Chapter 44.1

Neither Yin Xiaoman nor the children had ever ridden such a speedboat before.

Although the roaring sound of the engine made their eardrums ache and the smell of diesel made tears uncontrollably stream down their faces, everyone was incredibly excited.

Yin Xiaoman’s usual calm and reserved expression had disappeared, and the corners of her mouth kept curving upward.

Since leaving the Vanguard Camp, it felt as if the chains that had bound her had suddenly been released, and she became more alive than ever.

Although the back-and-forth journey was exhausting, especially for her, as she had to watch over the children and take care of the family’s meals, even Shen Qingyun had started to worry that she might not be able to handle it.

But the smile in her eyes never faded.

The joy seemed like it might spill over at any moment.

At this moment, her, Da Bao, and Erniu were all standing by the railing, leaning forward, their heads sticking out, and their toes on tiptoe as they eagerly gazed ahead, their faces full of curiosity and expectation.

From a distance, the three of them looked identical. The more you looked, the more it seemed like they were siblings.

Shen Qingyun called out twice for them to sit down, but none of them listened.

Feeling frustrated, he had no choice but to repeat like an old father, reminding them to hold on to the handrail and not move around.

Then, he walked back to his seat.

Before he could sit down, the middle-aged man who had been smiling at him earlier glanced at him sideways and asked: “Are you sure that’s your wife?”

Although he didn’t say it outright, the look in his eyes was unmistakably mocking, as if to say: “You’re an old bull eating tender grass.”

The remark made Shen Qingyun’s stomach ache.

The middle-aged man’s name was Lu Ping. Although he looked younger, he was actually forty years old. He was a Regiment Commander in the Garrison Brigade under the Capital District’s Garrison Command, and also Shen Qingyun’s direct superior.

They had already been acquainted for a long time, having worked together during Shen Qingyun’s training in the Capital City.

Since the security of Zhongshan Island had been entrusted to the B Province Garrison, Lu Ping and his brigade had taken on this important task.

Shen Qingyun’s duty was to lead the First Garrison Battalion, a key military force stationed on the island, responsible for ensuring the safety of the experts.

But they were not the only ones.

Because the mission of the assault team was of such great significance, not only the sea across from them, but other hostile forces were also keeping a close eye, even seeking opportunities to cause sabotage.

Thus, the Garrison Brigade had deployed several battalions to patrol the surrounding seas every day.

From the time the order was received until now, it had been less than a month, so the security work was still in the preparation stage.

Security checks, patrols, and whether there were any gaps during handovers, along with any potential hidden dangers, all remained uncertain.

Until the gaps and hidden dangers were completely eliminated, no one dared to guarantee or allow the experts to come.

Meanwhile, the Capital City had given a final deadline.

As a result, recently, Lu Ping had put aside all other matters. He spent his days on the boat, accompanied by several subordinates responsible for this task, circling the entire protection zone, carefully sorting through the procedures and searching for flaws.

So, after receiving the request from Shen Qingyun’s family that they had arrived and were applying to land on the island, Lu Ping decided to personally come and pick them up.

It was now around five or six in the afternoon, the time when the sunset was most beautiful.

Even though Yin Xiaoman had grown up by the sea, this was her first time experiencing such a breathtaking sea view.

Watching the orange-red orb slowly sink below the horizon, the dazzling beauty deeply shocked her.

It filled her with even more hope and longing for her new home.

They had been on the speedboat for almost two hours. By the time it was completely dark, they had to take out their jackets to keep warm. Finally, they reached their destination.

Although Zhongshan Island was designated as a secret base by the military, it had not been developed much. Before it was confirmed as the site for the new project, only a small squad of soldiers had been rotating duty here.

In fact, the place was quite desolate.

It even looked like there was no sign of human life from a distance.

The family of four disembarked in the dark, said goodbye to Lu Ping, and then, guided by the boat’s lights specially set up for them, they stepped onto the slippery rocks and finally reached the island.

Fortunately, they hadn’t taken many steps when they heard the sound of footsteps approaching. Soon, a few young soldiers ran over from a distance.

“Commander!” 

They first saluted Shen Qingyun, and after he returned the salute, they quickly took the large suitcases from their hands.

One of them even quickly picked up Erniu and threw him over his shoulder.

Another soldier reached out to pick up Da Bao, but Da Bao who was shy, dodged away.

“Sister-in-law, I’m Shi Lei, the squad leader of the first garrison. This month, our squad is stationed on the island. The accommodations have been arranged, so we’ll take you to rest first.”

The young man standing at the front, with dark skin, took the suitcase from Yin Xiaoman’s hand and flashed a wide smile at her, revealing a row of white teeth. 

In the pitch-black night, his smile was particularly bright.

