In the end, all she could do was bow repeatedly and thank her.

"Thank you, teacher... Thank you for the warning... I’ll be sure to discipline her properly when I get home."

After saying this, she fled as if escaping.

As she walked, she grew more and more panicked, her daughter’s recent words and actions replaying endlessly in her mind.

She wanted to find Cao Daqiang immediately to discuss it. After all, he was the child’s father; he should have some ideas.

But when she called, he wasn’t at his unit at all.

The colleague who answered said he’d left on a last-minute business trip. He didn’t say where he was going or even leave a message.

’How useless! He’s nowhere to be found when it matters most, doesn’t even bother to call. What’s the point of having a husband? Just for decoration?’

Liu Yingzi clutched her phone, feeling more and more wronged the more she thought about it.

It wasn’t that she was incapable of handling problems, but this involved their parent-child relationship. It was too much for her to bear alone.

Liu Yingzi was filled with endless regret.

’Why was I so bewitched back then, so insistent on marrying him? I knew he was selfish and cold, that I couldn’t rely on him in a crisis, but I still caved... Now look, our child is in trouble, and he’s the first one to run off.’

At that moment, Cao Daqiang had already arrived at the mission location. To his surprise, he was partnered with Ling Anxun for this assignment.

He subconsciously frowned and deliberately kept a low profile, not wanting to draw any attention.

A rush of blood went to Cao Daqiang’s head.

’On what grounds?’

’Why does Ling Anxun get to stand so high?’

’If it weren’t for the Ling family backing him, would he be where he is today?’

But no matter how indignant he felt, he had to suppress it.

He could only keep his head down and follow the team.

Fortunately, the mission wasn’t long—just a routine patrol and setting up fixed defenses. As dusk fell, the team began an orderly withdrawal.

Cao Daqiang kept his head down the whole way, his mind racing.

He thought about Ling Anxun’s condescending demeanor from earlier, growing more resentful by the second.

He didn’t even hear his comrades calling out to him.

It wasn’t until someone grabbed his arm that he snapped back to his senses.

Back at the camp, he took off his gear and walked to the barracks entrance, where he suddenly stopped.

He made a decision. He was going to find his superior.

’I can’t take this anymore.’

His superior had indeed appreciated him before, even publicly praising his execution and loyalty in a meeting.

Although the promotion never materialized and was eventually dropped, they had at least spared him some face and didn’t make things too awkward.

Now, he had to seize this opportunity.

’If I can just make my superior feel that Ling Anxun’s presence is a potential threat...’

’If I can just stir up some suspicion between them...’

’Even a tiny bit of doubt could change the whole situation.’

The corners of Cao Daqiang’s mouth crept up in a subtle smirk.

He marched directly to his superior’s office door.

Huh?

’Where’s the guard at the door?’

The sentry who was usually stationed there was gone today, and the hallway was empty.

He rejoiced inwardly, feeling this was a godsent opportunity. Even the heavens were on his side.

He raised his hand and knocked steadily three times.

From inside came the sound of rustling paper.

Without a second thought, he pushed the door open and went in.

And as luck would have it, he walked in on his superior frantically burning papers!

"Sir! Be careful! Don’t burn your clothes!"

Seeing this, Cao Daqiang immediately rushed forward, thinking, ’Now’s my chance to score some major points.’

Gu Jiajun was startled and took a sharp step back in fright.

"Don’t move! Don’t come any closer! I can handle it! Leave it!"

"Let me, let me! The flames are already reaching your waistband!"

Cao Daqiang paid him no mind, grabbing the documents and patting out the last of the embers.

Then he subconsciously pressed down hard on the back of his superior’s waist.

"Don’t move! It’s almost out! Hold still!"

The sudden searing heat made Gu Jiajun flinch, his whole body tensing up.

Only then did Cao Daqiang let go and take half a step back.

"Sir, you... why are you burning documents in here by yourself? Isn’t there someone who handles this kind of thing? It’s so dangerous..."

But when he looked down, he saw the unburnt half of the paper in his hand, its contents still largely intact.

On it were the codename, time, location, and contact person for a secret operation, along with a few names he knew all too well.

Those people had long been branded as "defectors."

But the signatures on the list were submitted under the pretext of "loyally carrying out a mission."

Cao Daqiang froze instantly.

The next second, Gu Jiajun had already walked over silently.

He raised a hand and, with a CLICK, firmly shut the office door.

"Cao Daqiang, isn’t it?"

The superior turned around.

"I remember you. Your file says that during last year’s exercise, you were the only squad leader to finish the course despite being injured."

"Since you’ve seen it, I won’t hide it from you. What you’re thinking is correct."

"You..."

Cao Daqiang’s lips trembled.

But in that instant, a realization suddenly dawned on Cao Daqiang.

’This might just be a turning point.’

’A turning point that could change his destiny.’

"Sir, rest assured, I won’t breathe a word of this to anyone. I, Cao Daqiang, am not a man who doesn’t know his place."

"But I’m not a squad leader right now. I spend my days mixing with the lowest-ranking guys—eating, drinking, joking around. If I have too much to drink one day and my tongue slips, there’s no telling what might happen... And when that time comes, I won’t be the only one in trouble, right?"

A glint appeared in Gu Jiajun’s eyes.

He had originally feared that Cao Daqiang was some rigid, hard-headed man who stuck to principles, which would have been troublesome.

But now, hearing these words, the taut string in his mind went slack with a CLICK.

’This kid knows his limits, when to advance and when to retreat. He’s clearly one of us.’

"Xiao Cao."

"It seems we’re kindred spirits. The promotion isn’t difficult. If you’re willing, the squad leader position can be approved as soon as next week."

He said, his gaze fixed intently on Cao Daqiang’s eyes.

Sure enough, the more Cao Daqiang listened, the brighter his eyes became. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Gu Jiajun chuckled to himself. ’This kid can’t hide his ambition.’

But he liked that. People who couldn’t hide their feelings were easier to control.

"But that’s the slow path. How old are you this year?"

"Almost forty."

Cao Daqiang answered in a low voice.

He understood. The meaning was crystal clear.

Following the normal path, at his age, his physical fitness was no longer on par with the new recruits, and his qualifications weren’t strong enough.

’Want to get ahead?’

’Not unless he performed major, earth-shattering feats year after year.’

But an opportunity like that might not even come once a decade.

"Tsk, it’s not easy. Are you... really planning to stop at just platoon leader?"

Gu Jiajun leaned against his desk, staring at Cao Daqiang.

According to the military’s promotion system, platoon leader was already the limit of what Cao Daqiang could achieve with his current qualifications and background.

Further up, to the battalion and regiment levels, every step was barricaded by power struggles and family connections, nearly impossible for an ordinary person to overcome.

How could he possibly be satisfied with that?

Cao Daqiang wasn’t in it just to live a quiet life, much less to waste his youth at the bottom ranks.

What he wanted was to change his fate, to have a say in things.

He had once been close to a higher position, but an unexpected turn of events had caused him to fall short at the last moment.

That fall had cost him too much.

Cao Daqiang clenched his fists.

"That... depends on whether you have the ability to make it happen, Sir."

’What can you give me?’

’Why should I believe you?’

But upon hearing this, Gu Jiajun burst out laughing.

"Haha! I like people like you, who dare to think big and act boldly! Since you want to climb the ladder, why not throw in your lot with me? Follow my lead, and you definitely won’t lose out."

He stood up and patted Cao Daqiang on the shoulder.