Outside, the early autumn air carried a faint chill, Sun Zhigang quickened his steps as he followed after Gu Zhenhua.
"Comrade Gu... Deputy Company Commander Gu!" he called out.
At the sound of his voice, Gu Zhenhua paused.
A faint flicker of irritation passed through his eyes, gone as swiftly as it had appeared. He turned slowly, his expression composed, his posture straight.
Sun Zhigang caught up, a wide, ingratiating smile already arranged upon his face, as though the sharp tongued man from moments ago had never existed.
"Deputy Company Commander Gu," he said, slightly out of breath yet eager, "I know you are pressed for time and must catch your train, but… would you spare a moment to speak?"
Gu Zhenhua gave a small, almost imperceptible nod.
"Speak."
Encouraged, Sun Zhigang's smile deepened.
"How are things in Beijing?" he began lightly, as though engaging in harmless pleasantries. "And your grandfather, how has his health been of late?"
The words carried a deliberate familiarity.
Gu Zhenhua did not answer.
He merely looked at him, calm and unreadable.
The silence stretched.
Sun Zhigang's smile stiffened for a fraction of a second, but he quickly recovered, as if such disregard did not trouble him in the least.
"Ah… of course, of course," he said, chuckling softly to himself, before shifting his tone. "Deputy Company Commander Gu, you come from a distinguished family, one that holds both reputation and influence in the capital, so you..." he paused, choosing his words carefully, "...should be mindful of the company you keep around you."
His brows drew together faintly, as though speaking from genuine concern.
"I refer, naturally, to Squad Leader Li Guoqiang and his children," he continued. "They are, after all, nothing more than rural peasants, people without standing, without connections. Their world begins and ends in the fields, tilling the soil year after year. Such people are destined to remain where they belong… in the mud. It is neither fitting nor prudent for someone of your position to involve yourself too closely with them."
Gu Zhenhua's gaze grew colder, though his expression remained unchanged. "State your point, Political Commissar Sun."
The words were quiet, yet carried unmistakable weight.
Sun Zhigang's smile faltered, just for an instant, before returning, thinner this time, edged with calculation.
"I merely speak out of concern," he said. "I see you have taken a particular interest in Squad Leader Li and his children, and there are… eyes within the unit, after all. One hears things."
He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice as though sharing a confidence.
"Last night, someone saw you visiting the guest house. And you also retrieved Squad Leader Li's file from the archives and submitted it for review. His service record, his background… such attention is not given lightly."
He straightened, watching Gu Zhenhua closely.
"I do not know what your intentions are, Deputy Company Commander," he continued, "but I would advise caution. People like them may appear simple, even honest, but that is often a mask. Rural folk are adept at ingratiating themselves when opportunity arises. A few kind words, a display of humility and before one realizes it, they have entangled themselves around you like creeping vines."
He gave a faint, knowing smile.
"Today, they accept your goodwill; tomorrow, they may presume upon it. And once such lines are crossed… it becomes difficult to restore proper order." his gaze sharpened. "For someone in your position, even a small misstep in association can invite unnecessary scrutiny. Reputation, after all, is not easily preserved."
Gu Zhenhua stood unmoving, his expression unreadable, yet the silence that followed pressed down like a weight upon the night.
His gaze remained fixed on Sun Zhigang for a long moment. He suddenly remembered He Jianci's words he spoke after reading Li Guoqiang's file, "The waters run deep, and they are not clear."
After a brief pause, he finally spoke.
"Political Commissar Sun," he said evenly, "do you have some grievance against Squad Leader Li?"
Before Sun Zhigang could respond, Gu Zhenhua continued, "I have personally reviewed Squad Leader Li Guoqiang's service records and background before submitting them for evaluation. Your name does not appear in any capacity. That would suggest there is no direct connection between the two of you."
His eyes narrowed slightl, "And yet, your knowledge of him and more so, your… disposition suggest otherwise."
A faint pause.
"So tell me, are his records incomplete?" he asked, his voice turning colder. "Or is it that something has been omitted?"
The implication hung heavily in the air.
"As far as I am aware," he added, "record-keeping and archive management fall under your supervision. If there are discrepancies… would that not indicate negligence on your part?"
Sun Zhigang's composure cracked.
For a brief instant, panic flickered across his face. He had not expected the conversation to turn so sharply against him, nor with such precision.
"N...No, Deputy Company Commander Gu," he said hurriedly, forcing a strained smile. "There is no such issue. I have no connection with Li Guoqiang whatsoever. Infact today was the first time we met in person."
He swallowed, "also the records are complete and accurate. There is absolutely nothing missing. You must not misunderstand my work."
He tried to steady himself, lowering his tone.
