novelSusiti Chapter 67 Foreign Envoy Arrives
Chapter 67 Foreign Envoy Arrives
June 1st was a rare sunny day.
Early in the morning, Wang Muning skipped and hopped in, dressed in a short, moon-white cheongsam with a lace shawl, still a blend of Chinese and Western styles, her face full of youthful energy.
Without waiting for the guard to announce her arrival, she barged into the bedroom, her voice crisp and clear: "Senior Brother! Has Young Master Zheng redeemed Uncle Yang?"
"How could it be so fast?"
Chen Feng responded irritably, pulled off the bed sheet and sat up, revealing his strong, well-defined muscles.
He picked up the teapot on the table and took a big gulp. "Zheng Mingsong only went back yesterday evening. He's probably just gotten home now. We won't hear from him until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest."
The smile on Wang Muning's face vanished instantly, her expression darkened, and she gripped the hem of her clothes, whispering, "In Luzon, Uncle Yang is our only family. We absolutely cannot let anything happen to him... And what about Father? How is he?"
Chen Feng spat out the tea leaves from his mouth, his brows furrowing slightly.
He had already guessed seven or eight parts of the important matter that his cheap master had mentioned.
The most talked-about topic in the Qing court at the moment was the reform movement. My master was upright and loyal, and must have been a deeply involved member of the reform movement. Given this situation, his fate was probably unpredictable.
Given his personality, even in a perilous situation, his master would never abandon his country to come to Southeast Asia...
Chen Feng suppressed his thoughts and could only reply gently, "Master is highly skilled in martial arts and has a righteous spirit. He is naturally blessed by Heaven and will be fine. Don't worry, once the situation stabilizes, I will definitely send someone back to China to gather information."
"I hope so." Wang Muning sighed softly, her tone full of worry.
As Chen Feng dressed, he changed the subject, "You continue learning English with Marilyn today. Once the fighting in Manila stops, go to St. Isabel College to register. Zheng Mingsong has already made arrangements for you."
I chose this school for two reasons. First, its curriculum is very comprehensive, covering languages, science, and art. Second, its conservative and dignified school spirit gives me peace of mind.
"Senior! I'm not going to an all-girls school!"
Wang Muning's expression froze for a moment, then she immediately clung to Chen Feng, hugging his arm and acting coquettishly, saying softly, "Marilyn is clearly very knowledgeable; learning from her is enough! All the girls' schools are full of pampered young ladies; I don't want to associate with them!"
"You call that knowledge?"
Chen Feng chuckled, feeling the soft touch on his arm. He subtly withdrew his arm and said loudly, "She only went to a lousy intelligence training high school. You're asking her if she knows who Hugo is? Does she know Edison?"
No sooner had these words been spoken than a clear, angry retort came from outside the stone house: "Chen! Don't look down on me! I may be ignorant of Hugo, but how could I not have heard of Edison, such a world-changing inventor?"
Marilyn's Mandarin is becoming more and more fluent; she can even use the idiom "dog's eyes look down on people" to insult someone quite well.
She had come to report on the progress of the intelligence personnel training, but as soon as she reached the door, she heard Chen Feng's belittling remarks. She immediately became displeased, barged past the guards' attempts to stop her, and stood angrily at the bedroom door, her blond hair and blue eyes shining brightly with rage.
Chen Feng touched his nose to hide his embarrassment, then changed the subject: "Have you finished writing your intelligence personnel management system and transmission procedures?"
"It's finished!"
Marilyn rolled her eyes at him, handed him the folder, and said irritably, "I have received a formal higher education in the United States, I am fluent in three languages, and I have participated in the intelligence decryption work of the Pacific Fleet. You are just a brute who has not read many books. I don't know where you heard two names from, but you look down on others."
Chen Feng ignored her comment and picked up the folder, opening it on his own.
It must be said that this foreign woman has indeed received professional training. The system she wrote not only conforms to the current situation of the Free Army, but also takes into account both confidentiality and efficiency. She has even considered intelligence classification, transmission routes, and emergency plans in a comprehensive manner, making it more complete than expected.
"very good!"
Chen Feng nodded slightly, picked up the pen on the table, and signed his name without hesitation. "Let's implement this plan. From today onwards, you will be Qian Biao's deputy."
"snort!"
Marilyn snorted coldly, snatched the folder, and strode out, slamming the door shut as she left to vent her dissatisfaction.
Chen Feng shook his head helplessly.
