Wheat Seedlings - Chapter 20

Mai Miao Parallel Side Story (Part 1)

This side story explores an alternate timeline where Chen Li did not retire and return to his hometown. Instead, he remains in the city and encounters Mai Miao, who is sent to the military base due to his illness cycle.

***

A transport truck stopped outside the iron gates, waiting patiently as the guards verified the documents before driving into the compound.

The gates clanged shut again, and above the Party emblem were the words—Shanghai Special Defense Forces Non-Commissioned Officers Academy.

The truck passed the training grounds, where several squads were drilling under the scorching sun. It slowly made its way through the campus before stopping in the central courtyard outside the administrative building.

As soon as the vehicle halted, new recruits swiftly moved to the back to unload the cargo.

The driver's door opened, and a man stepped out. He was tall and broad-shouldered, standing out even among a crowd of soldiers.

He wore a fitted army-green crewneck shirt that accentuated his muscular frame, paired with camouflage pants that made his legs appear long and straight.

Chen Li walked to the back to help unload, but the others quickly protested, "Brother Chen, we've got this."

"Yeah, you should go inside and rest. If Instructor Wang sees you helping, he'll chew us out."

Chen Li hoisted a large sack of provisions onto the steps before wiping his hands and saying, "Alright, the rest is up to you."

"Brother Chen."

"Brother Chen, thanks for your hard work."

The academy was bustling, yet it seemed everyone there knew him.

Chen Li entered the office and handed the paperwork to the clerk.

While waiting for the staff to verify the documents, he stood in front of an electric fan to cool off, his gaze drifting to the workers laboring at a construction site outside the window.

Political Commissar Wang walked in and immediately spotted him. "Regiment Commander Chen, what are you doing here?"

Chen Li turned and grinned. "Hey, Old Wang." He gestured at the fan. "Just stealing some of your cool air."

Commissar Wang ushered him into the office and closed the door before joking, “You shouldn't stay out there—our female staff can't focus on their work with you around."

Though said in jest, there was some truth to it.

Despite being in his thirties, Chen Li had a strikingly handsome and rugged face, exuding a mature charm that rivaled any younger man.

Even disregarding his looks, Chen Li had risen to the rank of regiment commander before retiring from the frontlines. Given his background in the special forces, achieving such a position in his early thirties was rare. If he didn't retire, his future—whether in administration or the military district—was bright.

Moreover, Chen Li was well-liked—steady, reliable, and within just a few months of arriving in Shanghai, he had earned nothing but praise from everyone.

After exchanging a few words, Commissar Wang suddenly remembered something. "I saw Director Yu this morning. He mentioned needing to discuss something with you. Have you heard?"

"Director Yu?" Chen Li frowned. "No one's told me."

Director Yu had recently arrived in Shanghai, replacing the former Director Feng to oversee special forces affairs. Chen Li had only met him a handful of times.

"Let's wait a couple of days and see. He said he needs to discuss official business with you." Political Commissar Wang was all smiles. "Judging from Director Yu's tone, I suspect the organization has made its decision—most likely transferring you to the capital's military district."

Chen Li's face showed little expectation. "I have no objections to wherever the organization assigns me." He patted his trouser pocket. "Lao Wang, mind if I smoke?"

Chen Li lit one for himself. "Working under you would be fine too—just a simple life." He offered a cigarette to Political Commissar Wang.

"Ah, Commander Chen, you always love to joke," Wang waved his hand. "With your seniority, even if you went to the central office, you could directly take up a deputy director position."

By the time Chen Li left the office, it was nearly mealtime.

He first returned to his dorm to grab a basin for a shower. Only after the others had gradually arrived at the bathhouse did he leisurely make his way to the cafeteria.

This special forces academy was established specifically to train people like them.

Individuals like them were born with heightened senses, superior physical abilities, and above-average intelligence compared to ordinary people. Later, the organization separated them from the general population to be trained exclusively as soldiers. Following Western practices, they were given a special designation—Alpha.

After eating in the cafeteria, Chen Li headed to the basketball court, effortlessly dominating the younger recruits without breaking a sweat. Once he'd had his fill of exercise, he returned to his dorm in the evening.

His was an instructor's dormitory—single occupancy.

Within the Alpha community, the more exceptional one was, the more intense certain innate tendencies became. Though military life had somewhat strengthened their sense of collectivity, this special breed had a natural predisposition toward aggression and dominance. Beyond that, they possessed an overwhelming sense of possessiveness and territoriality, disliking the idea of sharing their private space with another of their kind.

