Su Hao stood in the corridor on the second floor of the cafeteria with his hands behind his back, silently looking down at the weeping refugees in the hall

"It was an unforgettable scene. Seriously, I feel pretty sick too. From last year to now, the first meal of those newcomers selected from outside the city is similar to now. I can understand their thoughts———— family and friends are dead, wives, children, parents...... We work hard outside just to make their lives better. Now, I finally have the opportunity to eat a good meal, but I can't bring them back to life."

A chubby middle-aged man stood next to Su Hao and muttered to himself. He was dressed in a high-ranking sergeant's uniform, and his chubby figure was noticeably above normal standards. Although the cheeks are rounded by a pile of fat, the wrinkles on the forehead are deep.

His name is Stomach Linghao, and he is the secretary of the canteen.

Perhaps because of his seniority and age, when facing a young officer like Su Hao, Gao Linghao did not show the fear of his subordinates for his superiors, but took out a cigarette from his pocket, and took out one very usually and handed it over.

"I never imagined that the world would become what it is today. Hehe, who would have thought that the monsters in the movie refer to zombies) would actually appear in reality? I've always been an optimist, and I think everything is passable. The first time I saw this scene, I cried with the recruits. Right now...... If you see it too much, you will get used to it. Just let them cry, shedding tears is not a sign of cowardice, crying out, it will feel better. ”

The chubby secretary lit a cigarette and leaned on the railing and smoked slowly, his slightly trembling eyes flashing with meaning.

Su Hao flicked the cigarette ash and asked the old officer, who had just known him for a short time, "Is there anyone else in your family?" ”

Stomach Linghao smiled faintly: "My wife is not in good health and passed away in 98." When it comes to loved ones, there is only one daughter. ”

Su Hao raised his head and asked, "How old is it?" ”

Lao Zeng let out a puff of smoke and replied calmly: "Dead." ”

Su Hao's body stiffened obviously, turned his head, and looked at the secretary standing next to him.

Stomach Linghao looked at the cigarette butt between his fingers, and his face covered with wind and frost nicks revealed helpless melancholy.

"She didn't pass the medical exam. According to the regulations, people with "Category B" constitution are not allowed to enter the base city. Orders were carried out strictly, from the commander to the soldiers, and no one was exempt. Hehe, you don't know how uncomfortable I felt at that time...... must obey military regulations, can't leak secrets, and can't give up his daughter. I couldn't help it, I sold the house, took a three-month long vacation, and used all the money to travel with my daughter everywhere. It was the most wonderful time of my life, and the girl was very happy every day, chirping like a happy bird. ”

"A week before I returned to the team, I took her for another physical examination. Or "Category B". I asked the doctor for some sleeping pills and took her to the most luxurious hotel. At that time, there were special personnel in the army who were responsible for dealing with such problems. I watched my daughter fall asleep, watching her smile and never waking up. Then the medical officer came in with someone, and I didn't know how I came back, my mind was muddy, and I didn't have the strength to do anything...... Now that I think about it, the girl is still happy after all. At least, she didn't starve like the people below, and she was worse than dead. ”

Su Hao looked at Lao Zeng for a few seconds and slowly withdrew his gaze.

Lao Zeng smoked slowly, and his slow way of speaking was very much in line with his age of forty or fifty.

"I heard about your wife. Her name is Li Xinyan, right? Yu is good, to be able to stand up at that time, this is like a woman who is a soldier. It's ridiculous———— we've been on the lookout for mutated creatures from outside the city, but no one has imagined that there is a hidden danger inside the city. Remember what the Great Leader said? ”

"What?"

"The strongest fortresses often start to crumble from within."

Su Hao was about to reply, but saw a young lieutenant coming over in the corridor next to him. He stood more than three meters away in front of Su Hao, raised his hand and saluted.

"Lieutenant Colonel Su Hao, Chief of Staff Chen Yanlin, please come over for a while."

Compared with Xu Renjie's headquarters, the office of the chief of staff of the group army is not large, the furnishings are simple, and it looks neat.

Chen Yanlin sat behind a large desk, his half-used lieutenant general's uniform hanging upright on a high-backed chair. The phrase "age is not forgiving" was perfectly interpreted on his face. His face was thin, his beard was well-shaven, the clutter on the desk was in order, and a large pile of signed documents was classified and coded. Except for the general, who was busy on paper with a pen in hand, there was no superfluous person to be found in the room.

Obviously, these tasks that should have been done by secretaries or adjutants were all handled by Chen Yanlin himself. Maybe it's because he likes it, or it's an alternative performance of refusing to let go.

"Sit down"

Chen Yanlin raised his head and glanced at Su Hao, pointing to the chair opposite the desk, and his tone was slow.

Su Hao sat down as he said. He found that there were no ashtrays on the spotless desk, and the room was filled with a faint aroma of flower tea.

During the first conversation, Su Hao paid attention to these details.

He didn't know what it was, but he suddenly remembered Xu Renjie's suffocating office filled with smoke, ashtrays full of cigarette butts, and mud-stained footprints on the floor.

