Chapter 44: The Meteor of Life

"In this world, which father doesn't love his son? And what father would throw his son into a pit of fire and walk away himself?" Zhan Xinghua took a deep breath and said, "When you were six, you took the physical exam and didn't pass the assessment. Did you think my father was especially pragmatic and selfish? From that moment, he stopped caring for you, didn't like you, and started rejecting you?" Actually, I was hating myself! ”
"I fought in the Vietnam War. At that time, the Vietnam War had just begun, and I was just an ordinary assistant engineer. My task was to conduct on-site surveys of terrain and climate, and to propose targeted improvements for our tanks. To support my work, the commander of a reconnaissance battalion assigned me a special squad of special forces to protect me. After a long trek, we rested on a small hillside beside a village. Just as we were thirsty and hungry, an elderly lady came carrying a basket to bring us food! ”
Everyone quietly watched Zhan Xinghua. None of them understood why at this moment, Zhan Xinghua suddenly brought up old stories from the past. Zhan Xinghua closed his eyes. At that moment, he seemed to return to that fiery era of war, with the rumbling cannons and the united shouts of the passionate warriors on the front lines of Laoshan echoing in his ears.
"At that moment, I was so exhausted I couldn't run anymore. Only the squad leader stayed with me. The other soldiers cheered, 'The old lady is bringing us food,' and bounced over excitedly. I still remember the happy, pure expressions on their faces back then. Yes, even if that old lady gave us just hot steamed buns and pickled vegetables, it was still much better than those biscuits that were already starting to feel nauseous! ”
"But...... The old lady, still wearing a kind smile, pulled the grenade she had long hidden in her basket! Those children who had undergone rigorous training but had never actually been to the battlefield smiled and asked the old lady, 'Ma'am, did you hide hotpot in your basket? Why is it smoking?' ”
At this point, tears had already covered Zhan Xinghua's entire face. "Facing those children's bloodied bodies still trembling, looking at their eyes that refuse to close in death, I finally understood one thing!" We are the people's soldiers; wherever we go, we receive help from the people, and someone brings us meals. But...... That was in Vietnam! We are not the local people's soldiers; in the eyes of the locals, we are enemies, villains, and bitter enemies who are fighting to the death with their soldiers, killing their sons, husbands, and fathers! ”
"At that moment, I wondered, why must we pay a bloody price to slowly mature? Why can't we have an expert army born purely for combat, mastering various combat skills and survival skills? If war really comes to the test, having such expert-level troops as a model can save the young soldiers from many detours, and save them how much blood and price they pay. ”
Zhan Xinghua glared at Zhanxiage and shouted, "When I steadily advanced through the military and finally qualified to know that there was still a Fifth Special Forces in China, I told myself that I must have my son join this unit!" Maybe I didn't give my son the chance to choose his own path in life, but my son might be able to save many people on the battlefield ahead! It will allow more young children to walk out of that battlefield alive and return to their homes! ”
"You have almost perfect data. When you were very young, I saw the shadow of an outstanding professional soldier in you, but you were eliminated because of nearsightedness. The eye that was eliminated was because of glaucoma inherited from my father!" You feel I've neglected you, that you no longer care for you or like you anymore, that's because I can't forgive myself! ”
Hearing this, Zhanxia Ge's body trembled violently. He looked at his father in disbelief, feeling as if his nose was instantly drowned out by a wave of bitter sorrow.
"But I never expected that when you turned eighteen, heaven would give us another chance! Because of the vision difference caused by that nearsighted eye, you can join the Fifth Special Unit! Zhan Xinghua looked at his son and said, "Do you know?" When I watched you rise up for me time and again, creating extraordinary miracles and astonishing Instructor Li Xiangshang, my heart was already filled with pride and honor! ”
"Son, I am proud of you!"
