In 1959, what's wrong with me pedaling a tricycle?

In May 1966, Wang Xingguo had been working here for more than half a year. Because he was needed here, he did not apply to return to Beijing to work.

In April, Premier Zhou Enlai reiterated China's bottom line regarding its stance on Vietnam: the US military must not cross the 17th parallel and must not bomb the Chinese mainland. China will not stand idly by should the US escalate the war!

The Jansen government was highly wary of this red line, and the situation regarding bombers crossing it improved.

However, the meter-gauge railway from Dong Dang to Hanoi has always been a key target for bombing.

The railway was often repaired only to be bombed by American planes the very next day. Our railway soldiers worked day and night to repair it, and this tug-of-war continued repeatedly.

Wang Xingguo's workload is getting heavier and heavier because the support has been increased this year, and his workload has doubled.

Wang Xingguo was overjoyed to receive the telegram from Grandpa Lin.

The old man snatched the naming rights away again. He asked a leader to name the child, and the leader named the child Guowei.

Wang Xingguo was a little puzzled, because he, as the father, hadn't chosen any of his children's names.

He felt at ease at home, trusting that his mother-in-law and the others would take good care of his wife and children. He also didn't need to worry about supplies, as it wasn't difficult to buy nutritional supplements these days, and the family wasn't short of money.

In late July, a large-scale rally and march in support of Vietnam and the fight against the United States was held in the capital, and the whole country began to mobilize to support Vietnam.

Domestic factories began working overtime to produce ammunition and anti-aircraft gun spare parts, which were continuously transported to the Pingxiang and Liuzhou hubs, further intensifying Wang Xingguo's workload.

Wang Xingguo convened a meeting and addressed the transportation teams of each detachment.

"Comrades, the situation has become even more dire. We need to readjust the order of supplies being released from the warehouse. Next, ammunition and anti-aircraft artillery parts will be prioritized for loading. Two more trains will be added for nighttime departures. If the railway is disrupted, the road transport plan must be activated immediately. We cannot allow the soldiers on the front lines to be cut off from supplies. I want you to pledge your commitment here, guaranteeing the completion of the mission without delay. Do you understand?"

"Mission accomplished!"

"receive!"

"We are determined to complete the mission!"

Wang Xingguo nodded in satisfaction and began assigning tasks.

He now has more than a dozen transportation teams and more than thirty car transport squads under his command!

He currently has over a thousand soldiers under his command!

On September 4, the Central Military Commission ordered the formation of the 9th Detachment of the Chinese Logistics Force to secretly enter Vietnam!

Wang Xingguo received orders to prioritize the transportation of large quantities of cement, explosives, construction machinery, and tunnel building materials.

Wang Xingguo felt overwhelmed. His superiors had once again assigned him additional transportation work, which was now extremely difficult due to frequent bombings by the US military that frequently disrupted roads and railways.

But there was no other way; we had to bite the bullet and go for it.

In November, the advance troops entered Vietnam, and in December, the main force crossed the border at Friendship Pass.

Before he knew it, Wang Xingguo had been here for over a year.

The constant air raid sirens these days have been making his ears ring, but he hasn't said anything and silently endures this torment.

The operation continued until April 1968, when Jansen announced a partial halt to bombing of North Vietnam, significantly downgrading Operation Rolling Thunder and drastically reducing the pressure of air raids on the border.

With the many qualified staff members he has trained, Wang Xingguo finally has time to go to the hospital for a check-up.

After examination, the doctor determined that his hearing had been damaged due to working in noisy environments for a long time and that he needed to rest in a quiet place.

When the old leader learned of this, he felt very guilty for not taking Wang Xingguo's health condition into account. So he submitted an application to arrange for someone to take over Wang Xingguo's work and let Wang Xingguo return to Beijing to recuperate.

In 1965, the military rank system was abolished. Wang Xingguo was originally a lieutenant colonel, but now he is a military officer at the administrative level 14.

