NOVEL NEXT chapter 434 - A show of force?
"Duan Guangtai, the administrator of Bingji Pass, is a member of the Luo Hou family."
Hai Mo's expression was serious, and a hint of anger flashed in his eyes. "As soon as he arrived, he began to plant his own people in the military. Several officers I had previously promoted were all reassigned by him under various pretexts. He is extremely arrogant and doesn't care about military discipline at all."
Qin Tian could easily sense the anger in Hai Mo's words.
Administrative officials have no right to interfere in military appointments. Duan Guangtai dared to do this because he was relying on the background of the Luo Hou family and was certain that Hai Mo would soon step down, which is why he was so unscrupulous.
“General Qin, I’m sure he will try to trip you up at every turn.” Hai Mo’s tone became more serious. “Moreover, this man is quite cunning. He is a sixth-level spiritual energy user, comes from a golden family, and has several capable confidants under his command. You must be extra careful when dealing with him in the future.”
""
"Understood, thank you for the reminder, General Hai."
Qin Tian nodded.
"Alright, General Qin, the handover is complete. It's time for me to leave."
Hai Mo stood up, a smile appearing on his face. "I've already instructed a few brothers to cooperate fully with General Qin's work. Furthermore, I believe that Ice Pole Pass will definitely get better and better under General Qin's leadership."
He patted Qin Tian's arm, turned around and pushed open the door. The wind and snow outside rushed in instantly. The area around him was filled with soldiers from the Ice and Snow Pass, standing densely packed together.
"Commander!"
"Commander!"
The shouts of the soldiers rose and fell, and many of them had tears in their eyes.
Qin Tian then learned that in Ice Extreme Pass, the soldiers privately called the garrison commander "Military Lord," a more intimate title than "General."
Hai Mo stood at the door, looking around at the familiar faces, his eyes slightly red: "Brothers, three years have passed in the blink of an eye. Today, I, Hai Mo, must say goodbye to you all."
"In these three years, I have failed to lead everyone to expand our territory, failed to improve the situation in Bingji Pass, and even failed to improve the lives of our brothers. I am sorry to everyone."
His voice was slightly hoarse, but full of sincerity, "But in these three years, we stood guard together in the snow, fought desperately against snow beasts together, and fought side by side for more than a thousand days and nights. I, Hai Mo, will never forget the name of every brother and every face in my life!"
Haimo bowed deeply.
"Commander, take care!"
"Bon Voyage!"
The soldiers' voices were choked with sobs, their eyes fixed on Hai Mo's figure.
Even though Haimo failed to bring development, his strict self-discipline and integrity over the past three years, as well as his numerous times rushing to the front to protect his subordinates during snow beast attacks, have earned him the respect of everyone.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Haimo walked step by step towards the aircraft on the tarmac. After boarding, he waved goodbye to everyone through the transparent window.
The sound of the aircraft's engines gradually faded into the distance, eventually disappearing completely into the snow-covered horizon.
The soldiers withdrew their gazes and turned to Qin Tian—some with curiosity, some with anticipation, and some with a barely perceptible air of observation.
Facing the gazes of the crowd, Qin Tian spoke clearly and steadily: "Everyone, from today onwards, I officially assume the position of Garrison Commander of Ice Pole Pass. First, I would like to meet the four commanders in charge of defense. Please step forward."
As soon as he finished speaking, the scene fell silent.
One second, two seconds, five seconds — a full half minute passed, and there was no movement in the crowd, even the breathing seemed to have become lighter.
An awkward atmosphere permeated the snowstorm, and many soldiers subconsciously glanced to one side of the crowd, as if waiting for instructions from someone.
Qin Tian's eyes narrowed slightly. Following the gaze of the crowd, he saw a middle-aged man in his forties standing there, wearing an administrative officer's uniform embroidered with dark patterns, a faint smile on his face, and playing with a cold jade thumb ring in his hand.
