Chapter 274: Your Chance For A First-class Merit Has Come!
Chen Jun, with his vast knowledge reserve like the sea, combined with his outstanding eloquence, explained his understanding of combined arms units and his insights into modernization and informatization reform in a casual family chat manner.
He easily won over Chief Gao, gaining preliminary recognition and leaving a very good impression.
Don’t underestimate this preliminary impression.
As long as Chen Jun uses it well in the future, it can absolutely play a decisive role at some crucial moment ahead.
It can even be said that this simple chat alone is enough to become one of the milestones in Chen Jun’s life.
Through this brief chat, Chief Gao increasingly felt that Chen Jun was to his liking, and he rarely took the initiative to bring out a bottle of Maozi liquor, asking Chen Jun and Gao Cheng to drink a couple of glasses with him.
Mother Gao could tell her husband was in a good mood and cooperatively went to stir-fry some dishes to go with the drinks.
After two glasses of Maozi, the atmosphere at the dining table became even more harmonious.
It wasn’t convenient to talk about work at the dining table, so they naturally shifted to chatting about life.
During the chat, Mother Gao sensed that Chen Jun was a very excellent young man, and moreover single, immediately awakening a certain talent.
She immediately expressed her intention to find a partner for Chen Jun and inquired about his age, hobbies, and such.
She also brought Gao Cheng along, suggesting the two go on blind dates together.
This made Chen Jun very awkward!
He had thought Chief Gao would definitely have no interest in such matters, so Chen Jun tried to change the topic and talk about something else to divert attention.
Gao Cheng was also not interested in the topic and tried to interrupt his mother’s enthusiasm.
But unexpectedly, Chief Gao immediately expressed his stance, siding with Mother Gao and strongly supporting her idea.
He even implied to Chen Jun and Gao Cheng that starting a family was a very necessary thing.
The influence of this aspect is still small for grassroots cadres, but once reaching deputy regiment level or above in personnel appointments, the family factor will weigh more and more heavily.
The higher up, the more a family is needed, giving an advantage in position competition.
The reason for this advantage.
It is both a tradition and a rule.
In the domestic army or officialdom, seeking stability first and then development has always been the mainstream; the higher positions require more mature people to hold them.
Mature people have a steadier mentality and can better handle major matters.
And starting a family represents stepping toward maturity.
Only by shouldering the responsibility of head of the family can one understand the heavy responsibility of battalion commander.
Therefore, in selecting people, there is a greater tendency toward those who have started a family.
Chen Jun and Gao Cheng are both excellent young cadres with limitless future development prospects; resolving family matters can give them wings like a tiger.
As parents who have been through it, Gao Cheng’s parents deeply understand the pros and cons, so they specifically brought it up.
Gao Cheng is now already 26 years old, and his position has reached acting battalion commander at deputy regiment level; as long as he stabilizes and gets officially promoted, he will be a standard deputy regiment level cadre.
His next promotion will be to a regimental level position, and by then whether he has a family or not will inevitably become a consideration factor.
Chen Jun is also about to turn 25 soon, and his position has already reached regiment level, even if only acting; actually, the situation is the same as Gao Cheng’s.
As long as they don’t make any major principled errors, no one can take away their positions.
The role of family factors is already beginning to show.
If they don’t start preparing for starting a family now, when the real need arises later, it won’t be that easy to make an effort anymore.
After all, finding a wife isn’t like buying vegetables at the market; it can’t be settled in three to five days.
As someone who has been through it, Chen Jun knew very well in his heart that the attribute bonus value of starting a family in the army is very high, and he was very grateful for Mother Gao’s kindness.
But he didn’t want to be a big official; he just wanted to promote the rise of Steel Seventh Company.
As long as he ensures that the combined arms battalion troops can’t do without him, Chen Jun’s position in the combined arms unit won’t be bad; at worst, the superiors will arrange a deputy position for him.
Otherwise, Chen Jun’s position wouldn’t match his ability, which would also limit the development of the combined arms unit.
So for Mother Gao’s warm kindness, out of consideration for face, Chen Jun didn’t give a direct answer but kept sidestepping indirectly.
For example, saying he only wanted to focus on development now and would consider marriage after 30, and so on.
Mother Gao’s response was also very emotionally intelligent.
She smiled and said they could first introduce them to get to know each other, date for a few years, which would be better; if after a few years they were suitable, getting married at 30 would be just right.
If they found someone suitable, don’t reject; if not, don’t blame her; everything depends on whether fate arrives.
