Chapter 18: Becoming a Target

That single cannon shot instantly made Li Yunlong famous, drawing the attention of many parties.

On the allied side, Fang Ligong, having just heard the astonishing news of an Eighth Route Army soldier named Chu breaking through the front lines of the Bantian regiment, was pondering who Li Yunlong might be. He racked his brain through every military academy and training hall he knew, but no one seemed to have any impression of this man.

Chu was truly admirable! Fang Ligong couldn't help but think about Li Yunlong. “If he really comes from a peasant background, I’d like to have a word with him!”

At the Eighth Route Army headquarters, the commanders were even more preoccupied with thoughts of Li Yunlong.

“Damn it! He’s rebelling against orders again!” The deputy commander, freshly returned from the 129th Division, slammed his armed forces map onto the table in anger.

The deputy chief of staff, sensing the mood, asked cautiously, “What happened to make you so furious?”

The deputy commander roared, his voice echoing throughout the command room, “It’s that Li Yunlong again!”

“Disobeying orders on the battlefield! Refusing to follow commands! This time, I’m going to deal with him properly!” he shouted, throwing his cap onto the table in frustration.

The deputy chief of staff appreciated Li Yunlong. At this time, capable junior officers in the Eighth Route Army were scarce, especially those like Li Yunlong who could develop and strengthen their units without requiring much support from headquarters.

But with the commander so angry, the deputy chief of staff could only speak well of Li Yunlong to soothe him, hoping to prevent an impulsive decision that might lead to Li’s execution.

“Commander, what he did was indeed wrong, but after all, Li Yunlong smashed through the Bantian regiment’s front line, killed their commander, and broke out from the front—surely that counts as a merit!”

At this, the commander was less than pleased. He let out all his grievances about Li Yunlong. “Hasn’t he made enough contributions already? Check the records at the political department—his merits and punishments are almost equal!”

“It’s become a pattern! Every time he earns some praise, before you can even catch your breath, he’s causing trouble again!”

The deputy chief of staff smiled knowingly. Since the commander wasn’t clinging to this incident, it meant his anger had already subsided somewhat. He took the opportunity to highlight Li Yunlong’s strengths, and the deputy commander gradually softened his tone.

“Alright, I admit, this kid is a natural fighter and performs well in battle. But I can’t tolerate his habit of defying orders! Merit is merit, fault is fault. If he makes a mistake, I’ll punish him accordingly!”

Then they both faced a dilemma. Upon closer consideration, Li Yunlong had clashed with every type of soldier—the infantry, the horsemen, even the cooks.

“Never would have guessed this rascal is such a versatile troublemaker!”

With no better option, they decided to let it slide for now, especially as the entire army was busy rebuilding and recuperating.

Besides, they couldn’t just leave the newly formed First Regiment, a highly effective fighting force, idle. There was currently no suitable replacement officer for Li Yunlong, so they would have to think carefully about how to deal with him later.

Meanwhile, the focus shifted back to Xu Gaoxiang, who, accompanied by Jushi and Arno, strode boldly into Anping town amidst the amazed stares of the Jin-Sui Army sentries.

On the way, Xu Gaoxiang had been pondering: since he was going to live here, he needed a stable source of income. Conducting large-scale arms trades with others would attract too much attention and risk exposing his identity.

After browsing through various platforms for some time, Xu Gaoxiang decided to sell refined white sugar. He would adopt the public guise of a sugar merchant from the South Seas.

The first step was to find a reputable local distributor since white sugar, a military supply, was quite valuable at this time.

The traveling merchants from Shanxi surely had ample sales channels.

Entering the town, Xu Gaoxiang soaked in the era’s atmosphere while quietly gathering information.

Soon, with a can of fruit preserved goods as a bribe, he obtained the intelligence he sought from a child—learning of a renowned local store specializing in flour, cooking oil, ready-made clothes, and pastries.

Xu Gaoxiang and his companions threaded through streets and alleys until they arrived before the storefront bearing the sign “Hexingju.”

Looking up at the plaque, Xu Gaoxiang stepped inside. The spacious shop was sparsely stocked, likely due to the Japanese presence, with only one clerk and an accountant present.

As Jushi and Arno entered, the light dimmed, waking the drowsy clerk. Though initially startled and wary, the clerk quickly masked his fear with a polite smile and approached Xu Gaoxiang.

“Welcome, young sir, to Hexingju. How may we assist you today?”

Xu Gaoxiang casually scanned the shelves, then asked the clerk, “Do you have white sugar here?”

Hearing this, the clerk immediately led him to a shelf. “You’ve come at the right time, sir. We just received a shipment of authentic Guangxi white sugar!”

Peering into a small celadon jar containing pale yellowish sugar, Xu Gaoxiang was surprised. “Is that all you have?”

The clerk hurried to explain, “Sir, white sugar is now a strategic commodity, extremely precious. To be frank, only Hexingju still sells it openly in the market!”

Xu Gaoxiang nodded in understanding. “What’s the current price for white sugar? Also…”

His detailed questioning raised the clerk’s suspicions, especially when Xu began probing about Hexingju’s purchase prices.

“I’m not sure about that, sir! You see…”

At that moment, the accountant stepped forward and called to the clerk, “Liùzi!”

Coming before Xu Gaoxiang, he bowed politely. “May I ask, young master, are you here on business?”

Since the accountant had seen through Xu’s intentions, Xu nodded confidently. “Yes, I do have some business to discuss with your esteemed establishment.”

The accountant immediately sent Liùzi off to fetch the owner. “Go to Qingfu Hall and bring the third master here. Tell him we have an honored guest!”

“Right away!” Liùzi dashed off.

The accountant gestured politely. “Please wait in the inner hall, honored guest. Our third master happens to be here. We apologize for any inconvenience.”

With a wave of his hand, Jushi and Arno stayed outside, while Xu Gaoxiang followed the accountant inside.

Of course, before coming, Jushi and Arno had already thoroughly scanned the entire building, finding no hidden threats.

After a brief wait, a middle-aged man wearing a sable coat and bearing a well-fed face entered with a broad smile.

“Apologies for the wait, honored guest! I shall host you at Qingfu Hall shortly. Please allow me to welcome you,” he said warmly.

“I am Lin Jiadu, the third master of Hexingju. May I inquire your name?”

Lin Jiadu showed full respect to the young Xu Gaoxiang, offering him face despite his youth.

Xu Gaoxiang bowed slightly, introducing himself modestly. “Master Lin, no need for such formality. Age commands respect. I am Xu Gaoxiang from the South Seas. Pardon my impertinence for this sudden visit.”

He then briefly outlined his purpose. Lin Jiadu’s left hand tightened under the table, recognizing a golden opportunity, and his expression grew joyful.

“Hahaha, brother, I’ll take the liberty of calling you my worthy junior. It’s getting late—let’s head to Qingfu Hall and discuss things over a meal!”