(51) Personal training

  The various undertakings promoted by the Qing government's New Policy have been steadily advancing. The page of "abolishing the imperial examination system" reform, which many people thought would trigger a strong backlash, has also turned over smoothly. New-style schools have sprouted up all over the country like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, and although there are still many problems, new-style education has taken root from then on. Military reforms, legal reforms, official system reforms, financial reforms, and local autonomy have all been steadily carried out. Despite the huge pressure of the Boxer Indemnity, the fiscal revenue of governments at all levels has increased dramatically, reaching a record high of 240 million silver yuan by the year of Xinhai, with most local governments having a surplus. After the establishment of the Republic of China, the country's national finance and economic situation have continued to improve. Although Yuan Shikai's dictatorial power expanded further in politics, almost like an emperor in the eyes of his political enemies, it actually helped to quickly stabilize the regime during this chaotic period. After the end of the Jiangning War, China's political situation gradually stabilized, and the modernization transformation that continued from the Qing government's New Policy has been ongoing without interruption.

  Liu Guanxiong has reason to believe that if the current momentum continues, the country's political and economic situation will continue to improve, and the large-scale naval development plan he proposed may not be impossible to achieve within ten years.

  But Japan, which is separated from China by a sea, has been deliberately creating obstacles for China's development.

  Japan's ambitions towards China have been long-standing, but due to the mutual restraint of the powers in China, Japan has always found it difficult to monopolize China alone. This time, with the outbreak of the European war, the Western powers are temporarily unable to look eastward, and Japan is taking advantage of this opportunity to stretch out its evil claws towards China once again.

  It's not just these soldiers, but everyone present here actually knows the Japanese intention to attack Qingdao this time. However, many people who regard saving the world as their own responsibility have a surprisingly naive and childish view of the difficulties facing the country.

  Just as Yuan Shikai and a group of civil and military officials were anxiously pacing back and forth, unable to come up with a good plan, in the Ganxi Town Guardian Office, which was still far from Beijing, a special debate that opened up new perspectives was underway.

  "You say that the finances of each province are empty and the people are struggling to survive, but I'd like to give an example. Take Hubei Province, where the Wuchang Uprising took place. After your party occupied the provincial government and opened up the treasury, they were surprised to find that this government still had a surplus of around 40 million silver dollars! In fact, it was precisely because of these surpluses that your party was able to recruit soldiers and expand its army in various places, maintaining the lifeblood of the revolution. If things were as dire as you say, with people struggling to survive, where did this money come from?"

  Yang Shuo Ming's gaze slowly swept over the energetic young men and women sitting in front of him, and he continued, "I do not deny that your party has a strong desire to save the country and its people, but when it comes to putting this into practice, the desire to seize power is often more urgent. Of course, I also know that your party's goal in seizing power is to implement the most advanced 'democratic republican' system in China, so that our great nation can achieve leapfrog development. But the fact is, what you have done and what you want to achieve are diametrically opposed."

  Upon hearing the implication of Yang Shuo Ming's last sentence, the two young men in student attire couldn't help but change color on their faces. They suddenly stood up, just about to erupt, when they were immediately pulled back by their companions beside them.

  "Why did Mr. Yang say that?" Jiang Xueying stopped them with a stern gaze, turned her head and asked lightly.

  "The revolutionary actions of your party brought about an advanced democratic republican system, but this system did not take root in my great China because it was a major change that was not well-prepared and could not produce a new order. The emergence of a new order depends to a large extent on the stability of the existing order," Yang Shuo-ming said. "And you think that individual heroic single-handed struggles can awaken the masses, apart from uprisings and assassinations, but the consequences of such 'single-handedly conquering the world' are nothing more than sacrificing so many young men and women's precious lives, creating chaos, and not raising the masses' awareness at all. It has also done no good for China's transformation, progress, and development."

  After hearing Yang Shuo Ming's words, Jiang Xue Ying's moving eyes flashed a hint of dullness, but it was fleeting.

  "Of course, this can't be said to be entirely your fault. The bad role that the Japanese have played in this matter, I think some of you present here may not even be aware of it yet." Yang Shuo-ming timely shifted the focus to Japan, "To put it bluntly, if it weren't for the fact that we China have a neighbor like Japan who is always plotting and scheming to prevent China from becoming better, if it weren't for this bad neighbor constantly using the pretext of supporting your party's revolution in China to stir up trouble for the Chinese government and hinder China's normal development, your party would have had less capital to instigate uprisings, and even the impact of your propaganda would have been greatly discounted."

  After hearing Yang Shuo Ming's words, several members of the Iron Blood Assassin Team who might have studied in Japan showed a hint of shame on their faces.

