Chapter 2: Stormy Weather at Whampoa Academy Section 6: A Slap in the Face

  The school organizes a drill every weekend. Those who have been soldiers or received military training know that the drill is to demonstrate the content taught by the class leader during this period, or to compete with each other in the company. Generally, the progress of the entire new recruit company is the same, but it's not the case for Huangpu at this time. Due to insufficient guns, firearms education is staggered, so the drill content is different for each class. After the drill, the student commander or duty officer will give a lecture and evaluation.

  Adhering to the principle of strict requirements, instructor Wang Bai-ling asked Zhuang Ji-hua and Guan Lin-zheng to conduct a killing exercise. When he heard his name being called, Zhuang Ji-hua was taken aback. As a modern person who had handled AK47s, he looked down on the primitive skill of killing. During the training, Zhuang Ji-hua just went through the motions. However, he knew that Guan Lin-zheng was not one to be trifled with. This big man from Gansu province had been very strict with himself since entering school, often claiming to be a model revolutionary soldier. Moreover, this young man had practiced martial arts and his killing skills were said to be unbeatable in the three teams. When facing him, Zhuang Ji-hua knew he was no match, so he reluctantly picked up his gun and joined the exercise, but his mind was racing quickly.

  The two men stood facing each other, Zhuang Jihua holding his gun with both hands and a calm expression on his face. When he heard the word "start", he smiled at Guan Linzheng, who was slightly taken aback, thinking that Zhuang was going to say something. But instead, Zhuang suddenly lunged forward, aiming for Guan's right ribs. Guan hastily dodged to the left, but Zhuang's attack was just a feint. He quickly shifted his aim and targeted Guan's left chest, revealing his true killing move.

  Guan's eyes flashed with anger as he thought to himself that Zhuang was being unfair and deceitful. Fueled by rage, Guan stood still for a moment before twisting his waist and swinging his gun outward with great force. The sound of "clash" echoed through the air as Guan successfully deflected Zhuang's attack. Zhuang's wrist went numb, and he almost lost control of his gun. Feeling uneasy, he instinctively retreated backward.

  Guan seized the opportunity to regain the upper hand and shouted loudly as he charged forward with powerful strides. Taking advantage of Zhuang's unstable footing, Guan swiftly aimed a thrust at Zhuang's abdomen. Zhuang exerted great effort to press down on his gun, preparing for a downward stab. However, just as their guns were about to make contact, Guan suddenly lifted the barrel of his gun and countered Zhuang's attack, sending Zhuang's gun flying open.

  With a heavy blow, Guan struck Zhuang's chest with great force, causing him to stumble backward and fall to the ground.

  Utter defeat, Zhuang Jihua was utterly defeated. All the tricks he played before were laughable in the face of absolute strength.

  Guan Lin helped Zhuang Jihua up from the ground, saying in a low voice: "Sorry, sorry, I didn't hold back my hand. But you little brat are not honest, actually playing tricks."

  Zhuang Jihua patted the dirt off his body and smiled wryly, whispering: "Even if it's like this, isn't it a loss? Do you need to use so much strength?"

  Guan Lin smiled slyly.

  Wang Boling strode up to Zhuang Jihua and slapped him twice, his face flushing red with anger.

  "Wang Boling coldly shouted: 'Idiot! Good-for-nothing! Apart from being clever, what else do you have? Stupid pig! Does Guan Linzheng know you? Do the enemies on the battlefield know you? You're just a sly and cunning person, useless! Always chattering away like a woman, is that useful? Once you go to the battlefield, you'll be slaughtered like a chicken.'"

  Zhuang Jihua's face changed, and his anger surged to his forehead. Corporal punishment was normal in military camps in this era, and the Huangpu Military Academy was no exception. However, Zhuang Jihua couldn't accept it, as his education from his past life made him instinctively reject such punishment. Today, Wang Boling beat him in front of all the teachers and students, which was a huge blow to his self-esteem. He had never encountered such a situation since coming to this world, and previously, Chiang Kai-shek, Liao Zhongkai, and Deng Yanda had all shown varying degrees of appreciation for him. Wang Boling's words were a severe blow to his pride. He used all his strength to suppress his anger, but he couldn't understand why Wang Boling wanted to do this.

  It's actually very simple, Wang Boling is often jokingly called "Wang Monk" by his classmates, and his lectures are rigid and dull, being sarcastically referred to as "chanting scriptures". When Wang Boling found out about this, he was not only extremely angry but also determined to clear his name. The best way to do so would be to find someone to thoroughly teach a lesson to, of course, this person couldn't just be anyone. Firstly, they had to have some reputation among the students, and secondly, they had to be underestimated. Zhuang Jihua seemed like a suitable candidate. Firstly, he met the first condition, and secondly, he wasn't favored by Deng Yanda or respected by Principal Jiang, as since Principal Jiang returned to school, he had summoned many students, such as Jiang Xianyun, Li Zhilong, He Zhenhan, etc., but never mentioned Zhuang Jihua. As a result, Zhuang Jihua unfortunately became Wang Boling's target, however, it wasn't long before Wang Boling realized his mistake.

