1970s: My childhood sweetheart ran away, and I turned around and married the wildest chief.

Without wasting words, Mr. Lu asked directly, "Do you know Xu Sheng, the deputy commander of your eldest brother's unit? He's your eldest brother's father-in-law."

Lu Mingzhou raised an eyebrow. Xu Sheng?

He really does know.

After all, he had lived in the south before, and although they were still not in the same unit, he still knew some of the people there.

He was someone who dreamed of making a name for himself in the army since he was a teenager, so how could he not pay attention to some leaders?

"I've heard about it, what's wrong?"

Mr. Lu said, "Your eldest brother said he wants a promotion. His father-in-law is Xu Sheng. Xu Sheng is helping him with his connections and has already paid the majority of the money. We'll have to pay the rest. Xu Li is his most beloved daughter. She was beaten up today. If we don't pay this money to satisfy Xu Li, Xu Sheng won't let you off the hook."

Lu Mingzhou raised an eyebrow again, somewhat curious, "How much does he want?"

"Ten thousand!"

Lu Mingzhou: "..."

That's all the money?

With all this fanfare, he thought it would cost a huge amount!

Is this all there is to it?

However, Lu Mingzhou didn't show it. He frowned, his voice filled with anger, "What does he mean by this? Does he want to take all the money from the family and sever all ties with the Lu family?"

Mr. Lu nodded. "That should be the idea. According to him, if I give him 10,000 yuan, Xu Li won't pursue the matter, Xu Sheng won't know about it, and naturally he won't try to make things difficult for you."

Nobody would believe that.

Lu Mingzhou looked at his father, eager to know what he was thinking.

"Dad, is there anything you want to say to me?"

Seeing the curious look on his son's face, Lu's father said angrily, "What kind of expression is that? This concerns your future, your whole life. Aren't you worried at all?"

"Even if your father-in-law isn't doing so well, he still has a higher position and more seniority than you. He has many old comrades-in-arms, which might affect you. Besides, if you want to climb the ladder, it's best not to make so many enemies."

Lu Mingzhou laughed, "Dad, you're wrong. If I want to climb the ladder, I can't avoid making enemies."

Mr. Lu was taken aback, then laughed. "That's true. If you want to climb the ladder, you can't avoid offending people. With your unruly nature, it's impossible for you not to offend people. You were very emotional when you were young, but now that you're older and more mature, you've toned it down a lot. But deep down, you're still the same."

Lu Mingzhou chuckled and scratched his head, deliberately showing a bit of his youthful appearance in front of his father, so that his old man could feel the joy of being a father even more.

After a couple of jokes, Mr. Lu's expression softened considerably, and he looked at his outstanding son with eyes full of affection.

"Dad wants to know, do you know this person well, or how much do you know about him? Do you have anyone protecting you in the army? How much can they protect you? If you offend this person this time, how big will the impact be on your future?"

Father Lu earnestly instructed his son, fearing that his youthful impetuosity would affect his future. "Fourth son, life is not always smooth sailing. Occasionally there will be some setbacks, which may be a way to temper yourself. You have come a long way, and Dad will not watch you let such a small thing affect your future."

"You don't need to compete with him. He has a military academy degree and his father-in-law is helping him. He got to where he is today much easier than you. This is a future you risked your life in the midst of gunfire. Don't ruin it because of a moment of loyalty."

"Sometimes, you have to bow your head. If you can't handle Xu Sheng, then I'll find a way to give this money to your older brother, even if it's just to appease him temporarily, to buy you more time to grow. I'm his father, and it's not shameful to compromise with my own son."

Seeing his father like this, Lu Mingzhou was somewhat moved.

"Dad, we were wrong today, we've caused you worry!"

Mr. Lu sighed, "There's not much to say. From your perspective, I understand your mother. I've seen that you've rarely provoked anyone over the years. Even when your mother is unhappy with her children and wants to say something sarcastic to your eldest sister, she's never been as mean as her."

"I was thinking that since what happened has already happened, and what happened back then wasn't entirely Mingqian's fault, we should just keep our distance and not interfere with each other anymore. You guys did manage to do that, but clearly, they didn't."

He steered the conversation back on track, "Alright, it's all in the past. There's no going back now. Let's leave it at that! What I'm most concerned about now is whether your future will be affected. Ten thousand yuan is a lot, but our whole family can work together to scrape it together. If it can buy you some time to grow, then it'll be worth it."

After saying that, Mr. Lu frowned. "Fourth son, you're a soldier. You should always stay calm and focus on the important things. After all that, shouldn't you be most concerned about your future? Why haven't you paid attention to the important points after all this talk?"

He was somewhat dissatisfied with his son's attitude; it wasn't the behavior expected of a brigade commander.

Lu Mingzhou looked up at his father and smiled!

"That only proves that it's not the point!"

Mr. Lu: "..."

Lu Mingzhou's tone was more relaxed at this moment, as if he were chatting with his father about everyday matters.

"Dad, don't you think this is ridiculous? You used to always say that I was too mischievous when I was young and it was a pity that I didn't study hard. If I had my older brother's education, I wouldn't have had to work so hard to get promoted in the army."

"But look at my brother now, his ability to handle things is not what a college graduate should be doing. I feel he's not even as good as me! Let's put aside our feelings and analyze this matter objectively. My brother told you that he gave him 10,000 yuan to get a promotion, and that he would forgive me and become my brother, helping each other out. Do you believe that? He has completely forgotten that you were a veteran who went to war. He's just making a fool of you."

Mr. Lu: "..."

He angrily slapped Lu Mingzhou hard, "You brat, speak properly."

Lu Mingzhou was hit and continued, "He hasn't come back for so many years. This time he suddenly came back with his wife and children who have never shown their faces before. Obviously, asking you for money wasn't a spur-of-the-moment thing after he was beaten. He came back specifically for this matter."

"Given his hostility towards us, how could we possibly believe he won't make things difficult for me after his promotion? The more capable he is, the more dangerous I am!"

He glanced at Mr. Lu's expression before continuing, "To put it bluntly, giving him this ten thousand yuan has drained our family's savings. If he tries to make things difficult for me in the future, we won't have any money to bribe him. Won't we just be at his mercy then?"

"Besides, I don't think much of what he said is true. If there really is a promotion opportunity that requires money to 'grease the wheels,' how could ten thousand dollars possibly be enough?"