Chapter 148: Chapter 148: Departure
"It's in newly developed district northwest of the city. The apartment is called Ri Chu apartment." Xiaoyun explained.
"Ri Chu? Why does that name sound so familiar?" Jixi quietly mumbled.
"Wait isn't that the condo developer that almost went bankrupt?" Gantian suddenly spoke up.
"Oh right that's the place! My friend invited me to his condo there when he brought it." Jixi finally realized where the condo building is at.
"That's perfect! You both know exactly where it is. Can you two lead the four platoon there?" Xiaoyun pleaded.
"Um, Mr.Xiaoyun... we were just about to leave with Yiming." Jixi decided to bring it up.
"Both of you?" Xiaoyun looked back and forth at the two.
"Not just us. We invited all the former veterans and all of them adding up to one platoon... If you want, we can reduce the number." The three felt a little ashamed for taking so much people with them.
Xiaoyun was in complete shock by the amount of people willing to join in Yiming's journey to the military, but then after thinking for a second, he realized why.
The military was still much stronger and bigger than the town Xiaoyun had built, not to mention the most of the veterans had a emotional bond with the military and their fellow comrades.
"It's fine, you guys can take them all with you. I don't mind it at all." Xiaoyun sounded a little grumpy despite knowing why the soldiers joined them.
"Xiaoyun, how about we'll go on this last mission, and we'll leave after we bring those people here safely?" Yiming suggested as he felt a little bad for leaving with so many people at once.
"No no, you don't need to do that. I'll just call up another platoon." Xiaoyun refused the offer.
"Come on Xiaoyun, when did you got so stingy? This isn't the Xiaoyun I know." Yezi noticed Xiaoyun's tone shift.
"Fine, you can bring go bring those people safely... but you are keep the entire platoon with you to leave. " Xiaoyun offered a compromise.
"Thank you Xiaoyun..." Yiming bowed down in gratitude.
"No problem. Look like this is going to be the final goodbye then." Xiaoyun saluted toward one last time.
Yiming saluted back in return.
"Maybe we'll see each other again at some point."
Yiming waved goodbye as the three returned to the platoon they convinced to join them.
Xiaoyun and Yezi walked up to the podium to order the three platoon leader to follow Yiming until the mission is over.
As the three platoon entered their APC and buses for the mission, Xiaoyun wanted to ask one last question for the remaining platoon.
"Before I let you all go, do you wish to join Yiming to the military?"
All of them stood stood in silent as they felt they had betray Xiaoyun's generosity, until one person in the crowd decided to speak up.
"Mr.Xiaoyun, we greatly respect your leadership through the hard time... but the country need us in this time."
Xiaoyun nodded in agreement and saluted the soldiers.
"Very well, this is probably the last time we'll see each other... Godspeed everyone."
The soldiers saluted back and entered their vehicle.
After the four platoon left, Xiaoyun and Yezi stood in the field.
"Did I do the right decision Yezi? I feel like I shouldn't of let them go..." Xiaoyun started to feel a little regretful.
"There's always going to be people who are devoted to their country... There's no amount of convincing that can change their mind." Yezi patted Xiaoyun in the shoulder.
"I'm sure we'll see them again one day... I almost forgot, Yiming left you a gift at the command center." Yezi suddenly brought it up.
"A gift?" Xiaoyun got a little confused as he followed Yezi to the command center.
As the two walked inside the command center, Yezi walked over to the drawer to take out a big folder.
"Yes, he spend the entire break time for this. I don't know what's inside it either." Yezi handed the folder to Xiaoyun.
Xiaoyun opened the folder, only to see a small stack of paper.
"Military reforms and strategic expansion..." Xiaoyun mumbled the title of the cover.
"Hm? That's surprising. That old man can write?" Yezi commented.
Xiaoyun flipped over the cover to see the first page detailing the flaws of Xiaoyun's army and how to improve upon it.
But most important, it listed an entire plan of military reforms that Xiaoyun desperately needed as both Yezi and Xiaoyun had no clue on change the current bloated platoon units.
"I knew the the old man would never just leave with the army still in disrepair." Yezi commented as he finished reading the papers.
"Yeah... Look like I can just implement the entire thing after the four platoon units come back." Xiaoyun put the paper back into the folder, then into his backpack.
---
Ten hour passed since four platoon unit left.
It was turning seven o'clock as the sun has already set and the moon had risen in the sky.
"The three platoon unit is coming back with the civilians right now... And Mr.Yiming have left with his platoon." The radio operator responded.
"Okay, tell them to drop it off at the training field." Yezi replied.
Xiaoyun and Yezi were both standing in the command center, with Yuqi next to them.
"Why didn't you two inform me about two thousand people coming here out of nowhere?" Yuqi looked a little angry by the sudden influx of people.
"It's an emergency and I forgot to tell you about it. Sorry." Xiaoyun moved closer to Yuqi as he apologized.
"Yeah whatever... thanks god I already set up an transition housing unit just for this kind of situation." Yuqi lifted her chin up as if she wanted a compliment.
"Thank you so much Yuqi, you are so smart! How did you think of that?" Xiaoyun gently patted Yuqi on the head.
"Ahem. Ahem." Yezi cleared his throat to remind the two.
"I'm going to the training field to get the civil servant to transition those people into the town." Yuqi ran out of the command center while her face was completely red in embarrassment.
"See ya." Xiaoyun didn't felt embarrassed like Yuqi. He just viewed it as being close to his wife.
"Anyway, what were you saying earlier?" Xiaoyun looked over to Yezi.
"I was saying, since Gantian and Jixi left with Yiming, there's a big pole in the command center. So you'll have to somehow find someone fit for this job." Yezi replied.
Xiaoyun sighed as he can't think of anyone who have enough experience as Yiming to cover his job.
"Fuck... I definitely should of ask him to stay until I can find a replacement for him. I'll take his post until I can teach someone to do this." Xiaoyun thought back to the lessons that Yiming taught him.
"How about Jixi and Gantian's role as a Major leading the different platoon?" Yezi asked again.
"Hm... Do you have a list of people that can fill in their job?" Xiaoyun couldn't think of anyone to promote.
"Here's a list of people I think are qualified." Yezi handed a piece of paper to Xiaoyun.
After reading the paper, Xiaoyun felt like he just read a useless paper.
"Did you just listed every single platoon leader as a option?" Xiaoyun looked over to Yezi.
"I mean Yiming taught them all the same stuff, so I don't know what's the difference. I'm just the logistic person." Yezi shrugged.
"Well, just cancel the two roles then if we don't have someone to replace it with. Anyway the military reforms doesn't have this two role in the command so it's probably fine to remove." Xiaoyun took out the paper from his backpack.
"I guess... do you want me to cancel the soldier's break to implement this?" Yezi curiously asked as the next two days are the first official weekend break for the soldiers and government officials as Yuqi finally implemented it.
"Nah, we'll just do this on Monday." Xiaoyun put the paper back into his backpack.
"Xiaoyun, why do you use a backpack to hold everything?" Yezi noticed Xiaoyun always carrying a backpack.
"How else am I going to store it?" Xiaoyun asked.
"Maybe a briefcase instead?" Yezi suggested.
"Hm, I never thought of that." Xiaoyun created a briefcase and put everything into it.
"Does this look more professional?" Xiaoyun carried it in front of Yezi.
"Look more of a mayor now." Yezi commented.
"Okay... but I still gonna prefer a backpack for now." Xiaoyun put everything back into the backpack.
"Why?" Yezi curiously asked.
"This military backpack feel more comfortable to wear. Beside, I'm still a soldier first, a mayor second." Xiaoyun put the briefcase away in the drawer.