Chapter 183: Just Speaking Up, Yet It Provoked the Crowd

"Regimental Commander Su, why hasn't it started yet?"

The little girl from before couldn't help but come over to ask again.

According to the rehearsed schedule, it should be time to start the performance now.

Su Feixue hadn't expected it to be delayed this long; she saw that the comrade on stage was still speaking passionately.

"Regimental Commander Su, he's so talkative; you see, even after graduating from university he got all fired up and just keeps going on and on."

Su Feixue acted as if she hadn't heard, her gaze fixed on the comrade's waist on the stage.

As Lu Cheng spoke, he also gestured with his arm; because his police uniform was somewhat tight, the Jade Pendant hanging at his waist became exposed.

Su Feixue squinted; that Jade Pendant looked familiar.

The lifelike dragon design resembled the Dragon Pendant that Master wore.

But how could that comrade on stage be wearing Master's Dragon Pendant?

Who is he?

Lu Cheng? Su Feixue thought the name sounded familiar, as if Master had mentioned it.

It shouldn't be a duplicate name, so this Lu Cheng is probably that junior brother she has never met.

"Regimental Commander Su, what's wrong with you?" the little girl saw Su Feixue furrow her brows, remain silent, and couldn't help but ask.

Su Feixue finally lowered her gaze: "It's nothing, just wait a bit, let him finish speaking."

The little girl was startled for a moment, thinking Regimental Commander Su's furrowed brows meant she was about to lose her temper, after all the performance hadn't started on time yet, all because that person on stage was delaying.

She didn't expect Regimental Commander Su to be so unusually patient.

How strange!

But the audience below clearly didn't have that much patience.

They came to watch the song‑and‑dance show, not to listen to a speech.

"Damn it, this kid talks way too much; I want to take off my shoes and throw them at his face."

"Who says it's not? I really want to kill him."

Someone else yawned: "I can't take it anymore, I'm about to fall asleep. It's hard enough to come out once to watch a performance, damn it, and now we have to listen to a half‑day speech report."

The audience grew increasingly restless, because Lu Cheng had been talking eloquently for over twenty minutes.

Even the leaders on stage began scratching their heads.

The Deputy Minister tilted his head and asked, "Deputy Bureau Chief Tang, am I usually like this? Talking for ages without a single point."

Tang Qiusheng laughed and said, "Looks like I need to reflect as well; today I finally understand how the people below feel like they're sitting on a bed of needles when we speak."

Tang Qiusheng tried several times to interrupt Lu Cheng, thinking it was enough, but Lu Cheng's parallel sentences flowed one after another, linking each other, and he found that cutting in at any point was inappropriate.

But it must be said, Lu Cheng's impromptu speaking skill truly impressed those leaders.

In the audience, Lei Zhan Ge also kept frowning as he listened, turned his head and instructed Wang Fengshi in the back row.

"Xiao Wang, go up on stage and pull him down for me."

"Ah, Captain Lei, it seems Group Leader Lu hasn't finished yet; is it appropriate?"

Lei Zhan Ge sighed, "You didn't hear that the people behind started cursing, and with his way of speaking, will they even watch the dance performance?"

Wang Fengshi thought that was right; everyone mainly came to see the dance performance, not to listen to Lu Cheng's report.

When Wang Fengshi slunk onto the stage, Lu Cheng pressed the microphone down and said, "Director Wang, why did you come up? Does Captain Lei have any further instructions that require me to speak to everyone on stage?"

"Nothing, nothing; Captain Lei told you to go down."

"Ah, I'm only two sentences away from finishing; wait a moment for me."

Wang Fengshi was speechless to the extreme; he finally realized those two sentences of Lu Cheng represented two hours.

"Yes, there's an urgent mission," Wang Fengshi had to lie and say.

Upon hearing about a mission, Lu Cheng reluctantly hurried to wrap up.

"Comrades, we just received an urgent mission; that's about all for today's speech. Next time we have a chance, we'll explore and study together.

However, the ten points I just mentioned, everyone must remember, at all times…"

Wang Fengshi could no longer bear listening, snatched the microphone from Lu Cheng, placed it on the table, apologized to the leaders, and quickly pulled Lu Cheng down.

