Soldiers Assault: Starting from the 7th Steel Company

Chapter 216 Returning to China as Deputy Director
As the plane landed at Beijing Capital International Airport, Chen Jiang saw a familiar scene through the porthole.

After two years of peacekeeping missions overseas, he has finally returned.

Chu Ning sat beside him, holding her sleeping child, a relaxed expression on her face. She leaned on Chen Jiang's shoulder and quietly looked out the window.

"Finally home," she exclaimed.

Chen Jiang nodded and gently held his wife's hand.

The past two years flashed through my mind like a movie—the fierce battles amidst gunfire, the new Congolese soldiers sweating profusely on the training field, and those they had rescued from the hands of mercenaries.
As they descended the gangway, they discovered that Gao Jianjun had also come to the airport to greet them. According to protocol, he had no need to be there, but he still came, which meant that all the leaders of the T Division had to accompany him, making the level of the welcome seem a bit outrageous.

Chen Jiang noticed that Gao Jianjun's shoulder insignia were different again, but he didn't have time to ask about it in detail.

"Hahaha," Gao Jianjun had already regarded Chen Jiang as half a son. He was genuinely happy to see that Chen Jiang had successfully completed his mission in Africa and returned home. He walked up to him and looked him over carefully. "Hmm, you've lost weight and gotten darker, but you look more like a soldier now."

Chen Jiang gave a standard military salute. "Serving the country is my duty."

Gao Jianjun didn't say much. He said that if there was anything to say, they could go back and talk about it, but now they had to follow the procedures and the rules couldn't be broken.

The division commanders behind them also came forward to greet them, mostly saying things like "You've worked hard."

It is worth mentioning that Wang Qingrui of the T Division has now been demobilized, Long Kaifeng has taken over as deputy division commander, and Gao Cheng has finally succeeded as the commander of the 702nd Regiment, while Lin Xiao remains the chief of staff.

"Chen Jiang, welcome back to China!" Gao Cheng was a little different from the others. The two were relatives, so he came forward and gave him a big hug, while also teasing his little nephew.

"The commanders are paying close attention to your performance. The letter of thanks from the Congolese government has caused quite a stir in the military."

"Really?" Chen Jiang asked modestly. "Is it that exaggerated?"

After the airport pickup was over, Chen Jiang told Chu Ning to take the child home first. As the highest-ranking military commander of this peacekeeping operation, he needed to give a report first.
Along the way, Chen Jiang gazed at the rapidly receding street scenes outside the window, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

The city had changed more than he had imagined, with newly built high-rise buildings standing side by side and cars flowing endlessly on the streets.

This is the motherland they protect, which is changing rapidly and becoming prosperous.

It wasn't until the convoy entered the military compound that Chen Jiang's thoughts were brought back to reality.

During the performance review, Chen Jiang appeared very composed. He had thoroughly reviewed all his work in Africa beforehand, so his detailed and comprehensive report was highly praised by his superiors.

After Chen Jiang finished his performance report and stepped out of the conference room, he was stopped by Gao Jianjun's secretary.

Gao Jianjun's secretary has been replaced; it's no longer Zhao Yide.

"Deputy Director Chen, Director S asks you not to leave yet, please go to his office after the meeting."

Chen Jiang was taken aback. "Deputy Director?"

The secretary smiled and nodded. "You didn't know, did you? The appointment has already been made."

Gao Jianjun's office door was half open. Chen Jiang habitually straightened his military uniform and called out, "Report!"

"Come in," Gao Jianjun's voice came from inside.

As Chen Jiang pushed open the door, he noticed another officer in the office. He recognized him as Cheng Guoqiang, the former chief of staff.

"Sit down." Gao Jianjun pointed to the sofa. He took off his hat, and Chen Jiang noticed that Gao Jianjun had even more gray hair.

After saluting the two S leaders, Chen Jiang sat down, his back still ramrod straight.

"Old Cheng, why don't you talk to Xiao Chen about it?"

Gao Jianjun turned his head and added, "He has now been promoted and will be your immediate superior."

Before Chen Jiang could even express his surprise, Cheng Guoqiang began his introduction with a smile.

“Comrade Chen Jiang,” Cheng Guoqiang said bluntly, “Your performance in the Democratic Republic of Congo was outstanding. You not only successfully completed the peacekeeping mission, but also assisted the local government in training a special forces unit capable of fighting tough battles. After deliberation, the higher authorities have decided to give you even greater responsibilities.”

