Chapter 65: The Fifth Army

When the morning light filtered through the paper window into the house, Li Yuxuan was already seated at the desk, three sheets of Letter spread out. Li Nian'an carried a bowl of porridge out of the kitchen, saw him pick up the fountain pen again, and couldn't help rolling his eyes.

Still writing Letters? The young man slammed the porcelain bowl onto the table, the crisp clatter shattering the silence, as if the paper and ink used yesterday for that German fellow were free.

Li Yuxuan's pen tip paused, he glanced at the salted vegetables in his son's bowl, frowned and said, "Add an egg in the kitchen; it's the age for growing." He turned his gaze back to grind the ink; yesterday's Letter was to request an instructor for the Fifth Army, to bring an old professor from the German Army Academy, and the Huangpu kids needed systematic training.

What is it for today? Li Nian'an sipped his porridge and asked vaguely.

He is writing Letters to two old friends in Germany, a senior, and a friend he knows in the United States. Li Yuxuan dipped his brush in ink, the tip hovering over the paper; the United States contact is about equipment—their fighter planes are more durable than British ones and reasonably priced. The Germans are invited to train the army, especially the armored units; combat experience on the European battlefield far surpasses our paper strategies.

He set down the pen and stood up: "Sending the Letter this afternoon isn't late; now I have to go find the Young Master for money."

"Huh?" Li Nian'an nearly choked on his porridge, "Wasn't the Chairman just allocating military funds? I heard the Adjutant say that the batch of Mauser Rifles for the Fifth Army cost the treasury a lot of silver."

"What do you mean 'just allocated'?" Li Yuxuan turned and glared at him, his fingertip tapping the desk, "Planes, tanks, artillery for free? Five divisions, sixty thousand men—food, ammunition, uniforms, which aren't all piles of silver? Do you think this is a children's game?"

The young man was choked into silence, watching his father's swift, towering silhouette, and suddenly thought the Chairman might be in for trouble.

Inside the President's Office, Principal Jiang was frowning at the financial statements, his fingertips flicking the abacus, a continuous clack‑clack filling the air. Hearing the Adjutant report "Chairman Li requests an audience," he didn't even look up and shouted, "Send him away! Just say I'm not here!"

Before the words finished, Li Yuxuan opened the door and entered, a cloth sack in hand, smiling as he leaned over the desk: "Young Master, don't lose your temper. I brought you something good—newly harvested Cloud Mist Tea from Xikou, richer than the Longjing on your table."

Principal Jiang abruptly pushed the abacus aside, tea splashing half a cup: "Nang Xipi, Jingxing, don't go overboard!" He pointed at the other, his voice suddenly rising, "Training an army costs this much? Do you know how much silver the Fifth Army has spent? Treasury allocations aside, my private stash of Gold Bars is almost emptied by you!"

He gasped, his chest heaving: "People, I selected them myself— all the top students from Huangpu are yours; equipment, German Mauser rifles, United States artillery, whatever you want, I'll give. After training, you take seventy percent, I keep thirty percent to replenish the Central Army, isn't that fair? I don't get it, training an army. Now you're asking for money—my money came from a gale?"

Li Yuxuan leisurely poured tea for the two, pushing the cup to Principal Jiang: "Young Master, don't say you married Mrs. Song just for her beauty." He took a sip, his tone edged, "That might fool others, but I grew up fishing in Xikou with you— the Song Family's wealth is the support you truly need, right?"

Principal Jiang's complexion shifted from pale to flushed, his hand trembling for a while as he pointed: "You… you are twisting words!"

"No money?" Li Yuxuan set down his teacup, leaned back in his chair, legs crossed high, "If you don't give money today, I'll just stay put and not leave. Believe it or not?"

"If you're stubborn, be stubborn!" Principal Jiang turned his face away, retorting, "My office is short of a tea‑servant, and you happen to fit the role."

"Well then, that works." Li Yuxuan stood, pretended to head for the door, "I'll sit right at the President's Office main entrance and tell anyone, 'Chairman owes my army funds and won't pay,' let the reporters write it up. I've already thought of the headline—'Classmates at Odds? Exposing Chairman Li and Chairman Jiang's Military‑Funding Dispute.'"

"You…" Principal Jiang's hand trembled with anger, he was speechless for a moment, then slammed the table, "Fine! But I want more than thirty percent of the troops; I want sixty percent!"

"No." Li Yuxuan shook his head immediately, his tone decisive, "At most forty percent, no more. If it's more, why train so many soldiers? To be your reserve grain?" He leaned closer, voice lowered, "Young Master, the Fifth Army defends the Central Plains; that's our Foundation. I must have enough forces in my hand. Forty percent is the bottom line."

The office was so quiet you could hear birdsong outside the window. Principal Jiang stared at him for a while, then sighed, sounding like a deflated balloon, "Fine, forty percent it is. Get out! Quickly draft the report, I'll sign the document!"

"Got it!" Li Yuxuan smiled broadly, hurriedly pulled the pre‑written report from the cloth sack and handed it over, "I knew the Young Master understood me best."

Principal Jiang glared at him, grabbed a vermilion brush, its strokes like dragons and phoenixes, signed his name, and tossed it back: "Take the money and get out quickly; seeing you irritates me."

"Thanks, Young Master!" Li Yuxuan snatched the signed document, turned and ran, then at the doorway turned back, "By the way, regarding the German armored expert, we need the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to send an invitation Letter."

"Got it, got it!" Principal Jiang waved impatiently; after his figure vanished, he picked up the bag of Cloud Mist Tea, a helpless smile tugging at his mouth.

The Adjutant, hearing the commotion outside the door, saw Li Yuxuan exit in high spirits and hurried forward: "Chairman, did the Chairman give you any trouble?"

Trouble me? Li Yuxuan waved the document in his hand, smiling smugly— he's all bark and soft heart. Let's go to the Ministry of Finance to collect the money and buy planes for the brothers!

Sunlight streamed through the President's Office corridor, stretching his shadow long. Li Yuxuan clutched the thin document, feeling immensely grounded— he knew the Young Master's harsh words masked the truth: the stronger the Fifth Army, the more confidence they have in this chaotic world.

Inside the office, Principal Jiang still fretted over the financial statements, his fingertip lightly tapping the line "Fifth Army Military Funding." After a while, he picked up the phone: "Call the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, send an invitation Letter to Germany, saying… I'm inviting a military expert, with preferential treatment."

He hung up, gazed at the Zijin Mountain outside the window, and sighed softly. Jingxing, oh Jingxing, please don't let me down.