The lunch was at the private dining room of the City Committee canteen, Vice Mayor Qin and Commander Wang didn’t attend because they had other matters.

What’s the point of dining with city leaders?

Han Yu really wanted to have the kind of matters Vice Mayor Qin and Commander Wang had, but even after being promoted to associate director, he still wasn’t qualified to find excuses to politely decline Secretary Lu’s kindness.

Fortunately, Secretary Lu was too busy working and socializing. After taking a few bites, he apologized at his secretary’s reminder, took a car to the Wushan Hotel to host some guests from the capital, leaving a deputy secretary-general of the City Committee to accompany Han Yu.

They weren’t acquainted before, so there was really nothing much to chat about.

After sailing for so long at sea, he really didn’t want to eat meat anymore, so he had some vegetables, gulped down two bowls of rice, and joined the deputy secretary-general of the City Committee in a lounge, reading a newspaper while waiting for Secretary Lu to return, so they could later jointly take a car to the Gaoru Motou Military Airport.

Feeling drowsy while reading, he was about to lie down on the sofa for a bit when his phone suddenly rang.

The incoming call showed an unfamiliar number; there was no landline in the lounge, so he had to use his cell phone to answer, he couldn’t treat his phone as a pager anymore.

"Hello, I’m Han Yu. Who’s this?"

"Salted Fish, it’s Ge Weidong!"

"Uncle Ge, what made you think of calling me?"

Old Ge looked back at his wife tidying up the villa’s living room, holding the "apple of their eye" in one hand, and with the phone in the other, he laughed: "You went so far and back without giving me a call, and you dare ask me why I thought of calling you!"

Han Yu quickly said, "Uncle Ge, the day after tomorrow is Sunday, Ningning is off too. We plan to return to Bailong Port to visit you and the master’s wife together the day after tomorrow."

"No need to go back to Bailong Port." Old Ge looked at the lush trees outside, then laughed: "We’ve moved to Lang Mountain; we moved this morning, now we’re living in Building No.1."

The two small villas at the Lang Mountain Camp previously looked like a health resort for old cadres, now they’re more like guest houses.

Ever since the Rescue Boat Team was established, commanders frequently came to inspect and guide the work. Lunch could be had at the team canteen, but after lunch, one must rest for a bit.

The Binjiang Reserve Group camp was just at the foot of the mountain, and superiors often came to check the work. Lang Mountain is quite far from the city district, arranging for superiors to stay at city hotels was inconvenient and cost too much.

The heads of the two forces decided together to co-finance the renovation of the mountain’s two small villas at a hotel standard; they named them "General Building," dividing them into Building No.1 and Building No.2, altogether six rooms, two large rooms, four standard rooms, specially for hosting superiors.

The nearby Binjiang Reserve Group is responsible for maintaining the cleanliness and facilities of the "General Building."

As for dining issues, whoever’s superiors visited, that force took responsibility.

If superiors from the Navy Retirement Home or the Rescue Boat Team came, Aunt Ding from the Rescue Boat Team along with the Water Anti-Smuggling Department, also doubles as the cook for the enhanced Armed Police class, would be responsible.

If superiors from Binjiang Reserve Group came, the Binjiang Reserve Group itself would handle it. Being nearby, cars could be arranged to take commanders up the mountain to the camp canteen for meals.

In short, the two buildings, which had been neglected for so many years, are now quite stylish.

Walls have surrounded the area, with military management area signs outside them. A huge iron gate was installed at the entrance to the buildings, usually kept shut, leaving outsiders oblivious to what’s inside.

Mountain sceneries are nice, the air is fresh, and the conditions of the "General Building" are pretty decent; it’s too secluded for living though.

Han Yu puzzledly asked, "Uncle Ge, what made you move to the mountains?"

"Li Shousong said the main force would arrive in the afternoon, rest tomorrow, and he happens to have time tomorrow; insists on visiting me." Old Ge laughed, continuing: "He said Xiao Dai would come along this time too, intending to visit me together tomorrow. The city house is too small, with no places to sit for the two guests. The Bailong Port place is quite big, but it looks like an old dormitory, not presentable."

