The next evening, the soldiers patrolling the coastline carried their rifles as they walked.
“Squad Leader, do you really think there’s something going on to the east? I don’t buy it. Everything’s been fine lately, hasn’t it?”
The squad leader immediately flicked him on the forehead.
“Why are you worrying about so much? The regiment commander told us to keep an eye on it, so keep an eye on it. Who knows? Maybe we’ll actually find something.”
The soldier was still unconvinced.
“Nothing like this has ever happened in the waters around our island. Even if something were going on, it shouldn’t be this close, right?”
“You all better stay sharp. Don’t let your guard down. If I find out anyone isn’t taking patrol seriously, once we’re done, you’ll all run twenty extra laps.”
The calm surface of the sea stretched endlessly into the distance. Under the cover of darkness, it was even harder to see what was happening on the water. Everything was pitch-black.
Only the island behind them, not far away, still had its lights on. The sound of waves crashing beside them was particularly clear.
Suddenly, from the observation tower along the coast, a soldier holding a pair of binoculars suddenly exclaimed, “Squad Leader, come take a look! Is there something going on over there?”
The squad leader immediately stepped forward and took the binoculars, looking out over the sea.
“What did you see?”
“I think I saw a flash of light on the water over there just now.”
The squad leader frowned suspiciously.
“I don’t see anything.”
“That’s impossible. I definitely saw it just now. It was strange. The light only flashed once, and it was very faint.”
The squad leader handed the binoculars back to him.
“Regardless, keep watching. Get a few more people to watch with you. If you discover anything, notify us immediately.”
More than ten minutes later, there was movement on the sea again.
This time, although it was still only a fleeting flash, several soldiers who had been watching closely saw it.
The squad leader immediately reported the matter to Zhou Yuanzheng.
“Deputy Regiment Commander, at around eleven tonight, we discovered what appears to be the trace of a large vessel approximately thirty nautical miles east of the island.”
After noticing something suspicious, they immediately used specialized equipment to scan the waters to the east, but even with that, they could barely make out anything.
While gathering personnel, Zhou Yuanzheng reported the information upward.
“Tell the men to be careful. I have a feeling something isn’t right. Be cautious about everything. First, send a team over to take a look. Use a small boat and try not to alert them. We only need to gather information.”
“Once you’ve figured out what’s going on, return immediately. Don’t alert them.”
“Yes, Deputy Regiment Commander. I’ll go right away.”
The weather on the island was unpredictable.
Late at night, the lights across the island’s inland area gradually went out. Drizzling rain fell without warning, slowly growing heavier.
The rain mercilessly battered the coastline and the boats.
Without anyone noticing, a small boat quietly departed from the dock. It was loaded with a sufficient supply of firearms and ammunition.
The soldiers, all experienced in naval combat, concealed themselves in the shadows, remaining perfectly still as they kept a close eye on the movements on the sea.
The small boat sped forward like a fish entering the water.
When it reached within several kilometers of the large vessel, it stopped. Because of its small size and the lack of noise, it did not attract the other side’s attention.
The soldiers held binoculars and shut off every light-producing device aboard their boat.
Across from them, they could see the large vessel anchored near a small island.
The island was tiny and had a harsh environment. Human beings could barely survive there, so no troops had been stationed there for patrols.
But at a time like this, a warship had suddenly stopped there, so close to China’s waters.
No one knew what they were planning.
The large vessel drew too much water to approach the island closely, so it stopped at some distance from the shore. Then, several small boats were lowered from the vessel.
No one knew what they were carrying.
The group of people were clearly highly trained. They worked together as they transported something onto the island.
But it was too dark, and the binoculars could only see so far, so they couldn’t make out exactly what they were carrying.
What they could see clearly, however, was that the group was fully equipped. Every person was carrying a weapon, and their equipment was extremely sophisticated.
The matter was of great importance.
The patrol team leader immediately picked up the radio and reported what he had discovered to Zhou Yuanzheng.
Inside the military office building, Zhou Yuanzheng and the others received the report.
