A courtyard house; Li Yunlong, a subordinate of the deputy director of Harbin Military Engineering I

As he spoke, he turned around, walked back to the table, picked up the calligraphy brush, and began to write on a blank sheet of Xuan paper in front of him.

After finishing writing, he put down his pen, picked up the paper, examined it closely, and then read it aloud:

"West River Moon - In Praise of the Valiant General Who Defeated the Enemy at Five Sacred Mountains"

Long have they lain dormant in the mountains, gathering strength, year after year they have fought fiercely on the border. Cannons bombard the high ridges, sending rocks flying and smoke billowing, trapping the enemy like a cage.

Rockets roared, burning armor; the Great Wall and Tibet were lashed out. Their explosive prowess earned them the titles of Zhang and his divisions, forever serving as a mighty shield for China.

After reading it aloud, he put down the paper and looked at Old Nie. "Nie, what do you think?"

Old Nie had already stood up, his face beaming with a smile that stretched from the corners of his mouth to the corners of his eyes, his voice filled with barely suppressed joy:

"Excellent! What a wonderful phrase, 'Forever a giant shield for China'! Well written!"

The legion commander, slapping his thigh and beaming with laughter, exclaimed, "Our little red devils have become the shield of the Republic! That sounds incredibly exciting!"

Old Chen sat there with a smile on his face. He was indeed very excited, but the conflict in his heart—"I'm afraid my brother will suffer, but I'm also afraid my brother will drive a Land Rover"—rose up again.

With such a brilliant performance, will there be any changes to the personnel arrangements for Harbin Military Engineering Institute that we're discussing next?

These beasts of burden, if only... alas!

As he was pondering this, the one who had finished reciting the poem turned to the legion commander: "Regarding the rewards for this battle, Legion Commander, you're the old commander, why don't you give us your opinion?"

Upon hearing this, the legion commander's smile faded, and he said seriously:

"All participating armies deserve a first-class merit, which I think is entirely justified. The 15th Army fought a tough battle. Since we don't have a 'Long Live Army,' let's have a 'Thousand Live Army.' And Kong Jie's army—I didn't expect them to fight so aggressively and fiercely. Many outstanding soldiers emerged from them, and they deserve commendation. Here..."

He recounted the merits of each army unit one by one, from the garrison at Shangganling to the main force that infiltrated and divided the enemy, and then to the engineering corps that dug tunnels; he named every single unit.

After the legion commander finished speaking, the person in the main seat began to speak.

"I completely agree!!"

"Furthermore, we need to ask the comrades in the propaganda department to write an article—a truly inspiring and powerful piece!!"

"Forget it, I'll write it myself! And it should be released to the public. Our people, we must have confidence!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Old Chen, then over Old Nie, and finally settling on his master.

"Alright then, regarding the previous discussion at Harbin Military Engineering Institute about appointing Comrade Zhang Renfeng as Vice President and Deputy Political Commissar, I have a different opinion."

This battle has fully demonstrated his capabilities in military, political, and military industries, especially in the development of conventional weapons. I think it is inappropriate to assign him to all deputy positions.

He should be appointed as the political commissar, concurrently serving as the vice president. Additionally, I suggest adding a deputy director to the Military Commission's Ordnance Committee. Originally, I considered appointing him to a deputy position in the General Staff, but after thinking about it, I'll wait until after the parade. He can be in charge of establishing the Second Mechanical Engineering Department.”

Old Chen almost knelt down.

Ox and horse!

That's amazing!

Old Chen is a constant, but Zhang's employees come and go!

The weight on his heart finally lifted.

He breathed a sigh of relief, because the director of the Ordnance Committee was Mr. [Name], the first deputy director was Nie, the second was Chen, and the third was Zhang. Although the position of deputy general staff officer had not yet been assigned, it was only a matter of time...

So young, yet so full of promise. If he were to tone it down even a little, the old man's tactics would take twenty or thirty years of practice...

Before I could even catch my breath, my master spoke up.

"The United States is probably in complete chaos right now, and with the election just around the corner, they should be in an uproar. Should they consider changing the theme of this year's National Day parade?"

"Moreover, considering the international situation and the internal circumstances of the US empire, it is unlikely that the negotiations will be finalized this year. Perhaps the window of opportunity will be early next year, after Eisen takes office, before any progress can be made. For now, I think the standoff is the main focus. Since it is a standoff, let's use this victory parade to demonstrate our attitude and invite other countries to observe, especially our big brother..."

Upon hearing this, the person in the main seat smiled and said, "Wouldn't that be like stabbing someone in the already broken heart? I think it's perfectly acceptable! What our people lack right now is confidence. Since we're going to hold this event, let's select and train soldiers from the troops that went to Korea. Those who have just experienced the smoke of battle will carry the killing intent. In previous years, Nie Ren was the chief commander of the parade, and he handled the specific arrangements."

Old Nie was overjoyed, preparing to promote his son-in-law this time. A strong soldier needs to demonstrate his abilities; this will improve his standing in the military and make it easier for him to take over the work of the Central Military Commission and the General Staff. He was about to happily suggest it when his mentor waved his hand again:

"I think we should have someone else this year. Since it's a military parade for troops entering North Korea, it should be presided over by the corps commander."