"Our army is embarking on a new path of localization, modernization, and technological advancement in its army equipment. We are looking to transfer you to Army Q as the deputy director of the Operations Department, at the deputy regimental level, with the rank of lieutenant colonel."

Chen Jiang felt a surge of excitement, but quickly calmed down: "Chief, I lack experience in JG work, I'm afraid..."

“What are you afraid of?” Gao Jianjun interrupted him. “Didn’t you do very well in Africa? You built many things from scratch. When we heard that you helped the Democratic Republic of Congo build a modern army, we were all dumbfounded. Isn’t that your ability? Besides, who is born to be a deputy director? Guoqiang started as an ordinary soldier on the front line.”

Cheng Guoqiang smiled and said, "What we value is your experience and innovative ability accumulated in actual combat. Moreover, as the deputy director, your main task is to promote the modernization and combat readiness of the army's military exercises. Right now, the country needs talents like you who dare to think and act."

“And I have good news for you,” Cheng Guoqiang added, “This is just a training opportunity for you from your superiors. If you do well, you can still return to the front-line combat troops next time.”

Cheng Guoqiang knew Chen Jiang very well and knew what he was thinking, so saying this was a way of giving him a guarantee.

Chen Jiang took a deep breath, stood up, and saluted: "I will resolutely obey the arrangements of the Party!"

After finishing his official business, Chen Jiang accompanied Gao Jianjun back home. It was then that he learned that Gao Jianjun had become the commander of the army.

Gao Jianjun personally cooked several home-style dishes, and the atmosphere at the dinner table was warm and relaxed. After putting the child to sleep, Chu Ning joined them, and the family chatted about the ups and downs of the past two years.

"Gao Cheng, have you visited your Uncle Wang since he was demobilized?"

Gao Cheng clicked his tongue. "I haven't had time to go yet."

"You heartless bastard!" Gao Jianjun glared at him. "When you were a kid, Qingrui protected you a lot, otherwise your bottom would definitely be crippled by me!"

Gao Cheng blushed. "Dad, let's not talk about these old, trivial things. Can't I go see him? I'll ask for leave tomorrow."

"Yes, you go with Chen Jiang. He's your former leader and elder. Besides, this transfer arrangement is pretty good; it seems he'll be the deputy director of the Provincial Department of Agriculture." Gao Jianjun ordered in an unquestionable tone. How could Chen Jiang and Gao Cheng dare to argue back?

Seeing that they had fallen silent, Gao Jianjun's tone softened.
“Xiao Chen,” Gao Jianjun put a piece of braised pork on Chen Jiang’s plate, “there are two other important reasons for transferring you to the military this time, besides work considerations.”

Chen Jiang put down his chopsticks and listened attentively.

"It's not appropriate for you and Gao Cheng to both be in the T Division. He's the regimental commander and you're the deputy regimental commander? That's definitely not going to work. He just got promoted to full regimental commander and he can't leave, so you'll have to find another place."

"Another point is that outsiders say 'you're useless if you're not in the top position,' which is actually a prejudice against the work of deputies. In the history of our army, many leaders learned how to command and control war from the position of deputy. It can help you focus on the overall situation, and the benefits outweigh the harms!"

“There are still many areas where our army is not perfect. If we can continuously improve and ultimately raise our combat effectiveness to a new level, I think that would be a very good thing.” Gao Jianjun’s expression became serious. “Chen Jiang, don’t let me down!”

When Gao Cheng and Chen Jiang's military jeep drove into the compound of the Provincial Department of Agriculture, it immediately attracted a crowd. This was mainly due to the imposing presence of Gao Cheng and Chen Jiang, and the fact that Deputy Director Wang Qingrui took the initiative to greet them, clearly indicating that the two men were not ordinary people.

As soon as the two approached, they immediately stood at attention and saluted.

"Hello, Captain!"

The two still habitually called Wang Qingrui Regiment Commander, after all, they were both soldiers he had personally promoted when they were in the 702nd Regiment.

"Haha, you two lads, one a colonel and the other a lieutenant colonel, not bad! Not bad! Very good indeed!"

Wang Qingrui was very pleased and led them to his office first.

The office of a deputy director-level leader is very spacious, with a desk that is more than three meters long, a four-seater leather sofa, and, importantly, a private bathroom and lounge. This condition is indeed very enviable.

Soon, the aroma of tea filled Wang Qingrui's office, and the three of them sat around the sofa in the reception area and began to chat.

"Try it, this is a newly cultivated tea variety in our province." Wang Qingrui poured a cup for each of them, the tea soup was clear and bright. "Speaking of which, I really have to thank Old S for my transfer arrangement. If it weren't for his insistence, I probably wouldn't have had such a comfortable arrangement."