Paradoxically, the more talented they were, the better their self-control and social adaptability tended to be. This was evident just by observing Chen Li.

With the light on, he turned on the radio and pulled a book from the drawer.

A melodious female voice drifted from the radio: "Tomorrow will come, yet it's rare to meet you."

In recent years, policies had changed, becoming more open. The radio no longer played only revolutionary songs—now you could hear all kinds of music, even love songs.

Chen Li leaned back on his bed, flipping through the novel in his hands. The book was in Russian, a secondhand copy he'd bought for sixty cents at a small bookstall, about seventy or eighty percent new.

Having spent many years in the north, he'd even attended a Soviet military school for several months, where he'd learned quite a bit.

After intently reading over a dozen pages—his routine was always disciplined—he prepared to sleep at the appointed hour.

Using a dried wheat stalk as a bookmark, he slipped it between the pages and returned the book to the drawer.

Once the light was off, he lay down.

***

A knock sounded at the office door.

"Come in," called Director Yu.

Seeing there was someone else inside, Chen Li hesitated, wondering if he should step back out. But Director Yu introduced him: "Commander Chen, this is Director Zhang from the Civil Affairs Special Office."

Chen Li hadn't expected a leader from the Civil Affairs Department.

The Civil Affairs Special Office wasn't a department everyone knew about. It was only after several years in the organization that he'd learned of such an administrative body.

To explain the work of this department, we must first talk about the companions of Alphas—Omegas.

Due to the scarcity of Omegas, along with factors like their constitution and average lifespan, the current national policy still places them under unified guardianship. The Civil Affairs Special Office is a subordinate department of the Supervision Bureau, specifically responsible for arranging marriages for eligible Omegas.

Chen Li exchanged polite pleasantries with Director Zhang.

Director Zhang: "Regiment Commander, you've arrived just in time. Director Yu and I just finished our conversation, so I won't delay your important matters." He placed a file folder on the table. "Director Yu, I'll leave the documents here for your reference. Take a look and see if anyone here is suitable."

Director Yu had Xiao Yang escort Director Zhang out.

Chen Li glanced at the file folder on the table. A name was written on the outside: Chen Mai Miao.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Director Yu said as he returned to his seat. "Please, have a seat."

Chen Li withdrew his gaze and sat in the chair previously occupied by Director Zhang.

Director Yu had called him here today to discuss his future job assignments.

As Political Commissar Wang from the academy had mentioned, the organization indeed intended to transfer him to the capital.

This was an opportunity many could only dream of, yet Chen Li didn't immediately agree.

Director Yu seemed to have anticipated this reaction. After all, this new leader was inscrutable, always wearing a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

Without pressing further, Director Yu picked up the file folder from the table. As he opened it, he asked, "Regiment Commander Chen, if I recall correctly—your hometown is in Yinchuan, isn't it?"

Their era was unique. Most Alphas were identified at birth and taken to military units for training, leaving many unaware of their hometowns or parents.

Only a small minority were brought in later in life. Chen Li enlisted at the age of fourteen, which was extremely rare at the time.

In recent years, domestic and international situations had stabilized, and the country hadn't seen war for several years.

National policies regarding them had also been adjusted accordingly. The lifelong service system had been abolished, though most still chose to remain within the organization.

"Do you still have family back in your hometown?" Director Yu pulled out the documents and flipped through them.

Chen Li was silent for a long moment before answering, "No."

His father had passed away less than two years after he left home. Years later, when he received the telegram announcing his mother's death, he was still on the front lines, with no time to grieve.

Later, he found he couldn't mourn anymore.

With everyone gone, whether or not he returned to his hometown wasn't all that important.

Director Yu handed the documents to Chen Li. "Regiment Commander Chen, take a look."

Chen Li accepted the file. At a glance, he saw the header—it was the personal records of an Omega.

Having served as a soldier for over a decade, Chen Li had only thought about companionship in his youth.

And he wasn't alone in this. Who among them hadn't fantasized about it? But Omegas were far too scarce, and with the national policy of unified supervision and protection, even high-ranking officers in the organization rarely had the chance to interact with them.

Looking at this official document, it was no exaggeration to say this was the closest Chen Li had ever been to an Omega in his thirty-odd years of life.

***

A/N

The telegram here did not inform Chen Li that he had a younger brother.

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