With Mother Gao putting it this way, Chen Jun couldn’t continue sidestepping and could only go along with the topic: “Thank you, Auntie, for your concern; such matters can’t be forced, it just depends on whether I have this fate.”
Relatively speaking.
Gao Cheng was much more anxious; his next step was regimental level, and if he became regiment commander while still single, it would definitely be a major deduction.
So Mother Gao and Gao’s Father had a firmer attitude, not giving Gao Cheng any chance to refuse.
Gao’s Father directly ordered on the spot: “Your mom and Auntie Liang have already made an appointment; since you’re back now, go visit together tomorrow.
Auntie Liang’s daughter is at the military region headquarters, a very capable girl, more than enough for you.”
“No, I’m not going; our battalion is at a crucial moment in development now; how could I have time for this? We’ll talk about it later when I have time.” Gao Cheng flatly refused.
Gao Cheng’s personality was very strong-willed, putting career first.
He truly hadn’t taken finding a wife to heart.
Gao Cheng’s firm response made Gao’s Father’s brows furrow, and a powerful aura of unspoken authority made the dining table atmosphere instantly highly tense.
“I’m not discussing this with you; this is an order. If you’re so busy with work that you don’t even have time for this, I don’t mind changing your position.”
Chief Gao’s words carried obvious threat, making Gao Cheng’s face look very bad.
With Gao Cheng’s arrogant and strong-willed personality, he most tabooed being forcibly pressured, but facing his J commander father, he was completely suppressed.
No matter how angry he felt inside, he didn’t dare retort.
“Little Cheng, it’s just going to have a meal and meet; don’t talk about anything else first. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself; whether it works or not, we can talk later, okay?”
Mother Gao perfectly played the good cop role, providing a very good buffer effect.
Chen Jun also thought that Gao Cheng’s current situation really required him to quickly find a wife and start a family, otherwise it would be very disadvantageous for future development.
After all, at the combined arms regiment level, the influence is already very great, and the war zone will intervene.
The group army’s right to speak would drop significantly.
So he decided to help out, saying in a more relaxed joking tone: “Battalion commander, you have to set a good example. Once you succeed and find a virtuous and beautiful wife, it’ll be my turn then, haha.”
“Bullshit, if you want a wife so much, then you go with my mom this time.” Gao Cheng said irritably.
“That won’t do; you’re my leader, you must set the example for everyone. All the guys in our battalion are single; can you bear to see the brothers stay single?” Chen Jun skillfully used a moral bind.
Gao Cheng was truly speechless, his round big eyes glaring at Chen Jun.
As if saying: “We’re brothers; you’re one of us, and you pit me like this?”
“Alright, then it’s settled.”
Seeing that Chen Jun had eased the atmosphere, Gao’s Father smoothly changed the topic: “This lecture is very important; Chen Jun, you must put your heart into it…”
With Chief Gao shifting the topic, Gao Cheng didn’t persist in refusing anymore.
It amounted to tacit agreement!
Seeing that she had finally persuaded her son, Mother Gao became exceptionally happy, her mouth blooming into a smile, and she immediately ran off to make a phone call.
Striking while the iron is hot to settle the matter, lest delays cause more dreams.
Chen Jun finished dinner at Gao Cheng’s home; since he had to depart for the lecture tomorrow morning, he still needed to do some preparation work in the evening.
So after dinner, he just had one cup of tea and then said goodbye and returned to the military region guesthouse.
The next day.
After Chen Jun rendezvoused with the working group, they set off on this lecture tour journey.
Around the same time, Gao Cheng was specially taken by Mother Gao to the street to buy a suit, and then got a special haircut.
After getting all his outfit in order, Gao Cheng really had quite a manly vibe.
From buying clothes and getting a haircut, Gao Cheng was unwilling all along the way, very resistant to this blind date, purely forced into it.
However, upon arriving at Auntie Liang’s home and catching sight of the girl who opened the door.
Oval face, curved arched eyebrows, double-eyelid big eyes, gaze clear and spirited, a head of short hair making her look especially neat, accentuating her clean and crisp temperament.
Especially the smile lifting at the corners of her mouth, sweet with a hint of playfulness, captivating the mind.
Being able to go on a blind date with the J commander’s son, and she herself developing in the army, no matter who it was, she would definitely be very happy inside.
A smile from the heart, hard not to be sweet.
Gao Cheng had always been in an army full of men, out of sight out of mind, completely no concept of women, so refusing the blind date was naturally firm.
Now face-to-face less than a meter apart, even able to smell the faint fragrance on her.
That feeling was too intense, directly triggering him.
He was stunned for a full several seconds.
Even his heartbeat suddenly accelerated fiercely!
