Empire Conquest
Chapter 215 - 211 This Is Brotherhood

Chapter 215: Chapter 211 This Is Brotherhood

He didn’t wait until the next morning; by that same evening, Liu Changxun had called Bai Zhizhan to inform him that arrangements had been made and he could depart for Puzhou at any time.

Given Bai Zhizhan’s personality, he would have left the same night.

Unfortunately, it was already late at night, and there were no planes available at the airport. If he were to take a train, unless it was a freight train, he would still have to wait until the following morning.

After waiting through the night, Bai Zhizhan had a lot of things figured out.

Zhu Shijian hadn’t spoken carelessly.

Liu Changxun’s prompt agreement must have been after seeking Zhu Shijian’s opinion.

Letting Bai Zhizhan leave now was actually a way to protect him.

After Bai Zhizhan went to Puzhou, what happened in the Imperial Capital would no longer concern him.

In the future, there was not only no need for Bai Zhizhan to express his position on the Navy’s reform, but also no potential conflict with He Yongxing and the He Family; likewise, it circumvented the issue of priority disputes between the Army and the Navy, eliminating worries about clashing with Army and Imperial Guard officers like Lian Xusheng at high-level meetings.

The Imperial Capital was now a place rife with trouble.

If Liu Changxun had no intention of looking out for Bai Zhizhan, would he let him leave?

After Bai Zhizhan’s departure, in order to continue pushing for the Navy’s reform, Liu Changxun would have to confront He Yongxing head-on, and the Navy Headquarter would inevitably be thrown into chaos.

This also proved that Zhu Shijian still held influence and that Liu Changxun was his man.

It was not at all surprising.

Initially, after Liu Changhe was defeated, it wasn’t Liu Changxun whom the Liu Family chose as the successor, because Zhu Shijian did not agree to it. In the end, it fell upon Liu Changxun.

It was Zhu Shijian who promoted Liu Changxun.

Early the next morning, Bai Zhizhan went to the Navy Headquarter first.

It was just across the street, so it wasn’t much trouble.

Besides, he had to go to the headquarter to record his departure before heading to Puzhou to ensure that he could be contacted promptly if needed.

It was only then that Bai Zhizhan learned from the staff officer handling his business.

The previous night, Liu Changxun had personally issued an order to the Fleet Commander of the Southern Fleet, Liu Xiangdong, demanding the immediate dispatch of the "Heng River" to the Puzhou Shipyard.

Additionally, he had ordered the staff officers from the First Aviation Mixed Fleet Headquarter to accompany the "Heng River" to Puzhou.

With only two carriers left in the Special Mixed Group, Liu Xiangzhen retained only the command of the Second Aviation Mixed Fleet, leaving the soldiers of the First Aviation Mixed Fleet Headquarter idle in Chengjiang Port. Since there were no other carriers available, the First Aviation Mixed Fleet’s staff had nothing to do.

Perhaps out of boredom, some young staff officers had caused some trouble.

Fortunately, these were minor issues, simply a matter of picking fights with local tyrants and small-time hooligans, all of which had been dealt with properly.

According to Liu Changxun’s arrangements, it seemed that they were to rebuild the First Aviation Mixed Fleet with the "Heng River."

Otherwise, what was the point of sending the original staff of the First Aviation Mixed Fleet to Puzhou?

After completing the relevant procedures, Bai Zhizhan went to the suburban airport.

At the airport, he called Li Yunxiang to inform her of his assignment to oversee the maintenance of the "Heng River" at the Puzhou Shipyard.

Essentially, this was running away from a wedding.

To be honest, Bai Zhizhan did indeed harbor such concerns; staying in the Imperial Capital, he risked being summoned by Li Yunxiang every now and then, and there was no telling if an overbearing seduction might occur.

Of course, Bai Zhizhan was the bow, not the overlord.

Because of the hasty departure, only Zheng Jiangming came to see him off. In fact, since all the drivers had been sent out, Zheng Jiangming had to drive him there himself.

Also due to the rush, the plane wasn’t ready when they arrived at the airport.

