Chapter 25: First-Class Merit

The entrance might have been found, but the massive boulder before him rendered Gu Jianfeng powerless. Though he could now easily snap a sapling as thick as a bowl with one kick, he was still far from being able to split mountains and shatter stones.

After leaving a mark at the site, Gu Jianfeng hurried back with Heavenly General, feeling that the energy within the mountain was becoming increasingly unstable.

“Are you Squad Leader Gu?” the sentry at the door asked. His name was Liu Bao, a new recruit who had joined the company with Xiong Xiong. He was so honest and simple that he sometimes appeared a little slow-witted.

“What’s wrong? I’ve only been gone for just over ten days, and you don’t recognize me anymore?” Gu Jianfeng’s voice was hoarse, and with his scruffy beard, he was indeed hard to recognize at first glance.

“Heh, it’s not that. It’s just that you look so different from usual!” Liu Bao replied with a guileless smile.

“Woof…” Heavenly General, feeling slighted by Liu Bao’s lack of attention, grumbled in discontent.

“Heavenly General is the best!” Liu Bao exclaimed, trying to reassure the dog. Though he knew Heavenly General wouldn’t hurt him, the dog’s imposing stature always made him nervous.

Gu Jianfeng tossed his luggage to Liu Bao and, after a brief word, dashed toward Long Fei’s office.

“Captain, I’m back!” Gu Jianfeng exclaimed, gulping down two liters of water before he finally felt comfortable again.

“You’re finally back? I nearly sent people in to look for you!” Long Fei shot Gu Jianfeng a glare. Gu Jianfeng had left with Heavenly General without so much as a word of warning. Although Long Fei had faith in him, he couldn’t help but worry.

“Heh, that wasn’t necessary. For something this small, I can handle it!” Gu Jianfeng replied with a grin.

“If you stopped boasting, would you drop dead? So, what did you find?” Long Fei cut straight to the point.

“I found it. It’s at Baoguang Mountain!” Gu Jianfeng answered.

“Baoguang Mountain? We searched there before and found nothing unusual,” Long Fei said, puzzled.

“The nuclear reactor is likely inside the mountain itself,” Gu Jianfeng said, his words astonishing. “In other words, Baoguang Mountain is probably hollow.”

“Are you sure?” Long Fei stood up abruptly, shocked.

“Not a hundred percent, but I’m at least seventy percent confident.”

“The entrance is blocked by a massive boulder. We need a team of professionals to survey and verify,” Gu Jianfeng added seriously.

Long Fei immediately picked up the phone on his desk and called Colonel Yu Hongyang, the commander of the border regiment.

“Colonel, Gu Jianfeng has found the nuclear reactor!”

“Yes, not completely certain, but he’s seventy percent sure.”

“Understood. I’ll draft a detailed report and fax it to you right away.”

Long Fei hung up. His message exploded like a bomb over the military commission. The commission transferred the mission to the Northwest Theater Command, instructing them to spare no effort in preventing a nuclear leak.

The next day, Gu Jianfeng was taken away by a special vehicle. When the experts arrived at the foot of Baoguang Mountain with their detection instruments, the devices began to shriek uncontrollably. The news was immediately delivered to the Northwest Theater Command’s commander’s desk.

From there, the rest was no longer Gu Jianfeng’s responsibility. After all, he was a layman when it came to nuclear energy; this was a task for the specialists.

A week later, the phone in Long Fei’s office suddenly rang.

“Beep—beep—beep…”

“Hello, this is Long Fei,” he answered.

“It’s me. I have good news—the J65 issue has finally been resolved!” It was Colonel Yu Hongyang, calling to share the victorious update.

“Really? That’s wonderful!” The burden that had weighed on Long Fei’s mind for so long finally lifted.

“It’s under control now. They’re figuring out how to move it, but a pile of technical jargon escapes me. The important thing is, the problem is solved!”

“I’ve already applied for first-class merit awards for both Jianfeng and Heavenly General. The approval should come through soon,” Yu Hongyang said.

After hanging up, Long Fei went to the training ground.

The training field, rebuilt on Gu Jianfeng’s suggestion, now boasted a two-hundred-meter obstacle course for the military dogs, as well as facilities for the soldiers themselves. Thanks to the ample space, there was no sense of crowding despite the improvements.

Watching his men training hard, Long Fei nodded in satisfaction. They were no longer just dog trainers but also soldiers striving to be ready for the front lines.

“Everyone, stop for a moment!” Long Fei yelled.

At his voice, everyone halted instinctively.

“I came here today to share some good news!” Long Fei announced. “Last time, Comrade Gu Jianfeng went on a mission—he has now completed it perfectly!”

“The Colonel just called, and he’s recommended Gu Jianfeng for a first-class merit award!”

“Let’s give him a round of applause!” Long Fei said with a smile.

This matter remained confidential, so only a select few knew, and all had signed non-disclosure agreements.

Claps rang out—sharp, proud, and heartfelt. As soldiers, they all knew what such an honor meant.

With a glance from Xue Meng, the group instantly surrounded Gu Jianfeng. Before he could process what was happening, they hoisted him high into the air.

Cheers erupted—voices full of joy, as if each of them had earned the award themselves.

After the commotion, they gently set Gu Jianfeng down.

“I want to work hard, too—maybe I’ll earn a first-class merit one day!”

“I’m not greedy—even a regular merit would make me happy!”

“Haha, me too!” The soldiers crowded around Gu Jianfeng, voices overlapping in excitement.

“Mastery is never a burden. Everyone has different physical strengths, but as long as you have the heart, one day I’ll ensure none of you are inferior to the men of Sirius Company!” Gu Jianfeng declared. “But you must endure hardship and loneliness. Can you do that?”

“We can!” A single squad’s voice roared with the strength of a full company.

“In two days, the preliminary round of our theater’s military dog competition begins!” Gu Jianfeng called out. “Our first step is to defeat the Military Dog Battalion and break through from our border regiment!”

“Comrades, do you have confidence?”

“We do!” each face radiated with confidence.