manynovel Chapter 21 Descendants of a Military Family
Chapter 21 Descendants of a Military Family
When Lin Zhe returned home, the house was quiet. Aunt Wang was tidying up in the kitchen when she heard the noise and poked her head out: "Young Master is back?"
"Aunt Wang, where's my mom?"
"Madam went to the company; she said she has a meeting this afternoon," Aunt Wang said, wiping her hands as she came out. "Has the young master eaten? Shall I make you something?"
"No need, I've already eaten." Lin Zhe put down his luggage. "I'm going to check on Grandpa. I'll be back for dinner tonight. Please let my mom know."
"Okay." Aunt Wang nodded.
The military sanatorium was located in the western suburbs of Beijing, an hour's drive away. Lin Zhe didn't take the family car; he hailed a taxi instead. On the way, he texted his mother: "Mom, I'm going to see Grandpa. I'll be back for dinner tonight."
Su Wan quickly replied, "Okay, come back soon, Mom will make you your favorite food."
An hour later, the taxi stopped at the entrance of the sanatorium. This sanatorium was different from the one in the Southwest Military Region; it was quieter and more heavily guarded. The tall iron gate was tightly closed, with armed sentries standing guard at the entrance, and high walls and surveillance cameras surrounding it.
Lin Zhe walked to the registration desk and handed over his military officer's ID: "I'm here to visit General Lin Weiguo."
The young soldier on duty took the officer's ID and recorded it in the register. When he saw the name "Lin Zhe," he looked up at Lin Zhe with a curious expression, but said nothing.
Just then, the sound of a car came from behind. A military SUV pulled up at the entrance, and four young men, all in military uniforms, got out. They seemed to be visiting their elders as well.
The leader, a lieutenant in his thirties, was dark-skinned and stocky. He walked to the registration desk, about to speak, when his gaze swept over Lin Zhe and he suddenly stopped.
Not only him, but the other three people were also staring at Lin Zhe's epaulets.
"Lieutenant Colonel?" a second lieutenant muttered softly, his voice filled with disbelief.
Lin Zhe ignored them and waited for the soldiers to finish registering before taking back his identification and heading inside.
"Wait a minute," the lieutenant suddenly spoke, his tone less than friendly.
Lin Zhe stopped and turned around: "Is something the matter?"
The lieutenant walked up to him and looked him up and down: "Comrade, how old are you?"
Lin Zhe frowned: "What's it to you?"
"Of course I am." The lieutenant's tone was curt. "I'm twenty-eight this year, graduated from military academy six years ago, and I'm only a lieutenant now. You look like you're in your early twenties, a lieutenant colonel? Is that uniform... even your own?"
The meaning behind these words couldn't be clearer—they suspected Lin Zhe of wearing his father's military uniform to show off.
Three young men nearby also gathered around, their eyes filled with scrutiny and displeasure. They all came from military families, having grown up in military compounds, and held an almost obsessive respect for uniforms and ranks. Seeing Lin Zhe, such a young lieutenant colonel, their first reaction was disbelief, their second was anger—they felt he had tarnished the uniform.
Lin Zhe looked at the group of people, his eyes turning cold. He could sense that these people weren't deliberately causing trouble, but genuinely believed he was faking it. This respect for the military uniform was ingrained in their bones, which ironically made him less angry.
"Which unit are you from?" Lin Zhe asked calmly.
"What's it to you?" the lieutenant retorted, his neck stiff. "Explain yourself first. What's with you, lieutenant colonel?"
Lin Zhe stared at him for two seconds, then suddenly raised his voice: "I'm asking you a question! Which unit are you from? Unit number! Rank! Name!"
That shout carried the unique authority and killing intent of a special forces soldier. The four young men were stunned and instinctively stood at attention.
"Report...Report!" the lieutenant answered instinctively, "Lieutenant Zhao Gang, Platoon Leader, Reconnaissance Company, 233rd Regiment, 78th Division!"
