Free Web NovelChapter 1469: Chapter 256: Truly Worthy of Master Ge! (2)
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The Military District had lent Car No. 2 to the Special Warfare Group that came for training, to serve as Deputy Chief of Staff Jiang’s car while he was in Binjiang.
The driver, Xiao Chen, was a non-commissioned officer of the Military District. He had originally been a warrior in the Military District’s Guard Company, and had once gone to Beihu to fight floods together with the Linghai Reserve Camp; back then he had even, under Old Ge’s arrangements, served under Master Dai’s leadership.
As a driver in the Military District’s motor pool, Xiao Chen had no idea how many times he’d already been to the Binjiang Reserve Group and the Navy Reserve Rescue Boat Brigade.
He didn’t need to ask for directions at all. Holding the steering wheel, he introduced, "Commander, on the left is the Binjiang Reserve Group’s camp. The office building and the warehouse behind it are all newly built. The construction funds all came from the city. The city allocated ten million to the Reserve Group."
"Ten million, that much!"
"Vice Mayor Qin is not only Deputy Political Commissioner of the Jiangnan Reserve Division and First Political Commissioner of the Binjiang Reserve Group, he’s also a Changzhou City Committee Member in Binjiang. He attaches great importance to building up the Reserve Forces."
"No wonder, a Committee Member has a voice."
All along the way, they saw no pedestrians on the mountain road and met no vehicles. Trees on both sides were lush and green; the scenery was truly beautiful.
Deputy Chief of Staff Jiang was secretly sighing that Master Ge’s living environment wasn’t bad, when Xiao Chen pointed to a Military Management Zone ahead and introduced, "This is the camp of the Navy Reserve Rescue Boat Brigade. Ge Diao lives in the General Building; the General Building is right in front of the Rescue Boat Brigade’s camp."
So Master Ge really lives in the General Building!
Master Dai was tremendously excited and asked urgently, "Where is it, how come I can’t see it?"
"The greenery is good in the mountains. You can’t see it from here. Once we turn the corner you’ll see it."
"Master Ge enjoys General-level treatment?"
"Ge Diao isn’t a General, but he’s both a senior expert of the Linghai Reserve Camp and a senior expert of the Navy Rescue Boat Team. The General Building isn’t only for Generals; senior expert consultants can live there as well."
Thinking of Master Ge’s bearing back during the flood-fighting at the Jingjiang, Deputy Chief of Staff Jiang nodded, feeling that Master Ge fully deserved to enjoy such treatment.
It was the same for Master Dai and Li Shousong. They were just wondering whether Master Ge would still have the same bearing after these years apart, when a white little villa appeared before their eyes.
There was a gate outside the villa, and at the gate there was actually an Armed Police Soldier standing guard.
The Armed Police warrior saw the Military District’s car coming and immediately raised his hand in salute.
Deputy Chief of Staff Jiang pressed the window button and returned the salute, then turned, puzzled, and asked, "Xiao Chen, isn’t this a Military Management Zone? How come the Armed Police are on duty?"
"Commander, there’s a permanent strengthened Armed Police squad here. They’re all sent by the Armed Police Mobile Division, specifically to assist Customs and the Smuggling Crime Investigation Bureau in cracking down on smuggling. The Water Anti-Smuggling Department of the Smuggling Crime Investigation Bureau borrows the Rescue Boat Team’s camp, so the strengthened Armed Police squad is here as well."
Xiao Chen thought for a moment and added, "Director Han once served as Water Anti-smuggling Director. Back then they all came under Director Han."
That kid Salted Fish is really something, actually able to command the Army, the Navy, and the Armed Police at the same time!
Just as Deputy Chief of Staff Jiang reacted to this, the car had already slowly stopped, and there stood Master Ge in front of the villa, wearing reading glasses and smiling.
"Master Ge, long time no see, you’ve still got the same bearing!"
"Major General Jiang, I’m still used to calling you Major General Jiang. You haven’t changed much either."
"Call me whatever you like," Deputy Chief of Staff Jiang gripped Old Ge’s hand tightly and asked with a smile, "Master Ge, where are Sister-in-law and your daughter?"
"Isn’t today about throwing a welcome dinner for you all? Since it’s a family feast of course we have to cook ourselves. She’s cooking in the Rescue Boat Team’s mess hall. The child went to the Rescue Boat Team as well, and there are people over there helping us look after her."
"Letting Sister-in-law personally cook, that makes us feel so bad!"
"What’s there to feel bad about? It’s rare for you to come to Binjiang, we definitely have to let you taste our Binjiang home-cooked dishes. You definitely won’t get these in a restaurant."
"All right, thank you, Master Ge."
Once the Commander and Master Ge finished exchanging pleasantries, Master Dai and Li Shousong hurriedly stepped forward with cigarettes and liquor in hand to greet him.
"Xiao Dai, Shousong, what are you doing!" Old Ge’s expression turned serious.