There's nothing I can do; capable people are arrogant, and I, as the boss, can only swallow my pride when I occasionally have to deal with their attitude.
"Senior brother, let's discuss the school matter again!" Mu Ning was still unwilling to give up and came closer again.
"No discussion!" Chen Feng grabbed a cloth bag full of US dollars from the table and strode out of the stone house. "I've already made up my mind. Just do as I say."
On the drill ground, the soldiers had begun training under the guidance of their officers, but they were all distracted and frequently looked back towards the stone house.
Chen Feng wasn't angry at all, after all, he had promised that the first of each month would be payday, and these US dollars were specially delivered by Zheng Mingsong yesterday.
"gather!"
Qian Biao shouted, and the soldiers instantly perked up, moving more than ten seconds faster than usual.
Chen Feng stepped onto the platform, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, and said loudly, "I won't say anything more. You must always remember why you joined the army!"
"Fight for the freedom of Chinese people!"
The soldiers shouted in unison, their voices echoing through the valley, yet their eyes still couldn't help but glance at the bag full of US dollars, their morale higher than ever before.
"Very good!" Chen Feng nodded, and Qian Biao immediately took out the roster and called out names. He then took out US dollars from his bag and personally distributed them one by one.
Each soldier beamed with excitement as they received their paycheck, their eyes filled with reverence as they looked at Chen Feng.
In this chaotic world, a general who receives his full and timely military pay, even better than many regular soldiers, is someone they should follow.
It wasn't until almost noon that all the soldiers' pay was distributed.
As of yesterday, the camp had more than 900 soldiers, most of whom came from Manila. Their factories had closed, they had no means of livelihood, and they could no longer bear the oppression of the colonizers.
"The cooks slaughtered five big fat pigs today, so we'll have an extra meal tonight!" Chen Feng said, then turned and walked down from the platform.
Hearing that there would be fatty meat for dinner that night, the soldiers' morale soared even higher, and they shouted in unison, "Long live the General! Long live the Chinese Free Army!"
As soon as he returned to the stone house, a soldier rushed up to him: "Reporting to the general, a group of Americans have arrived outside the camp. The leader, who calls himself Connor, says he has important business to discuss with you!"
Connor?
Chen Feng frowned.
How could it be him?
Is there another new mission?
Connor had previously told him to expand his forces as soon as possible and gather three thousand men who could carry guns. Why did he suddenly come in person, with a group of people?
The road leading out of the mountains is no longer the narrow path it once was. Luzon is mostly hilly, with no towering mountains. It was difficult to travel before because it was undeveloped, but now, thanks to explosives and the labor of prisoners, it is wide enough for horse-drawn carriages to pass.
The camp was nearly three times larger than it had been during the time of the Balangai tribe. The main gate was located behind a hill a mile away from the training ground, which provided cover and prevented spies from spying on them.
The stockade wall was also raised to two meters high, and it was covered with firing ports, with watchtowers scattered on it in a staggered manner.
After turning the hill, Chen Feng spotted Connor at a glance. Behind him were seventeen or eighteen blond young men, some in civilian clothes and others in military uniforms, carrying rifles.
Seven or eight Free Army fighters were on guard with their guns at the ready, and the soldiers on the watchtower had their fingers on the triggers, ready to fire warning shots at any time.
"Chen, you've finally come out!"
As soon as Connor saw Chen Feng, he quickly walked over, winking and making faces as if he were hinting at something.
"Colonel Connor, it's been a long time!" Chen Feng didn't understand the meaning behind the greeting, so he could only offer a casual greeting.
The soldiers breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that the two knew each other, slowly lowered their guns, and returned to their posts.
Connor pointed to the people behind him and introduced them: "They are the observers from the United States of America, and this is Commissioner Smith, the head of the delegation."
"An observation team?"
Chen Feng's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously paused for a moment.
Why did an observation group suddenly appear?
Connor never mentioned this before, what is he trying to do?
Could it be that the US military has become interested in the strength of the Chinese Free Army and wants to take this opportunity to investigate?
Or did they sense something and come to probe the truth?
Suppressing his bewilderment, Chen Feng kept a straight face, quickly stepped forward, extended his right hand, and said in English, "Commissioner Smith, hello. I am Chen Feng, commander of the Chinese Free Army."
"Commander Chen, I've long admired your name!"
Smith reached out and shook his hand. His Mandarin was surprisingly fluent, with a slight accent from Guangdong and Guangxi at the end, clearly indicating his familiarity with the Chinese language and that it was not just a few polite phrases he had learned on the spot.