Chapter Seventy-Nine: A Swift Handover

"Who are you?" The captain limped over to his desk and sat down. He rummaged through a pile of clutter, pulled out a cigarette pack, and lit one up. Only then did he remember he had guests, so he extended the pack toward Zhao Li. "Want one?"

Zhao Li pushed his hand away and scrutinized the captain. He couldn't tell his age; his face was covered in a thick, unruly beard that looked like it hadn't been shaved in ages.

Uncomfortable under Zhao Li’s gaze, the captain asked again, "Who are you people?"

Zhao Li placed his transfer orders on the desk without a word, staring coldly at the man. It was true that if the head is crooked, the tail will follow; the soldiers outside were likely ruined by this old rogue.

"Great! I can finally leave this hellhole!" The captain grabbed the transfer orders, read them, and cheered, nearly jumping up. He seemed like a different person instantly, even his limp appearing much less pronounced.

"This is the officer’s office. This terminal can connect to the largest garrison base on the planet." The captain seemed desperate to finish the handover and leave, rushing to explain: "It’s fine for daily reports, but don’t expect any reinforcements if you ask."

"There are 216 soldiers in this barracks—theoretically, at least. The actual number is 194. The twenty-two who vanished have been reported missing, but no replacements were ever sent." The captain quickly pulled up a file on the terminal and displayed it for Zhao Li.

"Missing?" Zhao Li asked instinctively.

"Yes." The captain sounded extremely excited at the prospect of leaving. "They just left the base, disappeared without a trace, and all we could do was report them as missing."

"Didn't you try to find them?" Zhao Li asked again.

"Find them?" The captain looked at Zhao Li’s young face and then at his rank. "You haven't been in the military long, have you? What kind of background do you have to be a lieutenant at your age?"

"Going out to look for people here? That’s not looking for people; that’s looking for death!" The captain warned him kindly, "Don't leave the barracks unless you have to. As long as you stay inside, you’re safe."

"Safe? I was almost hit by a bullet the moment I walked in," Zhao Li remarked skeptically.

"Hmph, that was just a welcome greeting from those guys outside. You know how I got this limp? They shot me, and then delayed my medical treatment until it healed into this mess." The captain didn't sound as angry now, just weary.

"Didn't you try to impose any sanctions?" Zhao Li couldn't help but think the captain was incredibly spineless for just swallowing such treatment.

"Sanctions?" The captain gave a bitter laugh and pointed out the window. "Everyone outside has ties to the guerrillas. Who do I sanction? Who do I punish? Before I could even act, I’d be shot dead by the guerrillas they’re colluding with. I’m not ready to die yet."

Though Zhao Li had prepared himself, he hadn't expected the situation to be this rotten.

"How do you think those missing people disappeared?" The captain, perhaps emboldened by his impending departure, stopped holding back. "Those who disappeared were the ones who refused to play along with those guys. That’s what happens. What can you do? Just report them missing and let it end there."

"Don't think you can escape it. If they fail once, they'll try twice or three times. They’ll keep at it until you soften up and adapt to their rules." He looked at Zhao Li again. "Did you offend someone important to get sent here?"

"Offend someone?" Zhao Li paused and shook his head. "No."

"Hmph, don't play tough, kid," the captain dismissed him. "Maybe you'll remember when your leg ends up like mine. Everyone who comes here is a loser. Even if you didn't offend anyone, you probably relied too much on your family’s connections and got yourself exiled. Let me give you some advice: keep your head down. Surviving is everything, at least until you can leave like I am."

The captain had completely lost his military edge and courage, choosing only to cling to survival. The higher-ups claimed to be maintaining regional stability with these government troops, but looking at the situation now, it was a self-deceiving lie.

Zhao Li had never imagined the military could rot to this extent. It reminded him of the examples his sadistic instructors used during training. Back then, he hadn't believed them, but reality was even crueler than he had imagined.

The excited captain limped around, giving Zhao Li a tour of the barracks—the armory, comms room, mess hall, and recreational room.

To Zhao Li’s surprise, there were two small warships sitting in the hangar, covered in rust from neglect. The weapons in the armory were in complete disarray, as if no one cared what was stored there beyond their own personal gear.

"Alright, I'll assemble the soldiers and introduce you, and then I’m done here." The joy of escaping this misery made the captain oblivious to how ridiculous he looked hopping around. He quickly pressed a button in his office.

A short, sharp assembly command echoed through the barracks. The captain led Zhao Li to the parade ground.

