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

Along the east coast of Kinmen, the sea breeze carries a salty, fishy smell.

Chu Yunfei stood in front of the binoculars, the hem of his woolen overcoat fluttering in the wind.

"Is it the 10th Army Corps defending the opposite bank?"

Lieutenant Sun looked towards the west coast, his brows furrowed.

Behind that gray coastline lies his hometown, which he can never return to.

He suppressed the rising tide of emotion in his heart and answered calmly:

"Yes, Commander. According to the information we have, the troops previously stationed here were Li Yunlong's troops—the same Anti-American Independence Army that has now annihilated the US 25th Division in Korea."

Chu Yunfei smiled slightly upon hearing this, and raised his hand to pat the two general stars that had just been nailed on his shoulder.

He gazed at the blurry outline of the land where the sea met the sky, his eyes carrying an indescribable meaning.

"That guy always manages to come up with something new. Even though he's in Korea, he's still managing to increase my military achievements. That battalion's worth of equipment probably wasn't given away for nothing; we're even now."

He paused, as if savoring something, his voice lowering slightly:

"That Commander Zhang is truly a lion. To lead Li Yunlong's crippled troops to achieve such a record is no small feat. He deserves to be called an internationally renowned general. In my opinion, he could be ranked among the top ten generals in modern warfare."

Lieutenant Sun nodded, his eyes flickering, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something but was unsure whether to. After hesitating for two seconds, he finally spoke:

"I agree. Back in the day, our 358th Regiment did help out, didn't we?"

"That time when they planted high-explosive bombs in the POW camp, many of which were fragmented and could burn people to death in the ensuing fire, that Commander Yan even..."

Chu Yunfei suddenly raised his hand and made a "stop" gesture.

"Alright, let's not bring up such things that are detrimental to unity anymore. Commander Zhang is a hero of our time, and I, Chu Yunfei, am proud to have once obeyed his orders."

He turned around, his back to the gray, misty sea, his voice filled with genuine admiration:

"I, Chu, truly envy Brother Yunlong for having such a formidable general as his mentor!"

Just then, a staff officer from headquarters rushed over, his boots making a rapid rustling sound as they stepped on the sand.

"Commander Chu! Comrade Jianfeng is here!"

Upon hearing this, Chu Yunfei frowned almost imperceptibly and turned to look at Lieutenant Sun.

The latter also looked bewildered. The two exchanged a glance, but neither spoke.

Logically speaking, Chu Yunfei, as Hu Xuechang's subordinate in the Civil Engineering Department, had never had any connection with Comrade Jianfeng.

The feud between the Civil Engineering Department and the Jianfeng lineage is no secret in Southeast Asia. The last promotion seemed to be thanks to this prince, so why this time?

Chu Yunfei's mind raced.

He recalled Zhang Renfeng's private comment about him back in northwestern Shanxi—"He's like Lü Bu."

A slave to three masters.

He, Chu, is wholeheartedly devoted to the Party and the country; how could he easily switch sides?

What a joke! I, Chu, will wholeheartedly serve the Civil Engineering Department and Commander Chen!

Comrade Jianfeng stood beside the jeep, holding a transfer order stamped with a red seal in his hand. His expression was neither warm nor cold, but his voice was very polite:

"Commander Chu, congratulations! In just one year, the defense of Kinmen has become impregnable. The President has ordered me to come here to commend you and promote you to the rank of Second-Class General."

Chu Yunfei stood there, completely stunned.

Damn it, how did I get promoted again?

Such a rocket-like promotion speed, from major general to lieutenant general and then to general within a year, is unique in the history of the Party and the State.

The key issue is that the number of generals within the Party and the state is limited. If I am promoted, someone else will inevitably fall. Could it be that...?

He was completely bewildered, his expression a mixture of surprise and doubt, but his feet had already instinctively taken a half-step forward.