The commander and the chief of staff are clearly two very different people.

After writing the signature with his unique skill, Chen Yanlin put away the pen with satisfaction, took off his eyes, and gently pressed the bridge of his nose with his fingers for a few seconds. Then, he opened his eyes and looked at Su Hao who was sitting in front of him with a pleasant face.

"Hehe, you did well on your last mission. To be able to bring back the central computer memory from the field hospital of the 915th Infantry Division is indeed commendable. You know, we've sent people in before, but no one has done a better job than you. I read that right, you're really good, very good. ”

Chen Yanlin has a smile on his face and an amiable attitude, and this intimacy of almost concern makes people feel that it comes from the heart and is not fake at all. It's like a family elder with high morality and blood relationship, and normal care for relatives and nephews.

I don't know what Lu Dao is for, Su Hao suddenly felt a little chill on his body.

It's summer, and the Chengdu Plain is usually hotter than the rest of the world. Despite the air conditioner on, the thermometer hanging on the wall still shows the current room temperature at 28 degrees Celsius.

Su Hao felt some faint beads of sweat on the tip of his nose, and he tried his best to control the muscles on his face to make his stiff expression look natural.

"Thank you, thank you, this is what I should do."

Chen Yanlin didn't seem to be satisfied with this answer. He put the pen aside, sat up straight, and looked at Su Hao with interest.

To be precise, attention should be paid to the lieutenant colonel badge on the shoulder of his military uniform.

"This epaulette is a good match for you."

Chen Yanlin rubbed his fingers and said with a pun: "However, with your strength and performance, the two silver stars are still a little less." At least one more should be added, or replaced with a gold star. ”

The three silver stars represent the colonel, and one gold star means the brigadier general.

Su Hao sat calmly in his chair and did not speak.

It's not that he doesn't know how to answer, it's that he feels that it's better to say nothing than to say anything at such a time. Rather than responding to reflect more topics on the other side, it is better for Yu Crisp to remain silent.

The intimacy between him and Chen Yanlin has long been gone with a series of events and changes before and after.

When he first arrived in the new Chengdu base city, Su Hao once felt that Chen Yanlin was a trustworthy and reliable elder.

It was he who turned himself from a civilian into an officer.

Now it seems...... At that time, I was too naïve, or should I say blind.

After all, it is very unlikely that such a thing will happen to you because of your feelings alone, and it is really difficult for it to happen to you.

Chen Yanlin crossed his hands and looked at Su Hao carefully.

Although the other party did not speak, Chen Yanlin had already smelled the faint resistance and coldness in the air.

"Why, aren't you going to say something to me?"

Although he was not very satisfied with Su Hao's attitude, Chen Yanlin did not have a seizure. He was still smiling, his wrinkles squeezing his eyes into two fine slits.

I don't know if Lu Dao didn't understand the general's intentions, or if he didn't want to hide it at all, the expression on Su Hao's face was consistent. The gaze that shot out of his pupils had an elusive ingredient, which made Chen Yanlin feel very uncomfortable and extremely unfamiliar.

"General, you called me over."

Su Hao replied neither humbly nor arrogantly: "Your adjutant took me into the office." He's out there right now. ”

There is no honorific title "you", but "you" is used as a pronoun.

A change in tone usually means a change in attitude.

Chen Yanlin slowly frowned.

He didn't understand what Su Hao's opinion of himself would change? However, judging from the current situation, Su Hao's impression of himself is turning into a negative one, and he no longer has the intimacy and respect he had before.

What exactly is this for?

Chen Yanlin pondered for a moment and decided not to continue to pursue this issue.

"Come to my place for dinner in the evening, the base distributed a batch of fresh mutton and vegetables yesterday morning, my wife's yellow stewed mutton is very good, you will like it."

After issuing an invitation with an obvious sense of wooing, Chen Yanlin casually picked up a document from the desk shelf and opened it.

"I have to congratulate you on your assumption of the post of Commander of the Eleventh Independent Force. Anyway, you did Commander Xu a great favor this time. The central computer of the field hospital stored a large amount of confidential information that was important to anyone. With your merits, you can be directly assigned to a combat unit as a battalion commander or regimental commander. Hehe...... However, you have to understand that some of the rules of the 71st Army are different from those of other troops. Matters such as the appointment and dismissal of officers must be signed by Commander Xu before they can take effect. Of course, the Eleventh Independent Army is part of the Supplementary Armament Body, which has the great advantage of not specifying ———— number of troops. ”

Su Hao's eyes flashed with an elusive gaze.

He understood the hidden meaning of Chen Yanlin's words.

First, the chief of staff is sowing discord between himself and the commander of the group army.

In times of war, there is nothing more tempting for a soldier, especially an officer, than to be the commander of a combat unit. Although Chen Yanlin only said lightly, he told Su Hao that this was actually an unfair treatment of him.

Second, which is the last sentence, the 11th Independent Army has no upper limit on the number of soldiers, which is the key intention that the other side wants to express.

Chen Yanlin looked at Su Hao with concern, his eyes full of kindness and kindness.