Including Christine and Li Mengdie, the four of them stood on the grounds for nearly ten minutes before the lazy soldiers finally straggled over in small groups. They didn't even attempt a formation, just sat down on the ground, smoking and chatting.

When everyone had arrived, the scene was chaotic. No ranks, no formation, no salutes.

"Hey, Boss! What’s the announcement today?" someone shouted from the crowd, devoid of any military discipline. "Are you introducing these two beauties, or are you finally leaving?"

"I’m leaving," the captain replied, not caring about their attitude. "As for the beauties, you can let your new commander introduce them!"

"Oh, congrats, Boss! You’re finally getting out!" someone teased. The captain just seemed happy.

"Alright, everyone, listen up!" The captain shouted several times before the noise died down enough for him to be heard.

"This is your new commander..." He paused, forgetting Zhao Li’s name, and turned to ask in a low voice, "What was your name again?"

"Zhao Li!" Zhao Li had already given up on the captain. After stating his name, he didn't want to look at him anymore, wanting only to finish the handover and get him out.

"This is your new commander, Lieutenant Zhao Li. From now on, report to him and follow his orders," the captain finished. "Now, please welcome your new commander for his address."

A few sparse, scattered claps followed. No one stood up to organize a formation. Zhao Li was furious, but he forced himself to stay calm.

"I have nothing to say. Just one thing: before I introduce the two female officers, I want everyone to clean yourselves up. That is an order. Dismissed!" Zhao Li had no interest in lecturing them; he wanted to teach them a real lesson. However, they were so filthy he didn't want them touching the two women, hence the absurd order.

"You seem to adapt to this place quickly," the captain said, looking at him with mild surprise.

The soldiers didn't seem bothered by the order; they just shouted and wandered off, seemingly intent on actually cleaning themselves up.

"Alright, I’m going to call for my transport ship. Thanks for coming to replace me." The captain patted Zhao Li’s shoulder, but Zhao Li tilted back, leaving the hand in the air. The captain didn't seem to mind. "Good, got character. I like that. But, good luck!"

Zhao Li knew exactly what that meant, but he didn't want any further contact with the man. He just watched the captain leave to contact his ship.

Inside the barracks, there wasn't a single clean spot for the women to rest. Just as Zhao Li was about to apologize, Li Mengdie sat down on the floor. "During our training, we’ve been in places ten times dirtier than this. This is nothing."

Christine followed suit, though while Li Mengdie’s movements were cold and detached, Christine’s were mesmerizing. Even a simple sitting posture was full of charm.

Even Zhao Li found it hard to look away, let alone the soldiers watching from afar. That single action made them move much faster. Within ten minutes of being dismissed, several men appeared, looking halfway decent.

They had changed into fresh uniforms and washed their faces and hair. Once cleaned up, they actually looked like soldiers.

Zhao Li nodded and gave them a new order: "Good. I think the two medical officers would appreciate working in a clean, comfortable infirmary. You wouldn't want the infirmary to stay like this, would you?"

The hint, combined with an occasional glance from Christine, was enough to turn their heads. They volunteered to clean the infirmary, driven by the prospect of the beautiful medical officers working in a space they had prepared. They worked with more efficiency than they had ever shown for their own duties.

Stimulated by beauty, the soldiers' pace accelerated. Within half an hour, everyone appeared on the parade ground looking presentable.

"Very good," Zhao Li shouted. "Attention!"

They clearly hadn't drilled in a long time; the attempt at "attention" was a mess, but at least they were standing.

"Line up! Dress right!" Zhao Li commanded. They didn't react at first, but when Christine walked over to stand behind Zhao Li, they suddenly became obedient, lining up in rows.

"I am Zhao Li, a lieutenant, as you all know." Zhao Li stood before them. "I know you hate drilling, and I understand. You don't have to drill anymore."

The men murmured in approval. One voice shouted, "Commander, cut the talk. Aren't you going to introduce the beauties?"

"As you wish." Zhao Li stepped aside, revealing Li Mengdie. The crowd went silent, waiting to hear her name.

"This is Major Li Mengdie," Zhao Li said, then gestured to Christine. "And this is Lieutenant Colonel Christine."

"Whoa!" A chorus of whistles and cheers erupted.

"I expect you to address them as 'Commander' from now on!" Zhao Li ordered. "Also, we are here today to accept challenges. If anyone can defeat any one of us, they will earn the chance to go on a date with either of the two female commanders."