Dare to shirk responsibility? This adorable little one will tear down your military district!

in the office.

The pen nib scratched across the letter paper. Gu Changfeng wrote quickly, his handwriting flowing like a dragon, ending with a heavy exclamation mark.

He folded the slip of paper, which was essentially a contract of servitude, and instead of giving it directly to Meng Jianjun, he placed it under the enamel mug.

"Brother, are you done writing?" Meng Jianjun craned his neck, practically glued his eyes to the paper. "What rank is he? Regimental commander? Battalion commander? Even a company commander would be fine."

Gu Changfeng threw the cigarette butt on the ground and crushed the tiny spark with his toe. He looked up, his dark eyes devoid of any calculation, filled only with a serious, businesslike demeanor.

Gu Changfeng's voice was calm and steady: "The place I've arranged for you is a key logistics unit directly under the military region. This is a lucrative post; you'll be in charge of over three hundred people, and you'll have to sign off on everything from their food and drink to their daily needs."

"More than three hundred mouths?" Meng Jianjun's mind raced with thoughts of abacus beads.

A company only has a little over a hundred people, but a battalion would have more than three hundred!

And they also take care of food, drink, and sanitation—doesn't that mean they're in charge of the food? Since ancient times, managing provisions has been the most lucrative job!

Meng Jianjun's palms were sweating with excitement, and his still-greasy face glowed: "Brother! Dear brother! I knew you cared about me! Managing three hundred people, I can do it! I can do it perfectly well!"

"This is going to be tough," Gu Changfeng added coolly. "It's physical work; you have to get up early and work late every day. Most people can't handle it."

"I'm strong!" Meng Jianjun had completely forgotten that his legs were weak from diarrhea the night before. He pounded his chest loudly, "I'm also strong in the village... well, anyway, for the revolution, I'm not afraid of hardship!"

Wang Guifen, listening nearby, was overjoyed. If the second son was in charge of feeding 300 people, wouldn't he be bringing home baskets of steamed buns every day?

"Changhe, you still value brotherhood." Wang Guifen smiled, her face crinkling with wrinkles, and stopped wailing. "When your brother becomes a high-ranking official, he will definitely never forget your kindness."

Meng Yaya stood behind Gu Changfeng, covering her mouth, trying her best not to laugh out loud.

Three hundred mouths?

Yes, there are indeed three hundred mouths. But those mouths don't eat human food; they eat swill.

"Alright." Gu Changfeng, impatient with their daydreaming, called out towards the door, "Xiao Zhang!"

The guard, Xiao Zhang, who had been standing watch outside the door, immediately ran over and gave a crisp salute as he entered: "Present!"

Gu Changfeng handed the note from under the teacup to Xiao Zhang and instructed expressionlessly, "Comrade Meng Jianjun has high ideological awareness and has volunteered to go to the most arduous post for training. You personally drive him to the first platoon of the third company at Hongxing Farm."

At this point, Gu Changfeng emphasized, "Tell Squad Leader Zhu there that this is my younger brother, a special talent. Tell him to give him special attention and not to be shy about training him. Anyone who dares to let him slack off will be held accountable."

"Yes!" Xiao Zhang took the note, suppressing a laugh, his facial muscles twitching.

The Third Company, First Platoon of Red Star Farm? That place is famous throughout the military region for having "more pigs than soldiers." There is no one around for five miles, only more than three hundred fat pigs waiting to be fed.

Upon hearing this, Meng Jianjun felt even more confident.

Listen to this! Exceptional talent! Specialized training! Don't be shy!

What does this mean? It means his older brother is really paving the way for him! This is to give him experience and prestige, so he'll definitely rise in the future!

"Brother! Don't worry, I'll definitely do my job well!" Meng Jianjun straightened his tattered jacket with a proud and imposing air, looking as if he had already put on a general's overcoat.

He even turned to Meng Yaya and smugly snorted, "You brat, see that? I'm a commander now, you'll have to salute me!"

Meng Yaya smiled, her big eyes curving into crescents: "Of course. Uncle, you should work hard and strive to become the king of soldiers in that field as soon as possible."

The king of pig feeders is still a king!

