Chapter Seven: A Visit from an Old Friend

Krauts looked at the two people in front of him with great interest. From the intense argument, it was evident that there was a deep bond between them. He then said, "Mr. Xiang, please do not be agitated. I believe Bai Li is very clear about your concern and care for him; he simply wishes to stick to his own choice! As Bai Li's friend, I also sincerely hope he can leave the 19th Route Army, but we must respect his decision!" He then addressed Sun Bai Li, saying, "According to the information I received from the advisory group, the current situation of your 19th Route Army is quite dire: the Military Commission has given your commander two options: one is to be divided into three divisions and incorporated into other forces; the other is to go to Fujian to encircle the Communist troops. In fact, neither path is easy to tread. Personally, I believe your commander, in order to preserve his army, is likely to choose the second option. Moreover, from what I understand, the government forces in China have mostly suffered defeats in battles against the Red Army, and Fujian, being backed by the sea, lacks strategic depth. Once an offensive fails, there will be no way to retreat!

Krauts leaned down and whispered in Sun Baili's ear: "If one day the 19th Route Army can establish a foothold in Fujian, and you are able to become a senior commander in the military, please make sure to control a place called 'Qingliu', and then contact me. I will give you an unexpected surprise! You must remember the two words 'Qingliu'! Until the first two conditions are met, do not mention this matter to anyone, including your cousin!" You must remember the two words 'Qingliu'! Until the first two conditions are met, do not mention this matter to anyone, including your cousin!

Sun Baili asked in confusion, "Why are you all in such a hurry to leave?"

On a May afternoon, Sun Baili was revising the training plan at the command post when a guard suddenly reported that a person named Xiang Tian wanted to see him. Sun Baili was filled with surprise and joy, and hurriedly walked to the barracks entrance. There, he saw his cousin, a tall and robust figure, leaning against a car outside the gate, smiling at him.

Sun Baili felt a wave of sadness in his heart and cried out, "Elder brother!"

Sun Baili asked in surprise, "Krauts, how come you are in China?" Krauts was his classmate and close friend at the German Army University. Coming from a family with generations of renowned sinologists, he was deeply influenced by his family environment and held a great admiration for Chinese culture, which allowed him to get along very well with the only Chinese classmate in the class

Sun Baili pondered for a long time, slowly turned around, and with a resolute expression, said softly: "I am very sorry for you, but I have decided to stay!"

Usually, Xiang Tian does things as he pleases, so Sun Baili did not pay much attention. Just as he was about to invite the two to sit down, the mysterious man took off his sunglasses and, speaking in Chinese with a foreign accent, said: "Old classmate, didn't expect to see me, did you?!" He then playfully winked with his blue eyes and gave Sun Baili a warm hug

Sun Baili shook his head helplessly, accompanying Klaus as they walked out, and then reluctantly saw the two of them off

Sun Baili hurriedly explained: "I simply cannot bear to leave this army. After this period of battle, I have realized that my life and soul have completely merged with the 19th Route Army. I hope my elder brother can understand - Tu - Shu Jie!"

Xiang Tian, seeing that he would not heed advice, angrily sat down on the chair, gazing out the window, unwilling to say another word

Krauts approached, firmly grasped his shoulders, and said: "Old classmate, I respect your choice and wish you a smooth journey! I feel very regretful that I cannot offer you any assistance, so I would like to give you a gift, which may prove to be very useful one day in the future"

Xiang Tian stood up and said, "Since you are determined to go down this path to the end, I will not say more. You must be very careful from now on! The tax police will soon return to Shanghai. If you need weapons and ammunition, you can directly send someone to Shanghai to find Qin Hanlin; he knows what to do." He then patted Sun Baili's shoulder firmly and said, "Brother, take care!" After that, he left without looking back, and only after getting into the car did he secretly wipe away the tears at the corner of his eyes.

The room fell silent as Klaus and Xiang Tian simultaneously focused their attention on Sun Baili, waiting for him to make his final decision

Xiang Tian said, "You go ahead, I will drive the car in."

Krauts also advised: "Old classmate, you graduated from the German Army University, are proficient in German and military affairs, and have combat experience. Our advisory group warmly welcomes talents like you. I assure you that in the restructured army, you will at least be able to command a complete division."

Sun Baili said happily: "It is truly wonderful that you hold such an important position! In the future, not only can we meet often, but you can also help me introduce a few German instructors and procure some advanced weaponry."

