After being separated from my family, I became a darling of the military region thanks to my medical

Gu Zheng did not speak immediately after hearing Ma Zhigang's words.

There was only the sound of breathing on the other end of the phone, even and steady, but Ma Zhigang could feel the pressure coming from the old telephone line all the way from the north of the city, making his ears burn.

"You said that person's name is Zhou Defa? From the Fangzhuang quarry?"

"Yes, he came in a 212 Jeep, carrying two net bags of canned goods and malted milk powder. He chatted with Brother Cheng for about half an hour."

Ma Zhigang repeated Zhou Defa's words in detail, from persuading Ye Cheng to withdraw from the contract to making trouble for Ye Zhen's reputation, without missing a single sentence.

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a few more seconds.

"My brother-in-law believed it?"

Ma Zhigang gritted his teeth.

"After dinner, Cheng told everyone that he wanted to terminate the contract and stop sending stones to Beicheng. Everyone tried to persuade him, but he wouldn't listen. He was convinced that stepping down would protect his sister-in-law's reputation."

Gu Zheng didn't speak, but Ma Zhigang heard a sound, like something being placed on the table, a dull thud.

"Zhigang".

"exist."

"You can go about your business as usual tomorrow morning. Let your brother-in-law lead the men to continue splitting rocks. Even if he manages to break the sky, I, Gu Zheng, will be there to hold it up for him in Beicheng."

After saying these four sentences, Gu Zheng hung up the phone decisively.

Ma Zhigang stood next to the table in the brigade headquarters, clutching the receiver.

He let out a long sigh, put the phone back, and pushed open the door to come out.

It was already completely dark outside, and the mountain wind made the power lines buzz.

He walked towards his residence, then stopped after a few steps and glanced back at the lights of the brigade headquarters.

Once the fight is over, what happens next is no longer his concern.

But the weight on his heart was finally lifted.

The next day.

The morning sun pierced through the thin mist. Outside the large red auditorium of the Beicheng Military Region, dark green jeeps were parked everywhere, and armed guards stood ramrod straight on both sides of the steps.

The auditorium was packed, with over a thousand officers dressed in crisp Type 65 uniforms, their rank insignia gleaming under the overhead chandeliers.

Today is the Military Region's commendation ceremony for the annihilation of the "Rattlesnake" mercenary group.

The red velvet curtain on the stage was slowly drawn back, revealing a large red banner hanging in the center, while the military band below played a stirring march.

Gu Zheng had just finished receiving his award and stepped off the stage.

Shi Tou, wearing a brand-new military uniform with a big red flower on his chest, marched in perfect unison onto the podium. Although he was thinner than the other veterans, the timidity of a homeless child had faded from his eyes, replaced by the unwavering determination of a soldier.

Sitting in the first row, Army Commander Li Yunlong looked at the stone on the stage, straightened his back slightly, and repeatedly rubbed his rough hands on his knees. His eyes unconsciously reddened.

He leaned close to the chief of staff next to him and spoke in a low voice.

"Old buddy, look at that little brat on stage. If he hadn't shielded me from that dumdum bullet with his body that day, I, Li Yunlong, would be lying in Babaoshan today listening to this song."

The chief of staff smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

"A life that survives a great calamity is bound to bring good fortune. This child is a fine one and a lucky star in your life."

Commander Wang Bojian of the Military Region walked steadily to the center of the platform and personally pinned a gleaming first-class merit medal to Shi Tou's chest, representing the military's absolute endorsement of Gu Zheng's team.

The entire audience erupted in applause, and thousands of people saluted in unison, creating a powerful atmosphere that seemed capable of lifting the roof off the auditorium.

After the awarding ceremony, Wang Bojian walked to the microphone and looked around at the audience.

"Comrades, today we are not only honoring the soldiers who fought bloody battles on the front lines, but also the medical workers who pulled heroes back from the brink of death on the operating table in the rear."

"Now, let's give a warm round of applause to Comrade Ye Zhen, a specially appointed expert from the Beicheng Military Region General Hospital, to the stage."

