Chapter Ten: I Bore the Burden for You

Lei Tiangang suddenly burst into laughter.

Yes, Lei Tiangang was laughing, his expression filled with a rare satisfaction. The stern look in his eyes, as he gazed at Leidong, was now tinged with a gentle warmth. Under Leidong’s puzzled stare, Lei Tiangang proclaimed loudly, “Good! To press forward though you know it’s impossible, to fight without hesitation though you know you’ll lose, to strike back with all your might though death is certain! To shoulder all consequences alone just to protect the one you love! That is what makes a man! That is my son!”

“Remember this: for your convictions, for your responsibilities, for your mission—be fearless, charge forward. This is the most fundamental quality of an outstanding soldier! Without it, no matter how cunning you are, you’re nothing but a coward!” Lei Tiangang’s voice rose as he slapped the table forcefully. “I’ll take the blame for this!”

“Boom!” Lei Tiangang’s words struck like thunder, so abrupt and stirring that Leidong was momentarily stunned.

But then, a surge of questions flooded his mind: Dad will take the blame? How?

Seeing the confusion on Leidong’s face, Lei Tiangang sighed, “This is actually the final point I wanted to make today, and the most crucial one.” His expression grew even more serious. “Intelligence failure! That’s why I said you barely passed by getting An Jing out and settling her safely.”

Leidong shot his father a surprised glance. Was there really an intelligence failure behind all this?

Lei Tiangang shook his head, picked up the big enamel mug on the tea table, and took a deep drink before continuing, “There are many things you don’t know, and don’t need to know. But have you ever wondered, why did Lin Tianyi go looking for An Jing, and why did he bring Lin Jiangnan along?”

Leidong was taken aback. He had never considered this question until now. Lin Jiangnan’s status was extraordinary: the younger brother of Lin Jiangbei, Director of the Training Department at the Security Bureau. Even if Lin Tianyi was doted upon, why would Lin Jiangnan lower himself to accompany a group of rich brats onto the campus of Han Capital University to look for a female doctoral student, and even tacitly allow such disgraceful conduct?

Was it merely a coincidence? Or did they have another purpose? Could An Jing be hiding some unknown secret?

“Dad…”

“An Jing, eighteen years old. From Zhouzhuang Village, Zijin County, Jinshan City, Jiangnan Province. Lost her father young, raised by her mother alone. Outstanding in character and academics; entered Han Capital University’s literature department at thirteen, directly advanced to doctoral studies at fifteen. Her mother is a farmer, the family’s financial situation is average; she paid her tuition through work-study, and only after her master’s received a small stipend. Lives simply, shuns luxury. Gentle, kind, gets along well with classmates, but has little social life beyond her studies…”

Lei Tiangang recited An Jing’s résumé from memory, without effort or pause, making it clear these details were long etched in his mind. But with each word, Leidong grew more astonished. She was just a university student, even if a prodigy—why did his father know so much about her?

Lei Tiangang saw the doubt in his son’s eyes and said slowly, “Do you know An Jing has a certain phone number? Do you know to whom that number belongs? What is her connection with its owner?”

“A phone number? Could it be…” Leidong’s voice turned hoarse, “Who is it?”

Lei Tiangang looked at him and, with a gravity Leidong had rarely seen, replied, “The owner of that phone number is Tang Zhongyuan.”

“Tang Zhongyuan?” Leidong could hardly believe his ears.

Who was Tang Zhongyuan? He was a legendary founding elder of the Republic, commander of formidable forces during the War of Independence, a hero with a string of military victories. After the founding of the nation, he served as Deputy Premier, overseeing the country’s financial affairs. During that catastrophic upheaval that swept the Republic, Tang Zhongyuan was ousted, but later returned to become one of the most powerful and influential figures in the nation.

Moreover, Tang Zhongyuan was the only living heavyweight founding elder, now 115 years old, with protégés in both the military and civil spheres. His eldest son, Tang Yuanfang, had served as Chief of General Staff; his youngest grandson, Tang Yiping, was a respected politician and public servant, currently one of the core nine members of the National Executive Council and president-designate.

The Tang family’s power was unparalleled among the Republic’s political dynasties. To Leidong’s generation, Tang Zhongyuan was almost mythic. Even his father spoke the name with deep reverence.

And now, his father had plainly told him that the number An Jing held, the one she never dialed, belonged to this legendary figure! Leidong was so shocked he couldn’t utter a word. All he could do was look at his father, seeking answers. He knew that if An Jing was connected to Tang Zhongyuan, there must be an untold story behind it.

