Chapter 53: Writing a Poem

One guard didn’t understand what all the fuss was about. “Who was that who just passed us?” he asked.

“That’s the hero you adore.” When the person said the word “hero,” his expression became solemn. Xu Qigang came from a village and had no background or status to speak of. He had relied solely on his own ability to obtain his current position.

As the youngest commander in the entire region, he had the admiration of every youth there. Even after retiring, he hadn’t disappointed. He became a national hero!

“That’s the captain of the War Wolf Rescue Troop?” the newcomer asked excitedly. “Can I go in? Can I go in please?”

The War Wolf Rescue Troop had recently surged in popularity, both domestically and internationally.

At the moment, all the scouts and their respective cream of the crop were aiming to make it to the War Wolf Rescue Troop in the future.

“Don’t even think about it. Given your physique, you should just concentrate on doing logistics!”

The jeep passed the bulletin board, and its way was blocked by a bustling crowd gathered in front of it.

Zhou Hong was seated in the passenger seat, and he curiously glanced over at the bulletin board. “What’s written there, and why are so many people trying to read it? Give me a moment. I’ll get out to check.”

Before Xu Qigang could stop him, he had already disappeared like a cloud of smoke. Ten minutes later, Zhou Hong returned with a weird expression on his face.

By that time, the crowd had dispersed, and as Xu Qigang put the vehicle in drive, he shot Zhou Hong a sharp look. “Twenty kilometers of cross-country when you get back.”

“Are you serious?” Zhou Hong’s face fell when he heard he’d have to do a twenty-klick run. But when he recalled what was on the bulletin board, a glint appeared in his eye, and he asked, “Guess what I just saw!”

“I’m not interested,” Xu Qigang replied matter-of-factly.

Zhou Hong completely ignored his reply and enthusiastically continued. “On the bulletin board was a self-criticism written by the girl who fell from the stage during the Mid-Autumn Festival Gala. Ten thousand words. Her handwriting was beautiful, and the content was interesting. I had a really good laugh.”

Xu Qigang’s hands involuntarily clenched around the steering wheel.

“Do you know what she wrote at the end? ‘Thank you to the people for nurturing me. Thank you to the leaders of the union for your teachings. And thank you to my friends for your love and support. It’s thanks to you all that my path is no longer gloomy and without direction. You have been like a beam of sunshine in my life, and I’m filled with gratitude. My loyalty will always be with the General Union, in life and in death.’ Was she writing a poem? I’ve seen many sappy self-criticisms, but none as sappy as that!”

Zhou Hong was overcome with genuine admiration. He specialized in ideology but was nevertheless no match for her in terms of social awareness. It was no wonder so many people had gathered around to read her essay. Her words were bold and fresh, and her self-criticism was smoothly written from start to end.

Even he wanted a copy as a template.

A dark look flashed in Xu Qigang’s eyes. “Why was she made to write a self-criticism?” He was more fixated on the crux of the matter and wanted to find out why she’d been punished.

“The gala performance was ruined.”

“But it wasn’t her fault.” Xu Qigang’s eyes were like surveillance cameras. Not a single thing that happened onstage could have escaped him, even if he hadn’t been looking.

In this case, from the moment Sheng Ning had appeared on stage, his eyes had never left her.

Zhou Hong suddenly began to chuckle knowingly. “He he he… Well, considering she’s such a pretty girl, there’ll naturally be someone out to protect her. I heard that Shen Jianguo spoke to Commander Yang specially on her behalf.”

Zhou Hong wasn’t Xu Qigang’s right-hand man for nothing, and neither of them kept secrets from each other. Furthermore, Zhou Hong was especially nosy, and his favorite pastime was

gathering information about other people.

The jeep suddenly jerked to a halt. Because Zhou Hong had gotten in quickly and their destination was only a short distance away, he hadn’t worn his seat belt. The sudden braking almost caused him to fly out of the jeep, and he bumped his head.

“Xu Qigang, what are you up to?”

“We’re here.”

Zhou Hong looked up. They were indeed at the Rescue Association Building. He had been so absorbed in his monologue that he hadn’t noticed his surroundings.