The Red Era: Living in Seclusion in a Siheyuan as a Boss

Chapter 593 “Glory Bullet”!!!
Gong Qianjin shook his head: "That's nothing, anyone would do the same. But you almost lost your life for that device, was it worth it?"

Wang Jing's expression suddenly became complicated. She opened her mouth and seemed to want to say something, but in the end she just said, "It's worth it."

He Qiu looked at his watch and stood up: "I'll go tell the doctor that you're awake, you two can talk." After that, he walked out of the ward.

Gong Qianjin and Wang Jing were the only two people left in the ward, and they fell into silence for a while.

Gong Qianjin noticed that Wang Jing seemed to have something to say, but hesitated.

"That device," Gong Qianjin finally broke the silence, "what is so important?"

Wang Jing was silent for a moment, and finally shook her head: "I can't say it, but it's really important." She paused, "Gong Qianjin, I want to tell you that because you saved me, the regiment is going to give you a third-class merit."

Gong Qianjin was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "Really? That's great, I can write a letter to tell my family."

Wang Jing looked at him with an inexplicable emotion in her eyes: "Where is your home?"

"Tianjin Port," Zhou Ming replied, "What about you?"

Wang Jing avoided his gaze: "My family is also from the north, a place you haven't heard of."

Just then, the nurse came in to check on the patient. Wang Jing stood up and said, "I should leave now. You should take good care of yourself."

Gong Qianjin nodded and looked at Wang Jing's departing back, feeling an indescribable feeling in his heart.

In the following days, Gong Qianjin slowly recovered in the hospital.

Wang Jing often visited him, bringing fruits and books, but she never stayed for too long and always kept a distance.

Gong Qianjin noticed that Wang Jing always seemed to avoid talking about her past and family, and whenever the topic turned to this, she would always cleverly change the subject.

More than a month later, Gong Qianjin finally recovered and was discharged from the hospital and returned to the army.

He was officially awarded the third-class merit, a very rare honor among recruits.

This honor not only won him respect in the army, but also gave him more to be proud of in his letters home.

"Mom, I have made a contribution in the army, a third-class merit," Gong Qianjin wrote in the letter. "The food in the hospital is better than in the army. Now I have fully recovered, please rest assured, you and Dad."

Unconsciously, Gong Qianjin mentioned his childhood sweetheart less and less in the letters he sent home. Maybe he himself didn't even realize it...

After returning to the army, Gong Qianjin found that Wang Jing's behavior became more and more mysterious.

She often worked alone in the communications room late at night, and sometimes she didn't come back all night.

Occasionally when Gong Qianjin was patrolling at night, he would see the lights on in the communications building. Through the window, he could see Wang Jing operating the complex communications equipment alone with a focused and serious expression.

Once, Gong Qianjin mustered up the courage to ask her: "You often stay up late to work, aren't you tired?"

Wang Jing replied calmly: "I'm used to it."

"What are you doing that is so important?" Gong Qianjin couldn't help but ask.

Wang Jing glanced at him with a hint of vigilance in her eyes: “It’s just routine work, no need to worry.

Gong Qianjin realized that he might have asked too many questions and did not continue asking.

But his curiosity and attention to Wang Jing grew day by day.

Just three months after Gong Qianjin rescued Wang Jing, an unexpected news came - Wang Jing was going to be transferred out of the army.

He Qiu told Gong Qianjin the news, and even he was surprised.

"It's too sudden," He Qiu had noticed Gong Qianjin's thoughts during this period. He frowned and said, "And his rank is very high. Even the regiment commander doesn't know the details. He only knows that it was a transfer order issued directly by the superior."

Gong Qianjin's heart tightened: "When will she leave?"

"Early tomorrow morning," He Qiu replied, "I heard that the former commander sent a special car to pick her up."

Gong Qianjin immediately went to find Wang Jing to get clarification, but the people from the communications company told him that Wang Jing had already packed her luggage and was not in the camp for the time being.

Gong Qianjin searched everywhere in the camp and finally found her in a small pavilion near the mountain.

Wang Jing sat alone in the pavilion, looking at the mountains in the distance, her expression calm but with a hint of confusion.

Hearing footsteps, she turned around and saw Zhou Ming, with a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.

"Are you leaving?" Gong Qianjin asked directly.

Wang Jing nodded: "Early tomorrow morning."

"Why so sudden? Where are you going?" Gong Qianjin asked.

