Rebirth in the Dragon Kingdom: The Strongest Blade

Jinghua, the highest-level conference room of the Central Military Commission's command center.

On either side of the heavy, solid wood table sat the highest-ranking officers of the Chinese military—all generals, the youngest being over fifty. The conference room was filled with smoke, and the atmosphere was so serious it could be wrung out.

At the far end of the conference table, a large screen displays a person's complete resume:

Lin Zhe, male, 29 years old, from Jinghua.

Military rank: Lieutenant General

Current position:

Squadron Leader of the First Squadron of the Qianlong Army, Special-Grade Technical Advisor of the General Armaments Department, and Commander-in-Chief of "Project Star".

Main achievements:

During the border defense period: trained the "Hunter Blade" special forces, participated in border self-defense counterattacks, and was awarded the First-Class Merit Citation three times.

During his time in the "Hidden Dragon" era: He carried out 27 special missions overseas with a 100% success rate; led a team to infiltrate the DARPA laboratory in the United States to obtain cutting-edge technical data; and successfully rescued captured scientists.

Scientific research contributions: Providing designs for new fighter jets, global missile systems, aerospace fighter programs, and aircraft carrier design blueprints, thus promoting the leapfrog development of national military science and technology.

Unit building: Establish and train the first squadron of the Qianlong Special Operations Unit, and cultivate new types of special operations personnel.

Honors received: Medal of Honor for Defending the Nation (twice), First-Class Merit (nine times), Second-Class Merit (fifteen times)...

General Zhao Tiesheng, Chief of the General Staff, stubbed out his cigarette and slowly began, "Comrades, there is only one topic today—the issue of Comrade Lin Zhe's promotion in military rank."

The meeting room was silent for a few seconds.

Air Force Commander Lieutenant General Wang Haifeng spoke first: "A general at the age of twenty-nine... this is unprecedented in the history of our army. Even during wartime, the youngest general was thirty-seven years old."

"Special circumstances warrant special treatment," said Admiral Liu Zhenhua, Commander of the Navy. "Comrade Lin Zhe's contributions are evident to all. The technology he provided has advanced our military technology by at least twenty years. No honor is too much for such a person."

"I agree," said Lieutenant General Li Jianguo, Minister of the General Armaments Department, excitedly. "The 'Mighty Dragon-20' fighter jet, the 'Sky Sword-1' space fighter, the 'Dragon Rising' aircraft carrier... without Lin Zhe, we might have had to fumble around for another ten or twenty years! He's only a lieutenant general now, and I feel he's been wronged!"

General Zhou Ming, Director of the General Political Department, adjusted his glasses: "Procedurally speaking, Comrade Lin Zhe fully meets the promotion requirements. Nine First-Class Merits and two Medals of Honor for the Protection of the Nation—based on these alone, he is more than qualified to be promoted to general. Not to mention his technical contributions, which cannot be measured by medals."

"But..." an elderly general with graying hair hesitated, "Twenty-nine years old, too young. Won't such a young general cause..."

"Cause what? Criticism?" Zhao Tiesheng interrupted him. "Who dares to criticize? Let those who criticize go and develop some cutting-edge weapons! Comrade Lin Zhe's contributions are real! New fighter jets have already been deployed to three aviation brigades, the second aircraft carrier will be launched next month, and the third will be completed by the end of the year! All of this is thanks to him!"

The meeting room fell silent again.

Everyone looked at the resumes on the screen, their hearts filled with mixed emotions.

He graduated from military academy at the age of eighteen after only one year—breaking the record for the fastest graduation from a military academy.

At the age of nineteen, he volunteered to go to the most arduous border defense unit—at a time when many young people were trying to stay in big cities, he chose the most difficult place.

He joined and trained the "Hunter Blade" special forces at the age of 22—a unit that is now the elite of the Western Military District.

He joined the Hidden Dragon at the age of twenty-four, thus beginning countless life-and-death overseas missions.

He was promoted to major general at the age of 26—a record that was already broken at the time.

At the age of twenty-seven, he led a team to infiltrate the most critical laboratory in the United States—the intelligence briefing for that operation sent chills down the spines of all the generals.

He was promoted to lieutenant general at the age of 28—and simultaneously took charge of three important positions: the Qianlong Command, the General Armaments Department, and the "Star Project".

Now, at twenty-nine, he's about to be promoted to general.

"Let's vote by raising hands," Zhao Tiesheng said. "Those who agree to promote Comrade Lin Zhe to the rank of general and appoint him as the battalion commander of the Qianlong Base (successor to the Dragon King), chief advisor to the General Armaments Department, commander-in-chief of the 'Star Project,' and advisor to the Central Military Commission, please raise your hands."

One by one, old but strong hands were raised.

Ten seconds later, Zhao Tiesheng scanned the room and said, "Unanimously approved."

The next morning, at the Central Military Commission building.

Lin Zhe, dressed in a crisp lieutenant general's uniform, stood outside the commander's office. He had received a notice early that morning to come to the Central Military Commission, but no one had said what the matter was.