Gao Cheng picked up his teacup and took a sip: "Uncle Wang, your office is much more impressive than our regimental headquarters."

“What’s the use of grandeur?” Wang Qingrui shook his head with a smile. “I didn’t like it when I first came here. The local area is very different from the military.”

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

"Come in!"

After receiving Wang Qingrui's permission, a young man wearing a white shirt and black trousers walked in with a stack of documents. "Deputy Director Wang, these are documents that need to be circulated."

"Okay, put it on the table!"

Wang Qingrui nodded, and the other person gently put it down, then tiptoed out and closed the door.

“Look at this, there are so many documents and so many meetings. Oh dear, it’s driving me crazy,” he said in a low voice. “This is what they mean by ‘mountains of documents and seas of meetings.’”

"Oh dear, Uncle Wang, this means you have real power!" Gao Cheng joked.

Wang Qingrui gave a wry smile and turned to Chen Jiang, "You did a great job in Africa, kid. I read that report from the army three times. You were really something!"

Chen Jiang lowered his head shyly: "It's all thanks to the hard work of our old units in the regiment."

"Haha, still so modest? You're a deputy regimental commander now, you should be more assertive!" Wang Qingrui suddenly changed the subject, "Being a deputy director this time is a completely new challenge!"

Chen Jiang hesitated for a moment before cautiously replying, "I still need to study more."

Wang Qingrui smiled meaningfully, took out a pack of cigarettes from the drawer, offered one to Gao Cheng, and wanted to give one to Chen Jiang, but Chen Jiang waved his hand. Then he lit one for himself.
"Speaking of which, my last position in the army was deputy division commander. So, in that sense, we were colleagues."

"No, no, no, you are a proper deputy division commander," Chen Jiang quickly said modestly.

But Wang Qingrui interrupted him directly.
"It's the same. Whether it's a lieutenant colonel or a senior colonel, or even a deputy at the army level, their core role is the same: to serve as a good staff assistant to the commanding officer. Chen Jiang, your ability is beyond doubt, but I'm afraid you won't know your place. An assistant must have the awareness of an assistant, shine in your own position, and not overstep your bounds. Do you understand what I mean?"

Wang Qingrui said to Chen Jiang with a meaningful look.

Chen Jiang understood Wang Qingrui's implication: his own rise had been too dazzling, mostly serving as a commanding officer in the military and rarely as a deputy. This made it easy for him to overshadow his superiors, and in a place like the military where hierarchy is clear, such a personality would be a disadvantage.

Chen Jiang was very grateful that his old regimental commander was able to speak so frankly to him. He didn't rush to express his opinion, but simply nodded slightly.

Seeing this, Wang Qingrui didn't continue. Those who understand will get it immediately, but for those who don't, no matter how much you explain, it's all in vain.

He firmly believed that Chen Jiang was a person with extremely high comprehension, otherwise he would not have been able to reach the position of deputy regimental commander at such a young age.

"Hey, Uncle Wang, you've told Chen Jiang so much, why don't you tell me too? You can't be so biased!" Gao Cheng said anxiously from the side.

Wang Qingrui laughed heartily, "You kid, do I need to teach you? I'm very confident in handing over the 702nd Regiment to you. Back when you were the company commander of the Steel Seventh Company, I had this feeling that the whole regiment would eventually be handed over to you. Now it seems that, except for the Steel Seventh Company no longer existing, everything else is as expected."

"Old Commander, the new Seventh Company, after the peacekeeping operation, is no less combat-effective than before, and some of its elite soldiers are also very capable." Chen Jiang hurriedly introduced his Seventh Company and how it had shone brightly in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Wang Qingrui was very pleased with what he said.

“Great! Our country’s army has always focused on defense within the country. This time, it’s going abroad to experience real combat. The experience gained is invaluable.”

"Yes, Uncle Wang, once the Third Battalion is fully reorganized, it will probably become the strongest battalion-level combat unit in our regiment," Gao Cheng said excitedly.

“That’s right. I think the troops are going to be re-equipped again soon. The equipment of the 702nd Regiment will probably be upgraded again. When that happens, it will be your time to make a name for yourself.” Wang Qingrui was in high spirits today, not only because his old subordinates had come to see him, but also because he was very pleased with their performance and the performance of the Chinese Army.

In his excitement, he also inquired about the couple's families and children, urging them to educate the next generation well so that each generation could surpass the last.

(End of this chapter)