Chapter Seventy: Reporting to Central Military Academy

  A minute later, a bespectacled man limped in from outside. Lin Ao-feng, sitting by the window, carefully sized up the bespectacled man sitting diagonally across from him and thought to himself: "He must be Chen Gang." Lin Ao-feng raised his wrist to check the time and called out: "Waiter, bring me the bill!"

  "Coming!" The waiter at the counter responded with a voice, walked quickly to Lin Ao's table, took out the bill under the table and said: "The total is eighteen yuan."

  Lin Ao Feng took out the money and said: "No need for change."

  "Thank you, sir!" Lin Ao Feng slightly nodded his head and as he passed by Chen Gong's side, said: "I am a friend of Mr. Pan Han Nian, please follow me."

  Chen Gang suddenly lifted his head and looked at Lin Ao Feng's back, hesitated for a moment, and followed Lin Ao Feng out. After getting in the car, Chen Gang sized up Lin Ao Feng and said: "You came really early!"

  "It's getting late! If we don't leave now, it might be too late and we won't be able to come back!"

  "Can't go back?!" Chen Gong furrowed his brow, just about to ask for a reason. Three black sedans stopped in front of Lin Ao Feng's car. Twelve men wearing suits and top hats rushed out of the cars. Lin Ao Feng smiled slightly, started the engine, and drove away from the Red House Western Restaurant with Chen Gong.

  Chen Gong, who was sitting in the back row, turned his head and said, "How did you know they were coming back here?!"

  Lin Ao-feng replied: "Shanghai is not the Soviet area. Even if they are comrades, we can't trust them all. It's very likely that there are Nationalist spies hiding among them."

  After arriving at a safe place, Lin Ao Feng stopped the car and turned around to say: "Let's get acquainted, I'm Lin Ao Feng!"

  "Hello!" Chen Gong stretched out his hand and shook hands with Lin Ao Feng, saying: "My name is Chen Gong." Then he asked again: "Where are you going to arrange for me?"

  "Of course it's my home. Now, apart from the consulate, there is no safer place than my home."

  Just as Lin Ao-feng and Chen Gong were chatting, a KMT agent rushed to Shen Zui's face and said: "Captain, we're late. The waiter inside recognized that Chen Gong had just left when we arrived."

  "What?! Shen Zui cursed: "It's really a ghost, who the hell leaked the news. Let me know, I'll definitely cut him into eight pieces." Fall back!"

  Back at the Military Bureau Shanghai Station, Shen Zui hadn't even had time to sit down and have a cup of tea. Yu Yue Xing's secretary walked up to Shen Zui and said: "Captain Shen, the station chief wants to see you. He asks that you go to his office immediately."

  "I got it!" Shen Zui responded with a sound, rubbed his nose, and muttered to himself: "Why did my brother-in-law find me? Could it be because of today's action?" After hesitating for a moment, Shen Zui left his office and walked quickly to the door of Yu Le Xing's office, stretched out his hand and knocked on the door.

  "Who is it?!" Hearing the inquiry from inside, Shen Zui replied: "The station master is me!"

  "Shuì (Shen Zui's courtesy name) ah! Come in!" Upon hearing Yu Le Xing's words, Shen Zui pushed the door open and walked in, closing it behind him. He asked, "Brother-in-law, what do you want me for?"

  Yu Le Xing played with the porcelain cup in his hand and asked: "Shu Yi, where did you just go?"

  "Go catch the Communist Party."

  "Seize the Communist Party?!" Yu Le Xing let out a cold snort and said: "You almost caused trouble, do you know that?!"

  "Brother-in-law, arresting the Communist Party is indeed Chairman Chiang's order." Before Shen Zui could finish his argument, Yu Le Xing spoke up with a pained expression: "Arresting the Communist Party isn't wrong. But you're wrong in who you're arresting. Don't think I don't know, the Communist you went to arrest today, fortunately, you didn't catch him, catching him would be a burden. Do you know who Chen Gong is? He's Chairman Chiang's lifesaver. If you arrested him, not only wouldn't you get rewarded, but you'd also invite trouble."

  Shen Zui's heart skipped a beat, his face changed several times, and he secretly thought: "No wonder the other teams didn't want to go catch. The problem lies here!" Seeing Shen Zui's pale face, Yu Le Xing didn't say anything else, comforted him a few words, and sent him away.

  Chen Gong moved into the Lin family, initially a bit restrained, but as time passed, Chen Gong also relaxed. Every day, except for physical recovery, was spent discussing military affairs with Lin Ao Feng. Soon, the two had a kind of heart-to-heart, regret-not-meeting-sooner feeling.

  "Afeng, when are you going to Nanjing?!" Chen Gong asked, raising his teacup.

  Lin Ao Feng replied: "There's still more than a week before school starts, I plan to go to Nanjing with Ke Qing over the weekend."

  Chen Gang nodded, took a sip of tea and put down the cup, picked up the newspaper and said: "Now the Nationalist Party is attacking the Soviet area again, I don't know what the situation is like."

  Lin Aofeng comforted him: "Don't worry. The KMT won't get a good result this time either. It will be like the previous times."

