northernbook Chapter 1243 High-Level Reception
Chapter 1243 High-Level Reception
Most government offices were unaware of Li Shaoyi's arrival in Chongqing. Liu Xiaoshan only released the news shortly before Li Shaoyi's imminent arrival. Since Li Shaoyi had almost completely broken with the Nationalist government when he left Hankou last time, the Nationalist government gave him a high-level welcome upon his return to Chongqing this time.
A welcoming party led by Vice Minister Wu of the Ministry of Military Affairs was already lined up at the mountain city airport. The delegation, consisting of over a dozen generals, was the first such high-level welcome the Nationalist government had received since its retreat to the city. The original Nanjing military band had been disbanded, but the band from the Southwest Associated University was borrowed to reunite them.
As the plane circled in the sky, Li Shaoyi saw a large, dark mass of people below. Miss Baiyun was even more surprised. She had originally thought Li Shaoyi was just one of a group of warlords, but she had underestimated him. Having been away from the country for so long, she was not very familiar with the situation back home.
"What kind of look is that? Why are you staring at me like that? Do I have bugs on my face?"
When Li Shaoyi turned around, he saw Miss Baiyun looking surprised. She even wiped her face to see if there were any bugs.
"I'm just surprised by your influence. Since you have such a high level of influence in the country, how can you go with me to Pujiang to carry out such a mission? If there are any losses, your 72nd Group Army will be in trouble. I wonder if anyone will come looking for revenge against me."
Miss Baiyun even cracked a joke, which was rare for her. After all, everyone was in a state of high tension after a major mission. Even after a trip to Hong Kong, many people were still replaying the brush with death in their minds. Now that they were back in Chongqing, they could finally relax. Although there were still many Japanese spies here, no matter what, this was their territory, and life was a little better.
"Seeking revenge is absolutely out of the question, you can rest assured about that. Take a good rest in the mountain city, and if you need anything, come to the 72nd Group Army office to find me. Although I can't control everything here, I can still help you if you encounter any injustice."
The plane had already come to a stop while the two were talking. Only after disembarking did Miss Baiyun realize that they were going in different directions. Li Shaoyi was going back with some people from the Ministry of Military Affairs, while Miss Baiyun was going back with some people from the Military Intelligence Bureau—these were completely different paths. She hadn't realized they were separating beforehand, so Miss Baiyun was still very happy, after all, she was returning to the rear.
But only now did she realize that the two were about to separate, and Miss Baiyun's expression was somewhat awkward. In fact, she felt a sense of reluctance to part ways. This feeling seemed to have never appeared in her body, which had been in existence for more than 20 years, especially when it came to a man of the opposite sex.
Regardless of what Miss Baiyun was thinking, or whether she wanted to separate, the two of them were immediately surrounded by two groups of people when they came down. The Military Intelligence Bureau knew Miss Baiyun's importance, so they couldn't show themselves in such a scene; if there were assassins among the crowd, Miss Baiyun would likely be in trouble.
As for Commander Li, you don't need to worry about him. His guards are well-equipped to handle such a large-scale situation. If you manage to draw your gun successfully, then you'll be considered skilled. Moreover, Liu Xiaoshan had already deployed over a hundred snipers to the airport, their locations unknown, each responsible for a specific area. If anyone makes any unusual movements, they've probably already opened fire.
There were also more than 100 guards in the crowd, each responsible for guarding their own area. If anyone dared to harm Commander Li, they would probably be pinned to the ground before they even had a chance to draw their gun.
When the 72nd Army was first formed, many things were not perfect, and the Japanese could have taken advantage of some loopholes. But now it's completely different. We have formed a huge army group, and everyone, including Li Shaoyi's bodyguards, is professionally trained. Take today's scene, for example; there are hundreds of people just responsible for Li Shaoyi's safety. If you can still find a loophole, it means we've all been wasting our time.
Vice Minister Wu, representing the Nationalist government, warmly welcomed Li Shaoyi and delivered a speech. Dozens of generals followed suit, including many familiar faces from the war effort, whom Li Shaoyi embraced. Reporters nearby snapped photos incessantly, as if nothing had happened in Hankou; everyone was now only talking about the good news, not the bad.
Li Shaoyi had nothing to say about the Nationalist government's consistent behavior. It was all just an act, wasn't it? His acting skills had improved considerably over the years. He wouldn't bring up the past, but he wouldn't either. However, he warned others not to expect him to follow their orders without considering their own interests, as he had done in the past.
In truth, the Nationalist government still hoped that Li Shaoyi could return to his previous state. But then again, if someone has been terribly wronged, how could they possibly stand still? You shouldn't blame Li Shaoyi and the 72nd Army for these things; you should seriously examine yourselves and see what mistakes you made during your retreat.
There was originally a segment where Li Shaoyi would give a speech, but he declined. His subordinates also felt this should be cancelled, since they were all in the crowd and their men could be around him. If he were to speak, it would likely be too dangerous.
Li Shaoyi understood perfectly the principle that a wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall. No matter how capable his bodyguards were, as long as this was not his territory, Li Shaoyi would not put himself under enemy fire.
Since Li Shaoyi was unwilling to speak, the people here couldn't force him. Their original plan was that if Li Shaoyi could give a speech, perhaps about the war effort, it would be much easier for the newspapers to report on it. Now, it seemed they had united all the forces across the country to fight the war together.
But if they are unwilling to take the risk, we naturally cannot force them.