Names: Uncle Zhao Mengsheng, Father-in-law Pei Yihong

The ship sounded its horn and slowly sailed away from the shore.

Our destination: Xuanwu Island, ten kilometers away.

A group of high-ranking officials leaned on the railing and gazed into the distance at the vast, boundless sea.

Sha Ruijin really wanted to save face and demonstrate the authority of the top leader. "Fellow Standing Committee members, I have checked the information and Xuanwu Island is one of the few near-shore islands in our Handong."

My opinion is to prioritize the preservation of the original ecological environment and strictly limit commercial development.

We will only engage in low-end natural tourism, with minimal development, and will strictly prohibit large-scale commercial construction.

Seeking stability and conservatism has always been Sha Ruijin's governing style.

As for the information, that's what Secretary Bai worked on overnight.

Tian Guofu immediately echoed, "I completely agree with Secretary Sha's opinion."

Island ecosystems are fragile; they are easy to damage but difficult to restore.

A typical example of prioritizing stability.

Don’t seek merit, but seek no faults.

The two spoke in unison, clearly adopting a conservative stance.

Many members of the Standing Committee nodded in agreement, unwilling to take the risk.

Because that unfinished villa area is a case in point. If Cheng Guangbiao hadn't stepped in, who would have dared to take it on?

Qi Tongwei leaned against the railing, tapping the guardrail lightly with his fingertips.

He gazed at the faint outline of the island in the distance, chuckled, and said, "Comrades, is this a safe bet?"

Ten years ago, this would have been considered a matter of course; now, it's seen as incompetent and lazy governance.

His tone was blunt and unforgiving.

The deck fell silent instantly; you could hear a pin drop.

All eyes turned to Qi Tongwei.

Is Qi Tongwei up to something again?

Sha Ruijin glanced at Qi Tongwei sideways, clearly displeased. "Executive Qi, do you have a different opinion on island development?"

Qi Tongwei straightened up and looked straight at the sea.

The sea breeze lifted the hem of his clothes.

"I am never against ecological protection."

However, protection is not sealing away, and conservatism is not lying down.

Comrade Ruijin, Comrade Guofu, have you ever been to Xuanwu Island?

Sha Ruijin frowned and said, "Executive Qi, you're being a bit unreasonable. You don't necessarily need direct experience; indirect experience is fine too."

Our materialist dialectics also states this.

What we mean by "read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles" is that you should read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles.

Although I haven't been there in person, I've consulted a lot of information.

I feel I have the right to speak on this.

Tian Guofu quickly clapped his hands, "Secretary Sha, your insightful remarks are truly profound. I suggest the Publicity Department write a report and publish it in the Handong Daily."

Qi Tongwei shook his head. "Developing the economy is not just empty talk."

Making assumptions without actually visiting the site.

As a great man once said, one has no right to speak without investigation.

Secretary Sha, Secretary Guofu, could it be that the great man was wrong?

This remark silenced Tian Guofu and Sha Ruijin.

Secretary Bai was quite clever. He made an excuse that he had an important phone call and asked Sha Ruijin to take it. Sha Ruijin wisely changed the location.

Qi Tongwei, Gao Yuliang, Liu Changsheng, and others chatted and laughed all the way.

Xu Zhenhong, the Party Secretary of Lüzhou City, glanced at Qi Tongwei from time to time.

This Qi Tongwei is really something else.

Today I'm quite impressed with myself.

The ship continued to cut through the waves and move forward.

Xuanwu Island in the distance is no longer blurry.

From a distance, the island's vegetation appears rather lush when viewed from the ship.

The visible desolation is the true essence of this island.

The ship gradually slowed down.

The ship is about to dock.

Qi Tongwei gazed at the shore.

Several low-rise bungalows are scattered around.

There are no skyscrapers, no bustling shops, only simple and unpretentious infrastructure.

Several soldiers in military uniforms lined up for inspection.

The sea breeze ruffled the hems of their clothes, and each of them bore the dark, reddish marks left by the sun and wind on their faces.

Through the binoculars handed to him by Zhao Guoqiang, Qi Tongwei saw the fire station and police station in the distance.

Small but complete.

now.

I saw soldiers.

Qi Tongwei, Zhao Guoqiang, and Xiao Jinghui saluted the soldiers on the shore in unison.

