Chapter Seventy Work Problem

  The reconnaissance battalion of Guanglan Military Region, which is currently conducting training in Panshi County, received an order from the superior authority to end this mountain training ahead of schedule and return to the military region immediately.

  When the order was received, Wang Hong's troops were conducting wilderness survival training. The entire battalion had scattered, and according to regulations, all team members should have gathered at a designated location three days later. But now, with just one order from the military region, Wang Hong and Liu Feng were tasked with gathering back the soldiers scattered in the mountains - how easy could that be? It was also an unavoidable task.

  Behind their backs, the scouts of the reconnaissance battalion often complained about Wang Hong and other leaders. Many times, especially during intensified training, they would take out a map, draw a line between two points, enlarge the scale, and the kilometer count would be settled. If you're a bit weak, can't you at least walk 40 kilometers in a day? If you agree, you might get into trouble. The person drawing the line on the map doesn't care what's between those two points; it's just 40 kilometers - even if you have to turn into an armadillo or a monkey, you still have to get there. If you don't agree, that's even more troublesome. As a revolutionary warrior, being so calculating during training is problematic - what would happen if we were really fighting? If the leaders wanted to discipline you, they could immediately slap on a "fearing hardship and difficulty" label.

  Actually, sometimes Wang Hong and others are also very difficult. Training must be strict, of course. If it's not for the sake of punishing or penalizing, they will generally consider comprehensively, trying to reach a level that can complete tasks while exercising the troops. However, sometimes they really have a hard time. Clearly, on the map, a place is a primitive forest, but in reality, when they go to investigate, the local area has long been barren. Sometimes, originally on the map it should be flat and smooth, but in reality, it's already full of gullies and scars all over the place. After all, their military maps were drawn who knows how many years ago. Faced with such a situation, training is indeed very difficult.

  Wang Hong and his team didn't have any helicopters to call upon, they had to round up the entire battalion that was scattered all over the place. They had their own way of doing things. As soon as he received the order, Wang Hong notified several assembly points and started firing signal flares at intervals. This was pre-arranged before departure. Depending on the situation, they would fire different signal flares.

  The 15-man delegation sent by the French military was led by Colonel Henri. The team members were basically from the Second Parachute Battalion of the Foreign Legion, the French Army and the French Marine Corps. Bao Yulin knew at a glance that this was a new batch of trainees for the 29th Action Bureau of the French Intelligence Agency. Sure enough, Captain Martin, who came with them, quietly told Bao Yulin the news.

  "Baoyulin, are you really ready to retire? You know, in the French army, a lieutenant as young as you is extremely rare. And you have so many medals. I believe that if you continue to stay in the 29th Action Bureau, by the time you're 40, you'll be able to wear general's stars."

  To be honest, Martin still had some misgivings about Baoyulin's current rank. He was already 40 years old and only one rank higher than Baoyulin. Moreover, he didn't have as many merits as Baoyulin, and normally, by the time he became a colonel, he would be at retirement age. But Baoyulin was different; if there were no special circumstances and he didn't retire, he would definitely become a general before retiring.

  Martin said this to Baoyulin while they were eating.

  "Martin, you know I'm not afraid of death and I like the military profession. But I am Chinese, we Chinese people attach great importance to family, I hope to be with my family in China. This makes me more satisfied and happy than being a general." Bao Yulin said this with a smile all over his face.

  Looking at Bao Yulin's expression, Martin even thought he was mistaken. Having known Bao Yulin for so many years, he had never seen him like this before.

  "Wow, I found that you're really fast now, I'm starting to envy you a bit. As a friend, I'd love to meet your family sometime. Hmm, I think I'll prepare some small gifts for them." Martin's tone was quite certain.

  "My mother is in Guanglan City, but unfortunately she has an injury on her leg and was hit by a car. My sister and son are now in Panshi County, which is hundreds of kilometers away from Guanglan City. So I'm afraid it won't be easy for you to meet them." Bao Yulin explained with a smile.

  "My goodness, several hundred kilometers? Are they living abroad or something?" Several hundred kilometers is not a short distance for the French.

  "Captain Martin, you should know that China is a very large country. Some provinces are much larger than France. A province like the Northwest is relatively small in China. There are people whose families are spread across several provinces, separated by thousands of kilometers. This doesn't mean anything to me," said Bao Yulin nonchalantly.

