Chapter 1079 Returning to Night to Report

Night market in Ye Province, evening.

The setting sun was as red as blood, casting a cold metallic luster on the densely packed rails and huge gantry cranes of the Xishui Railway Freight Station.

As the railway hub of the Zhongzhou War Zone, Xishui Railway Station has undergone several rounds of expansion. Its scale is no longer comparable to the original small station. The air is filled with a tense atmosphere mixed with rust, engine oil and hot sweat for a long time.

On the steel rails shining with cold light, eight dark green freight military trains are lined up waiting for dispatch. The white painted words such as "ammunition", "compressed dry food" and "fuel" on the carriages are particularly eye-catching.

On both sides of the platform, soldiers wearing starry sky camouflage training uniforms with their sleeves neatly rolled up to their forearms were working in groups of two, carrying canvas-wrapped supplies into the carriages, with sweat dripping from their foreheads.

The hum of the forklift, the creak of the gantry crane, and the dispatcher's radio instructions mixed together, as neatly as if they had been rehearsed in advance.

At this moment, the platform and surrounding areas at the innermost part of the station had been cleared in advance, replaced by soldiers from the elite garrison regiment of the Central Plains War Zone, who were armed with live ammunition, wearing "Dragon Tooth" light combat equipment, and had a tough temperament.

They were spread out at various key points in standard tactical formations, occupying all commanding heights and entrances and exits to ensure that no outsiders could get close.

buzz-

Soon, the vibration of the rails came from the southeast, becoming heavier and heavier.

A military train with heavy-duty armored carriages slowly drove into the platform. The ferocious armored front of the train looked heavy and domineering. After a long "hiss" sound was emitted from the friction between the wheels and the rails, the heavy-duty armored carriages were finally braked steadily to a stop on the platform section marked "VIP Channel".

"Clang-"

As the door of the heavy-duty protective compartment was opened, Li Kun's loud voice floated out:

"Damn it, my back is almost broken from all this bumping!"

He still looked carefree, with his dog collar button unbuttoned and an unlit cigarette in his mouth. He stepped off the train with quick and decisive movements.

As soon as he stood firm, he raised his hand and tugged at his collar, his eyes sweeping over the soldiers and guards busying back and forth on the platform. There was an irrepressible excitement and brilliance in the depths of his eyes, like a hungry wolf smelling meat.

"Wow! Old Yu, what a grand ceremony we're having back to the war zone! It's worth all the hard work Old Li has put in every day!"

The person who got off the car after Li Kun was Yu Zhengguo. Unlike Li Kun, a cadre who was transferred from the core of the war zone, Yu Zhengguo did not have the same sense of relaxation as Li Kun about "going home".

After he stepped firmly onto the platform, he subconsciously began to straighten the collar and epaulettes of his military uniform, which were slightly wrinkled due to the long journey, to restore his neat military appearance.

As a new outsider cadre, he was obviously much more cautious in his actions, and he focused on being calm and steady so as not to give people any room for criticism.

After all, as a mature military leader, Yu Zhengguo has experienced and seen a lot in his decades of military career. He knows that when getting an advantage, the most important thing is to avoid being in the spotlight.

He couldn't guess what the commander was thinking when the good job of garrisoning the Northwest Army fell on his head as an outsider. However, the way to achieve long-term success was to avoid jealousy and hatred among local cadres.

So after hearing Li Kun's yelling, Yu Zhengguo didn't respond immediately. Instead, he carefully glanced at the platform and then whispered, "Old Li, hold back. Maybe a leader will come to pick us up."

His voice was low, but it carried a quiet power: "You and I now represent the soon-to-be-established Northwest Garrison. So many eyes are watching our every move."

Just as Yu Zhengguo finished speaking, a steady and powerful sound of footsteps suddenly came from the front of the platform.

They saw Lieutenant General Wang Tiefeng, commander of the theater army, striding towards them surrounded by a group of senior staff officers and security personnel.

