It's better to conquer them than to command the steel torrent

Chapter 193 | Punishment (Two chapters combined into one)

Returning home in triumph, changing into brand new clothes—that's perfectly reasonable, isn't it?
Looking back two years ago, it was quite a coincidence to meet Jian Keqiu here, so I'll patronize her business here.

In high spirits, Shang Ke paid without batting an eye, frankly stating that he needed to order more officer uniforms, as he wore them most often, two of each season. As for formal attire, he said he wouldn't wear it more than a few times a year, so there was no need to buy any more.

"...After you finish it, send it to me and I'll leave an address."

The shop manager, smiling, picked out fabric for clothes and casually asked, "Did you and that girl from back then end up together?"

Shang Ke proudly replied, "Of course."

"get married?"

"Not yet, we're only engaged. To be honest, I went to Europe on business after the engagement and just got back. We plan to hold the wedding during the Chinese New Year."

"Oh, I see. That's great." The store manager recalled the past and said with emotion, "Back then, I felt at first glance that you two were a good match."

Shang Ke laughed and said, "It turns out you have a very good eye."

Shang Ke wasn't in a hurry to get married, but he knew he should give his fiancée an explanation. The period from engagement to marriage usually takes less than a year.

When talking about his fiancée, Shang Ke not only thought of Jian Keqiu's face and every smile, but also remembered the 'task' he had given her.

Shang Ke felt that he understood Jian Keqiu's character quite well. In terms of intelligence, she was definitely extraordinary, but her behavior and manner were rather Zen-like, especially after she completed her studies.

Oh dear, our last correspondence was all about exchanging feelings; I forgot to ask about the progress of the piezoelectric ceramics research project. Heaven knows if she even cared.

Thinking of this, for some reason, Shang Ke had a bad feeling.

The next day.

Unable to bear the loneliness, Shang Ke simply stayed in the General Headquarters building, first strolling around the Military and Political Affairs Department, then checking out the Equipment Bureau, and finally mooching a meal at the canteen.

After wandering around for a while, the exciting promotion order finally arrived in the afternoon.

Staring at the gilded characters 'Federal National Defense Army Promotion Order', Shang Ke was filled with excitement. He turned the page and read every word inside.

Colonel! Absolutely genuine!
He couldn't help but chuckle when he recalled how the Huns had called him "Colonel" so often back in Budapest, since he was now a truly high-ranking colonel.

Colonels in the Federal Armed Forces represent a dividing line between mid-level and senior officers, and also enjoy various privileges.

Not only were they assigned two guards, but they were also provided with a car. For those from well-off families, the car might not have been luxurious, but the key point was that it had military license plates, which was something that private cars could not match.

The most significant improvement was in salary. Compared to a major's monthly salary of 1400 yuan, an army colonel's standard monthly salary was 2080 yuan, not including various allowances.

"The appointment order will probably take another three or four days to come out, then I'll issue it to you directly," the major general who granted the promotion patted him on the shoulder and joked, "Keep up the good work, I think you'll become another legend at home and abroad."

Shang Ke raised his hand in salute and couldn't help but smile, "Then I'll take your kind words, senior."

The sun sets and the moon rises, the moon sets and the sun rises.

It's the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, just a few days before Chinese New Year's Eve. This is the last working day.

In the afternoon, the branch of the Institute of Chemistry was as deserted as ever.

There are few idle people in this place; you can only see small groups of employees coming and going during rush hour.

"Xiao Jian, all the year-end reports for the projects were completed before the holiday. You should have made some progress on your end recently, right?" Lin Lin asked Jian Keqiu.

The latter was pouring water from a kettle when he heard this and said indifferently, "It's alright."

"If the progress is too slow, it will be difficult to answer questions from above, and it will be hard to get funding."

"Yes, I know what I'm doing."

The so-called research on piezoelectric ceramics is essentially about selecting a suitable titanium oxide compound, and then searching through thousands of materials to find the most appropriate one and mixing them together to obtain a compound with the best dielectric constant.

There are two other teams in China that are also engaged in research on piezoelectric ceramics. Jian Keqiu recently wrote to inquire about them and exchanged academic views, only to find out that the others have also made little progress.

The main reasons for this are insufficient attention, funding, and manpower. Hundreds of universities and research institutes across the country are simultaneously conducting countless research projects covering all walks of life, each claiming that their research is extremely important and exaggerating its significance. The piezoelectric ceramics project is just a drop in the ocean.

"There are only three days left until the New Year. Has your fiancé come back yet? It's been almost a whole year. Europe is in chaos, with war raging everywhere..."

"Not yet, well, I've finished packing up here."

