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墨書 Inktalez
Thanks to Zhou Peng, those retired military personnel easily boarded the bus with Li Li, or at least that's what Li Li thought.
Even without closely examining the resumes of the retired officers, it was clear to Li Li that Zhou Peng was definitely an officer, and his rank was at least that of a major.
Unlike the others who got on the bus, Zhou Peng was invited by Li Li to her Mercedes. Zhuo Rohan graciously opened the back door for them while she took her place in the driver's seat.
Li Li suddenly remembered that she didn't even know if Zhuo Rohan could drive and quickly asked with a smile, "Zhuo, when was the last time you drove for my dad?"
Zhuo Rohan paused for a moment before realizing that Li Li was worried about her driving skills. She frowned slightly in displeasure. "Have you forgotten? The last time I drove Mr. Li was when I picked you up for that meeting."
With that, Zhuo Rohan skillfully started the engine and slowly pressed down on the accelerator, driving the car out of the parking lot.
Li Li sighed. Watching Zhuo Rohan's actions, it seemed she had been driving longer than herself, so there shouldn't be any problems.
Zhou Peng observed the two exchanging vague remarks and understood they were communicating something he couldn't grasp. However, since they clearly didn't want him to know, he wouldn't be so boring as to pry into their conversation and create an awkward situation.
Noticing Zhou Peng's slightly displeased expression, Li Li realized her trick had been seen through. She couldn't help but chuckle and changed the subject. "Mr. Zhou, I really appreciate your help; otherwise, I wouldn't know how to handle that situation."
Zhou Peng waved his hand with a smile. "Manager Li is too polite; you're making me blush."
Li Li looked puzzled and glanced at Zhuo Rohan through the rearview mirror. Zhuo Rohan met her gaze and understood she was asking for an explanation. So she smiled and said, "Mr. Zhou, there's no need to be polite. Li Li tends to overthink things; what should have been simple becomes complicated because of him. So he genuinely thanks you; he's not just being polite."
Zhou Peng was taken aback; he hadn't expected this girl driving would directly address Manager Li by name. He laughed and asked, "I didn't see that coming; you two seem quite close."
Zhuo Rohan hadn't anticipated being caught on that point either and quickly explained, "We just..."
"Friends," Li Li interjected with a smile. "We've been friends for many years."
Li Li wasn't just trying to defuse the situation; he genuinely believed this as well. Although they had known each other for less than a month, their relationship felt as intimate as that of long-time friends.
Perhaps this was also due to Zhuo Rohan herself, after all, she was someone who needed him to take care of her in every aspect of life, making intimacy unavoidable.
Zhou Peng chuckled, realizing he had misjudged the situation. He awkwardly laughed, "Haha, I think it would be more appropriate to add a word before 'friends' for you two."
Zhuo Rohan asked with a smile, "Mr. Zhou is quite remarkable; achieving the rank of a unit commander at such a young age is no small feat."
Li Li nodded in agreement, recalling the scene just moments ago in the Hebei Provincial Civil Affairs Department parking lot. It was clear that only someone with significant leadership skills could command such respect and authority—skills that could only be developed over time.
Zhou Peng laughed heartily, "Sister Zhuo has guessed wrong. While I did serve as a Camp Commander for a while, I’m not as young as you think. At least compared to you two, I can’t claim to be young; after all, I’m already thirty-one this year."
Both Li Li and Zhuo Rohan were taken aback by Zhou Peng's last statement. The man before them certainly did not look like someone who had reached thirty years old; he appeared to be around the same age as Zhuo Rohan. Upon closer inspection, one might estimate him to be about twenty-five. Who would have thought that someone who looked so youthful was actually thirty-one? Moreover, he was a battalion-level commander in the Field Troops!
Even at thirty-one, reaching the rank of a battalion commander was quite an achievement. So why did he choose to retire and transition to civilian life? He hadn’t even completed his service term!
Zhou Peng continued, "I had no choice. I don’t really want to leave the military, but circumstances forced my hand. I sustained some injuries; although my superiors allowed me to continue serving as a commander, I know that maintaining my current position means further promotions are nearly impossible."
He looked at Li Li and smiled gently. "Given that situation, it’s better to retire early and start a new journey. Plus, it allows others more opportunities to rise up."
A soldier who does not wish to become a general is not a good soldier. However, soldiers who aspire to be generals but cannot achieve that dream yet still wish to contribute to those who can are exceedingly rare.