Meng Jianjun didn't catch the barb in Zhang's words and happily followed him into the grass-green truck parked downstairs.

Wang Guifen and Meng Jingui wanted to go with them, but Gu Changfeng stopped them with a single sentence: "That's a military stronghold; family members aren't allowed in. If you want to go, you'll have to write an application first, go through a political review, and have your ancestors' records checked for any blemishes."

This family had something to hide, so they dared not undergo a background check. They could only watch helplessly as the truck kicked up a cloud of dust and carried away their hopes.

……

The car swayed and bumped along for more than two hours.

The road was quite flat at first, but then it started to get bumpy, and eventually we went straight into a ravine. There were only rocks and wild grass on both sides of the road.

Meng Jianjun sat in the passenger seat, initially quite excited. This was a big truck, much more impressive than the village tractor. But the further they drove, the more uneasy he felt.

"Comrade Zhang, where...where are we going? Why is it so desolate?" Meng Jianjun gripped the handle, his stomach churning, the aftereffects of last night's croton soup were starting to kick in again.

Xiao Zhang gripped the steering wheel, his eyes fixed straight ahead: "This is for secrecy. Important units are all located deep in the mountains and forests, don't you understand?"

Upon hearing "secret," Meng Jianjun immediately shut up. "Right, right, all the high-ranking officials live in the mountains; it's safe there."

Half an hour later, a gust of wind blew in.

The taste... how to describe it?

Rich, strong, and pungent. It has a fermented sour taste and a certain indescribable fishy smell.

Meng Jianjun suddenly covered his nose: "What's that smell? It's like falling into a cesspool!"

"We're here." Xiao Zhang slammed on the brakes.

The car stopped at the entrance of a large courtyard enclosed by red bricks. There were no tall buildings in the courtyard, only rows of low red-tiled houses, and the sounds of humming could be heard from one side to the other.

Meng Jianjun had just jumped out of the car when he was almost knocked over by the smell.

A burly man, as black as an iron tower, stood at the door, wearing a faded training uniform with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his muscular physique, and holding a... shovel in his hand.

"Squad Leader Zhu!" Xiao Zhang jumped out of the car and handed over Gu Changfeng's note. "The person has been delivered. Regiment Commander Gu said that this is a key trainee, and he must be familiarized with the work as soon as possible. He must be kept busy."

Squad Leader Zhu took the note and glanced at it. His bull-like eyes swept over Meng Jianjun's skinny frame, which was as thin as a skeleton. He grinned, revealing a set of big white teeth: "Alright, since he's the regimental commander's younger brother, we have to take care of him. Perfect timing, he just had a litter of babies, and we're short-handed."

Meng Jianjun was still in a daze. He looked around but didn't see any guards or jeeps. All he saw were pink, dirty heads peeking out from behind the low wall.

"This...this is the three hundred mouths I'm in charge of?" Meng Jianjun pointed at the pigs, his fingers trembling.

Squad Leader Zhu slammed his shovel into the ground, making it vibrate: "What? Not enough? There are fifty breeding pigs in the pen behind the mountain. If you're capable, those are yours to manage too."

"I won't do it!" Meng Jianjun realized he'd been tricked! "I want to be an official! I want to be an official in charge of people! You want me to feed pigs? I won't do it! I want to go back!"

Xiao Zhang was prepared. He stepped on the gas, the truck roared to life, spewing black smoke into Meng Jianjun's face, and then sped away around the corner.

Meng Jianjun was dumbfounded and turned to chase after him onto the main road.

A large hand gripped the back of his neck like an iron clamp and pulled him back.

"Since you're here, you're my soldiers."

Squad Leader Zhu had a menacing look on his face. He had spent ten years in this kind of place and had long since developed the skill to subdue greenhorns.

"Here, if the pigs don't eat well, you won't eat either; if the pigs don't sleep well, you won't sleep either."

With his other hand, Squad Leader Zhu grabbed a long-handled manure ladle, taller than Meng Jianjun, from the corner of the wall and shoved it into his arms.

"Here are your tools. The task isn't heavy today. First, remove the manure from pen number three, then mix those two tons of pig feed. If you don't finish, you don't need to eat."