Wheat Seedlings - Chapter 27

Mai Miao Parallel Side Story (8)

The impact was so violent that it cracked a small piece of the porcelain tiles on the sink.

Instantly, gasps and exclamations erupted around them.

Fighting was strictly prohibited in the military, but they all knew of an unwritten rule—whoever threw the first punch would bear the harsher punishment, no matter how the other party retaliated.

Xu Zhifeng had deliberately provoked Chen Li into striking first, so he could rightfully counterattack and teach this country bumpkin who dared to compete with him a brutal lesson.

Xu Zhifeng's calculations weren't wrong. The only thing he hadn't anticipated was being completely stunned by Chen Li's first blow.

Xu Zhifeng struggled to steady himself against the sink and spat—nothing but blood. Amid the murky dark red in the basin was something white—his tooth.

His entire body trembled violently, his eyes bloodshot. But before he could even clench his fist to retaliate, Chen Li landed another punch, sending him crashing to the ground.

A loud thud echoed.

Whether Xu Zhifeng had overestimated his own background and abilities or not, he had made one grave mistake—

In terms of age, the gap between him and Chen Li was less than ten years. But from a military perspective, they were an entire generation apart.

Over a decade ago was the most war-torn period. Those who survived the frontlines back then had seen and endured everything.

The older generation planted the trees; the younger enjoyed the shade. By this era, the existence of special individuals had already gained organizational recognition and even admiration from certain circles, with policies and treatment vastly improved. Xu Zhifeng's generation was cultivated only after the situation had gradually stabilized.

He had no idea that the man he was challenging was someone who had fought alongside his father's generation.

"Brother Chen!"

"Brother Chen, stop!"

"You'll kill him—"

Chen Li had spent years on the frontlines. His relentless punches and kicks left this little brat no room to catch his breath, let alone fight back.

Xu Zhifeng had been selected for a reason—his performance in the army was commendable. But now, he was utterly overpowered by Chen Li, with no chance to defend himself.

"Old Chen!" Instructor Wang roared as he rushed forward.

Chen Li shook off the hands trying to restrain him. His face was expressionless, his gaze icy and detached. Xu Zhifeng lay curled on the ground, too battered to stand, yet Chen Li wasn't even winded.

"Call the medics," Chen Li said before turning to leave. None of Xu Zhifeng's teammates from the Jizhou Military District dared to stop him. Amid the thick scent of gunpowder, they could only watch as the man walked away.

Chen Li didn't go anywhere else. He headed straight to the Military Affairs Department and was locked in an interrogation room that very night.

He spent a full day and night there. During that time, only one person came to question him. Chen Li stated the facts plainly and admitted his fault without hesitation—he had thrown the first punch.

The door didn't open again until the next morning.

Chen Li sat up from the bench and saw Director Yu walk in.

Yu Shaotang looked the same as always—immaculately dressed, his hair freshly trimmed, even more stylish than the last time they'd met.

Director Yu sat in the chair across the table, first sizing up Chen Li as if finding the scene novel.

Chen Li asked, "Brought any cigarettes?"

Director Yu fumbled in his trouser pocket and placed a lighter along with a pack on the table.

Watching Chen Li light up, Director Yu finally spoke: "Xu Zhifeng's injury report is out." He pointed to his head. "Eight stitches here, a cracked rib on the right side. At least you showed some restraint."

He paused. "Oh, and a front tooth got knocked out too." With a hint of regret, he added, "Ruined a perfectly good face."

Chen Li gave a slight smirk.

"He never went to see Old Zhang."

The truth was already clear. If Xu Zhifeng truly didn't care about Chen Mai Miao as much as he claimed, he wouldn't have gone out of his way to provoke Chen Li with those words.

That punk was banking on Chen Li losing his temper and gaining a reputation for violent tendencies. The regulatory board was always cautious—how could they risk assigning a fragile Omega to a man who couldn't control his emotions?

This was the one thing Director Yu couldn't understand: "Regiment Commander Chen, don't tell me you didn't see through such a clumsy provocation."

"I knew." Chen Li flicked the ash off his cigarette. He didn't repeat the vile things Xu Zhifeng had said.

Those words were too malicious—spreading them would only hurt Mai Miao.

Over the past two days, he regretted only one thing: "I went too easy on him."

Both men finished their cigarettes in silence.

Director Yu continued, "Once Xu Zhifeng is discharged, you'll both be summoned. If we can't resolve this internally, it'll go to a military tribunal."

