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墨書 Inktalez
Zhangjia City was not named simply because it was home to families with the Zhang surname. During the feudal period, a Zhang family guard was stationed here, which is why it has been called this for hundreds of years.
The first stop on Jufeng's journey westward was this city, renowned as the "Great Wall Museum." Here, a thousand-strong force led by Yu Jianyuan was stationed.
Huaguo has a saying regarding men: "He who does not reach the Great Wall is no hero." Thus, many Huaguo people enjoy climbing the Great Wall to experience the historical atmosphere that envelops them. When Jufeng was a child in the capital, he often left his footprints on the crumbling walls of those massive rocks. However, it had been quite some time since then, and now that he had arrived in Zhangjia City, he would not miss this opportunity.
Standing atop the Great Wall and gazing into the distance felt like watching a grand historical scroll slowly unfold before his eyes. As May approached, temperatures rose rapidly, shifting from warm to dry. The spring breeze blew gently through the city, spreading the colors of spring.
"Brother Yu, I appreciate you arranging to meet here. I heard that Brother Wu has recovered quite a bit recently, and I wanted to check in on him," Jufeng said.
Opposite him sat Yu Jianyuan, one of the leaders of Hua Gang. Behind him were two familiar faces to Jufeng: the Hua Gang Twin Dragons.
"Feng Shao, you flatter me," Yu Jianyuan replied, stepping aside to make room for Wu Li and Tang Haoran. In good spirits, he continued, "Wu Li really is stubborn. He barely spent a month in bed before insisting on leaving Yang City to come here. No matter how we tried to persuade him, he wouldn't listen. Now that Feng Shao is here, you can talk some sense into him."
Although Yu Jianyuan's words seemed to scold Wu Li, there was no real reproach in his expression. Wu Li's dedication to Hua Gang and his willingness to lead despite still recovering from illness greatly boosted the morale of their members. Moreover, Yu Jianyuan genuinely felt grateful to have such selfless brothers.
Wu Li was straightforward and unbothered by Yu Jianyuan's verbal reprimands. He held Jufeng in high regard; after all, during their battle in Zhao City, they had fought side by side until the end.
"Haha! I know my own body well enough. Lying around in that dreary hospital was driving me crazy! I couldn't stay there any longer. Being here is just fine; although I'm not fully recovered yet, I can still handle a few scoundrels without any problem! Haha!"
Wu Li's hearty laughter caused everyone around him to join in the merriment. He also resonated well with Jufeng's temperament; amidst a crowd of talented individuals, they lacked someone with such a bold personality, which made Romain particularly fond of Wu Li.
"Brother Wu is right; hospitals are certainly not places for recovery. Even healthy people feel depressed there. As long as you follow Brother Yu's arrangements while recuperating here, you'll be just fine."
"Absolutely! I'll definitely listen to Brother Yu; otherwise, I'm genuinely afraid he'll send me back to that nonsense hospital."
"Hahaha..." Another round of hearty laughter echoed along the city wall, drawing curious glances from passing tourists.
After their light-hearted banter, they turned to serious matters. Jufeng asked, "Brother Yu, who are the key figures from the Unification Alliance currently here? I've heard they are rising stars."
Returning to business, Yu Jianyuan adopted a serious tone: "That's correct. Ever since losing territory in Northeast China, the Unification Alliance has undergone some reforms. Previously led by regional leaders based on geography, they now use provincial names for leadership roles. The one currently opposing us is Jin Alliance Leader Zhao Zhen. He's under thirty and somewhat talented but tends to be arrogant due to his abilities. His sister is Mu Zhongde's lover, which has led many within the Unification Alliance to speak ill of him."
"So he climbed up through connections; it seems his sister enjoys Mu Zhongde's favor. However, knowing Mu Zhongde's character, if he were truly incompetent, he wouldn't be entrusted with significant responsibilities."
"Exactly; that's why I've never dared let my guard down around him. However, there's one piece of news worth noting: Guan Chao was removed from his position as regional leader after Zhao City's defeat and has become a mere bystander. Unexpectedly, Mu Zhongde assigned him as an attendant in Zhao Zhen's entourage; he must harbor deep resentment towards us."
"Oh? He's here too?"
Yu Jianyuan was indeed correct; this matter should not be underestimated.
