Chapter 1091 Meeting Old Friends

——

As the tires of the Y-20 left two gray-white marks on the runway, the roar gradually weakened and it finally stopped steadily in the center of the apron.

The cabin door slowly lowered, and the metal pedal collided with the ground with a dull "clang" sound, breaking the brief silence at the airport.

The first person to appear at the cabin door was Major General Li Kun, commander of the Northwest Garrison of the Zhongzhou Theater Command.

He was not wearing casual clothes, but a durable training uniform, with two buttons open at the collar, revealing his bronze neck - the mark left by years of running around outdoors.

His skin was dark and rough, with deep lines at the corners of his eyes, but he didn't look old at all. Instead, he exuded a tenacity like wild grass.

He put his hands on his waist, glanced at the welcoming team on the tarmac, and then strode down. His steps were steady and powerful, and every step seemed to step on everyone's heartbeat.

"Commander Wei! Sorry for the long wait!"

Li Kun's voice was loud and rough, like yellow mud. Before Wei Jingfang came forward, he stretched out his hand. His palm was as rough as sandpaper, and his grip was so strong that Wei Jingfang frowned slightly.

"No, no, we in the Western Theater Command have been waiting for Commander Li for a long time!"

General Wei Jingfang, commander of the Western Theater Command, did not dare to be arrogant towards Li Kun. There was no airs of superior treating his subordinate in his tone. Instead, he was deliberately flattering him.

"Hahahaha—I didn't expect that I, Li Kun, am quite famous. My fame has even spread to your Western Theater! I'm so ashamed. My fame is just a small one, not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning, hahahaha—"

.....

Seeing Li Kun's serious look, the core members of the Standing Committee of the Western Theater Command, including the person involved, Wei Jingfang, couldn't help but doubt themselves.

Isn't this just empty talk? How could the other party be so genuine? Could it be that they actually did something earth-shattering in the Zhongzhou War Zone?

Li Kun noticed everyone's subtle reactions and secretly laughed at them, but he didn't beat around the bush and got straight to the point:

"Commander Wei, everyone, Deputy Commander Yu and I have already made this plan on the plane—I'll give you the lowdown upon landing, and we'll finalize the garrison plan for the energy lines this afternoon. We in the Zhongzhou Theater are quick and decisive. If we can decide today, we won't leave it until tomorrow!"

This unconcealed strength and heroism, without the deliberate reserve of senior generals, carries an aura of "I have the final say".

The standing committee members of the Western Theater secretly exchanged glances. Zhang Shouzheng quietly straightened his back, and Zhou Yifeng's fingers unconsciously stroked his cuffs - they had long expected that the Zhongzhou Theater, as the 'Party A', would be difficult to fool, but they did not expect that Li Kun's aura would be so "strong".

A major general from the Zhongzhou theater, facing a group of lieutenant generals and even generals from his own theater, immediately wanted to take control of the situation...

Of course, this was just a secret thought. Although the Standing Committee members of the Western Theater Command were not happy about it, considering that the situation was stronger than them, they could only smile and nod in agreement, swallowing their anger.

But soon, their attention was unconsciously drawn to Yu Zhengguo who was standing behind Li Kun.

Yu Zhengguo was wearing the same starry sky camouflage training uniform as Li Kun. The star emblem on the collar was particularly eye-catching in the sun. His temperament was much calmer than Li Kun's, and there was no extra expression on his face. However, when his eyes swept across the Standing Committee of the Western Theater Command, there was a subtle fluctuation.

"Commander Yu." Wei Jingfang spoke first, his tone softer than to Li Kun, but with a subtle sense of distance, "I didn't expect to see you again in this capacity."

Yu Zhengguo extended his hand and shook his gently, his fingertips touching before he withdrew: "Commander Wei, fellow veteran leaders and comrades, how are you?"

That one sentence suddenly made the atmosphere complicated. Dong Ping took a half step forward, wanting to ask, "How is the 77th Regiment doing now?" But he swallowed the words back. Now that Yu Zhengguo was in the Central Plains War Zone, asking this question was both a test and a revelation.

Zhou Yifeng nodded slightly, a slight nod, the familiarity of an old leader meeting an old subordinate, but then quickly withdrew. Zhang Shouzheng's gaze lingered on him for two seconds, scanning from his epaulettes to his collar, as if confirming something. Ultimately, he just twitched the corner of his mouth and said nothing.

Yu Zhengguo took in all the subtle reactions, but didn't respond. He simply turned to Li Kun and said, "Commander, everyone in the Western Theater is an old acquaintance, so subsequent communication will be convenient."

This statement may seem ordinary, but it carries a deeper meaning—he understands the ins and outs of the Western theater, and it also makes it clear that his position has changed.

Li Kun patted Yu Zhengguo on the shoulder and laughed out loud. "It's for this reason that the theater has sent Deputy Commander Yu along! Commander Wei, don't worry, we won't have an amateur commanding the experts. Deputy Commander Yu will talk to you about the oil field and he'll make sure we understand everything."

There was trust in his words, but also a strong sense of "I know your situation well", which made Wei Jingfang feel a little uncomfortable - Yu Zhengguo's existence was like a thorn, connecting the old relationship and the new position.

Dong Ping finally whispered, "Deputy Commander Yu, are the old men from the 77th Regiment... okay?"

Yu Zhengguo's gaze fell on him, and after a pause, he said calmly, "Everything is fine. After being incorporated into the Zhongzhou War Zone, our equipment and supplies have caught up, and our combat effectiveness is stronger than before."

Without further explanation and without leaving room for further questions, it both responded to the old feelings and drew a clear line.

He's like, "Don't ask, I'm afraid the Central Plains War Zone will misunderstand me..."

Wei Jingfang interrupted the awkward conversation at the right moment, raising his hand as a gesture of invitation: "Commander Li, Deputy Commander Yu, please go to the headquarters and take a seat. We have already prepared the detailed plan."

He deliberately spoke faster, trying to avoid the previous topic.

The appearance of Yu Zhengguo is not only a "window" for the Western Theater to understand Zhongzhou, but also a reminder of the scar of "losing the 77th Legion". No one wants to reveal this complicated emotion at this moment.

Li Kun strode forward, saying as he walked, "Great! I like people who get things done! Oh, and Commander Wei, don't have a banquet tonight, just two boxed lunches will do—getting things done is better than anything else!"

After the words fell, General Wei Jingfang, the commander of the Western Theater Command, who barely kept up with Li Kun, couldn't help but smile bitterly:

"Hahaha—how could that be? Commander Li and Deputy Commander Yu are distinguished guests representing Commander Gu of the Central Plains War Zone. How could we not treat them well?"

"Comrade Shouzheng and Comrade Zou Yuan still remember your hospitality. Although our Western Theater Command cannot compare to the Central Plains Theater Command, we must treat you, Commander Li, and Deputy Commander Yu well today, even if we have to tighten our belts!"

...

Yu Zhengguo followed behind, listening calmly to the greetings between Li Kun and Wei Jingfang. He was surrounded by the standing committee members of the Western Theater Command. The Chief of Staff of the Western Theater Command and the Deputy Commander of the Western Theater Command Zhou Yifeng on his left and right were all his old superiors, but no one spoke up to chat at this moment.

The wind swept the dust, sweeping across the epaulettes of the crowd, as if to quietly cover up those unspoken temptations and complexities—

From the first moment they met, this cooperation was destined to be more than just an energy delivery, but also a game between old relationships and new situations.