In the name of supernatural powers

Chapter 210 Time Management Master Zhao

After a brief agreement on the time and place, we met at the foster home at nine o'clock in the morning.

As for what they would do at the meeting, Lu Zhao didn't say, and Li Dongxue didn't ask either.

This is a tacit understanding between the two; they don't need a reason to meet.

Because they met every day, even in their dreams, between the ages of twelve and eighteen, it would be too troublesome to find a reason every time they met.

Lu Zhao hung up the phone.

Thinking to himself: Xiaoxue is a front-line commander and can use her authority to impose a short-term martial law. Tuen Mun Island has been conducting localized operations, so an emergency martial law is understandable.

Lu Zhao had previously visited Tuen Mun Island when he was at the Cadre Academy. Every day, third-tier monsters would land there and be turned into raw materials for life supplements by a single shot from the coastal defense cannons.

Meanwhile, Tuen Mun Island also has a navy that needs to patrol the coastal defense line 24 hours a day to prevent large-scale monster landings.

Therefore, unlike the special counter-terrorism unit where Lu Zhao was stationed, they could not leave the camp at will except for daily patrols, and it was even more impossible to impose martial law.

Tuen Mun Island is different; it's in a constant state of war, and frontline commanders wield immense power.

'If Xiaoxue becomes suspicious, how should I explain?'

Lu Zhao suddenly thought of another question.

I pondered for a long time but couldn't come up with a perfect explanation.

However, even if there are some doubts, their relationship shouldn't cause any major problems.

Lu Zhao wasn't sure about the others, and he couldn't fully trust even Tang Fen, but he could completely trust Li Dongxue.

From the age of fifteen, when they began to receive each other's life bones, Lu Zhao and Li Dongxue became one and a half people. Half of Li Dongxue was with him, and this half was not based on affection, but on spiritual control.

In the spiritual space left by Li Shaoqing, they spent their childhood together, and then spent their adolescence together in reality.

Now, Lu Zhao sometimes thinks that if Xiaoxue were a man, they would definitely be brothers who could live and die together, even closer than blood brothers.

It's a pity she's a girl.

At seven o'clock in the morning, Comrade Xiaowei arrived on time to deliver breakfast.

Lu Zhao said, "Didn't I say I was taking the day off? You don't need to come, do you?"

Comrade Xiao Wei said, "You should eat something in the morning before you set off; it's my job."

The leader said he didn't need to come, but he couldn't really not come. Regardless of what Lu Zhao thought, he had to maintain a proper attitude.

Ring ring ring!
Lu Zhao's phone vibrated slightly. He took it out and saw that it was Lin Zhiyan calling.

In the next two seconds, his expression went from calm to his eyes widening.

Holy crap, there's still Lin Xuemei's matter to discuss today.

Lu Zhao quickly regained his composure. He couldn't stay at Lin Zhiyan's house all day long, meeting with Xiaoxue in the morning and then going to see Lin Zhiyan at noon.

The call connected, and Lin Zhiyan's voice came through.

"Do you need me to pick you up?"

A clear and pleasant voice rang out, and Comrade Xiao Wei cast a curious glance at him.

This must be Chief Lu's girlfriend, right?
I wonder what level of woman a man with Chief Lu's appearance would be.

Lu Zhao said, "No need, my unit has official vehicles, and your car is too flashy."

Even the traffic police had to salute Lin Zhiyan's car in Cangwu. Even if he didn't take the bus, it was still a luxury car worth millions.

Unless it's for work, such as needing to ride in a limousine to attend an event, Lu Zhao doesn't like being too ostentatious.

Lin Zhiyan asked, "Alright, what time will you arrive? Have you had breakfast? I'll have the housekeeper prepare it for you."

Lu Zhao replied, "Noon, I'm having breakfast now."

Lin Zhiyan said with some dissatisfaction, "Can't you come in the morning?"

It's been over a month since we last saw each other. We often go two or three days without any news, and they don't answer my calls. We can only have long phone conversations on weekends.

Given this frequency of meetings, it's quite a feat to finally manage to arrange a meeting, so it's natural for them to be dissatisfied if they don't see Miss Lin in the morning.

Lu Zhao replied, "I have some things to take care of this morning, I'll be there by noon."

