Chapter 3

The instructors' complaints were severe, but it was none of his business. After all, the school was still running.

However, the instructors kept talking about a serious problem with one of the 10th batch students.

He had left it alone out of annoyance, but when even the royal students started to complain directly, he couldn't ignore it anymore.

Yang Zhongxiang summoned the student.

While waiting, he skimmed through the basic information.

The door opened, and the student came in.

A simple salute.

It was annoying that he sat down on the sofa without being told to.

"Xin Han?"

"Yes."

He looked a bit different from what was expected.

From what he had heard, he thought the student would be a revolutionary fighter, holding a blazing torch in the middle of a demonstration.

But the person in front of him just looked like a loafer.

His distinct facial features revealed his Korean heritage, and his Western-style short hair was irritating.

While he wasn't particularly provocative, his strangely relaxed demeanor was infuriating to look at.

"I've been hearing a lot about you lately."

"..."

"Both teachers and students are talking about what Xin Han is doing... It's so annoying."

"..."

It was even more infuriating that he remained silent, even though Yang wasn't really asking for a response.

"Born in 1890 in Kowloon, Hong Kong... How did a Korean manage to come here as a government-sponsored student? And to enter Jinwu, the preparatory school for the Military Academy, no less."

"That's what I'm saying."

"Why are you talking about it as if it's someone else's story?"

"You, the one who came here as a government-sponsored student, are talking as if it's someone else's story."

"You, who allowed his admission, are talking as if it's someone else's story."

Indeed, he was a rude one.

"Koreans are certainly arrogant. Do you know why you were summoned?"

"I have an idea."

"Then confess your crimes here. I'll give you a fitting punishment after hearing them."

"Punishment? There must be some mistake."

"What mistake?"

"I came here expecting a reward, not a punishment."

Yang Zhongxiang was momentarily stunned.

What is this guy saying?

"Reward? What nonsense are you talking about?"

"I've been diligently studying at Jinwu, so I expected to receive a reward."

"Haha. Has this guy lost his mind?"

Despite his incredulity, a hollow laugh escaped him.

Of course, the student's grades were good.

Actually, they weren't just good; he was the absolute top of the 10th batch.

But for Yang Zhongxiang, who had graduated from a prestigious school in Beijing, it didn't feel particularly impressive to be the top student at this mediocre school.

Instead, his priority was to filter out students with chaotic ideologies, as per the instructions from the court.

Yang Zhongxiang still harbored hopes of becoming the president of a prestigious university.

He hoped that by carrying out the court's instructions, he might receive some recognition.

His term at Jinwu was indefinite, but he believed he would eventually return.

"Look at the pile of suggestions here. They all accuse you. You will be punished. Depending on the severity of the matter, you might even be expelled."

"What are the issues?"

This guy didn't seem scared at all, even when expulsion was mentioned.

Yang Zhongxiang picked up a random suggestion from the pile.

"Here, take a look. This is from Mr. Liang. You refused to attend class during Chinese literature and disrupted the class with chaotic talk. You denied the ancient stories in the I Ching and criticized the Chinese state... Is this true?"

"Yes."

"What? You criticized the Chinese state?"

It was common for teachers to falsely accuse students they disliked.

Therefore, he usually dismissed such suggestions as exaggerations.

His question, "Is this true?" was just a formality, and he didn't expect the answer "Yes."

"If this is true, you will have to be deported back to your country. Your prestigious study abroad life will be over."

"Deportation to Qing?"

"Yes. Your teachers suspect your ideology. Even among the students, there are continuous discussions. Some are even from the royal family. Depending on the situation, you might be sent to Beijing."

He tried to scare him.

Indeed, the student flinched.

But instead of begging for forgiveness, he said something unexpected.

"The one who should go to Beijing is not me, but someone else."

"Another student? Nonsense. Even if you slander another student, it won't work."

"I'm not talking about another student."

"Then are you planning to slander a teacher? Forget it. It's better to quietly accept your punishment."

"I'm not talking about a teacher."

"Then who are you talking about?"

"You, the inspector."

"Me?"

"Yes."

Me?

Yang Zhongxiang was taken aback.

"What nonsense are you spouting?"

Is this guy crazy?

He decided to kick him out without further ado.

"I know you're aiming for the presidency of the prestigious Beijing University."

"Where did you hear that?"

"Any Jinwu student would know. The rumor is widespread."

Yang Zhongxiang was taken aback by the unexpected words.

This guy. What is he suddenly talking about?

"The one who should go to Beijing is not me, but you. And I know how you can become the president of Beijing University."

"You know?"

"Yes."

He felt as if he were drunk, even though he hadn't had a drink.

Yang Zhongxiang, without realizing it, asked in a dazed manner.

"How can I do that?"

The student didn't answer immediately but changed the subject.

