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

She suddenly realized the problem—she had been tricked.

This mother and daughter simply can't bear to scold their son-in-law; they just use her as a punching bag!

In the living room, Director Nie gestured for Zhang Renfeng to sit down, then sat down in the armchair opposite him, took a sip of his tea, and looked up at him:

"Haven't you been sleeping well these past few days? west Yue is spoiled by her mother. Young people should take care of their health."

Zhang Renfeng smiled awkwardly, thinking to himself, "Is he spoiled by you?"

But he said, "No, nothing of the sort. I rested well. Today at Old Chen's house, we even discussed some matters concerning the Production and Construction Corps."

"Oh?" Upon hearing the word "work," Director Nie immediately perked up, put down his teacup, and leaned forward slightly.

"That's perfect. Let me tell you something. That night, at the banquet with the committee members, the topic of establishing a military industrial academy came up, and Brigade Commander Chen specifically requested that you be the vice president, deputy political commissar, and deputy party secretary. He's so capricious!"

"How can one always remain subservient to others? My opinion is slightly different."

Zhang Renfeng didn't think much of it. His future job in the defense field was almost a certainty. His second brother had mentioned it before, and the old political commissar had also emphasized it many times. Now that he was married into the Nie family, there was almost no room for discussion.

But he still had to say something polite: "I'll follow the organization's arrangements. As for me..."

"Hey, you're wrong!" Director Nie waved his hand. "I didn't mean you can't be a deputy. It depends on who's assigned to the position. Brigade Commander Chen is one of the most well-rounded senior commanders in our army; no one can deny that. It's a pity he's frail and sickly..."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Renfeng was stunned.

Yes, yes, yes, Old Chen is frail and sickly, but you can't keep nagging him all the time. If you ask me, he's been nagging to death by you big shots!

That old guy is still very active at home every day. Apart from his legs not being very strong, his mind is clearer than anyone else's. If you keep nagging like this, he really should be bedridden.

Director Nie continued, "We're also discussing taking the conventional weapons division of the Heavy Industry Bureau and reorganizing it into a new ministry. Everyone has their own opinion on the position of the first minister. Many people want Political Commissar Song from the Yunnan Military Region to concurrently hold it, but I think no one is more suitable than you. You understand engineering, demolition, and weapons modification, and you've fought against the French in Vietnam; you know what real combat needs are. If you don't do it, who will?"

He took a sip of tea, his gaze falling on Zhang Renfeng.

"This time when you go to Korea, you have to fight a spectacular battle. I'll do my best to fight for you. If it's going to be a demolition, it has to look like a demolition."

"Furthermore, the General Political Department is planning a rank assessment for the entire army. I roughly know that this is preparation for military ranks. Therefore, this deployment to Korea will be a plus in the assessment. Being a deputy corps commander is slightly insufficient; if I could be promoted to a full rank..."

Zhang Renfeng naturally knew that Political Commissar Luo of the Fourth Field Army was now in charge of the General Cadre Department, and this rank assessment would directly determine the subsequent military rank assessment.

Two stars are almost certain; whether there will be three depends on the outcome of this battle.

Whether he could obtain three stars would determine whether he could serve as the Minister of the Second Ministry of Machine Building.

The Second Ministry of Machine Building initially managed conventional weapons, and it wasn't until five or six years later that it established ministries related to atomic weapons. This directly determined Zhang Renfeng's future influence in the defense industry.

If you want to do things, do good things, or do great things, without a high position, it's all just empty talk.

Zhang Renfeng sincerely thanked his father-in-law, and even more so the old political commissar who had planned ahead.

Now, every step of his journey has been paved for him by others. If he were to fail their expectations, he would not be able to forgive himself.

"I understand." Zhang Renfeng nodded solemnly, his gaze earnest. "I will definitely fight well. I won't interfere with rank matters; I will do whatever the organization arranges."

Director Nie nodded in satisfaction as he looked at his confident expression.

He stood up, walked to Zhang Renfeng's side, and patted him on the shoulder:

"Alright, stop talking about work. Go see what your mom and the others are busy with in the backyard. They're having lunch at home today."

Zhang Renfeng responded and stood up to walk out.

As he walked to the door, he glanced back. Director Nie had already sat back down, picked up the document, and started reading it, a smile he couldn't hide playing on his lips.

Zhang Renfeng thought to himself: My father-in-law is indeed handsome; he can praise people in a way that makes them completely convinced.

He walked through the living room towards the backyard, and before he even reached the kitchen door, he heard Zhang Xiyue speaking to Sister Zhang in a low voice:

"Mom! Can't you look at it from a different perspective? I'd be worried if he didn't cause me trouble! That would mean he doesn't like me! Besides, how long can he keep causing trouble? He'll be going to war in a few months, and I'll be here anxiously waiting, not even seeing a glimpse of him..."

Sister Zhang was stunned by her twisted logic, and it took her a while to react. She reached out and tapped her on the head: "You silly girl, where did you learn such twisted logic!"

"You said it yourself! Before we got married, you told me that couples should be considerate and tolerant of each other! Isn't this what it means to be considerate and tolerant of him?" Zhang Xiyue said emphatically.

Zhang Renfeng stood outside the door, almost bursting out laughing.

He quickly cleared his throat and stepped inside: "Mom, Xiyue, what are you talking about?"

Zhang Xiyue was startled. When she turned around and saw it was him, the slyness on her face instantly disappeared, replaced by a gentle smile: "We didn't talk about anything. I told Mom that after dinner, I'll have Xiaoli take us to that fabric shop at the end of the alley. I want to make you a new shirt."

Sister Zhang coughed lightly, her expression a half-smile.

Zhang Renfeng walked over, naturally put his arm around Zhang Xiyue's shoulder, and said to Zhang's older sister, "Mom, don't take it to heart. She may be a bit loose with her tongue, but she's still quite shrewd."

Aunt Zhang snorted, turned around to chop vegetables, and muttered, "You two are so good at this, I can't argue with you. Alright, alright, go wait outside, I'll call you when the food is ready."

Zhang Xiyue quickly pulled Zhang Renfeng out of the kitchen, and only breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the yard. She whispered, "How about that? I took all the responsibility upon myself."

Zhang Renfeng looked down at her smug, self-satisfied expression and couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Alright, alright, you're absolutely right. We'll discuss this further tonight."

Zhang Xiyue blushed and gently pinched him: "Stop joking. Go inside, don't let my dad see us all arguing in the yard, he'll scold me again."