The God of War Who Protects the Nation: Starting with Saving a Mother and Daughter in Distress

A few days later, Qin An led his team to the logistics camp without incident.

He first had the new recruits settled in, and then led Han Quan straight to Luo Kai's camp.

"Chief!" Qin An lifted the tent flap and went inside.

Luo Kai was sitting at his desk looking at a map when he saw Qin An return. He quickly put down his pen, stood up, and said with a smile, "Qin An, you're finally back! Was your journey safe?"

"Thanks to the commander, things went relatively smoothly." Qin An briefly recounted the situation on the road.

Finally, he mentioned meeting Li Zheng.

Luo Kai's eyes widened in disbelief. After Qin An finished speaking, he grabbed Qin An's arm and excitedly asked, "What did you say? Li Zheng? The second young master of the Li family? He even recruited you?"

"Yes," Qin An nodded, "but I've already refused."

"You refused?" Luo Kai's eyes widened, his face filled with disappointment. "Are you stupid?! That's Li Zheng! So many people would kill for that opportunity, and you actually refused?"

"I promised the centurion I would go with you to the front lines, and I can't go back on my word," Qin An said with a smile.

Luo Kai was stunned for a moment, then a look of gratitude appeared on his face. He patted Qin An on the shoulder and said, "Good lad, I knew I hadn't misjudged you!"

Seeing Luo Kai's behavior, Qin An felt a surge of curiosity: "Commander, it seems you value Li Zheng very much. Does he have some important background?"

Luo Kai didn't hide anything: "Li Zheng's background is indeed quite impressive. His father, Li Yuan, is one of the several dukes in the current dynasty, and he's related to the royal family!"

"Li Zheng is Li Yuan's second son. This second young master Li has a reputation for virtue from a young age, and his future is limitless!"

At this point, Luo Kai couldn't help but sigh, "You really missed a good opportunity. If you had followed him, you would have had a much brighter future than if you had followed me."

Qin An, however, remained unconcerned and said, "In my opinion, it doesn't matter who I follow. The key is to rely on myself. Besides, Commander, would you really mistreat me?"

Luo Kai burst into laughter: "Good! Good! Well said! With you saying that, I, Luo Kai, haven't spoiled you for nothing!"

He was in a great mood and didn't mention Li Zheng again. "By the way, I have good news for you. My appointment has been approved."

"Oh? What kind of position is it?" Qin An asked curiously.

"The Commandant of the Expeditionary Army, leading five thousand men!" Luo Kai said with a smug smile.

Upon hearing this, Qin An gasped in shock.

Having spent so long in the military, he was naturally familiar with its structure.

Five men form a squad, two squads form a troop, five troops form a village, two villages form a team, five teams form a brigade, two brigades form a troop, five troops form a division, and two divisions form an army!

Military ranks, from lowest to highest, are: squad leader, platoon leader, battalion commander, captain (centurion), military commander, battalion commander (thousand-man commander), colonel, and lieutenant general (ten-thousand-man commander).

The promotion from centurion to captain is a crucial step.

If one could advance one more step, one would become a true general, achieving a complete upward social mobility.

Luo Kai easily took this crucial step.

"Congratulations on your promotion to captain, sir!" Qin An quickly cupped his hands in congratulations.

"I have to thank my family for their support, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to get promoted so quickly," Luo Kai said, but the smile on his face was impossible to hide.

Looking at Qin An before him, he recalled Li Zheng's attempt to recruit him and seemed lost in thought.

"If I get promoted, you can't fall behind!" Luo Kai pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Actually, with your abilities, you're more than qualified to be a centurion, but you're too inexperienced. Promoting you too much all at once could easily attract criticism!"

This is a talent I have high hopes for and personally promoted.

Now that he has just begun to show his talent, he has already been targeted by others, which makes Luo Kai feel that he is in a bit of a predicament.

Although the Luo family, to which he belonged, held a considerable position in Daxing, its potential and foundation were far inferior to those of the Li family, to which Li Zheng belonged.

If such a talented person is eventually poached by another company, then I will regret it immensely.

But when he thought about making arrangements for Qin An, he hesitated.

As he himself said, Qin An's abilities are beyond doubt.

Unfortunately, he was too young and inexperienced.

More importantly, he came from an ordinary background and had no connections!

Qin An took it quite well: "My lord, there's no need to worry. It's fine as it is now. I'm still young. If I were in a high position, it might not be a good thing."

Although he was anxious and longed for a promotion, he also knew that he couldn't rush it.

In a short period of time, he became a centurion and then a cavalry captain, which was already an exceptional promotion.

If you suddenly become a centurion, you'll truly become the target of everyone's ire.

Even though Qin An said that, Luo Kai naturally couldn't possibly remain silent.

"Although you can't become a centurion in one step, you can still be promoted. You have made a great contribution by assisting Li Zheng in defeating the Baekje regular army."

Luo Kai paused, looked at Qin An and said, "I plan to recommend you to the higher-ups to be my Sima, which is equivalent to the deputy of the Quzhang, and you can command five hundred men."

"Once we reach the main battlefield, and you achieve some more merits, I'll promote you to battalion commander, making you a true centurion. That won't be a problem!"

The sudden promotion surprised and delighted Qin An.

Although Sima was only a deputy, being able to command 500 men was already a significant improvement.

How long have I been in the military?

To reach such a position in such a short time without any background is definitely a meteoric rise.

Moreover, Luo Kai said that as long as he makes further meritorious contributions, he can be promoted to commander of a thousand men.

When you reach that point, you can say you've firmly established yourself in the military.

A multitude of thoughts flashed through Qin An's mind, and he quickly cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your promotion, sir!"

"No need to thank me," Luo Kai said with a smile. "I know your abilities. Giving you a higher position will allow you to play a greater role."

"By the way, I'm planning to assemble a cavalry battalion of 500 men for you, equipped with the best armor and weapons, as my elite force. What do you think?"

Qin An was completely overwhelmed with ecstasy.

He knew best the power of cavalry; having an elite cavalry force would give them more initiative on the battlefield.

He quickly replied, "Thank you for your trust, sir! I will certainly train this army into an invincible cavalry!"

"Okay! I believe you!" Luo Kai patted his shoulder, his eyes full of expectation.

He increasingly felt that he hadn't misjudged Qin An.

This young man is not only brave and skilled in battle, but also resourceful and courageous. More importantly, he is loyal and righteous, a person worthy of trust.

Whether he can gain a foothold on the front lines in the future, or even go further, may depend on Qin An.

"Alright, go and rest now. Get ready, we'll be setting off in a few days," Luo Kai said.

"Yes!" Qin An bowed and turned to leave the tent.

Stepping out of the tent, Qin An looked up at the sky. The setting sun had dyed half the sky red, a magnificent and splendid sight.

He gripped the iron spear tightly, his heart filled with heroic spirit!