Chapter 46: Just Who on Earth is Guanshan?

Chapter 46: Who on Earth is Guan Shan? (Part 1)

"What could possibly be the matter? It is simply a military-civilian joint-building activity. The comrades from the Women's Salvation Association are all folks from these surrounding villages, and your family lives nearby. Everyone is eager to hear how you grew and progressed within our revolutionary ranks, and to hear about your deeds!"

"Oh dear, please don't put it that way. County Magistrate Wang, just look at my ears—they're burning! What deeds do I have to speak of?"

"Don't you worry, Comrade Xiao Guan. When the time comes, I will personally go and coordinate schedules with Group Leader Li and Political Commissar Zhao. I won't put you in a difficult spot! That's the first matter."

"Alright... Oh? Then please go ahead, County Magistrate Wang!"

"Xiao Guan, could you please stop calling me County Magistrate Wang from now on? What would it hurt to call me Sister?"

"Oh, hehe, alright, Wang... Wanlan Sister!"

"Hey! That's much better! Look at you, blushing, hahaha! Alright, alright, that's settled. Off you go, back to your work!"

"Oh, Sister Wanlan, now that I remember—um, could you hold onto this pair of shoes for me first? I'll come collect them when I'm assigned a mission, is that alright?"

"I suppose I can, but why?"

"Don't even get me started. Aren't I sharing a room with Monk Wei now? Not long ago, Staff Officer Ge specifically picked out a pair of captured leather shoes that fit my size from Department Head Zhang, telling me to use them for running practice. But the moment I wore them just once, Monk Wei snatched them away. His feet are bigger than mine, and the fellow actually wore them to kick sandbags..."

"Ah, no wonder Staff Officer Ge looked so dark-faced and scolded you a few days ago! So that was what it was about!"

"Exactly, exactly, Sister Wanlan. That's why I want you to keep them safe for me first, otherwise they'll probably get snatched away again."

Wang Wanlan covered her mouth and giggled in agreement, telling Guan Shan that whenever he had any other good things in the future, he could leave them with her for safekeeping.

"Wait, Shanzi! Come back. I got so caught up chatting with you that I forgot the main business! You aren't busy, are you? No urgent missions?"

"No urgent missions. Department Head Zhang just told me to drop by. It's fine, Sister Wanlan, you speak first!"

"What a coincidence, I'm heading to see Department Head Zhang as well. Come, let us siblings walk and talk!"

"You got it! Sister, let me carry this stuff for you, it looks quite heavy!"

"Such a sweet mouth! Very well, let's carry it together!"

***

Chapter 46: Who on Earth is Guan Shan? (Part 2)

On the second floor of the regimental headquarters courtyard, inside the office of Political Security Officer Zhu Ziming.

Zhu Ziming gently lowered the curtain, looked at Shen Xingbei's extremely unsightly expression, and asked, "Comrade Shen, you heard their entire conversation just now. Didn't you notice anything amiss?"

"Flippant and cheap! He's just a scumbag, a liar!" Shen Xingbei said bitterly.

Zhu Ziming shook his head and asked, "That is not the main point!"

"This isn't the main point?" Shen Xingbei looked at Zhu Ziming in confusion.

Zhu Ziming asked, "Think back to yesterday when I took you to Niushan Village. What was their impression of Guan Shan?"

"Oh, right. They said Guan Shan used to be tongue-tied and slow-witted. But they said that was before he joined the army. Isn't our troop a great melting pot? These changes..." Shen Xingbei's voice gradually tapered off into a whisper.

Zhu Ziming sneered and said, "Even if it is a great melting pot, can it turn a stone into iron? Can it turn garbage into gold?"

Shen Xingbei pondered Zhu Ziming's metaphor and remained silent.

"Furthermore, Comrade Shen, do you think there is a second person in our troop's great melting pot who has turned out like this, other than Guan Shan?" Zhu Ziming prompted.