An internal resolution would mean, at worst, a demerit and disciplinary action. But if it went to court, there'd be a permanent record. Not only would that stain follow him for life, but if labeled with counter-revolutionary tendencies, the consequences could be dire.

Chen Li was silent for a moment before asking, "What's that little bastard saying?"

Director Yu: "Haven't questioned him yet. Still waiting for his discharge." He added, "Two more days."

Two days passed exactly as stated.

Xu Zhifeng was still in his hospital clothes, his face mottled with bruises. At least the swelling had gone down—otherwise, it would've been even more humiliating.

He refused help from the orderly. Alphas were prideful, and being beaten like a dog had become the talk of the town, even reaching other military districts. He had no face left to save.

"Regiment Commander Chen." Someone suddenly called out.

Chen Li was also brought in, standing in the same corridor as Xu Zhifeng.

Xu Zhifeng had long caught the scent of gunpowder in Chen Li's pheromones. Unlike most soldiers, when Chen Li's aura fully unfurled, it carried an undercurrent of menace.

At their core, their kind revered strength—submitting to those stronger was the iron law of the pack. After the brutal beating, Xu Zhifeng now felt a deep-seated fear at the sight of Chen Li.

Chen Li, however, showed no discomfort. He walked over casually, calmly assessing Xu Zhifeng's injuries.

"Later, I'll tell the organization the truth. You'd better be honest too—stop embarrassing your father." Chen Li's tone was even, no different from when he chatted with cadets at the academy. Nothing about him suggested a man capable of such violence.

Xu Zhifeng remained silent, head bowed.

After a long pause, Xu Zhifeng's shoulders relaxed as if he'd been spared his life.

Chen Li had already left long ago.

This interrogation session was attended by five military district leaders, including Director Yu. Shortly after it began, two chairs were brought in for additional observers—aside from Director Zhang, there was also a female comrade from the supervision department, Teacher Lu, who was responsible for taking care of Chen Mai Miao's daily needs.

Chen Li first recounted the incident of the fight. Then, the military leaders turned to Xu Zhifeng and asked, "Comrade Xu Zhifeng, regarding Comrade Chen's accusation that you deliberately provoked the incident with the intent to frame him, do you have anything to say?"

Xu Zhifeng slowly stood up. The once bold and arrogant young man seemed to have lost all his vigor, perhaps from being beaten too severely. He swallowed silently, head lowered, and said, "Reporting, sir. I admit my mistake."

Fights and disturbances weren't uncommon in the military. But given that one was a regiment commander and the other the son of a high- ranking official—both figures who should have set an example—this incident, if mishandled, could have severe repercussions.

However, Director Yu had previously hinted to Chen Li that an internal reconciliation might be possible. This suggested that higher-ups didn't want the matter to escalate. As long as both men honestly admitted their mistakes and accepted their punishments dutifully, the issue could be put to rest.

Thus, Xu Zhifeng's willingness to cooperate and admit fault was the best possible outcome for those seeking an easy resolution.

After the leaders verified the facts and deliberated for a day, the disciplinary measures were swiftly issued, and both men were publicly criticized.

On the morning of the military-wide briefing, Chen Li and Xu Zhifeng stood on stage and received stern criticism from the organization. In terms of punishment severity, since Chen Li had thrown the first punch, he faced harsher penalties than Xu Zhifeng. Though his rank remained unchanged, he was given a major demerit, and his planned transfer to the Capital Military District was likely canceled.

Xu Zhifeng also received a demerit. While it seemed like no substantial harm was done, his underhanded tactics had become widely known, leaving him utterly disgraced within the ranks.

Chen Li spent an entire night writing a 3,000-word self-criticism and submitted it to the office early the next morning.

His opinion of Director Yu had completely changed. He even bought a pack of Marlboro cigarettes and handed them over along with the self-criticism, personally delivering both to Director Yu.

After some polite back-and-forth between the two men, Director Yu eventually accepted the cigarettes and said courteously, "As I said before, Regiment Commander Chen, the military district's reputation is secondary—your lifelong happiness is what truly matters."

As soon as Chen Li left the office, he rushed straight to the supervision department's administrative building.

He first completed the necessary procedures, carefully filling out the spouse application form. After double-checking it, he submitted it and then sat patiently outside, waiting for Director Zhang to sign off.

At that moment, Chen Li caught the scent of wheat.

He looked up and saw Teacher Lu walking down the corridor with a fair-skinned young man.

Mai Miao was dressed in a white shirt and indigo-blue trousers, carrying a suitcase in both hands. His eyes met Chen Li's.

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