You're telling me it's nothing? You're telling me it was a smooth journey? Renfeng, you're my brother. You can hide the suffering you've endured from others, but you can't hide it from me!"

Seeing his elder brother's face streaked with tears, Zhang Renfeng felt a pang of sympathy. He reached out and patted his brother's back, saying, "Brother, it's all in the past. In war, everyone gets shot. I'm tough; even the King of Hell won't take me. Your disciples still respect you, right?"

"Dare they be disrespectful?" Zhang Rende wiped his face, took a deep breath to calm himself, and said, "Those three were just greenhorns when they were apprentices, especially Yi Zhonghai, who was cunning and always slacking off. I beat him eight times a day."

"Brother, you had a fiery temper back in the day too. You chased the tax collectors down half a street in the village."

"Back then, I was young and impetuous." Zhang Rende grinned, tears still clinging to his face. "Later, I joined the Guangxi Clique and worked under Commander Huang. After seeing more things, my temper actually calmed down a bit."

Later, he settled down in Beiping, married your sister-in-law, and had two children. He just wanted to live a peaceful and stable life.

The two brothers were silent for a while, and the only sound in the room was the faint crackling of the kerosene lamp wick.

Zhang Renfeng rolled over, lying on his side, facing his elder brother: "Brother, to be honest, I came back this time with a mission."

"Oh?" Zhang Rende rested his head on his arm, his gaze fixed on the ceiling. "What mission? Tell me about it."

"Commander Huang is one of the representatives from the south responsible for these peace talks, and I am the representative from Beiping. I was sent by my superiors to invite you to meet with Commander Huang privately."

Zhang Rende's expression froze instantly, and he turned his face away from him: "You mean... you want me to persuade Commander Huang to rebel? Renfeng, one should not be ungrateful."

My superior officer was kind to me; he promoted me to guard and treated me like a brother.

During the Central Plains War, if he hadn't had me pulled from the pile of corpses, I would have been buried under the yellow earth of Henan long ago. Although I saved him too, isn't it perfectly normal for a subordinate to save his superior?

Besides, Commander Huang has only stumbled and fallen; he's not incapable of getting up. Your factional strife is none of my business.

He paused, his tone hardening, "It's been almost twenty years. He, a Pacification Commissioner of Guangxi, someone who rose to that position alongside Li Zongren, would still remember a lowly guard like me? Renfeng, you overestimate me. Go to sleep, let's not talk about this anymore."

After he finished speaking, he turned over and faced away from Zhang Renfeng.

Zhang Renfeng stared at his elder brother's back, the scar on his shoulder blade gleaming white under the light, and he sighed inwardly.

He understood his older brother. On the surface, he had a fiery temper and was straightforward, but in reality, he was loyal and righteous. He would remember those who were good to him for a lifetime.

Huang Shaohong promoted him and saved his life back then, and he saved him in return. Now, asking him to persuade Huang Shaohong to defect is something his elder brother can't get over.

But Zhang Renfeng wasn't in a hurry; this matter couldn't be rushed.

He lay down, hands behind his head, staring at the dark ceiling: "Brother, I'm going to say something, but don't take it personally."

Zhang Rende didn't say a word, but he didn't move; his ears were definitely perked up.

"Commander Huang is a shrewd man. Back in the Second War Zone, he had a lot of dealings with our Eighth Route Army and knows what kind of force we are. He's now in the same boat as Li Zongren, but he knows the state of that boat better than anyone. He knows perfectly well how the war has progressed across the country. His willingness to come to Beiping to talk is a signal in itself."

Zhang Rende remained silent, but his back twitched slightly.

Zhang Renfeng continued, "I'm not asking you to persuade him to surrender; I'm asking you to catch up with him. You haven't seen each other for twenty years, have you? Just treat him like an old friend, have a cup of tea, and chat about the past."

As for anything else, you don't need to say a word. He'll understand what you're saying and make his own decision.

Commander Huang, does he need anyone to advise him? He doesn't need any; he sees the situation more clearly than anyone else.

He paused, lowering his voice, "Brother, this isn't for me or anyone else; it's for the people. Every day we fight, every day someone dies. If Commander Huang can make the right choice, it's thousands upon thousands of lives saved. What do you say?"

Silent for a long time.

Zhang Rende turned over, facing Zhang Renfeng. His eyes were still red, but the stubbornness in them had faded somewhat: "Let me think about it."

"Okay, take your time thinking about it." Zhang Renfeng smiled. "No rush, they won't arrive until the end of the month, it's still a long way from April 1st."

The two brothers lay down for a while longer, then Zhang Rende suddenly asked, "Your army really commands 50,000 men?"

"A little over 50,000 troops, organized into three divisions, though actually there might be more division-level units, and the regimental-level units are also large. The PLA's organization is much more robust than the Guangxi clique's army back then."

"Goodness gracious." Zhang Rende clicked his tongue. "Fifty thousand men, how many guns? How many cannons?"

"The equipment is much better than during the War of Resistance Against Japan; we've captured American and Japanese weapons. We'll need to replenish our supplies before the Crossing the Yangtze River Campaign."

