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

"It's not over yet."

Liu Ming murmured softly, her voice sounding particularly cold in the quiet night.

"I thought I could retire and return to my hometown."

"It seems I'll have to cut this last cancer out myself."

Liu Ming turned around, his gaze falling on the black "Dragon Fang" military dagger in the corner.

He slowly stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the distant, peaceful city center, where lights stretched endlessly.

Deep within the city stands a formidable government affairs park, within which lie buried mysteries that affect the entire land of Kyushu.

"This matter is not over yet."

Liu Ming murmured softly, and in the quiet night, her words carried a deep chill.

"I thought that once everything was settled, I could finally unload the burden and get some rest."

"But it seems that the malignant tumor that has been hidden until the very end can only be removed by my own hands."

Liu Ming turned around, her gaze falling on the "Dragon Fang" tactical dagger gleaming coldly in the corner.

"Director, you haven't rested yet?"

Outside the door, Chen Mo spoke softly.

Liu Ming carefully put away the secret letter, her expression returning to calm. However, beneath this calm, a raging fire of anger, enough to destroy everything, was surging.

He pushed open the door, looked at his trusted subordinate who had followed him all along, and calmly gave his instructions:

"Go and inform the tank crew."

"Everyone will be back in the team tomorrow morning."

"We... still have a crucial and tough battle to fight."

Inside the city, under the cover of late autumn night, a grand celebration that had attracted widespread attention finally came to a close.

The air still carried the faint scent of fireworks, and red lanterns hung high along both sides of the street, reflecting the lingering joy on the faces of the citizens. Through multifaceted competition, Kyushu has firmly established itself in the fields of technology and defense, and its international influence has steadily increased.

However, the courtyard houses deep in the old city's hutongs are unusually quiet.

In the center of the courtyard, under the old jujube tree, Liu Ming sat in a wicker chair, holding a teacup with most of its enamel coating chipped off. The tea had long since gone cold, and he had no appetite for it, simply gazing quietly at the nearly full moon on the horizon.

He held the letter he had found in his mother's old trunk close to his body. The letter, as red-hot as a piece of charcoal, pressed against his chest, making his heart feel heavy.

"Still thinking about official business?"

A clear yet gentle voice sounded from behind.

Xi Wanqing walked slowly over, wearing a black knitted shawl, holding a warm towel in her hand, carefully wiping away the faint traces of gunpowder between Liu Ming's fingers.

"The external conflicts have subsided, and the honors have been bestowed upon you. Now, the outside world calls you the guardian of Kyushu. Why then do you seem so troubled?"

Liu Ming turned to look at the woman who had followed him from Qingyun County all the way to the city center, smiled faintly, reached out and held her hand, feeling the familiar warmth.

"It's not that I can't be happy."

Liu Ming spoke in a low voice, "I just know that the current stable situation was extremely hard-won."

"Oh, are you two having a secret chat here?"

Nangong Yao approached, lifting her skirt, holding a half-bottle of red wine in her hand. Her cheeks were flushed with a faint blush, and her peach blossom eyes could not hide her joy.

"Hero Liu, the market value of Nangong Group has increased by another 10% tonight. Roughly estimated, my current assets are enough to take over most of the hutong area in the old city." She sat down on the stone bench with a carefree air and casually took out a stack of business planning proposals.

"If you are planning any aerospace projects or deep space base construction in the future, just ask. I will fully support you financially."

"And me!"

Lin Xiaoxiao rushed into the courtyard, wearing a crisp combat uniform with the collar slightly loosened, making her look less serious and more casual.

"Master, Grandpa just sent word that the 'Dragon Fang' Special Forces Brigade will soon be independently formed, and he still hopes that you will take command. The old man said that the most suitable person to lead the sharp blade that protects Kyushu has always been you."

"Cough cough..."

A deep, hoarse cough broke the relaxed atmosphere in the courtyard.

