Chapter Seven

  When Han Peng came to find me with 12 soldiers, Zheng Hui and I were just carrying our luggage out of the gate of the reception building. Han Peng saw me, stepped forward and saluted, jokingly saying: "Captain, what are you doing? Are you moving house?"

  "Haha, yeah, moving. This isn't about not knowing the new home, I was just looking for you, General, to show me the way. Best if you can take me straight to the new place! By the way, you'll have to cover all the transportation costs!" I said with a smile.

  "Go ahead, Captain. Anyway, the travel expenses will be deducted from the team's budget, if not enough, then from our captain's salary, one month is not enough, then two months, and so on until it's enough."

  "Haha, haha!" We all burst out laughing after hearing it.

  After laughing for a while, Han Peng still had a smile on his face and said to me: "Captain, I'd like to introduce our new comrades." As soon as I heard this, I immediately focused my attention on the 12 soldiers standing behind Han Peng. Han Peng turned around and pointed to one of them, a tall and sturdy man with a honest-looking face, saying: "This is Comrade Li Qi, formerly from the Military Region's Guard Regiment, now he will be the leader of our regiment's guard company."

  Li Qi stepped forward, saluted and said: "Commander!"

  I returned a military salute and said, "Welcome! Comrade Li Qi." However, I looked at him in his soldier uniform and was a bit puzzled, asking doubtfully, "What's with your military uniform?"

  "Oh! I just got released from the investigation team today, and as soon as I received orders from my superiors that there was a new job, I came." Li Qi said with a bit of embarrassment, scratching his head.

  "En." I nodded.

  Han Peng walked over to a thin man in his forties and introduced him, saying: "This is Comrade Sun Hao. He used to be the logistics officer of the military region, now he's the head of the logistics department of our 53rd regiment and also the commander of the transportation company."

  Sun Hao stepped forward, saluted me with a military salute and said: "Commander. Sun Hao has been ordered to report for duty."

  I also saluted and replied, "Director Sun welcomes you." I saw that he was wearing a soldier's uniform. Before I could ask him anything, he had already answered, "I was just released today too."

  I nodded in agreement.

  Han Peng continued to introduce with his hands: "Guo Wei, formerly of the 38th Army, is an electronics expert and currently serves as the platoon leader of our 53rd Regiment's communications platoon."

  A man in his thirties, of short stature, with a scar on his face, saluted me and said, "Commander, Guo Wei has been ordered to report for duty."

  "Welcome, Comrade Guo Wei." I returned a military salute and said, "Just out too, right?" He nodded after hearing me, but didn't say anything.

  Han Peng pointed at a eighteen or nineteen years old soldier and said: "Liu Hu, new recruit. He is the guard arranged by the military region to be under your command."

  Liu Hu stepped forward, saluted me with a military salute, and said loudly: "Commander, I will definitely take good care of your safety."

  I was delighted, do I still need him to protect me? Walking up front, stretching out my hand, he saw a stiff expression, and hastily shook hands with me. As I exerted force, I said: "Welcome, Comrade Liu Hu." After finishing, I patted his shoulder and said: "Not bad, not bad." Ah, being able to withstand 60% of the strength in my hand without changing color, he has the qualifications to be my bodyguard.

  Han Peng pointed to the remaining eight warriors and said, "These few belong to our team's guard company, responsible for our safety work on the road." I also went up one by one and greeted them. I smiled back at Li Qi and said, "Li Qi Company Commander, you have 8 soldiers now, unlike us who are still empty-handed commanders."

  Haha...

  Han Peng smiled and said: "Captain, let's set off now. We'll take the military train to Lanzhou. Coincidentally, a batch of troops is returning to Lanzhou for rotation."

  I took a look and said: "Old Han, are you all ready?"

  "It's all right."

  "Alright, let's go, depart."

  When Old Han led us to the four military vehicles, we found out that their luggage had been loaded onto the large vehicle. After the soldiers finished loading our luggage, I waved my hand and said, "Let's go." The vehicle sped quickly towards the train station.

  The Military Region Command. Jiang Hong, the political commissar, said to Yao Yuan, the commander: "Old Yao, I just heard a report from the investigation team's comrades. You had 3 suspects taken away by your men. What's going on?"

  "What suspect? I'm taking away a comrade, not some suspect."

  "You..."

  "All right, all right. This is the decision made by our Military Region Party Committee." said Zhang Sheng, the Chief of Staff beside him.

  "What a joke! I'm the political commissar of the military region! How could I not know about this decision? And why wasn't I notified when you held the meeting?"

  "Notified, you're not here," said General Zhang.

  "My secretary didn't inform me."

  "Oh! You all happen to be out." Zhang Sheng said with a smile.

  "You! Alright, I demand this decision be revoked. This was clearly made while I wasn't at the meeting!"

  Commander Yao slammed his hand on the table, stood up and angrily said: "You're playing a discordant note! This is undisciplined and unorganized. I'm declaring once again that 'this was a decision made by the Military Region Party Committee', even if you were present it wouldn't have mattered, in the end the vote would still be 6 to 1, the minority must obey the majority, it's passed!"

  "What?! I'm undisciplined and unorganized? You are!"

  "Comrade Jiang Hong, don't get agitated, your opinions can also be reserved! But this is a decision made through organizational discussion and has already been implemented. If you do it that way, our military region won't become like 'changing orders in the morning and evening' and playing 'household games', will it? That would damage the prestige of the military region!" Zhang Sheng explained beside him.

  "Hum! I'm telling you, Jiang Hong, don't shout anymore, it's useless even if you do! By the way, there's something else. There are still 10 comrades who need to come out from the investigation team. Here is the list, take a look." Commander Yao said, putting a list on the table.

  Jiang Hongzheng walked over, picked it up and took a look, immediately jumping up and saying: "No way, absolutely not. These people are determined not to let go!"

  "What? What's wrong?" Commander Yao said with a slanted gaze.

  Jiang Hong angrily said: "These people are actually the hidden enemy agents and spies within our party and army, and some of them used to be bandits and robbers!"

  "What special agent thief? I didn't know anything about it?" Commander Yao said nonchalantly.

  "You don't know? Alright! Look, Xing Kaiyuan, you should know him, wasn't he the biggest bandit in Northwest before? And this one, He Jianbo! He used to be a regimental commander of the Nationalist Party..."

  "Halt, halt!" Commander Yao interrupted him, "Comrade Xing Kaiyuan is a former bandit leader. But that was in the past! He fought against the Japanese devils and joined our party's revolutionary ranks during the Liberation War. He made great contributions to New China; Comrade He Jianbo has been an undercover agent within the enemy's army, providing us with crucial intelligence multiple times, greatly contributing to our military victories. Can't these facts prove that he is an excellent Communist Party member? Are they secret agents or bandits? Is this what you say counts?"

  "And also, they have been investigated for some time now, Jiang Zhengwei! Does your investigation team have any concrete evidence to prove it?" Zhang Sheng asked again.

  "Alright, alright! I won't argue with you anymore. I'll report to the Military Commission instead. I still don't believe it! Yao Yuan, Zhang Sheng, can you continue to cover up the sky?" Jiang Hong said in a flustered tone.

  "Don't bother seeing me off!" Commander Yao Yuan said with a lot of character.

  Jiang Hongzheng turned around and walked away, just as he reached the door, he heard Yao Yuan's voice behind him, "By the way, I've already sent someone to invite those comrades on the list, so don't bother! You need to remember that these things are just a notification to you, not for you to decide. The reason those people came out is the decision of the Military Region Party Committee!" Jiang Hongzheng's body jerked violently after hearing this, and then he slammed the door shut heavily.