The First Section: From Grassroots to Soldiers

  Liu Dongliang was originally a lonely retired scout, after demobilization and returning home, he found a relaxed but low-paying security job, which lasted for five years. At the age of 30, he still had no achievements, not even a wife, and only managed to become a mediocre squadron leader, managing a group of old, weak and disabled soldiers, with an income that barely covered his living expenses. Fortunately, Liu Dongliang, who was born optimistic and straightforward, did not indulge in romantic affairs during this period. Full of energy, willing to help others, decisive in action, intelligent and clever, with exceptional talent - this is the consistent evaluation given by everyone who knows this big boy.

  "Boss Liu, Boss Liu, that scrap collector at the west gate is here again!" Old Zhang shouted loudly with a pouting mouth as he walked up to Liu Shuangliang.

  Liu Dongliang sat on the chair and blinked his small eyes, hehe smiled: "What's wrong, Master Zhang, can't you handle him being topped back?"

  Old Zhang's face turned red with anger: "How can you be so shameless? I've already persuaded him seven or eight times, and each time he has a more reasonable and sufficient reason. I couldn't convince him, so it's up to you, my brother, to take action personally."

  Liu Dongliang stood up, lit a Zhongnanhai cigarette, took a deep drag, and put the cigarette and the imported multi-functional lighter with a color screen that his ex-girlfriend had left him as a memento into his breast pocket. The woman had been very affectionate towards him, but in the end, she was forced by her family to marry a wealthy man because Liu Dongliang didn't have a car, a house, or a good social status. However, less than half a year after the woman got married, she still missed Liu Dongliang and thought about his many good qualities, so now they are somewhat unclear but very pure friends. In fact, Liu Dongliang has also been unable to extricate himself from that relationship, so the lighter has always been inseparable from him.

  Liu Dongliang followed Old Zhang to the west gate, and indeed saw Sun Dahai, a typical Hebei native who had become notorious among all the security guards in this compound for being lazy. A middle-aged man who was busy for several months of the year, with over 10 mu of land at home, yet still ran a small scrap recycling station, was intercepted by two security guards beside the artificial hill in the compound.

  "I say, Old Sun, this is the third time I've seen you sneak in this week, right? You really think our security post is just for show, don't you? You think we're all just vegetarians?" Liu Dongliang said with a smile as he walked up to Sun Dahai.

  Sun Dahi has a nickname, "Sun Big Toad", because he has a toad-like mouth and is notorious for being lazy. Seeing Liu Zuoliang appear again: "I say Liu team ah, today is weekend ah, why are you still not resting? Hehe, this is also helpless, in order to earn more and spend less, our family and that girl all need tuition fees, hehe, you just turn a blind eye."

  Liu Dongliang looked at the dirty and tattered mouth of the frog, his eyebrows furrowed in concern: "I was willing to turn a blind eye to you, but what about the surveillance cameras and these property owners? They will ask us security guards about this. Just recently, because of your reckless behavior, the homeowners' committee held a meeting to fire us. You know, my brother's monthly income is at least 3,000 to 5,000 yuan, while we work over 10 hours a day and only get a little overtime pay, which is less than half of what you earn. Some people rely on this salary to support their families, some use it to fund their own education, some use it to supplement their household income, and some use it to send their children to university. Can you bear the thought of us losing our jobs because of your bravery and cleverness?"

  Sun Dahai also knew the situation of Liu Zhuoliang and his men, and said somewhat awkwardly: "Hehe, this, this, okay, Captain Liu. Next time we won't come in, alright?"

  Liu Dongliang looked at the toad that had been told not to enter for less than thirty times and said to his team leader Zhao Feng: "Madman, deduct points, toad. This time you want to go out again, we really should be laid off. What can we say? You also have to pay a fine to the property management as a symbol. Otherwise, with so many people watching, we really can't argue."

  "No, no, Liu, ah, you're a good person, who doesn't know that? Really, next time we won't cause trouble for the brothers, okay?" Looking at Zhao Feng, he didn't even lift his head and took out a big lock to lock up the front wheel of his electric tricycle. Sun Dahai jumped up anxiously.

  Liu Dongliang didn't bother to respond, and instead turned around and walked towards the property management office. His job was tedious and required him to accept what was known as "dual management". The income wasn't high either, but Liu Dongliang didn't have any particularly good skills. He had studied cooking, but by the time he finished, many of his classmates had already learned it too. He tried studying car repair, but just as he finished, he found that seven or eight people around him had been doing it for a long time. He even tried studying electrical appliance repair, but just as he finished, he discovered that the kid next door had opened up their own shop. It wasn't until he finally learned computer programming that things seemed to be looking up, but by the time he got his certification, everyone in society already had one. He only worked as a network administrator for a few months and spent over a year playing online games privately. Later, he went on to try out nearly twenty different careers, including advertising sales, wine sales, auto repair worker, motorcycle repair worker, home appliance repairman, nightclub service staff, mover, construction worker, restaurant waiter, doorman, hot pot restaurant prep cook, and construction carpenter. He had tried almost every type of job that society had to offer, but it wasn't until he stumbled upon this industry by chance that he finally found a place where he didn't need any special skills. In the end, he stayed in this line of work for five years without ever switching careers again.

