Trying to Steal Credit, Aren't You?

The words fell.

The entire Purple Gold Pavilion, inside and out, the clamor of tens of thousands of people, vanished in an instant.

Everyone was stunned.

The student grabbing President Duan's collar loosened his grip.

He stared blankly at the small radio, his lips moving, but not a single word came out.

"Good!"

Someone, who, nobody knew, shouted first.

"Well said!"

"General Zhang Xueming is a true man!"

After a brief silence, came a thunderous roar of applause.

The students' faces were flushed with excitement, their previous anger and despair swept away, replaced by an extreme surge of exhilaration and vindication.

"Our army finally has some real men stepping up!"

"Down with the White Bear! Recover Ulan!"

The slogans rang out again, but this time, they were no longer directed at the officials in the Purple Gold Pavilion, but for the General far away, whom they had never met, but who had, at this moment, become the hero in everyone's hearts.

President Duan adjusted his askew collar, straightened his long robe, and slowly stood up.

He cleared his throat, a look of "everything is under control" on his face.

"Esteemed students, as you can see."

"This old man has already issued orders, commanding General Zhang Xueming of Fengtian to lead his troops out of the pass and reclaim lost territory."

"Matters of state have their proper procedures. What is this commotion you're causing in the cabinet?"

As soon as he spoke, the previously fervent atmosphere instantly cooled by half.

The students looked at each other.

The student representative who had been leading them was the first to react.

He stepped forward, pointed at President Duan's nose, and unleashed his fury.

"Duan, have you no shame?"

"Who in the world doesn't know that Fengtian is Marshal Zhang's territory, and his Feng Army only listens to the man surnamed Zhang? Since when does your Northern Cabinet have the authority to issue orders?"

"You old scoundrel, seeing that General Zhang has taken the initiative to send his troops, you want to swoop in and take the credit, don't you?"

"Bah!"

His words were rapid and furious, like a string of firecrackers, showing no respect whatsoever.

President Duan's face twitched, clearly choked by the outburst.

He wanted to retort, but what the other party said was common knowledge.

The dirty dealings between the Northern Cabinet and the Fengtian clique were no secret at all.

If he insisted that he could command Zhang Xueming, he would be treating everyone present like fools.

Seeing that the students' emotions were about to be stirred up again, a gentle yet powerful voice intervened.

"Esteemed students, please allow me to say a few words."

The crowd parted, and a man in a Zhongshan suit walked in.

Upon his appearance, many students recognized him.

"It's Mr. Zhang Boling!"

"Mr. Zhang is here too!"

Zhang Boling first bowed slightly to President Duan as a greeting, then turned to the excited students.

"Students, the President's words may have been inappropriate. But is this what we should be arguing about now?"

His voice was not loud, but it possessed a power that calmed people down.

"What is most important right now?"

"It's that General Zhang Xueming and his Eighth Brigade have already marched to the border, ready to fight the ferocious White Bear!"

"They are our warriors, the Great Wall of our nation!"

Zhang Boling pointed to the northern sky, his tone grave.

"While our soldiers are bleeding on the front lines, should we who are safe in the rear be arguing here about who gave the order, and thus chill their hearts?"

"If they fight valiantly, only to be met with chaos in the capital behind them, what will they think?"

These words were like a basin of cold water, waking everyone up.

That's right.

Now was not the time to bicker over who was in charge.

General Zhang has already sent out troops.

What they should be doing isn't arguing with the government here, but finding ways to support the front lines.

Zhang Boling looked at the now silent students and continued:

"What we should do is let all our compatriots across Huaxia know about General Zhang's brave deed!"

"We need to promote him! Support him!"

"Those with money, contribute money; those with strength, contribute strength!"

He raised his arm and shouted, and their emotions were ignited once more, but in a completely new direction.

"Let's organize immediately and raise funds for the Eighth Brigade! Medicine, cotton clothes, canned food – whatever the front needs, we'll send!"

"I propose we also form a 'Frontline Comfort Group' to carry the goodwill of the entire nation to Ulan, to the battlefield, and personally boost the morale of our soldiers!"

"Good!"

"Mr. Zhang is right!"

"We'll go! Count me in!"

The students' enthusiasm was completely ignited, and the crowd became impassioned.

The tense atmosphere from before instantly transformed into a patriotic mobilization rally.

President Duan stood to the side, watching as Zhang Boling resolved the crisis in just a few words and steered the situation in a direction favorable to the government. He couldn't help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief and cast a grateful glance.

Liu Weiguo, standing nearby, watched this dramatic turn of events, his defiant expression softening considerably.

He snorted, implicitly accepting the outcome.

Meanwhile.

A thousand miles away on the Ulan grasslands.

Beneath the boundless sky, a steel dragon was rolling forward.

Hundreds of trucks and armored vehicles kicked up clouds of dust, the roar of their engines tearing through the tranquility of the grasslands.