Chapter 43: Chief, Please Say a Fair Word

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Chapter 43: Commander, You Have to Be Fair

(I)

Li Yunlong called out righteously, “Commander! I solemnly request that the task of wiping out this band of Japanese devils, which the organization has assigned to a special detachment, be handed over to our Independent Regiment!”

Before Chen Bo could say anything, the commander of the Special Operations Regiment sprang to his feet. “That won’t do! This group of Japanese devils isn’t the only one. There’s another batch disguised as Eighth Route Army soldiers!”

“Exactly!” Li Yunlong turned to the commander of the Special Operations Regiment. “Old Luo, if you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have forgotten! Weren’t those two Japanese soldiers disguised as Eighth Route Army soldiers also discovered and eliminated by Guan Shan?”

“The two Guan Shan found were only one location—”

“One of my Third Battalion’s reconnaissance teams was ambushed. Fortunately, we withdrew in time. The Japanese launched a surprise attack the next day, only to find nothing there. That counts as another location, doesn’t it?”

“That won’t do, that won’t do!” The commander of the Special Operations Regiment was already on his feet, waving his hands. “Old Chen handled all the intelligence gathering and analysis in the early stages. There’s no one on your side capable of taking over that work!”

“Oh, that’s true…” Li Yunlong drawled, then suddenly slapped his thigh and looked toward the Commander-in-Chief. “Commander! Our Independent Regiment still doesn’t have a chief of staff. Deputy Regiment Commander Xing has been filling the position all this time. Commander, I strongly request that Chief of Staff Chen…”

“Oh, damn you, Li Yunlong! You—you—you—you’ve gone too far!” Old Luo was so furious that his face flushed crimson and his lips trembled. Clenching his fists, he looked ready to charge over.

The commander of the Guard Regiment, who was standing closest to Old Luo, hurriedly grabbed him and stopped him from actually rushing forward.

“Commander Luo!” The Commander-in-Chief lightly tapped his fingers on the table.

Commander Luo stood there, glaring at the grinning Li Yunlong while breathing heavily.

“Commander Luo, calm down!” Zhao Gang rose to his feet, trying to ease the tension.

“Old Zhao!” Li Yunlong immediately turned to him, his eyes wide.

“Thank you, Political Commissar Zhao. I’m fine. Come on, come on, give us a fair word…” Commander Luo pointed at Li Yunlong, too angry to get the words out.

(II)

Just then, the Commander-in-Chief saw Little Song entering with Guan Shan, who had changed into a new uniform. He called out, “Ah, Guan Shan is back! Let me have a look. It fits quite well! Turn around so I can see the back. That’s right—no matter what, you can’t go around exposing your backside! As it happens, what we’re discussing concerns you, so stay and listen in!”

Guan Shan acknowledged him and went to stand at attention in a corner.

In fact, while changing clothes in the next room, he had already caught a few words of the conversation.

When immortals clash, what could a mere soldier like Guan Shan do? All he could do was stand there with his eyes fixed on his nose and his nose fixed on his heart, like an old monk deep in meditation. In reality, however, he was studying the expressions of everyone in the room, especially the Deputy Chief of Staff and the Commander-in-Chief.

After stopping Commander Luo, the Commander-in-Chief had not told them to stop arguing. Instead, he picked up the tin cup in front of him and took small sips of water. Guan Shan cautiously pondered the meaning behind that subtle expression and movement. What exactly was the Commander-in-Chief trying to convey?

“Commander Luo, as for Comrade Guan Shan, there are still several other matters I need to report to the Commander-in-Chief. At present, Guan Shan is representing our Independent Regiment as a member of Minister Zhang of the Logistics Department’s weapons and equipment research team. You also know that the military research institute and several local government offices are located at our regimental headquarters…”

“Commander Luo, please let me finish.”

Zhao Gang spoke neither quickly nor harshly. Commander Luo had little choice but to refrain from interrupting. After all, they were all senior cadres.

