Zhou Pingcang stopped, looking at Lu Wei, and said word by word.
“First, in view of Comrade Lu Mingyu’s outstanding contributions.”
“The military has decided to exceptionally promote his military rank directly to Colonel!”
Lu Wei’s body trembled, and excitement instantly welled up in his eyes.
Zhou Pingcang did not pause, immediately throwing out a second, even more significant piece of news.
“Second, in order to systematically and professionally cultivate our special operations talents.”
“The military has decided to integrate the best resources from the entire army to build China’s first truly meaningful special operations school!”
“And the first Commander of this special operations school will be Lu Mingyu!”
Lu Wei was completely stunned; he opened his mouth, momentarily unsure what to say.
This news shocked and proud him even more than the promotion to Colonel.
Zhou Pingcang walked over to him and patted his shoulder.
“Old Lu, this is the organization’s greatest trust and affirmation of Mingyu.”
“There are two considerations for him to be this Commander.”
“On one hand, his combat experience is the most extensive in the entire army.”
“No one understands modern special operations better than him; he can teach the most practical things to the cadets.”
“On the other hand, he is now a nationally renowned combat hero, an idol to countless young people.”
“With him as the Commander, his reputation will be sufficiently prominent.”
“Those fearless elite soldiers, the troublemakers, will be convinced under him and will train diligently with all their might.”
Zhou Pingcang looked at Lu Wei’s excited expression, and the smile on his face deepened.
He knew what this news meant to an elder who had dedicated his life to the country and sent his grandson to the battlefield.
“Old Lu, don’t get excited yet, let me finish.”
Zhou Pingcang gestured for him to sit down, and he himself sat back on the sofa.
“Regarding Mingyu’s appointment, the order will be officially issued next month.”
“At that time, there will be a formal awarding ceremony and appointment ceremony.”
Lu Wei took a deep breath, trying to calm his turbulent emotions, and nodded.
“I understand; I completely obey the organization’s arrangements.”
Zhou Pingcang waved his hand and said with a smile.
“It’s not a matter of obedience or not.”
“Rather, the specifications of this special operations school are very high.”
“This is a good thing; I need to explain it thoroughly to you, as his grandfather.”
He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and cleared his throat.
“The site for the special operations school has been tentatively decided, at a secret military base in the suburbs.”
“The environment there is isolated, the facilities are complete, and it is absolutely confidential.”
“The school’s establishment is independent of the major Military Regions and reports directly to the highest level.”
“This means it has great autonomy.”
“Whether it’s curriculum design, personnel selection, or fund usage.”
Lu Wei listened quietly, every word striking a chord in his heart.
An independent establishment, directly accountable to the highest level—this was no longer just a simple school.
This was the cradle of China’s future special operations forces, a strategic-level deployment.
Zhou Pingcang looked at him and threw out a more specific detail.
“As for the benefits and treatment, there’s nothing to say.”
“To attract and retain the top talents, the determination from above is great.”
“Just the personal allowance for Lu Mingyu as the Commander is forty thousand per month.”
Lu Wei’s eyebrows suddenly raised.
Forty thousand, in the 1990s, was an astronomical figure.
One must know that even a Commander of his level, with his monthly salary plus various subsidies, was far from reaching this amount.
Zhou Pingcang seemed to notice his surprise and continued to add.
“This is just the basic allowance.”
“Including various research subsidies, position subsidies, confidentiality fees, and so on.”
“He is estimated to receive around sixty thousand per month.”
Zhou Pingcang said this, and he couldn’t help but smile, with a slightly self-deprecating tone.
“Don’t laugh at me for saying this, but his monthly income as the Commander is significantly higher than mine as a Military Region Commander.”
Lu Wei was completely speechless, a mix of emotions in his heart.
He knew that money was not the most important thing.
But the meaning behind this money was heavier than Mount Tai.
This was the highest-level compensation from the country for Lu Mingyu’s past achievements.
It was also an infinite expectation for his future heavy responsibilities.
“This… this treatment is too high.”
Lu Wei murmured, his voice trembling.
Zhou Pingcang’s expression became serious.
“Not high, not high at all.”
“He deserves it.”
“Old Lu, you and I both know what kind of missions Mingyu and his comrades have been performing all these years, and what kind of lives they have been living.”
“Every time, they exchanged their lives for the country’s peace.”
“The scars left on their bodies, the youth sacrificed, cannot be compensated by any amount of money.”
“This money is both compensation for his past efforts and encouragement for his future work.”
“We want him, and all special operations personnel, to know.”
“The country will not forget any meritorious minister, nor will it mistreat any hero who sheds blood for the country.”
Zhou Pingcang’s words were powerful, every word filled with strength.
Lu Wei’s eyes welled up again.
He nodded, and his last bit of concern vanished into thin air.
He let out a long sigh, a bitter smile on his face.
“You’ve said it to this extent; this gives Mingyu no reason to refuse.”
Zhou Pingcang burst into laughter.
“That’s right! We just can’t let him refuse, and we can’t bear the consequences if he refuses.”
“This Commander position belongs to him and no one else!”
He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the orderly military camp outside, his voice filled with emotion.
“Old Lu, honestly, sometimes I truly envy you.”
“You raised such a good grandson, who is not only the pride of your Lu family.”
“But also the pride of the entire army, the entire country.”
An indescribable sense of pride surged in Lu Wei’s heart.
As if a lifetime of glory had been ultimately sublimated at this moment.
…
Two hours later.
Second Military Region, the exclusive training ground of the Megakaryocyte Special Operations Group.
Lu Mingyu stood in front of the huge sand table, his brows still tightly furrowed.
His conversation with Wu Tianlong was still ongoing.
“Captain, the First Military Region’s actions this time are indeed very significant.”
Wu Tianlong’s expression was very serious; he had just thoroughly recounted the intelligence he had received.
“Wolf Fang, Meng Hu, Black Bear, these three units simultaneously entered the flight test base in Yunnan.”
Lu Mingyu’s gaze fell on the sand table, where different colored flags marked the complex terrain of Yunnan.
“Meng Hu Special Operations Unit…”
He softly uttered the name, as if reminiscing about something.
“I remember them.”
Wu Tianlong immediately interjected.
“Yes, Captain.”
“Meng Hu is an old elite force of the First Military Region, with a nine-person special operations team structure.”
Lu Mingyu nodded, his memory becoming clearer.
“Three years ago, five people from their team came here to participate in advanced tactical training.”
“As I recall, their individual capabilities and teamwork were excellent.”
Wu Tianlong also showed agreement.
“That’s right, Captain.”
“Meng Hu has progressed very quickly in recent years, carrying out several high-difficulty missions with a hundred percent success rate.”
“In the comprehensive strength assessment of special forces across the entire army, they consistently rank in the top five.”
Hearing this, Lu Mingyu’s tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly.
“With them there, I can feel a bit more at ease.”
This ease was based on a professional judgment.
He believed in the soldiers he personally trained and in the strength of China’s top special forces.
But this ease was only “a bit.”
Because his perspective on problems was always deeper and further than others.