Rebirth in the Dragon Kingdom: The Strongest Blade

The military plane landed smoothly at the military airport in the western suburbs of Beijing at three o'clock in the afternoon. The familiar city outline outside the porthole stirred up complex emotions in Lin Zhe's heart. This was the place where his predecessor grew up, and also the place where he only stayed for a few months after transmigrating.

The cabin door opened, and Chen Jianfeng was the first to descend the gangway. Several generals had been waiting on the tarmac for some time. Leading them was a tall, imposing lieutenant general; his shoulder insignia identified him as Zhang Dajiang, commander of the Jinghua Military Region.

"Old Chen! What brings you here?" Zhang Dajiang greeted him with a smile and shook hands firmly with Chen Jianfeng.

Chen Jianfeng smiled and said, "Old Zhang, you don't come here without a reason. I've come to show you some good stuff."

"Oh?" Zhang Dajiang's gaze swept over Lin Zhe behind Chen Jianfeng, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. This young officer was too conspicuous, his posture as straight as a spear, his eyes calm and composed beyond his years. What was even stranger was that, facing a group of generals, his aura was not inferior.

"Let me introduce you. This is Lin Zhe, the deputy company commander of the reconnaissance company of the 127th Regiment of our Southwest Military Region, a captain." Chen Jianfeng stepped aside. "Lin Zhe, this is Commander Zhang of the Jinghua Military Region."

Lin Zhe stood at attention and saluted: "Greetings, Commander!"

Zhang Dajiang returned the greeting, looking Lin Zhe up and down: "Commander Chen, what's this...?"

"We'll talk on the way," Chen Jianfeng patted Zhang Dajiang on the shoulder. "Go straight to the General Armaments Department; we don't want to be late and cause problems."

The group boarded the waiting convoy. Inside, Chen Jianfeng gave a brief overview. Upon hearing keywords like "individual combat system," "five times the performance," and "30% cost reduction," Zhang Dajiang's expression shifted from curiosity to shock.

"Old Chen, you're not kidding? All these achievements... were done by this young man?" Zhang Dajiang couldn't help but turn around and look at Lin Zhe.

"Absolutely true." Chen Jianfeng said solemnly, "That's why I personally brought him to Beijing. This thing must be shown to the General Armaments Department."

The convoy did not return to the Jinghua Military Region, but instead drove directly to the General Armaments Department. It was a heavily guarded complex located in the northwest corner of Jinghua, with high walls, electric fences, and numerous sentries.

The conference room in the General Armaments Department building was already filled with more than a dozen people. There were officers with general's stars on their shoulders, as well as researchers in white lab coats. Everyone was somewhat surprised to see Commanders Chen Jianfeng and Zhang Dajiang appear together.

"Commander Chen, Commander Zhang, what important matter has troubled you two to come all this way?" The meeting was chaired by the Deputy Minister of the General Armaments Department, an elderly general with gray hair.

Without wasting words, Chen Jianfeng gestured directly to Lin Zhe: "Comrade Lin Zhe, let's begin."

Lin Zhe walked to the front of the conference room and opened the suitcase he was carrying. Inside were three pieces of equipment: an improved night vision device, a thermal imager, and a wristwatch-sized individual terminal.

"Commendations, experts, I am Lin Zhe, deputy company commander of the reconnaissance company of the 127th Regiment of the Southwest Military Region." His voice was clear and steady. "Now I will introduce these three pieces of equipment..."

For the next half hour, the only sounds in the conference room were Lin Zhe's voice and the occasional equipment demonstration. He explained the technical principles, design concepts, and practical applications. There were no fancy words, only solid data and demonstrations.

When the image from the night vision device was projected onto the large screen, an elderly expert wearing glasses suddenly stood up, leaned close to the screen, and examined it closely: "This clarity...this noise control...impossible! Even our latest third-generation low-light night vision devices can't reach this level!"

During the thermal imaging demonstration, another expert stared at the clearly defined heat source outline on the screen, his hands trembling: "A response time of 0.1 seconds? Doubling the detection range? This...this has surpassed the most advanced level publicly available internationally!"

The demonstration of the individual soldier terminal brought the atmosphere to a climax. Lin Zhe had two staff members wear the terminals and simulate a small-team combat exercise. Real-time location sharing, clear and lag-free voice commands, real-time updates of battlefield information... one function after another was demonstrated, and the eyes of the generals and experts in the conference room widened with increasing astonishment.

