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

China's internet is like a deep sea that appears calm but is turbulent beneath the surface. And what ignites this deep sea often only requires a tiny spark.

Late at night, on a hardcore forum known for its political and current affairs discussions, a user with the ID "Institutional Bystander" posted a blurry screenshot.

The screenshot shows an inconspicuous personnel appointment and removal announcement on the official website of the National Development and Reform Commission.

[Post Title: Guys, I might have found a bug... A 30-year-old vice-ministerial level official, can you believe it?]

Initially, the post didn't generate much buzz. After all, hundreds or even thousands of such rumors circulate on the forum every day. The few comments that did appear were mostly sarcastic and skeptical.

"The original poster is trolling again; this is confirmed as fake."

"30 years old? I would respect him even as a deputy section chief, but a deputy minister? You must be living in a dream."

"I've already reported it. You're welcome."

However, half an hour later, a tech geek who was proficient in information retrieval followed the vague clues given by the original poster and actually found the original text of the announcement in an extremely hidden corner of the official website.

When he posted the high-resolution screenshots and the official link back into the thread, the entire forum exploded!

"Holy crap! It's true! Official website link, absolutely real!"

"My God! Liu Ming... that name sounds familiar... wait, isn't he the 'most handsome director' who knocked out the man who refused to give up his seat on the high-speed train?"

"Holy crap! I found it! Tsinghua University! Double PhDs in Economics and Law! Honors graduate of Imperial College London! This... what an incredible resume!"

"Wait a minute, his resume says he started working at 26, there's a four-year gap... Hey, what did he do during those four years?"

"Don't make wild guesses, upstairs. I have a cousin who's a soldier stationed on the border. He said that his military region had a report about a top soldier codenamed 'Shura,' who had received three first-class merit awards, and his age matches up to that..."

This comment, like a thunderclap, instantly ignited everyone's imagination!

A top special forces soldier! A Tsinghua University PhD! A pillar of the nation!

These elements, which originally only existed in light novels, have miraculously overlapped in one person in reality!

The message spread like wildfire from this niche forum to all major social media platforms such as Weibo, Douyin, and Zhihu!

Just one hour!

The top ten trending topics on Weibo are all dominated by the same name!

#Thirty-year-old vice-ministerial level official# [Breaking News]

#Liu Ming's Resume# [Breaking News]

#This is what a typical wish-fulfillment novel male protagonist should be like!# [Hot]

#The tough diplomat turned out to be him# [Hot]

#PeerlessHero# [New]

……

The entire internet is in an uproar!

Countless young people who were surfing the internet late at night were shocked by this suddenly appearing name and his almost insane resume, which reshaped their worldview!

"I'm devastated! Guys, I'm seriously devastated! I'm thirty and still struggling with my mortgage and Alipay bills, while this guy is already a vice-ministerial level official? Are we even the same species?"

"I used to think that novel protagonists were all made up, until today when I saw Vice Minister Liu's resume. I was wrong; poverty and ignorance limited my imagination!"

"Waaaaah, the nation has finally revealed its strongest trump card! This is the kind of idol our nation should have! Please, stop promoting those effeminate celebrities, look at our national heroes!"

"From a lowly clerk in Qingyun County to a vice minister in charge of the nation's economic lifeline—this rate of advancement is something even the top authors on Qidian wouldn't dare write! I declare that Vice Minister Liu is my one and only male god, and I won't accept any arguments against it!"

Although the ID photo in the official announcement was blurred, the deep contours and sharp, piercing eyes were still discernible. This blurred photo, far from dampening netizens' enthusiasm, actually added a mysterious and powerful allure.

Countless female artists worked through the night to create fan art based on blurry outlines and silhouettes from various news reports, resulting in striking and heroic illustrations that went viral online.

The Lin Family Compound in Beijing.

Lin Xiaoxiao was wearing pink cartoon pajamas, sitting cross-legged on the sofa, excitedly shouting while holding her phone, her little legs kicking wildly in the air.

"Grandpa! Grandpa, look! My idol... no, Liu Ming... he's trending! He's gone viral! The whole internet is buzzing about him!"

Old Lin was watching the evening news while wearing his reading glasses when she started making a racket, giving him a headache. He glared at her irritably and said, "What's with all the fuss? What kind of behavior is this! She's just a vice-minister, what's so sensational about her?"

"Isn't this a sure way to blow it up?" Lin Xiaoxiao jumped up from the sofa, rushed to Grandpa Lin, and shoved her phone in his face. "Grandpa, look at these comments! Every girl on the internet wants to marry him! Your precious granddaughter, if I don't make a move now, it'll be too late! No way, I'm going to wait for him at the National Development and Reform Commission right now!"

"Sit down!" Old Lin was so angry he was blowing his beard and glaring at her. "He has a girlfriend, what are you doing meddling in his business! Besides, with your pathetic skills, you think you can stop him? He could hang you like a flag outside the National Development and Reform Commission!"

"Hmph! I don't care!" Lin Xiaoxiao pouted, looking unconvinced. "He's the best anyway! Even better than you!"

Looking at the words "unparalleled national hero" and "backbone of the nation" on his phone, Old Lin's anger gradually dissipated, replaced by an extremely gratified and proud smile. He snorted, but his words were still sharp: "What's so great about him? He's just a young upstart, he has a long way to go."

……

The convoy was driving smoothly back to Liu Ming's courtyard house.

The car was warm and cozy, a world apart from the hustle and bustle outside.

"Boss, you're famous."

The tank driver handed over his phone, the screen displaying the blood-red trending topics. His rugged face was now filled with a sense of pride and excitement.

Liu Ming leaned back in the back seat, closing his eyes to rest. He didn't even open his eyelids, only giving a faint "hmm".

"No, boss, why aren't you excited at all?" Tank couldn't help but glance at him in the rearview mirror. "This is the whole internet! Now the entire nation knows your name! You're a national idol!"

Liu Ming slowly opened her eyes and took the phone.

The light from the screen illuminated his handsome yet slightly weary face. He scrolled rapidly across the screen, reading the comments filled with adoration, praise, and even deification, his eyes remaining completely calm, as still as an ancient well.

These honors, which others would consider enough to bring glory to their ancestors and achieve instant success, seemed to him no different from the dust on the roadside.

He has experienced real gunfire, witnessed the most brutal separations of life and death, and endured the most insidious political machinations. Compared to those unforgettable past experiences, the clamor on the internet seems far too superficial and ephemeral.

He gently pressed the lock screen button and returned the phone to the tank.

Outside the car window, the lights of countless homes in Beijing twinkled like stars.

Looking at the land he had protected with his life and blood, and the lovely people on this land, Liu Ming finally smiled faintly, a smile that came from the bottom of his heart.

"Just empty fame."