651: Have they really become a private army?

Upon hearing these words, a flash of obvious bewilderment crossed Li Yang's face. His eyebrows twitched slightly, and his footsteps halted, clearly not expecting the news to have spread so quickly.

He was dazed for a moment before immediately following up with a question, his tone carrying a hint of surprise.

“What? Has the official transfer order from the Military Department already been issued to you?”

“Yes, just a short while ago. The encrypted notification from the Military Department was relayed directly through the chain of command to every officer on duty at the Division Headquarters. The news has spread everywhere now; everyone is gathered in the conference room, discussing it fervently and unable to make up their minds.”

He Dong hurriedly replied with the facts.

Hearing this, the bewilderment in Li Yang's eyes gradually dissipated, replaced by a composed understanding. He nodded slightly and said in a low voice,

“Since everyone already knows, we can skip the announcement phase, which actually makes things easier to handle.”

On the way to the conference room, the two walked side-by-side at a brisk pace through the empty corridor, their military boots clicking crisply and rhythmically against the metal floor.

The question hanging in He Dong's mind had not been laid to rest. He deliberated for a moment, but ultimately unable to restrain himself, he turned his head and asked softly,

“Division Commander Li, could you tell me... is the temporary transfer of the unit to the Guard Division sequence a move where they follow you, or... is the unit being transferred separately, unrelated to you?”

Li Yang's footsteps came to an abrupt halt. He turned to look at the anxious He Dong beside him, the corners of his mouth curling into an understanding smile. His tone was calm yet carried an unquestionable certainty.

“Alright, I know what you’re worried about. Rest assured. This time, the Nineteenth Division is being officially reorganized into a Security Assurance Division. It’s not being split up and moved away; the entire organizational structure is moving with me.”

As these words hit his ears, He Dong's eyes widened. His face was instantly filled with unbelievable shock, and his feet instinctively stopped in place. His tone was full of bewilderment and confusion.

“If what you’re saying is true... then what is your current status?”

Li Yang straightened his back, his gaze steady and sharp, his voice echoing clearly through the corridor.

“I am no longer serving as the Chairman of the Longlan Star Cluster. I am currently the Leader of the Thirty-Third Inspection Team, which is the direct superior unit responsible for security that the Nineteenth Division is being assigned to. At the same time, I am still your Division Commander; the command of this Security Assurance Division remains in my hands.”

Upon hearing this, He Dong froze completely, his mind going blank, utterly dumbfounded.

He had served in the military for many years and had gone through several reorganizations and transfers. He was familiar with all the Military Department's organizational regulations and transfer rules, yet he had never heard of a unit being able to follow a single commanding officer across different sequences and units, let alone a unit transferring directly from the Military Department's organization to the Guard Division.

The regular combat sequence of the Military Department and the support system of the Guard Division were two completely independent entities belonging to different command structures.

To allow an entire main division to break convention and follow a person across units—in the entire Empire, Li Yang was likely the only one with such weight and qualifications.

Seeing He Dong's dazed expression, Li Yang patted him gently on the shoulder, withdrew his gaze, and continued walking forward.

“Alright, don’t just stand there like a fool. The officers below are still in the dark, waiting for us to go and explain the situation.”

He Dong finally snapped back to his senses. He quickly composed himself, straightened his posture, and responded loudly.

“Yes, sir!”

The two hurried along, their boots tapping a rapid rhythm on the corridor floor. In a moment, they arrived at the door of the conference room.

Li Yang walked into the conference room. At a glance, the room was already filled with officers of all levels from the Division Headquarters. There was hardly a vacant seat. Everyone was whispering to one another, engaged in incessant low-voiced discussions. The air was thick with a lingering sense of confusion and restless anxiety.

Seeing Li Yang enter, the discussions in the room came to an abrupt halt. Everyone's gaze converged on him simultaneously. Without exception, their eyes were filled with confusion, apprehension, and an urgent search for answers. Everyone was waiting for the Division Commander to provide a definitive explanation.

Seeing this, Li Yang did not delay for a second. He strode through the center aisle and went straight to the rostrum at the front. After standing firm, he cleared his throat and methodically explained the reorganization of the unit, the transfer to the Guard Division sequence, and the reasons behind his own change in duties to all the officers present.

When everyone heard the core content—

That the Nineteenth Division was being reorganized as a Security Assurance Division in its entirety, not being split or transferred away, but would still follow Li Yang's movements and remain under his direct command—the entire conference room instantly fell into a dead silence.

Everyone, just like He Dong on the way there, was dazed and frozen in place. Their faces were etched with unbelievable surprise and deep shock. For a long while, no one could snap out of it.

After a brief silence, suppressed gasps and whispers erupted once more.

“Whoa... it’s actually exactly as Deputy Division Commander He said. We’re still following Division Commander Li!”

“In all my years and all my time in the military, I’ve never heard of a unit being able to follow a commander across units. Our Nineteenth Division has set a precedent for the entire army!”

Amidst the noisy discussions, a slightly youthful and somewhat blunt voice rose softly from the back row. The speaker was a young officer with the rank of second lieutenant. He frowned slightly and instinctively murmured a sentence.

“Come to think of it, with this kind of transfer... do we... count as having become Division Commander Li's private troops?”

These words drifted lightly through the air, but they were like a giant boulder crashing into a calm lake. Instantly, the discussions in the entire conference room ceased, and even the sound of breathing became clearly audible.

On the stage, Li Yang and He Dong beside him also froze. Their expressions stiffened slightly, and the scene instantly fell into a suffocatingly awkward dead silence.

These words were far too sensitive and taboo. Speaking them in such a public setting was an especially grave error.

If someone with ulterior motives were to seize upon this and report it with added embellishments, let alone the high-ranking Li Yang, even the junior and middle-ranking officers present would find it hard to escape involvement, ending up in an inexplicable and indefensible situation.

A lieutenant colonel sitting next to the second lieutenant's face changed drastically. He hurriedly leaned over and hissed in a low, stern voice,

“Are you crazy?! It’s one thing to say some things casually in private, but to dare let such words slip in this kind of setting—do you want to die?!”

On the stage, Li Yang coughed twice, his expression carrying a hint of irrepressible awkwardness. He knew the weight of those words and understood that any response right now would be inappropriate. A slight misstep could bring trouble upon himself or even trigger an investigation from above.

He immediately took the opportunity to break the deadlock, speaking to the crowd below.

“Since everyone is now clear on the specific situation, I will take my leave. I’ll leave the follow-up matters and discussions to He Dong to preside over.”

As his voice fell, Li Yang did not wait for a reaction. He quickly stepped down from the rostrum and walked straight out of the conference room, wanting only to escape this awkward and thorny scene as quickly as possible.

He knew all too well that he didn't dare respond to that comment about 'private troops' in the slightest. He certainly didn't want to be 'invited for tea' by the Imperial Guard one day because of an offhand remark.

Standing on the stage, He Dong immediately straightened his body and responded loudly.

“Yes, sir!”

...