A Visit to the Songhu Garrison Command (Part 1)

The headquarters building is a typical example of Shanghai-style architecture with both Chinese and Western elements. The top of the wall has crenellations, and the second floor has a guard tower, making it the highest point in the Longhua area.

The entrance to the headquarters was unusually lively today. Cars were parked neatly in front of the gate of the Songhu Garrison Command. People getting out of the cars were either carrying photography equipment or notebooks with pens clipped to their chests.

A young cadre in a yellow-green military uniform was already waiting in front of the gate. He introduced himself as Li, with the given name Sheng, and said he was the head of the Publicity and Distribution Section. He would be leading everyone on the tour of the site.

In the crowd, Qingcheng stood silently at the back. After signing the visitor list, Director Li of the Publicity Department led a group of reporters into the gatehouse.

The courtyard is filled with buildings in both Chinese and Western styles. To the left is a regular telegraph room, and to the right is a small telephone relay room. According to reports, the telephone room used for transmitting intelligence was actually connected to the staff office's telephone team and the dedicated telegraph room.

Kiyosumi thought this structure was quite ordinary; most government agencies were designed this way. However, the seasoned veteran reporters were more interested in seeing how the headquarters differed from ordinary agencies.

Section Chief Li probably knew what everyone wanted to see, so he clapped his hands with a smile. A moment later, a guard brought out several baskets of cotton and placed them in front of everyone, explaining, "We'll go watch the soldiers' shooting practice first, but to protect your ears, please take a pair of earplugs and put them on later."

Then Section Chief Li went on to explain some things to keep in mind during the visit, basically just to listen more, look more, and take fewer photos. Qingcheng didn't listen carefully; she was just there to pick up a map, and she figured she could just take a few pictures later to appease everyone.

But the pocket watch belonged to a man, and it would look rather inappropriate for her to wear it around her neck. So the pocket watch stayed safely in her pocket, and she even pulled out a section of the gold chain to hang outside the hunting jacket pocket so that the other person could see it.

The biggest difference between this place and ordinary government offices is that it's easy to get in but strict to leave. There wasn't much checking when you entered, but when you left, you had to hand over your film and work notes to the publicity department for review. If there were no problems, they would be returned within 3 working days. Section Chief Li finally finished his long explanation.

After listening, everyone had no objections and received a pair of cotton earplugs as requested. Following Section Chief Li's footsteps, they headed to the training ground. Qingcheng looked at the three towering two-story buildings behind the barracks. Those buildings, which resembled Western-style tombstones, were the prison cells of the headquarters. She felt a little sad. Many comrades had sacrificed their lives here.

The closer they got to the training ground, the clearer the sound, like firecrackers, became. A large parade ground connected to the shooting range was where soldiers were training in neat formation.

Before everyone could put on their earplugs, Section Chief Li, who was leading the team, reiterated the principle: they could move around freely on the parade ground and shooting range, but they should not disturb the soldiers who were training. Soldiers who were resting could ask their superiors for interviews, and they could come to him if they had any other needs.

"Everyone, please assemble at 11:00. I will be waiting for you at the entrance of the playground." Section Chief Li raised his hand to check his watch and said kindly to everyone. Qingcheng also raised his hand to check the time. It was 9:15. There were less than 2 hours left, which was enough time for the interview.

The shooting range was a very large circular area. The soldiers were divided into several groups. Some were using binoculars to practice anti-aircraft shooting with the machine gunners, some were using the terrain in front of several mounds to practice charging and defending, some were shooting at targets with their guns, and a squad of soldiers were lined up side by side, holding grenades and practicing throwing them.

Only Qingcheng sneered inwardly. The team training here today was probably specially selected; every soldier was in high spirits and well-equipped. It was as if the legendary stories of drinking soldiers' blood and violently conscripting men didn't exist.

Moreover, this kind of equipment is probably only available to the Central Army. The miscellaneous troops can only be equipped with broadswords. In particular, Commander Xiong is deeply trusted by the principal, and according to reliable sources, the equipment he can obtain is better than that of most of the elite troops.

If the ragtag troops saw this, they would definitely think Commander Xiong was showing off his wealth. Not necessarily, though; the warlords of the Guangxi and Shanxi cliques were all good at business, and they were actually wealthier than the Central Army.

At that moment, a group of soldiers jogged into the field. The last officer to enter wore sunglasses and had a document tucked under his elbow. Qingcheng couldn't resist raising her camera and snapping a series of photos. Hehe, Gao Junxiao looks quite handsome with such a serious expression. Let me take a commemorative photo of you.