Zhang Rende was silent for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Your troops are indeed different. Back when I was in the Guangxi clique, a regiment could only muster a thousand or so men at most, and those were all conscripts. The soldiers didn't know the officers, and the officers didn't know the soldiers. In battle, nobody cared about anyone else. Your army of 50,000 men must be an ironclad unit to be able to be led."

"Of course, the political commissar position isn't created for nothing," Zhang Renfeng laughed.

"What does a political commissar do?"

"Those who do ideological work manage the political education of the soldiers, monitor the ideological dynamics of the cadres, and lead from the front in battle. Let me tell you, a unit without a political commissar is just a bunch of disorganized rabble. With a political commissar, everyone knows who they are fighting for and why they are fighting."

Zhang Rende pondered those words, remaining silent for a long time.

After a long while, he patted Zhang Renfeng's arm, his tone softening: "Go to sleep, we'll talk about it tomorrow. If you really stay at the guesthouse, your sister-in-law and I won't be able to sleep soundly. It's not easy to see you now, stay a few more days."

Zhang Renfeng hummed in agreement and closed his eyes.

The kerosene lamp wick crackled once, the flame flickered, and the shadow cast on the wall swayed accordingly.

Zhang Rende turned over and pulled the blanket closer to Zhang Renfeng: "It's chilly at night, cover yourself well."

Zhang Renfeng smiled with his eyes closed: "Brother, you haven't lived these past twenty years in vain; you've learned to care for others."

"Bullshit, I've always been considerate," Zhang Rende cursed, but his voice carried a hint of laughter. "Back then, we were so poor, we didn't even have a decent blanket. I couldn't afford to pamper you even if I wanted to. Now that things are better, at least we have a small courtyard house and a hot meal. Now that you're here, would I ever neglect you?"

"That's true. Your briefcase full of drinks got Sun Bing completely drunk."

"That kid can't hold his liquor. I'll teach him later. How can people from Guangxi not know how to drink?"

The two brothers bickered back and forth, their voices growing softer and softer until only their even breathing could be heard.

The sound of the night watchman's clapper came from the alley outside the window, knock knock knock, it was the third watch of the night.

Lying on his elder brother's kang (heated brick bed), listening to the familiar breathing beside him, Zhang Renfeng felt a sense of peace, as if a weight had been lifted from his heart. Twenty years had passed; he thought he would never see his brother again in this lifetime. But his brother was alive, well, with a wife and children, a warm kang, and a peaceful life. This was better than anything else.

The next morning, Zhang Renfeng was awakened by Yulin's laughter in the courtyard.

The little girl was playing with someone, giggling incessantly and chanting "One, two, three, freeze!" in her clear, bright voice.

He opened his eyes and found the kang (a heated brick bed) empty, with his elder brother's bedding neatly folded.

The aroma of porridge wafted into the room, mixed with the smell of pickled vegetables.

He put on his clothes and went out of the house, where he saw Sun Bing already standing at the gate of the courtyard, standing guard with high spirits.

"Good morning, Commander!" Sun Bing snapped to attention and saluted.

"Early my foot! You were drunk last night, weren't you?"

Sun Bing blushed: "Uncle's liquor is strong; I got dizzy after just one bowl."

Zhang Renfeng laughed heartily and strode into the courtyard.

Mu Xiuhua was busy at the kitchen door. When she saw him come out, she said, "Second Uncle, you're awake? The porridge is warming up in the pot, and the pickled vegetables are homemade. Try them and see if they suit your taste."

"Thank you for your hard work, sister-in-law."

"Hey, don't mention it," Mu Xiuhua wiped her hands on her apron. "We're family, no need to be so polite. Rende went to the factory early this morning, said he'd be back for lunch, so he asked you to wait at home."

Zhang Renfeng nodded, wondering to himself whether his elder brother had figured it out or not.

He sat at the stone table in the courtyard, drinking porridge. Little Yulin ran over, climbed onto his lap, and looked up at him, asking, "Second Uncle, can your pistol really kill bad guys?"

"Sure."

"What kind of person is that bad guy?"

Zhang Renfeng thought for a moment and said, "Bad people are those who bully ordinary people, rob ordinary people, and prevent ordinary people from living a good life."

Yulin tilted his head and thought for a while, then suddenly said, "Then my brother is a good person. He helped me get my candied hawthorn back yesterday."

Zhang Renfeng chuckled and patted her head: "Of course your brother is a good person."

Just then, He Daqing's son, Shazhu, rushed in with snot running down his face, "Second Uncle, Second Uncle, a lot of People's Liberation Army soldiers have arrived outside..."

Zhang Renfeng went out, and came over. It was Director Ye's confidential secretary. He snapped to attention and saluted, "Commander Zhang, the director requests your return. The leaders of the negotiation team are having a meeting today."

In fact, Zhang Renfeng was very resistant.

The five representatives are all of very high rank. In terms of seniority, if he went there, he would only be able to serve tea and water. It would be better to let Commander Chen do this kind of thing.

The famous Fourth Field Army Commander-in-Chief, the King of Northeast Asia (whose surname was Gao), the future leader of Guangdong and Guangxi, not to mention his mentor's status, that old Lin was the Chairman of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region Government, and there was Minister Li of the United Front Work Department, and even Secretary-General Qi was the Secretary-General of the United Front Work Department and the Secretary-General of the Beiping Municipal Government.