Chapter 395: Genius's Fall, I, Kang Changyi, Bear the Banner

Southern Theater, naval forces.

Inside the administrative office building of a certain escort ship detachment.

Wang Zhongxi, who has just been transferred to deputy director of the Political Work Office, wearing a white Navy uniform, is running around with a form.

"Comrade, could you tell me where the finance department is?"

"Excuse me, could you check whether the placement of my seal is correct or needs adjustment, and whether there are any format errors?"

"I just transferred here from the Army, so many things are unfamiliar; please don't be surprised. The building opposite, right side of the third floor—got it, thank you."

Wang Zhongxi thanked the young officer in front of him, nodded, and hurried down the stairs with the form.

Before entering the opposite office building, he saw a similarly brisk figure approaching, carrying a stack of folders.

The newcomer was none other than former Political Commissar of the Special Third Regiment, Tan Yuanzhou.

Both were momentarily stunned by each other's appearance, then broke into wry smiles.

"Haven't seen you for several days; you look busy as well, huh?"

"Ah, it's complicated; do you have a cigarette?"

The two went behind a nearby flowerbed, smoked, and shared their grievances.

In the adult world, there is no such thing as easy.

Moving from a familiar setting to a completely new one, quick adaptation is not easy.

Although both are soldiers, some details differ; the Navy's procedures and methods are vastly different from the Army's.

Moreover, unfamiliar with the locations, layouts, and processes of each department, their work efficiency suffered, making them restless.

"Take it slow," Wang Zhongxi exhaled a puff of smoke. "There's an adjustment period; once adapted, it'll be fine. In the short term, there may be no chance to board a ship, but there will be dedicated training later."

"Honestly, I'm really afraid I'll get seasick and embarrass myself on deck in front of those young sailors."

"I'm a bit better than you; a couple of days ago I was on a business trip and happened to catch the escort ship's near‑sea training. I shamelessly asked to be taken up to experience it; it felt pretty good, far better than riding in a tank, and I didn't get seasick."

"Hahaha!" Wang Zhongxi, pointing at him with his cigarette‑holding finger, said, "I thought you dragged me over just to smoke, but you were actually showing off in front of me."

"Don't rush, don't panic; the ship will straighten itself at the bridge, and success comes naturally; who knows, I might not only avoid seasickness but also do somersaults on the deck."

The two old comrades joked, and the work pressure eased considerably.

Tan Yuanzhou asked, "Where are you heading?"

Wang Zhongxi waved the form, "There's a budget line; I need to confirm it with the finance accountant."

"Alright, go ahead; I have to get back to work; a pile of tasks now, we can chat later."

"Okay."

Wang Zhongxi just stubbed out his cigarette and was about to go upstairs when his pocket phone rang.

He picked it up; the call was from Gao Feng.

"What does 'Lu Yang not seen a bird' mean?"

"Could he possibly sprout wings and fly to the sky?"

Tan Yuanzhou, who hadn't gone far, heard this and immediately stepped back.

As regiment‑level officers, they were not assigned to the Sea Training Base but transferred directly into Navy offices.

Nevertheless, in his spare time he still cared about the kids from the Special Third Regiment; after serving so long in the old unit, he felt attached, and those soldiers were like his children.

Especially Lu Yang; recently he heard that Lu Yang single‑handedly broke through the Division's Zhencha Daitui, restoring the Special Third Regiment's lost face in the exercises, and Tan Yuanzhou was so delighted he couldn't sleep all night.

Now hearing news about Lu Yang, he naturally paid extra attention.

"Don't rush; take your time and speak!"

Wang Zhongxi glanced at the returning Tan Yuanzhou and asked again over the phone.

On the other end, speakerphone on, not only Gao Feng but also Ma Qing'an and He Zhen Tao were present.

They recounted that Lu Yang was neither at the Sea Training Base nor in the Division.

"Lu Yang left in the morning, we expected him to arrive early, but Gao Feng's group only got there the next afternoon, and he still hasn't arrived?"

"We called the Division; they couldn't say. Old Ma and I worry whether the Division, unwilling to give up, might have secretly detained him?"

"Or perhaps the Zhencha Daitui seized an opportunity for retaliation, devised a way to abduct him midway, just like the last time with the Armed Police detachment?"

Wang Zhongxi and Tan Yuanzhou exchanged glances, both considering it possible.

First they reassured each other not to worry; regardless of the outcome, the person is surely fine.

After hanging up, Tan Yuanzhou called a friend with good connections in the Division to inquire.

Soon he received the same result as Gao Feng's group; the person had indeed left, and even the file had been transferred.

"We asked the Division; Lu Yang's file has already been transferred by Navy personnel, so there shouldn't be any talk of someone secretly detaining him."

"As for why he hasn't arrived at the Sea Training Base, I speculate there are three possible reasons?"

