CHAPTER 48: CHAPTER 44 KEY CULTIVATION

He Yongxing did not leave; he had been outside all along, merely avoiding Bai Zhizhan.

He called Bai Zhizhan over and had Zhu Shijian inquire about the development plans of the Navy under the guise of seeking advice, but in fact, it was He Yongxing’s intention.

To make Zhu Shijian take notice of this young officer, He Yongxing brought up the matter of the naval battle at Watcher Strait.

Indeed, it was without possession of any definitive intelligence, without knowledge of the backup battle plan, that he accurately judged the time and place of the encounter with the first Battle Patrol Squad. Moreover, he boldly presented his views during discussions, persisting in his own despite facing skepticism.

According to He Yongxing, having a keen intuition wasn’t anything extraordinary; what was key was the high level of confidence in that intuition, a truly invaluable quality.

Of course, it would be more accurate to call it a talent.

The implication in He Yongxing’s words was clear: Bai Zhizhan was a rare seedling, worth of focused cultivation and strong promotion.

In recommending this young subordinate, He Yongxing forgot one thing—Bai Zhizhan was a student of the Naval Academy and had initially reported to the 21st Sub-fleet with a recommendation letter from Zhu Shijian. Thus, if anyone were to know Bai Zhizhan well, Zhu Shijian’s understanding would certainly not be less than He Yongxing’s.

Perhaps in He Yongxing’s eyes, outstanding students from the Naval Academy all had a recommendation letter signed by the Principal.

As for He Yongxing’s intentions, he simply wanted to cultivate a confidant and dilute the influence of the young officers from the Southern Fleet, like Liu Xiangzhen, who had held their own against Bai Zhizhan in the war game discussions.

Could such thoughts truly be hidden from Zhu Shijian?

In the eyes of Zhu Shijian, there was essentially no difference between He Yongxing and Liu Changhe—they were both family standard-bearers, bound to have concerns and inevitably restrained.

They would consider the interests of the Imperial Navy and also prioritize the interests of the Empire.

However, when it came down to specific matters, they would inevitably be influenced and swayed by family interests.

The two men were not without differences—compared to Liu Changhe, He Yongxing’s most prominent characteristic was his more aggressive and progressive attitude, as well as a greater willingness to embrace change.

In fact, this was also determined by the fundamental interests of the He Family.

For decades, the He Family’s foundation had been in the construction sector, and before He Yongxing, they had never managed to get involved in the Battle Patrol sector. Change could provide the He Family with an opportunity to control the Battle Patrol sector.

On the other hand, this was exactly why Liu Changhe resisted change.

Now, the biggest shift was that Liu Changhe’s attitude had changed, beginning to accept and face the changes, letting Liu Xiangzhen replace Liu Xiangbin to oversee the second phase of the war game, was a clear signal. In the face of the general trend, the Liu Family could only go along with the current.

Then, should he continue to support He and suppress Liu?

For Zhu Shijian, this was an issue that had to be considered, and clarity was needed immediately.

"How is it?"

"His intuition is very accurate, and he’s quite confident. He’s outstanding when he lets himself go completely," Zhu Shijian stood up and walked over while He Yongxing went to pour water. "But he’s still rather immature and seriously lacks experience. No matter what, he’s just a young officer fresh out of the Naval Academy."

"After all, he’s only in his twenties." By saying this, He Yongxing was actually telling Zhu Shijian that when you and I were young, we were the same.

Don’t forget that He Yongxing was once Zhu Shijian’s student, although the two are only separated by seventeen years.

"If you’re willing, I can keep a spot for him at the Navy headquarter," said Zhu Shijian, an old fox, casually steering the conversation away.

He Yongxing’s eyebrows twitched rapidly before he revealed a slightly embarrassing smile.

What does "keep a spot for him at the Navy headquarter" mean?

This method of poaching was too blatant.

"Can’t bear to let him go?" Zhu Shijian chuckled, continuing, "As you said, he is a talent worth cultivating, but I want to be clear. In your eyes, or in your opinion, what kind of talent is he? A commander who can lead troops to battle or a strategist who can decide victories from thousands of miles away?"

Now He Yongxing was stumped.

His troubled expression gave away his thoughts.

These, Zhu Shijian could see clearly but showed no sign of it.

What was on his mind?

If He Yongxing truly regarded Bai Zhizhan as a talent and intended to cultivate him ardently, he would give him more opportunities for better training.

Clearly, this was not He Yongxing’s real intention.

In his eyes, Bai Zhizhan belonged to the latter category—the kind that could devise strategies within the tent and determine victory over a thousand miles, known in ancient times as a strategist or thinker.

The former?

The position of Commander was not something just anyone could assume!

Zhu Shijian was all too clear about this.

Let’s not forget, more than twenty years ago, it was Zhu Shijian who saw through the ways of the aristocratic family and chose to retire rather than to curry favor and cling to power.

Back then, Zhu Shijian still had a choice.

But now, did Bai Zhizhan have a choice?

"Let him return," Zhu Shijian said when he spoke again.

He Yongxing looked up at him only then.

"No matter what, he is still very young. Besides, even if all the difficulties were resolved and he were to develop in the most ideal way, it would take at least twenty years to recover his strength and then to talk about avenging past grievances. How capable he truly is, let him prove it himself."

"The Principal knows his students best."

Hearing He Yongxing say this, Zhu Shijian merely managed a strained laugh.

There were many things that were understood without needing to be expressed, let alone explained.

He Yongxing’s words had a double meaning, showing that he had grasped Zhu Shijian’s intentions—he knew that Zhu Shijian was creating conditions for Bai Zhizhan.

What was this about?

Indeed, Zhu Shijian was cultivating Bai Zhizhan, or rather, he was giving Bai Zhizhan more opportunities, trying to provide a greater space for his development.

With opportunity, there were more possibilities.

Could it be that Zhu Shijian wanted to develop his own influence?

The thought that suddenly popped into his mind surprised He Yongxing.

Zhu Shijian was nearly sixty!

If he had ambition, then more than twenty years ago, he should have married the young Miss Liu Family and then aimed for the throne of the Navy Commander.

Not striving at thirty and only toiling at nearly sixty?

Of course, even if that were the case, there wasn’t anything to worry about.

In this world, the one thing even the most powerful cannot fight against is time.

Emperor Shiwu and the Eight Pillars were so formidable, and so was the War God Chen Bingxun, didn’t they all eventually fall before the passage of time?

Moreover, Bai Zhizhan was promoted by He Yongxing, even if Zhu Shijian intended to cultivate him, it was not necessarily the case that he would be grateful to the old Principal.

Besides, Bai Zhizhan was still young and would eventually start a family. Would he be able to let go as easily as Zhu Shijian did?

At this moment, there was a knock on the door, and the secretary walked in soon after.

Seeing this, He Yongxing immediately stood up and took his leave from Zhu Shijian.

After He Yongxing had left, Zhu Shijian let out a deep sigh.

In fact, when he suggested that Bai Zhizhan should receive more training, Zhu Shijian was worried, feeling that this might harm Bai Zhizhan, as he was just a twenty-three-year-old youth.

Now by pushing him forward, how was it different from the time he promoted Zhou Kuande?

But who could say for sure?

The unrivaled War God of the Empire Navy, Chen Bingxun, had taken a command position at twenty-five and had created unparalleled merit before the age of thirty.

Perhaps, he could be the next Chen Bingxun.

Perhaps, after the next great war, the Empire Navy would see the rise of a new and invincible War God.

Perhaps, by that time, the Imperial Capital would have added one more Victory Square.