They were or are still soldiers.

The soldiers returned the salute.

"With constant sea winds, scarce fresh water, and inconvenient supply of materials, this kind of place is too difficult to endure."

Zhao Guoqiang had seen many border outposts, but he was still deeply moved by the conditions for guarding this desolate island.

Xiao Jinghui chimed in, "Political Commissar Zhao, our soldiers have it tough, so tough. They live in remote, damp, and desolate places, far from the city, with little entertainment and few people around."

The ability to establish a foothold and remain here is due to the spirit of soldiers.

Qi Tongwei remarked with emotion, "Those who guard the island do not seek fame or fortune; they only wish that not an inch of their territory be lost."

They had all served in the military and had similar experiences, so they were best able to understand this quiet dedication.

The three spoke briefly, but every word came from the bottom of their hearts.

The group disembarked one after another.

Sha Ruijin subconsciously straightened his collar.

He habitually waited for the island's inhabitants to line up for a grand welcoming ceremony.

The rules are always out in the open.

But before them, there was only wind blowing and waves crashing, and only soldiers standing silently.

There were no banners, no ceremony, and no "Welcome, welcome."

It was incredibly deserted.

Tian Guofu's eyebrows twitched slightly.

He muttered to himself, "They don't even have the most basic hospitality etiquette."

Rigid and picky are habits ingrained in his bones.

The patrolman leading the team stood tall and straight, with a calm and composed gaze.

Sha Ruijin sensed something was wrong and whispered to Zhao Guoqiang, "Political Commissar Zhao, why aren't these soldiers...?"

Zhao Guoqiang gave a wry smile. "Secretary Sha, they don't recognize you."

A simple sentence, straightforward yet poignant.

Sha Ruijin stood there, stunned.

The top official of the Hantong Provincial Party Committee was unknown to anyone on this deserted island.

This is an island in Handong.

Zhao Guoqiang pointed around the island and said, "Secretary Sha, there are no cell phone base stations or internet access on the island."

External communication is done via satellite phone.

Supply ships typically deliver meat, eggs, vegetables, etc., every seven days…

It revealed the truth in a single sentence.

Tian Guofu's face stiffened, and he suppressed his critical attitude.

Qi Tongwei quickly walked to the side of a young soldier.

The soldier had dark skin and his face bore the cracks left by the sea wind.

Qi Tongwei extended his hand. "My name is Qi Tongwei. I'm from Handong. I used to serve in a regiment of a division in the Northern Frontier Military Region."

A veteran's self-introduction is clean and pure.

You can't say you're the executive vice governor; just showing that you served in the military is enough.

The young soldier held Qi Tongwei's hand.

Soldiers never need to exchange unnecessary pleasantries.

When old soldiers meet, their eyes fill with tears.

Zhao Guoqiang shook hands with a soldier and said, "Comrade, hello. If you have any difficulties, please tell me."

Soldier Hu Tianqiang, who was only in his early twenties, said, "Commander, there should be no hardship, but there should be no difficulty either."

We are not afraid of hardship or fatigue.

We just want a cell phone base station, or Wi-Fi so we can connect to the internet.

Some people on the island can't go home even once a year, so they just want to video chat with their parents a few minutes whenever they have free time.

The simple wish touched everyone present.

Liu Changsheng said solemnly, "Soldiers, comrades, I am Governor Liu Changsheng."

On behalf of the nearly 70 million people of Handong Province, I want to thank you.

I will personally urge the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the telecommunications department to ensure that the base stations are deployed as soon as possible.

You can make phone calls, but you must have Wi-Fi.

You guard the sea frontier for the people of Handong, and I, Liu Changsheng, must do something practical for you.

For an official, a promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold.

Hu Tianqiang raised his hand and gave a crisp military salute. "Governor Liu, thank you!"

Her eyes were glistening with tears.

Just as everyone was comforting the soldiers, two deep whistles sounded from the sea.

A cargo ship and a passenger ship slowly approached the shore.

After the ship came to a stop, several familiar figures walked off the deck one by one.

Pei Xiaotong, Director Zhang, Wang Dalu and others boarded the island.

On behalf of Dalu Group, Wang Dalu delivered bottled water, beverages, rice, flour, cooking oil, fresh fruits and vegetables, and daily necessities.