Shen Xingbei frowned, lowered his voice, and asked, "Officer Zhu, are you implying... that he isn't Guan Shan?"

Zhu Ziming said, "I cannot be certain either, but there are far too many suspicious points. In the spirit of responsibility toward our work and the revolution, I must investigate this through to the end!"

"Officer Zhu, should we warn Wanlan then? If Guan Shan is disguised as a Japanese spy—good heavens! Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps!" Shen Xingbei felt a shudder run through him.

Zhu Ziming gently shook his head and said, "I need to report this matter to my superiors. We must not alert the enemy just yet. Comrade Shen, remember: the craftiness of the enemy exceeds our imagination!"

Shen Xingbei nodded solemnly, yet still felt something was not quite right. He looked at Zhu Ziming and asked perplexedly, "However... Officer Zhu, if Guan Shan is the enemy, then how do you explain him going into battle a few days ago and blowing up so many devils?"

"Indeed!" Zhu Ziming said with a gloomy face, "If it takes the lives of that many devils to pave the way for him, just how massive must this conspiracy be!"

Shen Xingbei glanced at Zhu Ziming and did not dare to utter another word.

***

Chapter 46: Who on Earth is Guan Shan? (Part 3)

"This should be fine." Department Head Zhang thought for a moment and spoke to County Magistrate Wang in a relatively certain tone.

"Splendid!" Wang Wanlan stood up, extended her hand toward Guan Shan, and said, "Shanzi, this time your sister is thanking you on behalf of the militia in the county troop!"

Guan Shan shook Wang Wanlan's hand and smiled, "Sister Wanlan, it was Department Head Zhang who agreed to your request. What is there for you to thank me for?"

Department Head Zhang laughed, "Thanks are due, indeed they are! Every single militia member owes you thanks!"

"Oh my, oh my, absolutely not, absolutely not!" Guan Shan waved his hands frantically to stop him, saying, "Department Head Zhang, if you say things like that, you'll shorten my lifespan. I still want to live a few more years to kill a few more devils!"

"Bah, bah, bah! Children speak without taboos, children speak without taboos!" Wang Wanlan expressed her displeasure at Guan Shan's casual remark.

"I really wasn't exaggerating, haha!" Department Head Zhang laughed. "Ask County Magistrate Wang herself if it's true!"

"Sigh, you tell me, Department Head Zhang. If we had thought of this idea sooner, how many good comrades' lives could have been spared?" Wang Wanlan gently shook her head and said.

What they were discussing were precisely the blueprints that Guan Shan had handed over to Department Head Zhang last time.

In truth, it was merely piercing a single layer of window paper—transparent upon the slightest poke, holding virtually no technical complexity whatsoever. That was why Department Head Zhang had said it should be fine.

"Roughly speaking, what should we call this? Inertia of thought, a cognitive blind spot!" Department Head Zhang said. "Department Head Yang of the General Logistics Department said the same thing. County Magistrate Wang, when you first saw these blueprints, wasn't that your exact thought as well?"

"Indeed!" Wang Wanlan sighed with emotion, "Who stipulated that landmines must be round? Who stipulated that landmines must be made of iron? Who stipulated that landmines must contain explosives... My goodness, just tell me what on earth you keep packed inside that little brain of yours!"

Department Head Zhang also sighed emotionally and said, "Perhaps it is precisely because Guan Shan had never seen these things before, nor received any so-called knowledge or education in this area, that he was able to possess this kind of—this kind of creative thinking!"

Faced with their summary conclusion, Guan Shan could only respond with a silly, bashful grin.

What else could he do? Tell them the truth?

Did this really require any specialized knowledge? It was merely a flight of fancy. Anyone who had read time-travel web novels in his previous life—especially military fiction—would know all of this. That was why, faced with such high praise, Guan Shan had claimed it would shorten his lifespan and that he was unworthy of it.

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(End of this chapter)