  "If you want to do this heroic assassination, it's not impossible, but the target is best not to be Chinese people, Japanese people are fine." Yang Shouming smiled and continued, "Since the First Sino-Japanese War, Japan has been a great scourge for my China. People like the Prime Minister of Japan, the Army Minister, the Navy Minister, the Chief of the General Staff of the Army, the Chief of the Naval General Staff, you can all try. If it's too far, you can start by killing the Japanese naval and land army commanders who are attacking Qingdao."

  Yang Shuo Ming said, handing a newspaper to Jiang Xueying.

  Jiang Xueying glanced at the newspaper, her face looking somewhat gloomy. She handed the newspaper to her companions beside her, asking them to take a look as well. Several young men gathered around, their eyes scanning the newspaper, and anger immediately appeared in their eyes.

  The newspaper reported on the atrocities committed by the Japanese army after landing in Shandong.

  "I heard from Huang Yunzhi that you single-handedly rescued her from the bandits' lair?" Jiang Xueying looked at Huang Yunzhi sitting next to Yang Shuoming and suddenly asked, "And also killed several bandits?"

  "That's right." Yang Shuo Ming nodded his head in affirmation.

  "If it weren't for Yunzhi telling me herself, I would have found it hard to believe." Jiang Xueying looked at Yang Shuoming, who was dressed in military uniform and had a quiet and handsome appearance, with a hint of doubt flashing across her eyes.

  "How about this, if you don't mind, I have a class to teach the students in a while, why don't you all come and observe, and give me some feedback on my teaching?" Yang Shuoming said with a smile to Jiang Xueying and her companions.

  After hearing Yang Shuo Ming's words, Jiang Xue Ying and her companions were all involuntarily stunned.

  At this time, Jiang Xueying's eyes showed even more suspicion. She turned her head and exchanged a quick glance with several other companions who were obviously leaders, looking at Yang Shaoming and nodding slowly.

  "I really wonder what kind of class would require the great Lord to personally take action?" asked a dark and thin young man named Mizu.

  "You'll know if you go and take a look." Yang Shuo Ming chuckled and said, "I think that if you really have ambitions to make a name for yourselves in the field of assassination, then come here more often and listen to my lectures."

  2:45 pm, west of the underground fortress, training ground.

  "...Today I'm going to teach you all how to enter the war zone, use your knife accurately and quietly eliminate the enemy, then withdraw silently..."

  "...drawing a sword must be fast, accurate and ruthless, making it your instinctive reflex action..."

  "Ready!"

  "Hands... heart... legs, legs... lungs! Good, very good!"

  Under Yang Shuo Ming's guidance, Long Yonghua is holding a wooden dagger in his hand and accurately demonstrating it on Zhao Erhu.

  Long Yonghua, who was also rescued by Yang Shuo from the bandit's lair at the beginning, now can no longer find the original rich and weak temperament on his face or body.

  "...reverse grip your knife, slash in from the inside of his arm, cutting all connecting tissue..."

  "...move his finger away from the trigger and strangle him with a gun strap around his left shoulder!"

  "Pull him all the way to the top of his chest and then knock him down! Good!"

  Jiang Xueying watched Yang Shuoming's teaching movements, her beautiful and charming big eyes wide open, at this moment, she was completely shocked by the scene in front of her.

  "Begin! Hand... throat... heart... leg, leg... hand... lung! Good! Good!"

  "...here at the thigh, cutting through the thigh and femoral artery..."

  "...At this time, you will find that this arm will block your way. Don't worry, it can't hurt you because now the only thing this arm can do is prevent you from stabbing his lungs. Push the arm like this! Stab directly into the lungs!"

  "Right! Right! Hand... leg... heart... leg... leg... lungs! This knife needs to use footwork! Must hit the spine! Right! That's it!"

  "You must master it as soon as possible, our country will soon face a great crisis, everything you are learning now will bring you countless benefits in the future."

  "Actually, once you're mentally prepared, the physical part is much simpler, just like entering a bridal chamber. Relatively speaking, the harder part is finding and turning off the light switch."

  After hearing Yang Shuo Ming's last sentence, all the students burst out laughing.

  "What he said is not wrong at all, what we did before was just like kids fighting." Water Well sighed.

  "Oh yeah! Now that I think about it, I'm so embarrassed to death..."

  "If we had also learned these things, perhaps Lao Bai and the others wouldn't have died..."

  "Or we can talk to this Town Guardian Lord and ask if it's okay for us to train here for a while..."

  At this time, Jiang Xueying listened to everyone's discussion, and her eyes were shining with tears.

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