Suddenly, Gao Junxiao turned his head toward her. Qingcheng was startled and quickly put away her camera. Even though she couldn't see his eyes, Qingcheng knew that her dear Xiao-gege would be unhappy to see reporters, especially since she was among them.

No problem, Qingcheng had anticipated this situation. He could focus on his training, and I could focus on taking photos; the best solution was for us to leave each other alone. With that in mind, Qingcheng pretended to admire the scenery and went to the shooting range to take some "deliverable photos" that would reflect the military's authority.

In fact, Gao Junxiao saw He Qingcheng as soon as he entered the venue. Lu Xian, who was next to him, whispered, "Big brother, look, it's Miss He."

"I'm not blind." Gao Junxiao took a deep breath and exhaled heavily, took off his sunglasses and wiped them. He would rather be blind for a while, so that he wouldn't have to see it or be bothered by it.

"Hey, where's Lei Shanhai? He was here when we were counting people." Lu Xian noticed that one person was missing when he was counting people and immediately reported it to Gao Junxiao.

"Where did you go to slack off again?" Gao Junxiao said casually. Lei Shanhai thought his marksmanship was incredibly good, and he would always make excuses to skip shooting practice.

"This guy surnamed Lei hasn't changed his bandit ways and has no respect for military discipline. Brother, we must put him in solitary confinement this time." With Gao Junxiao's tacit approval, Lu Xian ran out of the shooting range to find him.

When Gao Junxiao saw He Qingcheng intercepting Deputy Lu, he smiled and thought that getting her to follow Lu Xian on her own initiative would be more effective than giving him 100 verbal warnings.

It's not that Qingcheng couldn't come to interview, but her colleagues had basically all found something to do, either chatting with several officers or taking pictures of the soldiers.

If she just wanders around aimlessly, and accidentally does something strange, the guards will have real weapons. For He Qingcheng's safety, it's better to find her something to do.

On the other side, Qingcheng learned that Lu Xian was looking for a deserter soldier named Lei Shanhai. This name inevitably reminded her of the bandit leader Lei Huozi who had been executed before, but perhaps it was just her vivid imagination.

"Lieutenant Lu, if you wanted to slack off, where would you stay?" Qingcheng decided to give Lu Xian a little nudge.

"I wouldn't even dare to think about it if I weren't lazy," Lu Xian said nervously, waving his hand hastily.

Seeing how honest he was, Qingcheng found it amusing. What was he afraid of? His boss wasn't even there, only a hundred meters away. She could only continue to prompt him: "I'm asking you to put yourself in someone else's shoes, not to slack off. Why don't you take me on a tour and I'll tell you where you can slack off."

Lu Xian glanced awkwardly at Gao Junxiao in the distance, not daring to answer Qingcheng directly. He paused for a moment, then suddenly had an expression of realization, before putting on a serious face and saying that he would trouble Miss He to accompany him on this trip.

Lieutenant Lu is acting strangely, but Qingcheng is eager to expand her walking range. After receiving approval, she followed Lu Xian away from the shooting range with light steps. Before leaving, her gaze quietly drifted in the direction of Gao Junxiao. He was writing something in his notebook and was so lucky that he didn't notice her.

It seems that as long as she goes along with Gao Junxiao's wishes and keeps Lu Xian by her side, she can avoid being monitored by Gao Junxiao all the way. Moreover, with an insider taking her around, she won't have to worry about being questioned. It's a win-win situation, so why not?

Where are you, Comrade Peony? Kiyosumi sighed helplessly; this was probably the most passive situation she had ever faced.

White clouds drifted lazily across the azure sky. The drill ground and shooting range were both open areas, offering virtually no view and nowhere to hide. In addition, other officers were leading training sessions, so Lei Shanhai wouldn't be foolish enough to rest in a crowded and open area.

After asking the guards on the parade ground, Qingcheng learned that no one had left since they entered, which narrowed down the search area considerably, so they wouldn't have to wander around aimlessly like headless flies. She turned to Lu Xian and asked, "Lieutenant Lu, besides the entrance we came in through, are there any other entrances leading to other places? Like places with trees and houses?"

After Qingcheng's reminder, Lu Xian seemed to remember something: "Oh right, there's a place where I roughly know where he is."

The two quickly entered a small parade ground through a small iron gate without any guards. Several basketball hoops stood on the parade ground, which seemed to be the basketball court used by the non-commissioned officers for rest and recreation. There was an equipment room next to it that was locked and no one was there.

