allonlinenovel Was Chapter 116 intentionally arranged or due to oversight?
Was Chapter 116 intentionally arranged or due to oversight?
Zhao Lingfeng interrupted her, his brows furrowing slightly, his tone remaining cold yet polite:
"I appreciate Miss Gu's kindness, but such defense arrangements are military secrets and should not be known to outsiders."
He paused slightly, then calmly added, "Your status is distinguished, and you are here to assist with logistical matters; defense is not within your purview."
Ms. Gu, please focus on your duties and do not get involved in other matters.
Gu Jinyan felt a pang of sadness upon hearing Zhao Lingfeng's refusal.
She knew that she was just an outsider in the military, and that there were many things that she could not directly participate in, or even have a say in.
Her sincere attempt to express herself was met with indifference, leaving her feeling somewhat powerless.
She looked up at Zhao Lingfeng and found that his gaze was still calm and distant, as if she had only come to express some trivial matters, not even worth a moment more attention.
She lowered her head, took a deep breath, and calmly replied, "It was Jin Yan who was being presumptuous. Thank you for your guidance, General."
After speaking, he bowed slightly, turned around, and slowly walked out.
Back in her tent, she sat down quietly, her mood somewhat heavy.
She recalled the importance of defense and deployment in the military treatises she had studied extensively. The books emphasized that patrols and defense were the cornerstone of the military camp, but the laxity and laziness of the soldiers were easily overlooked.
He thought to himself, "Although the oversight in the defense is small, if the enemy suddenly attacks, it could lead to a major disaster."
Although I lack practical experience, the principles are clear to me.
She knew she was powerless to change the status quo, and military defense seemed out of reach for her, just as Zhao Lingfeng said, "I have no right to participate."
Nevertheless, she did not back down.
She decided to continue paying attention to the details of logistics and keep a record of the problems she observed, hoping that one day she could bring about some changes to the army in her own way.
After her suggestion to Zhao Lingfeng was rejected, Gu Jinyan gradually realized that in this army with iron discipline at its core, her opinions were not valued and even seemed superfluous.
In the eyes of those seasoned soldiers, she was nothing more than a "young lady" with no combat record or military rank. No matter how reasonable her suggestions were, they were nothing more than empty talk from an outsider.
Given this, Gu Jinyan decided to temporarily refrain from interfering and instead choose silence and patience, noting down all the military issues he observed and waiting for a suitable opportunity to act.
During his time working in logistics, Gu Jinyan would arrive at the warehouse and material storage area early every day to carefully check the accounts and materials to ensure there were no new anomalies.
She observed the soldiers who came to collect supplies discreetly, paying attention to their every move.
Through this seemingly monotonous work, she gradually figured out the personalities and behavioral patterns of different soldiers.
Some soldiers were careless and undisciplined, always complaining about insufficient rations when receiving them, and lazily going through the motions of their work;
Some people are perfunctory about the rules, grabbing their supplies and leaving in a hurry, without even bothering to sign in or register.
There seems to be a tacit understanding between some veterans and logistics managers. They often turn a blind eye during inspections, and the records are often omitted if the supplies are picked up by "acquaintances".
Gu Jinyan silently kept these phenomena in mind and gradually discovered that some rules in the military were not as impartial as they seemed on the surface, but rather concealed many subtle human relationships.
These unwritten rules, though seemingly harmless in the short term, could become a hidden danger if left unchecked, especially in urgent situations.
At the same time, she also carefully observed the working styles of officials at all levels.
As a general, Zhao Lingfeng was always meticulous in his actions. He inspected the defenses of each camp on time every day and handled military affairs with composure and decisiveness, which earned him the deep respect of the soldiers.
However, his calmness also made people feel distant, especially towards her, an "outsider," whom he always maintained a distant attitude.
Her daily conversations with her superiors gradually made her realize that in this military camp, the real power was in the hands of a few senior generals.
The family background represented by the outsider was not truly integrated into the power structure of this army.
Every night, Gu Jinyan would return to his tent and sit alone under the lamp, sorting out what he had seen and heard during the day.
She spread out the ledger, silently recalling what she had observed that day, clarifying her doubts one by one, and mentally deduce the situation:
Uneven distribution of provisions, lax patrols by soldiers, negligence and perfunctory attitude of officers... What risks are hidden behind these appearances?
If the war intensifies, how will these issues affect the operation of the military?
She categorized and organized these findings, forming a preliminary framework in her mind.
