Fate is a circle
He had clearly told Lu Xian to wake him up in an hour, but the kid didn't wake him up until three hours later. Well, he's definitely going to be late for work now. He's only been here a few days and he's already late and leaving early. How is he supposed to set military rules for others? There's a bandit suppression team formation meeting this afternoon! Gao Junxiao stood in the alley with a gloomy face, reflecting on himself. How could he have been so blind as to have Lu Xian as his adjutant?
"Tofu pudding—fresh tofu pudding—"
The vendor's cries made Gao Junxiao's eyes light up. Tofu pudding—he liked it. His stomach was empty right now, and hearing the vendor's cries felt especially comforting.
The breakfast stall was right at the entrance of the alley. Gao Junxiao walked quickly to the breakfast stall. Suddenly, several ragged children ran past him. The older children had already disappeared in a flash. With a thud, a child who looked about four or five years old fell straight to the ground, probably tripped. The other children went around him and continued to run into the depths of the alley.
The child couldn't get up for a long time. Gao Junxiao couldn't bear to reach out and help the child up. He patted the dust off the child's body and then got closer to him. He found that the child's face was sallow and his bare arms were emaciated. He was obviously suffering from long-term malnutrition and had probably fainted from hunger.
Ignoring the child's dirty clothes, Gao Junxiao bought a bowl of tofu pudding while holding the child.
"Sir, you shouldn't have helped that child. There are always adults behind these little beggars. They might try to extort money from you because you're dressed so well," the breakfast stall owner kindly reminded him, while still deftly scooping out a large bowl of tofu pudding, pouring on soy sauce and sprinkling on dried shrimp, all in one smooth motion.
"Thanks for reminding me. Why are such young children begging?" Gao Junxiao asked in confusion, while feeding the child a few mouthfuls of warm tofu pudding.
"This world is so chaotic. It must be because the parents are dead. If there was still an adult alive at home, they must have come out together." The shopkeeper sighed helplessly.
Gao Junxiao knew better than anyone how chaotic things were outside. Heh, at least he had achieved national consensus on this point. Behind the glitz and glamour of Shanghai lay countless bones. Thinking of this, he felt a lump in his throat and lost his appetite for breakfast. After eating, the child slowly woke up. Perhaps frightened by the sight of strangers, he struggled and bit him before running away.
It's like a dog biting Lü Dongbin and not recognizing a kind heart. Gao Junxiao shook his injured hand and smiled wryly. He saw the owner frying dough sticks, and the alley was filled with a delicious aroma. He thought to himself, why not bring some breakfast for Lu Xian? The kid hadn't eaten breakfast yet. To prevent Lu Xian from causing trouble later if he didn't eat enough, Gao Junxiao directly asked the owner to pack ten dough sticks.
"Alright, sir, is there anything else you'd like to order?" the shopkeeper asked casually.
There were several items on the oil filter shelf that Gao Junxiao had never seen before. Curious, he asked, "What is that square cake?"
"It's glutinous rice cake." Before the shopkeeper could answer, a clear female voice rang out from behind.
Looking back, Gao Junxiao saw that beautiful figure, the one he could never forget after just one glance—He Qingcheng. She was dressed very simply today, just a shirt and a long skirt. Behind the long skirt was a dirty child, the very child who had bitten him earlier.
The child, with red eyes and a pitiful expression, pointed at Gao Junxiao, accusing him of stealing something from him. Huh? A matchbox? Gao Junxiao looked down and finally saw a small red matchbox at his feet. He bent down, picked it up, placed it on the table, and looked at He Qingcheng with a half-smile.
He Qingcheng suddenly realized what was going on when she saw the matchbox, and immediately pressed the child's head down to apologize. Gao Junxiao didn't know what their relationship was, so he could only nod slightly to indicate that it didn't matter. The two looked at each other and smiled, remaining silent for a moment. It wasn't until the child asked for food that He Qingcheng bought him a sweet pancake.
Seeing the child leave satisfied, Gao Junxiao paused for a moment and asked with a hint of inquiry, "Miss He, are you doing charity work again?"
"It's nothing, they deserve this for running errands for me." He Qingcheng took the matchbox and sat down opposite him naturally, chatting with him like an old friend. "But Inspector Gao, you did charity work and got bitten, aren't you angry?"
Gao Junxiao replied calmly, "Hey! Why bother arguing with a child? Miss He, you have a sharp eye, how did you figure that out?"
"Look at your chest, it's all dirty. That's not like your style, Director Gao." Only after He Qingcheng pointed it out did Gao Junxiao notice a dirty little handprint on his white shirt.