Lin Zhiyan snorted in dissatisfaction and instructed, "Remember to come over as soon as you're done. The address is No. 1, North Road, Nanling District. You can call me when you get close."

"Row."

What do you eat for breakfast?

"Fried dough sticks and soy milk."

"I've had a set of clothes custom-made for you. Come over later and you can try it on."

"No need, I can buy my own clothes."

"Well, it's already done."

The two started chatting, and Comrade Xiao Wei wisely left the room, not listening to his leader's private life.

At 7:20, Lu Zhao finished his breakfast and hung up the phone.

Comrade Xiao Wei walked in and said, "I've prepared a vehicle for you. Would you like me to drive you?"

What about your job?

"If you need it, I will go to the brigade to ask for leave."

"No need, just give me the keys. It shouldn't be a military vehicle, right?"

"How could I make such a mistake? I always use official vehicles when I travel."

Ten minutes later, Lu Zhao looked at the black sedan in front of him and knew it was no ordinary car just from the signboard.

The car's rear end reads "Cangwu Tiangong".

Lu Zhao didn't pay much attention to Federal car companies, but he knew that Tiangong was the top car company in the Federal region, and its vehicles were all luxury cars starting at a million yuan.

From the perspective of official vehicles, a luxury car worth millions is too extravagant.

But then I thought, this is the Cangwu Special Counter-Strike Force, the core of the entire South, the most economically and industrially developed region in the Federation.

Given the current federal climate, it doesn't seem to be that exaggerated. Another possibility is that confiscated illegal vehicles, after undergoing certain procedures, are distributed to relevant units.

This car looks quite old; it should only fetch a few hundred thousand yuan if resold.

He asked, "Are there any other vehicles?"

"This is already the most expensive vehicle in the detachment. The headquarters has a requirement that official vehicles cannot exceed 1.5 million yuan."

Comrade Xiao Wei looked troubled, thinking that the leader thought the car was too old.

Lu Zhao said helplessly, "I need an official vehicle that meets federal standards. Just find me any car that costs around 100,000 yuan."

"Yes!"

Comrade Xiao Wei secretly noted down Lu Zhao's preferences.

This new leader certainly doesn't like to show off, and so far he has strictly adhered to the rules and regulations without overstepping them in the slightest.

While catering to their preferences, I should also be mindful of my own behavior in the future to avoid being extravagant or wasteful in front of my superiors.

Wei Ruiyang cherished this opportunity very much. He knew that this might be the only chance he would ever have in his life, and if he could seize it, his future would be very different.

Ten minutes later, Lu Zhao drove away from the camp in a Seven Stars brand sedan.

This scene naturally caught the attention of the other soldiers in the camp, who were quite surprised to hear that Lu Laohu did not travel in the luxury car purchased by the previous detachment commander.

The news spread quickly; the camp, which had more than 800 people, wasn't very big, and the news spread throughout the camp in the time it took to have breakfast.

In the dining hall, the soldiers ate in small groups and discussed Lu Zhao's situation.

This detachment commander, who had been in office for less than a month, had become the object of the soldiers' "day and night thoughts," and any move Lu Zhao made could affect everyone's hearts.

The same applies to the officers.

Yu Fusheng sat down next to Cao Yang and looked at Cao Yang, who was somewhat dazed after falling from his position as brigade leader.

He said, "Lu Laohu has taken leave and gone out."

Cao Yang said, "What does this have to do with me?"

“It’s really none of your business, but look at everyone’s reaction.”

After looking around, Yu Fusheng continued, "Everyone is still emotional, but not much anymore. You don't need to keep arguing. If this continues, I'm afraid you'll be kicked out too."

"I think Tiger Lu is quite magnanimous. If you work honestly for the next six months, he might promote you back."

Cao Yang silently chewed on his fried dough stick, offering no rebuttal, his earlier high spirits gone.

Many things happen gradually and imperceptibly.

If Lu Zhao takes office and engages in various forms of corruption, bribery, abuse of power, and enjoyment of authority, then people will not respect him.

Let alone persuading over two hundred people to leave, the new rules and regulations alone would not be accepted by anyone. For many years, the focus has been on results; as long as the task is completed, the process is not considered.

