Chapter 71.1

When Wen Nuan arrived at General Xu’s office, the conference table already had six people seated around it—each a key military leader.

Among them were Gu Qinghan, Political Commissar Li, and Logistics Officer Luo Qingjun, as well as a few high-ranking officials Wen Nuan had seen during the National Day celebrations.

After she knocked and entered the office, everyone looked up at her. Some seemed surprised by her presence, but both Gu Qinghan, sitting next to General Xu, and Luo Qingjun had expressions that made it clear her arrival was expected.

If one looked closely, one could even notice the subtle curve of Gu Qinghan’s lips, as if her presence filled him with pride and a quiet sense of accomplishment.

After closing the door behind her, Wen Nuan turned toward General Xu and said, “General Xu, you called for me?”

On her way there, Wen Nuan had a rough idea that General Xu wanted to discuss the supplies for the research institute. What she hadn’t expected was how quickly her grandfather had acted; the moment he finished the call, General Xu had already gathered everyone for a meeting.

General Xu gestured to the empty seat next to Gu Qinghan and said, “Come, sit down first.”

Wen Nuan walked over and took the seat. The people in the room glanced at her and Gu Qinghan with somewhat knowing expressions, but due to the seriousness of the meeting, no one dared to comment, only exchanging a few looks.

General Xu got straight to the point, “The reason I’ve called everyone here urgently is because the 634 Aviation Research Institute needs our help with transporting supplies. The top leaders have called me, saying the conditions at the research institute are extremely harsh, and nine out of ten of the comrades there are working while ill.”

Political Commissar Li added, “Given that the experts at the research institute are working day and night under harsh conditions, we need to figure out how to process the supplies in a way that ensures the comrades at the institute can eat healthily and conveniently.”

“Our unit, being the closest Air Force division to the 634 Institute, has a responsibility to support their research efforts, so everyone, feel free to share your ideas.”

Someone asked, “What’s the point of involving us in this? We don’t know how to cook…”

“Exactly. We’re all more than willing to support the research comrades, but shouldn’t this be handled by the Kitchen Team?”

Everyone turned to look at General Xu. General Xu, in turn, looked at Wen Nuan and said, “Don’t look at me. I don’t know how to cook good food either.”

With that, all eyes shifted to Wen Nuan and Quartermaster Luo.

Wen Nuan had intended for Quartermaster Luo to speak first, but he gestured for her to go ahead. Not wanting to waste everyone’s time, Wen Nuan said, “You can leave the food issue to us in the Kitchen Team. I can guarantee that the comrades at the research institute will have access to healthy and nutritious meals.”

“Last time when Vice Captain Gu went to Factory 112 for a test flight, I prepared some seasoning packets and meatballs to take with him. After they tried it, the feedback was very positive.”

Someone recalled the meatballs they’d had at the cafeteria before and nodded, “I’ve tried them too. They’re pretty good.”

“If the Kitchen Team can handle it, then let them take charge of the supplies,” one person suggested.

Hearing this, Wen Nuan saw the opportunity to present her own ideas. She smiled and said, “To be honest, the Kitchen Team doesn’t have enough staff.”

Quartermaster Luo nodded in agreement, “That’s right. We have three dining halls, but we’re just barely able to meet the demands of the troops. If we take on this new task, we’ll need to hire more people.”

General Xu exchanged a glance with Political Commissar Li, then said, “That’s not a problem. You handle the staffing as you see fit.”

Wen Nuan seized the moment and said directly, “If possible, I’d like to set up a small food processing factory within our unit. It wouldn’t just be for the research institute; in the future, if our troops or any other institutes need it, we could provide them with convenient, ready-made food.”

General Xu looked around the room and then asked, “Does anyone have any objections to Comrade Wen Nuan’s suggestion?”

The office fell silent as everyone glanced at General Xu and Wen Nuan, with no one raising any concerns.

“What objections could there be? The research institute and our air force are like family.”

“Exactly. The comrades at the research institute need to eat and drink well so they can focus on their aerospace research. That’s how we’ll get better, stronger fighter jets.”

“Exactly, we must unconditionally support national defense. With the new fighter jet on the horizon, we have to provide all the support we can,” someone added.

Hearing this, everyone’s eyes widened. The jets currently in use by the military were based on the first supersonic jets developed through Soviet collaboration, but they had long dreamed of having a jet that was entirely their own design.

In recent years, as relations with the Soviet Union had soured, the technical assistance for aviation had ceased. The researchers at the institute were not only under immense pressure but were also facing numerous technical challenges.

If they could at least solve the basic issue of food for the researchers, it would, in some way, ease their burden.

General Xu, satisfied with everyone’s reaction, said, “Now that winter has arrived in Northern City, we must ensure the supplies are delivered before the first heavy snowfall.”

He turned to Wen Nuan and continued, “Since it was your suggestion, I’m assigning this task to the Kitchen Team.”

Quartermaster Luo, noticing the attention shift to Wen Nuan, confidently added, “You can count on the Kitchen Team. With Comrade Wen Nuan on the job, we’ll get the supplies delivered before the snow hits, no question about it.”