Upon returning to the Command and Library Department, Sun Baili immediately procured a map of Fujian Province. After a careful search, he finally located 'Qingliu.' He drew a strong red circle around it and then gazed at this place name, a thousand miles away, lost in thought

Therefore, I earnestly request that you consider this carefully before making a decision

Krauts made a gesture for silence and said, "I must take my leave; Mr. Xiang is already anxious!"

Sun Baili looked at the two people in front of him who cared deeply for him, slowly shook his head, and said: "I cannot abandon my brothers who share life and death with me"

Xiang Tianqi jumped up from the chair and shouted: "How can you be so confused? Is your head filled with water, or has it been damaged? You initially said you wanted to obtain firsthand information from the Japanese army. After fighting for two months, you should have understood everything by now, yet you still refuse to come back with me. Are you deliberately opposing me?"

Xiang Tian continued, "Krauts is after all a foreigner, and his time in China has been relatively short, so there are some matters he does not fully understand. The reason is quite apparent: your 19th Route Army is not a direct subordinate of the Central Army! In fact, military cooperation between China and Germany began at the end of last year, but it has not been made explicit. The Ministry of National Defense has formulated a comprehensive military reorganization plan, aiming to equip sixty army divisions with German-style weaponry. Such a massive plan must be carried out in phases, and naturally, the first units to be re-equipped will be the direct subordinate troops. The 19th Route Army is not only excluded from those sixty divisions, but it is also very likely to be among the units slated for reduction. I discussed this with Krauts, and we both believe that your prospects here are limited. We hope you will return to the tax police corps at https://m.hetushu.com.com or join the Central Army, where you will surely have the opportunity to realize your ambitions."

After listening, Sun Baili vaguely understood the underlying reason, and a faint苦笑 appeared on his face

Xiang Tian jokingly said, "Now that your 19th Route Army has such a great reputation, there's no place you can hide to keep it a secret." Then he carefully examined his cousin in front of him and said, "You've suffered quite a bit, haven't you? Even your ears are injured like this! These little devils actually dared to hit my brother; I won't let them off! Don't worry, big brother will definitely avenge you in the future!" His words seemed to take them back to their childhood, always wanting to stand up for his younger brother. Don't worry, big brother will definitely avenge you in the future! His words seemed to take them back to their childhood, always wanting to stand up for his younger brother.

Krauts replied with disappointment: "I thought the same when I first arrived in China, but after speaking with the ambassador, I found that the situation here is too complex, and it is very difficult to provide you with assistance. I feel very regretful!" He then continued: "After I found Mr. Xiang, I talked with him for a long time. We believe that under the current circumstances, it is very difficult to offer you any substantial help, so the main purpose of this visit is to discuss a matter with you, although I think it would be better if Mr. Xiang speaks about it."

Krauts said with a smile: "I am now the assistant military attaché at the German Embassy, and I will be staying in China for a long time. We will meet often in the future"

Sun Baili looked at Klaus with confusion and asked, "What gift?"

As Sun Baili stepped into the room, Xiang Tian arrived right behind him, accompanied by an exceptionally tall man. Xiang Tian himself stood at a height of 1.85 meters, yet this individual towered over him! The man wore a black top hat and a long trench coat, with the collar turned up high, thoroughly concealing his mouth and nose. A pair of wide-framed sunglasses rested on his nose, adding to his air of mystery.

Listening to the words of his relatives, Sun Baili felt a warm current flow through his heart and smiled as he said, "It is already a great fortune not to have been killed; the brothers who survived are all more seriously injured than I am." He then added, "Elder brother, let us go inside and talk."

After being apart for two months, the two brothers finally met again and embraced each other excitedly. Sun Baili, filled with mixed emotions, asked, "How did you find your way here?"

Krauts said jokingly: "As soon as we stepped out this morning, we were followed. It took a lot of effort to shake them off, but Mr. Xiang believes these people will find us here soon. To avoid trouble, we must leave quickly! No wonder the ambassador told me that a meeting between a German military attaché's assistant and an officer from a local power can easily raise suspicions, even if the two are old classmates."

After sitting down, Xiang Tian explained the situation to Sun Baili. It turned out that the Chinese government, led by Chiang Kai-shek, was adjusting its foreign policy and had entered into a series of military agreements with Germany. They hoped to leverage Germany's advanced military theories and equipment to train the Chinese army and strengthen national defense. Consequently, a large number of military advisors were dispatched to China, and someone like Klaus, who was well-versed in military studies and knowledgeable about China, was certainly an excellent choice.

Sun Baili rose and walked to the window, gazing at the gray sky, and murmured: "We are of the same root, why the haste to harm each other!"

Sun Baili instinctively repeated, "Qingliu!" He had no impression of this place.