Chapter 1: Back to the Republic of China

  "Damn it, those little Japanese, they killed so many Chinese people and still refuse to acknowledge the Nanjing Massacre! It's really infuriating!" Ma Ke-tao angrily threw away his half-smoked cigarette. Why was he so angry? It was because earlier when he watched the news, he saw that Japan's new Prime Minister Miki Takeo publicly denied that Japanese troops had committed the horrific Nanjing Massacre during the war against China. As a patriotic young man, Ma Ke-tao was naturally furious, and as a native of Nanjing, he felt even more strongly about it.

  Hey, forgot to introduce myself, Ma Kaitao, male, born on April 20, 2005 in Nanjing, now 25 years old, graduated from the Chemistry Department of Nanjing University. Currently working as a small leader in a chemical enterprise, I'm quite decent-looking, 1.73m tall, not too high, still a virgin, never had a girlfriend. Hehe, speaking of girlfriends, it's all because this guy has too high standards, must find someone over 1.70m, with a curvy figure, absolutely model-like body, beautiful face, at least undergraduate degree... I mean, come on, Ma Kaitao is not some rich kid with lots of money, nor is he extremely tall or handsome, wanting to find such a beauty, the difficulty level must be very high. So, until 25 years old, still no girlfriend, it's all his own fault.

  Muttering to himself, Ma Ke Tao seemed really furious. He thought that if he were in that era, he would definitely change history and at least let the Japanese know that Chinese people also have a strong sense of justice.

  When he cursed until his mouth was dry, he picked up the drink on the table to take a sip, only to find that there was no water in the bottle. Now it's summer, and the weather is hot, there is boiled water, but it's not refreshing to drink, and there are no other things at home that can quench thirst. So, Ma Ke Tao picked up his wallet and keys, walked out of the door, and prepared to go outside to buy a bottle of water to drink.

  Across from the residential area where he lived, there was a small supermarket, separated by a wide road of several dozen meters. To go to that supermarket, you had to cross this road. Now it's already evening, and there are very few pedestrians on the road. Because this area doesn't have any surveillance systems or speed cameras, and it's late at night, the speed of the passing vehicles is quite fast, especially some rich second-generation kids who are speeding wildly, stepping hard on the gas pedal, just like in Initial D, racing down the highway.

  Ma Ke Tao glanced left and right while crossing the road, finding that there weren't many vehicles at the moment. He then sprinted across to the other side. Just as he was about to reach the other side, a Ferrari suddenly appeared from around the corner, taking a sharp turn and speeding towards him. The car's headlights were extremely bright, making it impossible for Ma Ke Tao to open his eyes momentarily. He covered his eyes with his hand, freezing in place on the road. The driver, a rich second-generation heir, hadn't noticed Ma Ke Tao at first. By the time he saw someone in front of him, it was too late. The consequences were predictable: Ma Ke Tao, a young man in his prime, was struck and sent flying by the speeding Ferrari, ending his life...

  The rich second generation was so scared that he immediately ran down from the car, and when he saw that the person who had been hit had stopped breathing, his whole face turned white. He looked around and saw that except for two employees of a nearby supermarket who had witnessed the scene, there were no other witnesses. So, he quickly came up with an idea, first pulling Ma Ke's body into the trunk of the car, then running to the supermarket, taking out a large amount of money and handing it to the two frightened old ladies, warning them not to tell anyone about what had happened that day, or else they would be killed. The two old ladies looked at the ferocious rich second generation, then at the large sum of money in their hands, and finally nodded, swearing not to reveal the incident. The rich second generation also asked the two aunts to find a stray dog, kill it, and throw it at the scene of the crime before leaving.

  All the way, this rich second generation's mood was extremely tense. He first went to a gas station to buy a lot of gasoline, then drove the car to an uninhabited place, poured gasoline on Ma Ke Tao's body and burned it. After burning out, this rich second generation also threw Ma Ke Tao's remains into the Yangtze River with large stones. Poor Ma Ke Tao, even after death, had his body destroyed and sunk to the bottom of the river, a grievance that cannot be told~~

  "Ah, it hurts so much." Ma Kaitao felt a headache and wanted to rub his eyes with his hands, but he couldn't move. At this time, Ma Kaitao heard a boy's voice: "Mom, look, my brother is awake." Then, a chubby little hand touched his face. Hehe, what's wrong? Little brother, you should call me uncle instead. But... Ma Kaitao suddenly discovered a very serious problem, that is - how did he become a baby?

  At this time, a beautiful woman with a clear face and wearing a cheongsam walked over, smiling and hugging me. Ah, this woman, this woman! Ma Ke Tao was so excited that he almost died, because this woman's figure and appearance were his ideal standards for choosing a partner. Hehe, now Ma Ke Tao's little face was rubbing against the big beauty's chest, soft and comfortable, and this kid smiled with satisfaction.

  "Look, little brother is laughing so happily!" The little boy exclaimed with a clap of his hands. The beautiful woman smiled warmly at Ma Ke Tao, her eyes shining with tenderness, and whispered: "Feng Feng, mommy loves you the most!"