"What do you think of the piglets in Beijing?"

"What?"

"The piglets who start shaving their heads as soon as the sun rises. All they do is worry about losing their dominance to Western culture. They turn the entire Central Plains into a wasteland, trying to uproot the sprouts of civil rights."

"Are you insulting the royal family...?"

The student continued without listening.

"But can these piglets, who have never farmed, properly select the sprouts from the vast Central Plains? China is already in turmoil. A revolution is imminent."

"Revolution! You're a revolutionary, aren't you? I don't know how you infiltrated the ranks of government-sponsored students, but you will receive the appropriate punishment."

"And when the revolution comes, the Qing will collapse. The existing ruling class will be completely replaced, and there will be a severe shortage of high-ranking officials, such as the president of Beijing University..."

"Shut up! You revolutionary..."

"Inspector, walk the tightrope well. The rope of the Manchu is rotten. Can't you hear the piglets gnawing on it?"

The student didn't move.

He just sat quietly and spoke in a low voice.

But Yang Zhongxiang felt as if he were on a stormy sea, his head spinning.

He had grown up in the conservative Chinese bureaucracy.

The sudden flood of the student's words was hard to understand at once, but the doubts in his heart grew.

He finally managed to speak.

"What, what guarantee do you have?"

"Guarantee?"

"Yes! What guarantee do you have that the revolution will happen and the Qing will collapse? During the Taiping Rebellion half a century ago, the Taiping flags flew across the country, but they were ultimately thoroughly defeated."

"I'll show you the guarantee."

"How can you do that?"

The student said nonchalantly.

"I need three years. Then you'll see the revolution."

"Are you saying you'll start the revolution?"

"The revolution is not something an individual can start. I just predict the trend and make the necessary preparations. For example, some preparations are needed at Jinwu."

"Hmph. What preparations?"

"During the three years, it's a waste of time to stay at Jinwu. Please allow me to take an accelerated course."

Yang Zhongxiang, who had calmed down a bit, thought about it.

The advice to let go of the rotten rope and grab a new one was quite persuasive.

He was surprised by his own thoughts.

He had always bowed to the royal family, but the student's words didn't feel disrespectful at all.

He even felt a bit exhilarated.

"You don't need to think too much. After all, you won't lose anything. During the three years, you just need to maintain your usual communication with the court. If you wish, I can help you establish connections with the Chinese Alliance in secret."

Yang Zhongxiang knew the Chinese Alliance.

It was the revolutionary organization founded by Sun Yat-sen, the most famous anti-Qing figure of the era.

There was no real loss.

Pretend to be loyal to the Manchu in public.

Secretly join the revolutionary forces.

If the revolution succeeds, participate in the new government and secure a high position.

If it fails, cut ties ruthlessly.

Since the student's grades were so good, it was unusual, but no one would criticize him for graduating early.

After finishing his calculations, Yang Zhongxiang looked up at Xin Han.

His eyes were colorless and black.

For some reason, they looked as deep as the night sky.

He even thought he saw stars twinkling in his eyes.

Yang Zhongxiang slowly spoke.

"Alright. I'll allow it."

___________________________________________

The Snake of the Alliance

On a sunny weekend,

I boarded a tram running through Tokyo.

I was with Chiang Kai-shek.

Even though Jinwu School had a dormitory system, students were allowed to go out on weekends.

Until now, I had refrained from going out, but now I am a top student favored by the inspector.

Who would dare to stand in my way?

Our destination was the headquarters of the Chinese Alliance in Tokyo.

Chiang Kai-shek, who had decided to join the Alliance before coming to Japan, muttered nervously.

"I'm a bit nervous. What should I say when we get there?"

"Don't worry. Just shout 'Down with the Manchus, Revive Han China' and pledge your loyalty to Mr. Sun Yat-sen. They'll accept you."

The headquarters was a two-story Japanese house with a garden.

Without hesitation, I knocked on the gate.

A young man with glasses opened the door.

His slightly tilted posture looked somewhat crooked.

"What is it?"

Chiang Kai-shek, looking nervous, spoke rapidly.

"Ah! We are students from Qing. We are currently studying at Jinwu School and preparing to enter the Military Academy. We heard that noble patriots who uphold the lofty banner of anti-Qing and revival of Han China are here, so we came out of admiration."

"So?"

"Can we come in and talk more?"

The man with glasses nodded expressionlessly.

Unexpectedly cold response, Chiang Kai-shek swallowed hard.

We stepped into the house.

Before we had taken a few steps, thick cigarette smoke clouded our vision.

In the center of the tatami-floored reception room was a large table, and a few men were sitting around it.

Various jade tiles with intricate patterns were scattered on the table.

"What are those guys doing?"

"Nothing much. They just want to see."

"See? Haha. What's there to see here? Just throw a few copies of the Minbao (People's Journal) at them and let them read and leave."

