The little star from the Gobi Desert, handed over to the state, is hailed as a national treasure.

"Team Leader Zhao, I'd like to take this plate of meat back to my comrades."

He hesitated for a moment, then looked up and asked, "I just don't know, if I leave it out for a few nights, will the taste go bad?"

Zhao Zhifeng fell silent.

His Adam's apple bobbed violently, a sour feeling welled up from the tip of his nose, and his eyes instantly welled up with tears.

He patted Song Dazhuang on the shoulder and said solemnly, "Dazhuang, I promise you, don't worry about eating. Tomorrow morning, I'll send someone to the streets to buy meat. No matter which supplier, even if I have to search all over the capital, when you get back, I'll make sure you have a cartload of meat so that all the brothers can have a bite!"

"Really?!" Song Dazhuang excitedly put down his chopsticks.

Zhao Zhifeng pointed to his chest, where a commemorative medal of the highest leader was pinned. "I swear to the highest leader!"

"become!"

Song Dazhuang stood up abruptly and gave Zhao Zhifeng a solemn military salute.

This is a response to the promise just made.

Zhao Zhifeng and his guards also stood up and returned the salute solemnly.

This was the highest promise they made as comrades and comrades-in-arms.

He thoroughly enjoyed the meal, eating three bowls of corn porridge until his stomach was almost full. However, he remained on edge, constantly alert to any movement around him.

After the meal, the group chatted for a while, the conversation drifting from their hometowns to the military, and then to their past experiences on the battlefield. Although they only touched on the topics briefly, the guard listened with great interest.

Just then, the phone in the duty room rang abruptly.

The group turned around at the same time. At Zhao Zhifeng's signal, the guard answered the call. After listening to only one sentence, he frowned and handed the receiver to Song Dazhuang: "Old Qian is looking for you."

Song Dazhuang stopped laughing and took the microphone: "Mr. Qian, I'm here."

"Two things," Professor Qian said, deliberately lowering his voice. To make this call, he had avoided his family and quietly slipped into his study. "Contact Professor Zheng Hong for me. I need to know the results of their materials testing."

Song Dazhuang was taken aback and remained silent.

"What's wrong?" Professor Qian keenly sensed something amiss, and his tone became serious.

Song Dazhuang's Adam's apple bobbed. "Old Qian, you just got home..."

"explain!"

Song Dazhuang dared not hide the truth, "Professor Zheng called half an hour ago."

"What did he say?"

He said the report was out, and the materials were of the highest quality.

"What?!" Professor Qian's voice rose, his displeasure evident even through the microphone. "Why didn't you bring it up?!"

Song Dazhuang swallowed hard, not daring to tell the truth.

He and Zhao Zhifeng had discussed it and decided that Professor Qian had just returned home and was finally able to have a family reunion dinner. It wasn't anything important, so they should try not to disturb him.

Professor Zheng Hong was too anxious. As soon as the test results came out, he wanted to notify Professor Qian without thinking. But after hearing what Song Dazhuang said, he came to his senses and hung up the phone apologetically.

But he didn't expect that Professor Qian, like Professor Zheng Hong, was also a workaholic who couldn't tolerate any flaws. Just now at the dinner table, amidst the family's laughter and chatter, he seemed somewhat absent-minded, picking up food with his chopsticks and then putting them down again. When his family asked him about his recent situation, he could barely say a few words.

The test results and formulas for those materials kept swirling in my mind.

Upon hearing that Song Dazhuang had delayed the report, he immediately frowned.

"This is utter nonsense!"

He is usually mild-mannered, but when it comes to work, he has an uncompromising principle.

Song Dazhuang had already experienced Qian Lao's formidable nature, and he shrank back in fear, as if Qian Lao were standing right in front of him, staring at him with those stern eyes.

He inwardly groaned; his decision was already risky, and he hadn't expected it to be exposed so quickly.

"Professor Qian, I'm so sorry. I'll contact Professor Zheng right away and send the report to you immediately!" Song Dazhuang apologized hastily.

"There's one more thing," Professor Qian said slowly, "inform Comrade Zhao Zhifeng to contact the special plane; I need to return to base tomorrow."

"What?"

Upon hearing this, Song Dazhuang panicked. This time, he couldn't obey orders. "Old Qian, the commander said you have to stay home for five days, otherwise you won't be allowed to go back!"

"What, you only listen to him and not me?" Professor Qian retorted.

Song Dazhuang was speechless. Even Commander Liu didn't dare to directly refute Elder Qian. Even if he had a hundred times the courage, he wouldn't dare to say "yes".

"Mr. Qian, this is also..."

"Execute it, no reason needed." Professor Qian finished speaking and hung up the phone before Song Dazhuang could say anything.

The receiver emitted a busy tone, and Song Dazhuang held the receiver, looking completely bewildered.

Zhao Zhifeng was speechless. No one expected that Professor Qian would return to work after only half a day at home.

"This is a huge matter, I can't make the decision myself, I have to report to my superiors," Zhao Zhifeng said. He took out his communicator and looked at Song Dazhuang, "You should also contact Commander Liu immediately and convey Elder Qian's message."

"Sigh, alright." Song Dazhuang nodded with a droopy face, thinking that when he returned this time, Commander Liu would definitely put him in solitary confinement on the grounds of "failing to handle matters well".

Seeing his hesitation, Zhao Zhifeng felt a little sorry for him. "Why don't you try to persuade Professor Qian again? He's finally come back; he should spend some more time with Professor Jiang, shouldn't he?"

Song Dazhuang gave a wry smile, "I don't have that kind of face. But..."

He suddenly had a flash of inspiration, "Quickly call the Xihua Hall Guesthouse. Only Commander Liang's daughter can persuade them about this."

"Is it that little girl named Tiantian?" Zhao Zhifeng remembered her. Despite her young age, the little girl had an unusual cleverness.

"That's right." Song Dazhuang nodded, thinking that the only one who could persuade Elder Qian was probably his "closed-door" disciple.

"Let's give it a try. We should at least make him stay for half a day longer. I promised to go to the street and get a truckload of meat for you."

"Okay," Song Dazhuang decided immediately, "Let's act together."

On the other side, Professor Qian hung up the phone and listened to the sounds outside the study. His son and daughter-in-law had already left with Qian Duoduo, and his daughter had also returned to school. Everyone tacitly reserved this rare time of reunion for their long-separated parents.

He slipped into his study to make the call while everyone was saying goodbye, but after hanging up, he suddenly felt empty inside, as if a piece of him had been ripped out.