Wheat Seedlings - Chapter 23

Mai Miao Parallel Side Story (4)

The official notice from the relevant department was out—eight candidates had been selected.

A full eight.

Chen Li was personally given a briefing by Director Yu. He was called into the office, the door firmly shut in broad daylight.

"The matchmaking event is divided into three rounds, each lasting half an hour. After each round, half of the participants will be eliminated," Director Yu briefly outlined the process.

Chen Li hadn't expected that after passing the initial screening, there would still be three rounds of interviews, narrowing it down to just one final candidate. He would have to compete to the very end for the chance to secure the position.

"What," he glanced around, "am I the only one here?"

"Our district only picked you. The rest—complete wipeout." Director Yu's face rarely showed displeasure, but it did now. "Once they heard the restrictions were relaxed, people from other military regions flooded in. There was no other way."

With all this chaos, even candidates from the capital's military region had shown up. Turns out, he had managed to shoot himself in the foot.

Director Yu sat there, fingers lightly tapping the desk.

After a long pause, he said, "Regiment Commander Chen."

Chen Li straightened up. "Yes, Director?"

Director Yu lowered his voice. "This matter, on a small scale, concerns the reputation of our military region. On a larger scale, it's about your lifelong commitment—you can't afford to be careless."

"Right, right." Chen Li nodded repeatedly.

"I'll write you a note. Go to the logistics office later and pick up a new set of clothes. You only have one day to prepare, so go get a haircut first." Director Yu pointed out, "On the street near Jinjiang Hotel, there's an old barber named Liu—decent skills. I get my hair cut there too."

Chen Li studied Director Yu's head. Not bad. Fashionable.

"For the first meeting, you can't go empty-handed, but don't overdo it either—you might scare them off." He left it at that. "What to give, how to give it—I can't decide for you. You'll have to figure that out yourself."

The two exchanged earnest advice for a while before Chen Li finally took the note from the director and left.

While waiting at the logistics office for his new uniform, Chen Li couldn't help but wonder—just how many matchmaking sessions had Director Yu been through to accumulate such seasoned experience?

He also thought, Director Yu Shaotang had remained unmarried all this time. It couldn't have been easy.

The new uniform was full of creases, so Chen Li quickly hand-washed it and hung it out to dry while the midday sun was still strong. Once that was done, he rode his bike out to the barbershop on Jinjiang Hotel's street to tidy up his hair.

After the haircut, Chen Li went to a flower shop.

In this era, unlike in the West, giving fresh flowers wasn't common in the country. The flowers sold in shops were all made of plastic, bright red and gaudy purple—meant for storefront decorations or celebratory occasions at home.

Chen Li then went to the foreign trade market, where imported goods were plentiful. But after browsing for hours, until the market was nearly closing, he still hadn't found anything suitable.

Pushing his bike down the street, he passed a bridge where a group of children were chasing after a small toy stall.

The old man's bike was loaded with all sorts of trinkets, topped with a large, colorful pinwheel. Chen Li wheeled his bike closer. The pinwheel was handmade by the old man, crafted from glossy, shimmering paper, spinning slowly in the breeze.

Under the sunset, it sparkled.

Chen Li rode his bike back to the compound, whistling all the way. A box of pastries sat in the bike's basket, and a large colorful pinwheel spun in the wind at the front.

When he returned to the dormitory, the freshly washed clothes from noon had already dried.

Chen Li spread the clothes on the bed and carefully ironed them. Afterward, he hung the neatly pressed clothes to the side, smoothing out the corners.

In the evening, Chen Li turned on the radio.

Instead of reading a novel tonight, he took out paper and a fountain pen, writing down what he planned to say at tomorrow's meeting.

"We are intoxicated and drifting in the spring breeze, whispering softly on midsummer nights."

Outside, a light rain began to fall, the sound mingling with the lingering voice of a woman singing.

Chen Li had practiced calligraphy with his mother as a child, and his handwriting was delicate—completely unlike what one might expect from him. He wrote freely, first introducing himself, explaining his background, and then listing several advantages he believed he possessed.

