After Xiao Yisu expressed his position, Zhuang Jihua did not continue to persuade him, but asked him about his experience over the years, Xiao Yisu told him that after April 12, he spent some time in Shanghai, and later went to Qian Dajun's unit as the brigade chief of staff, and then entered the special class of the Army University for further study, and after graduation, he was assigned to the staff group as a senior staff officer, and now has the rank of major general.

Zhuang Jihua stroked his chin and looked at him thoughtfully, this is a good staff talent, which is a very much-needed talent for the escort team that lacks staff talents.

"Senior staff officer, it's not interesting," Zhuang Jihua shook his head and said, "General Xiao, how about coming to me?" How about temporarily serving as Fan Hanjie's deputy and serving as deputy chief of staff? ”

Xiao Yi was stunned for a moment, he was a little excited and a little embarrassed, Zhuang Jihua's invitation made him dare not and could not and was unwilling to refuse. Serving as a senior staff officer in the staff corps is indeed a boring job, and Zhuang Jihua's work here must have a much brighter future, but He Guoguang treats him well, and his suggestions have been adopted repeatedly, so he is a little sorry for his friends.

"Director He, I'll go and tell you that I will never let you have anything to do with it." Zhuang Jihua saw his concerns, so he enthusiastically solved problems for him.

Since he can change jobs without being involved, Xiao Yisu is of course very willing, and he nodded hurriedly: "Thanks to the love of the chief..." ”

"Don't, don't say these words," Zhuang Jihua waved his hand to interrupt him: "What kind of love is not kind, you have to endure hardships when you come to us, and if you don't get it right, you have to pay for your life." Since it will be a family in the future, I will also tell you that Fan Hanjie will lead the troops in the future, and you will replace him as chief of staff in the future, and you will first become deputy chief of staff and chief of operations after you come. By the way, can you dig some people for me, I need a lot of talent. ”

Xiao Yisu couldn't help but be happy when he looked at Zhuang Jihua's somewhat deceitful look: "Sir, you are the same as when you were in Guangzhou, you haven't changed." ”

Zhuang Jihua also felt that he was a little excessive, he sighed and shook his head and said: "How can it not change, so many things have happened in the past few years, and I am old." ”

Xiao Yi was silent, the ups and downs of these years also made him depressed for a while, and he once wanted to leave the army and rejoin the army.

"You go back first, think about the commander of the engineering unit for me, and I will send a letter to He Guoguang and the Ministry of Military Affairs to transfer you to the southwest development team." Zhuang Jihua finally said: "Also, move home as soon as possible, but my conditions here are simple, and I must be prepared to endure hardships." ”

"It is my heart's wish to follow the commander to fight, what is it to endure hardships, isn't being a soldier just to put your head on your belt anymore, you are not even afraid of your life, you are afraid of hardship." Xiao Yisu smiled faintly.

Zhuang Jihua was very happy to dig up a staff officer, but it was Liu Xiang who was even happier, Deng Xihou heard in Yucheng that this year's dividend could reach more than 50 million, and he almost dropped his eyeballs, according to this dividend, he could get 7 million this year.

This money is too timely, in the battle of northwest Sichuan, Deng Xihou in addition to the loss of the army, the financial loss is also very large, with this money, his finances are immediately relaxed. On the car back to Chengdu, Deng Xihou was very interested along the way: "Zhenwu, when is the time to sing Sichuan opera to me, the big guys will wait for it." ”

Fu Chang was stunned for a moment, and asked him to sing Sichuan Opera, what does this mean, Zhang Sike also smiled: "Yes, Zhenwu, I am willing to gamble and lose, Zhuang Wenge said five years, and now it only takes three years to achieve, this drama should be sung." ”

Fu Chang then remembered that he had made a bet with Zhuang Jihua back then, Zhuang Jihua thought that the profit could reach 50 million in five years, otherwise he could kick his ass to Yucheng, but now it only took three years to reach 50 million, and it seems that he has sung this Sichuan opera.

"This Zhuang Cultural Revolution really didn't tell a lie," Liu Xiang retracted his gaze from the scene outside the car window: "In the past three years, he has given us a lot of problems, free education, exemption from agricultural taxes, reserves, rent reduction and interest reduction, nothing is easy, I originally thought he would fight on free education, but it didn't, and then it was rent and interest reduction, but he still let him do it, this time the army, we have to cooperate with him, sometimes I wonder, this Sichuan Provincial Chairman is doing it, or he is doing it; Is it me doing it or is he doing it? ”

After Liu Xiang finished speaking, he smiled a little self-deprecatingly, Deng Xihou's eyes flickered, he didn't feel this way, and he couldn't have this feeling, his strengths were good at coordinating all parties, and he was actually relatively slow to politics.

"Fu Gong, to tell you the truth, if we joined forces a few years ago, we could still clean him up, but now his wings are hard, and we can't control him when we join forces," Deng Xihou said lightly: "The reason why I agree to the whole army is based on this." However, Zhuang Wenge is still a very good person, he is more fair, we asked for military expenses and weapons several times, and he gave them all, unlike Chiang Kai-shek, who only gave something when you were asked to contribute. Besides, I think what he said is reasonable, and from the perspective of the whole country, I say that my aggression against us is becoming more and more urgent, and the call for the national war of resistance is getting stronger and stronger, and this war will be fought sooner or later. The whole army, in the long run, is beneficial to us. ”

Deng Xihou reminded Liu Xiang that Zhuang Jihua could not be touched, and if Chiang Kai-shek changed someone to preside over the development of the southwest, not to mention the development company, even if the weapons and ammunition in the Yucheng factory could still be obtained, it would be a problem.

