Chen Lifu
In 1924, Chang returned to China and became a member of the KMT. In 1927, in the midst of Northern Expedition and of the split between the rightists and the leftists within the KMT, Chang served in the Political Department of the 10th Army of the National Revolutionary Army then based in Wuhan and under the influence of the KMT left-wingers. Shortly after Chiang Kai-shek purged the leftists and stood out as the new strongman within the KMT, Chang was sent to North China to handle local party affairs. In 1928, Chiang completed the Northern Expedition and unified China. By this time, Chang had joined the “Central Club” (C.C. Clique) and became a close associate with Chen Lifu and Chen Guofu, leaders of the Clique. In 1929, he served as secretary of the KMT Department of Organization headed by Chen Guofu.