063 The New Role of the Old Relic - Part 2

The old lady’s attire also brought a certain shock to Deputy Secretary Cui Yongzhi and Chen Chong, who had arrived earlier. Just as the old lady herself had said, she was naturally familiar and at ease. Originally, Cui Yongzhi, vaguely recognized as the spokesperson for about a dozen civilians, was soon quietly overshadowed by the old lady’s subtle usurpation of power, relegated to the margins. He didn’t mind, allowing the old lady to arrange all the civilian lodging and meals while he slipped over to Fang Qiang’s side. Looking at the substation now bustling with many voices, he sighed, “Strength lies in numbers.”

“Doesn’t it feel like the substation has shrunk?” Fang Qiang, who had previously expressed some reservations about revealing the squad’s base, now found his mood inexplicably lighter as he watched dozens of people gather in just two short days.

“Yes, but choosing the site is your responsibility as squad leader. I won’t interfere further,” Wang Chen said, avoiding their official talk as he didn’t want to join in. Instead, he excused himself, “Squad Leader Fang, since the old lady and Shu Chang are in charge here, I’ll go to the armored vehicle to relieve Ma Tian. His leg isn’t fully healed, and he can’t stand for long. He just asked me to take over his shift; he plans to help Brother Ren on the terrace by setting up some simple frames.”

“All right, go ahead,” Fang Qiang maintained his captain’s demeanor in front of others, letting Wang Chen leave. Then, he slightly turned toward Cui Yongzhi. “Stop with the official talk. Speak plainly.”

“All right, I think we should find a place to settle with ideally one or two access roads, surrounded by water on all sides. That would make civilian movement easier and safer.”

Fortunately, Ren Wanrong had already prepared them for this, so Fang Qiang didn’t lose face in front of the overly officious Cui Yongzhi. Glancing at Cui, who exuded officialdom from head to toe, Fang Qiang nodded in confirmation. “The new location has already been chosen. This afternoon, we plan to gather civilians capable of coordinated combat to clear some zombies and set up barricades and shelters.”

Fang Qiang’s answer surprised Cui Yongzhi. He had assumed the other party, who didn’t quite look like a leader, wouldn’t have such foresight. Unexpectedly, Fang was well prepared, leaving Cui momentarily at a loss for words.

Cui fell silent, and Fang Qiang ‘struck back,’ flicking his chin toward the old lady’s direction. “Deputy Secretary, are you just going to watch the old lady handle everything?”

The implication was clear: if Old Lady Hao Chunlan continued to organize things like this, most of the civilians, including women and children, would follow her orders. At that point, Deputy Secretary Cui, responsible for civil affairs, would become a mere figurehead.

Cui Yongzhi chuckled, shaking his head. “With the old lady helping me, I’m more than happy. Look, Squad Leader Fang, among the military and political ranks here, only you and I are at this level. If the squad base expands and personnel keep increasing, do you think the higher-ups will want you and me to form a leadership team or the old lady and you?”

Fang Qiang thought for a moment and slowly shook his head.

This reaction caught Cui off guard, prompting a curious look. Fang explained, “Once the situation stabilizes, we’ll definitely be reorganized. In terms of civil affairs, it’s very likely you’ll have to bear the bulk of the responsibility alone.”

“Hmm, that’s possible too. From a deputy in charge of education to a principal leader handling everything — this won’t be an easy job,” Cui Yongzhi replied with some heaviness.

These were not peaceful times. Fang Qiang empathized, patting Cui Yongzhi’s shoulder. Regardless of whether Cui was truly a cadre or not, his future days were bound to be tough.

Sure, managing a few dozen people was manageable, but if it grew to hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands — overseeing their food, drink, waste, medical care, and sleep — all would fall on Cui alone to organize and manage a team. Especially in this world where the currency was worthless, commodity transactions were either blatant theft or barter. If managed well, you might get a warm meal; if mismanaged, you might be shot by the onlookers. Just thinking about it would make one uneasy.

As they chatted idly, Joanna came running over, handing a bottle of mineral water to Fang Qiang, planting a kiss to assert her presence, and subtly intimidating the middle-aged women who, despite knowing Fang was exceptionally ugly, had developed inappropriate feelings for the official. She then turned and went back to help in the kitchen. Cui Yongzhi watched Joanna, full of exotic charm and lingering grace, disappear through the door, unable to help but envy, “Squad Leader Fang is truly lucky.”

“Yes, luck was on my side. We met when I was on a mission in international waters. We hit it off, so I brought her back,” Fang Qiang replied.

Well, Cui was inwardly at a loss for words to respond to that. Outwardly, he laughed it off and looked at Wang Chen standing guard on the armored vehicle, shifting the topic. “Vice Squad Leader Wang is also young and talented, huh?”

“Him?” Fang Qiang’s mischievous nature surfaced, and purely to tease this official, he spoke vaguely, “Many times, even I, the squad leader, have to listen to him. See that guy on the roof? Yes, the one who looks like he’s of Uyghur descent. He’s our squad’s assault specialist, scout. Others don’t quite respect him, but they all respect Captain Wang.”

“Really?” Cui Yongzhi had no idea that these special ops members, just three months ago, had been students, armed police, communication soldiers, veterans, drug factory security, and veterinary interns. He instinctively felt something was off but couldn’t say exactly what.

Fang Qiang chuckled quietly but began to brag, “To be honest, Director Cui, at your level, you must have seen internal reports. You think these special ops guys would take on external missions if they didn’t have some serious skills? Not to mention, Captain Wang is young but experienced. He’s saved our entire special ops team multiple times during missions. Some members more than once.”

“Really?” Cui Yongzhi tried to remain composed but couldn’t hide his disbelief. Wang Chen looked at most twenty-four or twenty-five, maybe twenty at the youngest. To be a deputy captain in Central Command’s special ops, he might have achievements or a prestigious background, maybe a Red Third Generation seeking thrills at the front line. But his capabilities? At most, just a bit more imposing than an ordinary person. Nothing seemed extraordinary.

Fang Qiang grabbed the radio and called out, “Ma Tian, Ma Tian, if you hear me, switch the radio to channel three and respond.”

“Squad Leader Fang, this is Ma Tian, now on channel three, responding.”

“Who gave the first warning when we were besieged in the ship’s cabin?”

“Ship’s cabin? Oh, the oil tanker incident? Wang Chen— I mean Captain Wang— was the first to warn us.”

Ma Tian was puzzled why Fang was asking. Climbing onto the terrace, he glanced at Fang’s position and saw Cui Yongzhi beside him. He suddenly understood that the old man was trying to use Wang Chen to intimidate them and couldn’t help but smile inwardly.

“Who swallowed poison and chose death over surrender but ultimately saved us?”

“Who else but Captain Wang? Despite the drug’s effects, he took out three CIA agents. Without him, we were doomed.”

“When we were ambushed and fired upon by dozens of rifles, and both of us were wounded…”

“Captain Wang charged forward and took out the enemy shooters. If not for his precise night shooting…”

“Enough, that’s enough.”