Chapter 62 Arrival in the South: The Humid Wind
The train headed south.
We crossed the Yellow River and the Yangtze River.
The view outside the window looked as if someone had slowly and meticulously repainted it with a paintbrush.
The desolate, monotonous yellowish-brown landscape of Northwest China has gradually transformed into the lush green of the Guanzhong Plain.
Then comes the gentle charm of the water towns of Jiangnan.
When the train emerged from the last tunnel.
A damp, unfamiliar scent drifted in through the ventilation vent.
That's the wind from the south.
It carried the saltiness of the sea, the fishy smell of the earth, and a warmth that seemed to melt your bones.
Zhao Di woke up.
She was woken up by the heat.
The thick cotton-padded coat that was originally wrapped around my body now felt rather heavy.
She rubbed her sleepy eyes and climbed to the window.
"Wow--!"
A gasp broke the silence in the carriage.
"Father! Look!"
"That tree is so strange!"
"The leaves are like big fans, and they're covered in fuzz!"
Lin Jianguo smiled and came closer.
"That's called a coconut tree."
"That's not fuzz, it's coconut palm."
"Large fruits will grow on top, filled with sweet juice."
"Really?"
Zhao Di's eyes lit up instantly.
"I want to drink sweet water!"
Lin Jianguo looked at his daughter's rosy little face.
All the worries and fears along the way have turned into joy at this moment.
The system didn't lie.
The feng shui in the south is very nurturing.
As soon as we entered the area, my daughter's cough stopped.
That pale, heartbreaking little face now has a healthy pinkish hue.
Even his energy level is many times higher than before.
"We're here! We're here!"
"We are approaching the final destination!"
The train conductor's excited voice came over the train's public address system.
The train began to slow down.
Finally, it came to a smooth stop on a military platform hidden in a dense rainforest.
It is surrounded by towering walls and electric fences.
Armed sentries were stationed every three or five steps.
It was so heavily guarded that not even a fly could get in.
The car door opened.
A wave of heat hit me.
Lin Jianguo carried Zhao Di, who was only wearing a thin shirt, off the train.
A group of people were already waiting on the platform.
The leader was a burly man with dark skin.
He was wearing a faded naval combat uniform, the gold stars on his shoulders gleaming in the sunlight.
That face was like a rock on the beach, full of rough lines.
Especially his eyes, wide open like copper bells, exuding an imposing and domineering aura.
This is Zhao Tiezhu, the commander of the Southern Fleet.
He was nicknamed "Zhao the Cannon".
It wasn't just because he had a loud voice, but also because he had a fiery temper and fought recklessly.
Zhao Tiezhu was craning his neck to look into the carriage.
He was waiting for that legendary "national treasure expert".
Although the specific person was not mentioned, it was only described as a top-level strategic resource codenamed "Fortune".
But Zhao Dapao was a man of the world.
The person who could get the capital to send out the No. 0 special train and have him personally come to pick him up must be an old man with a white beard.
Or perhaps it's the kind of learned scholar with thick glasses.
Anyway, he must be a big shot.
However.
When he saw Lin Jianguo carrying a baby as he came down.
Zhao Tiezhu was stunned.
He rubbed his eyes and looked behind Lin Jianguo again.
There's no one here.
Just these two.
There was also Chen Zhiyuan, who was carrying a suitcase and looked like a follower.
"Um... Platoon Leader Lin, right?"
Zhao Tiezhu frowned and pointed to Zhao Di in Lin Jianguo's arms.
"Where are the experts?"
"Are there only a few of you in this car?"
"What happened to that precious guy who built satellites and worked on nuclear fusion?"
Lin Jianguo straightened his back and snapped to attention, giving a salute.
"Reporting, sir!"
"The experts have arrived!"
"Right in my arms!"
What? !
Zhao Tiezhu's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
He pointed incredulously at the little girl who was staring at him curiously, holding half a cookie in her hand.
"You mean... this baby who's still being weaned?"
"She's an expert?!"
"What a joke!"
Zhao Tiezhu's voice suddenly rose eight octaves, making the leaves around him rustle.
"This is the front line! This is where the war is being fought!"
