How High Must One Rise in Office Before It Ends?

After leaving the black market, Li Qinwu ran to the end of the pipes, counted down, opened the map, selected Northern Trench, and deployed successfully. The time was 10 p.m.

He pressed M to open the map, roughly got his bearings, and ran toward Lieutenant Rudosen's camp.

This deployment wasn't far, only five kilometers away. He drank a bottle of High-Energy Drink and got there in fifteen minutes.

As usual, he waited outside the defensive perimeter. Before long, Lieutenant Rudosen came to pick him up in a Chimera Transport.

The Chimera Transport's hatch opened. Li Qinwu climbed inside, and the vehicle drove back.

Lieutenant Rudosen asked, "Did you find out what's going on at the Water Pattern Monitoring Station?"

Li Qinwu nodded.

"Yes. The situation is extremely complicated. Let's find somewhere quiet to talk."

The Chimera Transport's driver parked in the middle of the camp, shut off the engine, said he was going for a smoke, and got out. He even closed the hatch behind him. Very tactful.

"Can you talk now?"

Li Qinwu nodded. They handed each other cigarettes, lit them, and took a drag before he said, "Do you know what Psykers are?"

Lieutenant Rudosen's body instantly tensed, and sweat broke out on his forehead. He clearly knew what Psykers were.

"You mean there's a Psyker there?"

Li Qinwu nodded, then a strange smile appeared on his face.

"Brother, we've crossed paths, so I'm giving you a stroke of fortune. Whether you dare take it is up to you."

Lieutenant Rudosen asked warily, "You're not planning to make me hunt a Psyker, are you? I'm telling you, those monsters are extremely powerful. I absolutely won't take that risk!

"I'll report it to my superior and have him send professionals to handle it."

Li Qinwu immediately threw an arm around his neck and said quietly, "Look at you, why are you in such a rush? I haven't even finished talking. The credit's being handed right to you, and you still can't take it? Do you want to stay a lieutenant company commander for the rest of your life?"

Lieutenant Rudosen frowned.

"What are you getting at?"

Li Qinwu chuckled.

"I've got leverage over this Psyker. He doesn't get along with the rebels, and they've been sending troops after him. He's killed several hundred of them already, and their bodies are lying outside the Water Pattern Monitoring Station.

"What I mean is, you take your men over to the Water Pattern Monitoring Station, fire a few shots and shells, then report to your superior that you killed however many rebels and successfully captured the Water Pattern Monitoring Station. Wouldn't all that credit be yours?"

Lieutenant Rudosen swallowed, somewhat tempted.

He hadn't achieved anything noteworthy since being promoted to lieutenant. However, one of the battalion commanders in their regiment had made a mistake and might be removed soon.

He was somewhat related to the regimental commander, who had been looking for ways to promote him. But he had only just become a company commander, so promoting him again so soon would be rather unreasonable.

But if he could capture the Water Pattern Monitoring Station, then with that achievement, the regimental commander would have a reason to promote him over the usual ranks!

"That Psyker... will he listen to you and give up the Water Pattern Monitoring Station? That place is important. If I say I took it, headquarters will definitely set up a command post there."

Li Qinwu said confidently, "Don't worry. I'll make that Psyker get lost. Don't ask how. You just need to figure out how to swallow the credit."

Lieutenant Rudosen scratched his head, deeply conflicted. There were risks involved. It could be considered deceiving his superiors, and it involved an illegal Psyker. One wrong move, and he could be utterly destroyed.

Seeing his hesitation, Li Qinwu said lazily, "Little Ru, how high do you need to climb before it ends?

"You've spent your whole life walking on thin ice. Can you really make it to the other shore?

"Are you satisfied with being nothing more than a company commander? A real man should stand beneath one man and above ten thousand. If you don't fight to become the number one man beneath the God-Emperor, can you really accept that?

"The Golden Throne, the God-Emperor can sit on it, but you, Rudosen..."

"Hey, hey, hey! I'll go! I'll go, all right?!"

Seeing where this was heading, Rudosen hurriedly cut him off. If anyone heard those words, both his political life and biological life would be finished!

Li Qinwu slapped Lieutenant Rudosen on the shoulder.

"That's the spirit, Battalion Commander Rudosen. How about we get ready and leave now, Regimental Commander Rudosen? When you become a division commander, don't forget the brother who gave you this future, Marshal Rudosen!"

Two hours later, Lieutenant Rudosen submitted a report to his superiors, saying he was going to hit the rebels. He then led roughly 120 infantrymen, one Chimera Transport, and five military trucks toward the Water Pattern Monitoring Station.

Inside the Chimera Transport, Rudosen looked at Li Qinwu and asked, "Why are you helping me?"

Li Qinwu gave a casual snort.

"We're fucking brothers. Once you become a big shot, won't you look after your brother a little more?"

He put an arm around Rudosen's shoulder and said quietly, "I've got some business prospects in the Lower Hive. I could make a lot of money, but I don't have connections.

"If you can make it to the table with the upper class, we can go into business together. Make money together, grow bigger and stronger together!"

Lieutenant Rudosen rolled his eyes.

"To sit at the table with the upper class, you have to be at least a battalion commander. A battalion commander position may open up in our regiment soon, but at least nine company commanders are eyeing it."

Li Qinwu pointed at Lieutenant Rudosen, his face full of regret.

"Look at you, talking like the world's already over. What do you mean, nine company commanders are eyeing it? Why don't you dare go up against them?

"If that doesn't work, get me a sniper rifle and I'll snipe your competitors dead!"

Li Qinwu said it as a joke, but Lieutenant Rudosen's thoughts stirred, and he filed it away.

As they continued on their way, Li Qinwu chatted with Lieutenant Rudosen and asked,

"Where's Little Joel? I didn't see him when you were gathering the troops just now."

Li Qinwu remembered Little Joel, who had taken him down to the Lower Hive last time. Why wasn't he around anymore?

Sadness flashed through Lieutenant Rudosen's eyes.

"He... had his spine shattered by a rebel-made gun a few days ago. He lost all feeling below the waist and has already been forcibly discharged."

Li Qinwu let out a soft hiss and sighed at the unpredictability of fate. He had rather liked that young man. Little Joel had been a little slow and foolish, but his eyes held a clarity rarely seen in the cruel world of Warhammer 40,000. What a pity.

After the convoy had traveled for a while and reached a point five kilometers from the Water Pattern Monitoring Station, Li Qinwu had them stop and got out alone.

He said to Lieutenant Rudosen inside the armored vehicle, "That Psyker's nerves are a little off. I'll go negotiate with him first. Wait here. If I don't send a signal within an hour, go back. That'll mean the negotiations failed."

Lieutenant Rudosen asked, "What's the signal? What will you do if negotiations fail? Do you want me to come support you?"

Li Qinwu took out a small-caliber pistol.

"If the negotiations succeed, I'll fire this gun into the air three times. Then you can come over and shoot the rebel corpses a few more times, pretending you killed them. If it fails, I'll find my own way out."

He had gained an even clearer understanding of Rudosen's personality. He was an incompetent officer, but he had loyalty to his brothers.

After saying that, he waved a hand and strode into the darkness.