Chapter 1211 Deputy Theater Commander Arrives in Person!

Half an hour later, at the Lin'an assembly point field airfield.

This airport is less of an airport and more of a main road that has been urgently cleared, reinforced and extended.

The "terminals" on both sides consist of rows of camouflage tents and prefabricated houses, giving the whole site a sense of haste and ruggedness unique to the post-apocalyptic world.

At this moment, the airport has entered a state of high alert.

The main access road to the runway was blocked by sandbag fortifications and armored vehicles equipped with heavy machine guns.

Soldiers in combat uniforms, armed with live ammunition, were stationed in every corner with grim expressions. Wheeled infantry fighting vehicles were even deployed at key locations, with their dark cannon muzzles pointing warily towards the outside.

The air was filled with the smell of diesel fuel, dust, and a silent, oppressive atmosphere.

The tarmac area was under heavy security. Major General Chang Zhiwei stood as straight as a javelin in his crisply starched training uniform, with even the wrinkles carefully ironed. Fine beads of sweat could be seen on his forehead under his hat.

His eyes were fixed on the end of the runway, his heart pounding like a drum, filled with both the tension of welcoming his superiors and the trepidation of the unknown situation ahead.

Standing slightly behind him, Du Wenyuan also stood upright, but his state of mind was completely different.

After the initial shock and unease subsided, an irrepressible excitement and a desire to uncover the mystery surged within him.

He had a vague feeling that the trajectory of his life and even the fate of his entire family might undergo a dramatic change today.

Yang Zhendong, standing at the very back, looked completely bewildered. He was wearing a worn-out work uniform with some oil stains on the cuffs, which was out of place with the solemn military atmosphere around him.

He was urgently notified to go to the garrison command while dealing with a batch of bolts that urgently needed to be counted at his workplace. Just as the car was about to arrive, he received another order to detour to the airport.

It wasn't until the soldiers led me here that I was told we were there to welcome Lieutenant General Zhou Wei, Director of the Joint Political Work Department of the Theater Command.

This series of unexpected events left his mind in complete disarray.

Lieutenant General Zhou Wei? He's one of the five key figures in the Eastern Theater Command's power structure! He's a man who truly holds the power of life and death!

And what is Yang Zhendong? To put it nicely, he's a battalion commander at the regimental level; to put it bluntly, he's a "logistics contractor" who does the dirty and hard work for the army.

In this era where the military reigns supreme, his status is so low that he's not even worthy of carrying the shoes of a true military leader!

To put it another way, if the current Eastern Theater Command is likened to a massive multinational corporation, then the Yang family is at best a small contract manufacturer attached to the end of the group's industrial chain, which could be replaced at any time.

Now that the core directors of the group headquarters have suddenly arrived for an inspection, why would it be his turn, a small OEM factory owner, to come to the airport to greet them?!

This is completely illogical and against the rules!

He secretly glanced at Chang Zhiwei and Du Wenyuan, who had different expressions, and felt even more uneasy.

As the head of the Yang Group, he had naturally heard of Du Wenyuan. He was a former high-ranking official, so there might be some reason for his actions, but what was he up to?

Before the apocalypse, I was qualified to come, but now? To borrow an internet slang term, in front of the approaching big shot, I'm just a nobody on the street...

Buzz————

Just as he was in a state of utter confusion, the roar of an engine came from the horizon.

A large Y-8 medium transport aircraft, its paint slightly faded, landed on the rough concrete runway with a loud roar, escorted by fighter jets on both sides, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The aircraft slowly taxied to the designated position, the roar of the engines gradually subsided, and ground crew quickly stepped forward to set up the gangway.

The hatch opened, and the first to step out were two stern-faced, sharp-eyed guard officers.

Then, a figure dressed in a crisp lieutenant general's uniform, with two general stars on his epaulets still dazzling in the dim light, appeared at the cabin door.

It was Lieutenant General Zhou Wei, Director of the Joint Political Work Department of the Eastern Theater Command.

His gaze was steady as he glanced at the imposing formation on the tarmac before finally settling on Chang Zhiwei, who was approaching, and Du Wenyuan and Yang Zhendong behind him.

Chang Zhiwei immediately jogged forward, stood at attention, saluted, and said in a loud voice, "Greetings, Commander! Chang Zhiwei, Commander of the Lin'an Garrison, reporting for duty!"

Lieutenant General Zhou Wei of the Joint Political Work Department of the Theater Command habitually raised his hand casually as a return greeting, then his gaze quickly passed over him and landed directly on Du Wenyuan and Yang Zhendong's faces.

At that moment, Yang Zhendong felt his heart almost leap out of his chest, while Du Wenyuan subconsciously straightened his back, even though he couldn't understand why this big shot's gaze carried a kind of... scrutiny, and an indescribable complex meaning.

Zhou Wei didn't say much, but nodded slightly to Chang Zhiwei before walking towards them.

The boots made a clear and steady sound as they stepped on the rough cement ground; each step seemed to tread on the hearts of the three of them.

Lieutenant General Zhou Wei walked steadily and powerfully to Du Wenyuan and Yang Zhendong.

To almost everyone's surprise, the serious expression on his face melted away instantly, replaced by an extremely warm, even somewhat friendly smile.

He stared at Du Wenyuan for half a second, and after matching the image with the information from the photos he had brought earlier, he took the initiative to extend his hand to Du Wenyuan:

"Comrade Wenyuan, I've long admired your name! I've heard that a highly capable veteran comrade has come to our Lin'an settlement, and today I'm finally able to meet you!"

His palms were warm and strong, and when he grasped Du Wenyuan's slightly cold hand, he gently patted the back of his hand.

Before the apocalypse, Du Wenyuan might not have been so excited. After all, in terms of rank, the two were equals, and especially in terms of actual power, Du Wenyuan was far, far greater than Zhou Wei...

After all, no matter how capable Zhou Wei is, in peacetime, his power is limited to the military system, while Du Wenyuan manages the wider society, influencing millions, tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions of people...

But things are different now. Faced with such polite, even overly friendly, Lieutenant General Zhou Wei, the director of the Joint Political Work Department, Du Wenyuan was flattered and quickly bowed slightly, his voice filled with disbelief and excitement:

"Commander! You're too kind! I'm so unworthy of such praise!"

He felt like he was dreaming. A leader at the level of a standing committee member of a war zone, one of the five giants in the entire eastern region, was speaking to him so politely and even using the phrase "I have long admired you"!

Zhou Wei then turned to Yang Zhendong, who was so nervous he didn't know what to do with his hands and feet, and extended his hand as well, his smile unchanged:

"This must be Comrade Yang Zhendong, the 'logistics steward' of Lin'an New City. Your 4th Brigade really solved our urgent problem! Thank you for your hard work!"

Faced with Zhou Wei's exaggerated praise, Yang Zhendong almost reflexively grasped Zhou Wei's hands with both of his, bowed deeply, and his voice trembled with excitement:

"Commander! It's no trouble at all! It's all what I should do! It's an honor to be able to contribute to the war zone and the settlement!"

His mind went blank, with only the title "logistics manager" buzzing in his ears. It was too high a compliment! So high that it made him dizzy!