Chapter 158 Rewards for Meritorious Officials? Something's not right!

He had barely finished speaking when another document was thrown in front of her.

It was a yellowed piece of paper with torn edges.

The words "Death Certificate" were written in large characters on it.

“This is…” Zhang Sisi asked, trembling.

"Huo Shouzhen," Gu Beichen uttered three words, "He sacrificed his life twenty-three years ago while on a mission in the southern mountainous region and was posthumously awarded the title of martyr."

"What you've touched is the only bloodline of the martyr."

Zhang Sisi's mind went blank for a moment.

Su Yue... is she the daughter of a martyr?

Did she harm the descendant of a martyr?

Looking at her distraught state, Gu Beichen continued to pronounce her fate in a flat tone.

"Your actions, as determined by the joint review team of the military region, constitute an extremely egregious act of sabotage by enemy agents."

"What awaits you is not jail time."

"It will end up like the vultures."

Everyone in the military region knows what happened to Qian Guodong, nicknamed "Vulture".

A secret trial, then vanished without a trace.

A tremendous fear gripped Zhang Sisi, her body jerked violently, and then a foul, pungent odor filled the small interrogation room.

She slid off the chair and collapsed to the ground, tears and snot streaming down her face, and soiling herself as well.

Gu Beichen didn't even glance at her again, turned around, and strode away from that filthy place.

...

Meanwhile, a crowd gathered in front of the cultural troupe's bulletin board.

A notice with black text on white paper was posted in the most conspicuous place.

"Decision regarding the expulsion and major demerit of Comrade Liu Ran..."

"...Effective immediately, he is ordered to leave the team within a specified period and be repatriated to his place of origin."

Liu Ran, carrying his luggage, was stopped by two sentries outside the military district gate.

She wanted to find Gu Beixiao and plead for him one last time.

"Comrade, please let me in. I'm looking for Gu Beixiao!"

The sentry stared at her expressionlessly.

"Sorry, no one is allowed to enter without a pass."

"I am Liu Ran! Liu Ran from the cultural troupe!"

"We have received a notification that you have been removed from the cultural troupe and are no longer a member of the military region."

The family members passing by pointed and whispered about her; those who had once envied and envied her now turned into blatant mockery.

Liu Ran's face flushed red and then turned pale. In the end, she could only drag her luggage and leave this place, which she had once thought could change her fate, under everyone's gaze, becoming a complete joke.

...

The ward was quiet.

When Su Yue woke up, she only heard the soft sound of medicine dripping from the IV tube.

She turned her head and saw Gu Beichen sitting on the edge of the bed, his elbows resting on his knees and his head buried in his hands.

He seemed to notice her movement and suddenly looked up.

Those usually calm eyes were now bloodshot, and stubble had sprouted on his chin.

Su Yue's heart ached.

"You didn't sleep all night?" Her voice was a little hoarse.

Gu Beichen held her hand and gently stroked the back of her hand with his fingertips, his voice very soft.

"It's all resolved."

"No one will bother you anymore."

Looking at his exhausted appearance, Su Yue asked softly, "And the result?"

"The Zhang family was investigated overnight in Beijing for suspected involvement in a case involving enemy agents. Zhang's father was suspended from his job, and the entire family business was shut down. It's all over."

Gu Beichen spoke casually.

"Zhang Sisi's case involves sabotage by enemy agents. The evidence is conclusive, and she has been transferred to a military court for a secret trial."

He didn't mention the outcome of the trial, but Su Yue knew what it meant.

This wicked woman finally paid the most terrible price for her actions.

Su Yue finally felt relieved.

She looked at Gu Beichen's haggard face and patted the empty seat next to her.

"Come up and lie down for a while."

Gu Beichen was stunned for a moment.

"You're pregnant, I'm worried about putting pressure on you and the baby."

“I’m letting you come up,” Su Yue insisted.

Gu Beichen hesitated for a few seconds, but finally carefully took off his shoes and lay down next to Su Yue.

The bed wasn't big, and he was afraid of touching her stomach, so he could only turn to the side, stiffly maintaining a distance.

Su Yue leaned closer and rested her head in the crook of his arm.

Gu Beichen's body tensed instantly, and after a while, he slowly relaxed, reaching out to gently pull her into his arms.

He could feel her breathing and her heartbeat.

Only in this way could his heart, filled with fear and anger, find a moment of peace.

He closed his eyes, but didn't sleep all night, just quietly holding her and feeling her presence.

The news spread throughout the entire military compound the next day.

"Have you heard? Factory Director Su almost had a miscarriage the other day! It was all because of that Zhang Sisi!"

"That's not all! I heard that woman is an enemy agent! She deliberately sabotaged our military pharmaceutical factory!"

"My God! Director Su has really suffered a lot! She was pregnant with twins and still had to outwit and outfight enemy agents!"

"That's right! She's a heroine of our military region!"

In an instant, the feelings of the military region's families towards Su Yue changed from their previous admiration to a complex mix of sympathy, heartache, and worship.

Su Yue's prestige in the military region reached an unprecedented peak.

A few days later.

Military Region Auditorium.

An impromptu commendation ceremony is being held.

Su Yue is much better now, but Gu Beichen won't let her come and tells her to rest in the hospital.

The auditorium was packed with people, the atmosphere both solemn and enthusiastic.

Commander Liu Xingsheng stood on the platform, his voice booming.

"...In this incident, Comrade Gu Beichen performed outstandingly. He remained calm under pressure, demonstrating both wisdom and courage. He successfully uncovered the hidden enemy agents, protected the safety of military-owned enterprises, and averted significant losses for the military region!"

Thunderous applause erupted from the audience.

Everyone watched Gu Beichen on the stage with excitement, speculating about how much the reward would be.

They unearthed a big fish like "Vulture" that had been lurking for over twenty years, helped solve such a large-scale enemy sabotage case, and even saved the meritorious Factory Director Su and her unborn child.

This achievement should at least be considered a first-class merit, right?

He should be promoted at least one rank, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he'd be promoted to deputy division commander!

Liu Xingsheng raised his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet.

He cleared his throat, picked up the official document on the table, and solemnly announced.

"After deliberation and decision by the military region party committee..."

Everyone held their breath.

Gu Beixiao clenched his fists excitedly in the audience, as if he himself were the one being honored.

Chief Engineer He and Old Huo also smiled and looked at the young people on the stage with satisfaction.

"...Comrade Gu Beichen is hereby commended!"

Um?

The applause from the audience subsided.

A commendation?

That's it?

Everyone looked at each other, thinking they had misheard.

Liu Xingsheng continued reading without pausing:

"In addition, a special bonus of five hundred yuan will be awarded!"

"This decision is effective immediately!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire auditorium fell into an eerie silence.

Everyone was stunned.

A few seconds later, an overwhelming murmur of discussion erupted.

"Are you sure? Such a great achievement, and all you get is a verbal commendation?"

"Five hundred yuan left? Is this some kind of beggar's money?"

"This isn't right! Something's really wrong!"

Gu Beixiao, sitting in the audience, was the first to lose his temper and almost jumped up.

"What the hell?!"

The smiles on Chief Engineer He's and Old Man Huo's faces also froze. They looked at each other and saw deep confusion and bewilderment in each other's eyes.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, Gu Beichen's expression remained unchanged.

He walked steadily onto the stage and gave Liu Xingsheng a standard military salute.

"Thank you, sir!"

His voice was calm, devoid of any emotion.

It was as if this unexpected reward was exactly what he had expected.