Soldiers Assault: Starting from the 7th Steel Company

Chapter 246 My temporary posting is over, what should I do next?
Just as Chen Jiang was doing a great job in the General Logistics Department's Logistics Division, Chu Ning brought him some news.

"What? You want to change careers?" Chen Jiang asked in surprise.

Because his wife is already a deputy regimental commander and can be considered an absolute backbone of the army hospital, if she stays a little longer, it is not impossible for her to become a full regimental commander. Is it a good idea for her to transfer to civilian work now?

"Yes," Chu Ning seemed quite composed, clearly having made the decision after careful consideration. "If I stay here now, I might be able to join the regiment, but it won't significantly improve my medical skills. If I want to further improve my skills, going to a local hospital at this age would be the ideal option."

Chen Jiang remained silent for a moment after hearing this.
What Chu Ning said is actually not wrong. The equipment in military hospitals is top-notch, but the clinical cases for the military are relatively limited, especially in terms of communication and training, which is not as good as that of hospitals outside the military. The future planning for doctors is not as clear.

Chu Ning is actually someone who is very obsessed with improving her medical skills. After marrying Chen Jiang, she made great sacrifices in her own career so that Chen Jiang's career could go smoothly, and focused on taking care of the family.

But now that her son is in daycare, she has begun to focus some of her attention on her career development.

"Do you have a suitable place to go?" Chen Jiang knew his wife's personality; once she made up her mind, it wouldn't be easily changed, so he could only go along with her ideas and offer suggestions.

Given Chu Ning's position in the army hospital, he would certainly be properly resettled if he wanted to be demobilized.

"The First Affiliated Hospital of Capital University is not far from home." Chu Ning smiled smugly.

Damn~
Chen Jiang was truly dumbfounded. This was one of the top hospitals in the country!
"My wife is amazing! This is the place that every doctor in the country dreams of."

"Tch~" Chu Ning gave him a disdainful look. "What's wrong? Is your wife's skill level that bad?"

Chen Jiang couldn't help but pick up Chu Ning and spin her around, laughing heartily, "My wife is the best of all! This is the Capital University Affiliated Hospital! Now I'll have something to brag about!"

Chu Ning felt dizzy from being spun around by him, and lightly punched his shoulder: "Put me down! You're such a grown-up, why are you still so clumsy?" Although she said that, her face was filled with a happy smile.

"I'm so happy for you!" Chen Jiang gently put his wife down, still unable to hide his excitement. "So, you've passed their test?"

“Yes, I went for their expert interview last week.” Chu Ning straightened her wrinkled clothes, her eyes shining with confidence. “They need an expert in my field, and they are very interested in several projects I completed at the military hospital.”

Chen Jiang suddenly thought of something, and his expression became serious: "If you transfer to another military post, how will you resolve the issues of your status and professional title?"

"Don't worry about that," Chu Ning said calmly. "The Capital University Affiliated Hospital has already promised me the position of associate chief physician, and according to the policy for the placement of demobilized military officers, my rank will be arranged accordingly. Although I will have to start from scratch, I am confident that I can make a name for myself there."

Chen Jiang held his wife's hand, a complex mix of guilt and pride welling up inside him.

Over the years, Chu Ning has indeed sacrificed many opportunities to develop her own profession in order to support his career. Now that she has transferred to a local job, he will resolutely support her.

Support between spouses must be mutual.

"And you? If I remember correctly, your temporary assignment is almost over, right?" Chu Ning remembered the date Chen Jiang went on his temporary assignment, and it seemed to be almost time.

"Yes, that's right. My secondment is almost over, and I expect they'll be talking to me soon."

"Do you know his specific destination? Is he going to be promoted to the head of the department or return to the C brigade?" Chu Ning actually hoped that Chen Jiang could stay in the department, as it was better for both his family and his future. If he returned to the brigade, he might not get the position of brigade commander, because Chen Jiang had risen too quickly in recent years.

"I don't know, there's no news yet," Chen Jiang shook his head, but then smiled. "Anywhere is fine, you know me, I don't pick and choose positions."

Chen Jiang's conversation with his wife was quickly confirmed; a few days later, Vice Minister Cao, who was in charge of military supplies, summoned Chen Jiang.
Vice Minister Cao sat behind his large desk. When Chen Jiang entered, he smiled and pointed to the chair opposite him: "Little Chen is here, have a seat."