"Excuse me." Gao Junxiao awkwardly took out a handkerchief to wipe it, but after wiping it several times, he couldn't get the stain off.
The shopkeeper served He Qingcheng a bowl of tofu pudding, but she didn't eat it right away. Instead, she took out a colorful glass bottle from her bag. At her prompting glance, Gao Junxiao couldn't help but hand her a handkerchief. Memories frozen deep in his mind surged up like a tide, and the little girl in his memory unceremoniously took his handkerchief to blow her nose.
Thinking of this, Gao Junxiao couldn't help but chuckle. He Qingcheng looked at him inexplicably, as if he were looking at a lunatic. Good heavens, what is he laughing at? This mistake made him want to find a crack in the ground to crawl into. But soon He Qingcheng used the liquid in the bottle to wet a cloth and asked him to wipe it again. Gao Junxiao tried it again and actually wiped away most of the stains.
To ease his embarrassment, Gao Junxiao cleared his throat and exclaimed, "This is amazing! Miss He, what is this? Where can I buy it?"
"It's just baking soda and water. I sometimes get stains on myself and can't find a place to wash them right away, so I started carrying a small bottle with me to avoid embarrassment," He Qingcheng explained patiently.
"Girls are so meticulous, unlike me, a rough man." Gao Junxiao smelled the lingering smell of alcohol and faint perfume on himself, and compared it with the clean and refreshing He Qingcheng, he felt somewhat ashamed.
"Supervisor Gao is too modest. What kind of rough man would carry a clean handkerchief with him?" He Qingcheng's words sounded familiar. For a moment, her happy eyes resembled those of a certain young girl from back then, but Gao Junxiao immediately dismissed this absurd idea. The girl from thousands of miles away should be married by now and have a bunch of children.
Gao Junxiao suppressed a hint of disappointment and quickly finished the leftover tofu pudding from the child in front of him. Meanwhile, He Qingcheng across from him was carefully dripping chili oil with a spoon. In a moment of carelessness, all the chili sauce chunks in the spoon fell into the bowl, and the white tofu pudding quickly turned blood red.
The girl's face also changed color, her rosy cheeks filled with surprise. Looking at the "blood" tofu in the bowl, Gao Junxiao felt a spasm in his stomach and couldn't control himself, so he advised, "Don't eat anymore, I'll treat you to another clean bowl."
"No need, we can't waste food." He Qingcheng held her breath and slurped off most of the chili oil. Under Gao Junxiao's astonished gaze, she finished the whole bowl of "blood" tofu. Goodness, when did people from Jiangnan become so heavy-flavored? Can her stomach handle eating such spicy food so early in the morning?
"Boss, give her a bowl of soy milk." Gao Junxiao squinted at the strong woman opposite him. They had only met twice, so why did he feel a strange sense of familiarity?
"It's nothing, thank you." He Qingcheng said in a hoarse voice, taking out a handkerchief to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes, looking anything but unaffected.
"Miss He, are you a local?" Gao Junxiao realized his question was a bit abrupt after he finished speaking, and quickly explained, "I'm new here and haven't explored Shanghai yet. I just wanted to ask if there are any good places to visit."
“There’s not much to do in Shanghai.” He Qingcheng’s statement was practically a local’s exclusive remark. “Well, there’s a place you guys would probably like: the Great World Nightclub, right on Nanjing Road.”
He Qingcheng added a few spoonfuls of sugar to the soy milk while stirring and introduced, "The Shanghai Great World 8 Nights 8 Club, the singing star Miss Yulan is both fashionable and beautiful, and can also drink and dance at the same time. The dancers there are also the top beauties in Shanghai, some of whom can even speak foreign languages. The dignitaries of Shanghai all like to go there to find dance partners."
This place doesn't sound like a respectable place, so Gao Junxiao quickly spoke up to stop her: "Miss He, are you misunderstanding something?"
"Don't be shy. At home, you rely on your parents; when you're out, you rely on your friends. I'm very familiar with Wu Daban. If you want to go, just mention my name and I guarantee you'll get a 20% discount on your dance tickets," He Qingcheng said warmly, taking a sip of fresh soy milk.
"Miss He, do you go there often?" Gao Junxiao thought that maybe he hadn't slept well the night before, which was causing him to be out of sync with this young lady's train of thought. The Miss He in front of him was a socialite in Shanghai, so why would she go to a place like the Nightclub, a place where all sorts of people mingle?
"It's alright, I only went to visit Wu Daban the day before yesterday," He Qingcheng replied without changing her expression. "Oh dear, I'm going to be late."