  Liu Dongliang walked straight to the property without looking back, while Sun Dahai followed behind him, speaking kindly and trying to placate him. This time, Liu Dongliang had made up his mind to deal with this notorious slacker once and for all. Otherwise, he would be scolded by the property managers who liked to play office politics every now and then because of his frequent intrusions.

  They're almost at the property entrance, Sun Dahai became anxious: "I'm saying, Liu, are you intentionally making things difficult for me?" Turning around, Liu Zuoliang glanced at this big loafer and continued walking forward, saying: "I let you live, is it that you don't let us live a good life?"

  As soon as the words fell, he suddenly felt a chill in his back, turned around to see Sun Dahai already turning and running away, with Zhao Feng and Old Zhang standing on the side staring at him. Liu Dongliang subconsciously reached behind him from his shoulder and touched the knife handle inserted into his back: "Old Zhang, call the police, madman, catch him..." Then he sat down on the ground with a thud, feeling a surge of heat in his chest. During his time in the army, Liu Dongliang had learned some basic first aid knowledge during military exercises and knew that it was best for him not to move to reduce blood circulation. Watching Zhao Feng chase after Sun Dahai, Old Zhang yelled while running towards the property management office, still on the phone. But soon, Liu Dongliang felt his heart rate slowing down, slower and slower, the feeling of death approaching. On a small island in the South China Sea, he hadn't been killed by a missile, nor had he been shot dead by a poisonous dart at the border, but now, on this ordinary post, he was stabbed in the heart by an unremarkable person. Thinking back to his life, did everyone think like this when they were about to die? Gradually, gradually, Liu Dongliang lost consciousness and awareness. This exhausting society no longer had anything to do with him, but what about his mother back in his hometown? Gradually, gradually, Liu Dongliang felt that he was no longer breathing, death was approaching step by step, and he was dead. There were still so many things he hadn't experienced, it was really a pity...

  The aftermath of the incident Liu Dongliang would never know, after he was stabbed to death by a grassroots waste collector who was also driven to desperation by society. The murderer was sentenced to death three months later. Liu Dongliang's company took advantage of the situation to improve its security reputation in society and awarded him the title of "Advanced Individual for Bravery" and posthumously recognized him as a martyr, but all this had nothing to do with him anymore.

  "Come on, you bastards! Hurry up! Wei Jun doesn't want any slackers. Everyone, get your spirits up and train properly!" A loud, hoarse shout echoed across the eastern training grounds of Jianchang County, where a group of cavalry soldiers were in the midst of their drills.

  Liu Dongliang was clearly aware that he had been stabbed by the old rag collector, but when he woke up, he found himself wearing an old-fashioned military uniform. He had also traveled through time and space to 1918, October, and became a platoon leader in the Left Guard Army, which was the last branch of the Qing dynasty's hard-fighting army. Every day, he followed this private armed force, which had become Jiang Gui's personal capital, for training. The one shouting orders was Sun Congzhou, the commander of the 18th Regiment of the 4th Brigade of the 2nd Division of the Left Guard Army stationed in Rehe Jianchang, a veteran military officer from Anhui Maoshan who was already over 40 years old.

  It's been over 20 days since I arrived in this era, but Liu Zhuangliang still finds it difficult to face his current self. Name: Liu Mingjiu, courtesy name Boming, currently 18 years old, ancestral home is Gaomi, Shandong Province, birth time according to his father's old comrade is Xin Chou year, Ren Chen month, Xin Wei day (Liu Mingjiu himself calculated for over 10 days and figured out it should be the fifth day of the third lunar month in 1901), born and raised in Jianchang, Rehe Province as a half-local. Orphaned at a young age, his father died on the battlefield, and his mother passed away five years ago. He relied on his uncle Liu Zhen De, who was a deputy company commander in the 18th battalion of the Left Wuwei Army, to survive until he was 16 years old, and also managed to get into the Chengde Military Middle School through his own efforts. His family originally had their ancestral home in Shandong Province and valued martial arts for generations, so from the age of eight, he practiced some Baguaquan and Tantui. Later, he followed one of his uncle's old subordinates and learned five years of Shaolin Liuhequan, Tongbei Quan, Liuhe Yangshou Gun, Liuhe Dandao, Ditang Shuangdao, Luohan Quan, and Longzhua Shou seven skills.

  Two years ago, Liu Zhen De also died in the Pingding River rebellion. According to his uncle's last will, Sun Cong Zhou took Liu Ming Jiu, who was still a sophomore at Jianchang Middle School, into the army. At first, he served as a secretary officer specializing in literature and logic. Later, seeing that Liu Ming Jiu was physically strong and healthy, he regained his original owner's memory through physical exercise and relearned his kung fu skills, becoming a rare opponent in the entire regiment. Therefore, Sun Cong Zhou sent him to the 18th Regiment, 2nd Battalion, 4th Company, where he replaced an old soldier who had retired and returned home, becoming the platoon leader of the 2nd Platoon of the 4th Company.