Chapter 1057 - Cant Afford To Lose (1/2)
Although the streets were bustling with people, they consciously parted ways for Ren Xiaosu and Zhang Jinglin to walk towards Fortress 178's Memorial Bell Square.
Everyone knew about this tradition. The first thing the future commander did upon entering the city was to pay tribute to the pioneers who died in battle for Fortress 178.
Zhang Jinglin looked at the residents on both sides of the street as he walked. He suddenly asked Ren Xiaosu, ”So do you know what Fortress 178 is fighting for now?”
”More or less.” Ren Xiaosu smiled. ”But I still haven't figured out how to protect them and be a good leader for the Northwest yet.”
Zhang Jinglin said with a smile, ”I was the same as you at the beginning. When the old commander told me to take over Fortress 178, my mind was in a daze. I was only a medic, so how did I end up becoming the commander of the Northwest Army?”
”What happened after that?” Ren Xiaosu asked curiously.
”Later, he locked me up in solitary and told me that I was the commander and that I was the only one who could lead everyone to survival. If I didn't agree to it, he would lock me up forever,” Zhang Jinglin recalled. ”He even gave me guidance and said he was also not prepared when the previous commander got him to take over. In the end, he was strung up and beaten until he agreed to it.”
Ren Xiaosu was stunned. Why were the commanders of Fortress 178 all made to take their roles in such a torturous manner?
When Zhang Jinglin saw that Ren Xiaosu was shocked, he continued with a smile, ”Speaking of which, it's quite strange. None of the commanders of Fortress 178 were willing to take their roles at the beginning. It was always the old commander behaving like a thug and forcing the next commander to submit to their pick. So in a way, I can be considered the gentlest commander when it comes to picking the next commander. What do you think? Are you touched?”
”Mr. Zhang, you haven't changed at all.” Ren Xiaosu sighed emotionally.
Back at the school in town, Zhang Jinglin would plant vegetables in the yard and even smoke cigarettes. Although he was a decent person, he did not give off an oppressive aura when interacting with others.
Ren Xiaosu asked, ”But why did they all have to choose someone unwilling to be the commander? There should be a lot of capable people out there.”
”The old commander once told me that I must choose someone who doesn't care for the position of commander. Because the commander of Fortress 178 does not need ambition or desire for power,” Zhang Jinglin explained.
”Why's that?” Ren Xiaosu was surprised.
”Because Fortress 178's duty is to protect. Its commander definitely must not have any intention of expanding the territory.” Zhang Jinglin said in seriousness, ”The reason for our existence is these people around us. If this war chariot starts moving for the sake of its own desires one day, Fortress 178 will be on its road to demise. Of course, choosing the fortress commanders this way might not necessarily be right either, but it's always been done like this in the past. If I make the wrong choice, it won't be my fault either. It was the old commander who made me do it this way.”
”Wait a minute, why did you suddenly shift the blame?!” Ren Xiaosu was stunned.
”But even so, you still have to work hard.” Zhang Jinglin instructed in seriousness, ”Of course, you're doing great now. I've been paying close attention to everything happening at Stronghold 144. Initially, I was worried you couldn't manage a stronghold since you're still too young. But the results you've shown made me realize I was overthinking things.”
Zhang Jinglin continued, ”Using the contract responsibility system to stimulate everyone's enthusiasm for reclaiming the wastelands is the most suitable solution for the entire Northwest. I have to admit you're much better than when I first took over.”
Ren Xiaosu asked, ”Mr. Zhang, what was it like when you took over Fortress 178?”
”At that time, I only had Fortress 178 to manage, but I was so busy with it. Someone might say they wanted to raise the level of combat readiness today and expand the number of troops. But tomorrow, someone else would say there wasn't enough food. In any case, just handling these political matters alone was already like fighting a war.” Zhang Jinglin sighed and said, ”At that time, the Zong Consortium was still secretly causing trouble for Fortress 178. A lot of problems also arose within Fortress 178, but fortunately, they were all resolved. Otherwise, I really couldn't face the old commander when I die. However, after experiencing all this, I've concluded that no one's born to be a commander. They'll naturally improve once they get put in that position, and the pressure will make them grow.”