Chapter 1200 The Growing Relationship Between Brothers

At dawn, the Central Plains Theater Command headquarters

As the sun rose, it cast a pale golden glow over the solemn headquarters of the war zone.

After undergoing rigorous inspection, a Mengshi 3 armored assault vehicle slowly drove into the north gate of the agency.

The towering 20-meter-high protective wall, constructed of reinforced concrete and alloy plates, casts a huge shadow. The numerous firing ports and surveillance cameras on the wall silently testify to the strict security and inviolable authority of this place.

Passing through the deep doorway felt like entering another world.

The vehicle traveled along the wide, straight, and spotless internal roads and finally came to a smooth stop in front of that iconic building—the Central Plains Theater Command Building.

The building is entirely in a solemn Zhou Bang red color, with a square and solid shape. Although it is only ten stories high, it exudes an unquestionable sense of majesty and oppression due to the supreme authority it carries, against the backdrop of the surrounding low buildings and vast space. Each window seems to be a calm eye scrutinizing the outside world.

The car door opened, and a young officer wearing a starry camouflage training uniform and cadet collar insignia nimbly jumped out of the car.

It was Gu Chengyun. He was tall and straight, and his face resembled Gu Chengyuan's, but his brows still carried the naivety and sharpness honed in military school, lacking some of his elder brother's depth and majesty.

As soon as he stood still, a figure who had been waiting at the door immediately strode forward to greet him.

The newcomer was also dressed in a crisp starry sky camouflage training uniform, with the rank of senior colonel with two bars and four stars prominently displayed on his shoulder insignia. He was none other than Zhou Guihong, the secretary-general of the Secretariat of the Commander of the Central Plains Theater Command.

"Comrade Cheng Yun! Welcome, welcome!" Zhou Guihong's face was beaming with a warm and just-right smile. She extended her hand from a few steps away, her tone friendly yet respectful.

Gu Chengyun clearly recognized Zhou Guihong and immediately gave a standard military salute before shaking her hand: "Secretary-General Zhou, hello! How could I trouble you to come down and greet me personally?"

"Oh, what are you saying? It's rare for you to come back. The commander doesn't have anything urgent to attend to, so it's only right that I come down to greet you." Zhou Guihong waved her hand with a smile, casually brushing aside this "special treatment," and then asked with concern:

"Are you getting used to everything at military academy? I heard the training has been quite heavy lately?"

"Thank you for your concern, Secretary-General. I'm used to it. The training is quite intense, but I can keep up." Gu Chengyun replied concisely and appropriately, but his gaze unconsciously swept quickly across the red building in front of him, a symbol of the core of power, and a trace of barely perceptible awe flashed deep in his eyes.

This is where his brother took charge of the Zhou state.

"You'll get used to it. It's good for young people to endure hardship." Zhou Guihong nodded with a smile, turning slightly to gesture as if to guide him.

"Let's go, the commander should be in his office right now. I'll take you up there."

"Thank you for your trouble." Gu Chengyun thanked him again.

Zhou Guihong said no more and led Gu Chengyun into the government building.

The guards standing at the entrance snapped to attention and saluted, their movements perfectly synchronized and their eyes sharp. Stepping inside the building, a solemn, quiet, yet highly efficient atmosphere immediately greeted you.

The smooth, mirror-like floor reflected people's shadows. The staff walked hurriedly but silently. When they saw Zhou Guihong, they all stopped and nodded respectfully. When their eyes lingered briefly on Gu Chengyun, they all showed a knowing and cautious respect.

Zhou Guihong led Gu Chengyun directly to a private elevator, pressed the button for the top floor, and the elevator ascended smoothly. The small space was unusually quiet.

Soon, with a soft "ding," the elevator doors slowly opened.

The rooftop corridor was even more spacious and quiet, the carpet absorbing all footsteps. Zhou Guihong led Gu Chengyun to the heavy solid wood door at the end of the corridor, where there was also a sentry post.

Zhou Guihong nodded slightly to the sentry, then gently knocked on the door.

"report!"

"Come in." Gu Chengyuan's familiar voice, which seemed to carry an indescribable weight, came from inside the door.

As soon as she finished speaking, Zhou Guihong pushed open the door, turned to Gu Chengyun and gestured for him to enter, but instead of following him in immediately, she whispered:

"Commander, Comrade Chengyun has arrived."

Gu Chengyun took a deep breath, straightened his non-existent collar wrinkles, and stepped into the office that symbolized the highest authority of the Central Plains War Zone, and even the current "Zhou Bang's End-of-Day Emergency Military Committee".

As Gu Chengyun stepped into the office, the first thing that caught his eye was the floor-to-ceiling window that occupied an entire wall. Outside the window was the outline of the settlement gradually awakening under the rising sun. The view was expansive, as if the entire territory under his jurisdiction was within his sight.

His older brother, Gu Chengyuan, was sitting behind a large, heavy mahogany desk, writing furiously.

Hearing the noise, he simply said without looking up, "You're here. Find yourself a seat."

His voice was flat, with the usual tone of someone handling official business, revealing little emotion.

"Yes, brother." Gu Chengyun responded subconsciously, his voice lower than usual.

Pu Guangqiang, the guard who had been waiting nearby, silently stepped forward and led Gu Chengyun to a set of sofas placed against the wall.

The sofa is made of genuine leather and is very comfortable to sit on, but like the overall atmosphere of the office, it exudes an indescribable sense of solemnity.

Pu Guangqiang skillfully brewed him a cup of hot tea and placed it on the coffee table in front of him. Then, he quietly retreated to the shadowy corner near the door, like a sculpture blending into the background, trying his best to minimize his presence.

Gu Chengyun held the warm teacup in both hands, feeling the warmth emanating from the porcelain walls with his fingertips, but it couldn't dispel the chill that was quietly rising in his heart.

The office became unusually quiet.

All that remained was the soft scratching of Gu Chengyuan's pen as it swiftly scribbled across the document.

The sound was not loud, but it was exceptionally clear, as if every stroke of the pen determined the fate of countless people in the distance.

Gu Chengyun couldn't help but quietly raise his eyes to look at his brother, who was working at his desk not far away.

Compared to the older brother he remembered who always had a gentle smile and would even ruffle his hair, the Gu Chengyuan before him... had changed.

It was still that familiar face, but the lines seemed more defined and sharp, the jawline taut, and the brows held an inescapable air of composure and focus befitting a person in a position of power.

He was dressed in a crisp, dark green general's uniform, the stars on his epaulets gleaming with a cold, dazzling light in the morning light streaming in from the window.

The gentle and warm temperament that once made people feel like they were bathed in a spring breeze seems to have been replaced by an invisible and heavy aura.

It's an aura that naturally settles down after wielding the power of life and death and shouldering heavy responsibilities.

There's no need to deliberately flaunt it; simply sitting there quietly makes one feel as if they've become the center of the entire space's gravitational field, causing people to involuntarily hold their breath and concentrate.

Gu Chengyun suddenly felt somewhat restrained, even... somewhat unfamiliar...