“Commander, we’ve had a flat tire. It’s been nearly three months already. If Commander Lu doesn’t come again soon, we really should be leaving by now.”
The little fox looked at Xia Yuge, who was tucking heartily into her food, and its bushy tail drooped with worry.
“Master… what kind of mindset is this? How can she be so carefree at a time like this? Doesn’t she have the slightest concern? Could it be… she still hasn’t gotten over that scumbag Gu?”
“Xiao Jiu, don’t worry. We won’t be leaving. No later than tomorrow morning, he will definitely come.” Xia Yuge spoke without a trace of anxiety.
“Master, are you certain? If he still doesn’t show up tomorrow—are we truly going back to that jerk Gu’s home in Gujia Village?” The little fox remained fretful.
Still, since its master had told it to wait for that Commander Lu, the little fox had no choice but to obey. After all, it was her spirit familiar. Her word was law, a sacred decree.
“Alright, Xiao Jiu, put your mind completely at ease. Instead of worrying over all these maybes, you might as well help me get things ready. I’m planning to make myself a facial mask later.” Xia Yuge smoothed her palm-sized face and sighed inwardly in exasperation.
Why was it that she simply couldn’t seem to gain any weight?
“Master… it’s hard not to worry, not when you look like this. After all… men are visual creatures.”
Though it was only a spirit familiar, the little fox felt as though it were worrying itself grey, like an anxious old father.
It was all that scumbag Gu’s fault! If it weren’t for him, would it ever have needed to stress itself this much?
And that Lu Tingxiao—he was no good either! If it had known how things would turn out, it never would have saved him back then!
Hmph! And what about that so-called Political Commissar? Where were all those promised military service rewards? Why hadn’t a single one materialized yet?!
Ughhh! This fox is furious!
Fine! I’ll draw little circles and curse you all—may you fall into pits when walking and choke on every sip you drink!
The little fox grumbled inwardly the whole time, deftly processing the beauty herbs it had just gathered from the mountains.
Fifty miles away from the military district, along a rugged mountain road, a military jeep raced toward the base.
Inside sat Lu Tingxiao and his comrade Cheng Dong, returning from an urgent mission. Cheng Dong was driving, while Lu Tingxiao sat in the passenger seat, eyes half-closed, resting.
“Commander! That arrest mission went absolutely perfectly! Who would’ve thought—all those elaborate schemes the Japanese spent years hatching… we just swept them all up in one go! What a rush! Absolutely glorious, hahaha!”
BANG!
Speak of the devil and disaster strikes. Before Cheng Dong’s laughter had even faded, one of the jeep’s tires plunged straight into a massive crater. Worse still—the engine stalled completely.
“Cheng Dong! What happened?”
At the deafening crash, Lu Tingxiao’s eyes flew open instantly, fully alert.
“Commander… we’ve blown a tire. There was a huge pothole in the road I didn’t spot in time. The wheel went right in.” Cheng Dong scratched his head, looking thoroughly sheepish.
“Fell into a hole? You’re a seasoned driver! How do you make such a ridiculous mistake? When we get back—ten kilometers with full gear. As punishment.”
“Ah! Commander, please! We’ve been working nonstop for days to pull this mission off! If you hit me with a ten-kilometer forced march on top of it… you might as well just shoot me now! Commander, for all the time we’ve been partners… can’t we cut a deal? Skip the ten kilometers, just this once?”
Cheng Dong blinked his big eyes pleadingly, gazing at Lu Tingxiao with a look of utter entreaty.
Lu Tingxiao frowned hard. He glanced at his watch, then surveyed their desolate surroundings. They were still a good forty to fifty miles from base—and the urgency in his chest burned hotter by the second.
If his memory served… today was the very last day Xia Yuge had agreed to stay. She’d told him to give her his answer once he’d made up his mind—and he would not break his word.
Come what may, he had to be back at the base tonight. Military commendations and rewards would take time—so if he truly wanted to keep her by his side, there was only one way.
He would submit a marriage application tonight. It was the least he owed her. She had saved his life—and he would repay her by taking her as his wife. That was his pledge.
As for this fool of a partner… he could deal with him later. No sense wasting breath right now.
With that thought, Lu Tingxiao shot Cheng Dong a look of withering disdain.
“Enough whining. Get that tire changed. We move—now.” Lu Tingxiao’s tone was ice-cold.
“Yes, sir! Commander! Consider it done!” Cheng Dong’s spirits soared.
Wow! The sun really had risen from the west today! The dreaded ‘Lu Yanluo’—the ‘Hell Commander’ himself—had actually shown mercy!
Saved from the ten-kilometer march! Delighted, Cheng Dong hopped out to inspect the damage.
He hadn’t been wrong—one tire was indeed blown. But when he reached for the spare… his heart sank.
Good heavens! You have got to be kidding me! Why does my luck run this bad?! Cheng Dong was on the verge of tears.
“Cheng Dong? What are you dawdling for? Get the spare tire over here and change it!” Lu Tingxiao had already pried off the ruined wheel and was now staring over with a furrowed brow.
“I… uh… Commander… on second thought… the moonlight’s actually quite lovely tonight… maybe I should just go ahead and do that ten-kilometer march instead…?” Cheng Dong wished the ground would swallow him whole.
“What is this nonsense? First you beg for leniency, now you volunteer for the march?”
Lu Tingxiao’s brow knotted so tight it looked painful. He half-suspected he ought to crack open Cheng Dong’s skull just to see what sort of straw-filled nonsense was rattling around inside it.
“It’s not what you think! I want to change the tire! But… the spare is also flat! I forgot to get it patched before we left! So… we can’t swap it out tonight. But don’t worry! First thing tomorrow, I’ll send someone out with a fresh spare and get both tires patched properly! The mission’s over anyway—what’s one night’s delay? The Commissar won’t say a word!”
Cheng Dong stood trembling, eyes darting nervously, drowning in regret. How could he have overlooked something so critical? Thank goodness the mission was done—otherwise it wouldn’t just be a ten-kilometer march he’d be facing.
“Say that again.” Lu Tingxiao suppressed a volcanic surge of rage. If he wasn’t in uniform, and if every second didn’t count… he would have beaten Cheng Dong within an inch of his life.
“Tingxiao… I’m sorry. Truly. I meant to take it in first thing tomorrow. I never expected you’d insist on returning tonight. It was an oversight—and it will never happen again. I’ll do the march. Right now. Is that enough?”
Under Lu Tingxiao’s gaze—sharp enough to bite—Cheng Dong felt certain his end was near.
“March? Save your breath. You stay here and guard the vehicle. I’m running back to base. And mark this—the cost of every tire, every repair, every spare part… comes straight out of your pay.”
“What?! That’s unfair! I protest!” Cheng Dong howled in outrage.
“Protest all you like. It’s an order. And when I return tomorrow… your punishment is doubled. I will personally oversee every step of that run.”
Lu Tingxiao cast down his tools, turned on his heel, and bolted toward the base—leaving Cheng Dong standing stunned and terror-stricken in his wake.