Chapter 5

It was the winter of 1909.

Yongdu found himself again.

"The handover to Duzhengzi is complete, so I should be able to return without any issues."

"Is it already time to leave? You've worked hard."

"It's too early to say 'good job.'"

"What do you mean?"

"I want to open a second branch of 'Possibility' in Tokyo."

Yongdu laughed, just like when he first hit the pinball.

"Go ahead."

***

"Shin-ah! Study hard!"

"Brother! Come back quickly after graduation!"

The family had come to see me off right up to the ship.

Thanks to the hard work of feeding them well, everyone looked healthier and had better complexions.

Even if I'm not there, I've asked Duzhengzi to take care of them, so they won't have to worry about money.

As I boarded the ship, a group of men surrounded me.

"Sir, is there anything you need?"

"Ah, stop calling me that. Just treat me casually. We're all friends in Japan."

"Yes, friend."

"Ah, come on."

The passenger ship set sail.

On the way to Tokyo.

I was accompanied by seven members of the Triad.

___________________________________________

Military Academy

The entrance ceremony for the 23rd class of the Japanese Military Academy.

The parade ground, which seemed several times larger than Jinwu, was imposingly pressuring the cadets.

The atmosphere was different.

It was just an entrance ceremony, yet the tension was as if they were heading to war.

The parade ground, where 754 new cadets stood, was eerily quiet.

Fifty-six Chinese students were huddled in the corner on the left.

Everyone was tense, their expressions stiff.

Even Shichia, who was always arrogant, was looking down at the ground.

The Military Academy was completely different from Jinwu.

In reality, Jinwu Military School was like the Qing's Wubei Academy transplanted to Japan.

However, the Military Academy was the driving force behind the rising power of the Japanese Empire.

It was the elite officer training ground for the strongest army in East Asia, the Japanese Army.

The atmosphere couldn't be more different.

Here, Chinese students were thorough outsiders and foreigners.

If they let their guard down, they might be devoured.

When the school principal, a lieutenant general, finished his speech, the training officer stepped onto the podium.

The officer recited the Student Code of Conduct (生徒心得).

"The primary purpose of education at this school is to train capable officers of the Imperial Japanese Army. Officers are the foundation of the military and have the duty to protect and assist His Majesty the Emperor... "

Roughly, all education at the Military Academy is for the Emperor, and education will be conducted according to the Emperor's will.

The Japanese government's earnest efforts to deify Emperor Meiji and transform Japan into a modern imperialist nation were evident.

After the recitation of the Student Code of Conduct, all new cadets recited the Military Code of Conduct together.

"One! A soldier must make loyalty his duty!"

The Japanese cadets sang in unison, making the parade ground shake.

I mumbled along half-heartedly.

"Do not be swayed by public opinion, do not be entangled in politics, and always maintain your duty as a soldier, which is loyalty. Remember that righteousness is heavier than a steep mountain, and death is lighter than a feather. Do not break your principles, fail, or bring disgrace!"

Is he possessed by something? My ears were ringing.

The ideological education of the Japanese Army, which began in earnest after the Russo-Japanese War, was gradually taking hold.

It was a real-time scene of collective madness growing.

Another tedious dormitory life was about to begin.

Suddenly, I missed the carefree life in Hong Kong.

What are the kids who came with me doing now?

I had instructed the Triad members to look for nearby job opportunities and gather information.

To open a second branch of "Possibility" in Tokyo, three prerequisites needed to be addressed:

1. Select a company to manufacture pachinko machines.

2. Obtain business permits from the Tokyo municipal government.

3. Secure a territory.

The most challenging was the third, securing a territory.

Of course, there are yakuza in Tokyo.

If I start a business carelessly and get into trouble, it's scary to think about.

I might get sliced by a katana just walking down the street.

I decided to take my time with the pachinko issue until I adapted to life at the Military Academy.

Since weekends were free, there was no need to rush.

After the entrance ceremony, the branches were decided.

Since I didn't receive unit assignment training, I had to take whatever was given to me.

But I wasn't worried.

The remaining spot was obvious.

Infantry.

It was what I wanted. China would naturally be the top choice.

In the Chinese army, where the only strength is manpower, infantry must be the foundation of all tactics.

Uniforms and essential items were distributed, and room assignments were completed.

The Military Academy seemed well-organized and disciplined on the surface.

At least on the surface.

But on the first evening of enrollment.

Hellgate opened.

***

My 1st Company, 2nd Platoon, had a total of 30 members.

The platoon leader finished the roll call.

