Chapter Twenty-Seven: A Prodigy Emerges! Commander-in-Chief of the East Sea First Air Base, Dean of the Flight Academy!
Chen Qi's words caused a hint of pride to appear on Su Bing Sheng's face.
A smile gradually spread across his wrinkled face.
Having such a grandson, what more could he ask for in life?
If it weren't for the fact that the conferring of the rank was confidential and he, as a retired person, normally wouldn't have been qualified to attend, he would have loved to chat with Chen Qi and show off his outstanding grandson.
“Old Chen, this conferring of the rank is confidential. Normally, I, a retired person, wouldn't be qualified to participate. It's only due to some reasons that I received an invitation…”
“If you're really curious, you can ask General Zhou Li Jun after the ceremony. All I can tell you is that the main character being conferred the rank today is from the Air Force.”
“Air Force?”
This conferring ceremony was personally arranged by Elder Wei. Unless there were unforeseen circumstances, it must be the promotion of a Lieutenant General from the Air Force.
Chen Qi took a deep breath, his mind filled with countless thoughts, various images flashing through his mind, one name after another appearing.
But they were quickly dismissed.
Although there were many Lieutenant Generals in the Air Force, at this level, even if he didn't know them all personally, he had at least heard their names.
And among those who were at this level and had the potential to be promoted to General, after some filtering, there were only a few left.
Chen Qi went through the names one by one. By the end, he still didn't think those few were likely to be promoted to General in the near future.
In fact, it was almost impossible.
General promotions in the military typically happened at specific times. It wouldn't be done so casually, just picking a random time to promote a General.
Elder Wei wasn't that free.
General promotions usually involved several people at a time, a tradition of the Xia military for many years.
This tradition was rarely broken. The few times it did happen, it was due to special circumstances.
To be honest, if this hadn't come from Su Bing Sheng, he wouldn't have believed it was a conferring ceremony.
“General Su is also invited, and the Air Force Lieutenant General with close ties to him who is qualified for promotion to General…”
Chen Qi shook his head. There was no one.
Yes, no one at all.
For a moment, Chen Qi couldn't figure out who was being promoted to General this time.
“General Su, I won't disturb you anymore.”
“I'll ask General Zhou Li Jun later.”
Chen Qi finished speaking and hung up the phone.
Su Bing Sheng also smiled and switched off his phone.
“Is that Grandpa Chen?”
Su Yuan asked, standing nearby, after Su Bing Sheng hung up the phone.
Chen Qi was actually a few years younger than Su Bing Sheng, but for Su Yuan, he was also considered a grandfather.
“Yes.”
Su Bing Sheng nodded.
“I'll go visit him sometime. Back when I was a kid, I often went to him to complain after being scolded by you.” Su Yuan recalled with a smile.
Su Bing Sheng gave Su Yuan a look, but soon a smile appeared on his face again. “You decide.”
On the other side, Chen Qi hung up the phone. He had also heard his grandfather's conversation and curiously asked, “Grandpa, which big shot is getting promoted to General?”
He had also heard some rumors these past few days, but not as much as Chen Qi.
He wasn't really interested in this kind of thing.
After all, high-ranking officers were too far removed from him. He would have to tilt his head all the way back just to see the back of their heads.
There was no point in him knowing about this. He would rather spend that time thinking about how to get promoted to the Colonel level faster.
If Su Yuan really joined the military, with his abilities, he would definitely catch up sooner or later. Chen Yuan had no doubt about it.
They had been close friends since childhood, and while others might think Su Yuan was just a rich kid, they knew better.
The more they interacted with Su Yuan, the more they realized how scary he was.
Could someone who graduated from the Moscow National University be simple?
Foreign prestigious universities had extremely strict graduation requirements, but if you didn't meet the standard, you wouldn't graduate.
Su Yuan graduating from the Moscow National University was proof enough of his abilities.
Chen Qi nodded slightly. “It seems that's what General Su meant.”
“Elder Wei seems to be personally conducting the ceremony.”
“Elder Wei is attending?”
Chen Yuan Xiang was stunned. “Isn't Elder Wei's personal conferment supposed to be in the first half of next year? Why is there a General promotion this year?”
He knew quite a bit about this since joining the military.
General promotions in Xia had specific times.
This hadn't changed in many years.
“That's what I'm thinking too. I just can't figure out who's being promoted to General.” Chen Qi shook his head, even more confused.