"You eat so little? Eat some more." Gao Junxiao noticed that He Qingcheng's appetite was completely disproportionate to her size, but He Qingcheng waved at him and ran off to a building diagonally opposite, not giving him a chance to speak.
No sooner had He Qingcheng left than Lu Xian appeared, asking in a cheeky tone, "Big brother, I think Miss He has feelings for you."
"Did you go to Turpan to pick up your car? Did you pick the grapes?" Gao Junxiao asked sarcastically, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.
"I didn't pick any grapes, brother. Your smile is giving me the creeps. I was wrong, I'll never gossip again." Lu Xian finished speaking and bowed deeply.
"Go pay the bill." Gao Junxiao kicked Lu Xian in an annoyed tone.
"No need, that lady already paid for you, and she also paid for the rice cake. Sir, please take them all with you," the breakfast stall owner explained, waving his hand.
"Okay, what's that building for?" Gao Junxiao asked, looking in the direction the beauty had left.
"Oh, that's the headquarters building of the newspaper. That young lady is probably an editor or a reporter. This is Fourth Road, after all," said the breakfast stall owner.
There couldn't be a more ironic street. Gao Junxiao noticed that at the end of this street, bright red lanterns hung high, marking the entrance to Shanghai's infamous den of iniquity and debauchery. Meanwhile, at the other end of the street were Shanghai's most prestigious publishing houses, printing presses, and newspapers—places that should be spreading the most civilized and progressive ideas to the public. Yet, right next to them lay a thousand years of feudal customs. How bizarre!
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On the drill ground, the soldiers were practicing their military posture under the scorching sun. Sweat soaked their shirts, and their cheeks were flushed red from the intense heat, but the commander showed no intention of letting them rest.
This group of men were the "elites" pushed out by the brigade commanders; half were seasoned veterans, and the other half were pampered soldiers who had never fought in actual combat and wanted to gain seniority. The commander wore sunglasses so his eyes couldn't be seen, but his thoughts seemed to have drifted far away, and the corners of his mouth were slightly up, indicating that he was in a good mood.
The soldiers below, who were on the verge of collapse, seemed to see a glimmer of hope. Only Lu Xian could guess why his older brother was laughing. "Heh, you're all overthinking it," he said, looking at the soldiers below with pity. "It's the first time I'm practicing military posture under my older brother's command, and I still want to rest."
Gao Junxiao changed his sitting posture again but still didn't speak. The soldiers below could hardly withstand the scorching sun and began to sway from side to side. As the sun gradually set, just as Lu Xian had thought, his elder brother did not give any order to rest. Instead, he put away his smile and personally went down to inspect everyone's military posture.
Then came the familiar mockery from his older brother, which Lu Xian knew all too well.
"Stop shaking, it's making me dizzy. Keep your nerves straight."
"Hey, have you had lunch yet? If you have, why are your legs shaking? How about I ask the cafeteria to add a mantis leg to your meal next time to help strengthen your muscles? Don't be shy."
"Tsk tsk, you look like a heavy smoker, where's your energy? Straighten your back."
"Where's your hand? Where's your hand? Is it a prosthetic? Which battle did you break it in? If it's not broken, then keep it pressed tightly against your trouser seam."
The soldiers not only had to endure the discomfort caused by the high temperature, but also the sarcastic remarks from the supervising officer, a double torment of physical and mental suffering. Finally, one of the young men couldn't help but say, "Report, we've been practicing military posture all afternoon. Everyone is tired and wants to eat."
These words amused Gao Junxiao, who even laughed out loud. This laugh was different from the one before. Only Lu Xian felt a pang of unease. Normally, my older brother would let you have a meal at mealtime. Sigh, why did you have to be so stupid as to jump out and court death?
"Come on, you, step forward, yes, stand here." Gao Junxiao called the energetic young man who had spoken to the front of everyone. The man who had spoken seemed a little impatient, clicked his tongue softly, and then stepped forward to stand in front of all the team members.
"First, introduce yourself to all your comrades." Gao Junxiao stood next to the young man and asked him to introduce himself.
"Reporting, sir, this is Xu Dongsheng, former squad leader of the first squad of the eighth platoon." Xu Dongsheng straightened his body and raised his chin slightly after speaking. His fair face was full of pride. Lu Xian could tell that Xu Dongsheng was from a wealthy family. He looked at the others with a little disdain.
"Graduated from Whampoa Military Academy? Which class?" Gao Junxiao asked with a smile, his hands behind his back.
