novelweb Chapter 1438 Action, Driving Away
Chapter 1438 Action, Driving Away
Chen Jun's military boots trod on the cobblestone path of the military compound's family quarters, the air filled with the sweet scent of late-blooming cherry blossoms. He hadn't been home for three months; the mud on the soles of his boots still smelled of laboratory disinfectant, gleaming coldly in the setting sun.
The security guard at the entrance of the residential compound, Wang Dayong, had already been replaced by a new face, but I recognized him at a glance.
"Commander! You're finally back!" Wang Dayong's voice trembled with emotion. The young security guards behind him immediately stood at attention and saluted, their eyes shining brightly beneath their hat brims. Ever since Chen Jun's "surprise" return home was mistakenly stopped by the security guards, the base had specially issued a "General Chen Jun's Family Building Access Pass" to the family building security department. In the photo, he was wearing camouflage, his eyes sharp as an eagle, even the mole at the corner of his eye was clearly visible. At this moment, Wang Dayong was handing over the pass, his fingers trembling nervously: "Look, we've memorized your face so well, we can even recognize your sister Anran's footsteps! Last time she came back in a floral dress, we rookies stared at her on the security cameras for three days straight!"
Chen Jun patted him on the shoulder with a smile, the mud from his military boots leaving faint marks on the clean floor tiles. He was carrying the handmade candy cakes he had bought for An Ran; the oil paper wrapping still retained the warmth of the laboratory, and the wrappers shimmered warmly in the setting sun. His heart felt as soft as if it were filled with a sweet treat.
As I pushed open the door, the motion-sensor light in the entryway turned on. My mother-in-law, wearing an apron with the character "福" (fortune) printed on it, peeked out from the kitchen. Her reading glasses had slipped down to the tip of her nose, and she was still clutching a spatula in her hand, the grease on the edge of the pan gleaming amber under the light. "Oh, isn't this our General home?" She slammed the spatula on the stove, sparks flying onto the tiles. "Go wash your hands right now! I'm in the kitchen; if your hands, which are used to handling guns, even a little oil splatter would be a work injury!"
Chen Jun smiled and took off his military overcoat, revealing a neatly pressed casual shirt underneath. He reached out to help his mother-in-law carry the grocery basket in from the balcony, but the old lady pushed him away: "Go away! You're a guest!" She turned and walked towards the kitchen, her apron straps swinging in an arc behind her, "Old An! Look who's back!"
An Jianguo, Chen Jun's father-in-law, sprang up from the living room sofa, his reading glasses slipping down to his chin, and the copy of *Reference News* he was holding clattered to his lap. He rushed over in his slippers and grabbed Chen Jun's wrist: "Kid, you've finally decided to come back! Let me tell you, An Ran keeps talking about your 'Hummingbird' chip research, saying you can't even take care of your family..."
"Dad!" Anran's voice came from the bedroom, carrying a girlish coquettish tone. Before Chen Jun could respond, a small figure rushed out of the bedroom door—his son, An'an, wearing a bear onesie, toddled over, opening his arms for a hug. This was the little guy who couldn't even walk when he last left, but now he could stumble and chase after him.
"Slow down!" Chen Jun crouched down and caught his son steadily. The little guy's face was chubby, his nose was smeared with milk, and his little hands were tightly gripping his collar, babbling "Daddy." Chen Jun's heart melted instantly. He lifted his son above his head, and the little guy giggled, patting his face with his little hands, when suddenly he burst into tears—Chen Jun's stubble had pricked him.
"Look, look," the mother-in-law said, carrying a plate of braised pork out of the kitchen. The shiny plate gleamed under the light. "An'an already misses her father, but you, you only come back once every three months!" She slammed the plate down on the table, and the aroma of the braised pork instantly filled the air. "Sit down quickly! Anran, go set the table!"
An Ran emerged from the bedroom wearing a beige dress, her hair loosely tied up, the ends still carrying the fresh scent of shampoo. Her eyes lit up instantly when she saw Chen Jun: "Why are you back so suddenly? I thought you wouldn't arrive until tomorrow!" She hurried over, reaching out to hug him, but Chen Jun pulled her close around the waist.