A pile of newspapers in the corner was naturally placed in front of me.

The letters were hard to read, covered in a layer of gray dust.

The man with glasses, having finished his task, sat back down at the table.

"Let's continue."

The man with glasses gathered the jade tiles and started to shuffle them. The tiles turned out to be mahjong tiles.

They were in the middle of a mahjong game.

Mahjong.

I love it too.

Soon, we were forgotten, and no one paid us any attention.

Chiang Kai-shek, looking like a mute who had eaten honey, whispered to me.

"Damn. Is this what the famous Chinese Alliance looks like?"

"What did you expect? Just read the newspaper."

"Hmph. Useless bastards."

The newspaper mainly introduced Western technology and scholarship.

It had the nature of an enlightenment publication.

I skimmed through it. The editorials on the back pages were more interesting.

There were many people advocating for modernization and worrying about China's future.

But among them, two prominent figures stood out.

Sun Yat-sen of the revolutionary faction.

And Liang Qichao of the constitutional faction.

The revolutionary faction wanted to overthrow the Qing and establish a republic.

The constitutional faction advocated for a constitutional monarchy.

Once, Sun Yat-sen and Liang Qichao had interacted in Japan and worked together to build a common future, but now they were at odds, almost to the point of trying to kill each other.

The ideological clash was so intense that some people hated the opposing faction more than the Qing.

Indeed, the Minbao of the Alliance was filled with editorials harshly criticizing the constitutional faction.

The logic was that if you had fattened the pigs, you should quickly slaughter them and invite people to a feast, not leave them in the sty until they were too old to eat.

Chiang Kai-shek lost interest in the newspaper quickly.

Instead, his eyes were fixed on the mahjong game in the center of the reception room.

"Damn. I was so close to a Big Three Yuan (大三元)..."

Chiang Kai-shek muttered to himself.

The man with glasses chuckled.

"Do you play mahjong?"

"Are you asking a Chinese person if they play mahjong? I was a recognized player in my hometown."

"Where are you from?"

"Zhejiang Province."

"Ah. I'm from Zhejiang too. Let me see. Hey, buddy. Since this round is almost over, let's end it early and see this guy's skills. Move over."

The man playing mahjong got up.

Chiang Kai-shek sat down eagerly.

"You? Do you play too?"

The man with glasses looked at me.

"Sure, I know the rules."

"Alright. Come on over."

A game was quickly set up.

I asked casually.

"Are you playing for money?"

"You're students. I don't expect you to have much money. But playing without stakes wouldn't be fun. Let's play for 50 sen each."

***

Two hours later. The last round.

I knocked over the neatly arranged mahjong tiles to reveal a Mixed Old Heads (混老頭).

"Want to play more?"

"Who are you? How did you do that? Are you a cheat?"

The mahjong tiles were scattered across the wide table.

There were four of us, but only in front of me were coins and banknotes piled up.

I had won everything.

Counting the money, it came to 42 yen and 50 sen.

In an era when a skilled carpenter's daily wage was less than 2 yen, it was a considerable sum.

Ha ha ha.

This is the skill I honed playing online rich mahjong.

These guys play so poorly. They don't even think about basic tile manipulation techniques.

For example, when you first receive your tiles, you should have a rough strategy for how to complete your hand, but these guys just seem to leave everything to chance.

They don't try to block the tiles I need and just pass them over.

"If you don't want to play more, let's end it here. It was fun."

As I got up, the man with glasses also stood up.

"What's your name?"

Now that he's lost nearly 40 yen to me, he's finally asking my name.

Forget it. I don't need to see him again.

"My name is Xin Han."

"A name that suggests good strategy."

The man with glasses, who had been staring at my face intently, continued.

"My name is Chen Qimei. I handle finance and accounting for the Alliance. I also occasionally work in assassinations."

This is Chen Qimei?

A graduate of a Japanese police school who worked as a secret police officer in Sun Yat-sen's Republic of China government.

According to unofficial history, he was a dirty figure involved in various dark struggles in Shanghai and Tokyo.

Forget about not needing to see him. I need to get close to him.

"It's an honor. I've heard a lot about Mr. Liao Zhongkai."

The money man of the Alliance.

Using the name of the beloved Liao Zhongkai to win his favor.

"Really? Were you already a member of the Alliance?"

"Yes."

"That saves the trouble of recruiting you. We can't afford to lose someone with your mahjong skills."

"Does playing mahjong well qualify someone to join the Alliance?"

"Of course. As your friend said, mahjong skills are a basic requirement for Chinese people."

Chiang Kai-shek, who had been silent, shouted.

"I also want to join the Chinese Revolutionary Alliance and uphold the banner of 'Down with the Manchus, Revive Han China'!"

"What's your name?"

"Zhang Zhongzheng!"

"