Lu Cheng, only halfway through, still felt unsatisfied; recalling his past life, when he held meetings with subordinates, he would speak for an entire morning without repeating a single sentence.

But that's fine; today, in front of so many people and numerous representatives from other units, he at least made a familiar face, so in the future, dealing with those units will be easier to say a few words.

Back on the floor, Lu Cheng said boastfully, "Captain Lei, what I said just now was okay, didn't embarrass you, right?"

Lei Zhan Ge snorted, "You're in the spotlight today, your speech is impressive. If I didn't call you, how long would you have kept talking?"

Lu Cheng smiled, "It's fine, this is just the beginning…"

Lei Zhan Ge retorted, "Go sit at the back."

Lu Cheng didn't want to sit in the front anyway; the few young women behind, including Jiang Mengmeng, clearly had their eyes glazed over when they looked at him.

Lu Cheng was about to stride with his glory into the flowerbed to receive those young women's compliments, when Wang Fengshi pulled him to sit in the second row.

That Director Wang was truly annoying today.

Lu Cheng also had some questions he wanted to ask.

"Director Wang, why am I suddenly being assigned to university? What does Borrowed Student mean?"

At that moment, the leaders on stage exited, descended to sit in the middle, and the announcer emerged from backstage to introduce the upcoming performances.

Wang Fengshi said after sitting down, "It means your workload will be reduced, giving you time to study at university; you could also see it as a way to indirectly give you a degree."

Lu Cheng seemed to understand, "If my workload decreases, my chances for Merit also go down, so how will I become a police chief next year?"

Wang Fengshi shook his head slightly, "You still haven't got it. Do you think a degree is more important, or becoming a police chief?"

"Let me put it this way: before, one could earn merit by going into battle and killing enemies; even an illiterate could become a chief without issue. But now? In peacetime, those opportunities no longer exist."

"Now the nation has countless tasks to revive, and it's beginning to value professional talent cultivation; to achieve merit, you now rely on a degree and professional skills."

Just take the other team leaders, whose education is all above yours; if you become a police chief next year, that would be Deputy Section, and even if you become a police chief, at most you'll have Section Staff treatment.

I know you have great ability, but with your current education, in the future you'll only rise to Section Rank, maybe a bit better, endure a few years to rise to regular Department, and that's the top you'll reach in this life.

Therefore, I advise you to cherish this learning opportunity.

Listening to Director Wang's sincere, heartfelt words, Lu Cheng instantly felt enlightened.

Indeed, the farther into the future, the higher one's education, the more it determines one's ceiling.

Compared with the other team leaders, his current education is already far behind the starting line.

After a long silence, Lu Cheng said gratefully, "Thank you, Director Wang, for your teachings; I will certainly not disappoint you and Captain Lei's expectations."

Wang Fengshi patted his shoulder with satisfaction: "Work hard; when you graduate in the future, you'll directly receive Zhengke Rank treatment, and surpassing me in the future is only a matter of time."

"Director Wang is joking, no matter when, you will always be my leader."

Wang Fengshi was startled, then laughed; the reason he values Lu Cheng so much is that he first saw that Lei Zhan'ge values Lu Cheng.

Someone valued by Lei Zhan'ge will have immeasurable future achievements.

Lei Zhan'ge will retire in a few years, and then Wang Fengshi will lose his backing.

Before Lei Zhan'ge retires, he wants to quickly establish authority.

Thus he constantly protects Lu Cheng, so that on the future official career path, he can have a strong ally.

And Lu Cheng's earlier words were very useful to him.

He didn't expect that someone who seems carefree and sloppy would actually be quite adept at human affairs.

This also made Wang Fengshi like the kid even more.

Next comes the dance performance; as the announcer exits, the Red Detachment of Women Stage Play officially begins.

First the curtain shakes violently; as the music starts, several girls jog out from the curtain, wearing faded old military uniforms, straw sandals on the stage, holding wooden spears as they rush onto the stage.

Everyone's gaze is drawn there.

Lu Cheng suddenly thinks that his Senior Sister might be backstage.