"First, something may have delayed him en route; perhaps he'll arrive by tonight, or at the latest within the next two days."

"Second, Lu Yang might have been assigned to another Sea Training Base, and they haven't had time to inform you."

"Third, higher‑ups may have other plans for him, not placing him in the Marine Corps but assigning him to another unit..."

Tan Yuanzhou's analysis was logical and well‑founded; the few on the other end were indeed somewhat helpless.

They longed for a reunion, but only Lu Yang was absent.

That feeling was hard to shake, leaving them unable to lift their spirits.

Wang Zhongxi offered a few words of comfort and urged them to focus more on their own work.

"How's sea‑training life? Are you adapting and keeping up?"

"Yes, Commander, our regiment is from the same batch transferred from the Army; we adapt the best!"

"Good, good, good!"

"With that, the Political Commissar and I are relieved; as long as we work diligently and proactively, there will be bread, and there will be milk!"

We chatted briefly about everyone's daily work, and then the call finally ended.

Wang Zhongxi and the other person exchanged a smile; the earlier fatigue and anxiety vanished completely.

"The Special Third Regiment is gone, but its spirit lives on; these soldiers are all exemplary."

"When gathered we are a blaze of fire; when scattered we are stars across the sky. I believe our Special Third Regiment's troops will someday make achievements in the Navy and shine brightly."

"But there's one thing I can't figure out: where is Lu Yang now? He couldn't have actually been transferred to another unit, could he?"

"I think it's unlikely; moving from the Army to the Navy involves a knowledge and professional barrier, and only the Marine Corps, plus the coastal defense forces, could pick up the job quickly."

"The higher‑ups wouldn't send him to ships, submarines, or aviation to start from scratch and learn the skills slowly; that would waste time and be a serious waste of his talent."

"What you say makes sense."

"Forget it, I won't think about it. I still need to submit the form before the finance staff go out to eat."

"Alright, I'm off to work too. See you later."

Meanwhile, at the Sea Training Base, Ma Qing'an and Gao Feng tried to soothe everyone's emotions.

They then honestly relayed to everyone the situation they had learned from the Regiment Commander.

Upon learning that Lu Yang's file had been transferred and that he could not possibly remain within the Division, the group's lingering worries eased a little.

But immediately after, a new problem arose.

Zhou Kaidong worried, "The first phase of training is about to end; if Lu Yang shows up later and can't keep up with the pace, what will we do?"

Chen Panpan pounded her chest and said, "It's fine. With me, Chen Panpan, I can take on some hardship and train together with Lu Yang, making up for everything he missed! Later I… Ahhh, it hurts!"

Liu Ziqiang and Sun Chen, one on each side, clamped his head and jabbed their fists into his skull.

"You can swim, that's impressive, and you still want to train with Lu Yang together—what a reverse Heavenly General!"

"Chen Panpan, you're getting carried away, and not in a good way! Someone, pull down his pants and see if his tail is sticking up to the sky?"

Chen Panpan slipped free in a flash, clutching her pants and darting around in panic.

While running, she shouted, "Squad Leader, save me! Company Commander, save me!" causing everyone nearby to burst into laughter.

Even though the kid was like a fish in water, once ashore he was still the little runt that everyone bullied.

This kind of "perennial laggard" that's about to finally stand up, yet hasn't fully done so, creates a contrast that is genuinely endearing.

"Kang Changyi, what are you thinking, smiling so smug?"

Zhou Kaidong slapped the smoke on Kang Changyi, breaking his grin.

Kang Changyi came to his senses, grinning and rubbing his hands: "I'm wondering, could there be a possibility that after Lu Yang arrives he can't keep up, and this genius would fall? Then I, Kang Changyi, would make a stunning breakthrough and soar to the heavens, hoisting the company's banner!"

"Get out of the way!"

Zhou Kaidong rolled his eyes: "Daytime, daydreaming here."

Kang Changyi, with a serious face, said, "I'm not kidding! Remember the spy‑catching incident? If you hadn't jumped into the water, Lu Yang wouldn't have been able to manage and would have drowned."

"Swimming is all about innate talent; you have talent, I have talent; of course I'm not saying Lu Yang lacks talent."

"What I mean is, his innate root might be Earth‑spirit; on land that's the case, but in water it could be completely different."

"Chen Panpan is the best example: she's not good on land, but her innate root is Water‑spirit, so she thrives like a fish in water."

Zhou Kaidong didn't voice agreement, but recalling the scene of Lu Yang drowning in the Hu Cheng He, he felt a bit uneasy.

If Lu Yang were to develop a psychological scar like Guo Yongwen, the problem would be serious.

He shook his head vigorously, shaking off those chaotic thoughts.

"No way. Lu Yang is so clever and adaptable; how could missing a few days of training make him fall behind?"

Compared to that, he was more curious about where Lu Yang was at this moment and what he was doing.