"Brother Yu, it seems that Guan Chao must be brooding over the defeat in battle, wanting to redeem himself. That’s why he is determined to challenge you. However, we can take advantage of this. Guan Chao has been accustomed to being a regional governor, but now he has lost his military power, which will surely create a rift between him and Zhao Zhen. If we play our cards right, Guan Chao might even be of great help to us."
Jufeng's insights left Yu Jianyuan deeply impressed. If the Battle of Chaosheng still had elements of luck and personal valor, then here, with just a few words, Romain had pinpointed the Achilles' heel of the Unification Alliance. His keen and agile mind was truly remarkable.
"Feng Shao shares my thoughts. Recently, I have instructed the Brothers to expedite their investigation into their internal details. Unfortunately, progress has been slow. Once we have concrete results, I will put on a good show for Guan Chao and Zhao Zhen."
By the end, a natural aura of decisiveness emanated from Yu Jianyuan. Previously in Zhao City, he had been powerless and thus unable to act effectively. Now, with ample resources and well-equipped troops, he had no worries behind him. A scholar-general could not be underestimated!
"With Brother Yu's wisdom, it should be an easy task. However... does Hua Gang's intelligence system have some issues at present?"
When questioned about his shortcomings, Yu Jianyuan's earlier confidence immediately waned. He replied somewhat dejectedly, "To be honest, the Unification Alliance came too suddenly and was too ruthless in its destruction. Our previous intelligence system was almost completely paralyzed. Now we are piecing things together and have finally established some semblance of order, but it is far from what it used to be."
Jufeng understood how difficult it was to establish an intelligence network. Bill was exceptionally capable, but even under his management and significant financial investment, results were only beginning to show. Now that Hua Gang was struggling financially, progress would naturally be much slower.
"Brother Yu, I have a suggestion; I wonder if it is appropriate to share."
Yu Jianyuan had long recognized Jufeng's boundless capabilities and became interested when he heard it might help his intelligence system.
"Feng Shao, there’s no need for formality among friends; please speak freely."
"Recently, our Hurricane organization has been working hard to infiltrate intelligence systems. To this end, we have specifically established a branch led by a talented individual I met in Outer Space. Progress has been relatively smooth so far. If Brother Yu doesn’t mind our involvement, I can have Hidden Hall assist you in your investigations; I believe it will speed things up considerably."
Upon hearing this, Yu Jianyuan was overjoyed and said, "Feng Shao is too kind! We are facing a common enemy; information should naturally be shared. If Hidden Hall can help us out, I’m sure it will yield great results."
Seeing that Yu Jianyuan had no objections made Jufeng very happy as well. After confirming their collaboration, he promptly called Bill.
Jufeng discussed plans with Bill to assist Hua Gang. Bill readily accepted the mission without hesitation. Although Hua Gang's intelligence network was currently in shambles, they still possessed rich experience that Bill could learn from to improve Hidden Hall's operations.
Jufeng provided Yu Jianyuan with Bill's contact information. The two exchanged views on the Unification Alliance and the United Heart Association for a while; each other's opinions were valuable insights.
After staying in Zhangjia City for a while, Jufeng moved on to the capital because Bill had new developments there from their earlier phone call.
It wasn’t related to the battlefield but rather about business.
Jufeng hurriedly departed while Yu Jianyuan and his companions paused on the Great Wall for a moment longer to gaze into the distance.
"Brother Yu, there are some things I don't know if I should say," Tang Haoran said.
In the earlier conversation, Tang Haoran had chosen to remain silent after the initial greetings, as it was simply his nature. However, this did not hinder his keen insight; in fact, his perspective often surpassed that of many strategists.
Yu Jianyuan smiled and replied, "Why are you acting like Jufeng? We grew up together, so there's really nothing to hold back."
Tang Haoran showed a troubled expression, struggling for a moment before finally speaking up.
"For a long time now, Jufeng has continuously supported our Hua Gang, which is truly a life-saving grace. However, the more help we receive, the more it worries me. The scale of the storm is growing larger, and their strength is increasing day by day. Now that we have shared our intelligence system with him, I fear that in the future..."
Tang Haoran's words trailed off, as some matters did not need to be fully articulated; the listener would understand the implication.
(To be continued)
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