"Very good. You've all worked hard today. Before you go to bed, I have someone to introduce. As a new student, you may find it difficult to adapt to life here. This exemplary student will share the dormitory with you and guide you in your daily life. Please come forward."

The moment I saw the bright eyes of the person walking out from behind the platoon leader, I flinched involuntarily.

"I am Mudaguchi Renya of the 22nd class. Let's get along well."

Why is this guy here?

This is too ominous.

Even after the platoon leader left, the 2nd Platoon remained standing awkwardly.

Everyone was just watching Mudaguchi's reactions.

Mudaguchi, who had been standing with his hands behind his back, suddenly changed his expression and slowly walked around the dormitory.

It was the confident stride of someone in control.

"Did you clean up?"

"…Yes."

The answer was a bit delayed.

"Anyone who didn't answer, step forward."

Suddenly, Mudaguchi's order made the cadets look at each other nervously.

Mudaguchi, who had been strolling, stopped.

He then leaned in close to a new cadet.

"Did you answer?"

"No, I didn't!"

"Why didn't you step forward?"

"Sorry!"

Mudaguchi grabbed the cadet by the collar.

"Where did you go to school?"

"I graduated from Tokyo Prefectural No. 2 Middle School!"

"Ha! I thought so."

Mudaguchi violently threw the cadet to the center of the dormitory.

The cadet fell awkwardly to the floor.

Mudaguchi then leaned in close to another cadet.

"Did you answer?"

"Yes!"

"Where did you go to school?"

"I graduated from the Military Cadet School!"

"Of course."

Mudaguchi patted the cadet's shoulder a few times and moved on.

He stopped in front of me.

"Did you answer?"

"Yes."

"Where did you go to school?"

"Jinwu Military School."

"Jinwu? Ah, you're a Zhina (支那, a derogatory term for Chinese). But where did you sell your pig's tail?"

"I cut it off because it was a nuisance."

Mudaguchi leaned in close.

A thought that always comes to mind: whether in Korea, China, or Japan, why do they do this when they bully?

They seem to be trying to scare me, but it just feels like they're trying to kiss me, which is unsettling.

"Hmph. Consider yourself lucky."

I was tense, but fortunately, Mudaguchi turned his head and moved on without saying much.

Did I make a good impression?

Mudaguchi interrogated the entire 2nd Platoon in the same manner.

The criterion for being thrown to the center was whether they were from the Military Cadet School or a regular middle school.

For those from the Military Cadet School, even if they didn't answer properly, they were given a pat on the back and let off with a kind word.

For those from regular middle schools, even if they answered well, they were thrown to the center with some nitpicking.

There were two of us Chinese students, and he left us alone.

At first, I thought we had answered well, but seeing the other guy's response, it seemed that wasn't the case.

It felt more like we were excluded from the group.

We weren't even treated as part of the Japanese Army.

Whatever. As long as we're not bullied, I don't care.

It's actually a blessing.

"Stand straight."

The cadets from regular middle schools lined up in the center.

Mudaguchi spoke solemnly.

"The education I will give you now will become your flesh and blood throughout your time at the Military Academy. No, it will be with you throughout your military service, upholding the will of His Majesty the Emperor. Understand?"

"Yes!"

"Remember this pain!"

At first, it was slaps.

Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap...

Then it was punches to the stomach.

Punch. Punch. Punch. Punch...

And kicks.

Kick. Kick. Kick...

One cadet couldn't bear the pain and fell.

"Get up! When a senior is educating you, you must maintain the attention position no matter what! Even if you fall, you must get up immediately! The Japanese Empire was built on this indomitable Yamato spirit!"

Charlie Chaplin said that life is a tragedy when seen up close, but a comedy when seen from afar.

Reading about Mudaguchi's actions in documents was certainly amusing.

But there was no humor in the violence being inflicted right in front of me.

The beatings continued until the skin was bruised and blood flowed.

Why is he so passionate about beating people?

Is it out of genuine loyalty to the Emperor?

What was clear was that from now on, the 2nd Platoon would tremble at the sight of Mudaguchi's shadow.

In that sense, Mudaguchi Renya was a model student, worthy of being recommended and selected.

However, the next morning, I realized that not just the 2nd Platoon, but the entire 23rd class had gone through similar hazing.

No, the 2nd Platoon had the worst bruises.

Mudaguchi, you're a bad guy. Stop it.

Mudaguchi, who had given a long speech on the first day, saying that the current pain would be a guide for future military life, continued the violence.

