Siheyuan: I, Shazhu, started out as an army and became a general.

The news of He Yuzhu's impending promotion spread like wildfire, causing a stir in the core circle of the military's top brass.

Of course, the epicenter was strictly pinpointed.

To the outside world, He Yuzhu is just a code name, a top-secret asterisk in the file folder.

A heavily guarded compound in the western suburbs of Beijing.

He Yuzhu, wearing an apron, juggled a large iron ladle in his hand.

The braised pork belly in the pot was bubbling away. It was top-grade pork belly produced by the system space. The sugar was caramelized to a bright red color, and the domineering aroma of the meat seemed to have grown legs, desperately trying to squeeze out through the cracks in the window, making the guards standing at the door swallow hard.

"Bro, this smells amazing! It's unfair!"

He Yushui peeked out from the kitchen doorway. This girl is much more outgoing now; the timid and petty air she had in the courtyard house has long since disappeared.

"Go, go, go wash your hands." He Yuzhu tossed the ladle around, his face full of doting affection. "I'm in a good mood today, so I'll treat you to something special."

"What good news?" Raindrop's eyes lit up. "Another promotion?"

"Promotion?" He Yuzhu curled his lip, put the braised pork into a plate, and casually complained, "What's so good about promotion? The higher you get, the more trouble you have. It's not as comfortable as cooking for you."

Before he could finish speaking, a sudden screeching sound of brakes came from outside the courtyard. The sound was so loud it made your teeth ache.

Immediately following, footsteps sounded chaotic and hurried, as if they were about to crush the floor tiles.

"Mr. He! Mr. He!"

Zhang Xiaowu's loud voice boomed in before he even entered the room, sounding like he was announcing a death... ugh, like he'd won the lottery.

He Yuzhu took off his apron and shouted irritably at the door, "Are you trying to call me back? The meat isn't even cooked through yet! You can't rush to freeload!"

The curtain was lifted, and Zhang Xiaowu swept in like a gust of wind.

This guy's face was flushed, covered in sweat, and his eyes were as bright as two 100-watt light bulbs.

He is now He Yuzhu's bodyguard.

Following behind him was Xiao Wang, Marshal Nie's bodyguard staff officer, who was holding a sealed document bag. He had a serious expression, but the corners of his mouth couldn't be suppressed and kept turning up.

"General Manager He... oh no, Chief!"

Zhang Xiaowu, panting heavily, snapped to attention and saluted with such precision that the wind seemed to rush through him. "Great news! A truly momentous occasion!"

"Alright, stop with the nonsense." He Yuzhu pointed to the cold water on the table. "Have a drink of water. Anyone who didn't know better would think you just came back from a five-kilometer cross-country run with a weight on."

Staff Officer Xiao Wang stepped forward, holding a file bag in both hands, his voice trembling as he handed it over: "Sir, this is an order just approved by the Central Military Commission. Marshal Nie specifically instructed that it be delivered to you as soon as possible."

He Yuzhu took the document bag.

It feels quite heavy when you hold it.

He knew exactly what was going on. This time, the commotion in the southwest and the South China Sea forced the US aircraft carrier to turn back; there had to be an explanation from above.

But he didn't expect this statement to come so quickly, so forcefully, and so illogically.

Tear off the seal and pull out the official document.

He Yuzhu's fingers stopped after just one glance.

[Order regarding the promotion of Comrade He Yuzhu to the rank of General]

The signatures below, written in a bold and vigorous style, are powerful and expressive. Each name represents a chapter of history marked by blood and fire, and is a pillar of this nation.

"General..."

He Yuzhu murmured to himself, gently stroking the two words with his fingertips.

Before transmigrating, he was just a 996 office worker. After transmigrating, although he had a system that gave him a cheat code, when this Venus actually landed on his shoulder, the weight still made his heart skip a beat.

This is not just an honor, but a heavy responsibility.

"Brother... what does it say on it?" Rainwater leaned closer, unable to understand the official jargon, but upon catching sight of the word "General," his eyes widened instantly. "General... General?! That's a very high rank!"

"How big?" Zhang Xiaowu chuckled beside him. "Rainy Girl, let me tell you this: from now on, when your brother goes out, the entire army will salute him! Isn't that awesome? That's what a general is like!"

He Yuzhu closed the file, tossed it onto the table, and instantly reverted to his lazy demeanor.

"Alright, it's just a military rank."

He picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a trembling piece of braised pork, and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing with gusto. "Can this be eaten as a meal? Come on, everyone sit down and eat! Xiao Wang, don't just stand there, sit down and have a bite."

Staff Officer Wang was completely dumbfounded.

This is a promotion to general!

If it were anyone else, they would probably be so excited that they would burst into tears, or salute in front of the mirror until their hands cramp up.

But this guy, instead of ordering it to be thrown on the table, turned around and started eating?

"Sir, this..." Xiao Wang was a little bewildered.

"What's this?" He Yuzhu glared at him. "Nothing is more important than eating. You need to be well-fed to have the energy to work. Hurry up and try my cooking, or you'll miss this opportunity."

While they were eating, He Yuzhu seemed to suddenly remember something, put down his chopsticks, and looked at Zhang Xiaowu with a half-smile.

"Xiao Wu, is there some commotion outside?"

Zhang Xiaowu was struggling with a piece of pork rib with one hand when he heard this. He was stunned for a moment, then spat out the bone, wiped his mouth, and looked a little embarrassed.

"Well... there's bound to be some gossip."

Zhang Xiaowu glanced at He Yuzhu cautiously. "After all, you're too young. Even a rocket couldn't achieve that much speed. Some of the older ones... grumble behind your backs, saying they fought their whole lives just to become lieutenant generals, and you..."

"Oh."

He Yuzhu sneered, picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and said, "As expected."

"But don't worry, Commander!" Zhang Xiaowu quickly reassured him, veins bulging on his neck. "Marshal Nie went ballistic at the meeting! He slammed his fist on the table, directly mentioning your achievement of forcing a US aircraft carrier to retreat in the South China Sea!"

"Marshal Nie's exact words were: 'If anyone disagrees, let him build a hydrogen bomb!' After those words, everyone shut up!"

He Yuzhu shook his head, his eyes becoming somewhat deep.

"It's normal to be dissatisfied. Seniority is definitely a hurdle in the military."

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the bare old locust tree in the yard, his back straight.

"But they don't understand."

"Previous battles were fought with human lives; they were meat grinders. Future battles will be fought with brains, technology, and superior offensive capabilities."

He Yuzhu turned around abruptly, his eyes revealing a chilling sharpness.

"Xiao Wu, relay my message. There's no need to gag them."

"At tomorrow's conferment ceremony, I'll show them exactly why I received this rank of general!"

"Yes!" Zhang Xiaowu stood up abruptly, his blood boiling.

Looking at her brother's back, Yu Shui felt that her brother was taller than ever before.

The silly Zhu who used to argue with Xu Damao over a few lunch boxes in the courtyard had long since died in that cold winter.

Now, he is the pillar of the nation, the military genius He Yuzhu!