Lu Xian then went around to the back of the house. In the courtyard behind the house stood a huge banyan tree, its branches and leaves lush and green. Qingcheng, following behind Lu Xian, couldn't see anything either.

"Lei Shanhai, get down here!" Lu Xian suddenly shouted at the tree, looking up. When the person in the tree did not respond, Lu Xian angrily kicked the tree trunk a few times.

Following the sound, Qingcheng saw a dark-skinned young man in a soldier's uniform among the branches, who was disdainfully mocking Lu Xian: "Lieutenant Lu, where is your master? Why did he send you to bark like that? That dog official... ptooey, Director Gao, does he miss me? If he does, let him come here himself."

The dark-skinned boy's words were truly insulting. Lu Xian pulled out his sidearm, his face flushed with anger. Seeing the situation turning against him, Qingcheng quickly reached out to stop the adjutant and whispered some advice.

"Hey, Lieutenant Lu, hurry up and hit me! Don't miss! If I'm injured, I can rest legitimately. Oh, that nurse in our infirmary is quite pretty. I was just wondering where to get close to her." Lei Shanhai swung his leg with a grin.

"If you've got the guts, stay up there forever. If you come down, you'll be locked up in solitary confinement." After being persuaded, Lu Xian put away his sidearm, probably not wanting to make a big deal out of it.

"Guan, we're not easily intimidated. Why don't you come up here and we'll have a match? Whoever loses is a coward," Shan Hai arrogantly shouted.

Seeing Lu Xianzhen about to climb the tree, Qingcheng quickly pulled him aside. Even as an observer, it was clear that this man was unyielding, unafraid of threats, and enjoyed challenging authority—a "troublemaker" in common parlance. Most importantly, Gao Junxiao must need his help, which was why he dared to act so recklessly.

"Who is this guy? Is he a conscript? Or a prisoner?" Qingcheng asked Lu Xian in a low voice. Upon learning that he was a prisoner of bandits, she began to have a plan in mind.

Lei Shanhai, perched in the tree, impatiently shooed them away, saying, "Hey, if you want to chat, get lost. You're disturbing my rest."

"I'm so sorry to have disturbed your rest. It seems the air in the mountains is better than in the city," Kiyosumi said casually, her hands behind her back.

"Absolutely! Hey, where did this chick come from? Lieutenant Lu, you actually brought your sweetheart to the barracks. So this is your type." Shan Hai boldly flirted with Qing Cheng. "City girls are different from those in the mountains. Fair and tender, with defined breasts, waist, and buttocks. Nice figure, just wondering how it feels to touch?"

"Shut your dog mouth. Miss He is a distinguished guest invited by Commander Xiong," Lu Xian said sternly.

"It's alright, don't blame him. His brain can't hold anything important anyway. We need to be patient." Qingcheng still looked at Shanhai with a smile.

"What the hell do you mean? Do you think I'm stupid?" Shan Hai was somewhat angry, but he showed no sign of fear.

"How could that be? At least he looks quite clever. Look, Lieutenant Lu, he can even climb trees. It's just that he's a bit short on feathers, so he can't be called a king." After Qingcheng finished speaking, Lu Xian laughed heartily in agreement. They really felt like they were watching a monkey show.

"Tch, you big-footed woman, you must be in your late twenties. You're not bad looking, so why can't you find a man? Maybe you have some kind of hidden illness," Lei Shanhai retorted, implying that she couldn't have children.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Since I'm older than you, please call me 'elder sister' and let me hear it." Qingcheng now roughly understood that Shanhai had probably learned his smooth talk from the village's laundry lady, and added, "If I think it sounds nice, I might even be able to plead for you."

"Bullshit." Shan Hai's face turned ashen in an instant. He spat out the two words through gritted teeth, his eyes like those of a frightened black panther, fierce yet filled with a deep, unforgettable pain.

As the saying goes, "Strike the snake at its vital spot," and Qingcheng keenly sensed that "sister" seemed to be Shan Hai's vital spot. A story Gao Junxiao had told her flashed through her mind: a subordinate's sister had been kidnapped by bandits to be their wife. Could this be the child?

“Little friend, didn’t your family teach you to greet your elders? You have no manners. My little brother always calls me ‘sister, sister’ sweetly as soon as he sees me.” Qingcheng continued to provoke Shanhai.

