Chapter 45: The Eve of Departure (Seeking Bookmarks)

  Inside Nanjing's De Feng Building, the waiters in the store had already recognized Wang Mingyu and his group. They had been to De Feng Building several times before, always occupying the same private room. At a glance, they were either wealthy or of high social status. Although De Feng Building was not the best restaurant in Nanjing, its expenses were still quite high. Moreover, the waiters knew that these individuals were students from the Central Military Academy, who might become future generals. Who dared to offend them? And who could afford to offend them? This was an era of war after all.

  After arranging the private room, Wang Mingyu and others entered the private room. After entering the door, Wang Mingyu said with a slightly reluctant expression: "Everyone, this may be our last time coming here to eat, haha, let's get together well today! Don't leave without getting drunk!"

  "Captain, why is it the last time?" Li Xianyu asked with some confusion.

  Wang Mingyu laughed and scolded: "From now on, we'll have a whole regiment of brothers, a whole regiment of brothers coming to eat here, do you want to starve me to death? Besides, our regiment is stationed in western Zhejiang, did they come all the way to Nanjing just for a meal?"

  Several people laughed after hearing this, and at this time Sun Dabao brought Sun Xue to the De Feng Building with a smile. Seeing Sun Xue, Wang Mingyu's heart also skipped a beat. It's not bad that there are personal concerns when talking about love. However, when the two met, they were a little shy. Under the gaze of everyone, Sun Xue still sat beside Wang Mingyu.

  But the crowd was also filled with kind eyes, because everyone knew that today might also be the day of Wang Mingyu and Sun Xue's separation, after which they would go their separate ways, who knows when they would have so many opportunities again? Moreover, it is now wartime, who knows when a battle will break out and they will disappear in an instant, by then, what they can see might only be a pile of ashes.

  Wang Mingyu saw that everyone had arrived, raised his glass and said: "After two years of hard training, we finally graduated from the Central Military Academy. For our graduation, for our future, cheers!"

  "Cheers!" several people exclaimed excitedly.

  After drinking, Wang Mingyu said to Sun Xue: "Xiao Xue, three days later we will go to the troops to report, and in the future when I am not here, you must take good care of yourself. I will find time to come see you."

  Sun Xue said: "Ming Yu, where are you going? I'm about to graduate soon too. I want to apply to be a reporter, what do you think?"

  Wang Mingyu smiled and said: "Okay, but you're going to Shanghai alone, how can I be at ease? This time we're going to Zhebei, the only advantage is that it's very close to my home."

  "It's not just me, several people from our school are going there too."

  Wang Mingyu thought for a moment and said: "If there are many people, I will feel more at ease. However, you must stay in the concession area and never run around randomly. Whenever something happens, come find me."

  Sun Xue nodded happily, and Wang Mingyu continued: "Once the war breaks out, you immediately withdraw, don't make any mistakes, do you understand?"

  Sun Xue nodded, but at that time Wang Mingyu would know. When reporters have a characteristic, as long as there is material, what danger, what else are just floating clouds. Wang Mingyu had never been a reporter and didn't know this.

  Several others also had smiles on their faces, discussing their future directions. They felt very secure and satisfied following Wang Mingyu. Everyone was happily chatting, except for Sun Xue's eyes which hid a hint of sorrowful farewell. Wang Mingyu knew this but he was powerless to do anything about it. If he wanted to live a comfortable life, he wouldn't have chosen to join the army in the first place. In chaotic times, without joining the army, one wouldn't even have the means to protect oneself, let alone protect one's family or country?

  Sun Xue also knew Wang Mingyu's difficulties, she also knew that at the moment of national survival, personal feelings were not allowed, but the sadness of parting was not something she could control. People become richer because they have emotions. Soldiers participate in battles so that their children and grandchildren can have a peaceful era, a stable environment. Sun Xue's gaze at Wang Mingyu softened unconsciously.

  Although they can't be together now, Wang Mingyu still wants to give Sun Xue a promise, a reassuring one. Wang Mingyu pulls Sun Xue in front of everyone and says: "Everyone, Xiaoxue is my girlfriend, and she will be my wife in the future. I swear that for this lifetime, I won't let her down. Please, brothers, bear witness to this oath. If I break it, may I suffer thus!" After saying that, he smashes his wine cup on the ground.

  Wang Mingyu's sudden action left several people stunned at first, then they started cheering, and even Li Xianyu was shouting that he wanted to drink wedding wine and have a son soon. Wang Mingyu was so angry that he wanted to hit him, this kid, how could such a serious matter become a joke in his mouth? However, it was precisely the teasing of Li Xianyu and others that made Sun Xue more relaxed and also solved her own knot. Sun Xue's face suddenly turned red, she lowered her head and didn't speak, feeling happy and content in her heart, what more could she want from such a man?

  After a while, Li Xianyu said: "Captain, you're really something!"

  Wang Mingyu ignored the crowd's teasing and looked at Sun Xue with deep affection, saying "Xiao Xue, look at me!" Sun Xue slightly raised her head, and as soon as their eyes met, she immediately lowered her head again.