Grandpa Lin, leaning on his cane, slowly walked into the courtyard accompanied by his entourage. The old man had drunk quite a bit tonight; his deeply lined face glowed red, and his eyes were full of the wisdom of someone who had experienced the world.

"Xiao Ming, you have already achieved a level of success that is difficult for others to reach."

Old Master Lin settled steadily into the main seat, his gaze falling on Liu Ming.

"You have eliminated the hidden dangers in the Jiangnan region and successfully resolved the confrontation crisis at sea. Looking across the land, you are already a respected national hero."

Suddenly, Old Master Lin slammed his hand on the stone table, making a loud noise.

"But in my heart, Lin Zhentian, what I care about most is your marriage!"

"These three girls in front of you are all outstanding, and each of them is deeply in love with you."

"The Lin family rules don't allow you to keep delaying like this!"

The air froze instantly. The three women who had been laughing and joking just moments before all turned around and their eyes fell on Liu Ming.

Xi Wanqing's eyes held a cold, unwavering determination; Nangong Yao's lips curled into a confident smile; Lin Xiaoxiao looked tense, her fingers gripping the hem of her clothes tightly.

Liu Ming felt a chill run down his spine; this situation was far more troublesome than confronting a large fleet from outside the region.

He subconsciously reached for the old photograph in his pocket, his mind replaying the contents of the letter and the still unresolved "Shadow" project.

He slowly rose, his gaze sweeping over the three captivating faces in turn.

"grandfather."

Liu Ming spoke, her tone steady, yet carrying an unwavering determination.

"Looking back, I owe too much to those around me."

"The grudges left over from the past have not been completely settled."

"There are still many challenges ahead for Kyushu to overcome."

"Conventional rules and regulations are suitable for ordinary people."

Liu Ming looked at Old Master Lin and smiled a smile that even the old man found moving.

"But I, Liu Ming, have never wanted to be bound by rules."

He turned around, his tone gentle yet carrying an indomitable spirit:

"In my heart..."

The courtyard fell into a deathly silence.

Grandpa Lin stood frozen in place, his cane slamming onto the bluestone slab with a clang. He stared, mouth agape, at the arrogant and unruly young man before him, speechless for a long time.

"You...you lawless brat..."

The old man pointed at Liu Ming, his beard trembling with anger, but deep in his eyes, an appreciation for bygone days surfaced.

"Good! That's bold!"

"If I had your courage back then, your grandmother wouldn't have ended up like this..."

"Grandpa!" Lin Xiaoxiao was the first to come to her senses, her cheeks burning. She gave Liu Ming a light glare, but didn't let go of his hand.

Nangong Yao chuckled softly and leaned against Liu Ming's shoulder. Only Xi Wanqing remained calm, but her tight grip on Liu Ming's hand betrayed her turbulent emotions.

Liu Ming looked up at the full moon on the horizon.

His gaze passed over the cozy courtyard, over the layers of buildings and walls, and looked toward the unknown adversary lurking in the shadows.

A hidden scheme, a shadowy plan, a mole hidden deep within... all the clues intertwined in my mind.

Liu Ming slowly curled the corners of her mouth into a smile, a chilling smile that also carried an excited anticipation of overcoming difficulties.

Since the future is not yet fully clear, there are still hidden dangers within Kyushu that are difficult to eradicate.

Then let's face the coming storm.

Even standing at the pinnacle of the era, Liu Ming still has to confront all the undercurrents.

"Erniu".

Liu Ming called softly into the shadows.

"Your subordinate is here!"

A figure emerged from the shadows.

"Notify the special investigation team."

"Tomorrow morning, we will begin verifying the relevant ledgers and fund flows at the senior management level."

"hiss--!"

Everyone in the courtyard gasped in unison.

This investigation is going to shake up the entire top echelon.

Under a sky full of starlight, Liu Ming held the hands of everyone around her and laughed heartily.

The years of frontline warfare codenamed "Shura" have come to an end, but a new era of steady rise for Kyushu has just begun.

"Let's go."

"Go back and have some soup."