RMM – Chapter 82 First Arrival in D Province

Su Ruo turned over and felt an empty space beside her. She frowned and let out a soft whimper.

Then she suddenly remembered—Xie Yuechen was leaving today.

Almost the moment she opened her eyes, her hand instinctively reached to the side. No one!

The cool temperature beside her and the neatly arranged pillow made it obvious—Xie Yuechen had already left, and he had been gone for quite some time.

“Bastard! Damn soldier!” A wave of disappointment surged within her. Su Ruo held back the heat that was rising to her eyes, cursed harshly, and punched the bed twice.

Why didn’t he wake her? Would it have killed him to let her see him off?

She pulled the blanket over her head, curling herself into a ball, lying there motionless. She didn’t care that there were still others in the house—she just stayed in bed like that.

But the occasional subtle movements under the blanket betrayed that she was far from peacefully asleep.

Xie Yuechen, if you have the guts, don’t come back for the rest of your life.

Downstairs in the living room, Shen Liang and Xie Yuehui were sitting together. Xie Yuehui didn’t have class today, so he didn’t go to school.

“Aunt Zhang, tell them to be careful going upstairs. Actually, no—tell them not to go up at all,” Shen Liang instructed with a frown, her expression tense. Xie Yuechen had left very early in the morning, and aside from asking Xie Yuehui to take him to the airport, he didn’t let anyone else send him off.

Before he left, he had only said: “Ruo Ruo is still sleeping. Don’t wake her later either.”

Shen Liang understood what her son meant. Ruo Ruo was surely feeling miserable now, and who knew if she had woken up yet. Better to let her sleep a little longer.

“Mom, don’t worry so much. You know what kind of person my brother is. It’s just D Province—how could he not handle it? Honestly, this is more like a trial posting. Once he comes back, he’ll probably get promoted. Maybe then things will finally settle down,” Xie Yuehui tried to comfort his mother, knowing she was upset.

Aside from being a bit remote, D Province wasn’t much different from anywhere else. His brother would probably only stay for a few years before being transferred back.

“Easy for you to say. A mother always worries when her child travels far. D Province is probably more than just a thousand kilometers away. How can I not worry?” Shen Liang sighed.

“It’s fine. Just wait for my brother to return in glory.”

Shen Liang felt a little comforted by her younger son’s words. That’s right—wasn’t Yuechen always drifting from place to place all these years? And every time, he came back just fine. She never asked for him to earn great military honors—she just wanted him to be safe and healthy.

Su Ruo lay in bed for a long time before her emotions gradually calmed down. She finally threw off the blanket and sat up. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were red.

She sniffled, trying to clear her stuffy nose, then let out a long breath. She put on her slippers and headed into the bathroom to wash up.

Xie Yuechen had gotten up very early in the morning. Watching the peacefully sleeping Su Ruo in his arms, he couldn’t bear to wake her. Knowing that his departure would upset her, he quietly got up and left the bed without waking her.

Unlike his usual calm, this time leaving felt a bit stifling in his chest. He knew it was because of the woman still asleep in bed, yet he still didn’t go back for one last look before leaving.

Xie Yuechen was taking a commercial flight today. He could’ve taken a military plane, but that was scheduled for yesterday, so he didn’t board it.

D Province was a picturesque place and a well-known tourist destination with a significant annual tourist flow.

Thankfully, it wasn’t a holiday, so the trip was smooth. Xie Yuechen arrived in D Province without trouble.

The Special Operations Unit was stationed in a border garrison in H Town, which neighbored the national border. So Xie Yuechen still needed to travel to H Town.

There was still a fair distance between H Town and L City. Before arriving, Xie Yuechen had already received notice that someone would come pick him up.

As he exited the airport, he spotted a military jeep parked out front. Its imposing presence drew the attention of many passersby.

Xie Yuechen walked over with long strides and knocked lightly on the window. Inside sat a soldier in camouflage, listening to music through headphones.

The soldier was highly alert. The moment Xie Yuechen tapped the window, he turned, quickly removed his earphones, and upon recognizing Xie Yuechen, his face showed clear panic.

Crap. Got caught slacking off by the commander…

“Good day, Commander!”

The young soldier hurriedly tossed aside his phone, jumped out of the vehicle, and saluted. Xie Yuechen returned the salute with a nod and said nothing, opening the door and getting in.

The soldier blinked and quietly let out a sigh of relief. Did he… pretend not to notice? Seeing the crowd of onlookers nearby, he quickly got back into the vehicle—low profile, low profile.

After driving a while in silence, the soldier noticed the commander still hadn’t spoken. He snuck a glance in the rearview mirror.

Tsk, so young. And already a Senior Colonel? Incredible.

Yesterday, the regimental political commissar had briefed him on picking up their new commander today, even showing him a photo so he wouldn’t fail to recognize him.

“A senior colonel? That young? Commissar He, you’re joking, right?” the soldier had asked, stunned. There were barely any senior colonels that young in the whole country!

“You brat, would I lie to you for food? Just make sure you bring him back tomorrow. Memorize the photo!”

Commissar He had smacked the soldier on the head with a grumble.

