Chapter 8, Establishing Authority (Part 1)

The progressively intensified tone made the two individuals present aware of the seriousness of the matter, prompting them to stand up straight and respond in unison.

As for the monthly funding in the camp, it is allocated without any delays, and moreover, for the time being, no one dares to drink the soldiers' blood under the watchful eyes of the King of Hell

One of me is enough

Oh? Dai Jiliang had long heard that more than half of the Manchu nobility were in the First Army of Beiyang back in the day. He never expected to actually encounter one himself. He wondered whether this individual was an elite Manchu selected by Old Yuan to reinforce the guard army or a misfortunate soul who had been expelled due to the purging of the ranks.

Dai Jiliang felt a tightness in his heart; this deputy was not simple. Right from the start, he set a trap for himself. Although he might not fall for it, being new to the position, it would be troublesome if he offended someone he shouldn't have.

I kindly request your continued support in the future

As Dai Jiliang's scolding echoed, the expressions of several officials became somewhat colorful, yet due to military discipline, everyone stood there stiffly, listening to Dai Jiliang's furious reprimands

Dai Jiliang quickly understood the situation of the troops under his command

A group of people naturally would not take these words seriously, still maintaining a demeanor of utmost respect and propriety

To speak frankly, given Lu's status and identity, who would dare to boast arrogantly in front of the King of Hell, Lu?

Indeed, before the words had left his mouth, Ding Baonian took the initiative to act. He feigned a shot to divert Dai Jiliang's attention, and then immediately aimed a shot directly at the throat of the person he intended to stab.

I hereby command that the entire camp assemble immediately

Thus, with a glance from E Tao, several company commanders and their deputies returned to their respective units with cold smiles. Before long, several groups, including the second company commander Ding Baonian, were already in position

From the speed of the assembly and the queue after the assembly, Dai Jiliang could see that E Tao and his team had indeed put in considerable effort. However, it was precisely because of this that these fellows expressed hostility towards him, who was taking food from their mouths, Dai Jiliang thought as he stood in front of the formations of each company.

Observing the poised demeanor of the two individuals in the arena, Li, the deputy of the 3rd Company who had previously studied at the Shinbu School in Japan, furrowed his brows in concern

He held the pocket watch in his hand and roared fiercely at nearly five hundred people.

The Japanese bayonet can make the big-nosed Russians cry out, it truly possesses genuine skill. However, I wonder how much of it the one surnamed Dai has learned. Although Old Ding has a family tradition of martial arts, he is not specialized in marksmanship, which is not good. This is going to be a disaster!

Therefore, an ordinary private, after deducting various miscellaneous expenses such as meal costs, can still take home over 4 yuan each month. Based on this alone, the garrison is outstanding within the entire Beiyang system, thus this small garrison has managed to attract a group of talents.

Indeed, Lieutenant Ding is an officer of our Beiyang Army, and officers inherently possess certain privileges

Dai Jiliang responded with a smile that did not reach his eyes, and after speaking, he donned the armor imported from Japan and walked to the center of the training ground

Although Lu Jianzhang is currently the head of the intelligence agency, he also has a solid background in the military

It should be noted that Lu Jianzhang is quite dedicated to the small force under his command. Each regiment consists of three companies, each with a large structure of one hundred and fifty men. Aside from the fact that, according to the Beiyang Army system, there are no divisional artillery or regimental machine guns assigned, each company is uniformly equipped with original German Mauser 98 rifles, which are far superior to the Mauser 88 rifles or similar copies like the Hanyang produced by the old Beiyang divisions.

I have met Director Dai

Dai Jiliang issued orders without raising his head, watching as Ding Baonian, who had just regained consciousness and was glaring with wide eyes while suppressing his pain, was carried away on a stretcher in front of him. The soldiers present felt a chill run down their spines, not expecting that the most skilled martial artist in the camp, Captain Ding, would fall in just one round. This left the other two soldiers who were supposed to fight against Dai Jiliang feeling somewhat flustered.

If you are unconvinced, come out and practice!

Lu Jianzhang sat in the center seat, and with a wave of his hand, everyone finally took their seats

Why are you not convinced

"Where, where, we are all here to serve the President, General Lu. Everything is part of our duties, so there is no question of whether we are helping or not."

Old Ding's martial arts are a family tradition, Li Debiao, why do you only seek to enhance the reputation of others while undermining your own ambitions

I have arrived

Attention!

After seeing off the busy Lu Jianzhang, E Tao led Dai Jiliang back to the garrison of the Third Battalion of the Guard Army, and soon the leaders of the battalion gathered before Mr. Dai.

