Starting from the deputy company commander of the Soldier Assault Team

"Stop, stop, stop," Gao Cheng's somewhat impatient voice came through the microphone, "Don't do this to me. It's the New Year, and you're making it sound so sad."

Well, well, I'll have Shi Jin pack the food in a bit, in an insulated lunchbox. It'll be a big plate of braised pork knuckle, braised fish, and braised pork belly—all your favorites. Consider it a late-night snack during the Lunar New Year.

I'll save some for you until midnight, so you can come over for a bite during your shift change or between shifts. Give me a call when you're done, and I'll send a car to pick you up; you don't need to ride your bike.

"Haha," Zhang Anbang laughed upon hearing this, feeling somewhat touched. "Okay, I understand, Company Commander. Tell Shi Jin to leave me some extra. I'll call you when I finish my shift."

"Just wait for your car downstairs at our office. Oh, and after I finish eating, you'll have to arrange a ride back for me, otherwise I won't be happy."

Gao Cheng was both amused and exasperated. "Zhang Anbang, do you know what you're saying? I kindly invited you over for a meal during the New Year, and I even saved all your favorite dishes for you."

And now you're blaming me? You have absolutely no shame!

Zhang Anbang's fingers tapped lightly on the table unconsciously. "Company Commander, what kind of shame do you have? Can you eat it?"

"Alright, alright," Gao Cheng interrupted Zhang Anbang, "Don't worry, I'll pick you up and drop you off, and I guarantee you'll be satisfied with your meal, okay?"

"Alright, Company Commander, I knew you were the best to me. That's all for now, we'll talk more tonight. Bye."

Zhang Anbang put down the phone, looked at the alarm clock that was about to light up for the next round of inspections, reached out to turn to the next page of the ledger, picked up his pen again, and began to continue writing.

Shortly after, the timer alarm on the duty room landline rang on time. At 8:00 p.m., a new round of citywide telephone checks began on schedule.

Zhang Anbang picked up the phone book, dialed the first duty number of the regiment headquarters, and began to ask questions and take notes.

The joy of Lunar New Year's Eve in the human world and the quiet, bustling military camp had nothing to do with him, the deputy head of the operations and training section, who was squatting in the duty room.

……

Soon, Zhang Anbang's shift in the division's operations office was over. After handing over his duties to the deputy head of the communications section who came to relieve him, he left the office, as he still had work to do.

The military has a special heartwarming system for shift duty during the Spring Festival. From 7 p.m. to midnight on New Year's Eve, almost all the guard posts at the division headquarters compound gate and main building are taken over by officers from the headquarters in shifts.

During this period, all section chiefs, deputy section chiefs, and ordinary staff officers in the headquarters were put on the duty roster to replace the soldiers in the guard company, allowing them to all go back to have their New Year's Eve dinner and watch the Spring Festival Gala...

Zhang Anbang was going to take over the guard post at the main gate of the camp. From the headquarters operations duty room to the camp gate, he would pass through a very lively place today: the division headquarters auditorium.

The audio of the Spring Festival Gala programs was broadcast through loudspeakers, so it could be heard clearly even without entering the auditorium.

"Here, take this twenty yuan. Take off that water delivery uniform! Hurry up and take it off!"

"Hey! What are you doing? I'm a respectable person!"

"Brother, who isn't a decent person?"

"You're a decent person, why would you spend twenty yuan to strip an old man? What kind of operation is that?"

Zhang Anbang stopped and listened for a while. The sketches nowadays are indeed quite funny, and the Spring Festival Gala programs are also quite good. But in another six or seven years, there will be more and more negative reviews, and in ten years, they will be subject to large-scale criticism every year.

Listening to the cheerful sounds coming from the auditorium, Zhang Anbang found a corner, hid behind a thick tree, took out a cigarette from his pocket, and lit it.

Based on his years of reconnaissance experience, this corner was definitely safe and wouldn't be easily discovered by the military police.

After smoking a cigarette, Zhang Anbang stubbed out his cigarette, walked out from behind the big tree, casually threw it into the trash can next to him, and strode towards the sentry post at the camp gate.

After handing over to the previous staff officer, Zhang Anbang stood at his post. At this time of New Year's Eve, all the guard posts were highly valuable, starting at 11 cents and going up to 24 cents.

Of course, officers like division commanders, political commissars, or other senior colonels and colonels are not included in the daily duty roster and are not required to stand guard regularly.

These officers usually volunteer to temporarily take over guard duty for several tens of minutes to an hour during their patrols on New Year's Eve, setting a heartwarming example.

Around 11 p.m., after Zhang Anbang finished his shift, he made a phone call to the division's reconnaissance battalion. Within three minutes, the battalion's vehicle stopped in front of the division headquarters gate.

The car door opened, and a fourth-term sergeant stood in front of Zhang Anbang with a big smile. "Well, Deputy Company Commander, the Company Commander said to come and pick you up for dinner."

Zhang Anbang chuckled. "Goodness, Squad Leader Shi is here to pick us up. Why didn't you send Gan Xiaoning, Ma Xiaoshuai, or those other youngsters over so late at night?"

Shi Jin's smiling expression vanished, and he said with a somewhat aggrieved look, "Deputy Company Commander, I came all the way here to pick you up during the New Year, but what you just said, were you implying that I'm getting old?"

"Haha," Zhang Anbang yanked open the passenger door. "Shi Jin, don't worry about the details. How did it go? Did you call home? How are your wife and my nephew doing?"

Shi Jin, who was about to continue, scratched the back of his head when he heard this. "I got it done. It's good. My son can call me 'Dad' and 'Mom' now."

When I called, the little one shouted really loudly. It was just that I wasn't home for the Chinese New Year, and Xiaoyan was a little sad. Fortunately, the hospital was understanding and didn't arrange any shifts for her during the holiday.

She's spending the Spring Festival in the county town with my father-in-law's family. It's more lively with so many people, so it's fine.

Zhang Anbang patted Shi Jin on the shoulder without saying anything. That's how it is with military families; they usually seem very honorable and receive many preferential treatments.

The price is that I'm away from home most of the year. It's okay most of the time, but it's most difficult during holidays when families reunite.

A few minutes later, Zhang Anbang arrived at Gao Cheng's office in the Division's reconnaissance battalion. Gao Cheng was still on duty; he had just returned from his shift.

"Company commander, where's the food you saved for me? I've been on guard for two hours, and I'm really hungry now. Is there enough for me?"

Gao Cheng was almost laughing in anger. "Eat, eat, eat! All you know is eating. You are the deputy section chief of the division's training section, a well-known military and political talent in the entire military region. How come you act like this in front of me?"

"Seriously, do you know how pathetic you are? You'd better tone it down, or other women won't marry you. You'll have no one to cry to then."

Zhang Anbang waved his hand. "Company Commander, what are you talking about? My wife only complains that I don't eat enough. Hurry up, where did you put the food I was supposed to eat?"

Gao Cheng shook his head helplessly, reached into the cabinet and took out several insulated containers. "Eat, eat as much as you want. I've saved three or four pounds of meat for you. That's more than enough for you."