Aside from work, Jian Keqiu didn't want to talk to Lin Lin.

She put several documents into the cabinet, then closed and locked it before getting up and leaving.

But when she reached the parking lot, she saw a familiar figure leaning against a car.

For a moment, she thought she was hallucinating.

"Why are you so surprised?" Seeing Jian Keqiu standing there in a daze, Shang Ke couldn't help but laugh.

The surprise vanished from Jian Keqiu's eyes, replaced by joy. Coming to her senses, she blurted out, "When did you get back?"

"I went back to Beijing a couple of days ago, sorted out some work, and then came straight here to find you, didn't I?" Shang Ke stepped forward, took her hand, and their eyes met.

In the biting northwest wind, the two gazed at each other calmly.

Just then, Jian Keqiu caught sight of Lin Lin and the others out of the corner of her eye, so she took out her car keys from her pocket and said, "Get in the car first."

"What? You don't like those guys?"

"Yeah, too much gossip, too much noise."

After opening the car door, Shankel picked up the crank—the starter—walked around to the front of the car, inserted it, and turned it vigorously a few times. The four-cylinder gasoline engine roared like a little lion awakening.

He glanced at the colleague whom Jian Keqiu disliked, then picked up the starter handle and sat back in the car.

Amidst the astonished expressions of those people, the car drove out of the branch's main gate and sped away...

After a year apart, Mr. Shang and his fiancée were inevitably estranged and didn't know how to start a conversation.

The two chatted awkwardly for more than ten minutes, exchanging only a few words.

Finally, Shang Ke couldn't take it anymore, so he simply pulled over, grabbed Jian Keqiu's hand, and kissed her again, which restored their relationship to normal.

A moment later, the blush on Jian Keqiu's cheeks faded. She looked at Shang Ke, who was driving intently, and asked in confusion, "Strange... Am I seeing things? Didn't you say you lost almost ten pounds after the war? How come I can't see it..."

Shang Ke was slightly embarrassed and coughed dryly, saying, "There's nothing to do on the ship, so I just eat and sleep, sleep and eat, and I've gotten back to my old self."

Then he quickly changed the subject, pretending to be serious as he asked, "By the way, you said in your letter a few months ago that the research had begun. How's it going now?"

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Jian Keqiu naturally couldn't answer Mr. Shang's question.

She stammered and admitted that she had indeed been slacking off too much lately, and then hurriedly added that insufficient research resources were also a major reason.

Damn it! I was really looking forward to using piezoelectric ceramic fuse fin-stabilized armor-piercing projectiles as soon as possible.

Shang Ke was both amused and exasperated, and feigned anger, saying, "I never expected Xiao Qiu to be such a scoundrel! You wait, when we get home I'll punish you on the spot!"

Ok?
Righting the law on the spot?

Jian Keqiu didn't understand and thought he was just joking, so she didn't take it seriously. She then explained a series of problems encountered during the piezoelectric ceramics project.

Ultimately, it all comes down to insufficient funding. With fewer people and less money, it's natural to have to wait several years; you can't expect the horse to run without feeding it.

"...This is only considered a second-tier project in the branch office, not a priority project," Jian Keqiu said resentfully.

“It’s definitely not getting enough attention. I’ll figure something out.” Shang Ke parked the car and said casually, “The fighting in Europe has highlighted many things that the military leadership didn’t expect. How to deal with the Iron Turtle is a big problem. I’m going to take this project out and ask the Equipment Bureau for funding.”

Turn off the engine, engage the handbrake, open the door, and get out of the car.

Once inside the house, Jian Keqiu had completely forgotten about the harsh words Shang had spoken earlier.

"Oh? It's quite warm inside?"

"I added coal to the small stove before I left home during the day."

"That would be great."

Just as she was thinking about what to do for dinner, she was suddenly embraced by Mr. Shang.

Before she could react, she was picked up and thrown onto the bed in the bedroom.

"Huh? What are you doing?"

"What were we talking about on the way here? Xiao Qiu, do you think I'm joking?" Shang Ke clenched his fist and said righteously, "I've risked my life to fulfill my duty, and you're being so negligent? Take this!"

The two of them ended up in a chaotic brawl.

They flirted and teased each other for a full quarter of an hour before Jian Keqiu, disheveled, crawled under the covers and hid, at which point Shang Ke finally stopped.

He patted the blanket and said seriously, "Have you deeply reflected on your mistakes now?"

"No remorse. I just made a mistake that everyone makes. I don't believe you haven't slacked off." Jian Keqiu continued to be stubborn, hiding under the covers.