Why ask for so much when Lu Zhao doesn't need to charge into battle?
Rules and regulations can only constrain behavior. Everyone is an independent individual capable of thinking, so it's natural to feel uncomfortable being constrained.

Similarly, everyone will be watching Lu Zhao's every move.

Lu Zhao has been in office for almost a month now, and he works until late every night, always making sure the office lights are the last to go out.

At the same time, instead of embezzling the brigade's funds, they used the money to purchase more supplements and distribute them to the soldiers who were close to the third tier, and negotiated with the brigade for a one-year extension for them.

Even those soldiers who had to leave the team were not neglected; they were actively recommended to various units.

Instead of simply kicking someone away and abandoning them, Lu Zhao evoked mixed feelings in many people. While he was known for his unwavering impartiality in enforcing rules and regulations, he was also remarkably lenient and forgiving within the bounds of those rules.

It gives people a contradictory feeling of being both strict and caring, ruthless and passionate.

From the outside, it seemed like the Ninth Detachment was causing trouble every few days, but everyone just went to the detachment headquarters to offer their opinions, and there was never any conflict.

Because Lu Laohu is a genuine hair supplement and truly cares about his subordinates.

A simple recommendation from a new unit for reassignment, along with a few brief words of advice, can sometimes quell the resentment of soldiers who are advised to retire.

Most people are constantly wavering; their expectations and goals are always changing.

Cao Yang was also confused.

After being demoted from battalion commander to company commander, he was left with only two options: either transfer to another unit or obey orders.

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Nine in the morning.

Blue Sky District, Nursing Home.

Children were playing on the playground, their noisy shouts filling the air.

The average temperature in Cangwu City in March is around 15 degrees Celsius, but extreme temperature drops are possible before the official start of summer.

It's only eleven degrees Celsius today, and the wind is quite strong, making people shiver.

Li Dongxue sat under the banyan tree, her high ponytail tied up, her hair inevitably falling to the ground.

Actually, she cuts her hair every three days, usually starting from her shoulders and cutting it in one stroke. After three days, it grows back past her knees and then stops growing.

This can be considered a side effect of the supernatural power; the hair grows extremely fast.

To address this, Li Dongxue specially developed electromagnetic repulsion to keep her hair from tangling, so that it wouldn't get dusty or dirty even if it touched the ground.

After seeing Lu Zhao, she decided not to cut her hair anymore.

Around the summer of her fifteenth year, Li Dongxue asked Lu Zhao what would happen if they broke up because they couldn't get into the same school.
Then Lu Zhao replied with great sincerity: "Although you are a girl, we are like brothers. Even if we are not in the same school, it will not affect our friendship."

This wasn't Lu Zhaoguo's roundabout way of refusing, but rather a problem with Li Dongxue's own image.

From the moment she entered the orphanage, she was always fighting; she was the epitome of masculinity, the man among men.

She has a pretty face and rather ordinary female physical characteristics, which often leads to her being confessed to by other women.

Lu Zhao naturally didn't regard Li Dongxue as a woman.

Since that summer vacation, Li Dongxue has grown her hair long, and her clothes have changed from the same old jeans and short-sleeved shirts to include several skirts.

Suddenly, Li Dongxue looked up at the outside of the orphanage.

She felt inexplicably at ease. Although she was not a mental superhuman, she could sense Lu Zhao's presence.

They are about three thousand meters apart, depending on the range of Lu Zhao's mental power.

About ten minutes later, an inconspicuous car stopped outside the nursing home.

A handsome man wearing a beige shirt over a black short-sleeved shirt and jeans stepped out of the car.

As he approached step by step, even the sunlight seemed to brighten.

The children playing nearby also stopped in their tracks, either noticing or being directed by their companions to look over.

A little girl, sniffling, ran over and hugged Lu Zhao's leg, looking up at him and saying, "Big brother, you're so handsome."

Lu Zhao bent down and wiped her nose with his sleeve, then calmly corrected her, "Pretty is a compliment for girls, and at my age you should call me uncle."

After passing the little girl, other children came running over one after another. The timid and shy ones watched from a distance, while the bolder ones ran over to ask questions.

Regardless of gender, children's pursuit of beauty is always the most sincere.

Li Dongxue was the same when she first arrived, only not as exaggerated as Lu Zhao.