“Reporting, sir, sixth term,” Xu Dongsheng replied loudly.
“You just graduated this May, huh? Fine, four hours, and you’re already complaining about being tired. Is this how you’re taught at Whampoa Military Academy?” Lu Xian could feel his older brother’s disdain even from a distance.
Especially those seasoned veterans are now too afraid to even breathe. They probably think that a new broom sweeps clean, and that if they just endure it, it will pass. Once the novelty wears off and the superior can report back to his superiors, they can relax and go about their business. After all, that's how all the previous superiors did it.
But his older brother wasn't just any ordinary officer. They'd really bit the hand that feeds them today.
"Xu Dongsheng, right? I'll be your acting captain for a day. You'll train them. Xian'er, let's go eat." Lu Xian didn't expect his older brother to say that. What did he mean?
Xu Dongsheng paused for a moment, then saluted, gave Gao Junxiao a bright smile, and happily accepted the mission.
Lu Xian was still pondering why his elder brother had issued the order; he hadn't trained his troops this way before. Gao Junxiao turned around and said to him specifically, "Can't figure it out? That's good. Let's go eat first; I'm a little hungry."
"Ouch." Seeing his older brother leave, Lu Xian could only silently follow.
Along the way, Gao Junxiao greeted the brigade and regimental commanders with friendly smiles, showing no sign of displeasure. However, he could vaguely hear whispers behind him, and people would occasionally steal glances at the two of them. When Lu Xian turned around, they both pretended to be nonchalant and ate their food heartily.
Lu Xian complained to Gao Junxiao, "Brother, these people are going too far. What kind of things have they sent?"
Gao Junxiao stuffed a steamed bun into Lu Xian's mouth, promptly stopping Lu Xian from speaking further: "Eat more and talk less."
Lu Xian could only swallow all his grievances, thinking that his elder brother must have his own ideas. Just as he came out of the canteen, a guard rushed over: "Supervisor Gao, they've started fighting."
"Who's fighting?" Before the guard could speak, Gao Junxiao, with a knowing expression, calmly explained for the guard, "Who else could it be but our bandit suppression team?"
The guards nodded vigorously after hearing this, looking on with amusement.
A fight broke out in the time it takes to eat a meal. That's too arrogant! Fighting in the military camp is probably asking for confinement. Looking at his older brother's self-satisfied smile, Lu Xian suddenly remembered a saying his older brother used to say: "Either the East Wind prevails over the West Wind, or the West Wind prevails over the East Wind. We'll stand at the forefront and stir up the East Wind to fight the West Wind."
When they arrived, the guards had already separated the two sides, but everyone's anger hadn't subsided, and they stood scattered in several groups. Gao Junxiao strode across the center of the training ground, and the people on both sides automatically parted, forming a clear dividing line.
Gao Junxiao stood on the high platform and surveyed the soldiers below. Suddenly, he roared sternly at them, "You've got guts! I can only eat one meal and you've already started fighting. Look at your formation! Line up! Count off!"
Knowing that they would likely be punished for violating military discipline, everyone remained silent, obediently lined up, and counted off.
"Xu Dongsheng, step forward." Gao Junxiao impatiently pointed at Xu Dongsheng, signaling him to come forward.
"Here." Xu Dongsheng seemed to have been beaten; he had a large bump on his forehead, his collar was wide open, and his body was covered in mud, looking quite disheveled.
"Tell me what's going on, 'Acting Captain'?" Gao Junxiao glanced at Xu Dongsheng with disdain.
Xu Dongsheng looked at an older soldier below with resentment in his eyes and said aggrievedly, "I just told them to take a short rest and when I wanted to regroup, some of them acted like scoundrels and refused to come over."
"Bullshit! How do you address people like that? Just say 'Hey'! Who the hell do you think you are?" another soldier, equally disheveled, cursed angrily.
“I’ll just let him talk, and he has to do 100 push-ups on the spot. Lu Xian will count for him.” Gao Junxiao coldly tossed a sentence at the older soldier, then turned to look at Xu Dongsheng. “You continue.”
"When I saw that he wouldn't come over, I tried to gather the others first, but he also gathered a few of his close thugs and they started acting like scoundrels. Then I started shoving them, and... that's how it ended up like this," Xu Dongsheng said angrily, clutching the large bump on his head.
"Who made the first move?" Gao Junxiao asked.
"It's me." As he spoke, Xu Dongsheng silently lowered his head.