  "This won't do, you know. Your mother is in the hospital and now your vacation has been cancelled. So your mother will have no one to take care of her. This is very unfair to you." Martin said indignantly.

  "It's okay, my mother received good care in the hospital, so I had time to accompany you." Bao Yulin was still very satisfied with the environment of Guanglan Military Region General Hospital, especially the service there made Bao Yulin feel at ease.

  "No, no, no. This is not enough!" Martin shook his head, knowing how Bao Yulin felt about home, he thought he should do something for Bao Yulin. As soon as he said this, without waiting for Bao Yulin to say anything, he ran out and went to the table where Charlie and Director Lan were eating.

  Watching Martin hurry out, Bao Yulin thought he was going to the bathroom and didn't pay attention.

  "Director Lan, do you know that Lieutenant Bao Yulin's mother is being treated in the hospital?" Captain Martin was a military man with a straightforward temperament. He didn't care that Charlie from the embassy was standing beside him.

  Colonel Charlie and Colonel Henry had no idea what Captain Martin meant. If he said he wanted to visit Lieutenant Pak Yul-lyeon's mother, it was not objectionable, so there was no dissuading speech.

  "Of course I know, I even went to visit Lieutenant Bao Yulin's mother two days ago." After hearing the translation, Director Lan was a bit puzzled, what is this Lieutenant Martin talking about?

  Here is the translation:

  "It's like this, when I was in France, I knew that Lieutenant Bao Yulin had always hoped to return to China and be with his family. Now he's back. But his sister and son are still hundreds of kilometers away, almost across the entire country. I think, with such a work environment, and having to take care of his mother, it's hard for Lieutenant Bao to complete his work. Is it really impossible for China, such a large country, to allow Lieutenant Bao's sister and child to come to Guanglan to work?"

  Captain Martin didn't care about anyone else's face, and spoke bluntly. In his opinion, being able to help Lieutenant Bao was a good thing, even if it wasn't possible. It wouldn't have any impact anyway. As for Charlie and Henry, Captain Martin wasn't afraid of them, they couldn't do anything to him.

  This is a bit of a meeting. Director Lan didn't have any information about Sister Bai Yulin, but as a matter of courtesy, he had to respond to Captain Martin's words, so he could only vaguely say: "Captain Martin, we will consider the issue you mentioned, and I will ask our leaders for their opinion later." If Martin were Chinese, he would know that Director Lan's leader was already referring to the provincial leadership. These leaders are far above a small public servant in Pan Shi County, and this is just an excuse.

  Martin wasn't deaf to the implication of those words, but this guy was a professional soldier, and once he made up his mind, he was very stubborn.

  "So when are you going to ask your leader? Or would you tell me who I should go find instead? If there's a chance, I think I'd also like to ask him?" Martin was being evasive.

  Director Lan's eyes were full of stars. He had received many foreign guests before, but he had never seen anyone as shameless as Martin. However, this was not something that could be said out loud.

  "Captain Martin, after I go back, I will contact my superior to see if we can arrange for Lieutenant Bai Yulin's sister, Dao Guanglan, to come work in the city. If everything goes smoothly, it won't take more than a few days." At this point, Director Lan had to treat this matter as a single case. Otherwise, if Captain Martin really asked his superiors about it, it would be considered dereliction of duty on his part.

  "Thank you so much. I think Lieutenant Bao Yulin would be very happy if he really did this." Captain Martin smiled, but Director Lan felt that it was a smile with a hidden knife.

  "Martin, the issue of Lieutenant Pak Yul-lyn's sister's employment should be handled by the Northwestern Provincial Government. As guests, we should respect our host's wishes if they deem such an arrangement necessary. Moreover, it won't affect Lieutenant Pak's work; that's their problem, not yours to worry about. Fortunately, Director Lan has already agreed to help resolve this matter; otherwise, your actions would have brought shame to the French government and army."

  Colonel Henry has always thought that Bao Yulin is a very good soldier and subordinate. Especially after he entered the 29th Action Bureau, his excellent performance several times made Henry receive praise from his superiors many times. Now there is only this opportunity to do a favor, of course, he will not let it go.

