Lu Xing stubbed out his cigarette and put his hat on: "Squad leader, the guy's back, I'm going over there now!"
After saying that, he hurriedly ran over.
"Halt!"
The synchronized footsteps came to an abrupt halt.
Just as Zhang Long was about to reprimand Lao Cao, Lu Xing leaned over and whispered to him, "Platoon leader, there's an old squad leader surnamed Zhang outside looking for you."
"The one surnamed Zhang?"
There are plenty of people with the surname Zhang!
"Which one are you talking about?"
Old Cao was already seething with anger, and now these unclear words only added fuel to the fire.
At this moment, Lu Xing finally remembered Zhang Long's words.
"Platoon leader, that old squad leader said he'd be your deputy squad leader, he's been retired for three years!"
Now the target is precisely locked in; it must be Zhang Long.
So Lao Cao glared at Lu Xing and threw his hat and belt at him.
Then I walked toward the parking lot.
Standing there, Zhang Long could tell from Lao Cao's tone that he had definitely been scolded.
Old Cao, who was originally a fourth-level sergeant major, should have been a bug in the grassroots company. Even the company commander had to talk to him with a smile.
Unexpectedly, he encountered an even more bizarre bug.
A company commander whose service term has expired and who is about to be demobilized, especially since this company commander was once his squad leader.
With so many bugs piling up, his rank of fourth-level sergeant major is really no match for him.
Upon seeing Lao Cao approach, he immediately pulled out a pack of cigarettes and began offering them out.
"Old Cao! It's been over three years since I last saw you, you haven't changed at all!"
Old Cao was also completely bewildered: "No, you're Zhang Long?"
"Haha, I knew you wouldn't recognize me! Brother Qiang had the same look back then!"
Old Cao then came to his senses and patted him on the shoulder: "You kid, you've changed so much in the last few years, it's like you're a completely different person."
Zhang Long today is completely different from before.
Looking at his silver hair, he calmly said, "I lived in a dormitory when I was very young, and then I joined the army."
"After suppressing these feelings for so many years, it's no wonder I have some emotions. Just think of it as my rebellious phase coming a little late."
"By the way, this is my girlfriend, Hu Xinxin. We happened to have some business to take care of in Guangzhou today, so we stopped by to see you."
As he spoke, Zhang Long knocked on the car window, signaling his girlfriend to get out.
"Squad Leader Cao, hello there, I'm Hu Xinxin, Brother Long's girlfriend."
Looking at the beautiful girl in front of him, Old Cao grinned.
He was only smiling because the soldiers he had trained were successful.
"Hello, hello, I'll call you Xiao Hu from now on, so we won't shake hands!"
He couldn't care less about giving a speech at this moment, so he waved his hand and handed the task of giving a speech to the other class leaders.
"Come on, let's go inside and talk."
As she spoke, she prepared to pull Zhang Long towards her small room.
"Hey, wait!"
Zhang Long grabbed Lao Cao.
"I also brought you a small gift. Please go inside and wait for me. I'll be there soon."
Zhang Long jogged over to the car and took out the things he had prepared for Lao Cao.
There wasn't much stuff, just two bottles of wine and two packs of cigarettes, all in pairs.
Looking at the gifts Zhang Long brought, Old Cao couldn't stop smiling. It seemed that Zhang Long's visit today had unintentionally saved these people's lives!
However, once inside the room, Lao Cao noticed something amiss; it had been too dark outside to see anything clearly.
Now that the lights in the room are on, he realizes that these cigarettes and alcohol are no ordinary items!
"Hehe, Lao Cao, I've been pretty good to you, haven't I? I got all of this from my father-in-law, so you can experience the treatment of a vice-ministerial level official."
His act was so natural and flawless.
Zhang Long took out a cigarette from his pocket, picked one out and handed it to Lao Cao, who was still in shock. He casually put the cigarette butt into Lao Cao's mouth and then took out a lighter to light it for him.
The smoke entered his lungs, and only then did Old Cao come to his senses. This was the umpteenth time he had been shocked today.
Their gazes towards Hu Xinxin unconsciously became somewhat evasive.
This is not his fault. In all his years in the military, the highest-ranking leaders he had ever encountered were only senior colonels, such as division commanders and political commissars.
Although the corresponding rank is equivalent to the provincial-level department head in a local government, those who are transferred back to civilian work are usually demoted by half a rank but retained, and they cannot directly become the top leader of a local government.
Even so, it's still a world apart from a vice-ministerial level leader. There are ten ranks in officialdom, each rank representing a different level of power.
To paraphrase Secretary Gao from the TV series "In the Name of the People," in Shanghai, if you're not involved in politics, you'll see me as a frog in a well looking at the moon.
If you were to enter politics, you would see me as a mayfly gazing at the blue sky!
Reality is just that exaggerated!
Noticing Lao Cao's unease, Zhang Long gave his girlfriend a wink, and she immediately understood.
"Xin Xin, go check, my takeout should be here soon, go get it."
Zhang Long stared at his phone as he spoke.
Hu Xinxin behaved exceptionally well; she needed to save face for her man in front of the old squad leader.
After his girlfriend left, he said to Lao Cao, "Lao Cao, you'd better keep these things safe. They might come in handy later."
He glanced meaningfully at Lao Cao's shoulder insignia. Normally, in their division-level unit, a fourth-level sergeant major would be the highest rank. But who could have predicted that their entire division would be reorganized later?
However, he wasn't quite sure when exactly, but he guessed it would be before Lao Cao's term of service expired.
The midnight snack is almost here, and we should call the old company commander over too, otherwise it really wouldn't be right.
After all, his old company commander had genuinely taken care of him when they were in the army.
He picked up Lao Cao's phone and dialed the number of Company Commander Xia Guobin.
He couldn't be bothered to ask if it was a short number or not, since it wasn't his phone bill anyway.
That's how confident I am when I use someone else's phone!
Xia Guobin, who had just finished washing up, was about to take a nap, as he was going to have to get up in the middle of the night to check on his post.
Just then, my phone rang. I picked it up and saw that it was Lao Cao calling, so I answered the phone without thinking.
However, after the call was connected, there was no sound from the other end for a long time, which made him wonder if he had accidentally pressed the wrong button.
Just as I was about to hang up, a burst of laughter came from the other end: "Old Company Commander, guess who I am?"
Hearing Zhang Long's voice, Xia Guobin was also taken aback, and then asked in an uncertain tone, "Is it A-Long?"
Zhang Long...
That's not fun, it was guessed so quickly!
What he didn't know was that many of his comrades-in-arms were now making a living by following him, and had become rich and well-off. These people were all talented, and when they went back to their old unit to show off, they would come in droves, praising Zhang Long as someone who was rare among men.
Chapter Two, currently being worked on overtime...
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