Chapter 204 Zhao Gang's Promotion

The Gobi Desert in November already carried the chill of winter.

But today, the base auditorium was bustling with heat. The two hundred-plus seats were packed, and many people were standing in the aisles. Some wore military uniforms, some wore white coats, and some wore work clothes—anyone in the base who could spare a moment had come.

Lin Mo sat in the first row, with Li Xiao beside him. Li Xiao had specifically changed into formal wear today, and her hair was tied up, making her look much more mature than usual.

"Senior Brother," she lowered her voice, "are you nervous?"

Lin Mo glanced at her. "It's not my commissioning ceremony, why would I be nervous?"

Li Xiao smiled. "Then why are you shaking?"

Lin Mo looked down at his hands—they were indeed trembling slightly.

He paused for a moment, then said, "It's the cold."

Li Xiao laughed even harder. "Senior Brother, when did you learn to be so stubborn?"

Lin Mo ignored her, his gaze falling on the rostrum.

On the stage, a massive military flag hung against the background wall. In front of the flag stood several people—the base commander, the political commissar, and high-ranking officials who had traveled specifically from Beijing.

Zhao Gang stood at the side of the stage, wearing a brand-new military uniform, standing straight as a ramrod.

Lin Mo looked at him, remembering the scene of their first meeting four years ago.

Back then, Zhao Gang was the security captain, full of prejudice against this "bookworm." During their first escort of a sample, they were attacked on the road; Zhao Gang was wounded but still fiercely protected the sample box. Later, as they grew familiar, Zhao Gang began to understand scientific research, started offering suggestions, and began saying, "You are the nation's treasures."

Later, during the construction of tokamak-3, Zhao Gang was stationed at the base and became the security commander-in-chief who ensured "not even a fly could get in." During Black Sparrow's infiltration, he led the team to capture her, bursting into the room at the very moment she was about to press the enter key.

Four years, from a prejudiced security captain to a true guardian.

Lin Mo's hands stopped shaking.

At exactly nine o'clock, the ceremony began.

The national anthem played, and everyone stood up.

Lin Mo stood straight, his eyes fixed on the military flag. That flag had weathered the flames of war and witnessed history; now, it watched over this group of people silently.

When the anthem ended, the host announced:

"Next, we invite the superior officer to read the order."

An old general with graying temples walked to the front of the stage, unfolded a document, and spoke in a booming voice:

"By order of the Central Military Commission, Comrade Zhao Gang is hereby awarded the rank of Major General and appointed as the security commander-in-chief of a certain base in the Northwest. Comrade Zhao Gang has long fought on the front lines of scientific research security, successfully completing numerous major tasks and making outstanding contributions to national security and scientific research..."

The order was read for two minutes, but Lin Mo only registered a few keywords—"long-term struggle," "outstanding contribution," and "national security."

Thunderous applause erupted from the audience.

Zhao Gang took a step forward, stood at attention, and saluted the military flag.

The old general picked up a brand-new military cap and personally placed it on his head. Then came a brand-new uniform—on the shoulder boards, a golden general's star shone brightly.

Zhao Gang's lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he swallowed it back.

The old general patted his shoulder. "Comrade Zhao Gang, do a good job."

Zhao Gang nodded vigorously.

Next was the ceremony for pinning the general's stars.

According to custom, base leaders and special guests would pin the stars for the promoted general. Lin Mo went up to the stage as a special guest.

He stood up and walked onto the rostrum.

Zhao Gang saw him, and his eyes lit up.

Lin Mo walked up to him and picked up the general's star from the tray held by the ceremonial soldier—golden, a five-pointed star, surrounded by wheat ears and gears.

He gazed at it for a second, then looked up at Zhao Gang.

Zhao Gang's eyes were already red.

Lin Mo didn't speak; he just gently pinned the star onto his shoulder board.

After pinning it, he took a step back, stood at attention, and gave Zhao Gang a standard military salute.

Zhao Gang was stunned for a second, then saluted back.

The two of them stood face to face like that, saluting, neither saying a word.

The audience was silent for a few seconds, then erupted into thunderous applause.

Li Xiao clapped hard in the audience, tears already streaming down her face.

After the ceremony, there was a brief photo session and interview.

Zhao Gang was surrounded by reporters asking a flurry of questions—"How do you feel?" "Is there anything you want to say?" "What are your plans for the next step?"

He answered them one by one, but his gaze kept scanning past the crowd, looking for something.

Finally, he saw Lin Mo standing in a corner, preparing to leave quietly.

"Dr. Lin!" he called out.

Lin Mo stopped and turned around.

Zhao Gang pushed through the crowd and strode up to him.

"Dr. Lin," he said, his voice a bit raspy, "I have something to tell you."