After the presentation, the conference room fell into a brief silence, which was then followed by a lively discussion.

"If this thing were equipped on the troops, their combat effectiveness would increase by at least 30%!"

"It's more than 30%! This is a revolution in warfare!"

"Comrade Lin Zhe, where did you get these technologies from...?"

The one asking the question was the director of the Technical Bureau of the General Armament Department, a major general specializing in technology. He stared at Lin Zhe with a complex expression—a mixture of excitement at discovering talent and disbelief.

Lin Zhe was well-prepared: "Part of it comes from self-study and research, and part comes from ideas generated during actual border defense operations. Real technological breakthroughs often come from frontline needs."

This statement is watertight, explaining both the origin of the technology and highlighting its practical value.

The veteran experts surrounded the equipment, asking questions like children seeing a new toy. Lin Zhe answered them one by one, from materials and processes to algorithm optimization, from production difficulties to cost control, providing professional and thorough answers.

The meeting lasted a full three hours. At the end, the Deputy Minister of the General Armaments Department shook Chen Jianfeng's hand: "Old Chen, your Southwest Military Region has made a tremendous contribution! I dare say this system is at least ten years ahead of all existing equipment in the entire army! No, fifteen years!"

He then turned to Lin Zhe, his eyes gleaming: "Comrade Lin Zhe, would you be interested in working at the General Armaments Department? We need a genius like you here!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Jianfeng's expression changed slightly. Zhang Dajiang, however, laughed: "Old Chen, looks like someone's trying to poach your employees."

Lin Zhe shook his head: "Thank you for your kind offer, sir, but I still want to stay in the combat unit. Equipment serves soldiers, and only on the front lines can one truly understand what soldiers need. Besides..." He paused, then gave a sincere smile, "I really enjoy being in the military; no laboratory can provide that."

The generals nodded in agreement. Yes, it would be a waste to keep such a promising talent locked up in a laboratory.

After leaving the General Armament Department, Zhang Dajiang pulled Chen Jianfeng aside: "Old Chen, to be honest, this Lin Zhe... is a treasure."

Chen Jianfeng became alert: "What, you want to dig too?"

"I'd love to," Zhang Dajiang said with a smile. "He's a talent in the Southwest, and he'd be even more of a talent in our Jinghua Military Region. Besides, Jinghua's research conditions and development platforms are much better than the Southwest's. Old Chen, how about you consider it?"

"No way," Chen Jianfeng flatly refused. "Lin Zhe was trained by our Southwest Military Region; nobody can mess with him."

As the two chatted and laughed, Chen Jianfeng glanced at his watch and said to Lin Zhe, "Stay in Jinghua tonight, and head back to the Southwest tomorrow morning. I'll give you half a day off; go home and visit your family."

Lin Zhe nodded: "Yes, sir."

"Alright, meet here again at nine o'clock tomorrow morning." Chen Jianfeng patted him on the shoulder. "Go on, spend some time with your family."

Lin Zhe saluted and left. Watching his retreating figure, Zhang Dajiang mused, "Old Chen, this young man... is no ordinary person. A nineteen-year-old captain, with this level of skill, this aura... do you think he might be from some powerful family..."

"Don't make wild guesses," Chen Jianfeng interrupted him. "Lin Zhe is Lin Zhe; he earned all his achievements himself."

Lin Zhe didn't change into civilian clothes, but instead wore his crisp military uniform. He hailed a taxi and gave an address. It was the home his predecessor remembered, a villa district in the center of Beijing.

Walking along the wide roads of the villa district, lined with all sorts of detached villas, Lin Zhe stopped in front of a three-story Chinese-style villa. The gate was open, revealing a meticulously maintained garden inside.

He took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.

A few seconds later, the door opened. A middle-aged woman wearing an apron poked her head out, paused for a moment when she saw Lin Zhe's military uniform, then her eyes widened: "Young...Young Master?!"

This is Aunt Wang, the family's nanny, who has worked for the Lin family for over ten years.

"Aunt Wang, it's me." Lin Zhe smiled.

"Oh my! It really is the young master!" Aunt Wang's voice trembled with excitement. "Madam! Madam! The young master is back!"