  Seeing Lieutenant Martin's performance and hearing Colonel Henry's words, Charlie understood the meaning of these two people. The anti-war had nothing to do with him. He also said that his impression of Bao Yulin was not bad, so he hurriedly helped to speak.

  "Director Lan, your work attitude and sense of responsibility have deeply moved me. I am very satisfied with the cooperation and exchange between us and the Foreign Affairs Office of Shaanxi Province. Your attitude towards our French military officers' families has made the French government feel the friendship of the Chinese government, especially the Shaanxi provincial government, towards France. After returning home, I will convey to our ambassador and through him to the French government the friendship of the Chinese government and the Shaanxi provincial government. I think that the French government will respond to the friendly attitude of the Chinese government and the Shaanxi provincial government."

  Who says only Chinese people like playing word games? Diplomats like Charlie are all smooth talkers, aren't they? Anyone can issue an empty check, but the key is to do it skillfully. For example, if I give you a check for 1 million, but my account only has 990,000, I'm not saying I don't have good intentions, it's just that I have some cash flow problems. Anyway, it will be impossible for you to cash the check.

  At this point, Director Lan realized that it seemed that Sister Bao Yulin's work problem had to be handled as a big deal, otherwise, if the matter was pursued, it would not be good and might even become a diplomatic incident. If things were handled for this reason, Northwestern Province would become a laughing stock.

  "Don't worry about this matter, our country and government have always been very concerned about the construction of China-France friendship. To the best of our abilities, we are willing to take a step forward in promoting the development of China-France friendship. The situation of Lieutenant Bai Yulin and his family has also been a concern for us. Some time ago, Lieutenant Bai Yulin's mother was hospitalized due to a traffic accident. After understanding the situation, we quickly transferred his mother to the best hospital in our northwest province for treatment. We also know that due to the exchange between the Chinese and French military police, Lieutenant Bai Yulin has many tasks, even canceling his vacation. To allow Lieutenant Bai Yulin to work with peace of mind, we asked the hospital to dispatch experienced medical staff to care for his mother, ensuring that her treatment would not be delayed due to lack of care from him. You can rest assured on this matter." Director Lan said, and then changed the subject, clearly unwilling to continue discussing this topic.

  "This time, the exchange between the military and police of China and France. We hope to seek common ground while reserving differences, learn from practical experience, and find the most suitable way for our country's armed police to progress. In this regard, my level and ability are limited, fortunately, Comrade Wang Qiang, the commander of the Guanglan detachment of the Northwest Province Armed Police Corps is here, I think, what requirements and suggestions do you have, we can discuss whatever aspects you'd like. Let's just talk freely."

  Director Lan's ball has been kicked out. Then, a group of military personnel including Bao Yulin and Wang Qiang, Liu Feng and others from the Guanglan City Armed Police Brigade came to the conference room of the Guanglan Branch of the Armed Police, and everyone began to discuss the details of the rehearsal, performance, confrontation and other work.

  That night. Everyone basically confirmed the implementation method and content. Specifically, this exchange was due to different arms and tasks, so only some common projects could be selected for exchange. This mainly includes aspects.

  First, the overall military quality performance. This includes obstacle crossing, armed fording, cross-country, climbing, and shooting.

  Second, team project. The directing department of both China and France sets up a hypothetical enemy together, and the two sides draw lots to take the stage, with comprehensive evaluation based on task completion scores and time. Third, personal skills performance. There will be personal skills performances such as capture and grappling combat and hard qigong. Generally speaking, this is where Chinese people will perform exceptionally well.

  The next morning. The training ground of the Gulan detachment of the Xinjiang Armed Police Corps in Northwest China. The officers and men of the Chinese People's Armed Police Force Gulan Detachment saw a scene that left them speechless. Among the 17 French people, including Ambassador Charles and Bao Yulin, only 12 were actually working.

  Charlie was woken up early by Henry. After arriving at the training ground, Charlie hung a hammock and continued to sleep. How to transform the training ground is a military matter, he represents the attitude of the French government on site. According to last night's discussion, the French military believes that this armed police obstacle can no longer meet the needs of special operations and must be rebuilt.