Seeing this, Comrade Jianfeng's smile deepened, he leaned forward, lowered his voice but emphasized his point:

"Commander Chu, let me speak frankly with you. This southeastern corner will be mine sooner or later. The Civil Engineering Department is not a long-term solution. You haven't been involved in it deeply yet, so why not consider joining my ranks? Of course, you don't have to answer me right away."

Upon hearing this, Chu Yunfei's mind went completely blank.

He caught a glimpse of the olive branch extended by Comrade Jianfeng, and several thoughts flashed through his mind.

With Zhuge Liang under house arrest, the Guangxi clique has essentially collapsed, and the situation in the southeast is bound to change sooner or later.

He was a general who came from the Jin-Sui region. Even though he was a graduate of the Whampoa Military Academy, he was sent to Sui-Jin, which turned him from an elite officer into a ragtag group. He finally gained the appreciation of his senior, Hu, and joined the Civil Engineering Department to serve Commander Chen.

However, his foundation in the civil engineering department is indeed not very deep.

Moreover, it is said that what he liked most was seeing his subordinates pledge their loyalty.

He barely hesitated, his heels touched the ground, and he snapped to attention, giving a perfect military salute, his voice so loud even the sea breeze couldn't drown it out:

"Comrade Jianfeng, I, Chu, am willing to serve you like a dog or a horse!!!"

Not far away, Mao Dafeng, carrying a briefcase, looked up, her mouth slightly open, her expression incredibly interesting.

He stood there stunned for three seconds before cursing inwardly: "Wow, this betrayal is way too fast! I, Mao Dafeng, have never seen such a shameless person!"

Lieutenant Sun stood half a step behind Chu Yunfei, his lips pursed almost imperceptibly.

He lowered his head, glancing at Chu Yunfei's impassioned face out of the corner of his eye, and chuckled to himself: Commander Zhang Renfeng is truly a prophet, and Commander Chu is still Lü Buwei after all.

Comrade Jianfeng nodded in satisfaction and patted Chu Yunfei on the shoulder:

"You're also very lucky. Your old adversaries wiped out the US 7th Division in Korea."

Holy crap!!

Chu Yunfei abruptly raised his head, his expression instantly cracking. He froze for two seconds, his voice trembling:

"Is this... reasonable? Another complete annihilation..."

Comrade Jianfeng turned and pointed north, his gaze sweeping over the hazy sea, his tone carrying an emotion that was hard to define—a mixture of envy and something else entirely:

"The entire nation is celebrating right now. The leaders of your old rivals have become the shield of China."

Frankly, if it weren't for our differing stances, I'd be excited too. The Americans have gone too far! But what can we do?

After he finished speaking, he didn't linger any longer. He patted Chu Yunfei on the shoulder, turned around, and got into the jeep.

The engine roared a few times, and the car drove off along the coastline, kicking up a trail of dust.

Chu Yunfei stood there, staring at the direction the jeep had gone, his face flushed.

He stomped his foot hard, his boot creating a deep crater in the sand, his voice filled with an irrepressible surge of emotion:

"Incredible! Absolutely incredible! For Chief Zhang to achieve such a feat, the Shield of China? He's practically the Grim Reaper of America! I'm utterly impressed!!"

Lieutenant Sun stood behind him, her eyes slightly red.

He quietly turned to the side, facing the gray and hazy northern horizon, a surge of bittersweet emotion welling up inside him.

Commander Zhang is truly a role model for us all.

It seems that my decision to secretly swear allegiance to the organization was absolutely the right one!

Commander Zhang saved me from dire straits, and I will repay him with utmost loyalty!

......

The grand opening ceremony of the Sichuan-Chongqing Railway in Southwest China has just concluded.

The square still held the warmth of the celebration, red flags fluttered in the wind, and tens of thousands of workers, engineers, and civilians were gradually leaving.

The old political commissar and several other veteran comrades stood on the steps to the side of the rostrum, each holding an unlit cigarette, discussing the final stages of railway construction.

Just then, the loudspeaker in the square suddenly switched to broadcasting a different message.