  "Guān Lín Zhēng won because he normally strictly demands himself, always with the model of a revolutionary soldier demanding himself, and earnestly studying military skills. You all go down and think carefully, think about how to not be killed."

  "I'll say two things," Yan said seriously, coming from behind. He felt that Wang Boling was a bit too much earlier: "Classmates, assassination and fighting are important means of close combat. Classmates must learn carefully, practice diligently, and go to the battlefield to kill enemies and win victories in order to survive. In fact, Zhuang Jihua's tactics were still very clever, and Guan Linzheng was deceived from the beginning, achieving a certain effect. However, classmates must learn and apply what they have learned flexibly, and cannot rigidly apply it. Guan Linzheng won the final victory, which also shows that deceiving the enemy must be combined with solid skills."

  After the exercise, Zhuang Jihua's anger was still burning, and his severe words did not reduce the height of the flames at all. Who is this Wang Boling? I've never heard of him. He walked back and forth among the rocks, thinking over and over in his mind how to fix Wang Boling.

  "Ji Hua"

  Zhuang Jihua saw that it was Jiang Xianyun and Li Zhilong, Jiang Xianyun smiled and said: "Jihua, victory and defeat are common things in the military, so there's no need to jump into the sea now."

  Li Zhi Long also laughed and said: "Ji Hua, this doesn't seem like you at all. However, if you want to jump into the sea, leave your vast ocean to me, I'll be responsible for burning paper money for you every year, how much do you need, just give me a number."

  Zhuang Jihua rolled his eyes and said in a bad tone: "I don't believe you, Li Zhilong. I'm afraid you're taking kickbacks from me, a dead man."

  Jiang Xianyun Li Zhi Long asked in a puzzled tone: "What is rebate? What does rebate mean?"

  Zhuang Jihua reluctantly explained to them what a rebate was. Li Zhilong pretended to be annoyed and said, "Zhuang Jihua, Zhuang Jihua, you're just a troublemaker, even after death, you still want to frame people. After you jump into the sea, I'll stay here and watch, and I won't save you."

  "What are you talking about? Who said I want to jump into the sea? You can jump if you want, but I'm not done living yet."

  Jiang Xianyun and Li Zhilong burst out laughing, while Zhuang Jihua was infected and forced a smile. Jiang Xianyun seriously said to Zhuang Jihua: "Jihua, I know you're not feeling well, but don't take it to heart."

  "This Wang and Shang, he said I'm not skilled enough, I had nothing to say, but what's his mother doing insulting me?" Zhuang Jihua said angrily.

  Chiang Kai-shek and Li Zongren eyed each other, while Zhuang Jiahu was always "refined and elegant". Although he spoke with a sly tone, no one had ever heard him utter such profanity before. Moreover, Chiang repeatedly emphasized the importance of hierarchy and respect for authority in various settings, warning that offending superiors would lead to imprisonment.

  Li Zhi Long hastily interrupted: "Shut up, be careful what you say, the principal has said that there is a hierarchy to follow, offending your superiors, do you want to get detention?"

  Zhuang Jihua was furious, but he remained calm and looked around to see if anyone was watching. Seeing no one, he couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief and said with disdain: "There's a proper order of things, humph, Principal Jiang is always thinking about pleasant matters."

  "This Wang Boling, I think apart from being good at flattering the principal, he doesn't have any real skills." He said, looking straight at Jiang Xianyun.

  "I don't want to talk about Wang's instructor, what I want to say is you, Zhuang Jihua," Jiang Xianyun said seriously to him: "Jihua, you are a very intelligent person, returning from the US, not greedy for wealth and glory, dedicating yourself to the revolution, this makes me admire you."

  Zhuang Jihua understood as soon as he heard it and slowly pondered in his heart.

  "I find that you have a strong understanding ability, often the instructor teaches once and you know it, but I feel that you are rarely serious and do not fully exert your intelligence, as long as you can get by, to be honest, if you train seriously, even Guan Linzhen cannot win against you."

  Zhuang Jihua really admires, Jiang Xianyun indeed has a keen eye for observation, with this kind of skill to grasp people's hearts naturally and accurately. No wonder so many talents left Old Chiang later, indirectly leading to Chiang Kai-shek losing the mainland.

  Jiang Xianyun knew he had hit the nail on the head when he saw Zong Jihua remain silent, and he thought to strike while the iron was hot.

  "Ji Hua, your attitude is not only obvious to me, but I'm sure the instructors have also noticed it. Otherwise, why would they be so strict with you? I don't know what you're thinking, but I thought we joined the revolution not for wealth or promotion, but for the country and nation, for the masses of laborers. If that's the case, then what hardship can't we endure, what suffering can't we bear? Let your intelligence and talent shine through, let the instructors see it."