"This is a small token of the Commander’s regard." Master Dai glanced at Deputy Chief of Staff Jiang, then opened the car door and took out another black plastic bag, looking a bit embarrassed as he said, "Master Ge, this is a small token of my regard. It’s not worth much money; I brought it from Beihu."
"Major General Jiang, you could have just come, why bring things!"
"Just a small token of regard. We couldn’t very well show up empty-handed." Deputy Chief of Staff Jiang gave a slight smile, turned, and gazed into the distance at the river surface, sighing, "Master Ge, the scenery here is picturesque and the air fresh. Living here is about the same as living in a convalescent home."
"The environment is all right; it’s just a bit noisy."
"No way, it’s very quiet here. Where’s the noise?"
"This place is both on the hillside and by the river, the wind is strong! Especially at night, when the wind blows the trees rustle loudly."
Old Ge pointed at the wide Yangtze River and continued, "There are also many ships on the river; they’re always blowing their whistles, making such a racket you can’t sleep. Plus, as you saw just now coming up the mountain, there’s nothing but troops here, no residents, so there’s no human warmth. When you think about it, the countryside is still better. My wife and I are planning to go back to the countryside for a few days."
This place was a Military Management Zone, and all the nearby areas were scenic spots. Not only were there no ordinary civilians living here, you couldn’t even see small peddlers. Coming as a tourist for a few days was fine, but living here long-term was really rather pointless when you thought about it.
Deputy Chief of Staff Jiang felt Old Ge had a point, and laughed, "Looks like being a recluse isn’t easy; better to be an ordinary mortal."
"That’s well put. I come from the masses and must go back to the masses. If I keep living here I’ll become detached from the masses."
Old Ge waved his big hand, his every move revealing the bearing of a senior expert.
As they were chatting, Han Yu arrived.
Now he was both the junior and half a host, and hurriedly helped Old Ge take the gifts they’d brought, then helped serve tea and water.
What surprised him greatly was that Old Ge had actually arranged the living room as an office.
The desk was piled high with newspapers and all kinds of documents. He casually flipped through them and discovered that most were planning and investment-attraction documents from the Changzhou Yangtze River Bridge Industrial Park Management Committee.
He was just thinking these must be props for Old Ge to use in talking big when Old Ge’s cell phone suddenly rang.
"Salted Fish, stop fussing, hurry over and keep Major General Jiang company. Major General Jiang, sorry, let me take this call first."
"It’s fine, go ahead."
Old Ge, looking apologetic, walked over to the desk, pulled out the chair and sat down. While flipping through documents, he answered the call: "President Xu, what made you think of calling me? Really? Good, good, of course you’re welcome. On behalf of the Changzhou Municipal Committee and Government and the 1.1 million people of Changzhou, I warmly welcome you to come for inspection and study..."
Master Ge was getting on in years, his eyesight wasn’t what it used to be, and he now had to wear reading glasses.
His hearing was also much worse than before, and he needed to use the speakerphone for calls.
You could tell this wasn’t a fake phone call.
This call was real, and from the sound of it, it was from a Hong Kong Boss.
Han Yu came back to his senses and saw Deputy Chief of Staff Jiang, Master Dai, and Li Shousong listening, dumbfounded. He hurriedly explained in a low voice, "Commander, Master Ge had originally planned, after retirement, not to bother with things anymore, to properly keep my Master’s wife company and focus on taking care of the little baby, enjoying family happiness.
But my wife is serving on temporary assignment in Changzhou, and it’s not easy being a local cadre now. Everything is centered on economic development, and everyone has investment-attraction tasks, so they could only invite Master Ge out of retirement and hire him as an investment-attraction consultant. He doesn’t just sit at home and make calls to attract investment. Two months ago he even went to Guangzhou to hold an investment-attraction fair and helped my wife bring in two investors."
Master Ge really was a jack-of-all-trades!
Deputy Chief of Staff Jiang was full of admiration and asked curiously, "Did those two investors decide to come invest and build factories?"
"It’s confirmed. The total investment is over sixty million, and one of them is a Hong Kong businessman."
Thinking of the achievements Old Ge had helped his senior get, Han Yu added with a smile, "Ge Diao may be retired, but he’s still a Linghai cadre. Now, because my wife is helping Changzhou attract investment, Secretary Qian and Mayor Shen are very unhappy. Aren’t Secretary Qian and Mayor Shen throwing a welcome dinner for you tonight? They’ll definitely talk to you about this."
Deputy Chief of Staff Jiang asked with a smile, "Secretary Qian and Mayor Shen feel that Master Ge’s elbow is turning outward?"
"Yeah, but they can’t really do anything about Ge Diao."
Truly worthy of being Master Ge—whatever he does, he does with great success.
Deputy Chief of Staff Jiang admired him even more, and Master Dai was all the more excited.
Li Shousong’s admiration had already reached the level of looking up to a lofty mountain, and he couldn’t help recalling the scene of Master Ge confidently chatting with the big leaders on the Jingjiang Embankment back then.