Lin Mo nodded.

The two of them walked into the corridor outside the auditorium. Sunlight streamed through the windows, casting streaks of light and shadow on the floor.

Zhao Gang stood by the window, his back to Lin Mo, silent for a long time.

Then he turned around, his eyes red:

"Dr. Lin, half the credit for this star belongs to you."

Lin Mo shook his head. "You earned it yourself."

"No," Zhao Gang said seriously, "without you, I would be nothing."

He looked at Lin Mo, his eyes full of complex emotions:

"Four years ago, when I first arrived, I thought you were just bookworms. Scientists—what danger could there be? Later, I realized I was wrong. The things you work on are more dangerous than any battlefield—enemies want them, peers want to steal them, and then there are those invisible cyberattacks."

"I started learning how to protect you. Learning to understand what you were doing, learning to know what you needed, learning to—stand with you."

He paused, his voice choking up slightly:

"Dr. Lin, these four years, I've watched you go from Room-Temperature Superconductivity to Nuclear Fusion, to Carbon Nanotubess, and now to working on a space elevator. I protected you, but you also changed me."

Lin Mo listened quietly.

Zhao Gang continued: "I used to be a rough man who only knew how to follow orders. Now I know that I'm not protecting a pile of data or some equipment; I'm protecting the future of this country."

He reached out and grasped Lin Mo's hand:

"Dr. Lin, thank you."

Lin Mo looked at him, silent for a few seconds, then said:

"Brother Zhao, I thank you too."

The two of them looked at each other and smiled.

Sunlight streamed through the window, shining on them, warm and pleasant.

That evening, the Canteen served an extra meal.

Master Liu once again pulled out all the stops, preparing a table full of dishes. Zhao Gang was pushed into the seat of honor, with Lin Mo on his left, Li Xiao on his right, and several old comrades-in-arms opposite him.

"Come, come, come," Li Xiao raised her glass, "A toast to General Zhao!"

Everyone shouted in unison, "To General Zhao!"

Zhao Gang stood up with his glass, looking a bit embarrassed:

"Don't 'General' me. Just call me Brother Zhao."

"That won't do," Li Xiao shook her head. "From now on, we have to call you Chief."

Zhao Gang glared at her. "If you call me 'Chief' again, I'll get angry."

Everyone burst into laughter.

After three rounds of drinks, the atmosphere grew warmer.

Several of Zhao Gang's old comrades took turns toasting him, talking about their time in the army, and how he had transformed from a hotheaded youth into the "Commander Zhao" he was today. Zhao Gang's face was flushed from the alcohol, but he was smiling happily.

Lin Mo sat to the side, saying little, just watching.

Li Xiao leaned in and whispered, "Senior Brother, Brother Zhao is especially happy today."

Lin Mo nodded.

Li Xiao added, "You know, when he first came, I was a bit afraid of him. He always had a stern face and spoke like he was scolding people. Now..."

"And now?"

Li Xiao thought for a moment. "Now I feel like he's one of us."

Lin Mo smiled.

Yes, one of their own.

Four years ago, Zhao Gang was "them." Four years later, Zhao Gang was "us."

Late at night, the victory banquet ended.

Lin Mo walked Zhao Gang back to his dormitory. On the small path through the Gobi Desert, the moonlight stretched their shadows long.

"Dr. Lin," Zhao Gang suddenly said, "thank you for today."

Lin Mo shook his head. "You already thanked me."

"Once more." Zhao Gang said seriously, "When you came up on stage to pin the star on me, I felt especially at ease."

Lin Mo looked at him.

Zhao Gang continued: "I used to think that being a general was the greatest honor. Today, after putting on the star, I realized—the greatest honor is having someone willing to stand beside you and pin that star on you."

He stopped and looked at Lin Mo:

"Dr. Lin, in the days to come, I will continue to stand guard for you. Wherever you go, I will follow. If you go to space, I'll guard the launch site. If you go to Mars, I'll watch from the ground. In this life, I'm sticking with you."

Lin Mo was silent for a few seconds, then reached out his hand.

Zhao Gang grasped it.

The two stood in the moonlight, holding hands for a long time.

Then they let go at the same time and continued walking.

"Dr. Lin," Zhao Gang suddenly asked, "can the space elevator really be built?"

Lin Mo nodded. "It can."

"Then when the time comes, can I go up and take a look?"

Lin Mo thought for a moment. "Probably not. Your post is on the ground."

Zhao Gang was a bit disappointed, but quickly perked up again:

"That's fine too. I'll watch you all go up from below."

Lin Mo patted his shoulder:

"Brother Zhao, only because you are down there do we dare to go up."

Zhao Gang was stunned for a second, then grinned.

Under the moonlight, the two general's stars shone brightly.