Who taught you to be a soldier like this!

Chapter 555 A Change of Fortune. [Please subscribe! Please vote with monthly tickets!]

"The journey to building a strong military is never-ending!"

The words fell to the ground.

Zhao Weihong adjusted her posture, stood at attention, and met the gazes that were either unfriendly or sharp without flinching.

At this moment, Zhao Weihong is not only universally condemned, but also utterly despised by the masses.

This is the price we have to pay for "firing" at two ace strategists, especially one with a deep connection to Zhao Weihong.

Especially after hearing Zhao Weihong's summary, many cadres like Zheng Zairong became even more convinced of their judgment, believing that Zhao Weihong was just trying to attract attention with empty slogans, or even to gain capital for promotion.

Building a strong military is a never-ending journey.
They're certainly making a lot of noise about their slogans!

But what's the use?

If shouting slogans could lead troops and fight battles well, then what would be the point of having these people?
However, while many people share the same view, not all do.

However, some people, after a brief moment of thought, sensed something unusual and thus grasped the deeper meaning behind the slogan!
This included the senior commanders on the podium, as well as Zhou Kehu and Peng Jia'an in the audience!

“Pah, pah. Pah.”

In the midst of a somewhat oppressive silence, a solitary ovation broke out from the podium.

Many cadres immediately turned their gazes in anger, wanting to see who was applauding Zhao Weihong, who was opposing the Heavenly Gang!

What came into view was Deputy Chief Wei's aged appearance, and his hands clapping slowly but continuously.

Sparse applause immediately spread outwards from the podium, centered on Vice Commander Wei, like pebbles thrown into a calm lake, creating echoes in layers!

Whether it's genuine or feigned, whether it's agreement or resistance.

The applause grew louder and louder, and after a few seconds, it finally reached the last corner of the venue!
During this process, Zhao Weihong slowly raised her right hand.

Before him stood the shield of the Republic, above him fluttered the red flag, and his gaze lingered on the distant rooftop, where the solemn national emblem reflected the radiance of the rising sun!

next second.

Zhao Weihong's movements slowly came to a stop, and with the most standard posture, he gave the most solemn military salute of his military career!
The thunderous applause grew even more enthusiastic under the leadership of Deputy Chief Wei, and lasted for a long time!
"Damn it! Why should I?"

"Did this kid steal the spotlight again?"

Zheng Zai Rong mechanically gesticulated his hands, his face filled with reluctance.

"Once the deputy leader leaves, I will..."

"Pfft."

"What are you going to do? What are you capable of doing?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zheng Zai Rong suddenly turned his head and met Wu Feng Xu's mocking smile.

"Hey Wu, stop spouting nonsense!"

"Look at the good soldiers you've trained! Not to mention the division commander, what he just said really insulted you and the 446th Regiment as well!"

"You may be shameless, but I, Zheng Zairong, am!"

Looking at Jung Jae-young, who was still obsessed with his so-called "face".

Wu Fengxu shook her head, looked at him with pity, and then turned her gaze away, not wanting to argue with him.

As a political officer, Wu Fengxu was much more perceptive than military officers in some respects.

Just like now.

He also realized the deeper meaning behind Zhao Weihong's slogan and clearly sensed the storm it would bring!
The 149th Division. No, it was their entire unit.
It's going to change!

The debriefing meeting lasted a full three hours.

Aside from Zhao Weihong's report, nearly half the time was occupied by Deputy Chief Wei.

He did nothing else but use words far more direct and intense than Zhao Weihong's to harshly criticize the cadres from both sides who participated in the performance!
Note that this refers to officers, not including non-commissioned officers and conscripts fighting on the front lines.

When he got angry, Deputy Chief Wei even used dialect.

"Look at the mess you've made! Search your conscience! How can you face the soldiers who risk their lives on the front lines!"

In comparison, Zhao Weihong is relatively refined.

At least he didn't curse in dialect.
His and Zhao Weihong's statements essentially defined the nature of this exercise.

This exercise was a complete disaster! Absolutely terrible! But the responsibility lies entirely with the officers, that is, the commanders.

The non-commissioned officers and conscripts, who served as combatants, performed exceptionally well, creating a stark contrast with the officers!