Qingcheng's words seemed to evoke some painful memories for Shan Hai. His eyes gradually reddened, his lips trembled involuntarily, and his whole body tensed up as if he was about to pounce on Shan Hai at any moment.

Seeing his expression, Lieutenant Lu seemed to feel pity and whispered in Qingcheng's ear, "His family members have been abducted to the mountain to be the bandits' wives."

This was consistent with Qingcheng's guess, but it was not a reason for his arrogance. She put her hands on her hips and shouted at the tree: "Do you think you are invincible? With your lack of ambition and neglect of training, do you think you can rescue your sister? You call yourself a man? You would be faster to go to the mountain stronghold to exchange for your sister if you wore a skirt."

"What do you know?!" Shan Hai roared, his expression subtle and complex.

With her novelist's intuition, this matter wasn't as simple as Gao Junxiao made it out to be. Normally, she'd be happy to chat with Xiao Shan Hai to gather material for her novel, but today she couldn't waste her time here; she still needed to find her contact.

Qingcheng loudly suggested to Lieutenant Lu, "Lieutenant Lu, why don't you find a few guards to watch him? Let him eat, drink, and relieve himself in the tree all day, and don't let him come down. Doesn't he like being a monkey? Let's grant his wish."

“I think that’s fine, we can skip the meal. I’ll take Miss He around for a bit later.” Lu Xian gestured for her to proceed.

Just as the two were about to leave the small playground, Lei Shanhai, with his hands in his pockets and a nonchalant air, called out to them. This time, Lu Xian didn't hold back and gave the guards a look. The guards, upon receiving the order, immediately detained the man.

While struggling, Shan Hai couldn't resist teasing Qing Cheng: "Little girl, you're pretty ruthless. I see you're not young anymore. How about I take you in out of kindness? Otherwise, you won't be able to have children."

There's an old saying that every pitiful person has something hateful about them. Qingcheng had no liking for this kind of scoundrel, and before she could retort, a familiar deep male voice entered her ears: "You're overthinking it. Even if she has a child, it won't take your surname!"

"Should I take your surname?" Shan Hai retorted habitually, only to find his superior standing noncommittally to the side when he turned his head. "Oh, Inspector Gao, you've finally shown up. Are we going to put you in solitary confinement today, or not give you any food, or should we pack some of everything?"

"If none of you are coming, don't you think your marksmanship is unparalleled? How about we make a bet?" Gao Junxiao took off his sunglasses and hung them on his chest, calmly looking at Shan Hai.

"I'm fine with anything, but what's the prize?" Shan Hai licked his lips, his interest piqued.

"I'll find someone to have a match with you. If you win, you can do whatever you want in shooting training from now on. If you lose, stop bragging about being a shooting king and just participate in training properly." Gao Junxiao offered a very tempting offer.

"Deal, you can pick whoever you want." Shan Hai immediately agreed, but then he remembered Qing Cheng. "Hey, little girl, I'll show you my marksmanship later. When you're looking for a man, you should find someone young and strong like me. Don't go for those old men. In a few years, their thing between their legs won't work anymore, and they won't even be able to get a gun going."

"Then I hope you can be more useful. Since you're so hung up on that girl, why don't you compete with her?" Gao Junxiao's casual remark startled everyone present, causing them to all turn to look at him. Everyone thought that Inspector Gao was definitely joking.

"Can I refuse? They're just here to visit, they don't want to compete." Qingcheng shook Gao Junxiao's sleeve pitifully.

However, Gao Junxiao stared intently at Qingcheng and asked her earnestly if she knew how to use a gun. How could she answer that? Qingcheng felt uneasy under his gaze and blinked rapidly, shaking her head vigorously. But the man's strange insistence made Qingcheng's heart pound. She wondered why he was staring at her and how he knew she could use a gun.

"It's okay if you don't know how. I'll teach you how to do it right away. I believe in you." Gao Junxiao didn't allow Qingcheng to object and directly shoved his sidearm into her hand. Qingcheng didn't dare to take it and put the gun back in its holster.

Seeing the two struggling like this, Shan Hai said to the guards holding him, "These two are definitely having an affair. That girl even dared to touch a tiger's butt, and the tiger didn't even get angry. It obediently surrendered. Hehe, it can only be his tigress."

To avoid gossip about the mountains and seas, Qingcheng pulled Gao Junxiao aside and told him to use his brain and think things through, and find a skilled shooter to compete with, such as Deputy Officer Lu.