To be honest, Shang Ke had just wanted to take advantage of the situation and sleep with his fiancée, but after hesitating for a moment, he gave up the idea.

As it turns out, she still refuses to back down, so don't blame me for being ruthless.

Shang Ke deliberately said in a sarcastic tone, "If the enemy is still putting up a stubborn resistance, then charge in and fight until the enemy surrenders."

After speaking, he lifted a corner of the blanket, grinned wickedly, and pounced on her...

bloody battle!
After a long while, it got dark.

In conclusion, Jian Keqiu put up a symbolic resistance but ultimately failed.

Still feeling energetic, Shang Ke rolled out of bed and said contentedly, "Will you dare to be lazy again?"

Lying motionless on the bed, Jian Keqiu replied weakly, "I won't dare again..."

"Are you satisfied?"

"Clothes."

Heaven have mercy, Jian Keqiu was truly convinced, both physically and mentally, and simply couldn't bear it.

But just then, she saw Mr. Shang sway and fall down, barely clinging to the edge of the bed.

"Huh?" she asked urgently, "What's wrong?!"

Shang Ke felt that everything in front of him was black, mixed with countless tiny golden stars, and his body was weak and powerless.

He said awkwardly, "Uh... I think it's low blood sugar."

Shang Ke only ate a small meal on the plane at noon, and went straight to the chemical research institute branch after landing. He hasn't had a moment's rest since returning home, so...

Speechless, Jian Keqiu didn't care about anything else. Naked, she grabbed a piece of clothing and went to the kitchen to get a few pieces of rock sugar.

"No way, Xiao Qiu, don't you have any sweets at home?"

"No pastry can be made as quickly as rock sugar."

And so, in a short time, Shang Ke recovered.

He sighed with feigned seriousness, "It seems I still need to practice in this area."

Jian Keqiu put her hands on her hips and pouted, saying, "I'll make you some noodles."

Eat! You can eat anything!

Boil the noodles in water, pour aged vinegar and soy sauce into the bottom of the bowl, scoop out the noodles and put them into the bowl, then scoop up the cooked poached egg, and finally sprinkle with chopped green onions.

After finishing a bowl of steaming hot noodles, Shang Ke was fully revitalized.

He said with a smile, "Miss Jian's hospitality is too kind of me, I am not worthy of it, thank you for your help."

"Then don't eat it."

Jian Keqiu couldn't help but roll her eyes, thinking to herself, "You were a completely different person before, you're full of bad ideas."

After a short while, the atmosphere gradually returned to normal.

Shang Ke told Jian Keqiu that he would be taking up a new post in the newly formed 8th Mechanized Infantry Division after the New Year, and then recounted incessantly his experiences in Hungary over the past few months.

Jian Keqiu frowned and said, "It's too risky. Luckily, your achievements abroad are recognized (in your own country), otherwise it would have been a waste of effort..."

Shang Ke nodded and said, "There are many ways to select talents. If you make a name for yourself, you will naturally not be buried. I haven't offended anyone yet."

"Is that new unit far from here?"

"Not far away."

"We're still separated by a river."

"You're already a division-level commander, why are you worried about this?" Shang Ke scoffed. "You can always take the liaison plane, one of those small planes."

Jian Keqiu had no interest in high-ranking official positions and generous salaries. She only wanted to achieve something in academics, and she didn't care whether Shang Ke could make a name for himself.

Then, she talked about the recent situation at the Tri-Defense Institute.

"Just like I wrote in my letter to you, things have been very uneventful for the past six months. My submissions to the military have mostly gone unanswered, at most receiving a polite reply."

"And then? It's gotten better in the last few months?"

Jian Keqiu hummed in agreement and said, "They clearly take it seriously. They sent people over three times and even offered to provide financial assistance."

Shang Ke nodded with interest.

Before he left last year, he left a memo listing more than a dozen valuable ideas. Through the tireless efforts of several people at the Institute for Defense Studies, sketches and drafts were produced, turning the ideas into something tangible and appealing.

Especially light anti-tank weapons—rocket launchers and recoilless rifles.

The unified federal military clearly did not operate in isolation; a series of battles in Europe also greatly shocked the federal defense forces.

The military leadership, who were observing from the sidelines, were surprised to find that in actual combat, infantry units were so vulnerable to tank units. Even with a strong will, they could not stop the tank units from tearing through the lines and achieving a breakthrough.

The military leadership believed that it was imperative to urgently develop man-portable anti-tank weapons, otherwise infantry units would be like chickens and dogs facing tank formations.

Under these circumstances, it was only after the Sanlian Defense Research Institute submitted several weapons that it attracted the attention of the General Headquarters Equipment Bureau.

(End of this chapter)