CHAPTER 50: CHAPTER 46 FOUR PEOPLE IN THE SAME FRAME

The whistle blew, and Bai Zhizhan just picked up his backpack that he’d placed at his feet, waving goodbye to Zhao Yu, who was still at the end of the platform.

Li Jie and the other four had already gone ahead to line up.

Although the officer’s carriage issued tickets with seat numbers, there was no assigned seating. So, to snatch a window seat and ensure they could all sit together, they had to queue up.

Jin Hong was at the very front, with the other four helping behind him.

They had often jostled for train rides during their years at the Naval Academy.

The whistle sounded again, and the locomotive’s smokestack emitted a puff of white smoke.

At that moment, the crowd on the platform suddenly became restless, many people running in their direction.

What had happened?

"Clear the court and pacify the country!"

"A great number of Empire’s soldiers, death on the battlefield is the only end, never kneeled in surrender!"

"Down with the Surrender Faction, fight the enemy to the death!"

"Rather face national peril than live a coward’s life!"

"As long as the flag stands, the Empire endures!"

...

When a few soldiers with red cloth wrapped around their heads hoisted the golden Army banner and started to vigorously shake it, it was like pouring a ladle of cold water into a pot of boiling oil, the platform immediately erupted into action, and more soldiers started tying red cloths on their foreheads.

A mutiny?!

Bai Zhizhan was instantly alarmed.

Tying a red cloth around the forehead was an Army tradition, from the Army’s daredevil units, with a symbolic meaning similar to the Navy’s Red Blood Battle Flag.

In shock, Bai Zhizhan realized that the ones causing trouble were actually retired soldiers.

The first to chant slogans were wearing regular officers’ uniforms, but none of them wore their ranks, and those following were dressed in the basic soldiers’ khaki battle dress.

This was clearly a premeditated action.

Just then, Bai Zhizhan was yanked by someone.

It wasn’t just anyone—it was Li Jie, and Shen Pu had also rushed over.

Behind them, Jin Hong was blocking the carriage door, Zhu Huasheng and Zheng Jiangming had already boarded and taken a row of seats by the door, and the train attendant was calling out loudly.

"This isn’t something we can handle!" Li Jie reminded Bai Zhizhan.

In fact, Li Jie wanted to tell Bai Zhizhan that this wasn’t something they should handle.

Bai Zhizhan didn’t say much, nodded, and handed his backpack to Shen Pu.

Reaching the door, he looked back towards the corridor at the end of the platform.

An armed squad of military police had taken control of the corridor and were setting up machine guns; Zhao Yu had long since disappeared, perhaps chased away by the military police.

"Quick, get on the train, it’s about to leave!"

Heeding the train attendant’s warning, Bai Zhizhan boarded the train.

Immediately, the carriage jolted a few times and then slowly started to move.

Pulled down by Li Jie, Bai Zhizhan retreated into the carriage, allowing the train attendant to close the door.

Outside, the military police had charged down from the corridor and were advancing from both ends towards the center of the platform, encircling the disruptive soldiers and gradually tightening their hold.

It wasn’t severe; there were fewer than a hundred officers and soldiers causing the disturbance, at most a riot.

As the train left the platform, the military police had already surrounded the troublemakers, and a Major from the Imperial Guard Army, holding a megaphone, descended from the corridor.

"I am Major Lian Xusheng from the Imperial Guard Army. I now command you to immediately cease any form of resistance and come out one by one in a single-file column..."

In the face of the gun barrels and bayonets, the over a hundred surrounded retired soldiers all calmed down.

Almost all of them were battle-hardened veterans, very aware of the perilous situation at hand.

The situation was now under control.

"The Imperial Guard Army, truly formidable!" Hearing this, Bai Zhizhan realized there was someone hiding behind the train door, pressing against the wall, dressed in a military jacket, obviously a retired soldier.

But looking at the military rank on his epaulet, he should be an Army sergeant.

Bai Zhizhan looked closely at the man, feeling that he looked somewhat familiar.

"Hello, officer, my name is Wang Kaiyuan. I apologize, I am already retired." While saying this, the man provocatively swiped his hand across his forehead.

That was when Bai Zhizhan remembered.

In the beginning, it was this guy who had shouted the first slogan before diving into the crowd, only to never reappear.

He must have secretly boarded the train!

Could it be that he had intentionally caused the disturbance to board the train?

Probably not.

Still, there must be some other reason.

By the time Bai Zhizhan had figured it out, Wang Kaiyuan had already walked away.

"Country bumpkin, a riffraff soldier of the Army, just ignore him," Li Jie reminded Bai Zhizhan once again, probably worried Bai Zhizhan would get into a quarrel with a soldier rogue.

Wang Kaiyuan’s initial gesture indeed deserved a good beating.

Bai Zhizhan smiled, called over Li Jie and Shen Pu, and entered the carriage, having no intention of foolishly taking the bait from a troublemaker.

Inside the carriage, Zhu Huasheng and Zheng Jiangming were chatting with an Army Major, who by the epaulettes, was an Air Force Major.

"Boss Bai, let me introduce you. This is..."

As Zhu Huasheng enthusiastically called Bai Zhizhan over, the Major also stood up.

Not only out of politeness, because the seat by the window he was sitting in was actually reserved by Jin Hong for Bai Zhizhan.

"Major Li Yunxiang, Army Air Force."

"Good to meet you, Bai Zhizhan," Bai Zhizhan said as he shook hands with the man, politely, albeit not enthusiastically, as he didn’t know this Li Yunxiang.

"Boss Bai, it’s Li Yunxiang!" Zhu Huasheng suddenly got anxious and kept sending Bai Zhizhan meaningful glances.

"Li Yunxiang? The Li Yunxiang from the Southwest War Zone?"

Bai Zhizhan didn’t catch on immediately, but Shen Pu did.

"Yes, exactly, the number one air combat ace from the Southwest War Zone, the famous Li Yunxiang!"

"My goodness, really the number one ace, Li Yunxiang?"

"Do you think I’d lie to you?"

Then, Shen Pu leaned forward and scrutinized the Major from head to toe as if he had eyes that could discern spirits and demons.

Zhu Huasheng, too, just stood there grinning foolishly, as if he had just found a gold ingot.

What two fools!

"Major Li, come sit over here," Li Jie intervened to smooth things over.

"No need, let the Major sit there," Bai Zhizhan came around as well.

In the past few days, Bai Zhizhan had been worrying about pilots.

According to He Yongxing’s intentions, upon his return, Bai Zhizhan would be able to use the name of the Domestic Fleet to assemble the Air Force and would definitely need to recruit pilots.

Clearly, Zhu Huasheng remembered this.

Of course, there was also Zheng Jiangming, after all, Zhu Huasheng wasn’t the type to pay attention to details. His approaching Li Yunxiang was more out of personal admiration.

Sadly, Bai Zhizhan and the others thought too much.

Li Yunxiang hadn’t retired; he was going home on leave, still an active duty Army officer.

However, urged by the enthusiastic hospitality of several Navy officers, he promised to consider continuing his flying career in the Navy after retiring or if he became dissatisfied with the Army. Importantly, he didn’t hold back and shared many flight-related stories with Bai Zhizhan and the others throughout the trip. More critical was that Bai Zhizhan had successfully piqued his interest. Taking off from and landing on a battleship in an airplane was definitely an incredibly thrilling challenge that required great skill. Moreover, success would surely earn one eternal glory.

Actually, people had already succeeded before, just not those from the Empire’s military!