Wang Jing was silent for a moment, and finally just said: "The mission here is over, it's time to go back."

"Back to where?"

"I can't say," Wang Jing shook her head. "Gong Qianjin, the less you know about some things, the better."

Gong Qianjin felt a surge of inexplicable anger: "I saved your life, don't you even have this little trust?"

Wang Jing's eyes suddenly became sharp: "It is precisely because you saved me that I don't want you to be involved in unnecessary trouble."

The two fell silent, with only the sound of the wind whistling in the distant mountains in their ears.

Finally, Wang Jing said softly: "Thank you for saving me, really. Maybe one day, you will know the meaning of all this."

The next morning, Gong Qianjin got up early, stood at the gate of the camp, and watched a black car with a military license plate drive in.

Wang Jing was wearing casual clothes and carrying a simple luggage bag as she walked towards the car.

She didn't say goodbye to anyone. She just looked back at the camp before getting in the car. Her eyes found Gong Qianjin in the crowd, she nodded slightly, then got in the car and drove away.

Wang Jing’s sudden departure made Gong Qianjin very confused for a moment, like an eggplant hit by frost.

He Qiu saw that it was not a good thing for this kid to continue to be so decadent, so he encouraged him: "Look at how miserable you are now, it's not like you are parting life and death, is it that serious?

If it were me, I would try my best... sooner or later I would be able to see her again..."

Perhaps he felt that what He Qiu said made sense, Gong Qianjin cheered up again and worked harder than ever.

From that day on, Wang Jing seemed to have disappeared from the face of the earth and there was no news of her since then.

Gong Qianjin often thought of her, thought of that life-and-death moment in the rainstorm, and thought of her eyes that always held secrets.

But as time goes by, these memories are gradually faded by daily training and tasks.

A year later, because of his outstanding performance in many operations, Gong Qianjin was promoted to platoon leader of the reconnaissance company.

When the news spread back to his hometown, his mother and father were very proud of him.

Soon after, a group of outstanding scouts including He Qiu and Gong Qianjin stood out and were successfully selected into the Special Reconnaissance Brigade, opening a new chapter in their military career.

With his excellent multi-tasking ability and outstanding leadership skills, He Qiu was quickly promoted to squadron leader and shouldered more important responsibilities.

Gong Qianjin continued to serve as platoon leader under He Qiu. The two worked in perfect harmony and jointly led the team to carry out missions.

In addition to daily platoon work, Gong Qianjin also shoulders a special mission - responsible for the selection and training of new team members.

He strictly controlled and carefully designed training courses, trained batches of outstanding talents for the special reconnaissance brigade, and made important contributions to improving the combat effectiveness of the troops.

The training ground of the Special Reconnaissance Brigade is located deep in the mountains, surrounded by dense forests. The morning mist fills the training ground, adding a touch of mystery to the entire camp.

He Qiu stood in the middle of the training ground, observing the performance of the new team members with a serious expression.

He has a tall stature and a sharp gaze. Although he is young, he has won the respect of his teammates with his outstanding abilities.

Gong Qianjin was leading a group of recruits in physical training.

His training methods have always been strict, even a little harsh, but the team members all know that such training is to give them a better chance of survival in future missions.

Gong Qianjin shouted loudly: "Speed ​​up! There is no time to catch your breath on the battlefield!" The new team members gritted their teeth, sweat dripping down their cheeks, but no one dared to relax.

He Qiu came over, patted Gong Qianjin on the shoulder, and whispered, "Old Gong, you can adjust the intensity of the training a little bit, don't tire them out."

Gong Qianjin smiled, wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied: "Don't worry, Captain He, I know what's going on. These guys have good potential, they just need more training." At this moment, a hurried whistle came from a distance, breaking the silence of the training ground.

A communicator came running over with an urgent document in his hand: "Captain He, the superiors have an urgent rescue mission!" He Qiu took the document, glanced at it quickly, and his expression suddenly became serious. He turned to Gong Qianjin and said: "Assemble the team immediately, the mission is coming."

Gong Qianjin nodded and immediately blew the assembly whistle. The team members quickly lined up, their eyes full of tension and expectation.

He Qiu stood in front of the team and briefly arranged the mission content: "This mission is reconnaissance, the situation is complicated, everyone must remain vigilant.

Gong Qianjin, you lead the team to cover the perimeter, and I will lead the main force into the target area."