The door opened, and General Liu Zhenguo came out, looking at him with eyes full of satisfaction: "Lin Zhe, come in."

Lin Zhe walked into the office and froze.

The office was not only occupied by Liu Zhenguo, but also by Chief of the General Staff Zhao Tiesheng, Director of the General Political Department Zhou Ming, Minister of the General Armaments Department Li Jianguo... almost all the leaders of the Central Military Commission were there.

What shocked him most was that at the end of the office stood the commander of the Dragon Kingdom.

"Comrade Lin Zhe," the commander-in-chief said with a smile as he approached, "I've called you here today to confer a rank upon you."

Lin Zhe's mind went blank.

Conferring a rank? He's already a lieutenant general; if he's conferred another rank, that would be...

"After deliberation and decision by the Military Commission, and with approval submitted," the Commander-in-Chief's voice boomed, "Comrade Lin Zhe is hereby awarded the rank of General!"

The two veteran generals came over and personally helped Lin Zhe change into his brand-new general's uniform. The three gold stars on his epaulets gleamed in the sunlight.

"Comrade Lin Zhe," the commander grasped his hand, "your contributions to this country are beyond words. The technology you provided has enabled our national defense to leap forward by twenty years; the troops you trained safeguard the peace of the nation; the plans you formulated shape the future of this great nation."

"These honors are well-deserved. The nation will not let heroes remain unknown, nor will it let meritorious individuals be buried behind the scenes. From today onwards, you are a general of the Dragon Kingdom, an advisor to the Central Military Commission, and a pillar of the nation's army!"

Lin Zhe stood at attention, saluted, his voice slightly choked with emotion: "Thank you, Commander! Thank you, organization! I will continue to work hard and live up to the expectations of the country and the people!"

"Good!" The commander nodded. "Tonight's news broadcast will report on your conferment of your rank. This is an honor bestowed upon you by the nation, and also an example for all soldiers—in China, as long as you have the ability and contribute to the country, age and seniority are not problems!"

The conferment ceremony was simple yet solemn. After it ended, Lin Zhe walked out of the Central Military Commission building, the sunlight shining on the three gold stars on his shoulders, reflecting a dazzling light.

He touched the newly added star, his heart filled with emotion.

At 7 p.m. that evening, the national television station of China broadcast the "News Broadcast".

"...Now for an important announcement. This morning, the Central Military Commission of China held a ceremony in Beijing to confer the rank of General upon Comrade Lin Zhe..."

In the scene, the commander-in-chief personally pins the general's shoulder insignia on Lin Zhe. The surrounding area is filled with elderly generals with white hair, while Lin Zhe, standing in the center, looks incredibly young.

The news report was very short, only one minute long. The host simply introduced Lin Zhe: "Lin Zhe, 29 years old, a native of Beijing, has made outstanding contributions to the construction of the national army and the development of defense science and technology. He has been promoted to the rank of general and appointed as an advisor to the Central Military Commission of China."

But that one minute was enough to shake the entire nation.

In an ordinary residential area in Jinghua City, a family is having dinner at home.

"Mom, look at the news!" A young man in his twenties pointed at the TV.

The whole family looked at the television screen. When they saw Lin Zhe's young face and the three gold stars on his shoulders, everyone was stunned.

"Twenty-nine years old? A general?" The father's chopsticks fell onto the table.

"My God..." the mother exclaimed, covering her mouth. "How...how is this possible?"

The young people quickly pulled out their phones and opened social media. Sure enough, the entire internet was in an uproar.

The top trending topic on Weibo: #29YearOldGeneral#

Second: #Who is Lin Zhe?#

Third: #China's Youngest General#

The comment section refreshes at a rate of thousands per second:

"I'm 29 and still worrying about my mortgage, while others are already generals..."

"Is this true? Or is it fake news?"

"Upstairs, this is the CCTV Evening News! The national broadcaster!"

"Has anyone dug into this big shot's resume?"

"His resume is definitely top secret, but to become a general at the age of twenty-nine must have meant he had performed an extraordinary feat!"

"Look at the way those old generals look at him in the video; it's full of admiration and respect. That can't be faked!"

Staff dormitory at a military academy in Beijing.

A middle-aged college student was watching TV. When he saw Lin Zhe, he suddenly stood up and leaned close to the screen.

"Lin Zhe? Is that Lin Zhe?"

He rushed into the study and pulled out a yellowed photo album. He turned to a page with a military academy graduation photo. In the middle of the first row, an eighteen-year-old boy smiled shyly but resolutely.

"It really is him..." the colonel murmured to himself, "My student... has become a general..."

He recalled twelve years ago, the gifted boy who entered military academy with the highest score in the country, yet graduated early after completing all the courses in just one year. At the time, all the instructors said that this child was destined for greatness.

But no one expected it to be such a large "vessel".

A border defense company in southwestern China is organizing a news viewing session in its mess hall.

When Lin Zhe's image appeared, the entire cafeteria fell silent. A few seconds later, a huge murmur of discussion erupted.

