svetikya Chapter 268 My Connection with the Military
Chapter 268 My Connection with the Military
Lin Yan invited everyone to eat, saying, "If you don't mind, please join us. I really can't finish all this food by myself, and it'll spoil by tonight in this weather."
As he spoke, he asked them to open their lunchboxes, then smiled at the two soldiers opposite him: "Actually, I have quite a connection with our unit."
The regimental commander raised an eyebrow, a look of interest on his face: "Oh? Young comrade, you have some connection with our unit?"
"Hehe, Commander, what is your surname?"
"My surname is Yang! This is Xiao Wang!" Commander Yang said, pointing to the young man beside him.
Lin Yan placed a piece of chicken into the regimental commander's bowl. "Regimental Commander Yang, if I'm not mistaken, your unit's food has improved considerably in the past six months, hasn't it? The supply of refined grains has stabilized, and you can eat meat at least once a week, right?"
The young soldier had just picked up a piece of beef when he heard this, his hand paused, and the beef almost fell back into his bowl. The regimental commander's eyes narrowed, and his voice unconsciously lowered: "How did you know? This is..."
"How could I not know?" Lin Yan smiled nonchalantly, placing another shrimp on the young soldier's plate. "These supplies are all provided to the military by my family. And—" He paused deliberately, lowering his voice, "Currently, only the military receives this treatment; other systems don't enjoy it."
The regimental commander gently put down his chopsticks, his expression turning serious. He carefully examined the distinguished young man before him, and suddenly recalled the special supplies announced by the military region's logistics department at the beginning of the year.
"Did someone host a banquet for several high-ranking officials at the Peace Hotel in Beijing last December?" Lin Yan continued serving the dishes as if nothing had happened.
These words struck like a thunderbolt, and the regimental commander sat bolt upright. The contents of that high-level meeting were classified; those who knew...
"The Mr. Lin who hosted the dinner is my third brother," Lin Yan smiled slightly. "Our grandfather lives in Hong Kong most of the year, but he always misses the mainland. I came back this time hoping to travel around and see more of the country."
The entire compartment suddenly fell silent, with only the sound of the train moving. The woman in the upper bunk quietly shrank back, while the young soldier looked at his regimental commander, bewildered.
The group leader was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed heartily, picked up his chopsticks again, and said, "So you're the young master from the Lin family! No wonder..." He picked up some chicken from his bowl, "Then we'll have to accept this meal."
"Please, please, please," Lin Yan greeted warmly. "These are all prepared by the cook at home. They can't compare to the communal meals in the army canteen, but they're convenient."
The atmosphere immediately relaxed. The regimental commander, while eating, remarked, "Young man, you may not know, but the supplies your family provided have truly solved a major problem. The soldiers train intensely; being well-fed is more important than anything else."
"It's only right," Lin Yan said sincerely. "Although my family lives in Hong Kong, we always remember where our roots are. It's our duty to do something for everyone."
The young soldier relaxed and asked curiously, "Comrade Lin, why are you traveling by train alone?"
"It's about experiencing life. I don't like being followed by a large group of people!" Lin Yan smiled and added a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs to his plate. "Always staying in Beijing, how would you know the actual situation down below? Like this time seeing the drought in the lower reaches of the Yellow River, if I hadn't gone there myself, I really wouldn't have known the situation was so serious."
The troupe leader nodded in agreement: "That's right. However, young master, you should still be careful when you go out alone."
The meal was a pleasant one for both host and guests. After the meal, Commander Yang insisted on giving Lin Yan the money for the meal and the food coupons. After much refusal, Lin Yan had no choice but to accept them.
The regimental commander had just stuffed the grain coupons into Lin Yan's hand when he turned around and saw the boy magically pull out juicy peaches, glistening purple grapes, and several packets of caramelized melon seeds with foreign writing printed on them from his satchel, arranging them neatly on the table.
"Come on, have some fruit to aid digestion." Lin Yan smiled and broke open a peach, its sweet aroma immediately wafting out. "These were just picked from our orchard, have a taste."
The group leader shook his head, saying, "Is your satchel a treasure chest?" He then reached for his wallet.
"No, no, no!" Lin Yan quickly grabbed his hand, deliberately putting on a stern face. "Commander, you're being too polite. I accepted the money for the food to respect discipline, but if I charged for the homegrown fruit and snacks, my third brother would definitely scold me if he found out."
The woman on the upper bunk couldn't help but peek out: "In the middle of summer, how come the peaches are still so fresh?"
"We have a cold storage room at home." Lin Yan casually handed over a peach. "Please have some."
The young soldier curiously squeezed the bag of caramelized sunflower seeds: "Is this...imported?"
"These are some snacks I brought from Hong Kong. Try them; they're sweeter than the sunflower seeds we have here." Lin Yan said, cracking open a sunflower seed shell with a "crack."
The regimental commander couldn't refuse him, so he picked up a grape. He was astonished the moment he tasted it: "So sweet? I've never eaten such sweet grapes when I was serving in Xinjiang."
"These are our own cultivated varieties," Lin Yan said with a smile, grabbing another handful of sunflower seeds and stuffing them into the regimental commander's hand. "Take these back and let your comrades try them too."
The sound of people cracking sunflower seeds filled the carriage, and the previous awkwardness completely disappeared.
The regimental commander, munching on a peach, mumbled, "When we get to Zhengzhou, come visit our division headquarters."
"I'll definitely do it next time." Lin Yan replied with a smile, but in his heart he was thinking that this train ride was worthwhile—he not only learned about the people's conditions but also made good connections.
The next morning at 9:30, the train slowly pulled into Zhengzhou Station with its whistle blowing.
Lin Yan deftly packed the sheets and pillowcases into his satchel. The regimental commander and the young soldier opposite him had also finished packing their luggage, and the three of them walked and chatted in the crowded aisle.
"Comrade Xiaolin, would you really like to come and visit our division headquarters?" The regimental commander invited for the third time, his tone sincere.
Lin Yan smiled and politely declined, "Next time, definitely. This trip is just a casual stroll, so I won't disturb your work."
The platform was bustling with noise. As they said goodbye, orderly Xiao Wang suddenly lowered his voice: "Comrade Lin, do you still have any of those sunflower seeds? My girlfriend would definitely love them."
Lin Yan smiled knowingly, and while rummaging through his satchel, he pulled out two packets of caramelized melon seeds from his storage space and stuffed them into his pocket: "Here, if Commander Yang asks, just say I gave them to you."
Stepping out of the station, Lin Yan looked at the bustling crowds on the street and suddenly shook his head and chuckled—this train ride was too conspicuous, with its flaunting of wealth and status.
"It's easier to fly by myself," he muttered to himself, turning into a quiet alley. His figure gradually disappeared, and the Star Sword silently hovered at his feet.
The next moment, he was standing on a cloud, the city of Zhengzhou beneath his feet gradually shrinking into a chessboard. It seems that this plan to travel the world must still be done in the way of a cultivator.