Chen Yuan Xiang speculated, “Maybe it's not a General promotion. It could be a Lieutenant General. There's no set time for Lieutenant General promotions, they can happen anytime.”
Chen Qi looked at his grandson Chen Yuan Xiang. “Do you think Elder Wei would have the time to personally conduct a ceremony for a Lieutenant General promotion?”
“Besides, the Russian delegation just left, and there are a lot of things going on recently. Elder Wei has his own travel plans. He wouldn't have time for this.”
Chen Yuan Xiang thought about it and frowned. “But if it's a General promotion, there aren't many big shots who are qualified for promotion lately. And it's the Air Force, making it even fewer.”
Chen Qi was pleased to see his grandson making such guesses.
Looking at Chen Yuan Xiang, he said, “Forget it, let's not think about it. I'll give the old commander a call after the ceremony.”
“You mean General Zhou Li Jun?”
Chen Yuan Xiang's breath hitched. This man was one of the top brass in the Xia military!
The Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force. If anyone was definitely involved in this conferring ceremony, it would be him. Moreover, the person being promoted probably had his backing.
Asking him would definitely be the right thing to do.
For a moment, even though he wasn't really interested in this, Chen Yuan Xiang felt a bit of anticipation.
Who was being promoted, and why was it such a big deal?
…
On the other side.
Conference Hall 1.
Dozens of Xia government reporters occupied the front row seats.
The ceremony hadn't started yet, but their cameras and microphones were ready, and many guests entering Conference Hall 1 with invitations were being recorded.
As time passed, one by one, the big shots stationed in Xiajing arrived at the scene.
“General Wang Jun He has arrived!”
“That's… Commander-in-Chief Zhou Li Jun of the General Air Force!”
“General Li Ming Zhe has also arrived!”
“All the military officials stationed in Xiajing who are available have come. They are all big shots, all important figures. What kind of ceremony is this? Even the promotion of a General wouldn't be this grand!”
“I heard that Elder Wei is personally conferring the rank today!”
“Elder Wei is attending this ceremony? Isn't it usually done by other generals?”
Those who knew Elder Wei were incredibly shocked.
Elder Wei, with his busy schedule, only personally participated in General promotions. For other high-ranking officers, the ceremonies were usually conducted by someone else.
The reporters whispered amongst themselves. Suddenly, a voice boomed through the hall, “The ceremony will begin shortly. Please maintain silence!”
No one present was ordinary. When this voice, amplified through speakers throughout the hall, echoed, everyone quickly closed their mouths and stopped talking.
Even those who were mid-sentence shut their mouths and focused their gazes on the stage ahead, solemn and serious.
Even those big shots stopped their chattering and looked straight ahead.
At this moment, everyone was serious.
They all knew that the most important moment was about to come.
Once everyone was quiet, at exactly nine o'clock, the voice of the host echoed through the speakers again, “The conferring ceremony will now begin. Welcome Elder Wei.”
Clap clap clap…
Amid thunderous applause, Elder Wei, with steady steps, walked along the red carpet, his gaze sweeping across the audience as he stood on the stage.
He looked straight ahead and nodded slightly to everyone.
“Good morning, everyone. Today's ceremony is special. I would like to introduce someone to everyone present, someone who has achieved great things, an outstanding young man…”
He paused, then said with a smile, “Most of you have probably heard of this outstanding young man, while some of you may be confused…
For the majority of you, this is your first time seeing him. He is a junior member of the Su family, a young man who was sent to study in Russia four years ago.
Even I never imagined he would achieve what he has today. Even I am deeply proud of him. Xia is fortunate to have him.
Now, let's give a warm round of applause to welcome this young man.”
As Elder Wei finished speaking, everyone in Conference Hall 1, except for a few big shots who knew what was going on, was astonished.
They had made such a big deal out of it, just to introduce a young man to everyone?
And Elder Wei was personally presiding over this ceremony.
What kind of young man, what kind of ceremony, could warrant such attention from Elder Wei?
Besides, look at the people here today.
Without exception, they were all military big shots.
The lowest rank was Major General, but even then, they had already entered the ranks of senior officers.
Such a big commotion, just for introducing a young man? If this hadn't come from Elder Wei, no one would have dared to believe it was true.
The most important thing was that everyone thought of one thing.
It was a conferring ceremony.
A ceremony for a young man's conferment. What rank was he?
