Chapter 114: Appointment and Playing with Fire

"The Second Battalion is now in your hands."

Upon the high platform, standing before the line of officers, Wang Luo handed a red sash to Zhou Chen and patted him on the shoulder. "I look forward to your best efforts."

Zhou Chen was not wearing armor; instead, his body was wrapped in layers of bandages. His injuries were too severe, which was why Zhou Yingxiong had made such an arrangement. At this moment, looking deeply moved, he accepted the sash and cupped his fists in salute. "For the world! For all the people! For the General! Zhou Chen is willing to shed his blood and lay down his life!"

Well, no matter how many times he heard it, this speech never grew old. Wang Luo glanced into the distance, toward the approximate location of Zhou Yingxiong.

He could not see him clearly.

Managing logistics, allocating supplies, and calculating rewards were supposed to be major contributions. If not for the disastrous defeat he had suffered, he would have been standing right here.

Unlike Yang Wentian, for whom it was difficult to arrange a position even out of lingering affection.

Zhou Chen draped the sash over himself, stepped to the front of the platform, and waved to the soldiers below. Bursts of cheering erupted, mostly from the men who had fought alongside him on the day of the decisive battle.

Zhou Chen could be said to have summoned his courage from a sense of shame. In that decisive battle, Wang Luo had reserved the first and second places for himself, and the third place had gone to Zhou Chen.

Wang Luo recalled the events of that day. Before setting out, Zhou Chen had abandoned his usual shield and ring-pommel saber, choosing a large battle axe instead. As soon as the battle commenced, shielded by his personal guards, he charged desperately into the enemy ranks. In the early stages of the combat, he had hacked to death at least a dozen opposing Han soldiers, exerting tremendous pressure on the enemy. Later, when the Han battle line wavered, it was he who led his men in a ferocious assault, ultimately being the first to break through the enemy's defenses.

That day, he had acted like a madman. Many soldiers recounted that Commander Zhou's figure could be seen throughout the entire engagement. He had sustained over twenty wounds, changed his weapons three times, and of his original score of personal guards, only two remained alive. Therefore, having made such a massive contribution to the victory, he fully deserved the appointment of battalion commander.

Next, Wang Luo took the next sash from a tray held by a nearby soldier and handed it to Zhang Shitou. This was someone he had known since the very beginning of this scenario. Although Zhang Shitou had never expressed loyalty, he devoted his utmost effort to every task and had also displayed exceptional bravery on the day of the decisive battle, successfully holding off the attacks of the Han cavalry.

"The First Battalion is now in your hands." Wang Luo patted his arm.

"For the country, for the people, and for the revolution, Zhang does not fear a hundred deaths."

Zhang Shitou cupped his fists and accepted the sash. His voice was stiff, sounding as though he were reciting a memorized text. However, when he stepped to the front of the platform to receive the cheers of the soldiers, a rare smile appeared on his face.

The commander of the Third Battalion, Wang Luo selected Sun Qiao.

These were the principal commanders for the three battalions about to set out. Afterward, it would be necessary to appoint several deputy commanders and political officers, but if all of those were conducted right here, the ceremony would simply take too long. Those positions could be appointed later through official documents.

Those who received their appointments stepped up to the platform one by one to accept the cheers. Aside from the first few individuals, most of the officers only received support from the men within their own camps, while the newly surrendered Han soldiers remained silent for the most part.

Yet, deep down, they must have felt envious. The true value of a ceremony lay in influencing the psychology of the individuals immersed within it. When they saw ordinary people elevated and given a chance to shine simply because of their achievements, the next time battle commenced, their minds would be entirely filled with the glorious image of standing upon that platform.

Hoping that the one standing on the platform would be themselves, and that the cheers and support would be for them. Even though some might deny and evade it when speaking of such things, deep in their hearts, they all craved it.

The next task was the award ceremony. Wang Luo's forging skill was incapable of producing such items, so he had no choice but to trouble the blacksmiths in the camp—fortunately, a few had been captured when they breached the Han army's main camp.

Wang Luo picked up a golden medal. According to etiquette, he should have personally pinned it to Zhou Chen's chest. But after briefly considering the process, he found it troublesome—the sun was scorching, and having stood up here for half the day, he was already tired. Thus, he handed the medal to Zhou Suyan standing beside him.

"You shall pin the medals on the soldiers," Wang Luo said. "According to etiquette, this is what the lady of the house should do."

Zhou Suyan blinked several times, seemingly puzzled and surprised by this custom she had never heard of before. Afterward, without a word, she picked up the medal, walked over to Zhou Chen, and pinned it onto his sash.

When Zhou Chen thanked her with utmost reverence, she turned her head and glanced at Wang Luo.

At that moment, her gaze was exceptionally bright, like clear lake water reflecting a sky full of stars. Seeing that Wang Luo was looking down toward the audience, she said nothing. Turning back, the corners of her lips already carried a trace of a smile.

Following that, facing the respectful bows of the officers who approached in turn, that smile blossomed fully. And her entire being radiated brilliantly under the sunlight.

Wang Luo looked at Lin Feirui, who was surrounded by Wuzhou's group members down below, and smiled as well.

Her chin was very soft, and the tactile sensation back then had been quite pleasant.

Wang Luo's action was purely driven by a sense of novelty, akin to, "Your posture was so arrogant that I couldn't help but kick you, and it's been so long since I had such a satisfying kick."

Because Lin Feirui's behavior the previous night had allowed him to catch the scent of something rather amusing—the bitter flavor exuding from the disappointment of unfulfilled vanity. This made Wang Luo find her quite interesting.

To her, what interested her was not him, but power, honor, and status—those sorts of things.

What immediately came to his mind was Julien and Mathilde. That pampered young lady had sought out Julien to chase a thrill different from anyone else's, but the moment she discovered Julien loved her, she instantly began to despise him. And upon finding out that he was pursuing someone else, she immediately turned around and loved him again.

Would this kind of situation happen with this woman as well? The mere thought of it brought a joy akin to a child discovering a new toy flowing through Wang Luo's heart.

He recalled some of his previous analyses and couldn't resist wanting to give it a try.

Indeed, women were just like that. Even things they didn't like or need, once seized by someone else, would instantly ignite a fierce sense of competitiveness within their hearts.

If one wished to pursue an arrogant woman, one might as well coordinate with her close girlfriend first and then confess one's feelings. After being rejected, display affection openly with her girlfriend where she could accidentally catch sight of it, and a magnificent psychological breakthrough would be achieved.

As soon as this thought popped into Wang Luo's head, he casually went ahead and did it. Although he didn't have much real interest in Lin Feirui—she was beautiful, and he wouldn't mind having her a few times, but he had absolutely no intention of truly pursuing her.

Consequently, he brought Zhou Suyan to his side, took her hand in front of everyone, paraded her around the entire grounds, and had the soldiers cheer for her along the way. Then, he had her present the medals to the officers.

Yet throughout the entire process, he had failed to notice the subtle changes in Zhou Suyan's eyes: the initial hesitation and helplessness, the gradual excitement, the subsequent doubt... and finally, the radiant brilliance that bloomed when she received his order to present the medals.

He was immensely proud of the psychological breakthrough he had achieved. Toying with an innocent young girl was a despicable act. But since the other party was such a domineering woman who frequently played with the feelings of others, treating her in this manner surely would not provoke any collective negative sentiment.

Anticipating the potential outcome, excitement surged within his heart, and he nearly burst out laughing toward the heavens.