Chapter 124 Husband and Wife in Harmony! The Decisive Battle is Today!

"Have you heard? Deputy Commander Liu was furious!"

"That's right! I heard that last night, they called Chief Engineer Wang's house and gave him a thorough dressing down!"

"It seems that it's about that submarine reform plan. This time, Deputy Commander Liu is determined to support Deputy Division Commander Qin!"

The next morning, all sorts of rumors spread like wildfire throughout the military compound.

Those who were initially observing and hesitating instantly sensed the shift in the wind.

For the first time, Wang Gu's "Wang Family Army" felt immense pressure.

They didn't expect that Qin Lie, this hothead, would act unpredictably and directly bring up the great Liu Zhenyun.

What gave them even more headaches was their own backyard.

Those ladies who usually only knew how to play cards and go shopping suddenly transformed overnight into "military experts" who were concerned about the country and its people.

"Old Wang, you have to give me a straight answer today: do you still oppose that new plan or not?"

"If you still refuse to see the truth, I'll take my son for a DNA test tomorrow! I suspect he's not your biological son!"

"Old Chen next door has figured it out. I heard he's going to find Deputy Division Commander Qin today to 'exchange ideas.' Look at his awareness!"

Beset by internal and external troubles, Wang Gu's ironclad defenses, built up over decades, finally showed a crack.

He had no choice but to bite the bullet and agree to Liu Zhenyun's request to hold another technical review meeting on Friday afternoon.

Upon hearing the news, Qin Lie clenched his fist in anger.

The first step was a success!

These past few days, he and Jiang Wu have been like two well-coordinated underground workers.

Qin Lie was at the front, responsible for communicating with Deputy Commander Liu and other high-ranking military officials to gain external support and constantly put pressure on Wang Gu.

Jiang Wu, following behind, continued her "wife diplomacy".

She stopped holding tea parties and instead adopted a gentler approach.

She personally visited the families of those engineers, going door to door.

She didn't talk about work or technology; she just held the hands of the ladies and chatted about everyday things and their children.

She sent Madam Li some chrysanthemum cakes that she had made herself, which were said to reduce internal heat.

She brought two cans of high-quality milk powder from Hong Kong to Mrs. Zhang, saying it was to help her son, who was on a submarine, improve his health.

She even helped an engineer's daughter draw a design sketch for her performance costume at a cultural performance.

Each time she visited, she brought just the right amount of kindness and warmth, yet never mentioned that most sensitive matter.

But her very existence is a silent reminder.

This serves as a reminder to these women that their husbands are making a decision that is so important, one that could affect the lives, honor, and disgrace of countless people.

Human hearts are made of flesh and blood.

He who eats another's food is bound to do his bidding; he who takes another's money is obligated to do his bidding.

Jiang Wu's "sugar-coated bullets" completely silenced the ladies.

They looked at the beautiful, capable, and worldly-wise girl in front of them, and then thought about how her husband was fighting for the lives of his sons.

The scales in their hearts had completely tipped in Qin Lie's favor.

As a result, various "persuasion to surrender" scenes were playing out in the engineers' homes every day.

Gradually, Wang Gu noticed that there were fewer and fewer people around him.

Yesterday, Xiao Li came to him and said that his mother was sick and he wanted to ask for a few days off.

Today, Xiao Zhang came to tell him again that his wife is pregnant and has severe morning sickness, so he has to go home to take care of her.

Even his most prized disciple, Chen Keji, began to subtly suggest to him that "technology must keep pace with the times" and "we must also consider the actual difficulties faced by our frontline colleagues."

Wang Gu knew that the situation was hopeless.

He was like a lone wolf trapped in a siege, angry but powerless.

He couldn't understand how the authority he had painstakingly built up over decades could be so easily undermined in just a few days by a young upstart and his wife, who was good at sewing.

Friday afternoon, Conference Room No. 1 at the Military Region Headquarters.

The atmosphere was heavier than ever before.

The long conference table was filled with leaders and experts from all levels of the military region and the General Armaments Department.

Wang Gu sat there with a somber face, not uttering a word. The several loyal followers behind him also had solemn expressions.

Opposite them stood Qin Lie, dressed in a crisp military uniform, his back ramrod straight, his eyes sharp as knives.

Beside him sat the imposing Deputy Commander Liu, who commanded respect without raising his voice.

Everyone knows that today's meeting is a decisive battle.

It is a battle between the new and the old, and also the ultimate contest between reformers and conservatives.

As the meeting began, Qin Lie stood up.

This time, he didn't excitedly list out the data like he did last time.

His voice was steady and powerful.

He first played a recording.

The recording features a young voice, trembling with tears.

"Mom, your son is unfilial... Your son may not be able to come back... You and Dad, please take good care of yourselves..."

That was a while ago, during a standoff with a foreign submarine, the last words of a young sonar operator who thought he was going to die.

This recording, filled with despair and sorrow, struck the hearts of every participant like a heavy hammer.

Even Wang Gu's perpetually icy face twitched slightly.

"Comrades." Qin Lie turned off the recording and looked around the room.

"Today, I don't want to talk about technology or data anymore."

"I only have one question for everyone."

"Shouldn't our equipment serve our soldiers?"

"Shouldn't we enable them to fight back when facing powerful enemies?"

"Shouldn't we give them a glimmer of hope when they're facing imminent death?"

He asked three questions in a row, which made everyone present lower their heads.

Deputy Commander Liu led the applause.

"Well said!"

Sparse applause broke out, but more and more people began to clap.

Wang Gu's face turned ashen.

He knew he had already lost.

We've lost the hearts of the people.

However, just as the meeting chair was preparing to announce that the final voting procedure for the proposal was about to begin.

The conference room door was suddenly pushed open with a "bang".

A young operations staff officer rushed in, sweating profusely, his face showing fear and anxiety, carrying a telegram.

"Commander! Urgent military situation!"

He ran up to Commander Liao, the highest-ranking leader presiding over the meeting, and handed him the telegram.

"Urgent dispatch from the East China Sea Fleet! Our submarine 'Changzheng 9' has collided with a submarine of unknown nationality while conducting a combat readiness patrol in the waters east of the Taiwan Strait!"

"What?!"

The entire conference room erupted in chaos!

Everyone stood up abruptly, their faces filled with shock and disbelief!

"The Long March 9 rocket's sonar system completely malfunctioned before the collision! It failed to provide any warning!"

"Currently, the 'Long March 9' submarine is severely damaged and is urgently surfacing!"

“But…but…” The staff officer’s voice trembled violently with fear.

"On the sea... on the sea, there are two US Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyers approaching them at high speed!"

"The Long March 9 rocket is surrounded!"