After Chu Baxing left, Qin Siyang and the others remained seated in the Conference Room.
The deputy commander of the 1st Army looked at Qin Siyang, then at Zheng Mubian, and asked, "Chief of Staff Zheng, Brigade Commander Qin, Commander Huang... the traitor Huang Yihan has confessed and paid for his crimes. Could you let us off the hook?"
Zheng Mubian said mildly, "There are five of you here. One hook won't be enough; we'd need five. Brigade Commander Qin, what do you think?"
"Oh, of course I agree with Chief of Staff Zheng and Commander Chu."
The faces of the men who had joined Huang Yihan's rebellion immediately twisted with misery. "Chief of Staff Zheng, we really do know we were wrong."
"Yes, please give us a chance to atone through service!"
"Atone through service?" Zheng Mubian chuckled. "You've certainly committed the crimes. What service do you propose to render?"
One man immediately said, "We can help Commander Chu pacify the 1st Army!"
Qin Siyang cut in at once. "Are you saying Commander Chu can't handle your headless chickens in the 1st Army on his own?"
"No, no, that's not what I meant... I just wanted to help Commander Chu and make things easier for him..."
At that moment, Xiang Tianxiao, commander of the 1st Division, spoke again. "Why are you all beating around the bush? If Chu Baxing really can subdue the 1st Army with one brigade under Zheng Cong, that'll prove he has what it takes. Everyone here will acknowledge him as the new commander of the Chu Character Legion!"
Qin Siyang wagged a finger. "You, Xiang-whatever. Do you think Chu Baxing went to bring the 1st Army into line to prove himself to you? You think far too highly of yourselves. Perhaps you've all spent so