There were numerous guards at the entrance. After taking the letter of introduction from Shen Niantang, they simply told her to wait outside, and one of the on-duty personnel took the letter and hurried away.
Shen Niantang stood outside in the shade of a large tree to rest.
The guard holding Shen Niantang's letter of introduction entered the administrative building and knocked on the division commander's office door.
"Reporting!"
"Come in."
"Reporting, sir, a... female comrade has arrived outside, saying she is here to see you. This is her letter of introduction."
With that, the guard placed the letter on the desk. Gu Tingchuan, who had been sitting in a chair nearby, stood up.
"A female comrade?"
"Reporting to sir, yes."
Sitting behind the desk was a man of about fifty. His temples were slightly frosted with white, and his thick hair was bristly and stiff. His beard was cleanly shaved, and his expression was stern. His sharp, piercing eyes gave him an air of great vigor.
Jiang Wenzhou picked up the letter of introduction and unsealed it. The three prominent characters "He Shaobai" jumped out at him, causing Jiang Wenzhou to chuckle aloud.
"This stubborn old man actually wrote to me."
Although the contents of the letter were brief, the serious tone between the lines didn't look like a joke.
"Come along, Tingchuan, come with me to take a look."
Jiang Wenzhou stood up and left the letter of introduction on the desk. Gu Tingchuan followed closely behind him.
The group soon reached the main gate. Seeing people coming out, Shen Niantang stepped forward a little closer.
"You're the young woman who came to apply for a civilian job?"
"Yes."
Jiang Wenzhou gestured to the guard to open the gate. Once she stepped inside, Shen Niantang stood straight before Jiang Wenzhou.
The young woman before them was quite striking. Her delicate eyebrows and eyes were full of expression, and her fair skin seemed radiant in the sunlight. Shen Niantang did not recognize Gu Tingchuan; she only knew that the senior officer standing at the front must be the highest-ranking person here.
"I see from your letter of introduction that you want to work as a civilian in the army, specifically as an English translator."
Shen Niantang nodded with quiet confidence.
"Yes, exactly."
Jiang Wenzhou furrowed his brows. The young girl in front of him looked no older than twenty, yet she spoke of becoming an English translator just like that—wasn't she being a bit too bold?
While Jiang Wenzhou was still harboring doubts, Gu Tingchuan had not taken his eyes off Shen Niantang since the moment he first saw her. Perhaps Gu Tingchuan's gaze was too intense; when Shen Niantang instinctively looked back at him, he quickly averted his eyes, almost as if he had a guilty conscience.
"Let's go. Comrade, if you want to stay in the army, I still need to test your abilities."
Jiang Wenzhou walked ahead and turned to instruct Xiaoqiang, the guard by his side, "Go call Section Chief Liu to my office."
"Understood."
Shen Niantang followed behind Jiang Wenzhou. Beside her, the broad-shouldered and powerfully built Gu Tingchuan standing next to Shen Niantang gave off the impression of a big bad wolf paired with a little white rabbit.
"Let me carry that for you."
Gu Tingchuan, usually so stern, unconsciously blurted out these words. Hearing this, Jiang Wenzhou turned his head with a very surprised expression, though a moment later he seemed to understand something, merely smiling faintly without speaking.
Shen Niantang shook her head. After all, she didn't have that many things, and she had carried everything herself even while climbing the mountains, let alone needing help now.
"No thank you, my things aren't heavy."
With that, Shen Niantang adjusted her backpack and quickly caught up with Jiang Wenzhou's pace.
Seeing that hurried figure, Gu Tingchuan felt an inexplicable sense of loss in his heart, which made him feel quite uncomfortable. After all, Shen Niantang seemed to maintain a deliberate sense of distance and alienation from him.
After being rejected, Gu Tingchuan couldn't help feeling annoyed. He quietly followed behind Shen Niantang, his eyes never leaving her.
Upon reaching the division commander's office, the room wasn't large, but it was clean and tidy, with a neatly arranged layout.
"Xiaotang, just sit here and wait a moment."
"Mm-hmm, okay."
Shen Niantang placed her bundle beside her and sat quietly, looking as petite and adorable as a doll, somewhat out of place in the rather spartan environment.
Soon, a knock sounded at the office door, and in walked a tall, thin man wearing glasses. He had a scholarly air tinged with a hint of exhaustion.
"Reporting."
"He Qian, someone is here to help you with the work at the Translation Department."
"Really? Heavens, the organization finally knows my suffering!"
"Where is she? Quick, let me see her."
With that, He Qian turned around and saw Shen Niantang sitting quietly on the sofa. His gaze paused slightly, and it took him a long time to react.
"You... you don't mean this little girl, do you?"
He Qian raised one eyebrow and let out a laugh. Although there was no mockery in it, it was hard for him to believe.
There was no sign of annoyance on Shen Niantang's face. She simply stood up unhurriedly and walked over to He Qian.
"Hello comrade, my name is Shen Niantang, and I am indeed here to work in the army."
He Qian quickly understood why Division Commander Jiang had called him over, so he fished two pieces of paper out of his pocket. They were covered in dense English text, followed by a short passage in Russian.
"Alright, alright, Comrade Shen, then translate what is written here."
Shen Niantang took the paper from He Qian's hand, swept her eyes swiftly from top to bottom, and then accurately and rapidly recited the meaning of the English passage on the page. The complex, difficult sentences and rare vocabulary inside did not stump her at all, and she even translated the Russian passage that followed.
He Qian said nothing. As he listened to Shen Niantang's answer, he furrowed his brows slightly, nodding repeatedly.
As soon as Shen Niantang finished speaking, He Qian hurriedly turned to the document cabinet behind him, pulled out a file folder, and extracted a data report. After a brief moment of thought, he glanced at Shen Niantang, then let his gaze drift past Jiang Wenzhou. Receiving an approving look from Jiang Wenzhou, he handed the materials to Shen Niantang.
Upon receiving the documents, Shen Niantang gave a slight, tight-lipped smile. After a quick scan, she expressed the meaning of the materials with extreme professionalism and precise terminology.
He Qian's gaze gradually shifted from curious scrutiny to astonishment and submission. Until now, He Qian had never seen anyone master English to such an exceptional degree, which filled him with admiration.
Jiang Wenzhou and Gu Tingchuan naturally recognized Shen Niantang's true capability. However, because the department and position Shen Niantang was applying for were very special within the military, there were still many procedures to complete before her appointment. Not only would they have to conduct a political background check on Shen Niantang, but she would also need to undergo classified operations training. If necessary, Shen Niantang would even formally enlist in the army and obtain official military status.