A courtyard house; Li Yunlong, a subordinate of the deputy director of Harbin Military Engineering I

In the east wing of the courtyard at No. 95 Nanluoguxiang, Zhang Rende got up early in the morning and brewed tea in the wing.

He has a set of rules—the first infusion is for rinsing the tea, the second for bringing out its aroma, and the third for achieving the perfect mellowness.

The porcelain teapot is filled with Liubao tea, which was sent by a former military commander from Guangxi Province. The tea soup is red, thick, and bright, with a mellow and sweet aftertaste.

His apprentice, Liu Haizhong, spared no effort in helping him, running around serving tea and water. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that Zhang Renfeng had been found again, Zhang Rende would have already planned to return to live with the governor of Guangxi Province.

Sitting opposite Zhang Rende, Ding Wei watched with a smile as Zhang poured tea, his hands resting on his knees, looking every bit the obedient student.

"Brother Zhang, you have such refined taste! A pot of tea every day before work, that's really something..."

He gave a thumbs up, his face beaming as if he had just found a gold ingot.

He wrote a letter that hit Dean Liu right where it hurts, which was great.

The reason he was able to stay in Beiping was simple: Kong Guoyin and Li Datou had both become quasi-corps level, while he was the only full army level. Moreover, he heard that Li Yunlong was going to be promoted even further. How could Ding Wei stand it?

He was already a step behind by not going to court, and he didn't want to be any slower.

Perhaps Chief Zhang could take them in?

He would be willing to be the head of a department at Harbin Military Engineering Institute.

Following the right leader can directly determine your potential!

So, after finding out where Chief Zhang lived, I shamelessly followed him over!

Zhang Rende glanced at Ding Wei, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and slowly put it down: "Comrade Ding Wei, you come here every day, but it's useless. Renfeng may be my brother, but I have no right to interfere in his work. Besides, he just got back..."

Ding Wei chuckled and leaned forward: "Hey, brother, what are you saying? Am I doing this for work? I'm doing this to learn about Commander Zhang's life. I'm planning to write a biography for the old commander."

Hearing this, Zhang Rende perked up. He knew best about Renfeng's experiences before he was ten years old, so he put down his teacup and sat up slightly straighter: "Then ask away."

Ding Wei solemnly took out his notebook, turned to a new page, and bit the cap of his pen:

"Was there any unusual phenomenon around the time the leader was born? For example, did his parents dream of slaying a white snake, or were there any auspicious multicolored clouds in the sky, or...?"

Hearing this, Zhang Rendah's face darkened, and he interrupted him, his tone laced with annoyance:

"That's not right... I think you should record your experiences fighting in Korea instead."

What? Slaying the white snake, auspicious clouds of five colors? This is a damn myth! Are you trying to make my brother declare himself king?

"Your ideological awareness is lacking, comrade."

Ding Wei was so taken aback by this barrage of retorts that he paused, then quickly chuckled and tried to smooth things over.

"Just kidding, just kidding. Commander Zhang beat up those Americans... Let me tell you, if you had used me back then, I guarantee..."

Before Ding Wei could finish speaking, Liu Haizhong, standing to the side, gave an awkward smile and asked in a pretentious tone, "May I ask, Commander Ding, have your troops entered North Korea?"

He asked this question with his chin slightly raised and his hands behind his back.

Ding Wei ignored him and continued talking to Zhang Rende: "I heard the commander has gone home, why don't you go and see him, brother?"

Before Zhang Rende could answer, Liu Haizhong spoke up leisurely, but his sarcastic tone remained unchanged: "Comrade Ding, have you entered the court yet...?"

Ding Wei was so angry he cursed under his breath, and finally couldn't hold it in any longer and said:

"You fat bastard, I've been putting up with you for ages."

I told you, I'm not a member of the government, I'm not a member of the government. Can you please be quiet when your elders are speaking?

Liu Haizhong was startled and took half a step back, his expression a mixture of embarrassment and resentment.

Zhang Rende waved his hand and lifted his chin slightly in his bangs:

"Haizhong, you go to the factory first. I'll talk to him for a while. Tell Boss Lou that I need to take the day off today."

Liu Haizhong responded, glanced at Ding Wei again, and then turned and left the courtyard.

After Liu Haizhong left, Zhang Rende looked at Ding Wei, his gaze lingering on his face for a couple of seconds before he suddenly asked, "Commander Ding, are you single?"

These words left Ding Wei speechless. He opened his mouth, but couldn't find a reply.

Before Ding Wei could speak, Zhang Rende stood up and patted the tea stains off his clothes:

"Judging from your reaction, you probably've never touched a woman's hand before, right?"

Not surprising then.

My brother Renfeng is full of energy and has just returned, so we absolutely must not disturb him.

He will come when he's supposed to, so don't worry about it.

"If you want a promotion and wealth, coming to me won't do you any good. Go back, I have to go to work."

Just as Zhang Rende was about to leave, he heard a commotion outside. Then Zhang Yulin rushed in, his braid swinging behind his head, breathless: "Dad, Second Uncle is back! And my little cousin, and my second aunt..."

Ding Wei and Zhang Rende exchanged a glance.

Ding Wei quickly straightened his uniform, deftly fastening the top button and adjusting the brim of his cap—it's always me, Ding Wei, who knows how to wait patiently for the right opportunity.

He immediately ran out, and when he looked around, his eyes widened as he stared at the woman next to the leader.

Didn't they say that Chief of Staff Nie's daughter was just an ordinary person?

The leader has submitted himself to the Nie family for the sake of his brothers... This is just too good!

The woman wore a clean blue cotton jacket, her hair was tied in a bun at the back of her head, she had a well-proportioned figure, and her eyes had a touch of heroism. When she smiled, her eyes crinkled. Standing next to Zhang Renfeng, she was poised and graceful.

Zhang Renfeng was holding Zhang Xiuqi, and the little guy was playing with his collar buttons.

Zhang Xiyue followed beside her, carrying a bag of snacks.

Ding Wei quickly averted his gaze, put on a warm and respectful smile, strode forward, and snapped to attention with a crisp salute: "Old Chief!!"

Zhang Renfeng, who had been all smiles, paused for a moment and raised an eyebrow slightly when he saw Ding Wei:

"Ding Wei? What are you doing here?"

Zhang Rende came out from behind and replied with a smile:

"Oh, this Commander Ding is quite kind-hearted. He came to our home to offer his condolences and also to see if we needed any help fetching water or chopping firewood."

Zhang Rende is a kind-hearted person; he wouldn't say that Ding Wei came here...

Zhang Renfeng glanced at Ding Wei. This kid always knew how to handle things. If Kong Jie and Li Yunlong knew this guy was here, they would be overjoyed.

After all, they have made great achievements, and people like to compare themselves to others. Comparing themselves to Ding Wei is incredibly satisfying.

This guy has always been good at getting things done and also good at causing trouble, but his strategic thinking is absolutely top-notch. It's just a pity that he didn't make it into the government by some twist of fate. Now that he sees his former iron triangle members both rising to higher positions, how can he not be anxious?