The original idea of just showing up to get it over with, chat a bit, have a meal, then find an excuse to slip away was completely swept away.
His mind unexpectedly had some curiosity, instinctively wanting to know more information about the girl.
This before-and-after change…
The textbook true fragrance law!
Mother Gao saw the change in her son’s demeanor, and the smile on her face became even more intense, a thought leaping into her mind—
This time it’s definitely going to work!!
…
Gao Cheng encountered his heart-moving girl, and the land parched for over twenty years began to bubble water, the breath named spring wind starting to surge.
Meanwhile, Chen Jun’s lecture tour journey also went very smoothly.
Having participated in combined arms unit work for two lifetimes, and in his previous life fully involved in building a digitalized combined arms division, combined arms units had become Chen Jun’s domain.
Working in his most adept domain was simpler for Chen Jun than drinking water.
Every time Chen Jun went to a regiment for a lecture, he received a warm welcome from officers and soldiers up and down the regiment; no matter how big the venue, it was packed.
The echoes after the lectures were also very enthusiastic, all feeling they benefited greatly from Chen Jun’s lessons.
Originally, everyone was half-understanding combined arms units and combined arms tactics, only knowing the surface, foggy inside.
After listening to Chen Jun’s lecture from shallow to deep, many unclear points were enlightened.
Sudden enlightenment!
With greater understanding of combined arms units, they naturally realized that the impact of combined arms units on the future had exceeded their imagination.
For this absolute mainstream trend of the future, everyone would instinctively move closer.
In life, learn more about combined arms units; in training, try to understand combined arms tactics; traditional playing styles would thus subtly change.
With this seed sprouting in their hearts, when combined arms units are fully promoted later, it would go smoothly all the way.
And this simple subtle influence is exactly the effect the superiors wanted Chen Jun’s lecture tour to have on the entire group army.
Chen Jun’s lectures benefiting the crowd greatly proved his lectures had value.
It further proved the military region’s decision was a huge success.
And as the main lecturer, Chen Jun, despite running around all day making his body and spirit very tired, every time after a lecture seeing the happy faces of the crowd, his mood would become exceptionally pleasant.
Effort paid off with returns is the thing that most pleases the mood.
Under Chen Jun’s diligent work, the informatization reform thinking of the entire Eighty-fourth Group Army received an overall sublimation.
By the time Chen Jun finished all the regiments in the group army, time was already 26 days later.
A few days ahead of schedule.
Chen Jun’s lecture this time achieved huge success; the military region, to praise Chen Jun’s hard work, specially organized a commendation conference at the military region.
Giving Chen Jun another award and a military region level commendation.
Chen Jun, who already had second-class merit and third-class merit maxed out, was now in a two-year cooldown CD.
First-class merit, second-class merit, and third-class merit.
Only once every two years.
Now Chen Jun still had cooldown CD honors; the currently vacant ones left only first-class merit, and honorary titles above first-class merit.
They say third-class merit is taken standing, second-class merit lying down, first-class merit by family.
To get a first-class merit, the difficulty is comparable to ascending to heaven.
Honorary titles are even more so!
But Chen Jun walked out his own path in this heaven-ascending difficulty, not needing to lie down; standing he also had a chance to get first-class merit.
Because at the celebration banquet after the commendation conference, Chief Gao said something meaningful.
“Chen Jun, now everything is proving that combined arms units are inevitably the mainstream of the future. I hope you can work hard, bring into play your ability and strengths.
I believe if your combined arms unit concepts can be promoted throughout the group army, they can be promoted throughout the entire army.”
At this point, Chief Gao patted Chen Jun on the right side, the blank spot at the top of the awards hanging, also the position above second-class merit.
“By that time, this blank spot of yours will no longer be empty.”
Though Chief Gao didn’t say it explicitly, anyone with normal intelligence could hear the implied meaning in his words.
That is “first-class merit”!!
In fact, there was indeed this probability, and the probability of successfully obtaining it was very high.
Because first-class merit benchmarks huge contributions to the entire army, second-class merit to army level, third-class merit to regiment level, with clear boundary standards.
If Chen Jun’s concepts are promoted throughout the army, he would have made huge contributions to the entire army.
Perfectly benchmarking first-class merit!
Thinking of the chance to get first-class merit, to obtain that sacred and unattainable honor, even the seasoned and steady Chen Jun couldn’t help his heartbeat accelerating.
While anticipating that day’s arrival, his work enthusiasm surged even more.
He couldn’t help shouting in his heart.
“I, Chen Jun, must get first-class merit in this lifetime!!”