Noticing Qin Tian's gaze, the middle-aged man slowly spoke, his tone somewhat condescending: "Didn't you four hear what General Qin said? Why don't you step forward now!"
"yes!"
Four voices responded almost simultaneously, and then four men in military uniforms squeezed out of the crowd and quickly walked up to Qin Tian.
"Damn it, have you all become mute? Don't you know how to greet General Qin and state your name?" The middle-aged man's voice suddenly became stern, and his gaze swept over the four people with obvious pressure.
The four men immediately straightened up and spoke in turn: "General Qin, I am Zhai Jialu, the regimental commander of the First Regiment!"
"The Second Regiment Commander's Style!"
"Third Regiment Commander Sang Yanhua!"
"Fan Jun, commander of the Fourth Regiment!"
Qin Tian's gaze swept over the four people. Some of them avoided his eyes, while others met his gaze head-on.
He had a general idea of what was going on, and then his gaze returned to the middle-aged man. This man was Duan Guangtai, whom Hai Mo had specifically reminded him of. He was the "spy" that the Luo Hou family had planted in the Ice Pole Pass, and also the person he had already labeled as a "troublemaker."
Indeed, in his view, Duan Guangtai was at best a troublemaker.
Duan Guangtai, 55 years old, comes from a family with golden bloodline and is now a sixth-order one-star psionicist.
His talent wasn't bad, but it was by no means outstanding. If he were truly valued by the Luo Hou family, he wouldn't have been sent from the resource-rich Rift Soul Ice Valley to the remote Ice Extreme Pass as an administrator. To put it bluntly, he was sent to cause trouble and hinder the development of Ice Extreme Pass.
He had experienced too many grand occasions, and he didn't even consider a clown like Duan Guangtai a worthy opponent.
However, Pluto is close to the planet of the Emperor, and is more restricted by rules. Some simple and crude methods are not forbidden, but they must be used with caution. At the very least, one must not give others any leverage over them.
"Alright, I've noted down your four names. Go back now," Qin Tian said calmly.
However, after he finished speaking, the four people from Zhaijialu stood still and subconsciously turned to look at Duan Guangtai, their eyes clearly conveying a sense of invitation.
This scene made the atmosphere even more awkward, and even the howling wind and snow seemed to pause for a moment.
The soldiers present changed their expressions slightly. Everyone could see that Duan Guangtai was using the four regimental commanders to openly demonstrate his influence in Bingji Pass to the new commander-in-chief. It was also a blatant show of force.
Many veterans felt a chill in their hearts. Previously, they only knew that Duan Guangtai was at odds with the naval commander and often quarreled «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» over logistics and personnel. They thought it was a conflict between administrative and military positions. But now it seems that Duan Guangtai not only does not take the outgoing Hai Mo seriously, but he also does not take the newly appointed garrison commander seriously.
"What? General Qin's words don't carry any weight?"
Duan Guangtai then spoke slowly, his tone somewhat mocking, his gaze sweeping over the four of them, "What are you all standing there for? Didn't you hear General Qin tell you to go back?"
Only then did the four from Zhaijialu hurriedly bow to Qin Tian and turn back into the crowd.
The atmosphere on the scene grew increasingly tense. The soldiers looked at each other with worry in their eyes. The Ice and Polar Pass was already located in a remote area and faced difficulties in development. Now, with a new official just taking office, the administrator had openly provoked the garrison commander. It seemed that a bloody internal turmoil was inevitable in the days to come.
Some people were secretly observing Qin Tian, wondering how the new garrison commander would respond, while others looked at Duan Guangtai, secretly speculating just how much confidence this administrator had to be so arrogant.
Everyone was wondering to themselves: In this power struggle, who will have the last laugh?
What will the future hold for the Arctic Pass?
Qin Tian watched the farce unfold before him, his face remaining expressionless, though a cold glint flashed deep in his eyes. Duan Guangtai's provocation came earlier and more directly than he had anticipated.
But this is good, it saves us the trouble of testing each other later. This game can officially begin now.