After sending off the Germans, who had been so agitated they could barely speak coherently, Zhang Xueming stood on the empty shooting range. The evening breeze swept past him, yet it could not disperse the heat in his heart.
He had won big.
This was simply a masterclass in profiting from nothing.
He had traded an outdated Number One tank production line for the rare-metal deposits Fengtian was most desperately short of, while also getting the Germans' treasured armor tactics for free.
Where else could you find a deal like this?
Once the German instructors had turned his soldiers into armored elites, and once those rare metals were shipped into the Fengtian Arsenal in an endless stream—
By then, what were Number Two, Number Three, Panther, and Tiger...
Ahem. He was getting ahead of himself.
But as long as he took the right path, anything was possible.
Zhang Xueming was happily making plans when a guard came trotting over and saluted at attention.
"Report, Brigade Commander. Marshal requests your presence."
"Got it."
Zhang Xueming nodded and straightened his military uniform.
What was meant to come would always come.
He had made such a huge commotion today. It would be strange if his father, Zhang Yuting, showed no reaction.
Marshal Mansion, study.
Zhang Yuting stood with his hands behind his back before a huge military map, his brows tightly furrowed.
Hearing footsteps, he turned around. His usually imposing face now carried an excitement he could barely suppress.
He strode up to Zhang Xueming and gave his shoulder a couple of hard pats with his fan-sized hand.
"Good lad, you've really got something!"
Pride showed in Zhang Yuting's voice.
"I saw that Iron Turtle you made from the telescope. Good heavens, it runs faster than a horse and doesn't even blink when it crashes through a wall. If we can make enough of these things, then to hell with this Shou-Feng War—I'll flatten them!"
Zhang Xueming grinned and let his father keep patting him.
"Dad, it's called a tank, not an Iron Turtle."
"Who cares what it's called? As long as it works!" Zhang Yuting waved his great hand, but then his tone suddenly changed, and the smile on his face faded somewhat. "However, you made too much noise this time."
"The merchants' association of the Japanese residents at Qingshan Field has already brought a complaint to me."
"They say you seized their land, made a terrible mess of things, interfered with their business, and that our soldiers... had a very bad attitude."
By the end, Zhang Yuting's tone had turned stern. He stared into Zhang Xueming's eyes.
"Xueming, I know you're eager to train troops and develop new equipment. But things are complicated with the Japanese. This isn't the time to fall out with them. In everything... know when to stop."
The smile faded from Zhang Xueming's face as well.
"Know when to stop?"
He repeated the four words, mockery in his voice.
"Dad, you're telling me to know when to stop?"
"Have you forgotten how that land at Qingshan Field ended up in their hands? Back then, they traded a few crates of lousy canned food to a muddleheaded prince of the former Qing and walked away with several hundred mu of land!"
"Have you forgotten how, over the past few years, they've built factories on our territory, exploited our workers, and made a fortune without paying a single cent in taxes?"
"They smuggle arms south and sneak minerals north. Which one of those things isn't them digging away at the foundations of our Feng Army?"
"Now I'm merely conducting drills on our own land, and they dare come running to you to complain?"
Zhang Xueming advanced step by step, his voice growing louder and his emotions more heated.
"Everything they eat, drink, and earn—what part of it hasn't been scraped away from Fengtian? Now that we're asking them to spit out a little of what they swallowed, they start making a racket?"
"Dad! This isn't falling out with them. This is taking back what belongs to us!"
"If they don't like it, tell them to get lost!"
The barrage of questions left Zhang Yuting's face shifting from green to white and back again.
He opened his mouth, only to discover that he could not refute a single word.
The air in the study froze.
After a long while, Zhang Yuting let out a long breath and sat back down in his chair. He picked up his teacup and took a sip, only to find that the tea had already gone cold.
He waved his hand, his tone somewhat weary.
"Enough. I understand the situation now. Do what you need to do. If the sky comes crashing down, your old man will hold it up for you."
Zhang Xueming's emotions settled as well. He knew he had convinced his father.
Zhang Yuting set down his teacup and changed the subject, a hint of scrutiny in his eyes.
"Young man, tell me the truth. What exactly is going on between you and that girl from the Gu Family?"
"A few days ago, the Gu Family sent over the entire dowry—thirty-six sedan loads in all. They piled it up across half the Marshal Mansion. If you dare wrong her, I'll break your legs."
Zhang Xueming felt somewhat helpless at this.
The Gu Family had been a great clan of the former Qing. Though they had declined now, a centipede dies hard.
"Dad, what are you thinking?"
Zhang Xueming explained, "The Gu Family may no longer have much military or financial power, but their former students and old associates are spread throughout every province Inside the Passes. If our Feng Army wants to enter the Passes, we can't rely on guns and cannons alone. We also need the people's hearts."
"The Gu Family's network is our best channel for winning over the people. Gu Ruiyu marrying me is the Gu Family presenting a pledge of allegiance to us, the Feng Army, and to you, Marshal."
After hearing his son's analysis, Zhang Yuting was stunned for a moment before throwing his head back and laughing.
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