Burning tears burst wildly from Zhan Xiaoge's eyes. He rushed to Zhan Xinghua, his knees buckling as he knelt before his father, clutching his father's legs tightly, feeling the moving bond between father and son. He cried out loudly, "Dad......!" ”
Zhan Xiaoge held his father tightly, crying out loud and wailing with force. His cries echoed repeatedly over the harbor. All the grievances and unwillingness he had built up over the years, all at this moment, turned into burning tears, flowing fiercely from Zhan Xiaoge's tiger-like eyes, slowly soaking through the uniforms worn by him and Zhan Xinghua.
"Child, you've suffered!"
Zhan Xinghua pointed to an off-road jeep parked at the port and said in a low voice, "If you choose to leave the army now, I definitely won't blame you again!" As long as you get into that car, it will take you straight home, back to your mother's side. From now on, you can choose your own path in life! ”
Zhanxiage looked at the off-road jeep and asked in a strange voice, "Can I really choose the path of my future life?" ”
Zhan Xinghua nodded vigorously.
Zhanxiage turned his gaze to Instructor Li Xiangshang, who had been quietly standing to the side. Li Xiangshang nodded vigorously in return.
Zhan Xiage, wiping away his tears with his sleeve, left his father and strode over to Li Xiangshang. He suddenly stood at attention and shouted hoarsely, "Report! Student Zhan Xiaga requests to return to the Fifth Special Division. Please approve, instructor!" ”
Li Xiangshang looked at Zhan Xiaoge, took out a medical discharge notice from his pocket, and said, "Zhanxiage, tell me, is this the withdrawal notice you signed?" ”
The hope on Zhanxia Ge's face suddenly dimmed. "Yes." ”
"This sick retirement notice states that trainee Zhan Xiage, due to health reasons, is no longer able to adapt to normal training, so he is being retired." Li Xiangshang said, "But I realized we made a mistake!" ”
Li Xiangshang tore the sick retirement notice in his hand into scraps of paper and said, "Zhanxia Ge, you think you can use this method to evade responsibility? No way!" ”
Zhan Xiage's gaze finally turned to Huang Zhipeng. He walked over to Huang Zhipeng and said, "Looks like the two of us brothers are really going to break up this time." ”
Huang Zhipeng said softly, "Big brother, I can't bear to part with you!" ”
"All good things must come to an end. We have made troubles together, faced dangers together, faced life-and-death trials together. No matter where we are, no matter how much time passes, we will always be the best brothers!" Zhanxiage patted Huang Zhipeng's shoulder hard and said, "I believe that sooner or later, the two brothers will meet again. When that time comes, I hope both of us can carve out our own space in our respective fields." ”
Huang Zhipeng nodded vigorously and said in a low voice, "Big brother, have you noticed? You've changed!" ”
Zhanxiage widened his eyes, "Hmm?" ”
"You've found your favorite path. For the first time, I saw in you, big brother, a kind of ...... that comes with a goal to strive for. Well, how should I put it? It's a kind of vitality. Big brother, you dead tree stump has sprouted in spring! ”
"Pah, you might as well just say I'm!"
Zhanxiage laughed and said, "What about you? What are your plans for the future?" ”
"I realized I couldn't treat being a soldier as my lifelong career like my brother. After that fierce battle at the diving beach, I was truly scared and exhausted. I think I've fully enjoyed being a soldier, fully enjoying the feeling of life hanging by a thread. Huang Zhipeng took a gentle breath and smiled, "I've been thinking hard these past few days. People say the business world is like a battlefield. Since I can no longer go to the real battlefield, I'll go there and make a living!" With my father's connections, plus our network of 125 spy company brothers spread across the country, I should be doing business with twice as much success as others, right?! ”
"Alright, I hope that years from now, when we brothers meet again, you can proudly tell me that you've carved out your own blue sky in the business world!" Zhan Xiagege blinked and smiled, "Remember, making money from us Chinese isn't a skill. Grabbing a handful of dollars, marks, pounds, and francs all at once into your own home is your skill." As for the yen, forget it—the denomination of the toy would look terrifying, but if you took it out on the street, you might not even be able to buy a roll of toilet paper! ”
Huang Zhipeng nodded vigorously, and the two suddenly embraced tightly again. These two brothers, who had spent three years together day and night, patted each other on the shoulder and whispered, "Brother, take care!" ”