Chapter 204: The Hemostatic Drug Was Developed by Sheng Wanyan!
Liang Qian had asked her father to arrange a blind date for her, but Gu Tingxiao had flatly refused to go.
The moment he finished his duties backstage, Gu Tingxiao hurried into the auditorium to find his wife. Yet, the second he approached her, he noticed she looked uncharacteristically cold and displeased.
The military wives seated nearby instantly clamped their mouths shut, not daring to utter another word. Zhang Zhaodi, in particular, shrunk back, thoroughly unnerved by Gu Tingxiao’s icy expression.
Aunt Xie caught the captain’s eye and shot him a pointed look, silently warning him to tread carefully, handle the situation with care, and coax his wife properly. This was a private matter that only the young couple could untangle; any outside intervention would be entirely useless.
“Wanyan, what’s wrong?” Gu Tingxiao asked, his voice laced with sudden anxiety. He felt completely off-balance, staring at her with nervous apprehension.
Sheng Wanyan didn’t answer him. Instead, she thrust the multi-tiered lunch container into his hands with considerably more force than usual.
Before he could speak, she looked past him. Political Commissar Xie was walking down the center aisle, flanked by Commander Pan and several high-ranking officers.
The leadership group appeared to be locked in a serious discussion, but the moment Political Commissar Xie spotted her, his face lit up with an expression that clearly signaled, “Ah, we were just talking about you.”
In truth, the top brass had been discussing her all morning. They knew the cultural troupe was performing tonight and assumed Comrade Sheng Wanyan—the brilliant mind behind their new pharmaceutical asset—would be in attendance. Several of the senior commanders had only just returned from a high-level conference in the Capital and hadn’t yet had the opportunity to meet the woman herself.
Walking at the absolute center of the entourage was Political Commissar Ming, who had traveled directly from the capital to inspect the political style and discipline of the regional forces. Though he and Political Commissar Xie shared the same rank, they operated within entirely different spheres of influence and regional commands. the Capital Military District oversaw all political commissars across the nation’s armed forces, making Political Commissar Ming an incredibly powerful, top-tier figure.
Even at sixty years old, Political Commissar Ming cut an imposing figure in his crisp uniform. Decades of commanding troops through brutal conflicts had left him with a naturally authoritative, commanding presence. The subordinates trailing in his wake were all high-ranking officers holding significant, tangible power within the Capital Military District.
“That young woman right there is Comrade Sheng Wanyan,” Political Commissar Xie introduced, gesturing toward the second row.
Political Commissar Ming focused his sharp gaze on her and offered a respectable nod. He had visited the Gu family estate in the capital compound before and recognized the wife of the family’s third grandson. “Ah, yes. A truly exceptional child.”
His brow furrowed slightly as he took a closer look. “But why does Comrade Sheng Wanyan look so displeased? Is she feeling unwell?”
Political Commissar Xie followed his gaze and noticed Wanyan’s tight, pale expression. A wave of concern hit him—could she be suffering from exhaustion?
“Is she ill?” Commissar Ming pressed, his tone turning strict. “A national asset of her caliber must be given the absolute highest standard of care to protect her health.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll go find out what’s happening immediately,” Political Commissar Xie replied, stepping forward.
Seeing the base commander approach, the surrounding audience members immediately straightened up and fell silent.
“Hello, Political Commissar.” “Good evening, Commissar.”
“Yes, good evening. What were you all discussing so animatedly just now?” Political Commissar Xie asked, keeping his tone casual.
“Oh, nothing at all, Commissar. We were just passing the time with some casual banter,” one of the wives chimed in quickly.
“Yes, exactly,” Zhang Zhaodi echoed, forced a polite smile. She was terrified of leaving a terrible impression on the political commissar, dreading that someone might expose the venomous remarks she had just made.
Aunt Xie rolled her eyes at the blatant display of hypocrisy. How can this woman be so utterly shameless? Still, she wasn’t the type to actively stab someone in the back, and with the supreme leadership present, causing a massive scene would only bring dishonor to the base.
However, Aunt Xie had a strong feeling that Sheng Wanyan wasn’t about to let the foul-mouthed Zhang Zhaodi off the hook so easily. Zhang Zhaodi had just publicly declared that Wanyan was entirely unworthy of Captain Gu. They were legally married, and Gu Tingxiao was her husband; no self-respecting woman would sit back and swallow that kind of insult.
“Comrade Sheng Wanyan, you look incredibly pale,” Political Commissar Xie noted gently as he stopped before her. “Have you caught a cold?”
The corner of Sheng Wanyan’s mouth twitched into a cool, sharp smile as she met the commander’s eyes. “Thank you for your concern, Commissar. My health is perfectly fine. I am simply grappling with a problem I can’t seem to logically resolve.”
“Oh? What kind of problem?”
Seeing him take the bait, Wanyan had no intention of playing nice to protect her detractors. She was far from a soft, defenseless target that anyone could push around.
“Political Commissar, I am simply wondering if I possess the necessary qualifications to be considered a proper military wife on this base.”
