CHAPTER 41: CHAPTER 37 BASIC PLATE

Because he was staying at He Pengfei’s house, He Pengfei played host and set a table to welcome Zhao Yu and the five others who had arrived earlier.

By a happy coincidence, there were eight people in total, just enough to fill one table.

Who were those eight?

Bai Zhizhan, He Pengfei, Zhao Yu, Li Jie, Jin Hong, Shen Pu, Zhu Huasheng, and Zheng Jiangming, the latter five being the iron brothers of Bai Zhizhan.

Like Bai Zhizhan, they were all naval officers from the civilian class.

If they had had any family background, who would have studied aerial reconnaissance?

Despite living together in a dormitory for five years, these six young men each had their distinct characteristics.

There’s no need to go into detail about Bai Zhizhan; he wasn’t the oldest, but he was recognized as the leader, not just because of his good grades, but also because he was particularly decisive. The key was that Bai Zhizhan was loyal and would stand up for his brothers, even if it meant getting into trouble with senior students or children from prestigious families.

Unfortunately, at the Naval Academy, there weren’t many opportunities for Bai Zhizhan to demonstrate his fraternal loyalty.

Li Jie was the second eldest brother, not only because he was the oldest but also because he was the most stable, or rather, reliable. No matter the situation, he could be trusted. He was the kind of good guy who saw setbacks as blessings, always appearing when others needed him most, providing help like sending charcoal in snowy weather.

Jin Hong was the strongest and the best at fighting, but he also had the simplest mind, free of any cunning. The only person he looked up to was Bai Zhizhan because, on the first day of school, Bai Zhizhan had pinned him to the ground and given him a beating, even though he had just tripped inadvertently.

Shen Pu was the artistic type, the face of the dormitory and the representative of artistry, also with the most popularity among the opposite sex, coupled with an incredibly thick skin. In his own words, he was quite introverted, but because he was too handsome, he had to change himself to adapt to the environment. Deep down, he was actually very wild, absolutely fearless, which was why he was the first to obtain his pilot’s license.

Zhu Huasheng was similar to Shen Pu in appearance, also good-looking, but he wasn’t as shameless. He too was a young man with ambitions. The key point was that his family’s financial situation wasn’t as good as Shen Pu’s, so he worked even harder, pursuing every goal with clear purpose.

Zheng Jiangming was the most unique because he was the most mysterious of the six. Even though he addressed others as brothers, just like Bai Zhizhan, before graduation, Bai Zhizhan didn’t know him well. For more than two years before graduation, he was interning outside. Only on the day of the graduation ceremony did Bai Zhizhan and the others find out that Zheng Jiangming had been recruited by the Naval Intelligence Bureau, but he didn’t pass the employment assessment after over two years of internship.

After graduation, Li Jie was sent to the Southern Fleet, Jin Hong was in charge of sea transportation at the Northeast Front, Shen Pu was already a fighter pilot, Zhu Huasheng worked in the new aviation affairs department of the Domestic Fleet, and Zheng Jiangming fared the worst, still making up for several professional courses he hadn’t passed at the Naval Academy.

Of the six brothers, the one who was doing the best was Bai Zhizhan, and he was the only one who had been promoted, while the other four were lieutenants, and Zheng Jiangming would also be a lieutenant after receiving his diploma.

These five, along with He Pengfei and Zhao Yu, made up Bai Zhizhan’s current foundation.

As the drinks flowed and everyone loosened up, the atmosphere livened up.

To be precise, it was a complex mix of emotions.

Although all quite young, with the oldest Zhao Yu just over thirty and the others in their twenties, they hadn’t experienced much, certainly not a rich tapestry of life. Yet, the events of the past few months had made these young men appear much more mature than their years.

"Weathered" might actually be a more accurate term.

The impact of the war had been indelibly etched into them, immutable even as the years passed by.

And really, this was no surprise.