Upon hearing this, Old Nie was overjoyed; it was like a pillow being handed to him just when he was about to fall asleep...

Because he knew perfectly well that this was Renfeng's way of settling for second best, a compromise made by half a mentor. The legion commander, as the defense chief, wouldn't accept this mission. As for Old Chen... forget it, he's riddled with ailments and frail...

According to the order of seniority, it should naturally be my Renfeng! Brilliant!

Sure enough, the legion commander waved his hands repeatedly, his expression unusually showing a hint of embarrassment.

"I can't handle this! I'd rather stay in the Defense Minister's office and sit there. Let's ask Chen to come; after all, he's the second-in-command, and he's younger than me, so he can better demonstrate the nation's power and military might..."

Here, the legion commander was also cunning, because everyone knew that his brother Chen was frail and sickly. Even if Chen wanted to take the job, no one would agree, so he was just letting him experience what it was like to be thoroughly disliked.

Old Chen was eager to participate; he considered himself somewhat of an expert on military parades.

After all, he had a trump card. Zhang Renfeng's Liangshan Special Operations Brigade often trained in marching drills and goose-stepping to demonstrate military bearing and appearance.

That three-stage spear-splitting technique, with hundreds of people doing it together, was incredibly imposing.

Looks like I, Old Chen, am going to steal the spotlight this time!

He cleared his throat, about to agree, when his master preemptively voiced a different opinion:

"Chen is not suitable, at least not at present. Given the need to present a military image to foreign audiences, I think it's inappropriate."

After all, Commander Chen's international reputation is very poor right now. He was willing to sacrifice himself to mislead his opponents, and internationally he's seen as a complete warlord. Keeping women, having affairs with four beauties, and even more outrageous things…”

"Ha ha ha ha!!"

The meeting room erupted in laughter.

The legion commander laughed the loudest, slamming his hand on the table, making the teacup lid jump.

Old Nie couldn't hold back his laughter either, covering his mouth with his hand.

Several high-ranking officials laughed so hard they were doubled over, and tears were almost streaming down their faces.

Old Chen is feeling terrible!

He sat there, his face flushing red and then pale, rubbing his knees with both hands, wishing he could drag out the head of the intelligence department who had leaked those messages and slap him twice.

That small farmer, in particular, was awful...

But he also knew that, in order to mislead his opponents, he had indeed tacitly allowed those rumors of "romantic affairs" to spread in intelligence circles.

Now things have turned out well; people believe it, and they believe it completely.

He could recite the punctuation marks from the three pages of "personality analysis" that the international intelligence files listed for him—"lecherous," "has a Cheka background," "ruthless," "has a harem"... Damn it, which scoundrel wrote this?

"Alright, alright, he sacrificed himself, he deserves credit. But you're right, this parade is for an international audience, so we do need to be mindful of the image."

Hearing this, Old Chen almost vomited blood. Can't you keep hitting me like this? I'm frail and sickly, aren't you afraid I'll have a heart attack on the spot?

"Comrade Renfeng is very tall and has a good appearance."

Upon hearing this, the Second Master chimed in at the opportune moment: "I propose that Renfeng be appointed as the overall commander for this operation. Besides, he hasn't been home for a long time..."

"Excellent! Renfeng is as tall as Luo Changzi, has a good appearance, and is young and promising. Let him bring these tiger generals back to build our nation's self-confidence!"

Hearing this, Old Chen still harbored some resentment. It wasn't that he was unhappy; his reason for arguing was to prevent Zhang Renfeng from appearing to the leadership that everyone supported him. If you want to advance, how can you always have a smooth ride? That won't do!

Fortunately, they brought back a surprise force this time. Old Chen suggested, "Since we need to build confidence, I have a suggestion."

"you say."

"Renfeng's Liangshan has always had a rule that their troops train in marching drills to demonstrate their unity and morale. Their three-section spear-splitting formation was truly awe-inspiring; it's the kind where the rifle butt slams into the hip bone with a resounding, perfectly synchronized thud... This time when I returned to China, I brought a special operations company. Although it's only a little over two hundred men of varying heights, it's sufficient for a formation demonstration. You might want to take a look, and if it's suitable, I think we should adopt it..."

......

The demonstration ended to great acclaim! And this format was adopted as a standard practice; as soon as Old Chen left, he immediately began writing it down.

"Hey, you should thank me, Zhang Baozao. Without me, where would the commander-in-chief be? Today is truly a joyous occasion. Niu Ma is still my deputy, but the political commissar is completely different. From now on, I can entrust all matters concerning Harbin Military Engineering Institute to Zhang Baozao... I've been the center of attention today. The only downside is the poor international reputation, but does that matter? Doesn't that mean the world knows that I, Old Chen, am not afraid of my wife? It's just respect for Xiao Fu. Respect, respect—can that be called being afraid of one's wife? That's called mutual respect!"

Surprisingly, the leader also asked me to visit my old classmates at Gongdelin Prison to appease them. Lately, some of them seem to be losing interest in reform, still shouting about the invincibility of the United States, especially that Huang Wei. So, I, Old Chen, have no choice but to go and give him a good talking-to (edited) and reasoning session!