The efforts of the upperclassmen to dominate the atmosphere of the new class were so intense that they could be summed up in one phrase:

The hazing in the Japanese Army was the best in the world!!!

I wish they wouldn't take such pride in that.

If the bullying by the Falqi faction and the Beiyang faction in Jinwu was like peeing, then these guys were shoveling shit.

The typical targets of the hazing were those from regular middle schools.

The graduates of the Military Cadet School, led by Mudaguchi, tightly controlled the power dynamics at the Military Academy.

The graduates of the Military Cadet School called the regular middle school graduates "D," a derogatory term meaning "inferior bloodline."

In contrast, they called themselves "KaD," derived from the French term for Military Cadet School students.

The factional fights between the D and KaD were as vicious as the struggles between the Falqi, Beiyang, and Revolutionary factions, which seemed full of love and friendship.

They seemed to truly hate and despise each other.

While the 23rd class Ds only got beaten by the upperclassmen, in the 22nd class, there were also fights between the Ds and KaDs.

However, the Ds, who were outnumbered, always ended up on the receiving end.

The Chinese cadets, including me, were almost in the lowest position.

Perhaps because they didn't see us as competitors.

Occasionally, some would use derogatory language to provoke us, but since there were few of us and no one caused trouble, no major issues arose.

We just moved like ghosts between the dormitory, classroom, auditorium, and parade ground.

The subjects at the Military Academy clearly indicated that we had entered a serious officer training program.

Foreign languages were still important, and there were basic subjects like mathematics and physics. Everything else was related to military science.

In the classroom, we studied tactics, weapons, geography, and fortifications.

In the field, we learned drill, garrison duty, swordsmanship, and shooting.

Of course, just because the subjects sounded impressive, the classes weren't necessarily so.

Emphasis on loyalty to the Emperor was a constant theme in all classes.

The Japanese instructors used every method to make the cadets swear loyalty to the Emperor, and a typical method was the use of Confucian classics.

I thought I wouldn't see the I Ching again after leaving Jinwu, but that was a vain hope...

No, why are we studying Confucian sayings in a tactics class?

It was absurd to learn that "When the spirit is focused, nothing is impossible" was a great tactic.

It was like a nightmare of various "-isms" had come back to life.

I didn't need to act out like in Jinwu, but listening to such nonsense was still a chore.

Instead, I had an event to look forward to.

The midterm exams.

At the Military Academy, all students are ranked by their grades.

No matter how you attend classes, if you do well on the exams, that's all that matters.

Fortunately, the education at the Military Academy was still at a high school level for me.

___________________________________________

Military Academy 2

1910. The new year of Gengxu (庚戌年) had arrived.

The first midterm exams were approaching.

For the Chinese students studying at the Japanese Military Academy, there was a legendary name when it came to exams.

Cai E of the 16th class.

A genius who graduated third overall among the competitive Japanese cadets.

Speculators said that if he hadn't been physically weak, he would have been first.

Indeed, as soon as he returned, he was invited to various places and, at the young age of twenty, rose to the position of Chief of Staff of the Guangxi New Army.

And, knowing history, I knew he would soon become a brigade commander.

Cai E, using the power of an independent brigade, led a rebellion and became a warlord in Yunnan Province (雲南省, Yunnan Province).

In the early days of the Chinese warlord era, it was Cai E, the "God of War," who pushed Yuan Shikai to the brink.

Cai E's rapid rise was largely due to his experience at the Military Academy.

Good. I'll follow Cai E's path.

I looked at the midterm exam paper in front of me and calmly picked up my pencil.

***

The ranking list was posted.

It was a cruel display, listing all students from first to last.

As I approached, I heard murmurs.

"Is that him?"

"I thought so."

"Handing the top spot to a Zhina is a disgrace to our class."

"But I heard he's not Zhina."

"What do you mean?"

"He's Korean."

I ignored them and looked for my name from the top.

I didn't have to look far.

First place. Han Shin.

I guess I have a perverse taste.

The disdainful gazes from around me.

Strangely, it makes my adrenaline surge.

"Damn. He just aced one exam. He won't take the top spot again."

"He's probably just a bookworm. Real combat is different."

"Doesn't he have to go on a march? I want to see him fall behind."

"The next class is in the field. Let's teach him a lesson then."

I heard their chatter clearly.

Is my hearing that good?

Or are they deliberately saying it for me to hear?

As they said, the next class was drill.

We learned bayonet fighting on the parade ground.

"One!"

Forward step and thrust.

A