It turned out that Ren Zhiyuan knew Shao Qi. Returning from an inner-city meeting and hearing about the arrival of a chief engineer from the Sixth Military Factory, he wondered, "Old Song is almost seventy. Why would he come all this way to see me?"

However, upon entering, he realized this was not just any chief engineer, but the Commander-in-Chief, a Marshal.

Ren Zhiyuan sent out the guards and his deputy, then locked the door. He saluted crisply, "Greetings, Commander!"

Shao Qi lounged on the sofa, his posture relaxed, not resembling a military officer in the slightest. Yet, Ren Zhiyuan dared not judge.

"It's been a few years. How have you been faring at the Jiangnan Base, Commander Ren?" Shao Qi inquired calmly.

Before arriving, Ren Zhiyuan had already heard about Master Wei's affairs. He assumed Marshal Shao was here for that person. Surprisingly, the mastermind behind the Heavenly Deity Sect was at the Jiangnan Base. In the grand scheme of things, his culpability was not insignificant.

"Marshal, the past few years have been passable for me. You're aware of the situation at the Jiangnan Base. I haven’t had a peaceful sleep, fearing the beasts from the mountains might emerge. Look at me, just five years and my hair has turned white. Alas, our biggest challenge is the lack of manpower; economic growth is stagnant, and we can't even attract talents."

Shao Qi straightened up, walked to the map in the office which displayed the distribution of bases across Huaguo. Most bases were concentrated in the central region. The south was filled with mountain ranges, the west and north had harsh climates, and the east had lost significant territory due to the receding coastline.

"The geographical location of the Jiangnan Base is by no means the worst. You shouldn’t use it as an excuse. How could the Yunlan Mountains be more dangerous than the Yundian Mountains? The Southwest Base isn't as lackluster as yours," Shao Qi remarked. He wasn't here to reprimand Ren; after all, no matter how poorly Ren performed, he was still part of the military.

"Marshal, it pains me! Our vast base is financially strapped. Our military supplies are always lacking. While the Yangcheng Base uses the fifth-generation patrol warships, we're stuck with their discarded third-generation ones. That's not to mention other challenges."

"That old fox Chen Jingzhou keeps using our men for his deliveries. We lose so many in these trips and have to shoulder the debts. He even mentioned in a meeting this morning about borrowing a 3,000-strong team to transport salt to the Central Base. Salt and tea are our main economic sources. I can't afford not to engage in this trade. I'm so stressed my hair's falling out."

Shao Qi scoffed, "What was Chen Jingzhou in the past? A state-owned enterprise leader. He may know how to conduct business transparently, but he often operates at a loss. Using 3,000 soldiers for his deliveries? He has quite the imagination. Reject him. Tell him the central government requisitioned the team."

"But, Marshal, there's no directive from the central authority! We can't just fabricate one, right? Chen Jingzhou isn't a fool."

Shao Qi wasn't here to handle military affairs. Considering the time, Zhou You should be waking up soon. He had a promise to keep. Standing up, he said, "How you handle Chen Jingzhou is your concern. But remember, the military exists to protect the people, not act as guards for trade. Does the money earned compensate for the losses of your elite soldiers?"

As Shao Qi passed by Ren Zhiyuan, he patted his shoulder, sensing Ren's tension, and reassured, "Relax. No matter your performance, you're one of mine. Chen Jingzhou won't dare harm you."

Seeing Shao Qi about to depart, Ren Zhiyuan hurriedly approached, wiping sweat from his brow, "Marshal, do you have any specific business at the Jiangnan Base? Just command, and I shall oblige."

"Given that I came here under the title of Chief Engineer, of course, I'm here to discuss arms deals with you. But that can wait. I have other matters to attend to first."

Ren Zhiyuan, noting that Shao Qi didn't mention the Heavenly Deity Sect, thought he dodged a bullet. Realizing that the Marshal intended to discuss arms deals personally, he felt he couldn't avoid the meeting.

Nowadays, each base's military expenses depend on self-sufficiency. The central allocation is limited since they also have to manage expenses for various research institutions in Dawn City. That's why Ren Zhiyuan started by lamenting about finances, fearing that Marshal Shao was here to borrow funds.

By the time Zhou You woke up, dusk was settling in. As the sun set, the temperature plummeted. He dressed and stepped outside, spotting Li Hongxi and others preparing to leave.

"Zhou You..." Li Yunxi was startled when she learned that he shared a room with Shao Qi. Seeing him emerge, she quickly inquired, "Did Mr. Shao treat you alright?"

Zhou You, puzzled, responded, "How could he mistreat me?"

"I mean... well... you know!" Li Yunxi believed Zhou You would understand, given his past experiences. To be honest, she didn't judge those who traded their bodies for protection. But she once had hopes for Zhou You.

Zhou You awkwardly clarified, "It wasn’t like that."

The rest looked at him with disdain. Even Li Hongxi didn't initiate a conversation but called his sister over, "We should leave." Before departing, he said to Zhou You, "Doctor Zhao is in a bad state and is aging. The doctors here suggested hospitalization, which I agreed to. Visit him when you can."

Zhou You nodded, "I'll go right away." He was already concerned about Doctor Zhao.

As he approached, he heard Old Qiaotou once again narrating their three-day adventure. Although everyone knew he was exaggerating, they still enjoyed listening. Now, he even added his twists to the tale, making it even more exciting than TV shows.

"Hey, Zhou's here!" Doctor Zhao, who was almost dozing off, instantly perked up seeing Zhou You.