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墨書 Inktalez
"Um? What does the Political Affairs Director want with me?" I thought to myself. Aside from taking leave, I had never interacted with him before. Was there a mission? I had just become the Acting Company Commander; could he really trust me with this?
Feeling confused, I didn't dare to linger. I quickly put on my hat and left the department, heading toward the office.
To be honest, as I walked from the Company Headquarters to the office, I felt somewhat dreamy. I even entertained a ridiculous thought: could it be that the leadership regretted their decision and wanted to talk to me about stepping down from the Acting Company Commander position?
Sighing, I wondered when I had become so anxious. Shaking my head, I decided to just go and find out.
Entering the office building, I went straight upstairs to the first office of the Political Affairs Director. Nervously, I knocked on the door and called out, "Report!" Soon, a voice from inside invited me in. It seemed he had been waiting specifically for me.
I turned the doorknob and stepped inside.
The Director was sitting behind his desk, not doing anything else but staring at me as soon as I entered. It made me feel uneasy, and I muttered under my breath.
"Company Commander Wang, please have a seat."
"Yes!"
I perched half of myself on the sofa, straightening my upper body as I awaited his instructions. To my surprise, the Director burst into laughter. "Company Commander Wang, you look so nervous! You weren't this stiff last time. Has being Acting Company Commander put too much pressure on you?"
Hearing this made me chuckle lightly, and I relaxed considerably. "Leader, whether I'm acting or not is up to you," I replied with a joke that wasn't really a joke.
"Haha, I don't have that authority; it depends on both Commanders. But speaking of which, I do have veto power."
I paused for a moment; was he hinting at something?
Seeing that I remained silent, the Director laughed again. "Don't overthink it! As long as you do well, I'm sure you'll lose that 'acting' title sooner or later."
He paused again before continuing, "The reason I called you here is that there's a task for you—well, actually for your company."
I didn't respond but continued to look at him expectantly.
"The King, you may not know, but we are a collaborative unit with the nearby television station," the director said slowly.
I was a bit confused; what did the television station have to do with this? I knew about the station—it was quite famous, with many celebrities coming and going. Often, the neon lights from the high-rise buildings reflected into our Barracks!
"We have had interactions over the years, and this year they have asked for our assistance with something," the director continued, taking a sip of tea.
"There’s a television gala coming up soon, but the station doesn’t have enough personnel to set up the stage. Specifically, I don’t understand all the details, but they requested to borrow 40 soldiers from us to help out. Of course, there might be some guest appearances as well," he explained.
Hmm, why our Unit? Why not another Unit? I still didn’t quite get it.
Seeing my puzzled expression, the director seemed a bit displeased. "Let me put it this way: since your Unit is close to the main gate, it’s just a few steps away—no need for vehicles, which is safer. Also, your Unit is recognized for having higher standards and better Discipline. Ahem, there are many female actresses at the television station; you know what to do, right?"
Oh, I see. It meant we would be doing manual labor while also needing to keep our eyes in check. This task being assigned to us was truly a headache. If things went wrong, it would become a hassle. I guessed many Units were reluctant to take on this responsibility and that was why it fell to me as the Acting Company Commander. After all, soldiers rarely got opportunities to go out once they joined the army—let alone attend galas or see beautiful women. To be honest, I wasn’t very confident either; letting my soldiers out could lead to trouble. After all, I hadn’t been Acting Company Commander for long!
But refusing was not an option. I looked at the director and carefully considered my words before saying slowly, "Thank you for your trust, Leader! I will do my best to complete this mission successfully! However, you know I just became Acting Company Commander; if there’s anything I’m lacking in my performance, please guide me!"
The director smiled. "Wang, don’t worry. I won’t be going with you; you’ll be in charge as the highest commander. Once you’re there, listen to Meng Dao—he’ll be your leader there. Do whatever he tells you to do. If he’s satisfied, your mission will be complete. Understand?"
The director picked up a piece of Paper. "This has his contact information on it. You should take a few soldiers over after dinner tomorrow to meet him and finalize the details. I've already reported this to the Regimental Commander and suggested that you handle it; the Leader has agreed, so go ahead! Remember: safety and success!"
I felt like I was caught in another trap but still stood up straight and replied, "Yes!"
As I left the office and headed back to my Unit, I pondered how exactly to accomplish this task.
After thinking it over without any clear ideas, I decided it would be best to wait until tomorrow when I could meet with the director.
