173: Chapter 172: A large-scale cross-military-region exercise involving three major military regions?

The clamor inside the ancestral hall was sealed away behind heavy wooden doors, leaving the air thick with a faint blend of wine and sandalwood.

Zhao Jianguo walked over to the square table, pulled out a chair casually, and sat down. His gaze fell on Su Han's slightly tipsy face, and a familiar teasing smile played at the corners of his mouth. "What? Seeing this old man scared the alcohol right out of you?"

Su Han was about to stand at attention to respond, but Zhao Jianguo waved him off. "Sit and talk. There are no outsiders here; no need for the military formalities."

He pointed behind Su Han. "I heard you were playing the hero again? The fire had already reached the third floor, yet you rushed in three times? Do you think your life is too long?"

His tone carried reproach, but his eyes hid an irrepressible concern. He stood up and moved behind Su Han, reaching out as if to lift his military shirt, but then paused in mid-air, afraid of touching the wound. "How is the injury on your back? What did the doctor say?"

Su Han reached back to touch his back and smiled. "It's been fine for a while now. It's just a bit itchy from the scabbing. I have a good constitution, so I recover quite quickly."

"You still dare to mention it!" Zhao Jianguo glared at him. "I watched that video on the surveillance monitor. When that beam collapsed, it was only two inches from the back of your head! If something had really happened, how would I have explained it to the organization? Do you realize that you are now the precious treasure of our Military Region?"

He sat back down and took a sip of the herbal tea on the table, his tone softening. "To be honest, watching that live broadcast, my heart was in my throat. You kid, you're always pushing yourself into desperate situations."

Su Han scratched his head. "I wasn't thinking much at the time; I just heard a child crying inside."

"That's just who you are." Zhao Jianguo sighed, but his eyes brightened. "And it's precisely because of that that you deserve today's display. Tell me, are you satisfied with the merit award ceremony the military arranged?"

At the mention of the fighter jet performance, a hint of a smile flashed in Su Han's eyes. "I'm very satisfied, especially that pentagram formed by the red and blue smoke columns. It was even more shocking than the awards stage at the All-Army Grand Competition. I was just a bit worried—was it a violation for the pilots to perform so many low-altitude stunts?"

"A violation?" Zhao Jianguo raised an eyebrow. "Even if it was, making an exception for a two-time First-Class Merit winner like you is worth it!"

He paused, lowering his voice. "Besides, this is to show the entire army that when a soldier from our Yuezhou Military Region wins honor, they deserve this kind of recognition!"

Li Wanjiang added from the side, "Commander Zhao specifically instructed the Air Assault Brigade that while the maneuvers could be thrilling, they had to ensure absolute safety. Those two pilots are master-class pilots; they could park a fighter jet in the hangar with their eyes closed."

"Right," Zhao Jianguo changed the subject, his gaze sweeping toward the door. "The task I gave you—forming the Womens Special Operations Team—how is it going?"

Su Han replied seriously, "The first stage can be considered passed. But for what follows, they still need special operations skills training. It will take time."

"Time..."

Zhao Jianguo pondered and said, "Right now, what we lack most is time."

"The formation of the Womens Special Operations Team was decided by the Military Region, but it also has to be reported to Headquarters."

"We cannot afford to be careless about this."

Su Han nodded. "Understood!"

"Please rest assured, Commander. Once the Womens Special Operations Team takes shape, I guarantee their combat effectiveness will be no worse than any male Special Forces commando team you've seen!"

Zhao Jianguo finally nodded in satisfaction. "With those words from you, I can rest easy."

"However, you only have ten months left! In the middle of next year, during the cross-Military Region large-scale exercise, you'll have to lead your Womens Special Operations Team into battle!"

Su Han's expression tightened. "A cross-Military Region large-scale exercise?"

Zhao Jianguo nodded. "It spans the Army, Navy, and Air Force, and it's also the largest exercise in nearly ten years!"

"A joint grand exercise between our Yuezhou, Southeast, and location Military Regions!"

"I won't go into detail about the conventional forces, the Air Force, or the Navy, but let's talk about the Special Forces. In addition to the three major special operations groups, some special operations commando teams might be brought in from the Northern Military Regions to participate together!"

"It's like I said—your Womens Special Operations Team needs to be brought out to show what they're made of!"

"When the time comes, I will arrange a special mission for you and your Womens Special Operations Team!"

Su Han: "..."

Zhao Jianguo looked at him with a half-smile. "What? Scared already?"

Su Han shook his head quickly with a bitter laugh. "Of course not. I was just thinking that with an exercise on such a scale, if it's deployed, not only will those major Western powers lose sleep, but those small countries in Southeast Asia will probably spend their time in fear, with their entire armies on combat alert."

Zhao Jianguo snorted. "We need to tighten the leash on them, so these clowns don't keep jumping around our doorstep all day."

Saying this, Zhao Jianguo looked at Su Han again. "Right! Regarding this year, the Military Region needs to submit a nomination for the Ten Most Touching Figures of China. The Military Region wants to nominate you. Did Minister Li tell you about this?"

The Minister of the Military Region's Propaganda Department, Li Wanjiang, quickly leaned in and nodded. "I did. I've already spoken with Comrade Su Han."

Su Han hurriedly said, "Chief, let's skip this Ten Most Touching Figures of China thing, shall we? I... there's nothing particularly touching about me. I just fulfilled my duty as a soldier. I..."

But before Su Han could finish, Zhao Jianguo waved his hand. "This matter is already settled. It's not up to you, and it's not up to me."

"What?" Su Han was stunned on the spot.

So, he was just going to be put on the spot like this?

Zhao Jianguo stood up. "The Ten Most Touching Figures of China award, while it places great emphasis on dedication, track record, and achievements..."

The candlelight in the ancestral hall flickered, casting a long shadow of Zhao Jianguo.

He looked at Su Han's helpless face and suddenly laughed, his knuckles lightly tapping the table. "Otherwise, did you think the 'Ten Most Touching Figures of China' is just something you report casually? The intricacies involved are much more complex than the tactics you use on the training field."

Su Han sat up straight, waiting for him to continue.