Over five years ago, when they entered the Imperial Naval Academy, the great war hadn’t yet broken out. In the following years, they studied tirelessly, day and night, hoping to join the battlefield and make their mark as soon as possible. Once they graduated, full of ambition and ready to make a big splash, only then did they discover that the Empire was sliding irrevocably into the abyss of defeat. They weren’t met with glory and success, but hardships and humiliations!

Bai Zhizhan had seized the last chance, while the other five didn’t even get a glimpse of an opportunity.

"Eldest brother, tell me, are we born at the wrong time? Back then, when we enrolled in the academy, we were all so spirited and ambitious, but now..."

"Yes, yes, you’re absolutely right."

"Jinbao, why bring up those things? Drink, let’s keep drinking!"

"Right, right, right, let’s drink our fill today. When drunk, we’ll sweep the Four Seas in our dreams, and conquer the world in slumber."

"If there’s wine today, let’s get drunk today—never mind the overwhelming floods. Fill them up, every glass must be full."

...

Jin Hong was already drunk, and the others were close to it.

He Pengfei had wanted to say a few words of caution, but seeing that Bai Zhizhan was unmoved, he didn’t bother to embarrass himself—after all, the liquor they were drinking had been dug out from the cellar.

In fact, Bai Zhizhan was also feeling sentimental.

In his view, rather than advising them, it was better to let them drink themselves into bed and sleep it off.

Who hadn’t gotten drunk during their college years?

When Shen Pu had his heart broken, everyone had accompanied him in a drunken stupor for a whole day and night.

After a few more drinks, even Jin Hong, who had the best tolerance, finally quieted down. At this point, Li Jie, who had been pretending to be more drunk than he was, got up and along with Zheng Jiangming, who was only moderately drunk, carried Jin Hong back to the bedroom. In the past, the next step would have been for Bai Zhizhan to settle the bill, while Shen Pu and Zhu Huasheng were responsible for cleaning up and handling the aftermath.

Now, obviously, there was no bill to settle, no aftermath to handle.

He Pengfei, quick-witted, sent Shen Pu and Zhu Huasheng outside, claiming there were a few bottles of Western alcohol hidden away—such a rare opportunity had to be fully embraced.

"You don’t need to wallow in self-pity,"

Hearing Zhao Yu’s words, Bai Zhizhan couldn’t help but give a bitter smile.

"The major war is indeed about to end, but war itself will not become history—it will only recede temporarily. It’s less that the Luosha Empire’s military revolt has drastically changed the situation and forced the Alliance Group to sit down for negotiations, and more that everyone is tired, needing to catch their breath, to hide and lick their wounds, to restore their spent strength. Once the wounds have healed and strength has returned, and the pain is forgotten, the flames of war will be reignited."

"Am I not aware of that?"

"How long do you think it will take for people to forget the pain caused by war?"

Bai Zhizhan immediately furrowed his brow.

"By then, will the Empire’s Navy be commanded by Zhu Shijian, Liu Changhe, and He Yongxing, or will it be the young officers who have risen through the ranks?" As he said this, Zhao Yu’s mouth twisted into a meaningful smile, and he scrutinized Bai Zhizhan seriously.

"Old Zhao, this talk..."

"Shouldn’t be spoken lightly, right? Oh, come on, what can happen if I say it?" Zhao Yu chuckled, then patted Bai Zhizhan’s shoulder twice.

Bai Zhizhan was at a loss for words.

Who was Zhao Yu?

An Imperial Hereditary Count, descendant of Great Country Maker Zhao Chengxun, and a senior engineer at the Nanjiang Naval Ship Design Institute!

He could speak his mind freely, but Bai Zhizhan couldn’t.

Obviously, this was the difference status made.

Bai Zhizhan was very clear that Zhao Yu said these things to encourage him to let go of his mental burden, to stop blaming fate or others, because the strong never complain about misfortune.

Times make heroes, but heroes can also shape the times.