Colonel at best.
Worldwide, the highest rank for someone in their early thirties was Colonel. It was almost impossible to go higher.
A ceremony for a Colonel's promotion, and Elder Wei personally presiding over it? Was this real?
They must be crazy!
Could it be that the young man Elder Wei was about to introduce was something special?
Many of them looked at each other in confusion.
Moreover, everyone could tell that when Elder Wei spoke, there was a hint of excitement in his eyes.
What did this mean?
It meant that even Elder Wei had high expectations for this young man he was about to introduce.
Who was it?
Who could be so important that even Elder Wei was so invested?
At this moment, everyone held their breath, unable to hide the shock on their faces.
Many people felt that they might witness the birth of a miracle today.
Elder Wei had been in power for over a decade, and he had never shown such attention to a young man before, not even the outstanding offspring of some military big shots had ever been favored by Elder Wei.
The more they thought about it, the more curious they became about this young man.
Who was it?
Who was it?
Last week, there was a major meeting, and those who attended were the few who were here today. Could this be related to the ceremony?
Many who were clueless were looking around.
Normally, those who held high positions in the military wouldn't behave this way in such a crucial situation.
But Elder Wei's words had stirred up everyone's curiosity.
However, those big shots who had attended the meeting were all looking solemnly at the stage, not looking around.
Down below.
Hearing Elder Wei's words, Su Bing Sheng quickly turned to Su Yuan, his expression serious. “Xiao Yuan, go up there. Don't be nervous. Today, here, at this important moment, you are the main character. I believe in you. You can do it.”
Su Yuan nodded.
But he was still a little nervous.
This was his conferment ceremony as a Major General in Xia!
It was impossible not to be nervous.
His mentality was completely different from when he was in Russia.
“You can be nervous down here, it's only natural.
But once you're on stage, you have to show the qualities of a senior officer. You have to remember, after this ceremony, you are no longer just a citizen of Xia, but also a senior officer, a Major General in the Xia Air Force!”
Su Yuan nodded solemnly. He knew what was coming.
When he heard Elder Wei's familiar voice coming from the stage, Su Yuan took a deep breath and shifted his gaze away from Su Bing Sheng, looking composed.
He got up, stood tall, marched with steady steps, his eyes firm as he walked towards the stage.
“I'm sure everyone is curious about the young man I'm about to introduce, the one who caused such a commotion.
However, I can assure you, today is not a General promotion ceremony, as many have speculated.
Elder Wei's tone seemed casual, more like a friendly chat than a formal ceremony.
But everyone was used to it.
This was his nature.
As everyone was curious, they saw a young man, too young to be true, walking towards the stage.
Everyone was taken aback. Who was this staff member?
To be honest, no one thought this young man was the main character.
He was too young.
He looked like he was only in his early twenties. At that age, even if he was incredibly talented, he wouldn't be someone Elder Wei would put so much emphasis on, right?
As Su Yuan walked towards him, Elder Wei's eyes were filled with deep warmth. “The young man walking onto the stage right now, some of you have met him before, but most of you haven't. Some of you may not even know his name or his identity. Now, I will introduce him to you all.
Before we conduct the conferring ceremony, I will introduce another identity of his.
Su Yuan, Chief Instructor of the Russian Air Force, Major General rank.”
When the words left his mouth, everyone was stunned.
A Major General of the Russian Air Force?
This…
Curiosity, doubt, surprise, even disbelief.
This young man was a senior officer in the Russian military?
Before anyone could express their curiosity or confusion, Elder Wei's voice echoed again. “You may have some doubts, but I can assure you, Su Yuan is a citizen of Xia. He has never held Russian citizenship. The reason he's here today is…
Many of us, including myself, hope to entrust the future of the Xia Air Force to his shoulders, to have this young man carry the banner of the Xia Air Force.”
“Today, under everyone's gaze, we will bestow upon this young man a very high position…”
Elder Wei continued his improvisation, casually picking up a document with several seals. He glanced over it and his loud voice rang out again. “Today, on behalf of the Xia Military Commission, I confer upon Su Yuan the rank of Major General, and appoint him as the Commander-in-Chief of the East Sea First Air Base…”
Major General!
Commander-in-Chief of the East Sea First Air Base!
Everyone present who hadn't been informed beforehand gasped in shock.
But before they could recover, Elder Wei's voice echoed through the hall again.