  Wait a minute, what's going on? Is this beautiful woman really my mother? Although Ma Ke Tao knew that some changes had taken place in him, but still, it shouldn't have changed so much, right?

  When Ma Kaitao was still daydreaming, a majestic military officer walked in. He smiled and came to the beautiful woman's face, stretched out his big hand, and stroked Ma Kaitao's face. After teasing for a while, the soldier sighed and said: "Little Butterfly, Yuan Shikai is probably going to be an emperor, alas, the Republic of China has just been established for a few years, and it's going to change its sky!"

  "I'm telling you, Jiang Peng, are you saying that we're going to go back to living in a feudal society again?" asked the woman called Little Butterfly.

  "I don't know. But I think there will definitely be a group of generals who oppose it. I won't agree to change the sky." The soldier said firmly.

  At this time, Ma Kaitao's brain was completely short-circuited. Although he had already known that he must have been reborn and had gone back in time, what he never expected was that he had actually been reborn into a chaotic era, which could be said to be the most turbulent period of modern China under the rule of the Northern Warlords. What's more depressing is that at this moment, he himself was still an infant with no power to truss up a chicken. When he grew up and fell in love, it just so happened to be during a time when the country was facing great difficulties. How could he live like this?! As for what the soldier and the beauty were discussing, Ma Kaitao had stopped listening long ago. He was now utterly disheartened. He thought that heaven was truly unfair to him. Even if he was reborn, couldn't he have been reborn into the body of some emperor in ancient times, allowing him to indulge his imperial fantasies? But instead, he was reborn into this demonic era! His father (who might be that military officer) was a soldier, but who knew what rank he held? What if he died on the battlefield one day? Then their relatively comfortable life would be over. Although his mother was gentle and kind, she had one flaw - she was too beautiful. What if his father, the military officer, died one day? Wouldn't those men who lusted after his mother take advantage of the situation and enter their home?! That wouldn't just be a shame for his mother, but also for himself! God, what should he do?!

  The father (anyway, judging from the situation, this soldier was probably Ma Ke Tao's father) finished speaking, drank a mouthful of tea, and then hurriedly left. The bored Ma Ke Tao thought about his worries while falling asleep.

  The days went by one after another, and through what he heard and saw in his daily life, Ma Ke Tao finally learned about some things about himself: First of all, the soldier who appeared that day was indeed his father. His name is Liu Jiangpeng, 29 years old this year, serving as a regimental commander in an army unit, and can also be said to be a high-ranking military officer. His mother's name is Lan Caidie, 25 years old this year, a talented woman from a good family, beautiful and gentle, and can be said to be the object of many men's fantasies. Ma Ke Tao's current name is Liu Zhenfeng, the youngest child in the family, with two older sisters and an older brother above him. His eldest sister is named Liu Xiumei, born in 1907, eight years older than Liu Zhenfeng; The second child is his elder brother, named Liu Zhenwei, born in 1910, five years older than Liu Zhenfeng; The third child is his second sister, Liu Xiuli, born in 1912, three years older than him. Because Liu Zhenfeng was the youngest child in the family, his mother loved him extremely, and his brothers and sisters were also very good to him. Secondly, they still live in Nanjing now, thinking about it is really a coincidence, the Ma Ke Tao of the previous life was indeed from Nanjing!

  As Liu Zhenfeng grew up, he was always the focus of his family and the object of praise from neighbors. As a child, Liu Zhenfeng was also quite handsome, which is undeniable. His father was heroic and handsome, while his mother was virtuous and beautiful. Of course, he himself was also very cute.

  During the warlord era of the Northern Ocean, various warlords were constantly at war, making life unbearable for the people. As a result, Liu Zhenfeng had little impression of his father who was away fighting wars during his childhood. Instead, he was particularly close to his mother. When he was four years old, he said to his mother in a childish tone: "Mother, I want to learn martial arts! I want to learn martial arts!" Liu Zhenfeng shook his mother (of course, it was quite annoying, after all, his mental age was over 20 years old) while begging her.

  "You're just a kid, what are you learning martial arts for at such a young age? All that fighting and killing isn't suitable for someone of your age," his mother said gently, stroking his head.

  "Mother, after I learn martial arts, I can protect you." Liu Zhenfeng said with a pretended innocent tone.

  "You child, mom doesn't need you to protect her, mom just wants you to live a safe and stable life." The mother still didn't quite agree.

  "Mother, you also know that the world outside is so chaotic. As a child, if I don't learn some self-defense skills, I will be bullied in the future. Mother, you don't want your son to be bullied outside, do you?" He continued to persuade.

  "This...," the mother hesitated, actually she seemed to have overlooked a point, that is, how could a four-year-old child possibly think of so many things, this was absolutely not something a four-year-old kid would think of.

  "Must you learn?" her mother asked again.

  "Yes, certainly, definitely, confirmed." Liu Zhenfeng nodded and said.

  "Then I'll discuss it with your father." His mother didn't immediately agree to it, after all, her son learning martial arts wasn't something she could decide on her own.