This was simply a makeshift military airfield, very rudimentary, and you could even say a bit shabby. There was no helping it; the inland airports were all under the Army’s control, while the Navy’s airports were located in coastal areas and on islands. Even this airport was rented to the Navy by the Army.

Sitting in the car and waiting for a while, Bai Zhizhan couldn’t stand the suffocating stuffiness, regardless of the bitterly cold weather outside.

Since Bai Zhizhan did not leave, Zheng Jiangming had no choice but to stay and accompany him.

"Isn’t it a bit ironic?"

"What?"

"Twenty years ago, you called us to the Imperial Capital, saying we were going to achieve something big. Back then, we all thought that by relying on the He Family, we could save ourselves ten years of struggle. But twenty years have passed, and when we look back, we realize that it’s actually the few old brothers we can truly count on."

"We’ve been struggling all along," Bai Zhizhan was quite emotional too.

Zheng Jiangming forced a smile, then continued, "On your fortieth birthday, you told us that you had chosen the hardest path and asked if we were willing to continue following you. Without thinking, we all immediately agreed. We were young then, didn’t quite understand, and time flew by without us taking it to heart. It’s only in these last few days that I’ve understood which path you chose."

"Regret it?"

"If I really did, would I return to the Navy headquarter?" Zheng Jiangming glanced at Bai Zhizhan, then added, "The only person I’ve ever truly respected in my life is you. As long as you say that moving in this direction is right, even if it means smashing my head and bleeding, I will not even blink an eye."

"Good brother!"

"To be honest, I feel it’s not worth it for you."

Bai Zhizhan didn’t respond; of course, he understood what Zheng Jiangming meant, and he could understand him.

In fact, Bai Zhizhan was not at all surprised to hear such words from Zheng Jiangming. Among the group, Zheng Jiangming was the most self-interested.

This also illustrated that Zheng Jiangming could often see the truth at a glance when it came to assessing situations.

Perhaps that was precisely why he was favored by the intelligence department.

Those who worked in intelligence were all exceptionally clever characters.

As for Zheng Jiangming’s mention of "not worth it," it referred to Bai Zhizhan fighting hard to win battles, only to have others reaping the rewards in the end.

"Regardless, our efforts over these years have not been wasted," Bai Zhizhan sighed, then said, "After I go to Puzhou, you’ll be here alone. You’ll need to be cautious in all matters."

"Don’t worry, I’m from the Sixth Bureau."

That remark left Bai Zhizhan at a loss for words, as if to say those from the Sixth Bureau walked sideways.

Zheng Jiangming wasn’t talking nonsense. As long as he was the intelligence liaison officer stationed at the Navy headquarter by the Sixth Bureau, not even Liu Changxun would dare to touch him, let alone others.

It was rumored that the secret archives of the Sixth Bureau contained compromising materials on all senior officers.

At that moment, the transport plane slid out from the sole hangar. The engines had started, and two pilots were running checks inside the cockpit.

"The plane has arrived," Zheng Jiangming reminded Bai Zhizhan.

"Take care!"

"You too, take care!"

After hugging Zheng Jiangming, Bai Zhizhan picked up the luggage he had placed in the car and walked towards the transport plane, which was sliding over and coming to a gradual stop.

Actually, it was just a small bag, with a few pieces of underwear for changing.

An outer coat?

In the depths of winter, it wasn’t unusual to go a month or two without changing your jacket.

Once aboard the plane, Bai Zhizhan finally wiped his eyes, brushing away the tears that were about to roll down.

As the proverb goes, "The road tests the strength of a horse; time reveals a person’s heart."

If he had to say, it was still those iron buddies from the academy days who understood him best and were the most reliable, as back in their student days, there wasn’t such a heavy interest in personal gain.

Bai Zhizhan was well aware that Zheng Jiangming was having a tough time at the Navy headquarter.

Not to mention anything else, he didn’t even have the qualifications to attend high-level meetings, faced ostracization from almost everyone, and his insistence on staying at the Navy headquarter was nothing more than a desire to assist his brothers from the rear, ensuring that accurate intelligence was delivered to Bai Zhizhan’s hands in a timely manner to lend support.

With such a brother, what reason was there not to fight with all his might?