"It's not a daycare center!"
"Did the higher-ups send the wrong telegram? Or are you guys playing a trick on me?"
Zhao Di was startled by the sudden loud voice.
She shrank back and buried her face in Lin Jianguo's arms.
"Daddy, this black grandpa is so fierce..."
"Like a big black bear."
Lin Jianguo's face instantly darkened.
Although he respected Zhao Tiezhu as a leader, he was also a doting father.
He wouldn't give face to anyone who dared to be mean to his daughter, not even the Emperor himself.
"Commander Zhao!"
Lin Jianguo did not back down at all; instead, he took a step forward and protected Zhao Di even more tightly.
Although his voice wasn't loud, the coldness and hardness in his tone were obvious to everyone.
"Please watch your words!"
"She is not only an expert, but also a national hero!"
"If you don't believe me, you can call Beijing to verify!"
“But I won’t allow anyone to speak to her in that tone!”
Even if you are the commander!
Now it was Zhao Tiezhu's turn to be stunned.
In this southern region, his word is law.
No subordinate has ever dared to stand up to him like this.
But the look in this kid's eyes...
Tough enough!
Like a knife that has seen blood.
Although Zhao Tiezhu had a fiery temper, what he admired most were soldiers with backbone.
He squinted, looked Lin Jianguo over again, and then glanced at the little girl who, though frightened, was still secretly glancing at him.
Sudden.
He burst into laughter.
The laughter was as hearty as waves crashing against rocks.
"Good lad! You've got guts!"
"You're the first person in years to dare talk back to me!"
Zhao Tiezhu stepped forward, stretched out his large hand, as big as a palm-leaf fan, and tried to pat Zhao Di's head.
But seeing Lin Jianguo's wary look, he awkwardly withdrew his hand and scratched his buzz cut.
"Okay! Since the higher-ups say so, then it is!"
"I'm just a roughneck, I don't understand your complicated ways."
"However, let's be clear from the start."
"The South is not like the Northwest."
"That side is desolate, this side is dangerous!"
“Those foreign devils across the sea are always flying their planes and warships around our doorstep.”
"If this baby is really a treasure, then you better protect her well for me!"
"If even a single hair is missing, I won't even need to lift a finger; I'll skin you alive!"
Although these words were rude, they revealed a genuine concern.
Lin Jianguo's expression softened slightly.
"Don't worry, Commander."
"I live as long as they live, and I die as long as they die!"
At this moment, Zhao Di, who had been hiding in my arms, suddenly peeked out.
She looked at Zhao Tiezhu and blinked.
"Grandpa Blackie, you may look fierce."
"But you're not bad."
"You want to protect me, don't you?"
Zhao Tiezhu was taken aback.
This little girl has a sharp eye.
For once, a hint of embarrassment appeared on his old face, which looked like a dried orange peel.
"Ahem...that's for sure."
"When we get to Grandpa's place, we're home."
"If anyone dares to bully you, Grandpa will blast them with a cannon!"
This sentence sounds familiar.
Zhao Di remembered that Uncle Li Tie had said the same thing.
It seems that the uncles and grandfathers here all like to use cannons to bombard people.
That's so much fun.
"Let's go! Get in the car!"
Let's give our little expert a welcome dinner!
"The cafeteria made braised pork today! Plenty to go!"
Zhao Tiezhu waved his hand.
Several jeeps roared out of the station.
Outside the car window, there were vast expanses of paddy fields and coconut groves.
The sea breeze caressed Zhao Di's little face.
She took a deep breath.
It feels so good.
There is no sand here, and no cold wind.
It only smells good.
She silently asked the system in her mind.
"Uncle, is this the south you were talking about?"
Are there really big crabs?
The system has now recovered some of its energy from the previous overdraft.
It yawned lazily.
Don't worry, host.
[There are not only big crabs here.]
There are things even more fun than crabs.
Can you see the sea over there?
That's our real playground.
Zhao Di looked out the car window.
On the distant horizon, a vast expanse of blue ocean shimmers in the sunlight.
Like a giant sapphire.
That was a world she had never seen before.
This is also the new battlefield she is about to conquer.
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