Applause filled the hall once again. Gu Zheng sat in a corner, his eyes fixed on the figure that walked in through the side door.

Ye Zhen wasn't wearing a white coat today; instead, she wore a simple light gray Lenin suit. Her hair was neatly pulled back, and her cool and beautiful figure, coupled with the aura of a top-tier medical expert, made her walk with composure.

Gu Zheng watched from below, his eyes wide open, the corners of his mouth unconsciously turning upwards, his gaze so intense he seemed to want to stick to Ye Zhen.

The guard sitting next to Gu Zheng couldn't stand it any longer and nudged his arm with his elbow.

"Commander, all the leaders of the military region are watching from up there. Can you please tone it down? You're practically drooling all over your top button."

Gu Zheng didn't even spare him a glance, and muttered a curse in a low voice.

"Get out of here! Is it illegal for me to look after my own wife? What do you know, you bachelor?"

Ye Zhen walked to the microphone, and the applause from the audience gradually subsided.

Her gaze swept over the high-ranking generals below the stage, her voice clear and steady.

"I am just a doctor, doing my job of suturing and mending with a scalpel. I don't deserve such grand thanks from you leaders."

"If we must say what the significance of today is, it is that on this stage, we have jointly proven that the depth of life is not limited to the front lines or the rear."

"A scalpel, if held by only one person, can only save a limited number of lives."

"But if it can be transformed into countless textbooks and disseminated to every health center across the country, then it will be a sharp blade that cuts through the limitations of the times."

Ye Zhen's speech contained no flowery language, only a quiet narration of the depth of life.

The experts and leaders in the audience nodded in agreement, and Commander Wang Bojian led the applause, his eyes filled with admiration and appreciation as he looked at Ye Zhen.

Gu Zheng sat in the corner, his gaze gently fixed on his wife, who was radiating light on the podium.

As he listened to the applause, he had already mentally reviewed the mess Ma Zhigang had reported on the phone, drawing a dead end for those foolish clowns.

As soon as the commendation meeting ended, the leaders of various military regions headed to the canteen to attend the celebration banquet.

Li Yunlong couldn't hold back any longer. He squeezed out of the crowd, grabbed Gu Zheng's shoulder, and yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Brother Gu, you and Shi Tou have done such a great service, and your wife has made such a big impression on the commander. You have to treat us to a big meal. Let's go to Quanjude for Peking duck."

Gu Zheng looked at Li Yunlong's excited face, his eyes darting around in their sockets, and an idea came to him.

"Old Li, what's so good about Quanjude? It's just a place to fool foreigners. I'll take you to a quiet place where you can drink to your heart's content."

Without saying a word, he pulled Li Yunlong out of the military compound and led them through a maze of turns into a dilapidated alley behind the main compound.

As Li Yunlong followed behind him, he felt increasingly uneasy.

The two stopped in front of a fly restaurant with a storefront blackened by smoke. Large patches of plaster had fallen off the wall, and a small wooden sign that read "Old Li's Restaurant" hung on the door frame, swaying in the wind.

Gu Zheng walked in familiarly, pulled out a long bench for Li Yunlong to sit down, and then turned and shouted at the greasy kitchen.

"Boss, two plates of large slices of smashed cucumber, a dish of fried peanuts, and half a jin of loose sorghum liquor."

Li Yunlong looked at the greasy, worn-out wooden table and listened to the ridiculously stingy menu, and flew into a rage.

"Gu Zheng, are you trying to treat me like a beggar? I'm a regimental-level officer, and you're even stingier than Zhou Bapi!"

Gu Zheng didn't refute, but instead let out a long sigh, put on a long face, and started his Oscar-worthy sob story.

He took out two cigarettes from his pocket, handed one to Li Yunlong, lit one for himself, took a puff, and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke.

"Old Li, you don't know this, it's not that I, Gu Zheng, am unwilling to spend the money on this roast duck, it's just that my family is really struggling to make ends meet."

"My brother-in-law's livelihood has been cut off, and his family is about to starve. My wife was crying in her sleep last night. As his husband, I feel so frustrated."