Hurried footsteps came from inside the house. Su Wan practically ran out, but when she saw her son standing at the door, she stopped abruptly and covered her mouth with her hand.

Two years have passed, and my son has changed. He's taller, his shoulders are broader, and his skin is darker, but his eyes... are more composed and resolute. The military uniform fits him perfectly, as if tailor-made, and the captain's star on his epaulets gleams in the sunlight.

"Xiao Zhe..." Su Wan's voice choked with emotion.

"Mom, I'm back." Lin Zhe stepped forward and gently hugged his mother. He could feel his mother's body trembling slightly.

"Let Mom see..." Su Wan took a step back, carefully examining her son, gently stroking his face. "You've lost weight, but you're also more muscular. Life in the army must have been tough, right?"

"It's not bitter, I'm used to it."

"How could it not be bitter? Mom knows..." Su Wan wiped her eyes. "Come in, come in! Aunt Wang, pour tea for the young master! No, cook first! Xiao Zhe, what do you want to eat? Mom will cook it for you herself!"

Lin Zhe was pulled into the house by his mother. The living room was just as he remembered it, spacious and bright, with a family photo of the five of them hanging on the wall—it was taken not long before he transmigrated, and the boy in the photo still looked a bit green.

"Sit down, Mom's going to make a call." Su Wan hurriedly picked up the phone. "Call your dad, call your brother... oh right, and Grandpa too! He'll be so happy to know you're back!"

One call after another was made. Lin Zhe sat on the sofa, listening to his mother's excited voice:

"Guodong, Xiaozhe's back! Yes, he's home now! Can you come back tonight?...Okay, okay, come back soon!"

"Xiaofeng, your brother's back! Come home for dinner tonight!...No matter how busy you are at work, you have to come home!"

"Assistant Zhang, Xiao Zhe is back. Could you please tell the old man if it's convenient for him to come over? ...Okay."

After hanging up the phone, Su Wan busied herself again: "Xiao Zhe, go upstairs and take a shower and change your clothes. Mom has been keeping your room for you and cleans it every day..."

"Mom, don't bother," Lin Zhe said, pulling his mother back. "I'll just sit for a bit."

"How can that be? You must be exhausted from your journey..." Su Wan said, her eyes reddening again. "It's been two years, and you haven't come back even once. Every time Mom sees news about the border troops on TV, she worries about you..."

The mother and son were talking when they heard a car outside. Soon, Lin Feng strode in. The thirty-year-old government official, dressed in a suit, had a composed demeanor, but his steps were hurried.

"Xiao Zhe!" Lin Feng's eyes lit up when he saw his younger brother. He quickly stepped forward and patted Lin Zhe's shoulder forcefully. "Good lad! You've gotten strong!"

"Brother." Lin Zhe stood up.

Lin Feng carefully examined his younger brother, his eyes filled with pride: "I heard about it at work; the Southwest Military Region has produced a young genius, a nineteen-year-old captain, and a first-class merit. I even wondered if it could be my brother. But when I saw the name, it really was!"

"You found out too?" Su Wan asked in surprise.

"Mom, Xiao Zhe is quite famous in the military system now," Lin Feng said with a smile. "He defeated a large number of militants single-handedly; his achievement is almost legendary."

As they were talking, another car pulled up at the entrance. Lin Guodong got out. The mayor of Jinghua City walked with a steady gait, but his brows furrowed with urgency. Upon seeing his son, he paused for a moment, then resumed his normal pace.

"Dad." Lin Zhe stood at attention—this was a soldier's instinct.

Lin Guodong walked up to his son, looked him over carefully, and nodded: "He's gotten darker and thinner, but he looks more energetic. Good."

He didn't say much, but Lin Zhe could feel the pride in his father's eyes.

Most surprisingly, Zhang Jian and Lin Weiguo arrived half an hour later. The old man was wearing an old military uniform, and although he was over eighty years old, his back was ramrod straight.

"Grandpa!" Lin Zhe quickly stepped forward.

Lin Weiguo grasped his grandson's hand and shook it vigorously: "Good! Good! This is truly a descendant of the Lin family!"

The family was finally reunited. The atmosphere at the dinner table was lively. Aunt Wang had prepared a table full of dishes, all of which were Lin Zhe's favorites.