Chen Jiang sat down properly, already having guessed seven or eight parts of the truth.

With his secondment period coming to an end, this conversation will inevitably determine his next destination.

"During your time in the Quartermaster Department, you did an excellent job, and leaders at all levels are very satisfied with you." Vice Minister Cao got straight to the point, his tone full of praise. "Whether it was routine work or innovations in logistics equipment and materials, you did a wonderful job."

"Thank you for your recognition, sir. The key is the support from the leadership and the hard work of my colleagues," Chen Jiang replied modestly.

Vice Minister Cao nodded, picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, and got to the point: "Your secondment is about to end, and the organization has already made preliminary considerations regarding your next move. There are three options, and I called you here today to hear your thoughts."

Chen Jiang understood that he was merely a temporary head of a department within the ministry, and the fact that Vice Minister Cao had found him meant that it showed his concern and affection for him.

Having three choices at the same time? That's truly unprecedented.

So he sat up straight and listened attentively.

"Firstly, you will remain in the General Logistics Department. The position of Director of the Quartermaster Department has been vacant for a long time. Considering your outstanding achievements during your tenure in the Quartermaster Department, it is only natural for you to take over."

He paused for a moment, then added, "Minister Zhou has already given his approval on this matter."

Chen Jiang had a premonition about this first choice, since there were almost no people in the ministry who could compete with him, and the other deputy directors' achievements were simply incomparable to his.

Seeing that Chen Jiang's face was expressionless, Vice Minister Cao slowly said, "Secondly, he will return to Brigade C and serve as its political commissar."

He added, "Comrade Kaifeng of your C Brigade has no new assignments for the time being, so you can only take over Comrade Li Haiguang's position after you go there. This is a deputy division-level position!"

Chen Jiang was somewhat surprised; was he really going to be promoted again?

Although this position is only one step away from brigade commander, it is not a commanding military position, and I am not particularly interested in it.

"What's the other option?" He was pretty sure about the first two, but he wasn't so sure about the third. "Haha," Vice Minister Cao laughed heartily, "Chen Jiang, the third option is that I'm about to be transferred to the General Armaments Department and I'd like to take you with me. But since you're transferring across departments, I can only temporarily assign you as a deputy section chief. Are you willing to do that?"

Chen Jiang was momentarily stunned; he had never considered this choice before.

"Sir, do you mean you're getting a promotion? Congratulations!"

"There's no further news yet, so we need to keep it confidential," Vice Minister Cao said with a smile.

Chen Jiang's heart was in turmoil. If Vice Minister Cao had said so, then it was probably a done deal. His work in the Logistics Department seemed to be going smoothly, but he couldn't do much without the support and help of the vice minister in charge. Now that Minister Zhou was about to retire, once he left, would the new leader still like his bold and decisive work style?
This is still an unknown.

As for going to the General Assembly, although I will be a deputy director for now, with Minister Cao there, I'll get rid of my director position sooner or later.
Most importantly, in the next decade or so, the military's focus will definitely be on the iterative upgrading of military equipment. Therefore, he felt that the General Armament Department had a brighter future, especially since he himself enjoyed this line of work and was very excited to be able to contribute to the country's military equipment.

"Sir, if I go to the General Armaments Department, which department will I be assigned to?"

Since it involved his personal future and development, Chen Jiang decided to drop the pretense and speak frankly.

"I admire your innovative spirit. This drive is most suitable for the military equipment research and development department. What do you think?"

Vice Minister Cao's words perfectly aligned with Chen Jiang's thoughts; this is the kind of work a soldier should be doing!
"However, this is just my idea. It needs to be discussed with higher-level leaders and approved before it can be implemented." Vice Minister Cao spoke very cautiously, but Chen Jiang already understood.

"Sir, I understand." Chen Jiang nodded heavily.

"You can go back and think about it. After all, this is a major life decision. Give me your reply tomorrow, okay?"

"No need, sir. I can give you my answer now. I choose to go to the General Armament Department with you!" Chen Jiang was not one to hesitate. Once he had considered everything, he made up his mind!

Vice Minister Cao was very pleased with Chen Jiang's choice, as not every young person would give up a promotion that was within their grasp and choose to follow him.

