The next morning, the morning mist still shrouded the temple rooftops around Fuzimiao when an unmarked black sedan pulled up near the teahouse. An aide to General Zhang was picking up the three of them. The journey through Nanjing felt different from the day before. If yesterday the city had seemed like a memorable backdrop, today it felt like a potential battlefield, where every face in the crowd could be friend or foe.
They were not taken to the grand and flashy Ministry of Defense building, but to a private villa hidden behind high walls on the slopes of Purple Hill, not far from Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum. The place was surrounded by dense pine forests, the air cool and clean. The silence of the surroundings was a stark contrast to the tension they felt. Guards in Praetorian uniforms patrolled the perimeter vigilantly, emphasizing the seriousness of this meeting.
They were ushered into a spacious study, its dark wood panels smelling of tea and old books. General Zhang was waiting there. Standing by a large window overlooking the city below was a middle-aged man with a sturdy build. Although he was dressed in civilian clothes—a gray Zhongshan tunic—he exuded an undeniable air of military authority. His face was stern, with deep lines around his eyes that spoke of the burden of responsibility and sleepless nights.
It was General He Yingqin, the Minister of Defense of the Republic of China, one of the most powerful men in the country.
"Sir Minister," General Zhang said. "This is Major Lee Junshan, Captain He Xiang, and Major Hu Yanzhen."
The three of them gave a perfect military salute. Minister He turned and surveyed them each, his gaze sharp and piercing, as if trying to weigh their souls. He did not immediately return their greetings.
"General Zhang has given me a brief," Minister He said, his voice calm but heavy. "He said the three of you have a story to tell. A story that could shake the foundations of the Republic." He paused, his eyes fixed on Hu Yanzhen. "He said you lost almost your entire unit because of this story, Major Hu."
"Yes, Sir Minister," Hu Yanzhen replied, his voice steady despite his pounding heart.
"And you, Captain He," the Minister continued, turning to He Xiang. "You risked your life behind enemy lines disguised as a friend."
"I was only doing my duty, Sir Minister."
"And you, Major Lee," his gaze finally fell on Lee Junshan. "You were the one who held everything together from the shadows."
Minister He walked slowly to the large table in the center of the room. "I have read your reports. I have seen your evidence. But I want to hear it straight from you. No filters, no summaries. I want to know what you saw, what you felt. I want to know if I can trust the judgment of three young officers whose emotions—with all due respect—may have been affected by the battle."
It was a test. He didn't just want to know the facts; he wanted to know the people behind them.
For the next nearly two hours, they retold their stories. This time, not for each other, but for the man who held the fate of the military in his hands. Lee Junshan presented his analysis with the precision of a surgeon, insisting on logic and irrefutable evidence. He Xiang presented his findings with the clarity of an eyewitness, his sharp details painting a picture of betrayal on the ground.
When it was Hu Yanzhen's turn, he spoke with controlled passion. He told not just of the battle but of Lieutenant Zhou's loyalty, of his anger and confusion, and of the pain of seeing the Republic's flag used to slaughter his own defenders. He spoke not as a major reporting on the case but as a soldier demanding justice for his fallen brothers.
Minister He and General Zhang listened in silence, their faces growing harder as the story went on. When Hu Yanzhen finished, a heavy silence filled the room. The picture they had painted—a conspiracy stretching from Tokyo to Nanjing, from the academy to the battlefield—now hung in the air, chilling and undeniable.
"Oda… Wu Da…" Minister He murmured, as if to himself. "That name… I vaguely remember it. He was indeed part of the military advisor exchange program a dozen years ago.
Intelligent, fluent in Mandarin, but it always felt like he was hiding something. Who would have thought we had nurtured that snake for so long."
General Zhang added, his voice grave, "And if the Eternal Flame Academy, where we train future officers, has been infiltrated by his influence... then the foundation of our defense is in great danger."
After a long and heated discussion, in which various scenarios and risks were discussed—from carrying out an open purge that would cause chaos, to allowing it to happen and causing destruction—the Defense Minister finally made his decision. His face seemed to have aged ten years in those few hours.