These scattered pieces of information alone are not enough to reveal the real problem, but they are undoubtedly clues leading to the truth.
Gu Jinyan waited patiently and planned to gather this information at the right time and turn it into effective action.
In the stillness of the night, she would take out the military treatise she always carried with her, compare it with the situation she had observed that day, and analyze the gap between the theories in the book and actual operations.
She gradually discovered that the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application was far deeper than she had imagined.
Every rule and detail in the military requires repeated practice and refinement, and cannot be easily replaced by theoretical knowledge from books.
To truly integrate into this army, one must constantly adjust one's thinking during the process of observation and learning.
"If I can't participate in the war head-on, then I'll start from behind the scenes," Gu Jinyan silently resolved.
She sees herself as both an observer and a learner.
Whenever she discovers a new problem, she doesn't rush to express her opinion. Instead, she patiently observes its origins and development, analyzes its causes, and thinks about how to solve these problems in the future.
One day, during a routine logistical check, Gu Jinyan, as usual, looked through today's shift schedule.
The densely packed names and job titles on the forms initially daunted her, but as time went on, she gradually adapted to this seemingly tedious paperwork and even began to pay attention to every detail.
Looking at the shift schedule, which listed the roles of patrol, guard, and logistics, she sensed something was amiss.
At first, she didn't pay much attention and just routinely recorded the information in the form, casually making notes in the ledger next to her.
However, as she sorted through these records day by day, she noticed the frequency with which certain soldiers' names appeared on the shift schedule.
She discovered that several soldiers had unusually dense shifts, especially a young soldier named Zhang Daming, who was on patrol almost every day and was assigned to the difficult night shifts more than once.
Meanwhile, the name of another soldier named Liu Yi was hard to find in the list. When he did appear, it was usually in a relatively easy position, such as guarding a logistics supply station.
This asymmetrical distribution aroused suspicion in Gu Jinyan's mind.
She quietly went through the shift records for nearly a month, marked each soldier's name on a piece of paper, and recorded their shift number and time period.
She carefully analyzed the data and gradually discovered that some soldiers occupied more positions on the shift schedule, and some even only worked in easy positions once or twice a week.
Other soldiers, especially young recruits, were almost always fixed in frequent rotations.
To confirm this further, she decided to personally inspect the frequently assigned positions over the next few days.
A cold wind blew through the camp at night. Gu Jinyan, wearing a military overcoat, quietly observed the soldiers patrolling back and forth on the patrol line at the edge of the camp.
Zhang Daming looked exhausted, his steps slightly unsteady, clearly the result of working non-stop for a long time. In contrast, the veterans who relieved him before him looked relaxed and showed no signs of fatigue.
She silently noted this down in her mind and pondered it carefully after returning to her tent:
Why is the shift work so uneven? Is it intentional or due to negligence?
She reviewed the shift schedule again and discovered that this pattern was not accidental, but a long-standing practice.
New recruits are always assigned to strenuous tasks such as night shifts and patrols, while experienced veterans seem to be "exceptional" in being assigned to easier positions.
This matter caused her some unease.
In the military, it is impossible for everyone to enjoy the same treatment. Military regulations have long emphasized seniority, but such an uneven shift arrangement inevitably makes young soldiers physically and mentally exhausted, and even causes them to complain.
If the war becomes intense and soldiers become physically exhausted, or if they neglect their duties due to fatigue during patrols, the consequences will be unimaginable.
Therefore, she sat alone in her tent at night, lit an oil lamp, and began to organize the various details she had observed.
She meticulously recorded the loopholes in the shift schedule and the soldiers' job assignments, writing down her concerns beside them:
"In wartime, how can these positions remain efficient? Can new recruits truly fulfill their roles?"
Should shifts be rebalanced to ensure overall morale and combat effectiveness?
In the quiet tent, Gu Jinyan slowly closed his notebook.
These nights of contemplation became a mark of her gradual maturation. She began to understand that the military camp was not only a bloody battlefield, but also a complex system.
She must be cautious and patient in order to truly find an opportunity for change.
That morning, after taking stock of the provisions, Gu Jinyan did not return directly to his tent.
Instead, they were guided by some kind of intuition to slowly move towards the southern city defense line.
She walked along the edge of the camp, the cool autumn wind blowing gently, lifting her sleeves.
The South City Defense Line is located on the outskirts of the camp. Unlike other areas, it is densely wooded, partially obscuring the view. The terrain is slightly low-lying and stretches into the distance.