  Wang Qiang obtained permission from the Northwest Provincial Armed Police Corps: let the French people toss and turn, if they can stay, if not, then change back. So Wang Qiang agreed to allow the French to modify the obstacle course according to their own reasonable methods. He thought the French would make a big show of calling in a bunch of engineering machinery, but before they even got out of bed, the French living in the barracks were already at work with shovels, pickaxes and tape measures.

  According to the habits of Chinese soldiers, at any time, leading cadres must set an example personally, suffer first and enjoy later. However, this is not the tradition of the French, especially the 29th Action Bureau. As a soldier and new recruit, you must unconditionally obey the orders of your superiors, including when they instruct new recruits to set up obstacles.

  The armed police officers who were doing their morning exercises saw several French military officers loudly reprimanding the sweating French soldiers in front of each obstacle, including Bao Yulin. Every task they completed was measured with a ruler. However, although the officers were also wearing training uniforms, they were spotless. This formed a strong contrast that made the armed police officers from Guanglan City very uncomfortable.

  After completing the required number of laps for morning exercises, the People's Armed Police Guanglan Branch Team dismissed their formation. A few bold soldiers gradually approached closer and closer to the French soldiers' sweat-drenched work site.

  It didn't matter originally. However, as he watched the gradually increasing number of people, Colonel Henry's eyebrows furrowed, and his heart moved. He beckoned over Bao Yulin, biting his ear and saying a few words.

  Bao Yulin was uncomfortable watching the soldiers of the Wujiang Guanglan detachment standing on the side. In fact, he wasn't unwilling to dig obstacles with the soldiers, but in the French army, the concept of rank is very clear, and these things are just for soldiers. Moreover, for new recruits from the 29th Action Bureau, this was also a training exercise, so he didn't participate in the repair and renovation of the obstacles, only directing and supervising on the side.

  Colonel Henry finished speaking and Bao Yulin turned around and left the training ground, heading straight to the headquarters of the Armed Police Guanglan Brigade.

  After a few days of contact, everyone knew Bao Yulin, and they all knew that he was actually Chinese. The communication with the French side was basically done by him. When Bao Yulin entered the office building, the armed police standing guard gave him a salute: "The captain and the political commissar are in the innermost office on the third floor, please go!" Everyone had been informed that when Lieutenant Bao came to find the captain or the political commissar, no matter what the situation was, they must report immediately.

  Bao Yulin pushed open the captain's office on the third floor when Wang Hong and Liu Feng were discussing something.

  "Report! Lieutenant Bao Yulin of the French Army requests an audience!" Bao Yulin shouted at the entrance, dressed in his uniform, and everything would be done according to regulations from now on.

  "Come on in, Xiao Bao! There's no one else here!" Liu Feng said casually, hoping to create a more friendly atmosphere.

  "Reporting to Captain Wang Hong and Political Commissar Liu Feng. I have been ordered by Colonel Henri of the French army to contact your military. Since some of your soldiers were watching our soldiers work on the obstacle course without realizing that the demonstration was taking place on Chinese territory, Colonel Henri requires that all your soldiers who participated in the observation should have already mastered the obstacle setting. In order to be fair, we request that you build another obstacle course, and then the two armies will exchange venues for the competition to demonstrate fairness!" Baoyulin's words were very calm, just like a messenger. However, the effect on Wang Hong and Liu Feng was different. Their first reaction was to rush to the window to observe the situation on the playground, where at least 20 soldiers were standing in front of the obstacle course watching the French soldiers work.

  "Order the guards to line up, and for every officer and soldier watching the commotion on the drill ground, count them one by one, and get them all under control. In a moment, have them all pick up their gear, referencing the French army's obstacles, set up an obstacle course on the other side of the drill ground! If not, everyone will be waiting for punishment!" Wang Hong was furious.

  The guard platoon completed the task quickly, and soon none of the armed police from Guanglan Branch were left on the scene. After bringing in tools, they began to build obstacles on the other side of the playground according to the specifications of the French army.

  At this time, it was the turn of the French soldiers to laugh. After all, they were modifying the existing obstacles with the Armed Police Guanglan Branch Team, while the brothers of the Guanglan Branch Team had to build a new obstacle, and the amount of work was not comparable.

  That night, until late at night, the sound of shouting and scolding by the armed police officers from Guanglan Branch could still be heard on the playground.