The team members acted quickly and began to organize their equipment.

It was this rescue mission that allowed He Qiu and Liu Xiaotao, the two younger brothers, to get to know each other.

It was also the first time that Liu Xiaotao met Gong Qianjin.

One day two years later, Gong Qianjin received a special task - he was seconded to the front command office to assist in organizing archives.

This was a two-month temporary assignment, but for Gong Qianjin, it was a rare opportunity to get in touch with higher-level military work.

The forward command headquarters was located in Chuncheng. It was Gong Qianjin’s first time to visit such a large southwestern city and he felt both fresh and unfamiliar.

The person who was responsible for receiving him was a lieutenant colonel named Zhang, who had a serious and earnest attitude.

"Comrade Gong Qianjin, your job here is mainly to assist in sorting out a batch of military files," Lieutenant Colonel Zhang said. "These files involve military secrets and must be kept strictly confidential. No information may be leaked to the outside world. Do you understand?"

Gong Qianjin saluted: "Understood! I will complete the mission!"

The archives room is located in an independent small building in the military compound. The security measures are extremely strict, and Gong Qianjin has to go through multiple identity verifications when entering and exiting every day.

His job was simple. He followed Lieutenant Colonel Zhang's instructions to sort and archive batches of files by year and category, and occasionally needed to enter some basic information into the computer system.

Whenever he picked up the folders marked "Top Secret", he would be extremely careful, fearing that anything might go wrong.

One day in the third week of the work, Lieutenant Colonel Zhang handed him a batch of special files and asked Gong Qianjin to digitize them into the system.

"This batch of files is quite special, involving some military communication technology projects," Lieutenant Colonel Zhang emphasized. "You only need to enter basic information and don't read the contents in depth."

Gong Qianjin nodded and started his new work. This batch of files was indeed different. Most of the files were stamped with multiple confidentiality seals, and the contents involved some military communication technology projects that he had never heard of.

According to the requirements, he only needs to enter the file number, date, basic classification and other information, and does not need to understand the specific content.

Just when Gong Qianjin was sorting through the folder numbered "LS-8903", a yellowed photo suddenly slipped out of the folder.

He bent down, picked up the photo gently, and was about to put it back when his eyes were attracted by the person in the photo - it was Wang Jing, a name he had not forgotten for many years.

Wang Jing in the photo still looks the same as she remembered, with her mouth tightly closed and a cold expression, and determination in her eyes.

Gong Qianjin's hands trembled slightly, and complex emotions surged in his heart.

This was the first time he had seen news about Wang Jing in several years.

He couldn't wait to open Wang Jing's folder and flipped through the pages quickly with his fingertips.

However, as he read deeper, his face gradually turned pale, as if all the strength in his body had been drained away.

The cold words on the document stung his eyes: Wang Jing, died heroically during a mission, at the age of 26.

This sudden news was like a heavy hammer, shattering the last bit of hope in Gong Qianjin's heart.

He slowly sat back in his chair, the documents in his hand slid weakly to the ground, and tears welled up in his eyes that he could not suppress.

Wang Jing’s sacrifice was like a heavy stone weighing on Gong Qianjin’s heart. He chose to bury this news deep in his heart and never revealed it to He Qiu.

Since returning from his secondment to the former command post, Gong Qianjin seems to have been reborn and has become more diligent and hardworking.

Liu Xiaotao had caught a glimpse of Gong Qianjin sweating profusely on the training ground during breaks more than once. Those who knew him well could sense that Gong Qianjin had unspeakable thoughts in his eyes.

Gong Qianjin and Liu Xiaotao are close comrades who fought side by side. In Liu Xiaotao's circle of friends, apart from He Qiu, they have the closest relationship.

Both of them are from Beijing and Tianjin, are of similar age, and have experienced similar life trajectories. These common points have deepened their friendship and made them close friends who can talk about anything.

As the year draws to a close, Liu Xiaotao is about to set off for further studies at the Military Command College.

Before leaving, squadron leader He Qiu specially hosted a banquet and together with deputy squadron leader Gong Qianjin, he gave Liu Xiaotao a farewell banquet.

During the dinner, the three talked about the past and recalled their deep comradeship. The atmosphere was warm and solemn, and they sent the most sincere blessings to Liu Xiaotao for his new chapter in the military career.

