As the snow begins to melt between the countryside and the city, the weather is at its coldest of the year, and the winter winds howl throughout the city, plunging the normally bustling city into a kind of silence.

The sky was dark and dreary, as if it was about to snow again, and pedestrians wore heavy coats and walked quickly through the streets to avoid suffering another snowfall.

And in this lonely city, a group of men in military uniforms walked through the streets and alleys, walking unhurriedly. Unlike other pedestrians, they walk smoothly and with the neatness that comes with being accustomed to a disciplined life. They were in small formations, and even their steps were very homogeneous, and it didn't look like they were walking, but a bit like they were being reviewed.

What is even more unusual is that the faces of this group of soldiers are very young, and they all have the kind of passion on their faces that has not been consumed by human sophistication.

And the man in the lead was looking ahead with blazing eyes. He looked a little older, close to 30 years old, and his skin was a little darkened from the sun and rain. His expression was very calm, even a little humble, but there was a faint unquestionable firmness characteristic of an officer. Like the soldiers behind him, he wore a blue military coat, and the uniform made his figure look very straight and full of heroic spirit. They all looked stern, as if they were participating in a long expedition.

In the midst of the cold winter wind, the group of people kept moving forward with the silence peculiar to soldiers, causing many passers-by to stop and watch curiously, wondering what was happening in the capital.

The footsteps of this group of soldiers. It wasn't until they came to St. Michael's Square, where the Ministry of Railways was located, that they slowed down.

And then. Amidst the gatekeeper's curious face, the leading officer walked up to the gatekeeper. Then I greeted him kindly. "Hello, I am Major Lucien-Leflaire, and I have been ordered to come to your headquarters today to be dispatched."

……………………

In the lobby of the office building of the Ministry of Railways, the current Minister of Railways, Count Delion Delion, looked at the group of soldiers standing respectfully and solemnly in front of him with a smile.

Because of the importance of the matter, many officials of the Ministry of Railways also stood beside him and greeted the group of people together.

Many of the people already knew one thing—that is, Major Lucien-Leflaire, who had led the party today, was the Count's son-in-law.

And because of that. They couldn't help but look at this group of soldiers a little more kindly.

"Major Leflair, you're here sooner than we thought." As soon as the Count saw them, he greeted them, and then shook Lucien's hand, "I hope we can make a good impression on you." ”

"Your Excellency, I am very grateful for your hospitality." Lucien was not joking with his father-in-law, he first saluted the Earl who had come by, and then shook the Earl's hand respectfully, "Please send me as you would like to treat me as a general clerk." I am very honored to be here to study at your department. ”

While holding his father-in-law's hand, he quietly looked at the office building of the Ministry of Railways, which is known for its luxury.

Although the sky is overcast outside, the crystal chandeliers hanging in the lobby and the golden wall lamps make the lights brilliant. It's as bright as day. In the center of the wall is a large national flag, while on the side walls are various maps, as well as a map of the railway layout and branches of each region. Just go around the wall and you can almost see the basic situation of the ministry at a glance. Even the flooring is made of high-quality stone. There is also a thick red carpet on it.

This kind of arrangement, although it is slightly cheesy. But there is no doubt that Xiàn has enough money to make it a bit like a high-end hotel rather than a government department.

Sure enough, it lives up to its name, just a hall, how much money has already been spent! Lucien thought to herself.

What he didn't know was that this kind of fancy arrangement was carefully explained by Charles when he was still in the Ministry of Railways. The purpose is to let every employee know how powerful and responsible their department is, and also to let every visitor know that the department is rich and powerful.

In this magnificent and luxurious environment, under the attention of his father-in-law and a large group of officials of the Ministry of Railways, Lucien suddenly felt a little uncomfortable, and his plain and straight waist suddenly loosened a little.

To be honest, in his heart, it was much more comfortable for him to be in a military camp with poor conditions and dictate to the hundreds of people under his command than to be in such a high-profile mansion and be scrutinized by a group of middle-aged officials.

He wasn't the only one who thought so, and the group of young people behind him were uncomfortable and seemed even more overwhelmed than he was.