Liu Xiang nodded slowly, and the carriage fell silent for a while, leaving only the boring clanging sound of the train wheels, Liu Xiang suddenly said: "Deng Mingjie heard a rumor in Nanjing, saying that the funds for the development of the southwest were not donated by the central government, nor by overseas Chinese, but the private property of Zhuang Wenge, Brother Jin Kang, I don't know if you have heard?" ”

If Zhuang Jihua hears this, he can only sigh that there is no impermeable wall in the world, there are too many ways to leak the news, the people around Chiang Kai-shek, the people around Song Meiling, may leak out, and even Song Meiling may leak to Song Ailing and Kong Xiangxi.

Deng Xihou was very surprised, obviously his representative had not heard of this, he was very surprised and asked: "No, who has so much money?" Isn't this a fool? Besides, where did he get so much money? ”

"I'm afraid it's not groundless," Zhang Si is a person who has read Deng Hanxiang's letter, and he felt that this rumor was probably true at that time.

First of all, he got funds from Zhuang Jihua to suppress bandits, and Chiang Kai-shek telegraphed them to go to Yucheng to discuss with Zhuang Jihua, which shows that Chiang Kai-shek can't control this money, on the contrary, Zhuang Jihua can control it, of course, you can explain it with overseas Chinese donations, but the number of this money is too big, and overseas Chinese can have so much? Why didn't they donate the axe directly to the national government, but they had to let Zhuang Jihua control it, there was too much doubt about it.

"It's just that Brother Ming didn't reveal the source, otherwise we can infer it." Zhang Sike was quite regretful.

It was the first time Fu Chang had heard of this, his eyes widened and he felt very incredible, and he protested: "This is impossible, this is not one or two million, this is hundreds of millions, billions, who can have so much money!" ”

"Whatever," Deng Xihou said lightly: "I can't guess this thing, let it be." ”

"But I want to know," Liu Xiang said, "Brother Jin Kang, it's nothing if you look at it small, but it's important to look at it when you look at it big." ”

"Oh, what does Fu Gong think?" Deng Xihou was a little surprised.

"If Zhuang Jihua really paid for it himself, it means that he is essentially an idealist, and it is much easier for us to deal with him; On the contrary, we have to deal with him slowly. Liu Xiang sighed solemnly: "I really hope it's his money." ”

Deng Xihou pondered silently for a moment, and couldn't help but nod his head, Liu Xiang was right, people who can invest such a large sum of money in Sichuan and engage in the national defense industry have no other words to describe except idealism.

But will Zhuang Jihua be an idealist? Taking the "two sides and three knives" in Chongqing, clamping down on the iron fist in public opinion, rectifying the bloodshed of the underworld in Paoge, and the cunning in expanding the army, this and that thing can be done by idealists.

"Let's take a look at this matter, you can always see the clues," Deng Xihou said calmly: "First of all, the whole army has been done, with you and I Yang Zihui, it is estimated that there is no objection, but the downsizing of the 23rd Army is probably a little troublesome." ”

Yang Sen has always been close to the central government, and Zhuang Jihua will definitely communicate with him this time, Deng Xihou and Liu Xiang know that Yang Sen will definitely not object.

"Transfer the 23rd Army to the front line of Mianyang, Xue Yue and the model division are resting in that area, if there is an accident, it will be solved nearby." Liu Xiang said gloomily that there is still a hidden danger in his heart -- Fan Shaozeng, after Fan Shaozeng built Fanzhuang in Yucheng, he was very close to the base, and the last time Chiang Kai-shek came to Yucheng to supervise the war, he lived in Fanzhuang, and secretly gave Fan Shaozeng 200,000 oceans, Fan Shaozeng did not tell him about this, he was already unstable in Liu Xiang's heart, and this time the whole army could take the opportunity to eliminate this hidden danger.

Deng Xihou nodded in agreement, Liu Xiang closed his eyes slightly and said: "I'm not worried about the whole army, I'm worried about how to implement the equipment after the whole army, the equipment of the Yucheng Arsenal is only 300,000 rifles a year, plus what Chiang Kai-shek wants, the most that can fall to Sichuan is only 100,000, and then deduct what Zhuang Cultural Revolution wants, it is good that we can leave 50,000 or 60,000, and it will be about 100,000 in two years, and the equipment of 200,000 troops is difficult." ”

Liu Xiang said here with a heavy sigh, Deng Xihou's eyes darkened, Liu Xiang was right, such a few guns are definitely not enough, according to the equipment of the German armorer, I am afraid it will be difficult.

After the New Year, Liu Xiang held a meeting on the reorganization of the army in Chengdu, Deng Xihou completed the work of Tian Songyao, and the four powerful factions of the Sichuan army advocated the reorganization of the army, and the opposition of others was of course invalid.

Subsequently, the armies began to reorganize themselves, and Liu Cunhou of the 23rd Army was the first to be reduced to a division, and Liu Xiang promoted Fan Shaozeng to deputy commander, and then broke up his basic troops and dispersed them into various units. Fan Shaozeng was furious in his heart, so he simply returned to Fanzhuang in Yucheng under the pretext of illness, entertained with his wife and concubine in the village all day long, and no longer cared about the affairs of the army.

After Yu Peidi returned from Nanjing, Zhuang Jihua told him that he wanted him to come forward to form an engineering unit, but he did not make a decision immediately, turned around and came out to discuss with Zheng, and seriously advocated accepting the appointment.

"This is the first unit we have directly controlled, even if it is only an engineering unit, but it must be equipped with guns, and when needed, it will be a combat unit. When we get in touch with Chosen Living, ask him to send some of his backbone to join your troops, so that we can completely control them. ”

Yu Peidi nodded, although the members of the third party have very few troops directly under them, Zhuang Jihua has provided them with a rare opportunity, and this opportunity must be grasped well.

(To be continued)