"Do you know why I'm looking for you?" Qingcheng really didn't know what Gao Junxiao wanted to do, and shook her head blankly at his question.

“Because you’re a reporter, it’s not shameful for you to lose. But if Lu Xian accidentally loses, I’ll be incredibly embarrassed. However, if you accidentally win, it will definitely destroy Lei Shanhai’s confidence, making it easier for me to rebuild him.” Gao Junxiao patiently explained to Qingcheng, unable to hide his smugness. “Just consider it helping me out.”

"Then I'll help you shave this thorn in your side, and you tell me, why do you think I would use a gun?" Qingcheng revealed a bright smile, tapping Gao Junxiao's chest as she made her request. He was definitely not someone who made things up out of thin air; he must have solid evidence, which was something she would need to conceal in the future.

Gao Junxiao hugged Qingcheng and gently persuaded her, his hand tracing her arm in a rather improper manner: "I'm afraid you'll get angry if I say anything. There are so many shooting clubs outside, it's not a big deal that you know how to use a gun. I'm actually glad you have the ability to protect yourself."

"Hands." Qingcheng warned sharply. This man was hopeless, always thinking of taking advantage of her. Seeing Gao Junxiao obediently put his hands down, Qingcheng frankly admitted that she knew a little about shooting, but if he couldn't explain himself clearly, she wouldn't help him.

"I told you not to hit me, the guards are all here, give me some face," Gao Junxiao stated noncommittally. After receiving Qingcheng's approval, he boldly added, "You've gotten stronger, your arms have more definition, your hands aren't as soft, and your knuckles are a bit rough. But I like you no matter what."

With a strong will to survive, Qingcheng giggled. She had plenty of excuses to cover up the changes in her body. No, he actually noticed the difference by touching her! How lewd! Her blood pressure spiked, but she had already promised not to hit anyone. Qingcheng took a deep breath, stomped hard on Gao Junxiao's foot, and then turned her back on him.

Gao Junxiao winced in pain, but without changing his expression, he patted the shoe print on his boot and pretended nothing had happened. After waiting for a while, Qingcheng still showed no sign of turning around, so he could only stroll over and whisper in He Qing's ear that he would treat her to chilled plum juice as extra payment for her help.

However, after a short while, Qingcheng turned around with an unfriendly expression, pursed her lips, and refused to look at Gao Junxiao: "I have another request. I want the competition to be more lively, the more spectators the better."

"Okay, okay, okay." Gao Junxiao soothed Qingcheng's stiff back, only to be met with her disdainful shrug.

"Hey, little girls, have you decided what to compete in?" Lei Shanhai seemed oblivious to people's feelings and kept clamoring for the competition to start as soon as possible. His hands were numb from being restrained.

The two whispered to each other for a while before Qingcheng threw the question back to Gao Junxiao: "Ask him."

Gao Junxiao waved his hand gently, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated, and the guard released Shan Hai at the right time.

Under the clear blue sky, there wasn't a breath of wind in the air. This was an open training ground, and the group of people were exposed to the scorching sun without any shelter.

Gao Junxiao calmly explained the competition rules: best of three. The first two rounds were handguns, with 10 bullets per round and 10m and 50m fixed targets. The last round was rifles, with 10 bullets per round and 200m moving targets.

The first two were alright, but the last one was just ridiculous. Putting aside whether Ms. He could even handle a rifle, with a range of 200 meters, the target was bigger than the sights, so the sights were basically useless. And it was a moving target, so whether she could hit the target or not was entirely up to fate.

However, Shan Hai had no objections after hearing this. It would be a fool not to take advantage of a good deal. With his hands in his pockets, he went to tease Qing Cheng again: "Little girl, how about I give you a couple of blank shots? I'll let you have your way, and we can just be friends."

"No need. You go to number seven to prepare first. I'll take Miss He to practice and get a feel for it." Gao Junxiao didn't allow Shan Hai any room for doubt and directly took the struggling He Qingcheng away.

Shan Hai, who had just realized what was going on, put his arm around Lu Xian beside him and gossiped, "Lieutenant Lu, I told you they had that kind of relationship, didn't I?"

Lu Xian impatiently distanced himself from Shan Hai, patted his wrinkled uniform, raised his chin, and said sternly, "Stop thinking about those things and come with me to number seven to get supplies."

"No way, no way, are you blind? Can't you see that? They're practically getting married right here." Shan Hai pressed on relentlessly.

But Lieutenant Lu had already walked more than ten meters ahead, leaving him far behind.