"My God! It's Deputy Company Commander Lin!"

"It really is Deputy Company Commander Lin! He's been promoted to general!"

A veteran in his forties, his face flushed with excitement, exclaimed, "I was in the same company as Deputy Company Commander Lin back then! I always knew he was no ordinary person!"

The young soldiers gathered around: "Squad leader, tell us about Deputy Company Commander Lin!"

The veteran wiped his eyes: "Back then, Platoon Leader Lin was only nineteen years old, fresh out of college and assigned here. Our company was the toughest border defense company in the entire army, at an altitude of 5,000 meters, with winter temperatures dropping to minus 30 degrees Celsius. After he arrived, he led us in training and construction, and in less than six months, our company became a model unit in the entire army..."

In the mess hall, all the soldiers listened intently. Watching the young general on television, a surge of pride welled up within them—this was a general who had risen from the border, their role model!

Meanwhile, across the country, countless people who knew Lin Zhe were shocked.

The message count in our high school classmates' group chat has already reached 999+.

"My God! Lin Zhe has become a general!"

"One of our high school classmates became a general?"

"I remember he was exceptionally smart in high school, always ranking first in every exam."

"But didn't he take the military academy entrance exam? How did he become a general so quickly?"

"He must have performed an extraordinary feat! Otherwise, he couldn't have achieved such a high level of accomplishment at such a young age..."

Someone uploaded a high school graduation photo, pointing to the handsome young man in the middle of the first row: "Look, this is Lin Zhe, a photo from his second year of high school."

The boy in the photo has clear eyes and a sunny smile; he is a completely different person from the general in the news who has three gold stars on his shoulders.

But upon closer inspection, the determination in their eyes and brows is consistent with their lineage.

Across the ocean, in the Wharton War Room of the United States.

News footage from China was playing on the giant screen. When everyone in the conference room saw the three stars on Lin Zhe's shoulder, they gasped.

"Twenty-nine years old... an general..." CIA Director Hansen's face paled. "Do you all understand what this means?"

Defense Secretary James said in a somber voice, "This means that this person's value to the Dragon Nation is immeasurable. It means that they are willing to break all conventions and give this person the highest honor and status."

"Investigate! Investigate thoroughly!" The president slammed his fist on the table. "Who is this person? What has he done? Why is China taking him so seriously?"

The Director of Intelligence said with difficulty, "Mr. President, we've been investigating. But China is protecting this person too closely. All we know is that his name is Lin Zhe, he's 29 years old, he served in the border defense forces, and later transferred to a special unit. After that... there are no records."

"No record? A 29-year-old general, and you say there's no record?!" the president roared.

"It's true, there really isn't." The intelligence director gave a wry smile. "All his information is top secret. We even suspect that the name 'Lin Zhe' is an alias."

The conference room was deathly silent.

Hansen suddenly remembered something: "Wait... do you guys remember the DARPA lab hack two years ago? Our analysis at the time showed that the person leading the team was very young, extremely skilled, and proficient in various technologies..."

Everyone looked at Lin Zhe on the screen.

"You mean..." the president's voice trembled.

"It's him," Hansen said confidently. "Twenty-nine years old, to be promoted from captain to general in two years—unless he has performed an extraordinary feat. And what kind of feat could make a country so exceptional? There's only one answer—he brought back something that could change the fate of the nation."

"And that's exactly what we lost from DARPA."

The temperature in the conference room seemed to drop to freezing point instantly.

The Prime Minister of Country R frowned as he looked at the briefing sent by the intelligence department: "A twenty-nine-year-old general... what is China trying to do?"

The Minister of Defense said in a deep voice, "According to our intelligence, China's military technology has made rapid progress in the past two years. We suspect that these technological breakthroughs are related to this Lin Zhe."

"Is it possible to get in touch with him?"

"Impossible. He's currently under the highest level of protection in China, with at least a squadron of special forces constantly guarding him. Besides... even if we made contact, it wouldn't matter."

Why?

The Defense Minister smiled wryly: "A man who can become a general at the age of twenty-nine has unquestionable loyalty to the country. Such a person cannot be bought off or turned. He is the embodiment of the national will."

Country Y, the official residence of the royal family.

At an emergency meeting, the Defense Minister reported: "...In conclusion, by publicly announcing this young general, China is sending a clear signal—they have sufficient confidence and are not afraid of any challenge. This General Lin Zhe is very likely the key figure in China's military leap forward."

After a long silence, the Prime Minister slowly said, "I hereby announce a readjustment of our policy towards the Dragon Kingdom. From today onward, all matters concerning the Dragon Kingdom must be handled with utmost caution."

"yes!"

It's late at night, but the shockwaves triggered by this news story continue.

Meanwhile, at the Qianlong Base in the western suburbs of Beijing, Lin Zhe stood by the office window, looking at the stars in the night sky.

His phone kept vibrating with congratulatory messages, but he didn't reply to a single one.

He knew that from this day forward, the burden on his shoulders would be even heavier.

The three gold stars represent not glory, but responsibility.