Cheng Xue came in with a kettle, and Jiang Zhongyi saw her. He waved her over and said, "Xiao Xue, come here..."
"Grandpa, you’re here..." Cheng Xue put down the kettle and walked over. As she passed Zheng Zhen, she softly called out, "Grandma."
Zheng Zhen either didn’t hear or was lost in thought about something else, as she didn’t respond.
Jiang Zhongyi glanced at her with disdain and then ignored her. He gently said to Cheng Xue, "Xiao Xue, it was hard on you last night."
Cheng Xue responded with embarrassment, "It wasn’t hard at all. I even fell asleep last night. Luckily, my little uncle was there the whole time."
Jiang Zhongyi smiled slightly and sighed, "Good child, it’s okay. It’s good that you can be here. If your little uncle needs you, he can call you anytime."
These words clearly showed his dissatisfaction with Zheng Zhen!
Zheng Zhen naturally heard it too, and her expression twisted with discomfort.
Jiang Zhongyi added, "Xiao Xue, your little uncle and I have something to attend to, so we’ll be out for a while. Take good care of your great-grandmother and your dad. Aunt Li will be here soon to bring breakfast. As for your dad, Xiao Liu will be here shortly. You can call him if you need help."
Xiao Liu is Cheng Hongbing’s attendant, and he’s been taking care of Cheng Hongbing all this time.
"Okay, I’ll definitely take good care of them," Cheng Xue solemnly promised.
At this moment, the door was pushed open, and speak of the devil, Xiao Liu walked in.
Xiao Liu was a bit stunned seeing the room full of people. Then, seeing Cheng Xue, he lowered his head in shame and said, "Xiao Xue, you’re back... I’m sorry I didn’t protect your dad..." He was Cheng Hongbing’s attendant, responsible for protecting him, so he felt he had failed in his duty and had been living with self-blame these past days.
"Xiao Liu, stop blaming yourself. It’s not your fault," Cheng Hongbing spoke up. The circumstances at that time weren’t his fault; there were various factors. Besides, no one is obligated to sacrifice for anyone else. Life is precious.
"Uncle Liu, Dad said it’s not your fault. I’ll listen to Dad. You don’t need to blame yourself. Also, thank you for taking care of my dad these days." Cheng Xue bowed. Uncle Liu had been with her dad for several years, and she wasn’t in a position to blame anyone; her dad wouldn’t allow her to think that way.
Xiao Liu awkwardly moved to the side, "No need to thank me. It’s what I should do."
Cheng Hongbing had been considering Xiao Liu’s future. Given his condition, he wasn’t sure if he could recover, and his own future was uncertain. He didn’t want to delay Xiao Liu’s future...
"Jiang Yan, take Xiao Liu with you."
Jiang Yan and Jiang Zhongyi were a bit surprised but then understood, "Have you decided?"
"Yes..." Cheng Hongbing said to Xiao Liu, "Xiao Liu, follow Jiang Yan. He’ll be your leader from now on."
"Captain Cheng..." Xiao Liu’s eyes instantly reddened, feeling a mix of emotions. He finally nodded firmly, "Captain Cheng, don’t worry. I’ll definitely avenge you."
"I don’t need you to avenge me. Just protect yourself and achieve more accomplishments. That will be enough to serve the country," Cheng Hongbing sighed internally, unsure if sending him back to the battlefield was good or bad.
Cheng Hongbing was part of a secret national unit, and reaching a full regiment level wasn’t easy. Unfortunately, his injuries this time were too severe, and he was bound to step down.
Earlier, Jiang Zhongyi had hinted to him that Jiang Yan would take over his position. Well, keep it in the family, after all, it was his brother-in-law. He just wasn’t sure if Jiang Yan could manage his group of subordinates. Those guys were all rebellious and not easy to tame... Bringing Xiao Liu could provide some assistance.
However, remembering that his brother-in-law was no ordinary person, having come from the special forces, he felt assured.
Jiang Zhongyi left with Jiang Yan and Xiao Liu. On the way to the headquarters, Jiang Yan learned about the background situation.
Within the secret unit Cheng Hongbing was part of, a traitor had emerged. During a mission, Cheng Hongbing had to take risks to protect important information, resulting in his serious injuries.
Recently, the headquarters had been in a heated argument over who would replace Cheng Hongbing, with various factions unwilling to relent.
Jiang Zhongyi had been hesitant too, as Cheng Hongbing was his man. Such a major blunder could have had disastrous consequences if not for Cheng Hongbing’s efforts to protect the information. Even he would have been implicated.
The candidate was tricky; his eldest son couldn’t leave at the moment, and his eldest grandson was too inexperienced. Just yesterday, Jiang Yan had returned. That night, Jiang Zhongyi pondered it and made a call to the highest leader, securing the leader’s support. So, regardless of Jiang Yan’s opinion, he came to get him early in the morning.
"This time, the task is heavy and very dangerous," Jiang Zhongyi worriedly said. "After taking over the role, the first thing you need to do is re-evaluate everyone. We can’t afford such mistakes again. Those with weak willpower shouldn’t be used anymore."
"I understand." Jiang Yan showed no emotion on his face, but in his heart, he regretted leaving without resolving the situation with his wife, who was still far away in city J. He didn’t know when he would return this time. No, he thought, he’d definitely need to find time to call her and explain.
And then there was the factory, which held his dedication. "Dad, what about my task in city J?"
"Do you have a suitable person in mind?" Jiang Zhongyi quickly ran through the list of available people in his mind.
"Yang Zhigang will do. He’s trustworthy and one of our own." Of course, he was one of their own... an acknowledged brother-in-law. "I’ve already written the plan for the next two years. As long as he follows it, there shouldn’t be any major issues. Leaving Xiao He with him as an assistant will ensure everything’s fine."
He had just weighed the options between Yang Zhigang and Huang Zhizhong. He decided to promote Yang Zhigang for being one of their own and because Yang had a simpler mindset compared to Huang Zhizhong.
The steel factory now had its own operation model. Yang Zhigang’s ability to execute plans was certainly reliable, and that was sufficient.
As for Huang Zhizhong, he had a complicated background. Although they’d worked together before, there were still concerns. The human mind is the most unpredictable thing, so he remained cautious and avoided testing human nature.
"Alright, if you think it’s suitable, then it’s fine." Jiang Zhongyi was confident in his younger son’s abilities.
With the highest leader’s support, the orders for Jiang Yan and Xiao Liu were quickly processed. Jiang Yan left without even returning home.
Far away in city J, Wang Miaomiao sneezed twice for no apparent reason.
"Miaomiao, have you caught a cold? Better go inside and warm up. You don’t need to help here," Wang Pandi asked worriedly.
"It’s nothing. My nose just itched a little." Wang Miaomiao rubbed her nose with her arm and continued picking vegetables. "Staying indoors all the time is stifling... Second sister, are we picking so many vegetables to make dumplings?"
"Yes, Mom went to town early to buy meat, didn’t you know?"
"Really? Why didn’t she call me? I wish I could’ve gone to town again..."
"Then... shall we go tomorrow?"
"Alright..."