Er Tao, you come to be the referee

Come, each company send someone up, the best marksman, the strongest in bayonet fighting, and the most skilled in firearm maintenance, all of you stand up and compete with me! Whoever is stronger than me, I will immediately promote you and reward you with money! If there is an officer stronger than me, I will immediately step aside, without any hesitation

Now even all the soldiers have become somewhat agitated

Today, I am primarily here to introduce a new colleague to all of you.

Immediately, the gazes of the officers towards Dai Jiliang changed; some were indifferent, some were filled with doubt, some were dismissive, and others were filled with jealousy and resentment

Ding Baonian, a native of Tangshan, holds the rank of Captain and serves as the Second Company Commander

The atmosphere suddenly became fervent; Dai Jiliang's arrogant tone not only infuriated the soldiers below, but even many of the officers found it somewhat embarrassing.

Mr. Lu, listening to the back-and-forth between the two individuals, furrowed his brow. However, with limited time, he naturally had no interest in the petty intrigues below. He succinctly interrupted their conversation, commanding them with the authority of his superior status.

Then it is time for the next item, come here, bring the table up, those who are best at firearm storage step forward, I will show you how to assemble firearms!

You two go up together

If it were not for the fact that Old Yuan did not have a capable figure to control the spies, he would have been forced to take action. By now, he would at least be in a position similar to Cao Kun, Duan Zhigui, and Li Chun, commanding over ten thousand troops and holding the title of division commander or governor of a region.

Dai Jiliang generously allowed his dissatisfied subordinate to determine his own victory or defeat

He pointed with his hand, and Dai Jiliang, dressed in a light blue-gray military uniform of a Beiyang lieutenant colonel, suddenly stood up and saluted the people around him.

You see, the person with the surname Dai holds the front guard with one hand and the curved part of the gunstock with the other. The gunstock is slightly drooping on the side of the supporting leg, facing the opponent at a half-oblique angle, with the tip of the bayonet slightly level with the eyebrows. In this way, the gun protects the vital areas of the neck, chest, and abdomen from an oblique upper to lower position, and with a flick of the bayonet, a thrust can be executed. This person with the surname Dai must have studied in Japan, as his initial posture is reminiscent of the Japanese army's stance for bayonet fighting.

Damn, Old Ding is going to be in trouble

There are no such strict rules among brothers.

Dai Jiliang unbuttoned his officer's uniform, discarded his wide-brimmed hat, revealing a white shirt underneath

"Come here! Carry Lieutenant Ding down and send him to the nearest field hospital; his sternum may be fractured"

It is evident that someone is backing Dai, which has caused many to weigh their options carefully and think twice before acting

Of course, even if Dai Jiliang cannot guess the inner workings of the situation, he would not blindly assume that Lu Jianzhang has a special fondness for him, a dual-degree high achiever. After all, only by truly achieving results can one continue to have a say in front of the butcher Lu, and only then can one hold onto military power to lay a solid foundation for one's future actions.

Li shook his head

It is evident that a new official will make a strong impression upon taking office; if they cannot ignite that fire, it would be better to leave early to avoid embarrassment and not undermine the reputation of Duan Qirui.

Thus, under the watchful eyes of the public, Dai Jiliang commenced the first challenge of the Guard Army

However, Dai Jiliang steadily fixed his gaze on the tip of the opponent's gun, and only when the gun was very close did he forcefully push it away

The quartermaster Chu dared to speak strange words with a crooked mouth

However, Dai Jiliang's military rank has made certain individuals with ulterior motives feel apprehensive. It is important to note that according to the longstanding regulations of the Beiyang Army, it is rare for a battalion commander to be directly appointed as a lieutenant colonel. Many officers at the battalion level have endured years of hardship and still only attain the rank of major, and it is only upon being promoted to regiment commander that they may become a lieutenant colonel.

Li Guo, a resident of Liaocheng, holds the rank of Lieutenant and serves as the Deputy Commander of the Third Company

Ding Baonian suddenly felt as if his hand had been struck hard by a heavy hammer, his tiger's mouth went numb, and the wooden spear was almost about to slip from his grasp.

Ding Baonian's energy surged, having never encountered such a fierce superior before. He took a wooden spear smeared with lime, donned his protective gear, and brandished the spear in front of him.

In the military, there are no brothers, only superiors and subordinates

Several officers stood at attention, each saluting respectfully as a group of people approached

Remove it!

Time is moving too slowly

Then let's leave it at that

Lu Jianzhang observed the expressions of everyone one by one, yet he introduced He Tushu and Dai Jiliang in a composed manner

Li sighed, unknowingly shifting his tone

However, even though Lu Jianzhang's entire focus is currently occupied by his position as the Director of the Beijing Military and Political Law Enforcement Office, the hat of the Guard Army Commander left to him by Old Yuan still fully demonstrates Lu's status within the Beiyang Army

"First, let's engage in a bayonet fight. Will you come at me one by one or all at once?"

