148: Chapter 148: A Troop of Outstanding Military Merit

A dozen soldiers suddenly appeared at the door of the private room, standing tall like pines, their uniforms crisp and their shoulder insignia gleaming with a steady metallic luster under the lights.

The leader bore two bars and three stars on his shoulders; he was remarkably a Colonel.

The soldiers behind him quickly dispersed, quietly forming a barrier at the door, neither disturbing the order inside the room nor allowing the reporters to surge forward.

This sudden display of force instantly silenced the noisy room; even the most persistent reporters reflexively quieted down, their gazes shifting in unison toward the door.

The Colonel strode in, his leather shoes clicking sharply against the floor. He walked straight to Su Han, raised his hand in a standard military salute, and spoke in a booming voice, "Major Su, the Municipal Armed Forces Department is here to assist by order! I am President Zhang Qiming, the head of the Armed Forces Department!"

Su Han returned the salute, his brow arching slightly. "Minister Zhang? Thank you for making the trip."

"It's our duty!" President Zhang Qiming lowered his hand, his tone filled with clear admiration. "You are a hero of our Military Region; protecting your safety is our responsibility."

As soon as he said this, the reporters erupted—even the head of the Armed Forces Department had come in person and called Su Han a "hero of the Military Region." This was enough to prove his identity and significance!

"Minister Zhang!" The reporter from Yuezhou Television Station reacted the fastest, immediately stepping forward. "You just said you could explain the reason for Major Su's promotion?"

President Zhang Qiming glanced at Su Han, and seeing him nod slightly, he turned to the reporters and announced loudly, "I know everyone has questions about Major Su's promotion speed. This is normal—after all, going from a recruit to a Major in ten months is extremely rare across the entire army."

He paused, his voice suddenly rising. "But Comrade Su Han's promotion fully complies with military regulations; one could even say it is 'well-deserved'!"

"Because in the ten months since he enlisted, he has already earned two Third-Class Merits, one second-class merit, and one first-class merit!"

"What?!"

These words rang out in the room like a thunderclap, leaving everyone stunned.

The recording pens in the reporters' hands nearly fell to the floor, and the classmates were even more dumbfounded—though they didn't fully grasp the weight of military merits, they knew what a "first-class merit" meant!

That was an honor earned at the risk of one's life!

Chen Hao slumped in his chair, his face as pale as paper.

He finally understood that the meager achievements he had just flaunted were not even worth the dust compared to Su Han's military merits.

Su Han gave Minister Zhang a slight tug and whispered, "Minister Zhang, can these matters regarding my unit be disclosed?"

President Zhang Qiming replied with a smile, "Before I came, I received instructions from the Military Region Chief."

"Now that you've been pushed into the spotlight, you must come forward and provide an explanation."

"Furthermore, your achievements don't involve any major secrets. Making them public will not only clear your name but also help promote the image of the military."

"So..."

Su Han gave a bitter smile. "But if you say it like that, I'll truly become a celebrity."

President Zhang Qiming said, "Whether we say it or not, you're already a celebrity. And judging by the Military Region Chief's intentions, it's clear they plan to make you the spokesperson for the army's image. Perhaps you've even been nominated by the military for this year's Ten Most Touching Figures of China."

"When that time comes, it won't just be a military-wide announcement, but a nationwide one!"

Su Han: "..."

At this moment, a reporter from the Yuezhou Metropolitan Daily immediately raised their hand, their tone urgent. "Minister Zhang! You mentioned just now that Major Su has earned multiple military merits. Could you elaborate on the origins of these honors? Especially that Second-Class and first-class merit—are there some thrilling stories behind them?"

These words instantly piqued everyone's interest.

The reporters all leaned forward half a step, and even the classmates in the room held their breath—

They were truly curious about what this old classmate, who used to climb over walls to go to internet cafes and be punished with cleaning toilets alongside them, had actually experienced in the army.

Minister Zhang looked at Su Han, and seeing no sign of objection, he cleared his throat and said in a deep voice, "Comrade Su Han's two Third-Class Merits were earned because he achieved excellent results in all training subjects during his time in the New Recruit Company and after being assigned to his unit."

"Particularly in shooting and combat subjects, he broke several records in our Military Region. This is an affirmation of his basic training results. The specific details fall under routine military training, so I won't elaborate further."

He changed the subject, his tone suddenly becoming solemn. "As for that second-class merit, I'm sure many locals present here remember it."

