In the name of supernatural powers

Chapter 30 Junior Officer Groups
Ant Ridge Border Station, Station Chief's Office.

Lu Jinshan paced back and forth in his office, his somewhat swollen face covered in cold sweat. His gaze kept drifting to the landline phone, and he was beginning to experience auditory hallucinations.

It seemed the phone never stopped ringing, and it seemed the deadly silence was never broken.

The hypothetical consequences kept flashing through my mind: the news of the frontline forces being completely annihilated.

"...We absolutely cannot let anything happen..."

Lu Jinshan prayed in a low voice.

Previously, he had wished he could send Lu Zhao to guard the gate, fearing that if Lu Zhao continued to make meritorious contributions, he would be unable to control him any longer.

Within the system, rules must be followed. No matter how outstanding Lu Zhao is, having graduated from the capital, he must be overshadowed by him. Conversely, he has no right to erase Lu Zhao's achievements.

Therefore, Lu Jinshan would only delay with various excuses, but in the end, he would still give Lu Zhao all the rewards he deserved.

This is his greatest skill in navigating officialdom: to 'violate the rules' to the maximum extent possible within the established framework.

But today the situation is completely different!
If I indirectly cause the failure of this mission, or even worse, lead to the complete annihilation of the frontline fighting force, then the consequences...

Lu Jinshan shivered, and cold sweat poured down his back even more profusely.

Rules and regulations can only keep him out of jail, but they can't protect his official position.

With such a huge hole, he might really go to jail.

"Lu Zhao, Lu Zhao, you must make a great contribution this time!"

bell--

The landline rang, but only for a second; the sound had barely spread when it was picked up immediately.

He practically slumped halfway across the table as he picked up the microphone and said:
"Hello, this is Lü Jinshan. Mission at the front... Is the mission complete?"

Every word seemed to be forced out of his throat.

"...It's done?!...Great! Lu Zhao is indeed the best soldier in our station. I'll definitely recommend him for commendation when we get back!"

After hanging up the phone, Lü Jinshan slumped into a chair, clutching the receiver, looking as if he had just escaped a disaster.

After a while, once he calmed down, Lü Jinshan's eyes regained their usual shrewdness.

He said thoughtfully, "This operation had some twists and turns, but it fully proved that our border station's emergency response capabilities and command and decision-making level can withstand the test!"

"Of course, the heroic efforts of the frontline commanders and soldiers are indispensable."

He quickly considered the wording of the report in his mind.

No matter how dangerous the process was, or how crucial Lu Zhao's role was, it did not prevent Lu Jinshan from giving proper command.

He wasn't trying to steal credit, because that would be illegal and criminal, and would land him in a military court.

Lu Jinshan would be satisfied as long as it added to his resume.

Can we cooperate and achieve a win-win situation now?

Lu Jinshan stood up, with a smug and lighthearted air, and strolled to the window.

Outside the window, Ant Ridge is bathed in night, with a few searchlights piercing the night sky and illuminating the distant, undulating mountains.

He gazed at the territory he had cultivated for so long, his face beaming with the smugness of a winner, as if the fear and loss of composure he had experienced just minutes before were irrelevant to him.

Just as Lu Zhao aptly put it, he was a power-hungry rat, short-sighted and muddle-headed, yet his thirst for power was ingrained in his very being.
-
On the way back to the border station.

Lu Zhao and Zhang Like were in the same car, the dim yellow light of the streetlights constantly shining through the car window onto their faces.

"You really offended the special agents today."

Zhang Like glanced at Lu Zhao from the side.

Lu Zhao remained leaning against the car window, his gaze fixed on the rapidly receding mountains and forests outside. His profile was clearly defined in the flickering light.

“If we’re not eating from the same pot, he can’t bite me,” he replied calmly.

"It's better to use it to annoy Lü Jinshan, so he won't try to embellish his own reputation later." He knew Lü Jinshan's ways all too well.

If no one exposes him, Lü Jinshan will inevitably try to glorify himself in his report to cover up his dereliction of duty.

Since the special operations forces had no connection with him and no vested interests, he naturally did not need to maintain a relationship with them.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Like looked surprised.

"Old Lu, I've discovered that you're not so stubborn after all; you can be quite ruthless when it comes to using underhanded tactics."

Lu Zhao asked innocently, "Did I do anything? I was just protecting Station Chief Lü's reputation and preventing Team Lin from being disturbed."

"Now, when we use honorifics, it's like a weasel paying respects to a chicken."

Zhang Like couldn't help but laugh, then got to the point: "You rejected the offer to go to the retirement home, didn't you? I had no choice before. Lü Jinshan blocked you from entering the junior officer rank, and even I, a company commander, was powerless to stop him."

"I was thinking of at least letting you retire to a quiet place and improving your treatment as compensation. But today you saved the frontline backbone of the entire border station. From now on, as long as you are on the front line, he won't be able to do anything to you."

Lu Zhao asked doubtfully, "They're all from the grassroots level, how can they help me?"

"The key point is not what they can help you with, but what they won't help Lü Jinshan with."

"For example, in yesterday's situation, if they were willing to cooperate."

Zhang Like gave an example: "If I led a team to protest, do you think Lü Jinshan could withstand the pressure?"

The leader wielded significant decision-making power, and almost no one at the border station could stand against Lü Jinshan alone. However, power was subject to checks and balances, and the station chief was not a dictator.

The exercise of his power depends on grassroots leaders, which is everyone present today.

Nowadays, most of the junior officers at the border station were promoted by Zhang Like, because it falls within his authority, and naturally he wants to cultivate his own power base.

But he had no reason to drag these people to fight against Lü Jinshan, so he could take this opportunity to bring everyone over.

“The station chief is not a local tyrant. Without the support of grassroots cadres, he can’t get anything done, and Lü Jinshan has a very bad reputation.”

Lü Jinshan's resume was also very poor; in theory, one should need at least 30 points of vitality to serve as a battalion-level border station chief.

Forced agencies value the development of life, and the amount of life directly affects the power and authority of a position.

No one would say anything if Lü Jinshan were in a technical position, but he definitely couldn't be the chief commander, like a station manager.

"Been taught a lesson."

A look of realization flashed across Lu Zhao's eyes.

The core of power operation is not the apparent rank of a position, but who can grasp the will of the executive level.

The theories taught in school are too abstract, and he's never actually held a high-ranking leadership position. Only through practical experience can one gain true understanding and avoid making mistakes in the future.

Fearing that Lu Zhao lacked social skills, Zhang Like continued, "You also need to build good relationships with others. Nod to each other when you see each other, and greet each other when you're in a good mood. For example, sitting together in the cafeteria can really increase your sense of belonging."

"But I always eat by myself. Wouldn't it be awkward if someone suddenly leaned in?"

Lu Zhao stroked his chin, showing little resistance.

“Then how about this,” Zhang Like said, “I’ll host a celebration banquet tomorrow, and we can all sit down and have a few drinks to get to know each other better.”

Lu Zhao nodded in agreement: "Okay."

These four years of experience taught him that he needed to be more tactful in matters outside of principles.

The car fell silent again, with only the roar of the engine and the rustling of the wheels on the road remaining.

As the evening breeze blew, Lu Zhao fell into deep thought.

Then suddenly he spoke, his voice clearly drowning out the engine noise:
“Before I came here, I went into the server room and found a patrol route change plan from a year and a half ago, and your name was on it.”

　To prevent censorship and subsequent skipping of chapters, I've changed it to one chapter in the evening and one at noon.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)