As one of the country's top leaders, he was powerless to do anything about it and could only let this stubborn young man continue his unreasonable behavior. The feeling was indescribable, and the Premier fell silent.
※※※※※
Lin Yao looked at General Xia, who had become his grandfather, with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. The old general was so happy he was practically rolling on the floor.
His face, which should have been radiant, rosy, and full, was transformed into a chrysanthemum-shaped smile by him, a feat that required considerable effort, demonstrating how genuinely happy the old man was.
Having just finished negotiating with a group of national leaders in Zhongnanhai, and before his mind could even rest, he was summoned to the military headquarters. It seemed there were many things to discuss here as well. Lin Yao was extremely unwilling to come, yet he had no choice but to.
Because it was the Chairman who summoned him!
After the Prime Minister had nothing more to say, he had his secretary explain some liaison matters to Lin Yao and then ended the meeting. The Chairman, who had been in charge of handling Lin Yao's affairs from beginning to end, suddenly spoke up and asked Lin Yao to accompany him for a "walk".
This led them to the military headquarters. By the time Lin Yao sensed something was amiss, the Red Flag car had already driven into the heavily guarded military compound. He then followed the chairman to the huge conference hall, where he saw a group of very formally dressed old generals, including his own grandfather, General Xia, who was also present – quite a surprise.
"Hahaha, my good grandson, come to grandpa's side."
General Xia's voice was booming, filling the huge, spacious conference hall with his voice, making it impossible to tell that he was an elderly man over seventy years old.
"General Xia has found a fine grandson-in-law!"
"Old Lion, you have a wonderful grandson, everyone's so envious!"
"Old Xia, you'll have to treat us to a meal later!"
...
Congratulations and praises rang out in the conference room, transforming the originally somber space into a bustling marketplace. The constant laughter of General Xia further amplified the lively atmosphere.
The veteran generals of roughly the same rank all behaved in the same way, abandoning their usual solemnity and dignified demeanor, as if they had suddenly changed their personalities. Their purpose was to use General Xia to seek something, and everyone praised General Xia lavishly, giving him face in a way that suited his tastes.
The more pleased General Xia was, the more enthusiastic they would be in persuading Lin Yao later. This was the unspoken goal of all the generals, and they cooperated tacitly without even exchanging glances.
General Yue Taiqun, with a warm smile on his face, watched Lin Yao being proudly introduced to his comrades as he followed behind General Xia. He felt a mix of emotions, both joy and worry.
The good news is that there is someone with extraordinary abilities like Lin Yao in the country. Judging from the current situation, Lin Yao has not refused the major general title that the military is forcibly bestowing upon him. Even if there are objections, it is probably not a big problem after bringing in the old man Xia Chengwu. The military will gain a powerful general in the future.
What worries me is that Lin Yao is too capable and powerful. Because my son Yue Bufan stirred things up at home and caused some trouble for Chengdu Minhong Pharmaceutical, my relationship with this young man has become tense. In addition, with the secret confrontation in the "Super Soldier Project" later, it is very likely that this general in the army will not be able to be won over in the future and will instead be brought into the camp of General Xiao Li'ao, who has always been neutral.
If General Xiao Li'ao were to gain more influence within the military as a result, his own influence and decision-making power would be severely affected, and his decades-long ideals could very well come to naught. The Chinese military would always be the kind of seemingly powerful army that never takes the initiative, and even sometimes has to swallow its pride for political purposes—a spineless army. The scenario he so desperately wanted to see—the Chinese military standing proudly at the pinnacle of world military power—would be impossible to realize.
Although Lin Yao's earlier warning about the "poisonous man" incident proved to be true, and although Lin Yao's remarkable performance during the North Sea Fleet's expedition demonstrated terrifying strength and gave the Chinese military a sense of pride, it was still unclear whether an uncontrollable expert would have a positive or negative impact on the overall situation. This left Admiral Yue Taiqun deeply conflicted and filled with melancholy.
If only that brat Yue Bufan had Lin Yao's strength...
"Old man Xia, your grandson has become a general at such a young age. It seems that he is the youngest general in our country, unprecedented and likely to remain so."
An old general, whose rank was listed as lieutenant general and who belonged to the General Staff Department, began to directly praise Lin Yao, flattering General Xia while keeping his eyes on Lin Yao.
"Greetings, Grandpa General!" Lin Yao immediately addressed the other party as a junior, using the tone of a family member. "The title of Major General is merely a temporary measure, used to conceal my identity for this expedition. It cannot be taken seriously. There is no such person as Lin Yifan in this world, and even if there were, it wouldn't be me."
Lin Yao, smiling broadly, appeared somewhat naive. This was a performance to match the praise for General Xia, giving his grandfather ample face while conveniently declining the rank of Major General. This statement stunned all the generals, their smiles freezing on their faces, and the entire conference room instantly fell silent.
"Lin Yao is you, and Lin Yifan is also you. Let's just consider them your aliases. Everyone here has an alias. We used to change our names when we went on missions, and some of us even have several aliases. General Lin, please don't be modest. This is everyone's affirmation of you."
Upon entering the conference room, the chairman, who had become unusually amiable, suddenly spoke, breaking the momentary silence. The generals immediately joined in, making the scene even more lively than before.
"Thank you for your recognition, Chairman!"
Lin Yao's smile faded, and his expression turned serious. "Although I dreamed of becoming a soldier when I was a child, I no longer have that idea."
Ignoring the astonished expressions of the crowd, Lin Yao continued, "Several people in my family are soldiers. My parents were both soldiers, my uncle is an active-duty soldier, and now my father-in-law and grandfather are soldiers. I am very proud of this."
"However, precisely because of this, I also know that soldiers are naturally obedient, and military orders are absolute, so I cannot accept this identity because I cannot completely and unconditionally obey."
"There are many ways to serve society and repay the country, but becoming a soldier is not the most suitable option for me right now, so I can only regret it."
After Lin Yao finished speaking, the meeting room fell into a complete silence...
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Chapter 497 General Lin
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"A good man should join the army! Being a soldier is so proud. You should join the army! This is what a real man should do!"
The only one who could break the awkward silence was General Xia, as he was the only one with the status to say such things, especially after Lin Yao displayed abilities far exceeding the Heavenly Realm, which were simply unbelievable. There were not many people left who could directly rebuke him.
At this moment, General Xia had already suppressed his smile. Perhaps because he had smiled too deeply, his facial muscles were a little sore and would twitch and tremble from time to time, making it look a bit like he was making faces. But his serious expression made no one dare to laugh at him.
At this moment, the old man was already angry, and even Lin Yao had to consider his words and actions, lest he provoke this old man who valued the army more than his own life.
Everyone, including the chairman, fell silent, their eyes all fixed on Lin Yao's face, waiting for his response.
Lin Yao felt a bitter taste in his mouth. Of course, he couldn't accept the title of major general. It wasn't because he was now more powerful and no longer cared about his childhood dream of joining the army, but simply because he couldn't accept it now.