  Central Military Academy, also known as the Nanjing Central Army Officer School. On April 12, 1927, Chiang Kai-shek launched a coup in Shanghai. On April 18, the National Government was established in Nanjing, and Chiang Kai-shek decided to establish another Central Army Officer School in Nanjing for direct leadership of the Whampoa Military Academy, which is still commonly known as the Whampoa Military Academy or the Nanjing Branch. The educational policy of the Nanjing Whampoa Military Academy was to cultivate students into capable military personnel who could participate in wars against local warlords and achieve national unification.

  The Central Military Academy is located in Xiaoying. The main gate is a cement-concrete square high gate, with a brick guard tower on either side of the gate. Iron railings extend from the main gate to both sides. Directly opposite the main gate is the main building of the office building, which is a three-story square building, with two-story office buildings extending from both sides. Behind it is the grand auditorium of the Nanjing campus. The front door of the auditorium has four groups of tall double columns, the top of the door is tower-shaped, and there is a flagpole on top. In addition, there are facilities such as a square two-story small building for the exclusive use of the principal, an education building, student dormitories, etc. There is a huge playground in the school that can accommodate gatherings and activities of tens of thousands of people.

  On March 6, 1928, the Central Army Officer School held its opening ceremony. Chiang Kai-shek presided over the meeting as the principal, and school staff, some students, and military officers attended. Chiang Kai-shek gave a speech that was very grandiose and strongly emphasized "the spirit of revolution" and "revolutionary discipline". He also specifically pointed out that "whoever opposes the party, whether they are military officers or students, must be opposed, even if I, the commander-in-chief, do not want the party, please oppose me, kill me." Chiang Kai-shek hoped to cultivate students into completely loyal soldiers of the National Government, but things did not go as he wished.

  The Central Army Military School was initially established as a two-year program, adopting Japanese-style education. After 1930, the school system was changed to a three-year program, adopting German-style education. The education of new recruits was the top priority. Once admitted to the military school, students had to undergo a certain period of new recruit education. The first phase consisted of four months of basic training for new soldiers. The second phase consisted of two months of advanced training for non-commissioned officers. The third phase consisted of two and a half months of training for junior officers. The fourth phase consisted of three months of practical training in various divisions. After completing their studies, students had to pass an examination to advance to the next level. The examination included written tests, field studies, and drill inspections. Those who passed were assigned to professional teams within the student corps to continue their studies. Those who failed were either retained for further study or eliminated. Students who advanced were assigned to teams based on their specialties. They then entered the next year of study, becoming regular students at the military school. The academic program lasted two years, with the first year focusing on basic military education and the second year focusing on specialized professional education. In the final stage of studies, joint exercises involving various branches of the military were held.

  On the weekend afternoon, Lin Ao Feng took Qin Keqing to Nanjing by train. After getting off the train station, Lin Ao Feng called a tricycle and brought Qin Keqing to the front of a three-entry four合院 door near Xuanwu Lake. After getting off the car and settling the bill, Lin Ao Feng rang the doorbell.

  "Who's there!" Not long after, an old man opened the door and was shocked to see Lin Ao Feng standing at the door. He exclaimed: "Young Master Sun! Quick! Quick! Come inside!" Then Liu Bo shouted towards the courtyard: "Daniu, hurry up and come out! Help Young Master Sun with his luggage!"

  "Coming! Coming!" A sturdy big man, like an ox, heard the call and ran out quickly, taking over Lin Ao's luggage.

  Lin Aofeng and Qin Keqing entered the living room accompanied by Liu Bo. Liu Bo greeted Lin Aofeng and Qin Keqing while saying, "Young Master Sun, I received a telegram from Big Young Master earlier, saying that you and Madame Sun were coming. The rooms have all been prepared."

  Lin Ao Feng slightly nodded his head and said, "Liu Bo, I'm studying at the Central Military Academy. Except for weekends and Chinese New Year, I live in the academy all the time. Ke Yin is a teacher at Jinling Girls' School. Trouble Big Niu to drive her to and from work every day."

  Liu Bo smiled and said: "Young Master Sun, what's troublesome or not. You're being too polite."

  After resting in the courtyard for a night, Lin Ao Feng accompanied Qin Keqing to Jinling Girls' School to complete the registration procedures the next morning. Then he brought all the certificates prepared by Jiang Baili to the Central Military Academy.

  "Director Lin has arrived." Zhang Zhizhong's eyes lit up when he heard the report from his secretary, and he thought to himself: "This kid has finally come." Thinking of this, Zhang Zhizhong said to the secretary: "Please ask him in."

  "Yes!" The secretary responded and exited Zhang Zhong's office, letting Lin Ao Feng come in. Zhang Zhong saw Lin Ao Feng wearing a German-style military uniform and joked: "Little Shidi, I thought you weren't coming!"

  Lin Ao Feng saluted Zhang Zhizhong solemnly and said, "Lin Ao Feng, a supplementary student of the 8th term, 2nd battalion of the Central Army Military Academy, reporting for duty."

  "Take a break!" Zhang Zhizhong saw Lin Aofeng being serious, and immediately became solemn as well. He walked around the office desk to Lin Aofeng's front, looked him up and down, and asked: "What do you want to learn here?!"

  Lin Ao Feng replied: "Learn what you should learn."

  Zhang Zhizhong was stunned and then asked: "What do you think should be learned?!"