Special forces soldier demobilization: Starting from the county government compound, a meteoric rise

At dawn, thick gray clouds pressed down on the ancient and majestic city walls.

A black Hongqi sedan, without any conspicuous special license plates, only an ordinary civilian license plate, glided silently across the wide lane, like a black fish swimming into the deep sea, avoiding the noisy crowds of the morning rush hour, and finally came to a slow stop in front of a side gate not far from the main square.

Liu Ming sat in the back seat, still carrying the faded tactical briefcase.

He looked out the window at the vermilion gate. The white marble lions in front of the gate exuded a solemn coolness in the morning dew, and the sentries stood as straight as spears. When their eyes swept across the car window, Liu Ming could feel the professional, even murderous, scrutiny.

This is the very heart of China's power, a sacred place in the eyes of countless politicians and military personnel, and a forbidden zone that Liu Ming has dreamed of re-entering for the past ten years.

……

"Director Liu, please show your identification."

The first checkpoint.

The car window rolled down, and Lao Chen handed over a pass stamped with a special anti-counterfeiting mark. Liu Ming also took out her employment ID.

The sentry saluted without speaking. He picked up the electronic scanner in his hand and not only verified the documents but also used infrared detection on every blind spot of the vehicle. Then, an armed police officer with a police dog walked around the vehicle swiftly and silently.

Liu Ming watched all of this.

He knew in his heart that this level of security was not just for self-defense; it was also a silent warning.

It tells everyone who enters here: here, there are no individuals, only rules.

"Release them."

The electronic retractable gate slowly opened.

The car continued driving in. Along the way, there was a checkpoint every fifty meters, and the security level increased with each gate they passed.

This ever-increasing sense of oppression would be suffocating for any high-ranking local official visiting Beijing for the first time. But Liu Ming did not.

He simply stared quietly out the window.

He gazed at the ancient buildings, arranged in a pleasing, staggered pattern. He watched the elderly gardeners sweeping fallen leaves in the morning light. He observed the middle-aged people lost in thought by the pond.

Each of these people, if taken out of the local area, could cause an earthquake. But here, they are just a cog in this giant machine.

The car finally stopped in front of an inconspicuous courtyard house.

This place is some distance from the core office area. It's surrounded by thick cedar trees, blocking most of the view.

"Director Liu, I'll leave you here." Old Chen turned off the engine, turned to look at Liu Ming, and his eyes held a complex emotion that he could not hide.

There is relief, but also worry.

"You'll have to walk this path yourself from here on out. The old man is inside, waiting for you alone."

"Thanks, Lao Chen."

Liu Ming pushed open the car door and stepped out.

He stood before the tightly closed black door, straightened his suit collar, and calmed his racing heart one last time.

He didn't bring his "Dragon Fang" military dagger today. But in a place like this, a former top soldier, even unarmed, is the most dangerous weapon in the world.

He raised his hand and gently knocked on the door knocker.

"Da, da, da."

……

The person who opened the door was a middle-aged man dressed in casual clothes.

He had an ordinary face, the kind of person who would disappear into a crowd in an instant. But Liu Ming immediately noticed the thick calluses on his hands and back, the marks left by years of holding a gun. Moreover, his temples were slightly bulging, a sign of mastering internal energy in martial arts.

"Director Liu, the leader has been waiting for a long time." The middle-aged man stepped aside and made a "please" gesture, his tone flat and without any emotion.

Liu Ming stepped over the high threshold.

The courtyard is a hidden paradise.

There was no desolation outside. Only a wintersweet tree in full bloom was emitting a faint, delicate fragrance.

In a study furnished like a war command post, Liu Ming finally met the man who had always lived in his memory and files.

—Lin Zhentian.

A founding marshal, a titan of the military. A pillar of strength who single-handedly carved out a nation amidst gunfire and explosions.

Old Lin was sitting behind a large desk at this moment.

He was wearing a very simple polyester shirt, with a pair of wide-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, and he was engrossed in reading an internal briefing about the future plans of the "High Technology Division".