"Hello, comrade. My name is Chen Li—'Li' as in quinoa." He read the draft aloud once, found it unsatisfactory, and started over.

"Hello, comrade."

"C-Comrade..."

Crumpled papers piled up beneath the desk as the song continued to loop in the rainy night—

"In my ordinary days."

"With you here, everything feels alive."

The rain gradually stopped.

Chen Li lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

He had always been disciplined, falling asleep within three seconds of closing his eyes. It was a skill honed on the front lines—no matter the environment, he had to rest quickly, recover, and prepare to face the enemy again.

He opened the drawer, glanced at the draft again, then stuffed it back inside, pulled up the blanket, and lay down.

One, two, three...

Chen Li opened his eyes.

Late at night, Chen Li rode his bike through the puddles, arriving at that familiar alley.

He looked up. The window was tightly shut, the curtains drawn open, revealing only darkness inside.

No one was there.

Standing beneath the window, Chen Li could no longer smell the fragrance of wheat. His pounding heart felt doused in cold water, leaving a faint chill.

He stood there for a long while before finally lifting his leg onto the bike and riding back.

***

Chen Li arrived an hour early.

The matchmaking event was arranged on the third floor of the administrative office building.

Following the regulations of the Supervision Bureau, Chen Li wore his full military uniform and boots, his hair slicked with gel. He already cut a striking figure, but after this careful grooming, he looked so dashing that passersby couldn't help but glance at him twice.

He entered the waiting room, where four others had already arrived.

All of them wore military uniforms, and judging by the stripes and stars on their epaulets, each held a high rank.

The room was spacious, with over thirty chairs arranged inside, yet they had instinctively seated themselves apart, each maintaining a noticeable distance from the others.

A solemn atmosphere hung in the air.

Every time someone new entered, they would look up briefly before averting their gaze, exchanging not a single word. Only the heavy, mingled scent of masculinity competed silently in the air.

As the hour approached, a few people walked in, led by Director Zhang from the Special Civil Affairs Department.

He glanced around and said, "Everyone here? Let's take roll call first."

"Xu Zhifeng, 42nd Regiment, Army of Jizhou Military District."

A man stood up and called out, "Present!"

He appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six, clearly several years younger than the others.

"...He's the son of the Jizhou Military District commander," a voice murmured from the front.

Even though he deliberately lowered his voice, everyone present had extraordinarily sharp senses. So he was from a cadre family.

"Fifth Regiment of the Second Field Army, Southern Command—Chen Li."

Chen Li stood up: "Here!"

Eight names were called in total, three of whom were from the Capital Military District compound.

Chen Li had crossed paths with all of them before. There were others from different military districts whom he didn't know personally but had mostly heard of.

Director Zhang looked at them and said, "Comrades, you should all be familiar with the procedures, so I won't repeat them. Here, I must remind you of one thing—strictly maintain a safe distance from the Omega."

"Control your pheromones. Do not exert mental pressure on the Omega, nor engage in uncivilized verbal exchanges."

"During the process, anyone who attempts to touch or harm the Omega, or violates any of the aforementioned rules, will immediately be disqualified from the matchmaking session and face penalties based on the severity of their offense."

After the briefing, they were called out one by one to have their belongings inspected.

When it was Chen Li's turn, he stepped forward and placed his items on the table.

The inspector glanced at the pastry box: "Butterfly puff pastry from the International Hotel..." He then looked at Chen Li and asked, "That's it?"

Chen Li placed another item—a pinwheel—on the table.

"Alright then," the inspector said, pointing. "Go get frisked first, then come back."

After the pat-down, Chen Li returned to collect his belongings. The regulatory officer handed him a badge labeled "No. 8" and a black metal object.

It was a muzzle.

The man said, "Put this on once you enter the room. If you take it off, your qualification will be revoked."

Now Chen Li finally understood why Instructor Wang had called the regulatory officers "grandsons."

These people really didn't treat them as human beings.

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