"I missed you." Chen Jun lowered his head, his nose brushing against the top of her hair, smelling the familiar scent of gardenia perfume. For the past three months, he had been surrounded by chips and data in the laboratory. Only at this moment, with the warmth in his arms and his daughter's laughter, did he feel like a "human being," not a weapons expert codenamed "001."
"Dad, Mom, I'm going to cook some dishes for Anran. She loves my sweet and sour pork ribs the most." Chen Jun said, heading towards the kitchen.
"Stop!" The mother-in-law's voice boomed like thunder. She pointed at him with a spatula, "You're a great general of the country, how can the hand that holds a gun touch a kitchen knife?" She pushed Chen Jun towards the living room, "Old An, quickly take your son-in-law to have some tea! His eyes are bloodshot, he must be exhausted!"
The father-in-law quickly stepped forward and put his arm around Chen Jun's shoulder: "Yes, yes, have some tea! I just brewed this year's Longjing tea, which your mother specially brought back from Hangzhou!" He half-pulled and half-dragged Chen Jun towards the living room. As they passed the kitchen, Chen Jun caught a glimpse of his mother-in-law hiding his kitchen knife in the deepest part of the cupboard, and even put up a "No Entry" sign with a crookedly drawn crying face on it.
In the living room, An Ran was sitting on the sofa playing with building blocks for An An. The little one had stacked the blocks into a crooked tower, and An Ran clapped her hands with a smile, "An An is so great!" Chen Jun walked over, sat down beside her, and reached out to ruffle her hair. An Ran playfully slapped his hand away, "You're already being naughty as soon as you get back. Go wash your hands!"
Chen Jun smiled and stood up. Just as he reached the door, his phone suddenly rang. It was an encrypted number, and his heart skipped a beat—such numbers were only used for national emergencies. He glanced at An Ran; she was engrossed in playing with their son, oblivious to his unease.
"Hello?" Chen Jun walked to the balcony and lowered his voice.
Rapid breathing came from the other end of the phone, mixed with the clatter of keyboards: "Director Chen, it's an emergency!" Xu Changming's voice was more exhausted than ever before. "The diplomats from the Peacock Kingdom and Goguryeo have arrived. They say... they must see you!"
Chen Jun's heart sank. He knew that these two countries had recently been suffocated by the US military presence, and this sudden request was probably an attempt to break free from US control by leveraging Yan's power. He glanced back at An Ran's back as she held An An in the living room, and felt a sharp pang in his heart.
"I'm on vacation." Chen Jun's voice was a little hoarse.
“I know,” Xu Changming said pleadingly, “but this time is different. They have brought a request that involves the strategic security of both countries, and you must handle it personally.”
Chen Jun fell silent. He recalled the message An Ran had sent him three months ago when he had worked continuously for 72 hours in the lab and the chip had been successfully mass-produced: "You are my hero, but I want you to come home more." Now, he had just embarked on his journey home, but he was about to rush to the battlefield again.
"I'll be right there." Chen Jun hung up the phone and turned to walk towards An Ran. She was telling An An a story, her profile soft and beautiful under the light. Chen Jun walked over gently, sat down beside her, and took her hand.
"What's wrong?" An Ran looked up and found his expression was serious.
"There's a national emergency, I have to go." Chen Jun's voice was hoarse. "I'm sorry, I just got back and I have to leave again."
An Ran's hand stiffened for a moment, then she gripped his hand in return: "It's alright, national affairs are important. You... don't overwork yourself." Her eyes reddened, but she held back her tears. "I know you have the country on your mind, I support you."
Chen Jun pulled her into his arms, his nose brushing against the top of her head: "When I come back, we'll take An'an to the beach."
"Okay." An Ran's voice choked with emotion. "I'll wait for you."