  Wang Mingyu said softly: "Xiaoxue, although I can't be with you now, don't worry, it won't take a few years, and I'll come back to pick you up!"

  Sun Xue nodded and stopped talking, while the others chimed in: "Chairman's wife is great!"

  Wang Mingyu laughed and scolded: "You few poor mouths, you'd better be satisfied with your poverty."

  Several people started chatting with each other, as if the joke earlier had nothing to do with them. It was as if they were afraid of Wang Mingyu's revenge, but in reality, it was just to let Wang Mingyu and Sun Xue have a better conversation and cherish every second they spent together.

  Wang Mingyu pulled Sun Xue aside and began whispering to her, while the others were discussing the current situation and future development.

  After a while, Wang Mingyu said to several people: "This time going to the 318th Regiment is not easy. We are all newly graduated, although we are graduates of the Central Military Academy, but those old soldiers may not necessarily buy our accounts! Seniority is still very important. Moreover, we have no military achievements at all."

  Li Xianyu said with some concern: "The captain is right, but don't get kicked out after being the captain for only two days, or you'll have nowhere to go in the future!"

  Sun Dabao's expression was also slightly tense, saying: "The biggest problem is that it can't convince the masses, but Captain, I think this problem doesn't need to be worried about. First of all, you were appointed by the Chairman, and no one dares to set a trap for you. Secondly, with your skills, new soldiers and old soldiers are not as good as you, it's just killing a chicken to show the monkey, those people can't help but listen to you."

  Several others nodded in agreement with Sun Dabao's words.

  Wang Mingyu smiled and said, "Although they may not obey me at first, I believe it won't take a few days for them to change their minds. Now my main thought is how to build the 318 Regiment into an iron-clad army, an invincible army."

  "Squad leader, do you have any ideas?" Li Xianyu asked. "I have ideas, but implementing them is indeed not easy," Wang Mingyu said. "So I'll let you in on a secret: although the two months of training last time were good, the time was very rushed, and with graduation these past few months, we've stagnated. So when we get to the troops, the first thing we need to do is select a batch of smart people with special talents to train together with you, forming an elite squad of around 50-100 people. The elite squad must be top-notch!" Sun Dabao said: "We have no objections to this, and we can also bring them along, teaching them everything we've learned."

  Wang Mingyu said, "I will make arrangements for these things later. However, this time when I go to the 318th Regiment, I must win over people's hearts and not let the troops become unstable. The military pay is definitely guaranteed, so I plan to take out some money myself to improve everyone's food, but they will receive my most intense training."

  Several people cast sympathetic glances, which were clearly for the sake of those guys from the 318 squad later on.

  "Alright, let's discuss the specific plan when we arrive at the troops! Xiao Xue, I'll send you back now!"

  Xun Xue nodded and then said goodbye to a few people before returning to school.

  Wang Mingyu accompanied Sun Xue all the way, and finally gave Sun Xue a lot of money to rent a better house in Shanghai's concession area, and also brought her mother from Nanjing over. Sun Xue didn't decline, after saying goodbye to Sun Xue, Wang Mingyu walked alone on the small path of Jinling Girls' Middle School, thinking about how to train his subordinates, now the training method must be combined with the current actual situation, so it's also a very headache problem.

  As I walked, I suddenly heard someone shouting my name from a distance. I turned around in surprise and found it was Qian Liye, so I smiled and walked over to him.

  Wang Mingyu said happily: "Mr. Qian, you're back! How have you been?"

  Qian Liye also smiled and said, "You too, hehe, counting the days, you should be graduating soon, right?" Qian Liye just wanted to ask about the situation, which was a characteristic of being an underground party.

  Wang Mingyu said with a smile: "Yes, time really flies, and before you know it, graduation is here!"

  Qian Liye said: "After graduation, what are your plans?"

  Wang Mingyu didn't hide his smile and said: "I've already received the appointment, I'll go report for duty in two days!"

  Qian Liye's expression was indeed so, "Oh, I reckon so too. As a top student from the Central Military Academy, someone must have snatched you up quickly, haha, which company are you in now?" It wasn't strange for Qian Liye to ask this way, generally speaking, those who graduated from military academy usually started as platoon leaders or company commanders.

  "67th Division 318th Regiment!"

  Qian Liye said: "Well, it's a good place! How about it? Let's go have a drink when we're free?"

  "Keep it for next time, I'll treat you next time!" He said and waved goodbye before leaving.

  Qian Liye watched as Wang Mingyu walked further and further away, lost in thought. He had no idea that his future would intersect with this seemingly ordinary young man in countless ways.

  Wang Mingyu didn't want to have dinner with Qian Liye mainly because his appointment had just been announced, and he estimated that more people would start paying attention. The omnipresent Military-Intelligence agents still needed to be guarded against, in case one day Qian Liye's identity was exposed, then his own plan would be disrupted.

  However, because of Wang Mingyu's refusal this time, he unknowingly distanced himself from Nie Sisi. If Wang Mingyu goes to have dinner with Qian Liye this time, he might even run into Nie Sisi.