Gao Junxiao seemed to be pondering something or waiting for someone. When he saw the person moving towards the podium, a slight smile appeared on his lips. Was his older brother waiting for his mother? Lu Xian noticed that the person was a deputy regimental commander under Chief of Staff Tang. What was his name again? Oh, he forgot his name. He had come to the meeting with the Chief of Staff last time.
The man greeted them with a salute and then introduced himself: "Commander Gao, I am An Fu, the deputy commander of the Sixth Regiment."
"Deputy Commander An, I'm currently training soldiers. Unless it's something particularly important, please wait until I get back to my office before we talk." Gao Junxiao didn't even bother to look at him, dismissing him perfunctorily.
An Fu could only whisper, "Supervisor Gao, you're new here and might not know about some minefields yet. The injured one is the nephew of Director Xu of the Transportation Bureau, a member of the Nanjing Standing Committee, and the one doing push-ups is Commander Liu's favorite general..."
Several names were mentioned in quick succession, and with each one, Gao Junxiao's face turned paler: "You've finished talking, so these are the only ones?"
"Yes, the punishment should be just enough. Inspector Gao understands what I mean, right?" An Fu cautiously probed.
"I understand—" Gao Junxiao had already regained his smile and calmly walked down from the platform. He patted the shoulders of the group of people as he said, "Director Xu's nephew, Brigade Commander Liu's favorite general. I didn't expect that there were so many hidden talents in our team. He just violated military discipline, and someone immediately came to plead for him. What a big face he has."
Suddenly, Gao Junxiao's face darkened, and he angrily reprimanded the crowd below: "But there are no conditions in the army! There is no room for sentiment! I don't care if you have attended military academy, been on the battlefield, or fought in any major battles. Remember, now 'I' am your 'only' superior, and the only thing you can do is obey orders."
The soldiers below the field bowed their heads in silence, bearing the brunt of their commander's rage. Lu Xian almost burst out laughing. "If I don't set rules for you on the first day, you'll dare to take advantage of me tomorrow. You have no idea that my older brother had a nickname when he was a division commander: 'Smiling Tiger.' One second he's calling you brother, the next he's striking with the most ruthless blows, saying the kindest things while delivering the cruelest blows."
However, this did not affect his older brother's military prestige in the original unit at all, because the more rigorous the training, the higher the survival rate on the battlefield. Moreover, military prestige is not something that can be intimidated, but something that can be earned in actual combat. He was not just bragging that his older brother's tactics were first-rate, so even though he was often punished by being forced to squat and write self-criticisms, he was willing to follow his older brother.
“Everyone here today has made a mistake.” After Gao Junxiao finished speaking, there was a slight commotion below, especially among those who had not participated in the fight.
Gao Junxiao stared intently at the soldiers below the field and began to list their questions.
"Mistake 1: Openly violating military discipline, leading fights and brawls, showing no respect for comrades, treating it like child's play."
"Mistake two: Seeing comrades having conflicts, not only do you not try to stop them, but you also join in the fight. This is not loyalty, it is stupidity. The army is not a place for you to show off your heroism."
"Mistake three: When you see your comrades fighting, you hide far away. Is it to protect yourself? Do you think anyone would dare to leave their back to you on the battlefield? Or do you think it's glorious to be a deserter?"
After his words, the soldiers below silently lowered their heads. Whether this was genuine shame or feigned ignorance, only they themselves knew. Lu Xian wanted to applaud his older brother after hearing this, but then the two who had instigated the fight were sentenced to ten days of solitary confinement and taken away by the guards.
Anfu could only helplessly watch as Xu Dongsheng and another brigade commander's beloved general were taken away by the guards, not daring to utter a single word.
Gao Junxiao pondered for a moment and said, "Everyone else should have been put in solitary confinement, but training time is limited. Here's what we'll do: have me copy the military discipline 500 times and hand it in tomorrow. Those who can't read should also trace it 500 times. If you can't finish, just convert it into mileage and do extra training after tomorrow's training session. Understand?"
"Understood," the crowd below reluctantly shouted.
"Speak louder." Gao Junxiao's authoritative voice echoed across the entire playground.
"Understood!" This time the shout had real force.
"Okay, everyone can disband now." Gao Junxiao was really letting everyone rest now, if there was still food in the cafeteria.
Seeing the soldiers running towards the mess hall, Gao Junxiao turned to An Fu and said, "Go back and tell Chief of Staff Tang that if he is dissatisfied with my handling of the situation, he should go directly to Commander Xiong. I was just doing my duty to the Party and the country."
Lu Xian looked at his older brother with admiration from behind them, secretly chuckling to himself that some people in the military camp would probably be fighting a night battle with flashlights tonight.
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