A farewell party was arranged for Wang Xingguo because he had performed exceptionally well over the past two years, and everyone was quite reluctant to see him leave.

Unfortunately, his old ear condition made him unsuitable for working here.

The old leader said to Wang Xingguo with emotion, "Young Wang, please give my regards to Old Lin when you get back."

Wang Xingguo finally couldn't hold back any longer and asked the question that had been on his mind: "Commander, are you and my Grandpa Lin old comrades-in-arms?"

The old commander laughed and shook his head, saying, "He and I aren't old comrades-in-arms. We competed for the same position back then, but unfortunately I lost to Lao Lin."

Wang Xingguo was extremely surprised, never expecting that his old comrade-in-arms was actually his competitor.

He couldn't help but ask, "Then...why are you taking such good care of me?"

The old commander laughed and scolded, "You brat, who took care of you? I just admire your abilities. You've done a great job these past two years; you're an excellent officer. I'm very satisfied with your performance. What happened between me and Lao Lin has nothing to do with you. Don't worry about it. Go back to Beijing and take good care of yourself. Once you're well, continue to shine in your new position."

Wang Xingguo saluted solemnly: "Yes, sir! I guarantee I will complete the mission!"

When Wang Xingguo arrived, he had a backpack and a suitcase; when he left, he had a backpack and three suitcases.

There was no other way; his superiors and comrades gave him a lot of things, and he had to buy two large suitcases to fit them all.

Wang Xingguo packed his things, checked the time, and realized it was almost time to leave.

The people who helped him move his things arrived; they were his three comrades-in-arms. They helped him move his things and took him to catch his ride.

To his surprise, many people came to see him off. Even though a farewell party had already been held for him, they came again to see him off, which moved Wang Xingguo.

"Have a safe journey, Xiao Wang."

"Team Leader Wang, I've come on behalf of the brothers to see you off. We wish you a safe journey!"

Wang Xingguo waved his arms as the car slowly drove away, gradually disappearing from sight of the farewell crowd. Only then did Wang Xingguo stop waving goodbye.

Who would have thought that what was supposed to be a six-month secondment would end up lasting more than two years?

Wang Xingguo was filled with emotion. His eldest son was about to start first grade this year, and he had to write a letter to his son to postpone his schooling; otherwise, he would have started school last fall. His second daughter was five years old this year, and his youngest son was almost two.

Time flies so fast!

Looking at the mountains and rivers of Guangxi, Wang Xingguo was filled with emotion. Two hours later, he boarded the military train home.

There were many military trains needed to provide aid to Vietnam, so Wang Xingguo easily boarded a military train back to Beijing.

Two days and three nights later, Wang Xingguo set foot on the soil of Beijing and finally returned home!

The logistics department sent a car to pick him up. Wang Xingguo and the transporter who picked him up carried his luggage onto the car, and then they set off to return to the logistics department to report on their work.

After returning to the logistics department, Wang Xingguo was led to a conference room by Li Zhong's secretary, where dozens of people were sitting.

Li Zhong stood up, took the document, and read aloud: "Today, I have gathered everyone here to announce an appointment by the General Logistics Department Party Committee. Comrade Wang Xingguo was transferred to the Pingxiang Frontline Office in Guangxi in September 1965 to oversee the transfer of aid supplies to Vietnam. For more than two years, during the peak of the US military's Rolling Thunder bombing campaign, the transport lines were repeatedly damaged. This comrade was appointed to this critical mission, took the lead, and organized road transport after the railway was interrupted on numerous occasions!"

He ensured the smooth export of ammunition, anti-aircraft artillery spare parts, tunnel construction materials, and SAM equipment, successfully completing his frontline support mission and earning a second-class merit citation. Based on the decision of the General Logistics Department Party Committee, Comrade Wang Xingguo was appointed Director of the Materials Transportation Department, and his administrative rank was promoted from Administrative Level 14 to Administrative Level 13.