  Since Liu Zhenfeng's mother did not refuse his intention, he looked forward to his father coming back every day. Once his father agreed, he could go learn martial arts.

  It's been half a month, and Father is back. Mother told Father about Liu Zhenfeng wanting to learn martial arts, and after careful consideration, Father agreed. After all, learning martial arts is for self-defense! Of course, if Father knew that Liu Zhenfeng wanted to learn martial arts not just for self-defense, but also to attract girls and join the army to fight against Japan in the future, Liu Zhenfeng estimated that his father would definitely tie him up at home and wouldn't agree to let him learn martial arts.

  In this way, his father invited a martial arts master from the Shaolin Temple to teach him for ten years. During these ten years, Liu Zhenfeng practiced in the cold winter and hot summer, eventually developing an enviable physique.

  Let's not mention anything else, but I remember that Liu Zhenfeng once walked on the street where he lived and took off his top because of the heat. As a result, he was almost dragged into a house by a woman in her thirties who had been cooped up at home for too long. After his mother found out, she thought he wanted to do something shameful and beat him severely. You say Liu Zhenfeng is wronged or not?

  When Liu Zhenfeng reached the age of reading, his family asked him to go to a new-style school to learn culture. The so-called new-style school is equivalent to our current schools, but the house must be worse than later generations, and the difficulty of learning knowledge must be much easier than later generations.

  Due to Liu Zhenfeng's extraordinary intelligence and exceptionally good academic performance, he was promoted much faster than others from elementary school to junior high school.

  In July 1926, the Northern Expedition war finally broke out. In Nanjing, various newspapers reported on this Northern Expedition war, but don't expect these newspapers to have any fair and accurate evaluation of the Northern Expedition war, after all, Nanjing was still under the control of the Beiyang warlords.

  Liu Zhenfeng's father was originally a military commander under Sun Chuanfang, but at this time he also responded to the Northern Expeditionary Army and turned his guns around. By late March 1927, Nanjing was recovered, and the Northern Expeditionary Army entered Nanjing.

  I remember that day, Liu Zhenfeng and his companions ran to the main street together to welcome the Northern Expeditionary Army into the city. However, the imperialist countries did not let our Northern Expeditionary Army enter the city so easily. They used their warships at Xiaoguan as an excuse to protect foreign residents and fired artillery into the city. Liu Zhenfeng almost got killed at that time, but fortunately, he had learned martial arts and escaped faster than a rabbit, without any harm. Unlike some of his companions who were injured.

  What followed was the well-known failure of the Great Revolution, and Chiang Kai-shek and Wang Jingwei successively launched the April 12th Counter-Revolutionary Coup and the July 15th Counter-Revolutionary Coup. The Nanjing National Government led by Chiang Kai-shek gained national power and established a new Republic of China ruled by large landlords and big bourgeoisie. My father also entered the high ranks of the Kuomintang due to his meritorious service in betraying the revolution.

  Days passed day by day, and after the Central Plains War, Chiang Kai-shek seized the final leadership. Liu Zhenfeng's father had experienced countless battles, big and small, and knew the cruelty of war, so he did not want his son to join the army in the future. Therefore, since the Central Plains War, he forced Liu Zhenfeng to study liberal arts and absolutely forbade him from developing martial arts skills. Of course, practicing martial arts also came to an end.

  Liu Zhenfeng scowled all day, shouting that he wanted to take the military academy exam, especially the Whampoa Military Academy. Unfortunately, at this time, the Whampoa Military Academy had stopped recruiting students, and even if he wanted to attend, he couldn't get in. For this reason, my father beat him a lot, but ultimately, under my mother's crying, Liu Zhenfeng temporarily gave up his dream of taking the military academy exam and focused on taking the university entrance exam instead.

  In 1931, Liu Zhenfeng was admitted to the School of Journalism at Fudan University at the age of sixteen. This was not his choice, but rather a major chosen by his father. What could he do? Argue with his father? He would probably get a whipping, so he went along with it.

  Liu Zhenfeng's mother was very happy, after all he had entered a good school and would enter the Central Academy in the future, which was also not bad.

  All summer, Liu Zhenfeng stayed at home in a daze. Don't doubt it, he was indeed in a daze. What year is this? Without saying, everyone knows that it's a year of national humiliation, and September 18th is National Humiliation Day. The beautiful and rich Northeast China was occupied by the Japanese devils in this very year. This is an iron fact that can never be changed. As an individual, Liu Zhenfeng also has no ability to change all this. What he's considering now is whether to join the army after graduating from college? The answer is affirmative, of course! As a hot-blooded young man, he should die on the battlefield, wrapped in horsehide, which is what young people of this era should do. Moreover, as a member of the Communist Youth League (of course, in his past life), he has even more responsibility to have such a sense of duty. As long as his patriotic heart doesn't die and the national spirit isn't extinguished, how can a small island nation like Japan destroy China?

  Longjian 2nd Generation: Dear readers, Longjian has made some modifications to the first chapter. Take a look and see if it's better this way? Hehe, please give more support to Longjian~~