Chapter 416: The Frustrated Regiment Commander
Dang Weiran returned to his dormitory after a full day of training.
As a senior officer, he had a private apartment with a bedroom and living room, fully equipped with appliances and 24-hour hot water.
At first, he disdained these comforts. For the first two days, he stuck to his principles of not accepting any benefits from Taoyang. He slept on the floor, hand-washed his clothes, and used cold water to wash up.
But by the third day, perhaps due to his age catching up with him, his shoulders ached with soreness. He finally gave in and started sleeping on the plush carpet in the living room, which gave him a comfortable night’s rest.
The next day, the cleaning lady tidied up his place and did his laundry, saving him an entire hour. Suddenly, the little burdens of daily life seemed to lessen, and he felt mentally refreshed.
Despite cursing under his breath about Taoyang, he had to admit—washing machines were convenient, and the dryer was even better.
Over the following days, he gradually began to use the small household appliances:
The hot water dispenser allowed him to have water at the exact temperature he wanted.
A warming coaster kept his tea at a constant temperature.
By simply speaking, smart curtains and lights would open and close automatically.
At night, a motion-activated night light illuminated his path, preventing stumbles.
If he spilled anything, the robotic vacuum would clean up without his involvement.
A week later, he had become fully accustomed to using these devices. In the quiet of the night, he occasionally thought that retiring comfortably in Taoyang might not be so bad after all.
But these were fleeting thoughts. Each morning, his mind drifted back to Changjing in the North—a place where he had dedicated decades of his life. He couldn’t accept leaving everything behind, nor could he tolerate being ordered around by a young girl like Su Tao.
Still, he couldn’t just slink away in defeat. If he were to return to Changjing, he needed to make a splash—achieve something noteworthy to return with honor.
As these thoughts churned in his mind, his communicator beeped with an incoming message.
Opening it, he was stunned—it was an official notice from Taoyang demanding the immediate return of the three crystalline energy guns. If he refused, they would report him to Changjing for the crime of stealing state weapons!
Dang Weiran stood there, frozen in disbelief. At first, he assumed it was a prank. But after double-checking, it was indeed an official message from Taoyang’s government.
When did I steal state weapons?!
This was blatant slander! Furious, he kicked the wall.
Typical woman—always resorting to underhanded tricks!
He immediately called his deputy regiment commander, summoned him over, and unleashed a torrent of abuse. Though he didn’t mention Su Tao by name, anyone listening would think the deputy was the one at fault.
The deputy stayed quiet through the tirade. When Dang Weiran finally paused to catch his breath, he calmly said:
“Regiment Commander, admitting mistakes and correcting them is a virtue. It’s best to return those guns as soon as possible.”
Dang Weiran’s head snapped up. “What do you mean? What mistake did I make? This is a false accusation!”
The deputy smiled faintly. “I recall that Changjing did indeed issue three crystalline energy guns to Taoyang. But besides you, no one else received them. So, where did the guns go? Everyone who didn’t receive them can testify to their absence.”
The implication was clear: only Dang Weiran had the guns. Everyone else could prove their innocence—and point the finger at him.
Enraged, Dang Weiran tried calling other officers to vent his frustration and demand solutions.
But no one answered. Some even turned off their communicators.
A distinguished regiment commander—a major general who had rendered meritorious service to Changjing—was now being collectively ignored by his subordinates!
When had these people grown so bold?
Still seething, he stormed into his dorm, intending to take a hot shower to calm down.
But when he entered, the lights did not automatically turn on.
He called out to the smart assistant several times—no response. He fumbled in the darkness for the light switch.
Because of his poor diet, he suffered from severe night blindness. After ten minutes of searching, he still couldn’t find the switch.
Frustrated, he gave up and collapsed onto the sofa.
What to do about those three crystalline guns?
Returning them would be admitting guilt, but keeping them was becoming an unbearable burden.
Su Tao’s tactic might have been petty—but it was working.
After half an hour of brooding, sweat beaded his brow. Deciding a shower might clear his head, he groped his way to the bathroom.
After a clumsy struggle in the pitch-black room, he finally managed to undress and turn on the shower.
Only a single drop of water fell on his head—dry as the Sahara.
Disbelieving, he turned the faucet back and forth—still nothing.
A chill crept up his spine. Something was definitely wrong.
Lights out could be a malfunction—but the water too?
Throwing his clothes back on, he stumbled through the apartment, testing every faucet and appliance. Everything was shut off.
Peering out the window, he saw that all the other dorms were brightly lit—only his was plunged in darkness.
At last, he realized—Su Tao did this.
He clenched his teeth so hard that his jaw ached.
All because he had refused to meet with her during negotiations, she had cut off his water and electricity in retaliation!
Petty, vindictive woman!
He had only declined to speak with her to maintain his dignity—after all, a girl barely out of her twenties? His own son was nearly a decade older. He saw no point in lowering himself to play house with a child.
But the longer he stewed in the dark, the more complicated his feelings became.
If he left Taoyang, he might never experience this level of comfort again.
This thought struck him like lightning, filling him with rage and confusion.
Taoyang, with all its conveniences, was making him soft. Without his leadership, these soldiers from Changjing would crumble in a month, becoming nothing more than zombie fodder.
In the pitch-black dorm, Dang Weiran fumed alone.
He refused to call and beg for water and power—he wouldn’t give Su Tao the satisfaction.
By the time he finally fell asleep, exhausted and furious, he dreamt of his water and electricity being restored. In his dream, he took a luxurious shower and sipped perfectly heated tea.
When he woke up, he was even angrier—because reality was still dark and dry.