"Which Xiao Dai?"

"It’s Dai Ming, the military affairs officer who fought floods with us back then. He has been working in the office, lacking experience in grassroots leadership, and hasn’t progressed as fast as Li Shousong. Li Shousong is deputy regiment now, while he remains battalion leader, currently the regiment’s military affairs division head."

Turns out Master Dai was going to visit the old fellow!

During the flood fight at Jingjiang in ’98, Master Dai directly accepted his leadership, respecting the old chap greatly.

Now he was coming from afar to visit; the elder definitely ought to host him well. Letting the visitor stay in his city-bought second-hand apartment wasn’t appropriate, nor at Bailong Port. After all, the elder boasts being a scholar-type official mingling with top leaders, and wanted respect.

Especially regarding living arrangements, the environment had to suit the elder’s status!

In ’98, he spun him tales for more than two months, leaving him perplexed.

Now the spinning tales resumed.

Han Yu, realizing the situation, stifled laughter and said: "Living in Building No.1 is good, cooler in the mountains, stay a while longer."

"I’ll stay at most three days before returning, no matter how good the mountain, it’s not as good as Bailong Port. I planted vegetables, and your master’s wife raised chickens, can’t be at peace not returning. Also, if I don’t consistently return, Principal Gao, Director Chen, and Boss Wu would lack one, unable to gather enough for a round of upgrading card game."

"A few days’ return trip works, Bailong Port is livelier than the mountains."

"Let’s not discuss these, are you busy tomorrow? If not, come early for a meal. Xiao Dai and Li Shousong are young, you share common interests, please come give me a hand entertaining them."

"I’m free tomorrow."

"Great, settled then."

Comrade Old Ge goes to great lengths to maintain his towering image in Master Dai and Li Shousong’s minds. Han Yu finds it amusing, asking: "Uncle Ge, I will go with Secretary Lu in the afternoon to Gaoru to pick up Master Dai and others. If you’re free, feel free to join, I will call Xiao Yu to pick you up."

Old Ge, without hesitation, replied: "I’m not going in the afternoon, what’s the point of going with city leaders?"

"Makes sense, see you tomorrow then."

Han Yu hung up, and couldn’t help but laugh upon reflection.

Despite Uncle Ge living life transparently, he still has vanity, even contemplating moving into the "General Building" to fool Master Dai, showcasing an advanced cadre facade.

...

Waited nearly three hours at the City Committee’s first level.

At 3:45, departed from the City Committee with Secretary Lu and Vice Mayor Qin.

Both city leaders were busy and exhausted, falling asleep immediately upon boarding the Coaster. Listening to their snores for more than an hour, the convoy finally reached the airport.

This military airport is far from Binjiang District and not close to Gaoru District, not even in Moutou Town, surrounded entirely by farmland.

There are only runways and camps here, without any flying units.

According to military structure, this is a battalion-level unit known as a station, with a command headquarters and political office, along with battalion-level units such as military affairs, finance, camp facilities, fuel, meteorological station, and health team, as well as company-level units like guard and station companies.

No flight battalion is stationed long-term here, mainly considering its proximity to the Yellow Sea.

If there were hostilities, this would become the frontline airport and target of the first wave of enemy air strikes. Combat units must familiarize themselves with the battlefield environment, so flight regiments or flying squads will rotate to train here, with the station focusing on logistics.

Before Binjiang built its airport, civilian flights were available here.

However, civilian planes were all airforce planes, with only one or two flights per week exclusively to the Capital’s Nanyuan Airport. It wasn’t easy to board; reportedly, a letter of introduction from county-level units was needed to buy a ticket.

Linghai people only go to the East Sea, seldom heading north.

This was Han Yu’s first visit, finding everything intriguing.