  Zhuang Jihua looked at Jiang Xianyun's sincere face, feeling a little moved, and silently lowered his head to think. Jiang Xianyun didn't urge him either, but Li Zhilong couldn't wait any longer.

  "Come on, say something! If you keep this up, there's a good chance you'll become a martyr."

  Jiang Xianyun burst out laughing with a "ha".

  "What's so funny? Isn't it like this?" Li Zhilong was getting a bit anxious.

  "Hehe, it's really 'near vermilion, one becomes reddened'. Brother Tian's jokes are getting more and more like Zhuangzi's style."

  The three of them looked at each other and burst out laughing.

  Zhuang Jihua, based on later film and television dramas, combined with several months of military training, sorted out a set of training methods. This method mainly includes physical fitness, strength, reaction, and shooting.

  This training method also fully reflects Zhuang Jihua's characteristics, giving priority to fun in training. For example, running is not normal running, but barefoot running on sandy ground while playing, and the way of playing is chasing, and it's still with a load. The sand underfoot has no leverage, and running on sand is much more laborious than normal running, with energy consumption being three or four times that of normal conditions.

  The second method is frog jumping, heavy-loaded jumping on sandy beaches, which mainly targets leg strength training. The third one is hitting the thousand-layer paper, tying a very coarse grass paper to a wooden stake and then hitting it, this method was learned from a scout, mainly for training explosive power.

  Other exercises such as sit-ups, push-ups, etc., I won't elaborate on them in detail.

  According to Zhuang Jihua's nature, such a fun thing couldn't be enjoyed alone. As the ancients said, "It's better to enjoy together than to enjoy alone." So he pulled in Jiang Xianyun, Li Zhilong, Song Xilian, Xu Xiangqian (Zhuang Jihua had always suspected that he was Xu Shuai), Zeng Kuocheng, He Zhenhan and others. This game gradually spread throughout the entire first district team. Every day after class, students from the first district team would come to the sandy area to play, each playing until they were exhausted. At night, they would play with paper airplanes, which naturally made Zhuang Jihua lose a lot of money, digging deep into his own pockets. These games caused Zhuang Jihua's somewhat declining "reputation" to rise again, even higher than before.

  The students were having a great time, but the instructors didn't think so. In their eyes, this group of students was not behaving properly, but since they were playing during their free time and hadn't broken any school rules, the instructors couldn't force them to stop. Yan asked Jiang Xiangyun about it, but he just shook his head and said "you'll understand if you play". Yan didn't feel like joining in with the students either, so he gave up. Gradually, Chen Gong from the 4th squad joined in, Hu Zongnan from the 3rd squad joined in, and of course there were also those who refused to play, like Deng Wenxiang.

  The month of military training passed quickly, and on June 16th, with clear skies, a platform was set up on the drill ground, with Chiang Kai-shek's handwritten banner "Sincerity" hanging above it, marking the official opening of the Whampoa Military Academy.

  Chiang Kai-shek and Liao Zhongkai led all the teachers and students to line up at the school gate to welcome Sun Yat-sen and other key figures of the Nationalist Party in Guangzhou who arrived at Whampoa Island.

  At the opening ceremony, Sun Yat-sen delivered a lengthy speech to all teachers and students, explaining the purpose of establishing the Whampoa Military Academy, encouraging everyone to work hard to learn military technology and military theory, establish "fearless spirit", clearly put forward the establishment of revolutionary army with Whampoa students as the foundation, in order to achieve the goal of revolution.

  Today, Huangpu Island is performing a grand gathering of famous people from the Republic of China, but Zhuang Jihua has already contracted the "famous person immunity syndrome", and during this time he is surrounded by famous people. The Huangpu classmates around him do not know that they still do not have the concept of being "famous", but to Zhuang Jihua, they are indeed famous people - Du Yuming, Guan Linzheng, Chen Gong, Zuo Quan, Song Xilian and so on. These yet-to-be-famous famous people appear before him one after another like a revolving lantern, of course he has also neglected some "famous people", after all his history is not very good.

  So others were excited, Zhuang Jihua was just performing, working hard to perform, everyone cheered as he raised his arm, everyone applauded, he clapped, everyone bowed, he bent down.

  Speeches, taking turns on stage; banquets, having watched a lot of TV; military parade, a set of procedures finally completed, and in the end, there was still a joke about "three flavors stewed chicken, radish and scallions".

  The original intention was that Hu Hanmin read the Premier's instructions, but his Hakka accent was too strong, so much so that students from other provinces were confused, and the instructions became a menu. "Three Principles of the People, our party's doctrine" became "three flavors stewed chicken, radish and scallions". Jokes aside, the Premier's instructions still couldn't be ambiguous, so someone had to write them down.

  What puzzled Zhuang Jihua was that the director of the political department was Dai Jitao, and the deputy director was Zhang Shenfu; where was the famous director of the Huangpu Military Academy's political department, who later became the Premier of the Republic?