“There’s also the matter of helping the local armed forces with training, as well as assisting the surveying and mapping experts with various tasks. They may seem like miscellaneous duties, but there are no small matters when it comes to the people. Besides, there are very few literate soldiers in our army…”

The Commander-in-Chief did not interrupt Zhao Gang. When Zhao Gang mentioned that Guan Shan had taken part in so many different assignments, the Commander-in-Chief and the Deputy Chief of Staff exchanged glances from time to time.

“Political Commissar Zhao, you’ve been circling around the point. What exactly are you trying to say?” Commander Luo asked, puzzled.

Zhao Gang smiled. “Commander Luo, where have I been circling? Everything I’ve said is simply the truth. Take what I know, for example. Comrade Guan Shan has been teaching himself Japanese for some time now. Chief of Staff Chen knows about this as well. Guan Shan has made tremendous progress. At present, he can already assist Secretary Ge with preliminary translations of Japanese materials, including communications with Japanese industrial experts. Secretary Ge is, after all, a woman, so Guan Shan helps her coordinate with the Japanese industrial experts. Isn’t that right?”

Tsk, tsk, tsk! See that? This was what real skill looked like! This was refinement! This was the art of language!

Li Yunlong looked at Zhao Gang and silently mouthed his praise: “Brilliant.”

Zhao Gang gestured with his eyes for him not to get carried away.

Guan Shan glanced over and saw the Commander-in-Chief smiling warmly at him. Embarrassed, he smiled back and scratched the back of his head.

“Commander Luo, do you understand what the two of them are getting at?” The Commander-in-Chief set down his tin cup and smiled faintly. “Zhao Gang and Li Yunlong—one is playing the good cop, the other the bad cop, but their objective is the same. They both want to lure Chen Bo over to their regiment to serve as chief of staff…”

It was not only Old Luo who understood. Everyone in the room had already caught on.

“Commander, you agree!” Li Yunlong hurried over to the Commander-in-Chief, stood at attention, and saluted with a cheeky grin.

“Hey! You little monkey, always climbing up the pole the moment you’re given one!” the Commander-in-Chief said with a laugh. “We’ll discuss this after the meeting. For now, let’s continue with the matter at hand…”

Commander Luo looked mournfully at Chen Bo. It had taken him an enormous amount of effort to persuade the Commander-in-Chief to let him bring in Chen Bo, that great man who had served as the Commander-in-Chief’s staff officer for years. And now, before he had even had time to settle into his seat…

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“Next, let’s discuss the most immediate issue. The Japanese suffered two heavy blows at the hands of the Independent Regiment yesterday. They certainly won’t let the matter rest. I’ve already ordered the divisions and brigades to conduct reconnaissance and gather intelligence. Since the leaders of all three regiments responsible for internal security happen to be here, you should discuss and analyze the situation together as well… Come here, Guan Shan. Step closer and learn carefully!”

How many times had the Commander-in-Chief taken the initiative to call Guan Shan by name? No one could remember anymore.

Li Yunlong grinned and had Guan Shan stand beside him, puffing out his chest and belly in a manner that was exceedingly irritating.

(III)

Millstone Village, the regimental headquarters compound.

Zhu Ziming adjusted his cap while looking into a small mirror. He touched the collar button, then smiled and studied how far the corners of his mouth should rise.

This one? The position seemed a little too high, making the expression look exaggerated.

This one? The corners did not seem to rise enough. Hmm, like this. Yes, this should be just right.

After practicing several times and more or less memorizing the position, Zhu Ziming put away his smile, assumed a solemn expression, opened the office door, and walked out carrying a folder.

“Oh? Secretary Ge, you’re here! What a coincidence. I happen to have something to discuss with you…”

Zhu Ziming rehearsed inwardly as he walked, pondering his tone, pace, manner of speaking, and smile.

Would calling her “Secretary Ge” sound too formal and official, making him seem insufficiently friendly?

As he continued building up his courage, Zhu Ziming’s heart bounced wildly with excitement, like a young deer in spring.

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End of Chapter

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