68: Chapter 68 The Thoughts Behind a Bowl of Hot Noodles: Tenderness Beyond Iron Will

It was late at night. In the Bangkok Camp building, most of the lights had been extinguished, with only the Commander-in-Chief's office on the top floor still illuminated.

Zhang Cheng sat behind a wide desk, with a mountain of documents piled in front of him. Troop reorganization, resource allocation, administrative planning for the new district, and various complex affairs interfacing with the Dragon Country... every single matter required his personal approval.

He rubbed his throbbing temples, feeling as if a ball of cotton was stuffed in his throat, dry and uncomfortable. He had been working non-stop for several days, getting less than four hours of sleep a night; even a body made of iron would find it hard to hold up.

“Whew...” He let out a long breath of turbid air and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes to rest.

Just then, the office door was gently pushed open.

An inviting aroma wafted in first—the distinct fresh fragrance of old hen soup mixed with the clean scent of green onions. It instantly roused the hunger in Zhang Cheng's empty stomach.

He opened his eyes to see Li Lanzhi walking in quietly, carrying a thermos in her hand.

“It's so late, you haven't gone back to rest yet?” Zhang Cheng was somewhat surprised and sat up straight.

Seeing the fatigue on Zhang Cheng's face and his bloodshot eyes, a flash of undisguisable heartache crossed Li Lanzhi's eyes. She placed the thermos on a corner of the table and gently opened the lid.

“Commander-in-Chief, you're back,” she said softly, as if afraid of disturbing something. “I saw how hard you've been working these past few days, and you haven't been eating properly. I just went to the canteen and had the head chef stew some chicken soup and cook some thin noodles for you. Eat some while it's hot to warm your stomach.”

The steaming bowl of chicken soup noodles was brought out. Within the clear broth lay fine noodles topped with a few sprigs of bright green bok choy and a perfectly fried poached egg; it looked mouth-watering.

Zhang Cheng was stunned for a moment. In this camp filled with schemes, killing, and power struggles, this bowl of noodles, so full of the breath of everyday life, seemed so out of place, yet so heartwarming.

He picked up his chopsticks and looked at Li Lanzhi. Under the light, she seemed to have grown a bit thinner, with faint dark circles under her eyes. As the Chief of Civil Affairs, her pressure during this period was not a bit less than his own.

“Don't just focus on being busy, take care of your health too.” Zhang Cheng picked up a mouthful of noodles, his tone unconsciously softening significantly. “You've worked hard during this time.”

Li Lanzhi lowered her head slightly, her cheeks feeling a bit hot under the light. She twisted her fingers and said softly, “It's not hard, it's what I should do. Seeing our place getting better day by day and seeing the common people able to live stable lives makes me happy—happier than however much money I used to earn at the company.”

She paused, gathered her courage to look up, and gazed at Zhang Cheng with shimmering eyes. “On the contrary, it's you, Commander-in-Chief. You are the backbone of the entire Autonomous Region; hundreds of thousands of people are looking to you. You absolutely cannot work yourself to exhaustion. In the future... in the future, how about I have the kitchen prepare some late-night snacks for you every day?”

Zhang Cheng was slurping his noodles when he heard this, and his movements paused for a moment.

He looked up and happened to meet Li Lanzhi's eyes, which were filled with concern and even a hint of affection.

He wasn't a block of wood. During this period, Li Lanzhi's support for his work had been unreserved, and she was always meticulous in caring for his life. This kind of silent, pervasive care was slowly penetrating his hardened shell.

Back when he was working in the electronics factory, he wasn't qualified to talk about feelings; later, when he carved a bloody path through this man-eating Northern Myanmar, he didn't have the time. But now...

Looking at the girl before him who had accompanied him out of hell, a soft spot in Zhang Cheng's heart was touched.

“Sure,” Zhang Cheng swallowed the noodles in his mouth, feeling a warm current flow from his stomach to his limbs. He smiled. “Then I'll have to trouble you in the future. But don't make it too complicated; a bowl of noodles like this is fine. It has the taste of home.”

When the words “taste of home” came out, Li Lanzhi's heart skipped a beat. Her face instantly turned beet red like a ripe apple, and her eyes sparkled with a light of pleasant surprise as she nodded vigorously. “Mhm! I understand!”

Just as this warm and ambiguous atmosphere began to rise—

“Knock, knock, knock.”

A series of extremely rhythmic and emotionless knocks sounded.

Immediately after, Old K appeared at the door like a phantom, his voice cold and mechanical as always. “Commander-in-Chief, the daily training summary reports of all departments and tomorrow's operational plans have been compiled and require your signature.”

Li Lanzhi was like a student caught in a secret romance; she shuddered in fright, her face turning even redder. She stood up in a panic and fumbled to straighten the hem of her clothes. “That... Commander-in-Chief, you attend to official business first. I... I'll be heading back. There's an early meeting for the Civil Affairs department tomorrow.”

After saying that, she almost ran out of the office with her head down, nearly tripping as she passed Old K.

Zhang Cheng watched her fleeing figure, then looked at the unfinished bowl of hot noodle soup on the desk. The corners of his mouth unconsciously curled up slightly, revealing a rare, relaxed smile.

Old K walked to the desk and handed over the documents expressionlessly, as if he hadn't seen anything just now, and began to report meticulously. “...The Mechanized Infantry Brigade completed company-level tactical coordination drills today, with fuel consumption slightly higher than expected; the Mountain Brigade's night infiltration subject pass rate is 98%...”

Zhang Cheng listened while signing the documents, but his mind drifted slightly.