"Okay, I understand. Then go back and wait for news." Vice Minister Cao didn't say much more, but his eyes were full of appreciation and affirmation.

There are no secrets that stay hidden forever.

News of Chen Jiang being summoned for a talk by Vice Minister Cao spread quickly. Although no one knew the specifics, it was practically a certainty that Chen Jiang was going to be transferred, and all sorts of speculations arose.

Some say Chen Jiang is going to be transferred back to the C Brigade as brigade commander. Such a young brigade commander is extremely rare in the history of military formation in China. Others say that Chen Jiang has been appointed as the director of the logistics department. This news is the least doubted, because it is a matter of course. Several deputy directors in the department came to congratulate him in advance, which made Chen Jiang both amused and exasperated.

As he was the head of a key department within a key unit, his future career path attracted widespread attention. Eventually, even Gao Cheng took the opportunity of Chen Jiang's family visiting to inquire about him.

The two were already as close as brothers, so it was unlikely that Chen Jiang would keep it from him. Besides, if someone really wanted to find out, they probably wouldn't have been able to.

Gao Jianjun is already at a very high level; there's no way he wouldn't know about this information.

Unexpectedly, after he told Gao Cheng the three options, Gao Cheng jumped up.
"What? Going to be a deputy section chief? A lateral transfer? You might as well go back to the brigade as a political commissar, at least that's deputy division level. You're the same level as me at your age, isn't that good? Or even better, stay in the General Logistics Department as a section chief, that's also deputy division level. Why did you choose to be a deputy section chief at the regimental level and transfer there? Isn't that a waste of time?"

Gao Cheng was completely baffled, but of course, he was genuinely thinking of his brother-in-law's best interests.

"Brother, don't worry, Chen Jiang must have his reasons for making this choice!" Seeing Gao Cheng getting anxious, Chu Ning hurriedly came over to persuade him.

"Okay, let me hear it. Why choose a regimental commander instead of a deputy division commander? That's quite interesting."

Seeing Gao Cheng's furious expression, Chen Jiang felt a surge of emotion. His brother-in-law was truly thinking of him; otherwise, he wouldn't have acted this way.

Thinking about this, he spoke his mind.

After listening to Chen Jiang's explanation, Gao Cheng's brows gradually relaxed, but his tone still carried a hint of worry: "I understand your thoughts. The General Armaments Department is indeed a place with great potential, and Vice Minister Cao is a good leader. But..."

He paused, his tone becoming serious: "You need to understand that in government offices, one step behind can lead to a series of setbacks. You're giving up your deputy division-level position to become a deputy section chief at the General Armaments Department. Although Vice Minister Cao values ​​you highly, there are many uncertainties involved. If his job changes again, or if there are personnel adjustments at the General Armaments Department, you could be delayed for several years."

Chen Jiang listened attentively and nodded: "Brother, I've considered all of what you've said. But I think it's better to work diligently in a position where I can utilize my strengths than to accumulate seniority in a position I'm not really interested in. Military equipment research and development is what I'm truly passionate about, and I believe that as long as I achieve results, the issue of rank will be resolved sooner or later."

Chu Ning chimed in, "Brother, you've seen the innovative projects Chen Jiang did in the Logistics Department. As long as he puts his mind to it, he can generally do an excellent job."

Gao Cheng watched the couple working together and couldn't help but laugh: "Well, you two are now on the same side."

At this moment, Gao Jianjun, who had been silent all along, also spoke.
"I think Xiao Chen's choice is very farsighted."

These words stunned not only Gao Cheng, but also Chen Jiang and Chu Ning. Gao Jianjun, known for his composure, was surprised that he would support Chen Jiang's seemingly "risky" decision.

"Dad, what do you mean by that?" Gao Cheng asked, puzzled.

Gao Jianjun smiled slightly, "You only see the ranks, but you don't see the big picture. Let me ask you, what will be the focus of military development in the next ten years?"

Before anyone could answer, he continued, "Without a doubt, it's about upgrading the equipment. The future of the General Armaments Department is very bright, so Xiao Chen's move there now, though seemingly a lateral transfer, is actually a way to seize the initiative."

He turned to Chen Jiang and nodded approvingly: "Do a good job! The army will not bury any capable cadre. Gold will shine wherever it is!"

(End of this chapter)