In the reception room of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, diplomats from the Peacock Kingdom and Goguryeo sat on the sofa, their hands tightly gripping the hems of their clothes. They were dressed in sharp suits, but their nervousness was undeniable—the Peacock diplomat Amir's tie was askew, and the Goguryeo diplomat Kim Cheol's cuffs were stained with coffee, clearly indicating that he had rushed there.
“General Chen,” Amir spoke first, his voice trembling with tears, “we…we’ve come to ask for help.” As he spoke, he pulled a photograph from his briefcase. The photograph showed a US military base on the border with Goguryeo, with soldiers armed to the teeth.
Kim Cheol also wiped away tears: "The United States demands huge 'protection fees' from us every year, and they still station troops there. Our soldiers don't even dare to touch their guns..." He suddenly covered his face, his shoulders trembling violently, "Last month, our outpost was destroyed by their tanks, and the soldiers could only watch helplessly..."
Chen Jun sat opposite them, his fingers lightly tapping the table. He looked at the two men, one a diplomat from the Peacock Kingdom, the other a commander from Goguryeo, their eyes filled with fear and longing. He recalled seeing the news three years ago on an international forum about Goguryeo soldiers kneeling in front of the American base, and a pang of pain shot through his heart.
"How do you want me to help?" Chen Jun's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority.
Amir quickly wiped away his tears: "We...we want to ask Yan Country to send troops to help us drive out the American troops stationed here!"
Chen Jun picked up his teacup, took a sip of Longjing tea, and felt the bitterness spread across his tongue. He put down the teacup and glanced at the two men: "I can help you, but not by sending troops."
Jin Zhe was stunned: "Then..."
“You’ll have to do it yourselves.” Chen Jun’s voice was firm and resolute. “If the United States makes the first move, I will provide you with support. But if you don’t even have the courage to resist, I can’t help you.” He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the sycamore leaves outside. “Remember, a country’s freedom can only be earned through its own efforts.”
Amir and Jin Zhe exchanged a glance, suddenly understanding something. They knew that Yan would not directly send troops to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, but Chen Jun's words had given them the clearest signal—as long as they dared to resist, Yan would support them.
"We understand!" Amir jumped to his feet, his briefcase falling to the ground, which he hurriedly picked up. "We'll act immediately! Goguryeo and the Peacock Kingdom will strike simultaneously!"
Jin Zhe also stood up and bowed deeply: "General Chen, rest assured, we will not let you down!"
Inside the Prime Minister's residence in the Peacock Kingdom, the light from the crystal chandelier illuminated Prime Minister Abiman's face. Amir had just returned from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, still clutching Chen Jun's business card in his hand.
"Excellent!" Abiman paced excitedly in his office. "General Chen's words are law! Goguryeo is preparing to take action; we'll move in tomorrow!" He walked to the map and pointed emphatically at the American military base on the border between Goguryeo and the Republic of Korea. "Order the 1st Armored Division to launch a surprise attack on the base tonight!"
"Understood!" The adjutant stood at attention, saluted, and turned to leave.
Inside the Goguryeo commander's residence, the commander-in-chief, staring at a map with a cold smile, slammed his hand on the table, causing the teacup to bounce. "I knew Yan wouldn't let us down!" he exclaimed. He grabbed the phone, his voice booming, "Get me to the First Army Commander! Order the troops to move their men to the American military base at 10 a.m. tomorrow!"
"Yes, sir!" came the commander's reply from the other end of the phone.
seven in the morning.
At the American base, the sun rose as usual. After a day of simple training, the soldiers enjoyed their morning coffee. All these items were provided by the country. Whatever they needed, they only needed to provide a list to the local government, and the government would obediently deliver it like dogs, without any delay.
Some time ago, they bullied a local girl, but in the end, the soldiers who committed the crime got away scot-free.
Over time, the American soldiers stationed here even felt like they were on vacation, rather than on a military garrison.
That's too high a status!
At that very moment, under the sunlight, a large number of Peacock Kingdom soldiers walked towards them, each fully armed with heavy weapons, exuding a chilling aura.
"What are they doing? They've come to the wrong place. This is a military base. Get them out of here."