Liu Changsheng casually took off his coat, rolled up his sleeves, and said, "Comrades, don't just stand there, let's get started unloading. Let's all work together."

Without hesitation, without airs.

The dignified governor of Handong Province simply bent down and picked up a bottle of mineral water.

Gao Yuliang picked up the instant noodles.

Li Dakang carried a bag of rice.

Qi Tongwei, Feng Liqun, Dong Jianming, Tian Guofu and other members of the Standing Committee all humbled themselves.

They might occasionally scheme against each other and engage in power struggles.

Right now, on the beach, they're doing the simplest manual labor.

The sea breeze blows, and shadowy figures appear and disappear.

This scene is extremely rare.

The only media person accompanying them was Fan Jiahui.

He took out his camera and pointed the lens at the crowd.

The shutter clicked softly, capturing the rare moment.

Soldiers, firefighters, and police officers worked together, and all the supplies were unloaded in half an hour.

Qi Tongwei reminded Fan Jiahui, "Xiao Fan, you can keep the photos and take the videos."

Any part involving military personnel must be censored.

This is a matter of confidentiality.

Fan Jiahui nodded. "Understood, Governor Qi. Thank you for the reminder."

The group followed the island police officers into the police station.

It's just a single-story house.

The walls inside were yellowed, the paint on the tables and chairs was peeling, and the furnishings were so simple as to be shabby.

There is no air conditioning.

There was only an old fan hanging on the roof.

It creaks when it spins.

Cheng Guangbiao immediately declared: "Comrades, thank you for your hard work. I didn't expect the island to be so harsh. I, Cheng Guangbiao, will donate 500 million yuan to improve the island's household appliances, computers, air conditioners, office equipment..."

clap clap clap!

applause.

Fan Jiahui took out her tablet computer, which contained videos recorded in advance by the families of the police officers stationed on the island.

Press the play button.

The shots are simple and unadorned, without elaborate sets, only ordinary scenes of fireworks.

The elderly mother, with her full head of white hair, faced the camera and quietly wiped the corner of her eye with the back of her hand. "Jianming, take care of yourself. Everything is fine at home, don't worry about me."

A woman in her thirties sat on the sofa, smoothing her hair. "Jianming, it's windy on the island, remember to wear more clothes."

I'm waiting for you to come home.

I miss you!"

A seven or eight-year-old boy held a certificate in his hand, his face flushed.

"Dad, I got first place in the exam. When are you coming back to hug me?"

I miss you so much, my dear father.

Those few words brought tears to my eyes.

A dark-skinned, rough-looking police officer stared intently at the tablet screen, his eyes unblinking.

His name is Zhou Jianming, and he has been stationed on the island for a full ten years.

Ten years have passed, the sea breeze has etched its mark on my face, loneliness has been buried deep in my heart, and I have never been away from the island for an extended period of time.

Zhou Jianming's straight shoulders trembled slightly.

He forcefully suppressed his surging emotions.

At this time.

Fan Jiahui opened the insulated bag.

Inside were rows of lunch boxes.

She opened each of the lunchboxes and placed them on the table.

"Officer Zhou, I've ordered takeout for you."

Zhou Jianming stared blankly at the dishes, his throat tightening, "Reporter, did you go to my house?"

My mom made the roast duck, and my wife is best at making shredded potatoes.

They know these are my two favorite dishes.

His voice was hoarse and had a heavy nasal tone.

Everyone knew that these were home-cooked dishes delivered by Fan Jiahui, the family's representative.

A thousand miles apart, across the sea, we yearn for each other.

Qi Tongwei watched this scene quietly.

Her eyes were red-rimmed.

Memories of my past life surged up.

He also visited Xuanwu Island and promised to improve the conditions of the stationed personnel.

But then, a gunshot rang out at Lone Eagle Ridge, and everything came to nothing.

He died before he could fulfill his promise.

In this lifetime, I will never break my promise.

Xuanwu Island must get better.

Mountains and seas are silent, but perseverance is eloquent.

There is no such thing as a peaceful and carefree life; it's just that someone is bearing the burden for us.

A salute to every island guardian!

A salute to the police officers, soldiers, firefighters, and other ordinary island guardians on every island; it is they who, with their ordinary bodies, protect the peace and tranquility of this maritime frontier.