The moment the words left her mouth, the warm smile vanished from Political Commissar Xie’s face, replaced by a dark, incredibly stern expression. How could Comrade Sheng Wanyan suddenly harbor such a distressing, dangerous thought?
Behind him, Political Commissar Ming and the rest of the Capital entourage halted, their faces instantly hardening as they focused on the young woman.
“Comrade Sheng Wanyan, what on earth do you mean by that?” Political Commissar Xie demanded, his voice echoing through the quiet row. “Who said something to you? Who has been whispering such utter nonsense in your ear?”
Sheng Wanyan shifted her gaze, locking it directly onto Zhang Zhaodi.
A cold sweat broke out across Zhang Zhaodi’s forehead under the intense scrutiny. Political Commissar Xie followed Wanyan’s line of sight, instantly piecing the situation together.
Aunt Xie stepped forward, leaning in to quietly brief her husband on the exact vitriol Zhang Zhaodi had spewed. As he listened, the commissar’s face grew progressively darker until it looked like a thundercloud.
This was absolute, unadulterated nonsense!
He had served in the armed forces for decades, yet he had never encountered a military spouse more brilliant, capable, or vital to the nation than Sheng Wanyan. To suggest she wasn’t worthy of Captain Gu was a complete joke. Frankly, Gu Tingxiao had simply used up a lifetime of good fortune to secure a wife of her caliber!
“Get Captain Wu over here this instant! What kind of disgraceful behavior is this!” Political Commissar Xie bellowed to an orderly.
Hearing the command, Zhang Zhaodi felt a wave of icy panic wash over her body. She couldn’t comprehend why Political Commissar Xie was shielding Sheng Wanyan with such fierce, protective aggression. What on earth is going on here?
Captain Wu strode down the aisle, his expression a mix of confusion and anxiety. He snapped a rigid salute to Political Commissar Xie, waiting for instructions. “Commissar.”
“Captain Wu… how exactly do you manage your household?” Political Commissar Xie barked.
Captain Wu blinked, thoroughly bewildered, before turning to look at his wife. The moment he caught Zhang Zhaodi’s frantic, evasive gaze, a sinking feeling hit his stomach. His wife had clearly caused another disaster by running her mouth where she shouldn’t have.
“A military spouse is expected to foster harmony and unity within the compound, not sit around spewing toxic, divisive vitriol,” the commissar lectured sharply. “Is this how you discipline the members of your family? Huh?”
“Political Commissar, I…” Captain Wu stammered, entirely in the dark about the specific details of the offense. “My wife… she simply has a terrible habit of speaking before she thinks.”
He turned a vicious, furious glare on Zhang Zhaodi, hissing under his breath, “What on earth did you do this time?”
Zhang Zhaodi trembled, still utterly unable to grasp why the highest authority on the base was taking Wanyan’s side so aggressively. “I… I didn’t say anything bad…”
“You didn’t say anything? Then why is the political commissar furious?!” Captain Wu shot back.
Political Commissar Xie watched the exchange, his disappointment in Captain Wu deepening. The man clearly had zero control over his own household. Did he truly have no idea what kind of woman his wife was? She was notorious for picking fights with every resident in the residential building, and her harsh treatment of her own daughter was common knowledge across the compound.
“Captain Wu, let me make this entirely clear,” Political Commissar Xie announced, his voice carrying across the entire auditorium. “If I ever catch your wife targeting Comrade Sheng Wanyan with her malicious fabrications again, I will handle this matter through official disciplinary channels!”
Captain Wu’s heart skipped a violent beat. Official disciplinary channels? Sheng Wanyan was just a fellow military wife; how could a domestic dispute between spouses elevate into a matter of official military discipline?
“Comrade Sheng Wanyan is a premier national talent in pharmaceutical development,” Political Commissar Xie declared, addressing the stunned crowd. “The revolutionary new hemostatic powder currently being distributed to our units was developed entirely by Comrade Sheng Wanyan alone!”
“Comrade Sheng Wanyan felt deep sympathy for the immense hardships our frontline troops endure, and she selflessly handed the formula over to the military district to preserve their lives.”
The commissar leveled a lethal glare at the trembling woman. “Yet, your wife possesses such staggering audacity that she stands here publicly claiming Comrade Sheng Wanyan isn’t worthy of marrying into the officer ranks.”
He let out a cold, mocking laugh. “How ironic, considering this woman’s brilliant mind just saved the lives of every single soldier on this base—including your own!”
The announcement hit the auditorium like a physical shockwave. A collective gasp rippled through the benches, and the surrounding military wives stared at Sheng Wanyan with their mouths wide open in absolute disbelief.
It turned out the miraculous new battlefield medicine that everyone had been whispering about was manufactured right here on the base, by Captain Gu’s own wife.
A massive shipment of the new hemostatic drug had reached the base supply lines two weeks prior, and the soldiers returning from dangerous operations had been vocal about its near-magical efficacy. To think their savior was sitting right among them!