Secretary Lu, Vice Mayor Qin, and those who arrived earlier, Commander Wang, and Political Commissioner Chen, had been here many times, as they were the actual stationed troops. The City Committee and Municipal Government visit annually to extend greetings to the station officers.

The station’s director and political commissioner were already waiting at the main gate, saluting and greeting the two city leaders, then accompanying them on the vehicle with Secretary Lu and Vice Mayor Qin, following the leading military vehicle to the outer field.

The entire station is divided into inner and outer fields.

The inner field mainly houses the camp, while the outer field contains the runway, taxiway, control tower, and apron.

On the main road from the inner field to the outer field stands a camp gate, guarded by armed warriors. The convoy passed unimpeded, driving up to the control tower.

Li Shousong had already arrived, waiting under the control tower.

With the station leadership, city and military district leaders went up the tower, Han Yu following briefly for a look, finding it quite simple inside, similar to the "First Post of the Yangtze River"’s command and dispatch room. Considering the limited space upstairs, he returned below the control tower.

"Shousong, where are Xiao Yu and the others?"

"Waiting over there."

Following Li Shousong’s direction, Han Yu discovered a large plaza in front of a two-story building in the northwest corner, where an automotive company temporarily set up by the military district to assist the 105 Special Warfare Group’s training had arrived, with military trucks neatly lined up in the plaza.

Cars for the main officials of the Special Warfare Group also lined up neatly.

Han Yu turned around to see behind him, on the east side of the tower, parked a rescue vehicle likely older than himself and two equally old fire trucks.

The vehicles inside were too hot, with two army doctors in white coats dozing in the rescue vehicle’s shadow, while the firefighting officers waited in the shade.

Watching Han Yu’s contemplative gaze towards the fire trucks, Li Shousong smiled wryly, "Secretary Han, don’t mind them; these are the air force’s conditions. I’ve been to several stations; the firefighting trucks and rescue vehicles I’ve seen are even older, unlike the Armed Forces Firefighting Team’s equipment, which is rumored to be mostly imported, with each truck costing two to three million."

"Two to three million might be the cheapest."

"The cheapest?"

"Advanced fire trucks can cost over ten million."

Just then, an air force lieutenant fired a signal flare from the tower.

Upon hearing the gunshot, the two army doctors promptly stood up, and the rescue vehicle driver hurriedly dashed over, opened the door, and climbed into the driver’s seat.

Then the embarrassing moment happened.

The driver tried to start the engine for standby, but no matter how hard he tried, it wouldn’t fire!

Han Yu, skilled in mechanics, was about to offer help to figure out the issue when the two army doctors jumped down, waved to a few firefighting warriors nearby, and, with impressive teamwork, pushed from behind. With six or seven people exerting force together, they pushed the rescue vehicle about ten meters forward.

Han Yu watched, dumbfounded, thinking this was not the first time.

Li Shousong looked unperturbed, calmly saying, "These logistics support vehicles are older than we are; many have long stopped production, with parts hard to acquire. It’s normal to encounter minor issues."

Words that carry bad luck, these firefighting vehicles belong to an air force airport. If an aircraft malfunctioned and required an emergency landing, the pilots or crew would rely on them for rescue.

With such a large airport and such lengthy runways, if rescue vehicles broke down at crucial moments, would army doctors manage to reach in time with stretchers? The same applies to fire trucks; relying on these outdated vehicles to douse aircraft fires?

Struggling with what to say, Han Yu heard the roar of airplane engines from the sky.

Following Li Shousong to the south side of the tower, looking up, only to see a transport plane appearing in the sky, circling the airport once, then descending toward the runway.

"How many planes, how many people are coming?"

"Three planes, including Chief of Staff Yang; a total of 282 have come this time."

"Less than 300 people!"

"Secretary Han, we are a Special Warfare Group, not an infantry regiment." Li Shousong looked at the safely landed Y-8 transport plane taxiing on the runway, then said, "Quality over quantity in soldiers, having this scale is already quite an achievement; there used to be fewer."