Chapter 15: Returning Home

When Chen Geng found Li Jianguo again, Li Jianguo knew that he couldn't keep this promising young man.

Although he was a bit disappointed, Li Jianguo felt some comfort in his heart: How many years had it been since he had seen a young person with ideals and ambitions, who was willing to sacrifice personal gains and losses and was solely dedicated to doing practical work for the country?

Seeing that he couldn't keep Chen Geng, out of his love for talent and genuine fondness for this young man, Li Jianguo could only express his concern in his own way: "Chen, since you have your own ideas, I won't say anything more. As your superior, I wish you success in your new position. Yes, I have a good relationship with the deputy political commissar of the East China Military Region. I'll give him a call about your situation and ask him to take care of you appropriately."

"Thank you," Chen Geng said gratefully.

Even if he wanted to transfer back, it was absolutely impossible for someone from the National Defense Department to be directly transferred to a maintenance factory under a military region. Chen Geng didn't care about this; the National Defense Department still had its dignity. Chen Geng's work transfer was from the National Defense Department to the East China Military Region, and then the East China Military Region would assign him to the Third Military Equipment Maintenance Factory.

"Why are you saying these things?" Li Jizhang waved his hand. "Also, if you encounter any difficulties in your work in the future, let me know. You can write a letter or call me. Don't feel embarrassed. I might not be able to help with big things, but I can help with small things."

This was a huge favor. In plain terms, it meant, "Whoever dares to bully you, just mention my name!" Whether Li Jianguo's name was useful in civilian circles was debatable, but in the military system, even the top brass of a military region wouldn't dare to ignore a director from the National Defense Department.

It could be said that if Li Jizhang didn't love talent and care for Chen Geng to the extreme, he would never have said such words.

Chen Geng understood the weight of Li Jizhang's words and nodded heavily.

Seeing that Chen Geng understood his meaning, Li Jianguo leaned over and took out two bottles of Maotai and four cartons of Zhonghua cigarettes from the cabinet behind his desk and placed them on the table: "Take them."

"Director..." Chen Geng was moved.

"I also came from the grassroots, and I know a bit about the messy things down there," Li Jianguo patted the cigarettes and alcohol on the table and said with a sigh, "These things will come in handy for you."

Maotai and Zhonghua cigarettes were powerful tools for getting things done in this era. With these two powerful weapons in hand, one could truly overcome any obstacle, as long as it wasn't too against the principles, almost nothing was impossible.

"Also, remember that you are from the National Defense Department, and I recruited you. Even at the grassroots level, you represent the image of our National Defense Department. Don't tarnish our reputation. If you encounter any difficulties, call me. We can't let others bully you."

Feeling the deep concern behind Li Jianguo's words, Chen Geng sniffed and saluted, saying loudly, "Yes! No matter where I go, I am your soldier, and I will never disgrace you!"

"Good! I hope you can live up to your words," the atmosphere was a bit sad, Li Jizhang's eyes were slightly red, and he waved his hand forcefully, "Alright, go and pack. Your classmates are all in the capital. Take this opportunity to say goodbye to them. It won't be easy for you to meet again in the future."

...

The 1980s were a time when ideals and reality intertwined. On one hand, everyone was striving for a better life, and on the other hand, the education they had received for many years made them admire people like Chen Geng, who could resolutely give up the comfortable life in the capital for their ideals and beliefs.

When it was heard that Chen Geng from the Automotive Engineering Department was going to the grassroots to apply his knowledge, not only did the classmates of the Automotive Engineering Department who were graduating this year come spontaneously, but also many seniors from previous years and even some seniors from Peking University came.

Liu Changzhi held a glass and looked at Chen Geng with admiration, saying, "Old Three, after four years of brotherhood, I won't say anything else. Just one sentence: I wish you success!"

"Thank you." The two smiled at each other and drank.

Guo Jian squeezed in and said loudly to Chen Geng, "Old Three, if you need any help down there, don't hesitate to ask. Don't be polite with us."

"Do you think I would be polite with you?" Chen Geng laughed, "Do you think I came to find you for nothing? I just felt a bit uneasy about leaving soon, so I thought I'd say goodbye to everyone first, so you can't deny it later."

