Chapter 67: Saying Goodbye to a Comrade

After watching Captain Li Muxin leave, Lin Mo muttered the names of the twin sisters, “Li Muxin?! Li Muling?!” He shook his head and returned to the dining table.

If it weren’t for his own skills, he might have ended up with a bruised face today. The girls from the Intelligence Group were not to be underestimated.

The cafeteria window remained busy preparing dinner, seemingly oblivious to the brief fight that had just occurred, as if it had become an unwritten rule of “Night.” A bold calligraphy hung on the wall: “Do not waste food, damages to public property must be compensated.”

After dinner, at eight o’clock, almost all the frontline fighters and group members who could spare the time gathered in a small auditorium in the underground base. A black-and-white photo hung in the hall, and a vivid red flag covered the fallen hero.

In the early morning battle, six members of the First Squad were severely injured, seventeen lightly injured, and one lost his life, eliminating twenty-two "Red Scorpion" individuals and capturing eleven.

Lin Mo had met the fallen soldier before; he was the sniper and observer known as Qin Baosong. When Lin Mo first arrived at the base and greeted some members of the First Squad, Qin Baosong was among them.

Qin Baosong was young and handsome, only twenty-three years old, with six years of military service. He was a shooting ace selected from the Hainan Military Region. While his peers enjoyed their youth and joy, he had already executed nearly seventy dangerous missions. Unfortunately, he fell victim during this operation, gravely injured by a grenade at close range, without leaving behind even a last word.

The small auditorium seemed dedicated to commemorating fallen heroes, adorned with black-and-white drapes and memorial banners. In another room, numerous black-and-white portraits hung, not just of combat units but also from other departments, reminding everyone that all the martyrs of the "Night" team remained its members.

Every person who entered automatically removed their hats, bowed their heads, and stood silently in a line to pay their respects. While suppressing their emotions, some still wiped away tears; each farewell felt like tearing a piece of flesh from their hearts.

“…

Revolutionary lives often end in parting, yet each separation brings different emotions…

Be mindful of the cold northern winds at midnight, take care on your journey…

Do you remember when you signed up for the army? Do you remember the first time you wore the uniform…”

Instead of playing the usual mournful music, the auditorium repeatedly played “Saying Goodbye to a Comrade” and “Good Comrades Are Like Brothers.”

Even though Qin Baosong’s body had been carefully prepared and dressed in a new military uniform, the left side of his face had been nearly blown apart, dark purple blood clots had already congealed.

Entering the auditorium, Lin Mo stood quietly among those attending the farewell ceremony. He noticed many people from the base there, the entire First Squad had arrived, and he even spotted the twin sisters who had troubled him earlier, standing quietly behind Colonel Xie, the head of the Intelligence Group.

Colonel Feng Chenye, the commander of the "Night" team, Political Commissar Qiu Dong, Squad Leader Huang De, and other mid-level leaders of the base stood beside the fallen soldier’s body, welcoming those come to pay their respects.

Soon, everyone who could arrive at the base, except those unable to leave their posts, filled the auditorium. It was a sea of black suits.

Captain Feng served as the host of the ceremony. Standing before the photo of the deceased, the music in the hall came to an abrupt stop.

“Our good comrade, hero Qin Baosong, left us during the battle this morning. He enlisted at seventeen and has served for seven years. He was politically resolute and militarily outstanding, always completing the tasks assigned to him perfectly…” Captain Feng did not hold a speech; rather, he spoke from memory about the life of the martyr, recounting Qin Baosong’s experiences one by one.

Though a simple retelling, it etched Qin Baosong’s life deeply in everyone’s memories, uniting them forever.

The farewell ceremony was brief, lasting only half an hour, but everyone’s eyes were red and heavy with sorrow.

Every soldier knew that it was the fate of warriors to confront the risks of life and death. In every deployment, no one knew if they would return alive, or if their comrades would return together. Those who toyed with death cherished each moment with their comrades. The bond of carrying arms together always took precedence.

Whether meeting an early demise or suffering unrecognizable fates, someone needed to bear the burden. They sacrificed their families for the greater good, seeking peace and comfort for their loved ones and the stability of the entire country, willingly becoming ruthless warriors, enduring the trials of life and death, forever in a cycle of torment.

