Chapter 1626: Chapter 1645: Choosing Trust
“I object!”
“I also object!”
“I strongly object.”
Xi Liqun saw that everyone from the Northern Military District objected, and his face immediately tensed up. They should unconditionally support Huo Beijiang since he’s now part of the Northern Military District. How can they undermine him from behind at a crucial time like this?
Even if punishment is necessary, it should wait until he resolves the matter and returns to settle it later.
“Old Xi.” Ge Jincheng nudged Xi Liqun with his elbow, whispering a reminder, “I know you value Huo Beijiang, but now is not the time to be swayed by emotions. If you let him proceed, be prepared for a memorial service for everyone!”
Ge Jincheng’s last words hit Xi Liqun hard. He lowered his head and thought seriously for a while, torn between not dragging Bei Jiang down and worrying about everyone’s safety.
But in the end, Xi Liqun still shook his head towards Ge Jincheng.
Huo Beijiang was his commander. As a leader, he couldn’t undermine him at a critical moment. Since the old leaders fully supported Beijiang in the Southeast Military Region, now that he was with the 36th Army in the Northern Military District, he should receive the same support.
He must trust his soldiers. He could only choose to trust Bei Jiang.
“You? Are you crazy?” Ge Jincheng stared in disbelief. “You should know if this fails, you’ll bear the greatest responsibility.”
“I know.” Xi Liqun’s expression was very serious, clearly the result of careful consideration.
Xi Liqun and Ge Jincheng had always been old rivals, arch enemies, with competition between the 129th Army and the 36th Army. The two old comrades couldn’t see eye to eye. During meetings, if they were put together, it was a guaranteed table-thumping, eye-glaring, heated argument.
The whole world knew about their discord.
But at a critical moment, their years of comradeship became the deepest. Ge Jincheng couldn’t just watch his old comrade make a mistake, “Xi Liqun, don’t lose your mind. I know you’re not afraid of taking responsibility, but you can’t just watch the lives of dozens of soldiers vanish like that. Every member of the Owl Dragon Team is dear to me; losing even one is unacceptable.”
“Then I’m sorry.” Xi Liqun shook his head, “In this matter, I can only choose to trust Huo Beijiang. Since he’s willing to do this, it means he has the confidence and ability to handle it. From the beginning, the senior leaders unanimously decided on Beijiang, indicating he is the most capable. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have chosen a regiment commander like him to personally lead a team in executing the mission. Since he’s been chosen, there must be total trust.”
Xi Liqun understood the situation better than anyone else, and he actually knew how reluctant Huo Beijiang was to leave at this time. His wife was ill, and as her husband, he couldn’t be by her side but had to leave her behind.
Due to various complex reasons, his once-good home was lost.
The price he paid was too high. Given his current position, he could easily refuse this task. Yet, he accepted the order without hesitation.
At a time like this, Xi Liqun couldn’t oppose it.
“I support it.” Xi Liqun stated resolutely: “From the moment we chose Huo Beijiang, it showed he was the most suitable. We should choose to believe in him. There’s an old saying that a general in the field is not bound by the orders from back home. Regardless of anything, this isn’t the right time to oppose it. What we need to do is cooperate fully, and if anything happens, we must wait until Huo Beijiang returns before discussing it.”