Twenty-two buses carrying one thousand one hundred retired soldiers arrived at the already constructed Training Base. Upon disembarking, nearly everyone wore expressions of shock.
Though they were prepared for a factory-like environment and office-like pressures during training, the scenery before them evoked a long-lost sense of relaxation.
This feeling was akin to returning home—back to their second home.
Nearly a hundred staff members held lists as they guided them into their dormitories. The dormitory had only four floors but was an exceptionally long building connected together. Each floor contained eighty rooms, each designed for four occupants and fully equipped with personal necessities.
In a nutshell, everything the military has, this place has too; and what the military lacks, this place also possesses! Moreover, everything is standardized, creating an illusion that you have returned to the barracks. This kind of treatment makes these Veterans quite pleased.
However, since this is training, it is not meant for their enjoyment. After settling their luggage, all the Veterans were gathered on the playground in front of the dormitory building.
This time, they were very cooperative, standing in a square formation waiting for their leader's arrival without the chaotic scene they had caused at the Civil Affairs Bureau.
Li Li was very satisfied with this outcome and smiled at Zhou Peng behind him. "I just had a thought. Initially, we planned to hire coaches specifically for you, but after considering it, those coaches are not even on the same level as you. Doing that would seem a bit redundant."
Zhou Peng did not understand his words and remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
"So I still want you to train yourselves. After all, you are military officers. It’s better if you take charge of your own training."
Li Li's words left Zhou Peng somewhat speechless. He had originally thought that once they arrived here, they would sit in a room learning theory and then move into factories or workshops for hands-on tutorials and practical operations. He never expected Li Li would have them continue training on what they learned in the military!
This made Zhou Peng somewhat worried about Li Li or the ultimate purpose of Dawn Heavy Industries hiring them. After all, they had just taken off their uniforms and were very cautious about such matters.
Li Li smiled lightly, understanding what Zhou Peng was concerned about. He explained with a smile, "Don't worry; training starts on the fourth day. You will train for the first three days, and then from the fourth day onward, we will split into two groups: one group trains in the morning and receives training in the afternoon, while the other group does the opposite. The purpose of this arrangement is simply to ensure your physical fitness and efficient execution."
Zhou Peng awkwardly smiled, realizing he had misunderstood Li Li's good intentions. He asked with a smile, "Why do it this way? It doesn’t provide any direct benefit to you; instead, it requires more funding due to the extended training time! Plus, I see this Training Base has only recently been completed; it must have been built specifically for our arrival."
Li Li looked at Zhou Peng and finally nodded with a smile.
Zhou Peng asked in confusion, "Why? This isn’t a decision a qualified businessman should make."
Li Li shrugged and laughed, "Who said I’m a businessman? At least not yet! Besides," he looked at Zhou Peng sincerely and said, "doing it this way will help you adapt faster, won't it?"
Just because of that? You invested tens of millions of funds? Zhou Peng found it hard to see through Li Li or Dawn Group's intentions. Such a massive investment could change ownership for any company but was being used solely on this batch of freshly retired Veterans.
"Is it really worth it?"
Zhou Peng suddenly realized why he had been so unable to help but worry about Dawn Heavy Industries and Li Li. They were meeting for the first time, yet he cared for them so much. Was this where their investment lay?
After understanding the true investment of Dawn, Zhou Peng finally felt at ease. At the same time, he felt proud and excited for himself and the more than a thousand veterans who had just retired.
Their value had been recognized, and they had indeed aligned themselves with a good company!
Li Li looked at the dazed Zhou Peng and gently patted his shoulder, asking with a smile, "Is my idea acceptable? If so, I will remove those coaches later and let you handle the training affairs yourself."
Zhou Peng came back to his senses and smiled humbly. "Of course, that's fine. However, we still need you to appoint a leader. After all, their current status is different from what it used to be, so we need someone to guide them."
Li Li remained silent, simply watching Zhou Peng quietly.
It took Zhou Peng a while to process this before he incredulously asked, "Me...? I?"
"Uh-huh!" Li Li nodded as if it were only natural.
Zhuo Rohan chuckled lightly. "Otherwise, who else?"
Zhou Peng immediately stood at attention. He wanted to salute but realized he was no longer a soldier, so he simply stood straight and declared loudly to Li Li, "I guarantee I will complete the mission!"
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