"I was merely offering you some advice… for your own sake."
Gu Zhenhua gave a soft, almost imperceptible hum.
"Oh?"
His voice was quiet, but the chill within it was unmistakable, "So now even my associations with people fall under political scrutiny?"
Sun Zhigang froze.
"Should I then submit a list of names to you for approval before speaking to anyone?" Gu Zhenhua continued. "Or perhaps, if I choose to associate with someone you deem unfit, you intend to subject me to ideological education?"
The words were measured, yet each one struck like a hammer.
Sun Zhigang's face turned pale. "I… I did not mean..."
Gu Zhenhua did not allow him to finish.
"Political Commissar Sun," he said, his tone sharpening, "you speak of caution, yet your words reveal more about yourself than about others."
He gave him a look from head to toe and continued, "You call a soldier of the People's Liberation Army 'unfit' based on his rural background. You speak of peasants as though they are beneath you." His gaze hardened. "Have you forgotten Chairman Mao's teachings? The peasants are the foundation of this nation," he said, each word clear and deliberate. "Without them, there is no grain. Without grain, there is no army. Without the people, there is no revolution."
A brief silence followed.
"And yet you stand here, disparaging them as if they are something to be cast aside."
His voice dropped, colder than before.
"Tell me, Political Commissar Sun, what exactly have you been learning and teaching others all these years?"
Sun Zhigang stood speechless, his earlier confidence shattered.
Gu Zhenhua looked at him steadily, then said with quiet finality:
"If there is anyone here who requires ideological re-education it's you political commisar Sun."
For a long moment, neither man spoke.
Sun Zhigang's blood surged, hot and restless, as though it would burst through his veins at any moment. For an instant, the urge to curse Gu Zhenhua outright rose sharply within him. Yet he forced it down with great effort.
He was not a fool.
Among the few in the unit Sun Zhigang knew better than most that this young man did not stand alone. The family behind him was no ordinary one, and offending him recklessly would be akin to courting one's own downfall. Moreover… there was his daughter.
Thinking of her, Sun Zhigang clenched his jaw and swallowed his anger. He forced his expression into neutrality.
But Gu Zhenhua had no intentions of wasting more time. He merely lifted his wrist, glancing at his Shanghai-brand mechanical watch, "Then I will take my leave, Political Commissar Sun," he said calmly. "There are still matters I must attend to."
Without waiting for a reply, he turned and strode away, his figure soon swallowed by the dim light of the compound.
Sun Zhigang remained where he stood.
For a long moment, he did not move.
Then his fists tightened, knuckles paling, his jaw clenching so hard it seemed it might crack.
"Arrogant brat," he muttered under his breath, his voice low and venomous. "A fledgling hawk daring to bare its claws before an old falcon… hmph. Let us see how long you can keep that pride."
With a sharp exhale, he spun on his heel and strode toward the office building.
As he walked, his thoughts churned.
Everything tonight replayed in his mind, and the more he thought about it, the darker his expression became.
He had not gone to He Guangsheng's residence with the intention of creating such a scene. His purpose had been simple, to meet Gu Zhenhua.
And that purpose had not been his alone.
It began the previous evening, when his daughter Sun Yuying had come to him.
From a young age, she had been willful, proud, and accustomed to getting what she desired. Ever since Gu Zhenhua had been transferred into the unit two years prior, his presence had stirred a quiet storm among the young women within the compound.
Tall, composed, and strikingly handsome, with a bearing that spoke of discipline and refinement, he had quickly become the subject of countless whispered conversations. Some admired him from afar, others more boldly sought opportunities to approach him.
Even among the officers, there had been no shortage of interest. Several company commanders and even battalion leaders had approached him seeking to form familial ties through marriage.
Each proposal had been declined without exception.
Sun Zhigang himself had once believed his position would carry weight. Confident in his standing as Political Commissar, he had approached Gu Zhenhua personally. But he too had been refused.
But what unsettled him more was his daughter's reaction. Where others had withdrawn in disappointment, Sun Yuying had only grown more determined and obsessed.
Her admiration had turned into something far more dangerous.
There has been incidents that he chose not to speak of openly.
One, however, could not be easily ignored.
A newly appointed platoon leader's daughter had once been seen speaking with Gu Zhenhua in passing, nothing more than a brief exchange of polite words. Yet within same day, the girl had been found injured, her face and arms torn by the vicious thorns of a honey locust bush.
The explanation given had been an accident.
But Sun Zhigang knew better. He had seen the look in his daughter's eyes. Cold, Possessive and Unyielding. It was then he realized that matters could no longer be left unchecked. If such obsession could not be restrained, then it must be legitimized.
