The new job

In C city, in the military base.

"Commander, the major set off to her home city this morning", the young lieutenant reported the news with a military salute.

"Okey, I understand, don't bother her anymore; she deserved some vacation after all these years", the old commander sighed and turned to leave the empty room that the owner abandoned. The room doesn't look like it was occupied by someone just yesterday, as it was just a hollow grey room with no signs of life. The young lieutenant followed the commander outside and hesitated to open his mouth, but seeing the retreating back of the high commander, he bared his teeth and opened his mouth.

"Commander, will Major Xu be dismissed as they said?" The old commander's step halted, and he turned back to face the slightly worried face of the lieutenant

"That won't happen; she captured the criminals, so why must she be dismissed, Xiao Mu? I know you are worried about your team leader, but you have to believe in her and our military morals" A soft smile emerged on Lieutenant Mu's face, and he was relieved. With a cheerful attitude, he bid farewell to the old commander and rushed to tell the good news to their team members. The commander was a higher-ranking officer with a significant influence in the country, and people said half of the higher-ups from the army were his students and soldiers, as the commander gave his assurance they only needed to wait for their Major Xu with faith. In the end, their team was one of the best special operation teams in the country; it would be a loss for the country if the leader of the special operation team were forced to retire early.

The old commander walked out with steady steps and took out his slightly outdated phone from his pocket; dialling the number with familiarity, he waited for the other end to pick up their phone.

"Officer Han", he called out. When he heard familiar confirmation from the other end, he continued ", I heard Xu Jin Lin got into a scene at the airport" It was not a question as he had already received a full report from the case.

"Yes, commander, as she is the best of the best, it was easy for her to subdue some small fries this morning", the middle-aged officer Han thought about the scene and laughed heartily.

"Officer Han, we sent out the notice of her temporary order, so please look after her in the future" Officer Han was looking at the military issue order in front of him with a deep look. He did not know the details of the issue relating to Xu Jin Lin, but he readily accepted the order.

"Commander, please rest assured, we will take care of her," he said, and after a few pleasantries, they ended the call.

A phone call woke up the still-sleeping Xu Jin Lin from Officer Han.

"We prepared your new job, so come report after seven days; rest well until next week, Don't think it will be easy if you are taking care of the civilians, and as your superior, I won't go easy on you if you make a mistake in the next nine months" The phone call was vague, but the quick-witted Jin Lin get the message and thought for a while after the call dropped. She would not give up easily and happily accepted the temporary role in her mind.

The next day, I woke up to my mother's cooking aroma. My mother was in the kitchen, bustling around like a master chef, preparing all my favourite dishes. The sight made me smile as I realised how much I had missed my mother's delicious meals.

As we sat down, my mother couldn't help but fuss over me, serving generous portions and urging me to eat more. I pretended to protest, but deep down; I loved the attention and care. One kind of hunger in this world is that mother thinks their children are always hungry when they live outside.

As the three days passed, I settled back into the comforting routine of home. My mother pampered me with all my favourite dishes, ensuring I ate well to regain the weight I lost while in the army. My father, a man of few words, would often sit with me in the evenings, sharing stories of his youth and offering sage advice.

Meanwhile, my eldest brother, who was responsible, kept a watchful eye on my well-being, occasionally teasing me about my military toughness compared to his refined demeanour. We spent evenings reminiscing about our childhood, laughing at the mischief we got into.

After three days of resting at home, I was bored beyond words and decided to report early to the police station.