Lei Tiangang watched his son, nodded affirmatively, and said slowly, “Yes, it’s Old Tang.” He softened his tone. “Back when Old Tang was fighting the foreign invaders in Jiangnan, An Jing’s great-grandfather was a guerrilla fighter. One autumn, he assisted Old Tang’s troops and was surrounded by enemy soldiers and collaborators. He fought to protect Old Tang, helped him break through the encirclement, and was killed in action, a sacrifice Old Tang never forgot. No one expected, however, that more than sixty years later, a similar story would play out in the next generation…”

Lei Tiangang sighed. “During that political upheaval in the Republic, Old Tang was stripped of all positions and sent to a rural labor camp in Jiangnan. It was thanks to An Jing’s grandfather’s mediation that Old Tang avoided even harsher persecution. After years in obscurity, when Old Tang returned to power, he arranged for An Jing’s grandfather to join the army in gratitude for the family’s twice saving his life. An Jing’s grandfather excelled, becoming an officer in two years and a regimental reconnaissance commander in five. He was wounded and disabled during a foreign war fifty years ago and returned home to farm. His son, An Jing’s father, An Mingyuan, followed in his footsteps, enlisted, and during the 2006 Sichuan earthquake, was ordered to the disaster area. When a powerful aftershock struck, he pushed aside Deputy Chief Tang Yuanfang, who was there inspecting rescue efforts, and was fatally injured by falling boulders himself… It’s said that when Old Tang heard this, after years of stoic composure, he wept openly, fell gravely ill, and nearly died, taking almost a year to recover.”

Hearing this brief tale, Leidong could not help but feel deep respect for the four generations of An Jing’s family. What did it mean to be a family of loyal martyrs? This was it. What did it mean to be righteous to the core? This was it. It was thanks to countless unsung heroes like them that the nation had endured through hardship and adversity, its five-thousand-year civilization unbroken.

After a long silence, Lei Tiangang spoke with respect, “Every man in that family is loyal and righteous, every woman strong and dignified. They quietly buried their loved ones, worked the land, never asked for special favors, and never spoke of these matters to outsiders—so much so that even An Jing herself never knew her family’s history. After the founding, Old Tang wrote to the family many times, offering to help them find positions, but they always politely refused. After An Mingyuan’s sacrifice, the Tang family offered to bring An Jing and her mother to live in Beijing, but her mother resolutely declined—self-reliance, self-respect, that is the soul of the An family!”

As his father spoke with solemn admiration, Leidong recalled An Jing’s graceful figure. But in this moment, what he saw was not her beauty, but her quiet, serene demeanor, her composure in the face of danger. Lost in thought over this family’s legend, Leidong didn’t come to himself until Lei Tiangang spoke again.

“That’s why I said you barely passed by getting An Jing out of Han Capital and settling her safely—because, not knowing the inside story at the time, it was the right choice. But if your intelligence work had been thorough, if you’d known whose number An Jing held, could you have handled things better, both before and after? Remember, few know these things, but they’re not exactly top secret—I know, and so does Lin Jiangbei!” Lei Tiangang’s tone grew even more stern. “In war, the value of intelligence cannot be overstated. From enemy soldiers’ combat skills, weaponry, and tactics, to the size of their forces, routes, logistics, strategic intent, even economic capacity, population, mobilization, and war potential—you need to know it all. Accurate, detailed intelligence enables a commander to understand the situation and make the right decisions. Do you understand?”

Having been lectured on the art of war since the age of five, Leidong was left speechless by his father’s tendency to seize any opportunity for a grand lesson. Did he really want his son to inherit the mantle and become a war-obsessed fanatic?

Lei Tiangang stared intently at Leidong, seeing the hint of indifference on his son’s face. After a moment’s thought, he muttered to himself, “It seems that all this talk is just empty theory after all. More battle experience—that’s what’s needed…” He looked up, as if only now noticing Leidong was still there, and waved him away, “Go get some rest!”

“Yes!” Leidong stood and saluted. Though puzzled by what his father was planning, he had grown up in a military household where obedience was everything. Regardless of his own thoughts, a soldier’s duty was to carry out orders fully and without question.

But just before heading to his own room, Leidong turned to look at his father, who sat frowning in deep thought. The question that had lingered in his heart for years finally burst out: “Dad, you always clean up my messes—aren’t you afraid you’ll spoil me into some lawless troublemaker?”

Lei Tiangang stared at him for a long moment, then said slowly and firmly, “My son will never go astray.”

A surge of warmth rose in Leidong’s heart. He said nothing more, turning to head upstairs. He’d barely taken a few steps when he heard Lei Tiangang mutter to himself, “After two years of planning… It seems it’s time to change the plan.”

Suddenly, the sharp ring of the phone cut through the air. Leidong turned abruptly. Lei Tiangang waved him away, and Leidong quietly slipped into his bedroom. Lei Tiangang grabbed the phone, his voice low and grave. “Lin Jiangbei?”

“Lei Tiangang, just what are you trying to do? What exactly are you planning?” A furious roar came from the other end of the line.