"Lieutenant!" Lin Zhe looked at the other three.
"Wang Ming, Second Lieutenant Assistant, Logistics Department, 78th Division!"
"Chen Hao, a cadet at the Army Academy!"
"Air Force ground crew, Private First Class, Liu Wei!"
After listening, Lin Zhe coldly said, "Lieutenant Zhao Gang, didn't your company commander teach you to salute your superiors first?"
Zhao Gang's face flushed red: "But..."
"But what?" Lin Zhe interrupted him, "Questioning your superiors based solely on age and rank without any concrete evidence—was that something the military taught you? Or was it something your family taught you?"
"I..." Zhao Gang was speechless.
The soldier on duty approached, holding Lin Zhe's registration information. He whispered to Zhao Gang, "Comrade, this commander's identification is genuine; it has been verified."
Zhao Gang and his companions were stunned. Really? Such a young lieutenant colonel, really?
Lin Zhe opened his identification document, which clearly stated: Lin Zhe, Lieutenant Colonel, Special Operations Brigade of the Southwest Military Region...
"Any more questions?" Lin Zhe put away his identification and glanced at the four people.
Zhao Gang's lips moved slightly, but he finally stood at attention and saluted: "Greetings, Commander!"
The other three quickly saluted as well, though their eyes still showed dissatisfaction, but military discipline compelled them to do so.
Lin Zhe returned the greeting without saying anything more, then turned and walked into the sanatorium. Behind him, suppressed murmurs rose from his lips:
"Really? A 21-year-old lieutenant colonel?"
"I've verified all the documents, so they should be genuine..."
"But this is outrageous! What gives him the right?"
Lin Zhe ignored them and walked straight towards his grandfather's courtyard. On the way, his feelings were mixed. He knew his rapid promotion would raise questions, but even now, facing them, he still felt uneasy.
But on second thought, this is normal. In the military, strength speaks volumes. Once his deeds are made public, these doubts will naturally disappear.
As he approached the courtyard gate, Zhang Jian was already waiting for him. Seeing Lin Zhe, Zhang Jian smiled and said, "Little Zhe's here? Grandpa was just talking about you."
"Uncle Zhang." Lin Zhe walked over.
Zhang Jian scrutinized him closely, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "You...you've changed again. Come on, let me test your mettle!"
After saying that, he suddenly attacked, delivering a swift and vicious chop to Lin Zhe's shoulder. The blow was so fast and powerful that an ordinary person would have been knocked down immediately.
But Lin Zhe moved. He didn't retreat; instead, he stepped forward, blocking with his left hand while his right hand slashed in, grabbing Zhang Jian's wrist, and simultaneously sweeping his foot lightly. Zhang Jian lost his balance and fell backward.
Lin Zhe quickly grabbed him: "Uncle Zhang, are you alright?"
Zhang Jian steadied himself, staring dumbfounded at Lin Zhe. Three moves, no, two and a half moves, and he was defeated? He was once the ace of the "Dragon Fang" special forces. Although he was old, he hadn't lost his skills. Ordinary special forces soldiers couldn't even get close to him.
"You..." Zhang Jian's voice trembled slightly, "Your skills...who did you learn them from?"
"I studied under Professor Chen for a year at the National University of Defense Technology," Lin Zhe said truthfully. "Later, I practiced on my own as well."
"Old Chen!" Zhang Jian suddenly realized, "No wonder! Old Chen's kung fu is at the level of the patriarch of our Dragon Kingdom's special forces. And his qi cultivation method... I wanted to learn it when I was young, but Old Chen said I was too old to learn the essence."
He looked at Lin Zhe with envy: "You're lucky, kid, that Old Chen is willing to teach you. But your progress is too fast. How long has it been? I can't even last three moves against you."
"It's all thanks to Mr. Chen's excellent teaching," Lin Zhe said modestly.