"Xiao Zhe, tell Grandpa, what's the deal with that first-class merit award?" Lin Weiguo was most concerned about this.

Lin Zhe briefly recounted the battle at Eagle's Beak Cliff, omitting the bloody details. Even so, Su Wan's face turned pale as she listened, gripping her son's hand tightly.

"Forty..." Lin Feng gasped. "Xiao Zhe, your record would be top-notch even in wartime."

Lin Guodong put a piece of pork rib on his son's plate: "How's the food in the army?"

"The food in the army is pretty good," Lin Zhe said honestly.

"I heard you've developed some new equipment?" Lin Feng asked. "Someone from our unit went to a meeting at the General Armaments Department and came back saying that the old experts there were incredibly excited."

Lin Zhe nodded: "We've improved some individual soldier equipment."

"Some?" Lin Feng laughed. "I heard more than just 'some.' People say your system is more than a decade ahead of current equipment. Xiao Zhe, you're going to change the military."

Lin Weiguo's eyes lit up: "Great! Soldiers not only need to know how to fight, but also understand how to fight! If our equipment can't keep up, we'll be bullied!"

The meal lasted two hours. Lin Zhe talked about his life in the army, his experiences on the border, and his comrades-in-arms. His family listened with great interest; this was the first time they had ever truly understood their son's military life.

It was late at night when Lin Zhe returned to his room. Everything was the same; his high school books and military magazines were still on the bookshelf. He lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, a long-lost warmth welling up inside him.

This is home. No matter how far you go, this will always be your home.

At nine o'clock the next morning, Lin Zhe returned to the meeting point on time. Chen Jianfeng was already waiting. Seeing him, he smiled and asked, "How does it feel to be home?"

"Very good, thank you, sir."

"That's good." Chen Jianfeng glanced at his watch. "Let's go, it's time to head back."

Just as the two were about to get into the car, a military-plated sedan sped up and stopped in front of them. A senior colonel from the General Armaments Department got out, carrying a document bag.

"Commander Chen, Comrade Lin Zhe, please wait a moment." The colonel stepped forward quickly. "These are the orders that just came down."

Chen Jianfeng took the file bag, opened it, and his eyes widened in shock. He took a deep breath and handed the file to Lin Zhe: "You can see for yourself."

Lin Zhe took it; it was written in black and white, stamped with the bright red seal of the Central Military Commission:

"...In view of Comrade Lin Zhe's significant contributions to military technology innovation, the Central Military Commission has decided, after deliberation, to award Comrade Lin Zhe a First-Class Merit and promote him to the rank of Major..."

Major! A nineteen-year-old major!

Lin Zhe was stunned. He knew there would be a reward, but he didn't expect to be promoted directly to major.

"Comrade Lin Zhe," the Senior Colonel said solemnly, "your individual soldier system, after being reviewed overnight by an expert group from the General Armaments Department, has been deemed to have immense strategic value. This is a promotion specially approved by the Central Military Commission. Congratulations!"

Chen Jianfeng patted Lin Zhe on the shoulder forcefully: "Good lad! A nineteen-year-old major, one of a kind in the entire army!"

On the return flight, Lin Zhe gazed at the sea of ​​clouds outside the window, his fingers unconsciously stroking the brand-new major's star insignia on his epaulets.

In his previous life, he became the chief engineer of a military research institute at the age of thirty-five, holding the rank of senior colonel. In this life, he became a major at the age of nineteen, achieving success through both technical expertise and practical combat experience.

The road ahead is still long, but he has already found his direction.

Chen Jianfeng stood to the side, eyes closed in rest, a smile playing on his lips. This trip to Beijing had not only brought honor to the Southwest Military Region, but also revealed that Lin Zhe was a man of hidden talent; those arrogant experts from the General Armaments Department had actually been impressed by him.

The plane pierced through the clouds and flew southwest. Lin Zhe closed his eyes, mentally planning his next move.

The individual soldier system is just the beginning. Next, there will be weapon improvements, tactical innovations, and modernization of the command system... He will take it step by step to transform the Dragon Kingdom's army in this world into a true iron-willed force.

A new journey, a new beginning. This time, he aims not only to become the strongest soldier, but also a driving force for military reform.

As the plane landed, Lin Zhe opened his eyes, his gaze as firm as iron.

Southwest, I'm back.