"Over a month ago, a kidnapping case occurred in this city that shocked the entire area—the Daughter of the Lin Group was kidnapped by a group of armed thugs and hidden in an abandoned factory in a remote fishing village in the neighboring city. The thugs possessed modified firearms and even threatened to detonate bombs; the situation was extremely critical at the time."

"The Lin Family kidnapping case?!" a reporter immediately exclaimed. "I remember that case! The police cordoned off the entire suburban area at the time. In the end, they said the hostage was successfully rescued, but the thugs suffered heavy casualties, and the specific details were never released!"

"Correct." President Zhang Qiming nodded, his gaze turning toward Su Han with clear admiration. "The Municipal SWAT Detachment was responsible for the rescue at the time, but the police were unable to find any leads. It just so happened that Comrade Su Han was on leave and learned about the situation. He took the initiative to volunteer to the commanding officer on-site, requesting to participate in the rescue operation."

"By himself?" the reporter from Yuezhou Television Station pressed, her face full of disbelief. "Facing over a dozen armed thugs?"

"Yes, alone," Minister Zhang's voice carried a hint of excitement. "Comrade Su Han utilized the factory's terrain to infiltrate through the ventilation ducts. Without any support, he broke into the thugs' den single-handedly, took out most of the armed criminals, and successfully rescued the Daughter of the Lin Group!"

He paused, his voice booming. "Ultimately, the hostage was completely unharmed. Of the thirteen thugs, ten were killed on the spot, and three were captured by the SWAT team that arrived afterward. Meanwhile, Comrade Su Han was unscathed."

A deathly silence filled the room.

Everyone was stunned by this news.

The Lin Family kidnapping case had been a sensation locally. At the time, everyone thought it was the work of the SWAT team; no one expected that the person who truly rescued the hostage was the young Major standing before them!

"A colleague of mine was on the outer perimeter of the scene at the time!" a photojournalist suddenly spoke up, his tone excited. "He said he suddenly heard a burst of intense gunfire, and then the SWAT team rushed in! So that was the inside story!"

"No wonder the police never released the details; it turns out a soldier was involved!"

"One person against thirteen armed thugs? This is even more thrilling than a movie!"

The way the reporters looked at Su Han changed completely—it was no longer just simple curiosity or doubt, but full of awe.

Chen Hao slumped in his chair, his face asen.

He finally understood that the gap between him and Su Han was not a gap in wealth or status, but a difference between heaven and earth.

While the other man was risking his life to protect others, he was still feeling smug over his gym's performance.

Lin Ruoxue looked at Su Han, a strange light shimmering in her clear eyes.

She remembered the boy in junior high who was beaten by thugs to protect her; it turned out some things had never changed.

"Then... what about the first-class merit?" The reporter from the Yuezhou Evening News spoke with a trembling voice; she didn't dare imagine what kind of thrilling story lay behind this first-class merit.

Minister Zhang said, "The first-class merit was not for a combat mission! Rather, it was at this year's All-Army Military Competition. Comrade Su Han swept the championships in eight out of over twenty military subjects!"

"Furthermore, he won the championship in the most valuable Combat Exercise Competition!"

"Becoming the unprecedented Nine-time Champion in the history of the Huaxia military!"

"With such achievements, awarding a first-class merit is completely justified!"

"A Nine-time Champion?!"

Just as Minister Zhang finished speaking, the recording pen in the hand of the Yuezhou Evening News reporter fell to the ground with a "clack" and rolled half a meter away.

She was completely unaware, her eyes wide as she murmured, "The All-Army Military Competition... nine championships... how is that possible?"

Although they didn't know the specifics of the competition or the difficulty of these subjects.

But since it was a competition involving millions of troops across the entire army, the scale and difficulty would certainly not be low!

In a regular military sports meet, a soldier winning a single championship would earn a second-class merit!

Let alone this All-Army Military Competition!

Even if they hadn't experienced it, they had seen many similar military movies and TV shows!

Minister Zhang continued, "The All-Army Military Competition is the highest-level and most competitive comprehensive event in the Huaxia military, covering over twenty subjects such as shooting, combat, wilderness survival, and tactical deduction. Winning a championship in a single subject is already as rare as a phoenix feather or a unicorn horn, let alone being a 'Nine-time Champion'?"

There was a dead silence in the room for a full three seconds, followed by a commotion even more intense than when the reporters had first rushed in—