This group of young officers, who had just graduated from the military academy and whose faces were still very young and immature, did not know what a brilliant future they would face, so now they were only secretly distressed that they had been given a drudgery that could not be refused.

The battlefields they had once imagined were full of glory and fire, full of dangerous wilderness and even deserts, and suddenly they were replaced by this completely unfamiliar environment. In this environment, the tactics and military skills they had learned before seemed to be completely useless. This gap between ideals and reality makes almost everyone deeply doubt whether they have come to the wrong place.

In just a moment, the old and sophisticated Count Delier saw through the thoughts of this group of young people, but he didn't say anything, just shook Lucien's hand again, "Lucien, it seems that your subordinates are a little tired, they must have been in a hurry, right?" Why don't you take a break? ”

This subtle reminder brought Lucien to his nerves of discomfort, and he remembered exactly how important Charles wanted his task to be.

"No, we are all military and don't need excessive rest, you don't have to worry."

In reply to the minister, he turned his head and stared at his men with stern eyes.

Under his gaze, these non-commissioned officers hurriedly threw away the laxity they had generated before, and once again returned to the proper demeanor of soldiers.

"Oh? Do you want us to arrange a job when you first arrive? This really makes us a little embarrassed......" The minister sighed a little regretfully, then waved his hand and summoned his secretary, "Have they already done what they have done to those people?" ”

"The Railways and the Telegraph have been informed in advance, Your Excellency." The secretary replied respectfully, "They have deployed special personnel who are ready to receive and train learners." ”

"Good." After hearing the secretary's reply, Count Delier nodded with satisfaction, and then looked at Lucien again, "Lucien, since you insist, let's start now." We are completely open to you here, and you are free to learn from it...... I wish you all a qiē shun lì. ”

"Thank you, Your Excellency." Lucien hurriedly bowed to the minister.

"Well, I still have some things to do here, so I'll see you first." The minister nodded, then pointed to his secretary, "Then he will be in charge of your reception, if you have any questions, just tell him." ”

With that, he left the hall and returned to his other schedule, and the other officials dispersed, and the hall suddenly fell silent again.

Just as the secretary was about to take the group to their respective departments, Lucien suddenly whispered a few words to the secretary, and then left first.

Lucien took advantage of this opportunity to give a final lecture to his men.

"Listen, maybe you can't believe what a great opportunity you've got." He paced in front of this group of respectful and solemn young men, and glanced over one by one, his stern gaze making everyone dare not look at him, "However, I can tell you that I have been ordered to have full authority to dispose of you, and I will strictly demand you according to the standards of the army, and if you have any slack in the following work, it will be tantamount to dereliction of duty on the battlefield!" I will observe the appearance of each and every one of you impartially, and if any of you can be lazy, then it will mean the end of your entire future! Do you understand? ”

"Got it!" Everyone hurriedly stood upright.

"It's good to get it." Lucien nodded, and then said again, "Although Your Excellency said just now that everything is open to us, it is up to you whether you can learn or not, and I hope that you can put aside that unnecessary frustration, conscientiously complete the task, and master the knowledge and skills that you should master, and only in this way can you be entrusted with important tasks in the future - yes, I want to tell you that as long as you can show that you can satisfy me, you will be able to have a brighter future than your classmates in the future. I'm not going to lie! ”

His words aroused a large number of skeptical glances, but he did not want to explain more.

"Also, I'd like to make a special point to you. In case of emergency, as a precaution, you will be given an order," said Lucien unhurriedly, with a solemn expression, "and after receiving the order, you will have to take over the operation of the railroad and the telegraph system." ”

Even with strict restraints, these words caused a huge commotion among this group of young non-commissioned officers.

"Sir...... Isn't that ...... Isn't it ......" A young non-commissioned officer seemed to perceive the implication behind such an order, and looked at Lucien with some uneasiness, "does this not mean a military takeover?" ”

It took him a lot of effort to swallow the word "military coup" in his mouth.

"If you think so, then so." After a moment of silence, Lucien replied. "So, you have to hurry up to master this knowledge so that you don't get scrambling when it comes to the end, understand?!" (To be continued......) R1292