On this side, Cheng Rui and Da Shan Qiangzi had a rather uneventful journey. They encountered small prey, snakes twice, and even spotted a wild boar in the distance, but they managed to descend the mountain safely.
They went up the mountain in the morning, and now they're back in the afternoon. Not to mention Qin Qinghuai, everyone at the meeting was quite frightened. Cheng Jin and Xi Ping'an stood up immediately, especially Cheng Rui, who was not officially part of the meeting.
Qin Qinghuai, already unsettled, rushed out upon seeing this, grabbing the person anxiously.
"Xiao Rui, what happened? Where's your sister? Where's your sister?"
Cheng Jin had a similar expression. Cheng Rui, seeing his uncle, shrank back in fear before his joy could even surface, and immediately began to stammer.
"No, no, something's wrong. It's not my sister. My sister is fine. Really, brother-in-law, my sister is perfectly alright."
Xi Pingan, sitting behind, quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
"But there's something important. Well, let these two guys tell me, I'm afraid I won't tell you everything."
He turned to look at the two soldiers. This was a big deal, and he, as an unofficial member, should step aside.
Qin Qinghuai was relieved to learn that it wasn't about his wife. However, Cheng Rui, who is usually very clever, didn't say anything today. Was he trying to avoid suspicion?
Everyone present at today's meeting was one of their own, and Commander Lin hadn't really expected such a big deal, so he went straight to asking.
"Tell me, what's up? Have you found the location of the lab?"
Dashan and Qiangzi exchanged a glance, and Dashan spoke.
"Report, Commander, Political Commissar, and other leaders, we haven't found the laboratory, but,"
He paused for a moment,
"An unauthorized coal mine has been discovered,"
The scene was completely silent; Commander Lin even picked at his ear.
"You're one of Battalion Commander Xu's men, named Chen Dashan, right?"
Say what you just said again. What did you discover?
This era is not like later times. This place is rich in all kinds of resources, but they are still in the exploratory stage. To put it bluntly, they are all underground and have not been discovered yet. At this time, the largest coal mine in the entire province is the one in the county town. Coal has almost the same status as iron, or even more important, especially for ordinary people. Without coal coupons, they really can't buy a single thing.
"Think it over carefully, and tell me clearly, what exactly did you find out?"
"Commander, it's coal, coal for heating. You heard me right, a mine. When we went there, there were still people mining inside."
Moreover, they have opened up a road, which appears to have transported the coal out.
However, we don't know where they're being transported. We have limited manpower. Although those people have been drugged, we're unsure if there are others secretly involved. The battalion commander doesn't dare to send people out to investigate.
Moreover, we have no leads on our mission, so please send us down the mountain as soon as possible to report back and let the regimental commander and political commissar make a decision.”
Knowing they wouldn't believe him easily, Cheng Rui untied the bag of food on his body, took out a package, and handed it to Qin Qinghuai.
"Brother-in-law, Uncle Lin, Xiao An asked me to bring this back. It was put in that well. Take a look."
Commander Lin accepted it with some skepticism.
Cheng An was thorough; he didn't just give a perfunctory sample. Although the quantity was small, there were some coal dust and lumps, making it easy to understand at a glance.
To be honest, Commander Lin was a bit confused. Their area was a forest region, and they had been using firewood for heating for years. There was no quota for coal at all, so they couldn't get any.
Even he hasn't seen coal in years.
It took a while for someone to react.
"No, isn't this deep in the mountains? There's coal here too."
Commander Lin was completely surprised, delighted, and bewildered.
"No, logically speaking, it shouldn't be possible. I'm not sure, anyway, I haven't heard of it all these years."
Qin Qinghuai pulled Cheng Rui aside and quietly asked again, only feeling relieved after confirming that Jian Dan was indeed alright.
Over there, Xi Ping'an, Lin Zhengde, Cheng Jin, Commander Lin, and two county leaders were already discussing the matter animatedly. Chen Dashan and Qiangzi, who were squeezed outside, were getting anxious and didn't dare to interrupt. When they saw Qin Qinghuai coming over, they quickly asked for help.
"Political Commissar, shouldn't we hurry up and get the team up to go up the mountain? They're all waiting."
Qin Qinghuai nodded slightly and patted him on the shoulder.
"Don't worry, I know, I'll arrange it right away."
They summoned Regiment Commander Lin, and the two discussed it and decided to transfer another battalion.
"Commander, you stay home for the meeting, I'll go up with you. Anyway, we've covered most of the important topics. You can stay here and we'll discuss the follow-up when you get back."
Given the simple situation described above, Qin Qinghuai was understandably anxious, especially considering the coal issue.
“Okay, speaking of which, you are suitable to be the political commissar. I am good at fighting, but you are the one who should handle this kind of thing. You are meticulous, and you can make the most of everything you do.”
"I'll look after the house. You have full authority to decide what's needed. If you need anything, just send someone down to deliver the message. With me here, you can rest assured about things at home."
"Heh, you trust me that much? Okay, don't worry, I'm here."
He glanced back at the group of people still discussing.
“I will keep a close eye on what we have, but Commander, don’t give up easily. We’ve discovered something on our territory, so we must seize this initiative.”
These are all seasoned veterans, and we don't yet know the specifics of what's going on up there, so we shouldn't make any hasty decisions.
It wasn't that he was worried, after all, one of them was his wife's brother-in-law, and also a leader of the garrison, so it wouldn't be easy for him to get past him. Although Xi Ping'an was the county party secretary, he was also a close relative of the family. Even if something happened, he would definitely side with him. The main thing was that this was not a one-man show like in ancient times. Who knew if the others had bad intentions or if they would spread the news somewhere?
Commander Lin has been able to stay here peacefully for over a decade, which certainly indicates he has both shrewdness and ability. However, if someone were to resort to underhanded tricks or schemes, things could get complicated.
“Commander, if they put pressure on you, you can use this as an excuse to push it onto me. Just say that it’s too early to say anything, and we’ll decide after I come back from my inspection.”
Putting everything else aside, Commander Lin knew his own limitations when it came to using his brain. He could say he hadn't made any mistakes at work over the years, but his men had always been on the verge of starvation. Only after the political commissar arrived did this significant change occur, and he immediately nodded in agreement.
"Don't worry, don't worry, I know that. I only take care of the front, and the logistics are always in your hands. I'm very familiar with this excuse."
"Go ahead with peace of mind. You're planning and strategizing for our military region and our brothers. I promise you, I definitely won't hold you back or stab you in the back."
Here, the troops, having already assembled, had not yet set off when they heard some noises coming from the foot of the mountain. The noises were faint and scattered, and everyone turned to look.
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