Under the same sky, there are countless stories to tell.
In the Beijing Ning Family’s living room, a cultural evening show was playing on the television, while in Old Master Ning’s study, Ning Gang was chatting with the old gentleman.
"The banditry on the roads of E County has caused quite a stir. Zhang Zhongming was sentenced to death. Dad, what do you think? I always feel that there’s something not quite right about this." Ning Gang frowned as he spoke: "Zhang Zhongming is just a regimental commander. He alone, as a regimental commander, could not have controlled such a large gang. But from what I see, the Discipline Inspection Commission seems to have decided to stop investigating."
Old Master Ning, with a brush in hand, applied pressure with a steady wrist, the bold ink spreading on the pristine paper, said, "Since he is already a discarded piece, whether he can swallow it or not is irrelevant. What matters is that he has completed the image of the other military personnel, and this is a cause for general celebration. Employing the least impactful method to give the masses an explanation is exactly what the military needs right now."
"Dad, I understand that, but he..."
Without lifting his head, Old Master Ning interrupted him, "Son, when it comes to the image of national servicemen, Zhang Zhongming being pushed out was inevitable. If he dared to do it, he should dare to accept the consequences. One wrong step leads to another, and all these are consequences he must bear."
Ning Gang’s brows furrowed lightly.
"As for whether the incident stops with him, that’s not important. To govern and secure peace within the nation, firstly, you must put the common people’s hearts at ease. Military personnel are meant to protect the country, but when they collude with such gangs, infringing on the interests of the people, if such a tumor is not decisively removed, how can the people be reassured? How can their trust be earned?" Old Master Ning continued, "And some investigations cannot go too deep, at least not openly. You must understand that pulling one thread affects the whole fabric. The state’s utmost priority is internal stability; to resist external threats, we must first secure within."
But Ning Gang let out a cold laugh, "If that’s the case, only pushing out a few sacrificial pieces while the root of the problem remains, then even if this gang is destroyed, there will still be a second and a third one to follow."
Old Master Ning put down the final stroke, and said, "That’s why this is a long and arduous war. Son, to truly eradicate the tumors, you can’t act on impulse alone. You need to be steadier, steadier than your opponents. Plan one move, anticipate ten - deliberate and then act to break the whole situation."
Ning Gang paused for a moment and looked at the Old Master Ning putting down his brush; the characters, still emitting the scent of ink and not yet fully dry, clearly wrote the word ’steadiness,’ commanding the large sheet of paper with forceful and weighty strokes.
"You are still young and have much to learn. This word, I give it to you," said Old Master Ning, patting his eldest son’s shoulder.
"Thank you, Dad!"
Old Master Ning walked to a copper basin on the side to wash his hands and said, "I heard that Taiguo also took part in this operation and was brought in for questioning?"
Ning Gang replied, "Yes, I specifically chose soldiers for him to participate in this task. Little did I expect, he followed unreliable information and left the team during the operation. Although he managed to obtain the list from Zhao Wei that included Zhang Zhongming and the others, a soldier died, and two were seriously injured. This time, his merits and faults are equal."
Old Master Ning nodded.
"Young people can’t stay calm after all; probably out of eagerness to achieve quick success and make a name for himself, that’s what led to this incident. It’s good, though; dampening his zeal a bit to see if he can become composed," Ning Gang added.
Old Master Ning said sharply, with his voice stern and eyes becoming piercing, "The inchworm contracts itself to stretch out further. I hope the young man understands this proverb, Ning Gang, this saying applies to you as well!"
Ning Gang stiffened up, "Yes!"
"Fourth brother, why are you standing at the door? Come on in!"
Outside the door, someone started talking. Old Master Ning and Ning Gang exchanged glances.