General Xu turned to Wen Nuan and said, “The matter regarding the supplies is entrusted to you, Comrade Wen.”

This was the sentence Wen Nuan had been waiting for. Without hesitation, she nodded, “No problem.”

General Xu continued, “In addition to this, we also need to select a few people to transport the supplies. It’s crucial to maintain a high level of alertness and not reveal our movements easily.”

Political Commissar Li directly appointed Gu Qinghan, saying, “Vice Captain Gu is already the test pilot for this new fighter jet, and the data he possesses is synchronized with the research institute. No one would be more suitable than Vice Captain Gu for this task.”

General Xu turned to look at Gu Qinghan and asked, “How about it? Can you handle this?”

Gu Qinghan had a lot of tasks on his shoulders. Not only were there numerous matters in the army, but he was also the test pilot for the new fighter jet. This task didn’t necessarily need his personal involvement, but Political Commissar Li was right. The technical data Gu Qinghan held was almost in sync with the research institute.

Given the confidentiality of the institute, no one was more suitable than him.

Gu Qinghan exchanged a glance with Wen Nuan, then nodded, “No problem.”

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone fell silent, observing the tacit understanding in the couple’s exchanged glances.

Someone, looking at Gu Qinghan and Wen Nuan, sighed and said, “Look at Vice Captain Gu and Comrade Wen Nuan, a perfect example of a couple working together, embodying the saying: ‘When a couple is of one heart, they can break through any challenge.'”

Gu Qinghan would have plenty of opportunities to earn merits in the future, and it wouldn’t be long before another chance for promotion would come his way.

“Alright, everyone can disperse for now,” General Xu said, keeping Wen Nuan and Gu Qinghan behind. “I still have some matters to discuss with you two.”

After the others left, General Xu turned to Wen Nuan and said, “I’ll leave this task in your hands. Regarding the channels for procurement of supplies, I believe the Air Force Academy will provide you with assistance, so there’s no need to worry about that.”

Hearing this, Wen Nuan finally relaxed. She had been fretting over whether she could gather all the necessary materials in such a short amount of time, but now that there were established channels for the supplies, she could focus on the remaining tasks.

However, Wen Nuan remembered what Gu Qinghan had told her the previous night—that Comrade Liu had intended to accompany Gu Qinghan to observe the issues with the new fighter jet. However, after being examined by the flight doctor due to long-term malnutrition, Comrade Liu’s health condition made it impossible for him to go up and observe. He would need a period of recuperation before he could participate.

So Wen Nuan, seizing the opportunity to transport the supplies, realized she would need to prepare more meat for the comrades at the research institute.

After some thought, Wen Nuan asked, “General Xu, where was the black goat that was awarded for the National Day performance first prize purchased from?”

Upon hearing this, General Xu asked, “Are you planning to prepare more lamb?”

Wen Nuan nodded, “Yes, that’s right. Eating lamb in the winter is more nourishing, and since the winters in Northern City are cold, I expect it’s even colder at the research institute. A bit of meat would definitely help provide them with more energy.”

General Xu frowned and said, “That would be hard to manage in time. The goats were brought from Meng Province.”

There was no way around it. The distance was too far, making it impossible to get the meat in time.

Wen Nuan said, “Then, General Xu, I’ll head back first. I’ll discuss it with the comrades in the Kitchen Team. We’ll work overtime to prepare this batch of winter supplies as quickly as possible.”

General Xu stopped her, “Wait a moment, there’s one more thing I need to discuss with both of you.”

General Xu then addressed both Wen Nuan and Gu Qinghan, “Although this task has already been arranged, since you two are the key figures in this supply mission, both of you must sign a confidentiality agreement. You must ensure that no information about the research institute is leaked. If anything is exposed, you’ll have to take off your uniforms.”

Then he turned to Wen Nuan and said, “You also need to take responsibility for this matter. As for the consequences, I can be straightforward with both of you: the seriousness of this situation exceeds your imagination. In severe cases, you might even pay with your lives.”

“Are you willing to accept that?”

Gu Qinghan and Wen Nuan both nodded simultaneously, resolutely saying, “No problem, I am willing to take responsibility.”

As for the location of the research institute, apart from a few high-ranking officials, even Gu Qinghan didn’t know its exact position; he only had a rough idea that it was near the military base.

This demonstrated how high the level of confidentiality was.

Gu Qinghan naturally understood the seriousness of this matter. He swore on his life that he would never betray the organization or the military.

Wen Nuan also nodded firmly: “I am willing to take responsibility as well.”

Since joining the Kitchen Team, Wen Nuan has come to understand its importance. Although she was just a cook, Quartermaster Luo once mentioned that incidents involving enemy agents poisoning had occurred in the past.

Now that she was responsible for the comrades’ food at the research institute, she naturally had to be fully alert and ensure food safety, ensuring no one could find an opportunity to exploit.

General Xu nodded, “Since you both agree, I will call the Air Force Academy now. Someone will follow up with you later. You may leave for now.”

—o—o—o—

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