Marriage, in his mind, became not only a solution but a necessity. And beyond that… he was not blind to the advantages. A connection to Gu Zhenhua's family would elevate his own standing immeasurably.
Thus, when news reached them that Gu Zhenhua had returned to the unit after over a month away on assignment, Sun Yuying had come to him immediately.
She wanted to meet him.
To apologize for that one reckless thing she did before Gu Zhenhua went in assignment.
That day, under his wife's instigation, Sun Yuying had done something utterly reckless, she had climbed over the wall of Gu Zhenhua's residence within the compound and entered uninvited.
Her intent had been as clear as it was disgraceful.
To force intimacy and to create a situation that could not be easily dismissed. Yet Gu Zhenhua had been aleart. Without hesitation, he had summoned few female soldiers and had her escorted out, firmly, without regard for her status. Later, he had confronted Sun Zhigang directly, issuing a cold and unmistakable warning.
Since then, he had made it clear, she was not to approach him again.
Later Sun Yuying wanted to apologise to Gu Zhenhua desparatly, but the opportunity had been scarce. Gu Zhenhua had been dispatched to a remote county for extended training duties, far from the main unit.
So when Sun Yuying learned of Gu Zhenhua's return, she had immediately proposed the idea to invite him to dinner. It would be her chance to repair what had been broken, to approach him properly, to begin again with dignity rather than desperation.
And yet…
Sun Zhigang's expression darkened as he thought about his entire day today, "Li Guoqiang…" he muttered, his voice low, heavy with resentment.
That very morning, his orderly had come to him with news that unsettled him, Gu Zhenhua had personally gone to the archives and requested Li Guoqiang's service records.
Sun Zhigang was not a man who believed in coincidences.
A deputy company commander seeking out the file of a squad leader from another company… such a move could only mean one thing... Gu Zhenhua wanted something from Li Guoqiang.
He than asked his orderly to investigate Gu Zhenhua's intentions, but what he found out next sent a chill through him.
Gu Zhenhua actually submitted Li Guoqiang's records for review directly to He Guangsheng.
And than his orderly found something even more absurd, that Gu Zhenhua has been recently quite close to Li Guoqiang's kids.
He also found out that He Guangsheng has suddenly summoned Li Guoqiang to his office this morning and the reason was apples?
This finally unsettled Sun Zhigang and he became restless.
For years, he had kept Li Guoqiang suppressed within the unit. Quietly and methodically. The man's true record, his achievements, his near-flawless mission history, had never been allowed to surface fully.
The original file had been hidden away by him.
In its place, a carefully moderated report had been submitted year after year during external reviews, enough to keep Li Guoqiang in good standing, but never enough to warrant promotion or attention.
It had worked.
Until now.
But yesterday day that foolish orderly, intimidated by Gu Zhenhua's authority, had handed over the original records without question.
Sun Zhigang's jaw tightened.
Now Li Guoqiang's achivements could no longer be buried.
But even so, he was not willing to give up.
Li Guoqiang… must remain where he is.
At the bottom.
Not because of any personal grievance, but because someone had ordered...
Because someone above him had made it clear: Li Guoqiang was not to rise.
Taking a slow breath, Sun Zhigang changed direction.
Instead of returning to his office, he walked toward the duty room.
The corridor was dim, lit by a single flickering bulb. Inside, a young officer sat at the desk, flipping through a ledger. The moment he saw Sun Zhigang enter, he straightened instantly.
"Political Commissar Sun!" he said, snapping into a crisp salute.
"At ease," Sun Zhigang replied curtly. "Leave the room. I have a call to make."
"Yes, Comrade Commissar."
The officer did not hesitate. He gathered his cap and stepped out, closing the door behind him.
The room fell silent.
Sun Zhigang walked to the corner where a dark green rotary dial telephone rested on a wooden table.
He lifted the receiver and with practiced precision, he began to dial. After a brief pause, a clear, professional voice came through. "Operator speaking. Please state your request."
Sun Zhigang's tone shifted, measured and authoritative.
"This is Political Commissar Sun Zhigang from the Baicheng military unit. Connect me to Beijing… number 3-7-1-9....."
There was a brief pause on the other end, followed by the sound of switches being adjusted.
"Understood, Comrade. Please hold while I connect your call."
A series of faint clicks followed, the distant murmur of lines crossing cities and provinces.
After a few moments, the operator's voice returned.
"Comrade Sun, your call has been connected. Please proceed."
A soft ringing echoed through the line.
Once.
Twice.
Then...
A click.
The line went still.
Sun Zhigang's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Comrade," he said slowly, his voice lowering, carrying both caution and deference, "it is me. It's about Li Guoqiang, something has changed..."