"In peacetime, the normal procedure for growing from an ordinary soldier to an officer in a combat unit takes three to five years. In the meantime, it is necessary to pass the military academy training and! A series of rigorous assessments. This time last year, you were just a civilian. Of course, I do not deny that many people are born with military qualities, and their fighting instincts are even sharper than those of professional soldiers. Su Hao, you have never received systematic military training丨However, you are now the commander of a second-line combat unit, and you must be responsible for your subordinates. War is not a computer game that can be saved infinitely, and many people will die because of it, but few people ask if it's worth it. ”

Su Hao looked at Chen Yanlin and asked calmly, "General, what do you want to tell me?" ”

"Don't be nervous, I've always been very optimistic about you, I don't want you to make a mistake on this issue, and then be grabbed by someone with ulterior motives, so that you will collapse."

Through the large well-organized desk, Chen Yanlin's tone was full of concern and seriousness: "The Eleventh Independent Army is an empty shelf. That's right, the logistics department of the army group has equipped you with enough weapons and supplies, vehicles, fuel, medical detachments and food supplies. But this unit still lacks the most critical thing———— except for you, the 11th Independent Army has no instructors, no instructors and no discipline supervisors. It's like you're going to paint on a blank sheet of paper, but you don't have a pen or paint. ”

Su Hao opened his lips slightly, revealing a very good-looking smile: "What advice do you want to give me?" ”

"I can help you enough————"

Chen Yanlin's face was full of confidence and pride. Despite his old appearance, he has an irresistible toughness in his brain: "I can delegate some sergeants to you as instructors for the 11th Independent Army." They are strong veterans who have fought in the most terrible battles on the Eastern Front, and their experience in this area is un......"

"How much?"

Su Hao lightly interrupted Chen Yanlin's words: "How many people are there?" ”

The sudden interruption made Chen Yanlin feel stunned that he was suppressed by a heavy volley.

He never thought that Su Hao would actually speak to him in such a tone.

Just like a child who was judged by the teacher to be a "poor student" from the first day of school, he was called by parents and teachers all day long, ridiculed and scolded, and one day when he was punished by the head teacher for not doing his homework, he suddenly roared and rushed to the podium, picked up a pencil and stabbed it into the eyes of the head teacher, which was unacceptable and shocking for a while.

Chen Yanlin's eyes suddenly became gloomy, and the expression on his face was very distorted, but it became very exciting, mixed with anger and coldness, which made people shudder.

He stopped talking, staring at Su Hao's gaze literally burning.

Su Hao was the first to break the silence, which showed that he was not afraid of the cold attitude of the chief of staff of the group army.

"General, how many men are you going to send me?"

Without waiting for Chen Yanlin to answer, Su Hao continued: "I know that you want to mix sand with water, and you want to use abnormal means to control this army. The people who are sent must be your confidants, and the reasons are also high-sounding. As you just said———— the 11th Separate Force is an empty shelf, and I need instructors and manpower. I can't refuse your offer from any point of view, can I? ”

Chen Yanlin stared at Su Hao with those eyes that were insightful of the world, carefully distinguishing every trace of strangeness on the other party's face.

From the moment Su Hao walked into the office, the conversation has been carried out according to Chen Yanlin's script.

However, even he didn't realize that things would go wrong at the most critical time.

After a long time, Chen Yanlin coughed a few times, sat upright, and said casually: "Well, in this matter, it seems that I am too subjective." Tell us about your thoughts, since you can say those words just now, it shows that you have similar thoughts for more than a day or two. Be honest, it's good for both of us. ”

"Benefits?"

When repeating this word, Su Hao obviously accentuated his tone.

This made Chen Yanlin feel very bad, but he couldn't say what it was.

"General, remember the first time we met?"

Su Hao didn't care about Chen Yanlin's extremely ugly face, and said to himself: "You said that in Base City, you are my most trustworthy and reliable person. However, all the problems that followed showed that this sentence was wrong———— you are a person who has a deep desire to control power. With your connections and foundation, I'm sure most of what happens in this city won't be hidden from your eyes. ”

"You should know about the dispute between me and Chen Jiarong on the day I entered the city."

"You must know what happened to me at the officer training camp."

"You must know about the dispute between the Yuan family and me, as well as the trap that Yuan Hao laid against me in the civilian area."

"You also know that the search mission of the field hospital of the 915th Infantry Division is extremely dangerous, and the mortality rate is almost 100 percent."

"All these problems, I haven't received any warning from you, okay, maybe I'm too arbitrary, your ability to control the 71st Group Army and the new Chengdu Base City is far less stable than I imagined. And what about after the fact? What did you do when these problems kept coming? There is no remedial work, and there is not enough help and support. The only thing you did was yell at me in this office. Admittedly, you have all sorts of reasons to excuse what you've done, and there are enough excuses to tell me to be patient. But none of this was what I wanted. Even though you keep saying that you are standing behind me, and that you are worthy of my reliance on as if you were the strongest stone wall, I have never seen you when things went wrong. ”