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

The street park in Qingyun County is the most vibrant and lively place in the entire county.

On a winter afternoon, sunlight filters through the bare branches, lazily dappling the staggered stone benches and corridors. Here, there's none of the urgency of the high-tech zone, nor the elite air of the CBD; instead, there are old men carrying birdcages, middle-aged women dancing in the square, and groups of amateur chess players gathered together, engrossed in their game.

Liu Ming held Xi Wanqing's hand, looking just like an ordinary young couple returning home to visit relatives, as they walked along the winding path.

"It's right there." Liu Ming stopped and pointed.

It was a large banyan tree in the corner of the park, with a mottled stone table under it, surrounded by layers of people. Cheers and shouts of approval could be heard from the crowd from time to time, mixed with a few words of authentic Qingyun dialect, making it very lively.

Liu Ming tiptoed into the crowd.

At the head of the stone table sat an old man with completely white hair. He wore a pair of reading glasses that had almost slipped down to the tip of his nose, and a very old-fashioned military overcoat. In his hand, he was holding a "cannon" chess piece that had been worn down to the point of oblivion. His brows were furrowed as he stared intently at the unfinished game on the chessboard.

This old man was none other than Fan Laogui, the "old fox" who taught Liu Ming her first unspoken rule of officialdom back in the Comprehensive Section of the County Party Committee Office. His real name was Fan Ma.

However, now everyone calls him "Old Ma".

"Checkmate! Old Ma, your horse has strayed off course! Where do you think you're going this time?" The opposing chess player was a lean old man who was slapping his thigh triumphantly, grinning from ear to ear.

Old Ma stared at the chessboard, his face flushed red, and a fine layer of sweat appeared on his forehead. The "cannon" in his hand hovered in mid-air, unable to fall for a long time.

"What's the rush? This is called taking your time to think, don't you understand?" Old Ma retorted, his voice still as loud as when he used to yell at young people in the office. "I'm luring the enemy in deep. I'll turn the tables on you later, and you'll have nowhere to cry."

The onlookers burst into laughter.

"Old Ma, you're just bragging! Your dragon was almost completely slaughtered, and you're saying you'd turn the tables?"

"Yeah, just surrender already, I'll play next round!"

Liu Ming stood behind Lao Ma, watching the chessboard, a smile flashing in his eyes. Lao Ma's playing style, like his personality, loved to take shortcuts, but was always full of loopholes. His current situation was indeed precarious; as soon as the opponent's "chariot" pressed down, Lao Ma would be completely finished.

"Jump over the horse and step on his 'appearance'."

A clear and steady voice suddenly rang in Old Ma's ear.

Old Ma was already annoyed, so he waved his hand without turning around: "Go away, go away. A true gentleman observes chess without speaking. Where did this hothead come from who's giving wild advice..."

Old Ma suddenly froze halfway through his sentence.

That voice... why does it sound so familiar?

His tone, which was three parts calm and seven parts playful, was exactly like that of the young man who used to follow him around all day ten years ago and whom he called "Little Liu".

Old Ma stiffly turned his head and looked up following the hand pointing at the chessboard.

The sunlight was a bit dazzling, so he squinted and looked through his thick reading glasses. He first saw the ordinary-looking jacket that was worn exceptionally neatly, and then he saw the young yet dignified face that had appeared on the evening news countless nights.

Old Ma's hand trembled.

With a "click".

The worn-out "cannon" in his hand fell onto the stone table and spun around several times.

"Xiao...Xiao Ming?" Old Ma's voice trembled violently, like a flickering candle in the wind.

Liu Ming didn't say anything, but just smiled and took out a box of unopened Daqianmen cigarettes from his pocket. He skillfully tore it open, took out a cigarette, and handed it to Lao Ma's lips, just like when Lao Ma gave him cigarettes when he first entered the Comprehensive Section ten years ago.

"Old Ma, you made a mistake. You should have moved your knight. Even if you lose a rook, you can save your king and still have a chance to turn the game around," Liu Ming leaned closer and whispered.

The surrounding crowd did not recognize Liu Ming and continued to make a fuss.

"Wow, this young man knows chess!"

"Old Ma, what are you daydreaming about? Someone's offering you a cigarette, hurry up and take it!"

Old Ma stared at Liu Ming, his cloudy eyes rapidly gathering mist. He tremblingly reached out his age-spotted hand to take the cigarette, but couldn't quite reach it.

"You...you brat..." Tears finally broke free of Old Ma's dam, streaming down his deep wrinkles. "You actually came back? You still remember this old man?"

Liu Ming felt a pang of sadness and, disregarding all decorum, stepped forward and, like a junior, tightly embraced the little old man who was almost curled up in a ball.

"Uncle Ma, I'm back."

Old Ma leaned on Liu Ming's shoulder and burst into tears like a child. For years, he had watched Liu Ming on television, watching him govern Ningzhou, watch him rise to power in Haishi, and watch him finally walk into that place with its red walls and green tiles. He dared not make a phone call, or even boast to his neighbors, for fear of causing trouble for his most prized "apprentice."

But he never expected that this man, who was already at the pinnacle of power, would travel across most of China on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year to come back to this dilapidated park to watch him play chess.

The chess players around were dumbfounded.

"Old Ma, who's this? Is he your relative?"

"It looks familiar, isn't this... isn't this...?"

The skinny old man finally realized what was happening. He pointed at Liu Ming, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets, and his mouth agape enough to fit a duck egg.

Old Ma wiped away his tears, forcefully pushed Liu Ming away, and smiled through his tears. He pointed at Liu Ming, his body trembling, and then, facing the group of old men around him, he straightened his chest and let out the loudest and proudest roar of his life.

"You bunch of ignorant fools! Open your eyes and look carefully! These are the soldiers I trained! This is our big boss, Liu Ming!"

The entire park fell into a deathly silence in an instant.

Immediately following was a gasp that could have blown the treetops off!

"Quick, quick, grab your phone and take a picture! This life will be worth it!"

Looking at the group of simple yet excited villagers, Liu Ming didn't put on any airs, simply smiling and nodding in acknowledgment. He pulled over Xi Wanqing, who had been standing beside him with a beaming smile, and introduced her to Old Ma: "Uncle Ma, this is Wanqing. You attended our wedding banquet back then."

"I remember, I remember! I said back then that you two were a match made in heaven." The old man pulled Xi Wanqing's hand, grinning from ear to ear. "Wanqing, if this kid bullies you, tell me. Even though I've retired, the rules of this General Affairs Department still apply!"

"Uncle Ma, how could he dare to bully me now?" Xi Wanqing joked.

The old man pulled Liu Ming back to the stone bench, but refused to continue playing chess. He wiped the chessboard, looked at Liu Ming, his eyes filled with relief and heartache.

"You've lost weight and gotten darker." Old Ma stroked Liu Ming's hand and sighed. "It must have been tough living in that compound, right? The people there are tens of thousands of times more cunning than those in our General Affairs Department."

"It's alright, I'm used to it." Liu Ming smiled nonchalantly.

"Habit my ass!" Old Ma glared at him, then looked at the dead chess piece on the stone table, and suddenly burst into laughter, his laughter filled with the purest human warmth.

He pointed at Liu Ming's nose, laughing and cursing at the same time.

"You little rascal, you're a big leader now, and you're still telling this old man where to play chess!"