He Qiu raised his glass, his eyes deep and firm: "Xiao Tao, your performance in the army over the years is obvious to all. This time, going to the Command Academy for further studies is not only an opportunity for personal growth, but also a reserve force for the future of the army.

I hope you can keep up the good work style of our team and forge ahead in the new environment." Liu Xiaotao nodded solemnly, with a gleam of determination in his eyes: "Captain He, don't worry, I will live up to your expectations, learn something, and come back to contribute more to the army."

Gong Qianjin also raised his glass with a smile on his face: "Xiao Tao, we have been through all the ups and downs in these years together. Don't just focus on studying when you go to the academy this time, but also take care of your health. When you come back, we will fight side by side again!"

Liu Xiaotao responded with a smile: "Captain Gong, I will keep your words in mind. No matter where I go, I will always be a member of our squadron, and this friendship will never change."

The three of them clinked their glasses, and the aroma of wine filled the air, as if the past years were condensed into this moment. He Qiu put down his glass, took out a military badge from his pocket, and handed it to Liu Xiaotao: "This is the badge of an outstanding student that I wore when I was in the Command Academy. I always carry it with me.

I give it to you today, and I hope it can be your motivation to move forward." Liu Xiaotao took the military badge, felt its heavy weight, and a warm current surged in his heart: "Thank you, Captain He, I will definitely take this honor and mission and take every step well."

…………

Liu Xiaotao didn't expect that this departure would be his last.

By the way, the famous "Black Panther Commando" in the Southwest Region does not have any rotation system, they are always ready.

One day, Gong Qianjin went out to scout the frontline positions in order to find out the enemy's firepower deployment for the follow-up troops. He and platoon leader Yue Jun became the vanguard of the team.

Just as the two were detecting the enemy's situation, a shell suddenly fired from the enemy's position and flew straight towards the captain He Qiu.

Not good, the situation is critical! Gong Qianjin's body almost instinctively leaped up and pounced on He Qiu.

Shells exploded around them.

Gong Qianjin's whole body was covered with thick mud stirred up by the shells, and the back of his head was hit hard by a flying stone, but fortunately he was only slightly injured, and He Qiu was unharmed under him.

Not long after, He Qiu and his squadron took on an important mission to conduct reconnaissance deep behind enemy lines.

Considering that the mission was extremely dangerous and there was a risk of loss of life at any time, and Gong Qianjin's foot injury had not yet healed, He Qiu did not intend to let him participate.

When Gong Qianjin learned about it, he was extremely anxious and quickly asked He Qiu for permission to join the war. However, the squadron leader He Qiu refused and said to him: "You are the only son in your family. This mission is extremely dangerous and may even result in sacrifice. If you die in this mission, it will be difficult for us to explain to your parents."

However, Gong Qianjin did not listen to the advice and retorted: "Captain He, aren't you also an only child?"

He Qiu was caught in a difficult situation and had no choice but to agree to let Gong Qianjin participate in this dangerous mission.

Squadron leader He Qiu’s prediction was correct.

Because this mission was extremely dangerous, the troops held a mobilization meeting before the war, and all the soldiers swore in front of the national flag that they would rather die than be captured.

At the beginning, the operation went very smoothly. He Qiu and his men successfully captured two enemy intelligence officers without firing a single shot.

On the way back with the two intelligence officers, they happened to encounter an enemy patrol.

Suddenly, an originally honest "tongue" knocked down a soldier next to him and ran towards the patrol team desperately.

Seeing that the action was exposed, the soldiers in charge of escorting him had no choice but to open fire and kill him.

When two brave men meet in a narrow road, the brave one wins. He Qiu immediately ordered full fire when he saw that the situation was not good, hoping to evacuate quickly before the enemy's reinforcements arrived.

"Da da da..." As a burst of gunfire sounded, Gong Qianjin used his body to block the remaining prisoner in order to protect him and was hit by the enemy on the spot.

The battle was extremely fierce. More and more enemy border troops rushed to the scene after hearing the news, and they had formed a three-sided encirclement.

"We will never abandon a comrade. Even if he dies, we will bring him home!" This was the unanimous oath made by the soldiers before the war!

Although the situation was critical, Squadron Leader He Qiu still organized three charges.

Gong Qianjin was shot and rolled down the hillside. When he came to his senses, he found himself surrounded by the enemy.

Seeing his comrades rushing forward to save him, Gong Qianjin resolutely fired the "glory bullet" hanging around his neck and died together with the enemy!

(End of this chapter)