She stared at Lu Zhao, who was surrounded by children, and remained in a daze for a long time.

It seems like her skin has become whiter and she looks much better.

Lu Zhao broke free from the children's clutches and came to Li Dongxue, only to find the silly girl still staring blankly at him.

Reach out, tighten your middle finger, and flick it directly onto the other person's fair forehead.

The slight pain brought Li Dongxue back to her senses, but her expression remained somewhat dazed.

"Haven't you seen me before?"

Lu Zhao looked puzzled; this silly girl seemed to be getting more and more naive.

How will I ever get married again?

"I'll go see Lao Tang first, and we'll talk somewhere else later."

As he spoke, he walked past Li Dongxue and into the nursing home behind her.

About fifteen minutes later, Lu Zhao came out from inside, walked over and subconsciously put his arm around Li Dongxue's shoulder, leading her out.

"Let's go see if the little shops we used to eat at high school are still there. I remember there was a pretty good noodle stall behind the school."

"It should still be there; I ate there a year ago."

Li Dongxue caught a glimpse of Lu Zhao, who was carrying her, out of the corner of her eye, but her heart remained unmoved despite the close proximity.

There was no racing heart, no excitement, just a sense of normalcy.

From kindergarten to junior high, and from junior high to high school, they've always gone through this. When their spirits are united, all the memories seem like they happened just yesterday.

Any stirrings of emotion will be erased by this long memory.

This sense of familiarity is completely silent.

Her brows furrowed involuntarily; she hated this taken-for-granted closeness.

In Lao Tang's words, this is not love, it's family affection.

Only love can make someone a couple or husband and wife, and only then can they have a reason to stay together.

But after spending too much time together, the initial excitement faded.

It would be nice if things could continue like this with Ah Zhao, but unfortunately, a despicable second-generation rich kid has to interfere.

One day I'll strike you down with lightning!

For the next two hours, they strolled around the park they used to frequent, the small restaurants they used to eat at, and the video arcades they used to go to.

Perhaps due to the rationing system, time seemed to have been put on hold, and apart from being old, many things in the old town hadn't changed in seven or eight years.

The two sat on a park bench, gazing at the concrete elephant slide.

"Zhao, is something on your mind?"

Li Dongxue suddenly asked.

Lu Zhao was slightly taken aback, but then he understood.

The two of them don't have much private space when they're together. Now he can control his mental overflows and avoid mind-reading, but the girl can still detect it.

Lu Zhao originally thought that if he could completely control the mental leakage, the connection between them would be severed.

But when they meet again, they will inevitably intersect.

Like two rivers, they flow for six years. Even if they are temporarily separated, the riverbeds still exist.

If they get close again, the water will converge along the riverbed.

"There's something I'd like to ask you."

"Ah."

Li Dongxue nodded slightly, then looked at Lu Zhao with her clear eyes.

Without considering what the matter was, they had already adopted a listening posture.

Lu Zhao asked, "You should be the frontline commander on Tuen Mun Island now, right?"

Li Dongxue replied, "In terms of function, I am a front-line commander, but I still need to obey the orders of a higher-ranking general."

Lu Zhao asked, "Can you temporarily put the front line under martial law?"

Li Dongxue nodded and said, "Okay, but unless there are unforeseen circumstances, it cannot exceed 24 hours."

If Chief Liu wants to cultivate her, he will naturally give her considerable power; otherwise, she's just here to gain experience and prestige.

During this time, Li Dongxue also worked hard to learn and adapt, at least to become an officer capable of commanding local wars.

Lu Zhao had prepared many arguments in his mind, but when the two of them were spiritually connected, all their demands seemed to be irrelevant.

He said, "I need you to impose martial law for one day at a specific time."

Li Dongxue nodded slightly and said, "Okay."

Lu Zhao laughed and said, "You agreed so readily, aren't you afraid I'll trick you into going to a military court?"

“I believe Ah Zhao will not harm the country. If he is taken to a military court for this, it can only mean that there are bad people in the Federation.”

Li Dongxue answered with near certainty.

Faced with his childhood friend's trust, Lu Zhao had regretted countless times that Li Dongxue was a woman.

I only regret that we cannot become sworn brothers.

(End of this chapter)