“But why would such a high-ranking officer come to this dump?”

“None of your business. He’s not here to be your boss. Just get him here,” Commissar He had muttered. Honestly, even he found it strange—why would such a talented young officer be sent to this remote place?

Then he recalled the thirty-plus men who had recently arrived, each one fierce and elite, clearly seasoned by countless battles. And they were led here by higher-ups they rarely got to see—supposedly for training.

But he wasn’t stupid. That was obviously just a cover. They were clearly top-tier operatives. Why would they be “trained” in some border town?

Commissar He had pretty much figured it out: a team like that, deployed quietly to his area, and clearly for a mission—what else could it be? Probably something related to transnational crime.

He understood, but couldn’t speak of it. Saying the wrong thing wouldn’t just earn him a friendly “chat”—there’d be serious consequences.

“Things you shouldn’t know, don’t try to find out. Got it?” He had warned the excited soldier.

And so, early this morning, the soldier had enthusiastically set off from L City to pick up their extraordinary new commander.

“Commander, I’m Feng Libing. You can call me Xiao Feng,” the young soldier said, voice slightly trembling with excitement. It wasn’t every day someone got to meet such an impressive leader.

“Mm.”

…This commander was really cold.

Feng Libing silently wiped the cold sweat from his brow and didn’t dare speak again, focusing on driving.

The journey was long. By the time they reached H Town, it was almost evening. The garrison was outside the town and required another hour or so of travel.

By the time Xie Yuechen arrived at the station, it was just in time for dinner in the mess hall.

The advance team had already arrived and were visibly stirred when they heard the captain had made it. Everyone was curious—who was this elite that had been selected from so many to lead their operation?

Curiosity aside, there was also some defiance. Full of ambition, they headed toward the mess hall, eager for a first look. They’d been waiting long enough.

Housing had been arranged for Xie Yuechen inside the compound, in the family housing building. Though it was called that, few actual family members lived there.

Understandable—marrying as a soldier was hard enough already, let alone bringing a wife to a remote outpost. What woman would willingly come live in hardship?

Commissar He had given Feng Libing the keys the day before and told him to pass them on.

After moving in his few belongings, Xie Yuechen gave the place a quick look. The layout was similar to his place in the B Military District, around ** square meters.

As soon as he entered the mess hall, numerous eyes turned to look at him. There were all kinds of stares, but Xie Yuechen didn’t mind. He’d had enough people look at him in his life—this was nothing.

“Commander Xie! Haha, I’ve heard so much about you!” A hearty voice rang out, full of warmth and friendliness.

Xie Yuechen turned toward the voice—it was a man in his forties, wearing camouflage and the rank of lieutenant colonel.

“Commissar He!” Feng Libing called out loudly from the side. “Mission accomplished!”

“You brat. Go get something to eat,” He joked, then turned to Xie Yuechen, “It must’ve been a long journey.”

“Hello, I’m Xie Yuechen.” He nodded slightly in greeting.

“Commander Xie’s reputation precedes him. I’m honored to meet you today! My surname is He, full name He Xian—I’m the political commissar of this regiment.”

He was laughing as he spoke. To be honest, only half his flattery was sincere. Before hearing that Xie Yuechen was coming, he hadn’t cared much about him. But after doing a little digging, he was shocked—Xie Yuechen’s achievements were nothing short of legendary.

But no matter how impressive he was before, who knew if he could live up to it here?

“Commissar He, just call me by name. I’m not a regimental commander anymore,” Xie Yuechen said, shaking his hand with calm composure—not cold, but distant enough to maintain boundaries.

Thankfully, He had been briefed on his personality. Otherwise, he might’ve thought Xie had a problem with him or the place. He’d known plenty of geniuses with a solitary nature—he understood.

“Don’t just stand there—come, sit! I already ordered dishes!” He guided him to the table. “I’ll take advantage of being older and call you Yuechen, then.”

He Xian, it seemed, was a straightforward, cheerful man. That was the impression Xie Yuechen formed silently.

Soon after they sat, a voice rang out: “The new guy’s here? Where is he?”

He Xian chuckled. “Over here!” Then turned to Xie Yuechen with a slightly helpless smile. “That’s our commander. Bit of a rough one—don’t mind him.”

Xie Yuechen looked toward the voice and saw a sturdy man in his fifties, tanned skin, warm smile, and powerful stride.

The man stopped at their table and shouted at the soldiers, “Why’ve you all stopped eating? Keep going! There’s training tonight!”

The soldiers immediately sped up their meals. Their commander was kind, but loved surprise drills—it always left them exhausted.

Satisfied, the man turned to Xie Yuechen. “So you’re Commander Xie? So young! Impressive. I’m Song Chaoming.” He extended his hand.

“Commander Song, I’m Xie Yuechen. Just call me by name. I hope we get along well.” They shook hands briefly.

“Then I’ll call you Xiao Xie, haha. Sit, sit.”

In contrast to the warm atmosphere here, some unfamiliar faces sat in a corner of the dining hall, staring intently at Xie Yuechen, their eyes filled with mixed emotions.

These were the members of the Special Operations Unit who had arrived earlier.