Back at the Unit, I discussed this matter with Old Tang. He didn’t seem too pleased either. "A gala at a television station? What if there are construction scaffolds or something? Safety is definitely a concern. Plus, with so many people around—it’s chaotic! Our soldiers aren’t robots; managing social interactions is another issue altogether. I'm worried that if things aren’t handled well, it could affect our image."
I felt equally troubled. My inclination was to select soldiers from among the Veterans since their Discipline and maturity were generally better than that of new recruits. However, I decided it would be wise to meet Meng Dao first; what if he didn’t need that many people?!
After finishing one task, I flopped onto the bed, and suddenly it hit me: I had never personally gone to the venue to get up close with those stars at Backstage!
Ah, I wonder which celebrities will attend this time's Television Arts Festival. I'm feeling a bit excited.
Time flew by, and before I knew it, it was afternoon again. After dinner, I prepared to meet with the director along with Xuanhua and Sheng Xiong. Looking at the two of them behind me, a strange thought crossed my mind: people are really odd. I subconsciously always want these two to follow me. Is it because I trust their abilities? Or do I believe their height gives me a sense of security? Hahaha, I smiled to myself, while the two behind exchanged glances, probably thinking I had lost my mind.
Since this was a task-oriented mission, we didn't change our outfits. We turned right from the front and walked along the roadside for a short while until we arrived under a highway bridge. Crossing beneath it would lead us to the television station, which was bustling with tall buildings! Just as dusk fell, the lights began to twinkle in the distance.
The structure of the Twin Towers was a proud achievement of the television station. Standing below it, I admired it for quite some time. Although I had often come out to play, this was my first time seeing this building up close.
Luxury cars sped past us from behind and stopped beside us. Groups of men and women descended from them, heading straight for the entrance. Perhaps it was rare to see soldiers here; their curious glances were quick yet inquisitive. Clearing my throat, I reminded Xuanhua and Sheng Xiong to maintain their image as we walked toward the entrance.
To enter through the main gate, we needed to pass through a security checkpoint manned by armed police. Noticing a line ahead, we waited at the back. Xuanhua and Sheng Xiong were excitedly looking around; if they weren't wearing Uniform, I would have thought they were two thieves scouting the place!
As I was scanning around, suddenly there was a commotion up front. I leaned forward to see what was happening. It turned out that a young woman was arguing with an Armed Police Soldier. From my angle, I couldn't see her face, but she was dressed quite fashionably for the chilly weather—normal on top but wearing a black velvet mini skirt and long leather boots below. She must be quite young.
I could hear her saying to the Armed Police Soldier, "I’m a guest invited by the Director Team. Why can’t you let me in?! You have to let me in!"
The Armed Police Soldier politely replied, "I'm sorry, please show your identification."
"You invited me here; do you still need identification?!" The girl sounded furious.
"I'm sorry, without identification please do not block this area. Next!"
"Hmph! Just wait; you'll regret this!" The girl huffed and stepped aside, pulling out her phone to make a call in a low voice. From the side view, she looked quite delicate; it's just that her temper seemed rather fierce.
The line moved forward again until it reached an elderly man with a hunched back. He was dressed simply and seemed like an old man indeed. Sure enough, a deep and weary voice came through: "Comrade, hello. I'm the Prop Master in charge of props for the Television Arts Festival Director Team." His tone carried both flattery and weariness.
"Identification!" The officer remained meticulous as usual.
"Wait a moment, let me find it," the old man said as he began rummaging through his belongings, but after a long while, he still hadn't produced anything.
His delay caused some irritation among those behind him. A person in a trench coat and hat whispered a few words to a companion nearby, who then stepped forward and pushed the old man aside. "Old man, do you have your identification? Don't block the guests!"
Caught off guard, the old man stumbled several steps to the side, nearly losing his balance as he leaned against the railing, gasping for breath. The girl in the short skirt shot him a disdainful glance and took a couple of steps away.
I couldn't stand by any longer; who did this person think they were? Just as I was about to speak up, several others in front of me couldn't hold back and began to criticize the rude individual. Faced with their accusations, he had no choice but to remain silent and pulled out his identification for the armed soldier on duty to check.
The armed soldier did not take it but simply said, "Please wait patiently." He approached the old man and asked, "Old Comrade, are you alright?"
The old man steadied himself with one hand on the railing while still searching his pockets with the other. After a while, he finally managed to pull out a blue identification card and handed it to the armed soldier. The soldier quickly glanced at it before returning it to the old man and allowing him to enter.
Meanwhile, the person in the trench coat seemed either impatient or was urging his companion along, whispering a few words that drew surprised looks from those around us.
It was a Japanese!
(To be continued; more exciting content tomorrow!)
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