"This situation requires extraordinary measures," he said, his voice heavy with the weight of decision. "We cannot carry out an open purge. It will cause panic, division, and civil war within our own military. It will only benefit the enemy. We must move stealthily, from within."
He stared at the three young officers before him—the analytical Lee Junshan, the determined He Xiang, and the fiery Hu Yanzhen. Three top graduates of the Eternal Flame Academy, three hopes of the Republic.
"The three of you," the Defense Minister continued, "I am going to give you a special assignment, a mission that will probably be the most dangerous of your careers."
Their breath caught.
"You will return to the Eternal Flame Academy."
The words shocked them. Returning to the Arsenal? The place of their memories, the place where their friendships and rivalries were forged, the place that should have been their safest haven, was now their new battlefield.
"Your assignment is twofold," the Defense Minister explained. "First, publicly, you will be the reform team. You will be assigned as chief instructors for the new batch of cadets. Introduce a new curriculum, a more modern training method, relevant to the threats of espionage and modern warfare that we face. This will be your cover. You will have reason to review every aspect of the academy, from the teaching staff to the cadets."
He lowered his voice, as if even the walls had ears. "Second, and this is your secret mission: you are to identify, isolate, and dismantle the remnants of Oda's influence network among the teaching staff and perhaps among the cadets. Find out who has been recruited, who is sympathetic, and who is an active threat."
"You will be given special authority directly from me," he continued, looking at them sharply. "But you must proceed with extreme caution. Enemies are everywhere, and they will not hesitate to eliminate anyone who stands in their way. Inside the academy, you will not be able to distinguish friend from foe. Every smile could hide a dagger."
A silence fell over the room. This was an incredibly difficult and risky assignment. They were about to enter the lion's den, not knowing whom to trust.
"I know it is difficult," General Zhang said, breaking the silence. "But I trust you. The Republic needs officers like you now more than ever."
Lee Junshan was the first to nod. There was no hesitation in his eyes. This was a mission that required strategy, analysis, and composure—his core strengths. "I am ready, Minister, General."
He Xiang took a deep breath. The thought of returning to the Arsenal, to the place where he had once lived a lie as Xie Liangchen, was terrifying. But then he remembered the faces of the traitors and victims he had seen. His resolve hardened. "Me too."
All eyes turned to Hu Yanzhen. Being an instructor, confined to the academy, was the opposite of his free nature. But then he thought of his men who had died, betrayed by the system they were supposed to defend. The fire in his eyes that had been dimmed now reignited with ferocity. This was not about fighting in the open field. This was about cutting off the roots of the poisonous weed before it could destroy the entire grassland. "For the Republic," he said, his fists clenched. "And for those who have fallen because of this betrayal. I will do it."
The Defense Minister smiled faintly, a look of relief crossing his face. "Very well. Prepare yourselves. The official assignment report will be issued soon. Starting next week, you will be instructors at the Eternal Flame Military Academy."
As the three of them walked out of the villa, dusk had already fallen over Nanjing. The gas lamps along the streets were starting to be lit, casting long, dancing shadows. In the distance, on a hill overlooking the city, the silhouette of the Eternal Flame Academy building loomed majestically against the reddening sky. But now, the building seemed to have a different aura, darker, more threatening. "We used to fight tooth and nail to get in there," Hu Yanzhen murmured, mostly to herself. "Now, we must fight to save it from being destroyed from within."
He Xiang stared at the silhouette of the academy, remembering his early days as Xie liongchen, filled with fear but also hope. "This will be a different battle, Yanzhen. The enemy is invisible, and the stakes are much higher."
Lee Junshan remained silent, his gaze sharp and calculating. He saw the building not as his alma mater, but as a fortress that had been infiltrated by the enemy, a fortress that must be retaken.
"We start where we were forged," he said quietly. "And we will clean up our home, no matter the cost."
The night wind blew, bringing with it the chill of change and the foreboding of the storm that was about to hit Eternal Flame Academy. The call back had been received. A new, dangerous chapter was about to begin.
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*****to be continued chapter 10