In this world, Lin Mo still felt the pride and emotions unique to soldiers.

After leaving the auditorium, Lin Mo felt someone patting him.

“Little Lin! If it weren’t for your swift decision this time, you might have been the one lying there tonight at the farewell ceremony.” A rough hand landed on Lin Mo’s shoulder; it was a familiar voice, Captain Pan from the Aircrew Group.

“Thank you, Captain Pan! I will stay vigilant!” Lin Mo turned around to see Captain Pan giving him a thumbs up, and they exchanged fist bumps.

Lin Mo had an unspoken means of ensuring his own safety, yet he couldn’t share that with Captain Pan.

“Our common folks, let’s celebrate today…” Old Ma, the munitions storage keeper, jangled a bunch of keys in his hands, shaking his head and carrying a bag of cooked beef straight to his post.

“Old Ma! Off to get food?”

“Uh-huh! Extra portions today! Ha ha! I won two hundred on the lottery a few days ago! Time to treat myself!” Old Ma’s wrinkled face nearly squinted his eyes shut.

Frequently running into familiar faces, Old Ma greeted people with extra cheer.

He had been living quite well recently, and the monthly paycheck was no longer a thing of worry. With a good mood, even the food tasted better.

Returning to his storage area’s duty room, he locked the keys in a metal cabinet, humming a tune as he settled at his desk. He opened the bag of fragrant, sauced beef and inhaled deeply—the aroma was delightful!

Impatiently, he stuffed a piece into his mouth, chewing contentedly; it was tender and flavorful, and Old Ma felt like he was almost in heaven.

“Hey, in a year, we’ll retire and buy a big house, so I won’t be looked down upon by my brother-in-law anymore. Bah! Having a house and a car, being rich is impressive? Well, we are rich too!” He munched while shaking his head cheerfully.

“Rich? Well, you need life to enjoy it!” An unexpected voice interrupted Old Ma’s joyful moment.

“What? What?!” Old Ma’s eyes widened in shock, stopping his chewing as he turned sharply to find a girl had appeared in the duty room without him noticing.

How could this be?! The storage room had two solid steel doors and a fire-proof, bullet-proof entrance. Grenades wouldn’t even breach it, and just a moment ago, he was the only person present.

“Hmph…” The girl twirled a uniquely shaped steel needle in her hand, as if showing off something.

Forget the delicious food; Old Ma quickly reached into his desk drawer.

Inside was a standard 5.8mm self-defense pistol loaded with bullets, the duty room’s usual safety weapon.

Bang! A booted foot kicked against Old Ma’s hand on the drawer’s handle.

“Ah…” Pain pierced through him like a shock, and he cried out, his voice shifting wildly! He expected the guards to rush in but heard nothing; after all, a complete squad of soldiers was stationed outside, paying attention to every little disturbance.

“Shout! Yell! No matter how loud you scream, no one will hear you. Even if they do, they won’t come to save you!” The girl’s foot pressed down heavily, showing no sign of budging; her tough boots were turned into effective weapons.

“Who are you? This is an arms depot; what do you want? This is a crime! You can be shot on the spot! Let me go!” Old Ma, choking back his pain, still did not forget to threaten the intruding girl. He wanted to shout louder, but no one came.

Clearly, this unexpected guest was not intimidated; instead, she elegantly tucked a stray hair behind her ear, looking at the middle-aged man mockingly. “Me commit a crime? You want to shoot me? Fine, let’s see who gets shot first!” She turned her head and shouted, “Sister! It’s your turn.”

“What?!” Old Ma couldn’t even process the information before a loud crash erupted; several thick military ammunition ledgers slammed onto the desk in front of him. Suddenly, he felt a shock and struggled violently, shouting, “What do you want? What do you want? This is a military stronghold!”

“Speak! Confess honestly, and you might suffer less!” Another girl, identical in appearance to the one stepping on Old Ma, calmly pulled out a chair and sat beside him, her posture straight, with an undeniable charming figure. Her eyes, filled with intelligence and wisdom, seemed to pierce right into Old Ma’s soul.

“You, who are you?” Old Ma trembled in fear, forced to swallow as his throat tightened. The sight of two identical twins, sweet and beautiful like movie stars, yet invoked a deep-seated tremor and fear within him. Despite his pain, he continued to resist stubbornly.