They stepped over the slippery rocks, and with the company and guidance of the young soldiers, they finally reached a narrow path. The path was so narrow that two people couldn’t walk side by side.

The darkness made it difficult to see anything, and they were relying solely on the light from two flashlights ahead and behind them, so Yin Xiaoman couldn’t make out the surrounding environment at all.

But she could feel that the ground beneath their feet was uneven, and if they weren’t careful, branches from the trees on either side would snag their clothes.

Looking at the state of the path, it didn’t appear to have been specially built. Instead, it seemed like one of those paths worn down over the years by cattle, horses, and wild animals.

After walking for about another ten minutes, they finally reached a relatively flat hillside.

This area had clearly been repaired.

The ground had been widened and hardened.

Large stone slabs were laid down, making the surface smooth. At the end of the path, there was a cemented area that looked like a small sports field.

On either side of the field, two basketball hoops had been set up, clearly for the soldiers to use for training and recreation.

The accommodations arranged for Shen Qingyun and his family were right next to this sports field. A designated area had been sectioned off, and several rows of houses had been built there.

These houses were not as large as the ones they had stayed in at the Vanguard Camp, and there was no space between the houses, nor did they have their own yard.

It was also obvious that, despite there being around forty to fifty units, very few people actually lived there.

At least for now, all the houses were dark, with no signs of life.

Sure enough, before Shen Qingyun could ask, Shi Lei spoke up to explain: “Commander, the dormitories for the guard battalion are on the west side of the hill. These are specifically built for the experts. You’re the only military personnel on the island, Sister-in-law, and you’re responsible for the experts’ daily needs. So, Regiment Commander Lu instructed that your family should be housed here.”

As he spoke, Shi Lei flashed a simple, honest smile and looked at Shen Qingyun, asking: “Commander, which unit would you like to stay in? Well, the experts haven’t arrived yet, so all the houses are empty. You can choose whichever one you want.”

As expected, it was just as Yin Xiaoman had guessed.

So, after Shen Qingyun looked at her for confirmation, she didn’t hesitate to point to the last row, the furthest house: “Let’s stay there.”

With their family’s secretive matters, it was naturally more convenient to be at the back rather than in the front row, where people were constantly coming and going.

For matters concerning the family, Shen Qingyun naturally deferred to his wife’s decision. He nodded and asked Shi Lei and the others to help move their things.

Once inside the house, Yin Xiaoman looked around. She found that the layout was quite similar to that of the Vanguard Camp. It had a living room, two bedrooms, a kitchen next to the living room, and a bathroom just outside the house.

It seemed like the design plans for the military unit’s houses were all the same. Apart from the slightly smaller rooms, there was no need to adjust to anything else.

As Shen Qingyun had mentioned before they arrived, everything in the room had been prepared in advance.

There were tables, chairs, and stools, of course, and the kitchen was fully equipped with dishes, chopsticks, and cooking utensils. Even the beds in the rooms had already been made.

However, the two bedrooms, just like in a military dormitory, each contained two cots along the walls. Next to each bed was a single wardrobe, and the beds were separated by two desks placed side by side. Each desk had a lamp on it, with a small stool underneath.

Each bed was covered with snow-white sheets, and at the head of each bed was a green military blanket.

The blankets were folded neatly into perfect squares, looking very tidy and well-organized.

Yin Xiaoman was very satisfied with everything.

But as she looked at the two single beds, placed so far apart, Shen Qingyun couldn’t help but twitch his lips in slight displeasure.

However, no one around them seemed to notice his discontent.

After seeing that Sister-in-law was pleased, Shi Lei smiled and said: “Commander, Sister-in-law, you’ve had a long day, so you should rest early tonight. We’ll head back now. If you’re missing anything, we’ll sort it out tomorrow. See you then.”

They were about to leave when Shen Qingyun called out to them and then looked at Shi Lei.

“Are you in charge of the island now?”

“Yes!” Shi Lei quickly stood at attention and answered.

“There’s no need to be so nervous.” Shen Qingyun waved his hand at him, then calmly instructed: “Take me around for a tour first.”

Hearing this, Shi Lei hesitated for a moment. “Commander, you’ve been on the car and boat for several days…”

This time, Shen Qingyun didn’t even speak, he just put down the bag he was holding, turned around, and walked out first.

Seeing this, the others quickly followed.

Soon, the house was left with only the three women.

Knowing that the man wanted to familiarize himself with the surroundings as soon as possible to start his work, Yin Xiaoman didn’t have any complaints.

She glanced at the two children who were obviously overly excited, now both tired and sleepy, and looking all droopy. Turning around, she pretended to look at the luggage and quickly took out two blocks of milk candy from her space. She stuffed one into each child’s mouth.