For instance, Ma Kang and Ma Xiaoyou, the commander of the First Company under Dai Jiliang, were the second highest achiever of the fourth cohort of the Beiyang Army Rapid Training School, while Li Guo and Li Debiao, the deputy commander of the Third Company, also had educational experiences at the Tokyo Zhenwu School

This is Dai Jiliang and Dai Zhixiang, the talented individuals recommended by General Duan to study in Germany. They are now serving as the company commander of the Third Battalion in our Guard Army, or rather, they should be referred to as battalion commanders. From now on, we will all be colleagues, so let us get to know each other better.

Dai Jiliang smiled coldly, everything was under his control

Dai Jiliang dropped the wooden spear, issuing commands without any emotion

General Manager Lu

Still in a state of confusion, Dai Jiliang had already adjusted his posture with a movement of his hand. Following that, a direct thrust caused Ding Baonian to see nothing but darkness before him, as a sharp pain surged through his protective gear from his chest. Almost simultaneously, he was involuntarily propelled outward.

Dai Jiliang hooked his finger, indicating that since the officer was so insistent, the two soldiers hesitated for a moment before rushing forward together

E Tao reluctantly nodded, and then Dai Jiliang pointed to the other two groups of people nearby

After speaking, he surveyed the various ranks of soldiers around him with a devilish smile, and then he turned to look at E Tao

The posture of Captain Dai is more standard than that of the most formidable Japanese sergeant I have ever seen, these two fellows are in for some bad luck

E Tao noticed that Dai Jiliang was momentarily lost in thought, and he immediately understood what he was recalling, so he preemptively offered a wry smile and saluted the other party

Chu Gan, a native of Deqing, Lieutenant, Company Quartermaster

It is no longer useful

Let me introduce, this is He Oucai, the commander of our First Battalion of the Guard Corps, and this is his deputy commander, Tang Daling

Deputy Battalion Commander, should this count as my victory?

I understand, please rest assured, Commander

The qualifications of the Beiyang Military Academy in Tianjin include serving as a junior officer in the rear team of the Third Battalion of the Beiyang New Army, as the inspection officer of the supervisory team, and as an assistant in the First Infantry Regiment of the left wing. In the 29th year of the Guangxu era (1903), he was promoted to Deputy Minister of Military Studies in the Military Training Department of the Ministry of War. In the 31st year (1905), he served as the commander of the 7th Brigade of the 4th Division of the Beiyang Army, and was later reassigned as the general commander of the Caozhou garrison in Shandong, the general commander of the Gaozhou garrison in Guangdong, the general commander of the Beihai garrison in Guangdong, and the commander of the 7th Brigade of the Gaozhou garrison in Guangdong

However, the guard army is ultimately too small to accommodate a great Bodhisattva. Despite Lu Jianzhang's repeated efforts to gather talent, he still lacks the core backbone that can serve as the mainstay of the guard army. Therefore, being able to recruit a top graduate from both German and Japanese military academies, and thereby improve relations with Duan Qirui, is actually a double benefit for Lu. This is why he mustered the courage to request Dai Jiliang in front of Old Yuan

It is known that the Guard Corps claims to be a military unit, yet its overall strength is merely equivalent to that of three or four battalions of a patrol regiment, with a battalion commander already positioned at the top of this collective. How can this not lead to dissatisfaction among the people towards this parachuted individual?

Therefore, in his view, without putting in some real effort, it is impossible to subdue this group of rebellious Sun Wukongs. Thus, Dai Jiliang made a decisive decision on the spot.

Indeed, before long, the two individuals were stabbed and fell to the ground, one after the other. Observing the two of them rolling on the ground and howling in pain, it is likely that they have also suffered serious injuries.

This is your deputy, Deputy Battalion Commander E Tao, of Manchu descent, with the ancestral surname of Xilin Jueluo

Lead the way, so that Xiao Dai can familiarize himself with the affairs of your Third Battalion. In the future, the training will depend on you, Zhixiang. Do not let me, the Commander-in-Chief, or the President down

What do you think you are, soldiers? You are merely a layer above the common people. Why are you dissatisfied? Do you know who I am? I am your new company commander. You bastards are going to have a hard time from now on! Three months, I will give you three months. If you cannot improve in that time, then get the hell out of here. I do not want you worthless cowards!

A full five minutes and thirty-two seconds, do you really want to gather under the enemy's artillery fire for more than five minutes! Are you all made of iron and not afraid of shrapnel!

Alright, alright, everyone take a seat

Company Commander, let me tell you something

Ma Kang, a native of Baoding, holds the rank of Captain and serves as the Company Commander of the First Company