Chapter 557: My Reason for Being Here Is Blood and Wine
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"I have never seen an officer as perfect as him. He is powerful, and he can also bring out the potential of everyone in the team. Chen Chou, as their commanding officer, you should know very well how lazy and incompetent those members of the scout squad used to be."
"Everyone acknowledges the role he played in those skirmishes, but to call him perfect... drinking and fighting every day, where is the perfection in that? What about military discipline? I agree to record his merits, but correspondingly, shouldn't he be punished for violating the prohibitions?"
"If he were my subordinate, and every time he went on patrol he brought back more than a dozen wolf rider corpses, I wouldn't care if he drank or fought, as long as he didn't commit murder or arson, I could accept anything. Punishment? I'd be happy to wash his feet every day!"
"Have you all forgotten the most important issue? He is a staff officer sent by the Northern Expedition Military Command... It is said that he offended some big shot over there, which is why he was exiled to this godforsaken place. If we put his name in the merit roll, won't the Military Command have objections?"
"Even if the Military Command has objections, are we supposed to suppress his military merits? That would break the soldiers' hearts!"
"Who said anything about suppressing his merits? I'm just trying to find the most appropriate method."
"Enough! Merits are merits, and punishments must also be given... With the military achievements he has made these days, he could even be eligible for a noble title, but with the prohibitions he has violated, execution would also be justified. I think we should offset the two, issue him a commendation order, and withhold the silver reward for now."
The noisy military tent fell silent instantly. Everyone looked at the general seated at the head, instinctively wanting to object, but upon careful thought, this approach was indeed the best method. They all turned to look at the deputy general named Chen Chou, their eyes filled with sympathy or schadenfreude.
Chen Chou was very annoyed. He picked up his helmet from the table, lifted the tent flap, and walked out.
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The reason his colleagues were gloating or sympathetic, and why he was annoyed, was because everyone knew that given the young officer's temperament, he would definitely explode upon hearing this news, and no one—not even the general—was willing to face that guy's wrath.
"What? Only a commendation and no silver reward?"
The barracks were sparsely furnished, the items heavy and cumbersome. Fortunately, this was the case, otherwise the wooden table in the middle, bearing an oil lamp and more than a dozen wine jugs, would have been overturned.
Upon learning the outcome of the tent meeting, Chen Chou naturally didn't receive any good looks, but he hadn't expected the other party's reaction to be so intense. He quickly hugged him tightly and repeatedly comforted him, saying, "The commendation order is the real prize! The general issued it to you despite the pressure from the Military Command!"
The person he was holding tightly, preventing him from tearing everything in the tent to shreds in his rage, was an officer.
The officer's armor was covered in dust, his face was the same, and with his long-untrimmed beard, he looked very dirty.
But his eyes were so bright and clear. Only when one saw his eyes would they realize he was just a young man in his twenties.
The young officer broke free from Chen Chou's grip, walked to the table, picked up a jug of wine, and gulped it down. He said angrily, "I just can't accept it."
Chen Chou said helplessly, "My little ancestor, are you really that short of a few coins?"
The young officer slammed the wine jug heavily onto the table and said, "I just feel it's unfair. Why? I've earned so many military merits, and I can't even get fifty taels of silver in return?"
Chen Chou glanced outside the barracks and said, "Last time... you were too ruthless in killing the prisoners."
The young officer waved his hand and said, "Where did that rumor come from? How could I do something so bloody? Only you Zhou army people like doing that kind of thing."
"Watch your words. Although you are a southerner, we are now one army."
"Fine, since we're all one family now, why won't they give me the money?"
"Why do you want the money so badly?"
"What else can I want if not money?"
"The general said that if you agree to register on the rolls, given the speed at which you accumulate military merits, you will soon surpass everyone in Qilixi, and even..."
Chen Chou looked at him with a complicated expression and said, "In five years, you could become a new Divine General."
Hearing this, the young officer was stunned for a moment, then laughed and said, "I'm not interested in that."
In the Great Zhou army, if anyone heard such words, they would surely think that person was crazy.
But Chen Chou wasn't surprised, because this wasn't the first time he had heard similar words.
"Who exactly are you?" he asked the young officer.
The young officer said, "I'm just a young man who loves money and has a quick temper."
As he said this, his eyes were very calm.
In fact, even when he was about to flip the table and curse the general's mother earlier, his eyes were equally calm, without any real anger.
Chen Chou sighed and said, "I don't know what quirks people like you have. Why do you have to pretend to be a roughneck?"
The young officer leaned in and asked seriously, "Don't I look the part?"
Chen Chou looked him over and said, "Your attire, appearance, and demeanor are somewhat similar, but your eyes are not."
Back then, he had seen through that this young officer was no ordinary person precisely because of his eyes.
Whether facing over a hundred wolf riders or that powerful demon, this young officer's eyes were always so calm—a calmness that represented absolute confidence, which could inspire a lot of confidence in others, whether in the young officer himself, the forty-plus scouts under his command, or Chen Chou, his nominal direct deputy.
After this period of interaction, Chen Chou was increasingly certain that this young officer was a truly important figure.
Only a truly important figure would have such eyes, and only a truly important figure would disdain something like becoming a Divine General.
If he hadn't confirmed that the appointment document was flawless, Chen Chou would never have dared to keep this young officer in his unit. But even today, he still couldn't figure out why such an important figure would come to a desolate and dangerous place like Qilixi, and what he was doing here.
Tonight, he finally couldn't help but ask directly.
The young officer looked out at the wind and snow beyond the tent, smiling slightly, looking tired but serene, without any trace of anxiety.
He didn't answer Chen Chou's question, but said calmly, "Let's drink."
Although Chen Chou knew the other party was an important figure, in the military camp, he was still his subordinate. Moreover, after all these days of sharing snow and frost, living and dying together, and fighting bloody battles against the demon wolf riders, they had long become familiar with each other. At this moment, he couldn't help but feel annoyed and said, "All you know is drink, drink, drink! I'm asking you seriously!"
The young officer was slightly taken aback, then laughed loudly and said, "I was answering seriously too."
Then his smile gradually faded, and he looked at the wind and snow and said calmly, "The wine here is the strongest, it can kill the most demons, and it helps calm the mind."
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(There will be a chapter at eight in the evening.)