They immediately began assembling their forces, preparing their weapons and ammunition and getting ready to move out at any moment.
Zhou Yuanzheng calmly arranged the deployment and prepared everything necessary.
But once the preparations were complete, he remembered that his wedding was only a few days away, and he felt somewhat guilty.
His wedding with Shen Qingqing would probably either have to be postponed or kept very simple.
He didn’t know whether she would agree.
But regardless, military affairs had to take priority.
He also didn’t want anything to happen on the day of their wedding. Not only would that be inauspicious, it would also be unfavorable for the operation.
Meanwhile, Shen Jiaojiao remembered that Zhou Yuanzheng had died in the previous life.
She decided to move her wedding up by several days.
She absolutely did not want that short-lived man to die on the very day she got married. How unlucky would that be?
After all, Zhou Yuanzheng and Lu Yunshan were cousins.
On such a joyous occasion, Shen Jiaojiao didn’t want anything to ruin her happiness.
Fortunately, Lu Yunshan didn’t say much about it, so they moved the wedding forward.
Although the wedding was kept extremely simple because of the rushed schedule, Shen Jiaojiao unexpectedly didn’t complain.
Instead, she was delighted that she was about to marry Lu Yunshan.
Although she had snatched Lu Yunshan away from Shen Qingqing immediately after being reborn in this life, they had been husband and wife in her previous life.
If she didn’t actually marry him, Shen Jiaojiao would always feel uneasy.
Moreover, Lu Yunshan must have loved Shen Qingqing in their previous life. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have firmly refused to divorce her even though Shen Qingqing was unable to have children.
She had to tie Lu Yunshan down as quickly as possible and prevent him from having any contact with Shen Qingqing.
Thus, the next day was Shen Jiaojiao and Lu Yunshan’s wedding.
She was filled with anticipation as she imagined her life after marriage.
Even though Shen Qingqing had been unable to bear children in her previous life, Lu Yunshan had never despised her or divorced her.
That alone proved that he was a good man.
And this good man was about to belong to her, Shen Jiaojiao!
After they married, wouldn’t she get to decide everything?
She would definitely be the one managing the household.
Lu Yunshan’s money would naturally have to be handed over to her for her to manage.
After all, once the money was in her hands, she could spend it on herself.
So what if the wedding wasn’t particularly grand?
As it happened, Lu Yunshan didn’t want to make a big spectacle of the wedding either, so the two of them immediately agreed.
They registered their marriage directly.
As for the wedding banquet, they only invited a few of Lu Yunshan’s close comrades and Lu Yunshan’s parents.
Because of the distance, Shen Luanfeng and Bai Nianyun weren’t able to attend.
At the Lu family’s home, a large round table was filled with a meal that wasn’t particularly lavish.
Shen Jiaojiao and Lu Yunshan sat together, along with Lu’s father, Lu’s mother, and several of his close comrades.
There were fewer than ten people in total.
But Shen Jiaojiao wasn’t unhappy in the slightest.
Instead, she sat shyly beside Lu Yunshan.
Today, she had deliberately worn the red dress she had prepared in advance, with a red flower tucked beside her ear.
She smiled coyly.
Gu Qinghai sat across from them.
When he saw Shen Jiaojiao’s affected mannerisms, the displeasure in his heart nearly spilled over, and even his smile became extremely stiff.
But with so many people around, he couldn’t make his feelings too obvious.
He could only dig his fingernails hard into his thigh to keep himself from losing control.
Gu Qinghai hadn’t wanted to come in the first place.
But he also wanted to see exactly what kind of woman Lu Yunshan had married.
After taking one look at Shen Jiaojiao today, he let out a disdainful snort.
The little bit of wariness he had left disappeared completely.
She was nothing but a lovestruck fool.
Look at those eyes of hers—they were practically glued to Lu Yunshan.
How shameless!
Just a pretty vase who knew nothing except how to revolve around a man.
And she actually dared to compete with him, Gu Qinghai, for his man?
She really should take a good look at herself and see whether she was even worthy.