Deputy Chief Wei was not just making empty promises.

Non-commissioned officers and conscripts can at most determine the flesh and blood of a unit.

Only the officers and cadres below the top military and political leaders can determine the soul of an army.

The problems that occurred in the 116th and 149th Divisions were clearly not related to "flesh and blood," but only to "soul"!
After the meeting.

Deputy Chief Wei stormed off, leaving the others behind, and gave Zhao Weihong only a glance.

Seeing this, Zhao Weihong immediately understood and jogged off to follow behind Deputy Chief Wei, slowly walking away into the distance, bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun.

Seeing this, Zhou Kehu and several other senior commanders wanted to follow suit, but were directly scolded back by Deputy Commander Wei.

Watching the old man and the young man walk away with a sour expression, a senior commander pursed his lips and said sarcastically.

"If I didn't know where this kid came from, I would have thought he was the commander's grandson!"

Before he could finish speaking, he was immediately met with vehement rebuttals from others!

"fart!"

"I've met the deputy commander's grandson! He doesn't dare to breathe loudly in front of the deputy commander, he's not even as good as us!"

"This is clearly closer than a biological grandson!"

"."

Rolling his eyes at his colleagues, Zhou Kehu was too lazy to join in this pointless argument. Instead, he continued to watch the old man and the young man walk further and further away until they disappeared around the corner at the end of the road.

Zhou Kehu, who knew Zhao Weihong and Deputy Chief Wei fairly well, keenly sensed that Deputy Chief Wei's demeanor today was somewhat off.

His attitude toward Zhao Weihong was even more strange!
In fact, this was also a question in Zhao Weihong's mind.

Along the way, Zhao Weihong wanted to speak several times, but she held back.

They continued climbing up the mountain from the foot of the mountain until they walked along the path into the desolate, dense forest outside the command center.

Zhao Weihong then heard Deputy Chief Wei suddenly speak.

“When I was a child, I had to climb this hill every day to go to school.”

"Back then, I really loved going to school, but I also really hated the process of going to school."

"Because such roads are particularly easy to wear out shoes. If my shoes are worn out, I'm not afraid of getting beaten up, but I'll have to go to school barefoot."

At this point, Deputy Chief Wei smiled, a hint of wistfulness creeping onto his face.

"Unfortunately, my shoes were worn out by the time I was about to graduate from elementary school."

"Actually, from today's perspective, my shoes are no longer wearable. They would always open up and laugh, but my mother would always sew them back up with needle and thread."

"Probably because it was sewn too many times, the shoe became temperamental, and the last time the entire sole just fell off."

"I climbed this mountain wearing shoes without soles, and when I got home I got a beating." "Not because the shoes were broken, but because I didn't pick up the soles."

"If we pick up the soles and sew them up, maybe we can still wear them."

Seeing that Deputy Chief Wei had stopped again, Zhao Weihong felt that she should say something and take over the conversation.

After a moment of contemplation, Zhao Weihong felt that whatever she said would be inappropriate.

Although Zhao Weihong was poor when she was a child, at least she didn't have to wear broken shoes or worry about shoes.

There was still a pair of cloth shoes that Li Ping had sewn herself, and there were quite a few styles.

Because of this, Zhao Weihong was often envied by his classmates from all around when he was in school; he had a skillful and clever mother.

However, if Li Ping and Zhao Weihong were placed in the era when Deputy Chief Wei was a child, Li Ping probably wouldn't have been able to use her skills. Instead, she would have just sewed up a pair of broken shoes, just like Deputy Chief Wei said.

Looking back at Zhao Weihong, whose expression was somewhat heavy, Deputy Chief Wei suddenly revealed a sly smile and continued speaking.

"Don't worry, I didn't actually go to school barefoot."

"That was just a lie my family made up to fool me because they were worried I didn't take good care of my shoes."

"I wore my new shoes to the party that night, but I got a real beating."

"I was wearing my new shoes, walking around the house, laughing and crying. At that moment, I thought to myself, I must buy many pairs of shoes in the future, so that I will never have to worry about my shoes being worn out by the mountain roads again!"

"By the time I was able to do it, I didn't have many opportunities to climb mountain trails anymore."

Say it.

