Chapter 74: Arms and Equipment 3

The morning mist over the President's Office had not yet cleared, and the Chairman had been sitting listlessly in his office all night. The celadon tea cup on the table was empty and then full again, the ashtray's cigarette butts piled into a small mountain, and the Arms List marked "34 million US Dollars" was rubbed repeatedly by him until its corners curled.

"Call Jingxing over." At the break of dawn, he croaked to the Adjutant, his voice bearing the fatigue of a sleepless night.

"Yes, Chairman!"

Half an hour later, Li Yuxuan briskly entered the office, the clatter of his military boots on the floor unusually crisp. Seeing the Young Master's current pallor, his heart lurched; just as he was about to speak, the other side pushed a heavy leather case toward him.

"Young Master, are you looking for me?"

The Young Master pointed at the case, his voice hoarse as if sanded: "This is 1.2 million US Dollars; I have no more than that." He paused, his fingertips tracing circles on the desk unconsciously, "All the savings I've accumulated over the years have been given to you to support the Fifth Army."

The moment the case opened, the gleam of Gold Bars and US Dollars dazzled the eyes. Li Yuxuan was stunned; he knew what this "savings" meant— it was the Young Master's privately run business income, originally set aside as emergency war funds.

"Very well, thank you, Young Master." His Adam's apple bobbed, and for a moment he could not find any more words.

"Don't say thank you yet." The Young Master cut him off, his gaze suddenly sharp as if tempered ice, "After the Fifth Army finishes training, I will disband it and integrate it into various units."

"No, Young Master!" Li Yuxuan shot up his head, the gratitude on his face instantly replaced by panic, "I have painstakingly built this Fifth Army! From recruiting soldiers to hiring the German Advisor, from procuring equipment to tactical simulations, every part was done by my own hands. Disbanding it is like tearing apart a child I raised myself!"

"Damn it, stop haggling with me!" The Young Master slammed the table, water from the tea cup splashing half a cup, "Just training this Fifth Army has drained my savings!" He pointed at the case, his voice suddenly high‑pitched, "Do you think this 1.2 million came from a gust of wind? It's my bottom‑drawer money! Had I known, I would have sent you to Bashu—its resources are abundant, at least you wouldn't have to waste so much money!"

Li Yuxuan clenched his fists, his knuckles whitening: "But Bashu's terrain is isolated; it lacks the Central Plains' logistical convenience. The Fifth Army was meant to guard the central hub…"

"The Song and Kong families said they could provide the funds," the Young Master suddenly softened his tone, a helplessness beyond words in his voice, "but the condition is that the army must be disbanded."

He stared at the falling leaves outside the window, letting out a long sigh: "Don't blame them either." The Young Master turned his face away, gazing at Zijin Mountain beyond the window, "Your army, with fine equipment and a gathering of star generals, could unify the nation if handled well, but what if it's mishandled?" He turned his head, his gaze sinking onto Li Yuxuan, "I know nothing of military affairs, but you know nothing of politics. A powerful army that forms its own system becomes a source of anxiety wherever it falls under someone's watch."

Li Yuxuan opened his mouth, intending to say "I would never betray you," but he swallowed the words under the principal's gaze. He understood—it was not a matter of trust, but the iron law of power balance: a gun barrel too rigid will always keep its holder restless.

He stood up, walked to Li Yuxuan's side, and patted his shoulder: "Jingxing, you and I have known each other for over thirty years, from the boy who fished in Xikou to now a military‑political official; I trust your loyalty. But others do not trust it."

"Disbanding the Fifth Army is not about taking away your Military Power," the Young Master's gaze was heavy, "It's to make it truly a national army, not someone's private soldiers. You will remain the Army Commander; the units will be stationed across regions, avoiding suspicion while strengthening defenses—why not?"

Li Yuxuan looked at the Gold Bars in the case, the heavy metal seeming to press on his heart. He recalled the dark faces of soldiers at the Fifth Army Training Ground, Manstein's tactics simulated on the Sand Table, Rommel's demonstration of rapid infiltration raising clouds of dust— that was the unit he had poured countless effort into, the embodiment of his Strong Nation Dream.

But he understood even more that the principal's words were all reasonable. The financial clout represented by the Song and Kong families was the economic backbone of the Nanjing government. Those regional warlords who wielded Military Power were eyeing the Fifth Army's movements. If a civil war broke out over military power, all his efforts would be in vain.

"Yes, Young Master." After a long pause, he lowered his head, his voice tinged with an unmistakable loss.

The Young Master watched his tense silhouette, a mixture of feelings swirling inside him. He knew full well this would wound Jingxing's heart. Yet politics has never been a battlefield of swift vengeance, but a chessboard of weighing pros and cons. He took a Letter of appointment from the drawer and gently placed it on the table:

"This is the official approval for the Fifth Army's designation, with your name on it," his voice softened, "Once the units are reorganized, I will ensure you are promoted to Group Army Commander, with jurisdiction broader than now."

Li Yuxuan did not look at the Letter of appointment. He closed the case, the metal latch emitting a soft "clack," like a silent farewell.

"I, your subordinate, take my leave."

"Alright, go." The Young Master waved his hand, as if ten years had instantly aged him, "Take the money, train the Fifth Army well. As for the future… we'll discuss that later."

Watching his turning silhouette, the principal suddenly felt a pang of melancholy. He walked to the window, watching Li Yuxuan's figure fade at the far end of the corridor, murmuring, "Jingxing, Jingxing, you and I are on this board, powerless…" Li Yuxuan's steps faltered, he did not look back. He cradled the case and left the President's Office, the morning light falling on him yet unable to warm the chill in his heart. The US Dollars in the case pressed against his chest like scorching hot irons— this was not military funding, but clearly the Fifth Army's price of surrender.

The office fell silent again, only the wall clock ticking, as if measuring the bond that had shifted from master‑servant to classmate to sovereign‑subject, and also foreshadowing the impending twist of fate for that ace unit.

Stepping out of the President's Office, Li Yuxuan stood under the sun yet felt a chill run through his body. He clutched the leather case holding 1.2 million US Dollars, as if it were not military funds but a thousand‑pound burden on his shoulders. From afar the Fifth Army camp's horn sounded, clear and resolute; he suddenly clenched his fist—no matter what the future holds, at least now he would make this unit shine with the brightest brilliance.