Hearing Chen Geng say this, Liu Changzhi also laughed, "Alright! With these words, it's settled. If I find out you're in trouble and don't tell us, just wait and see what I'll do to you... By the way, there are a few seniors from our Chinese Literature Department at our newspaper. They were very interested in your story and wanted to come, but they had a temporary assignment. No problem, when you come to the capital next time, let me know, and we'll all meet."

Chen Geng knew very well what it meant to have a few seniors from the People's Daily take care of him. Without saying much, he patted Liu Changzhi's shoulder and said, "Old Four, thanks."

"Brothers don't need to say thanks. Old Three, good luck..."

What Chen Geng didn't expect was that Ding Ruoyan also came.

"You... How did you come?" Looking at Ding Ruoyan standing in front of him with her hands behind her back and a charming smile, Chen Geng, who had been witty and articulate among his classmates, suddenly stuttered.

"What? Not welcome?" Tilting her head, Ding Ruoyan stood in front of Chen Geng and smiled.

His usually smooth tongue suddenly failed him, and Chen Geng stammered, "Of course not, uh... I'm just so happy to see you..."

"If you're so happy to see me, why didn't you tell me you were leaving?" Ding Ruoyan pouted, looking a bit like she was accusing him.

Looking at the charming Ding Ruoyan, Chen Geng suddenly felt a bit breathless...

All the way down from the train, Chen Geng was still savoring that beautiful night.

Don't misunderstand, nothing happened between the two, not even a simple hand-holding. This will surely disappoint readers who were hoping for something more intimate, but that's the truth. After the gathering, the group considerately let Chen Geng take Ding Ruoyan back to her school. A journey that usually took 20 minutes took them about an hour, and then Chen Geng dropped Ding Ruoyan off at the dormitory entrance. That was all.

But that hour was significant for Chen Geng. With the keen intuition of an engineer and designer, he realized that something seemed to have changed between him and Ding Ruoyan. The feeling was so sweet and so unforgettable that he was still a bit dazed when he walked out of the station, only snapping out of it when Lin Hongjun called him.

"Brat, what are you daydreaming about?" Lin Hongjun asked, looking at his dazed son.

"Nothing," Chen Geng found an excuse, "Dad, didn't you drive?"

Lin Hongjun was just a battalion-level officer, and at his rank, he didn't have a car. However, there were many vehicles being repaired at the Third Military Equipment Maintenance Factory, and as the deputy factory manager, Lin Hongjun didn't lack for cars. But Chen Geng didn't see any familiar cars outside the old, dilapidated train station, not even a Changjiang 750 sidecar motorcycle.

Lin Hongjun pointed casually, "Isn't it over there?"

Then, a black crow came into Chen Geng's view.

The black crow was a common nickname for the Qingqi 15, which was technically a fuel-assisted bicycle.

Looking closely, it was a Qingqi 15 motorcycle.

The "15" in Qingqi 15 didn't refer to a 15cc engine displacement but was named because it was officially standardized in the 15th year of the founding of the People's Republic of China. It had a loud name: Black Crow, due to its black paint job and the noisy two-stroke engine, which sounded like a crow's caw.

The Qingqi 15 was a vintage motorcycle in China. Unlike the Jialing 50, which was reverse-engineered from the Honda Super Cub, the Qingqi 15 looked more like a bicycle with a small gasoline engine attached. Many years later, it was largely unknown to those who weren't motorcycle enthusiasts, but at this stage, having a Jialing 50 or Qingqi 15 was a status symbol, akin to owning an Audi A6L.

The Qingqi 15, along with the Jialing 50, which was based on the Honda Super Cub, was a prized collectible for many motorcycle enthusiasts 20 years later. Chen Geng had always wanted to find one to collect, but he never did, and now he had encountered one.

His eyes lingered on the black crow for a moment, and Chen Geng said, "Dad, did anyone in the courtyard say anything bad about me coming back?"

"Do you even have the nerve to ask? What kind of idea did you come up with?" Chen Geng might as well not have said anything. As soon as he mentioned it, Lin Hongjun became furious, raising his hand as if to strike, "Do you know, now my reputation in the factory is ruined. Everyone asks me why I didn't let my son stay in the capital and insisted on bringing him back. Do you know how embarrassed I am?"

"Ha ha..." Chen Geng burst out laughing.