Deputy Chief Wei looked up at the setting sun that was about to disappear into the sky and casually spoke to Zhao Weihong.

"I will be retiring from my previous position at the end of this year."

"Once the handover of my work is complete, this old man of mine will officially be retired!"

Deputy Chief Wei's calm words stirred up a storm in Zhao Weihong's heart. For a moment, she was so stunned that she forgot to pay attention to the mountain path under her feet.

If it weren't for Deputy Chief Wei helping him up, Zhao Weihong would have definitely fallen!
"Be careful! I, an old man, will have to help you!"

"Didn't you run pretty fast in the woods during the drills?"

"I haven't seen you fall down, have I?"

Faced with Deputy Chief Wei's teasing, Zhao Weihong's lips moved, but she didn't say anything.

When Zhao Weihong first met Deputy Chief Wei, he already held his current rank and position.

Over the years, although Deputy Chief Wei has held several "concurrent positions," his core job has remained unchanged.

As Zhao Weihong spent time with Deputy Commander Wei, he gradually forgot that Wei was already an elderly man in his seventies, and he also forgot the consensus that every soldier should keep in mind.

The camp remains, but the soldiers come and go.

Even the best soldiers will one day leave the military.

Shi Jidong is an example of this, as is Zhao Weihong.

Deputy Chief Wei was the same.

this moment.

Zhao Weihong finally understood why Deputy Chief Wei was behaving so abnormally. The suffocating feeling he experienced when Shi Jidong and the others left once again enveloped him completely.

"Commander."

For once, Deputy Chief Wei did not correct Zhao Weihong's way of addressing him in private. Instead, he patted Zhao Weihong's shoulder with his rough, deeply lined hand.

"I know what you want to say."

Deputy Commander Wei gestured for Zhao Weihong to come to his side so that the two of them could continue climbing without interrupting their conversation.

"To be honest, you're the one I trust the most."

"You're much more capable than I was at my age."

"If you hadn't run into that mess, you might have ended up like me, studying abroad."

"However, with the current development of our country, even without going abroad, we can still acquire knowledge and contribute to the construction of our motherland."

I looked up at the mountain road above me, and then at the setting sun, only half of which remained visible outside the horizon.

Deputy Commander Wei suddenly quickened his pace, as if preparing to climb to the top of the mountain before sunset.

"As for other things, there's not much to say."

"Over the years, this old man of mine has done a little bit of work."

“I have never thought of myself as a great person. If someone else were to do these jobs, they might do them better than me.”

"Hey, Wei Hong, you've probably heard these kinds of道理 (principles/reasons) countless times, and you're probably tired of them by now."

At this point, Deputy Commander Wei chuckled self-deprecatingly and quickened his pace.

"Even so, when the day actually came to leave, I found it hard to let go."

In fact, Deputy Chief Wei could have chosen a more tactful or appropriate way of putting it.

But he didn't want to do it, nor did he care to do it!

Because what he could never let go of was not power or position, but the motherland and the army he had loved, struggled for, and fought for his entire life!

"I've been thinking about this for the past few days."

"To be precise, it should be called worry."

"The current informatization transformation work, while not outstanding, can be described as steady and positive, and thriving."

"But can this situation continue? I and so many old guys have been hoping for an informationized military force all our lives. Can it really be built smoothly?"

"I wouldn't dare make that guarantee, and nobody would dare make that guarantee either."

"If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't be able to sleep well these past few days!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Weihong felt extremely frightened and hurriedly said...

"Sir, I can't accept that title."

"You deserve it."

Deputy Chief Wei spoke with great certainty, as if he were stating a proven mathematical theorem.

"This has nothing to do with your position, rank, or status."

"It only has to do with your abilities and personality."

"What's wrong? Are you too weak to spot problems in the future, or do you lack the guts to report them?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Weihong felt a surge of heat rush to the top of her head!
"Commander, as long as I am in this unit, I will never sit idly by on matters of principle!"

"Whenever I discover a problem similar to today's, I will point it out in detail, just like I did today!"

Having received Zhao Weihong's clear statement, Deputy Chief Wei was finally relieved and revealed his future plans for Zhao Weihong!
"I've found you a good place."

"The perfect place for you."

(End of this chapter)