Liu Ming did not disturb him.

He simply stood quietly in the center of the study, like a javelin, just as he had when he was training at "Dragon Fang".

a long time.

Old Lin slowly raised his head.

In that instant, Liu Ming felt as if she had been hit by two scorching cannonballs.

The old man's eyes were very bright.

He was so bright he didn't look like a man in his nineties.

Beneath those murky tears lay a sharpness and domineering presence capable of piercing through the ages. That oppressive aura, honed amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, instantly filled the entire study.

"What? You're home now, and you don't even bother with proper etiquette?"

Old Lin spoke up.

His voice was hoarse, carrying a heavy smell of gunpowder, yet it was full of energy, making the dust on the bookshelf tremble slightly.

"Whoosh—!"

Liu Ming did not hesitate at all.

He slammed his heel down, straightening his body. He raised his right hand, his fingertips tracing a line across his eyebrow.

A standard, forceful, and respectful military salute!

"Reporting to the old commander! Liu Ming, codenamed 'Shura,' from the former Southeast Military Region's 'Dragon Fang' Special Operations Brigade, reporting for duty!"

His voice was loud and clear, echoing throughout the quiet study.

Old Lin looked at him.

Looked for a long time.

That gaze seemed to see right through Liu Ming's bones and every drop of blood.

at last.

A rare and gentle smile appeared on Old Lin's lips.

He slowly stood up, supporting himself on the table. Although it was somewhat difficult, his back remained as straight as a mountain.

"it is good."

"What a 'Shura'!"

Old Lin, leaning on his cane, walked step by step to Liu Ming. He stretched out his large hand, covered with age spots and scars, and patted Liu Ming's shoulder heavily.

"Slap! Slap!"

Two muffled thuds, each with astonishing force.

Old Lin stared at Liu Ming's handsome face, his eyes revealing a hint of nostalgia, a hint of pride, and a deep sense of emotion.

"When we first sent you to Qingyun County, that kid Chu Tiankuo was still nagging me. He said your personality was too strong and you'd easily get hurt at the grassroots level."

"I told him, 'Just now? If Old Liu's son went soft, that would be a real miracle!'"

Old Lin patted Liu Ming's shoulder again, but this time it was like a grandfather stroking his most beloved grandson.

His eyes were slightly red, and his voice trembled slightly.

"You did a great job in Ningzhou these past three months. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the storm you stirred up in Jiangnan Province."

"You not only avenged your father, but you also tore away the veil of darkness for the tens of millions of people in Jiangnan Province."

"If Jianguo knew this in the afterlife, he could close his eyes in peace."

At this point, Mr. Lin stopped.

He suppressed his sadness, and his gaze sharpened again, carrying a stern look as he scrutinized the younger generation.

The High-Tech Department of the National Development and Reform Commission is a complete mess, overgrown with poisonous weeds.

"Those compradors, those traitors, they probably see you as a thorn in their side by now."

Are you scared?

Liu Ming looked at Old Lin with no sign of backing down, only an extremely wild confidence.

"Sir, the word 'fear' was crossed out of my dictionary long ago with my bayonet."

"Since it's a mess, let's tear it down and start over."

"Since poisonous weeds have grown here, we should uproot them completely."

Old Lin was taken aback.

immediately.

He burst into an extremely hearty laugh, filled with unprecedented joy and the satisfaction of having someone to carry on the legacy.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

"Good! Good lad!"

"That's the wild energy we need!"

Old Lin patted Liu Ming's shoulder again with force, as if he were formally entrusting a kind of inheritance, a military spirit that had continued for a hundred years, to the young man in front of him.

He looked at Liu Ming, his eyes gleaming with an unprecedented light, and praised her, word by word:

"picture!"

"You look just like your grandfather carrying a gun and fighting in the old days!"

"Come on, let's not stay cooped up inside."

"Have a drink with this old man. Today, we won't talk about politics, only... killing techniques!"