The two entered the courtyard. Lin Weiguo was sitting in a wicker chair reading a newspaper. Hearing the noise, he looked up, saw his grandson, and his eyes lit up: "Xiao Zhe's here!"
"Grandpa." Lin Zhe quickly stepped forward.
Lin Weiguo put down his newspaper and carefully examined his grandson: "Hmm, you're much more energetic now. I heard you've done something good again?"
"Many tasks mean many opportunities to earn merit." Lin Zhe moved a small stool and sat down next to his grandfather.
The grandfather and grandson started chatting. Lin Zhe talked about his life in the special forces, the non-classified missions, and the progress of technological improvements. Lin Weiguo listened with great interest, nodding from time to time.
"You did the right thing," Lin Weiguo said. "Soldiers can't just know how to fight; they also need to know why they fight and how to fight better. Technology is the key to 'better.'"
After chatting for over an hour, Lin Zhe noticed his grandfather was getting tired and got up to leave. Lin Weiguo took his hand and said, "Xiao Zhe, remember, the road ahead is long. You're doing well now, but you must avoid arrogance and complacency. In the army, strength is fundamental, but you can't be a bad person either."
"I understand, Grandpa."
Stepping out of the courtyard, Lin Zhe felt much better. His grandfather's teachings and Uncle Zhang's approval were both sources of motivation for him.
In another courtyard of the sanatorium, Zhao Gang and his friends were gathered around an elderly man with white hair, recounting their recent experience.
"...Grandpa, look at what's happened! A lieutenant colonel in his early twenties, isn't this ridiculous?" Zhao Gang said indignantly. "Even if his family has connections, they can't be this shameless!"
The old man, dressed in an old military uniform, listened quietly until his grandson finished speaking before slowly asking, "The person you're talking about, is his name Lin Zhe?"
Zhao Gang was taken aback: "Grandpa, how did you know?"
The old man laughed: "In the entire military system of Beijing, who else could it be but a lieutenant colonel in his early twenties?"
"Then he..."
"His rank is well-deserved," the old man interrupted his grandson. "Don't be unconvinced. Do you know how many first-class merits he's received? Three. Do you know how many enemies he's taken down single-handedly? More than fifty. Do you know how many technical contributions he's made to the army? It would scare you to death if I told you."
Zhao Gang and his companions were dumbfounded.
"But... he's only twenty-one!" Wang Ming couldn't help but say.
"So what if I'm twenty-one?" The old man's eyes widened. "When I was twenty-one, I was already a battalion commander! During wartime, there were regimental commanders as young as sixteen or seventeen! As long as you have ability and meritorious service, age is not a problem!"
He paused, his tone softening: "You guys are still too young. Remember, in the military, strength speaks. Lin Zhe got to where he is today not because of his family, but because of his own hard work, every single punch and every stroke of his pen."
"Then...who exactly is he?" Chen Hao asked curiously.
The old man waved his hand: "Don't ask questions you shouldn't. Just know that he's not the kind of person you think he is. If you meet him again, be polite. He's a truly talented person."
Zhao Gang and his companions exchanged bewildered glances, feeling both shocked and ashamed. It turned out they had truly misunderstood the other person.
The old man looked at his grandchildren and thought to himself: Lin Zhe, that kid, is really something. Old Lin has a good grandson.
Meanwhile, Lin Zhe had already left the sanatorium and taken a taxi home. He was unaware that this little incident had turned several young soldiers from skepticism into curiosity, and when they finally learned of Lin Zhe's deeds, their admiration deepened.
Unbeknownst to him, within the military circles of Beijing, his name was being mentioned by more and more veteran generals and was being regarded as a role model by more and more young people.
As the sun set, the taxi drove towards the city. Lin Zhe gazed out the window, envisioning a bright future.
The special forces team needs to continue, the technical research needs to continue, and the time spent with family is also important... There's also what Commander Chen Jianfeng said about "calling him if you need anything," but I don't know what that means.