Wang Tiefeng's figure was like an iron tower, and he was dressed in a straight general's uniform. The stars on his epaulettes shone brightly under the platform lights. His face had his usual majesty, but there was a hint of imperceptible gentleness in his eyes as he looked at the two of them.

"Hello, Chief!"

Facing this war zone army leader whom he had met many times in video conferences, Yu Zhengguo immediately restrained all his expressions, straightened his body, raised his hand and saluted with a standard and powerful military salute. His movements were clean and neat, and were filled with respect from the heart.

Seeing this, Li Kun quickly put away his playful smile, stood at attention and saluted, saying, "Hello, Chief!"

Wang Tiefeng walked closer and first returned the military salute with a serious face, then scanned the two men carefully, as if checking whether they were intact.

Then, a genuine smile slowly spread across his serious face. He stretched out his big hand and patted Yu Zhengguo's arm heavily.

"Comrade Zhengguo, thank you for your hard work! The battle in Yucheng has demonstrated the might of our Zhongzhou Theater! Well done!"

After saying that, he turned to Li Kun, patted his shoulder just as vigorously, and scolded him with a smile: "And you, Li Kun! I heard that you're always wandering around under the banner of the chief."

Li Kun was not nervous when Wang Tiefeng patted his shoulder and asked him this question. Instead, he swayed slightly with the force of the pat on his shoulder, and then relieved the force. A smile that was both aggrieved and flattering immediately appeared on his face. His movements were so skillful that it seemed as if he had rehearsed it countless times.

"Oh my great commander! You are really wronging me!" He cried out in a loud voice, causing several staff officers nearby to curl their lips slightly.

"How dare I use the commander's name? I always keep the commander's instructions and the needs of the war zone in mind and etch them in my brain!"

He straightened his back and explained seriously, "I'm just thinking that the leader is very busy and is concerned about the overall situation. As subordinates, we should take the initiative to share his worries and do our work in a proactive manner, right?"

He then changed the subject, speaking with a sly, almost self-deprecating tone. He lowered his voice, making sure everyone around him could hear, "I went to the front lines, conducted on-the-ground research, and gained a precise understanding of the actual conditions and difficulties faced by each unit! Look, after my tour, I've gained quite a bit!"

He patted his chest, his expression apologetic. "Commander, can you call me just wandering around? I'm clearly making a precise attack, figuring out the details and creating favorable conditions for opening up a new situation in the war zone! If this is wrong, then I'll really only be able to stay in the headquarters and look at maps from now on!"

Wang Tiefeng was so angry at his smooth talk that he cursed with laughter, pointed at him and said to Zhengguo, "Zhengguo, look at this! I just asked this one question, and he's already got ten or eight more questions waiting for me! So many twisted theories!"

Having said that, the smile in Wang Tiefeng's eyes showed that he was not really angry. Instead, he had a helpless admiration for Li Kun's cleverness.

Of course, he knew Li Kun's personality, and he also knew that although this guy was eccentric, his ability and overall view were impeccable, otherwise he would not have won the favor of the leader and such an important appointment.

"Alright, alright, stop talking nonsense to me!" Wang Tiefeng waved his hand, interrupting Li Kun who was still trying to continue his performance:

"Achievements are achievements, and faults are faults! The War Zone will remember your achievements, but as for your habit of wandering around, you have to control it from now on! In the Northwest, you represent the reputation of the War Zone, so be more cautious!"

"Yes! The commander is right! Make sure you hold back!" Li Kun immediately stood at attention and decided to quit while he was ahead.

Wang Tiefeng didn't bother to argue with him anymore, his eyes becoming serious again. "Let's go, the car is ready. The commander is still waiting to hear your detailed ideas about the northwest. Time is short and the task is heavy."

Upon hearing this, Yu Zhengguo immediately responded in a deep voice: "Yes!"

Li Kun also stopped joking and said seriously, "I understand!"

Soon, led by Wang Tiefeng, the two men walked quickly towards the armed convoy waiting outside the station.