Zhou Rong's soul seemed to be floating in the void as he coldly sized up his body standing on the ground.

Were the cuffs clean, the seams of his pants straight, the angle of his line of sight, the way his cheek muscles were taut, and whether it was completely in line with the etiquette training he received in the past? Were they so precise that there was not the slightest error?

To reach the point where he could directly perform a flag-raising performance at Tianan Gate at any time, he suddenly remembered such a funny standard in his memory.

"Open it and let me see," the old man said again.

Zhou Rong saluted and stepped forward to open the freezer.

The chill flourished and gradually revealed the two dark red antibody test tubes fixed on the bracket.

The old man nodded without any emotion. "Just for this, who knows how many people the military has sacrificed this year."

Zhou Rong said, "When we entered the military region's underground research institute, we sent a satellite communication saying that we would try our best to find the information and go to the South Sea. Why is the military still …"

"After receiving the communication, the military has been looking for you."

The old man sighed with emotion. "But shortwave communication from Hubei, Hunan, and the coastal areas of Guangdong are completely cut off. How can they find your traces in the vast expanse of scorched earth?

The two shelters in Guangxi and Yunnan were filled with the lives of soldiers. "

Zhou Rong silently closed his eyes.

"If they can't find you, the military won't know if the information in the B Military Region has been brought out, and they won't dare to carry out missile bombardment."

After a pause, the old man said, "According to the calculations of the General Staff, the probability of you successfully penetrating the B Military Region and rushing back to the South Sea with the information is less than 1%."

Indeed.

If they had not encountered the Sinan, with only five special forces soldiers left, the journey south from B City would have been enough for them to die eight to ten times.

But on the other hand, if they had not met them, even if the Sinan had three heads and six arms, it would have been difficult for them to live to this day.

The one in ten million chance encounter on that autumn afternoon in T City was enough to change the established trajectory of many things and the fate of many people.

"But you did create a miracle. When you were transferred to the special forces, I never thought that this day would come."

Zhou Rong wanted to speak modestly, but that was a reaction within the regulations. The old man interrupted him.

"Old Zheng told you about the reinstatement of your original position?"

Here it comes.

Zhou Rong thought for a moment and said, "Yes, General Zheng told me that 118 has been disbanded."

The old man nodded silently. Zhou Rong looked at him and said sincerely, "Chief, I hope that the Military Commission can consider rebuilding 118.

If we don't have any more soldiers, we can always recruit more. As long as I'm here, the 6th Squadron will still exist, and the 118th Squadron will still exist.

Although 118 hasn't been established for a long time, it has made countless amazing military achievements … "

The old man didn't interrupt Zhou Rong. It was hard to tell whether he agreed or disagreed from his expression.

"Two years ago, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs went to 118 to pick people. Do you know about that?"

Zhou Rong was stunned. "I know."

"Why didn't you sign up?"

Zhou Rong was silent for a long time before he said, "I think that in this situation, I can do more for the country by being an ordinary major in the special forces."

Sinan was right about one thing. Zhou Rong was the kind of person who could always find the most appropriate words to express an unpleasant meaning.

A hint of a smile flashed across the old man's cloudy eyes. He obviously felt the same way as Sinan. He said, "No, Colonel.

I heard that you were cured by the serum antibody. I think that before the vaccine is developed, you will be more useful in the military headquarters. "

Zhou Rong said, "Yes, but …"

"The 118 Brigade made indelible contributions at the beginning of the virus outbreak. However, there are many other brigades that have been disbanded because of the total destruction of the army. 118 is just one of them. It will forever be recorded in the military history of the Republic, along with its brothers."

Zhou Rong wanted to say something, but the old man keenly saw through his thoughts. "The probability of sacrifice at the front line is too high, Colonel.

Family, country, country. How can a man who doesn't even care about his family talk about the country? "

This time, Zhou Rong was instantly speechless and stood there stiffly.

At this time, a cadre hurried in and whispered a few words in the old man's ear.

The old man raised his hand to indicate that he understood. Then he patted the edge of the table to Zhou Rong. "Okay, you have to go back!"

Zhou Rong was puzzled. The old man sighed softly.

"You don't know yet, do you?

Old Guo is gone. When he was transferred out of the B Military District.

You should go see his grandson. His belongings have just been delivered to him. "

When the B Military District was destroyed, the Military Commission organized a large-scale retreat. Deputy Minister Guo volunteered to stay and command, but he didn't make it in time for the last helicopter.

Zhou Rong nodded and thanked the guard who led the way. At the end of the corridor was a small cafeteria. It wasn't dinner time yet, so it was empty at the moment. Only Chun Cao and Ding Shi stood nervously at the door and looked in.

"Brother Rong …"

Zhou Rong put his index finger to his lips to signal them to be quiet. Then he walked in.

Guo Weixiang was lying at the table, facing the corner. He was the only one sitting in the cafeteria.

From the back, he was burying his face in his palms. Zhou Rong walked past him and went to the vending machine on the other side of the wall to buy a lot of beer and cigarettes. He turned around and piled them on the table. Then he pulled out the folding chair in front of Guo Weixiang.

"Come on." He opened the tab of a bottle of beer, pulled down Guo Weixiang's left hand and stuffed the beer can into his hand. "This is all the cash I have on me. Today, I'm willing to sacrifice my life for you."

Guo Weixiang's eyes were red. He tried to cover his eyes with his right hand, but Zhou Rong stuffed him with a soft Chunghwa cigarette.

"Brother Rong …"

"How did the old man leave?"

Guo Weixiang's tears gushed out again. After a while, he shook his head and choked with sobs.

"The virus suddenly broke out in the research institute. When we retreated, it was chaotic. He insisted that others leave first, and he took the password and key to close the security gate on the third floor underground … He's almost eighty years old. Originally, there was nothing for him to do, but he applied for emergency authority at the last minute."

Deputy Minister Guo was indeed going to retire. In recent years, he was no longer personally involved in many affairs.

If he hadn't stood up and insisted, this kind of task, which was destined to be sacrificed, would never have been handed over to an old man who was almost eighty years old.

"I didn't even have time to say goodbye to him."

Guo Weixiang's nose was red. He said, "On the day I left, the military vehicle drove past the gate of the compound. You asked me if I wanted to stop for five minutes to go in and say goodbye to the old man … But I was always afraid that people would think I was being special, so I insisted that I didn't want to.

Why didn't I go in?

Why didn't I go in? I didn't even see him for the last time … "

Zhou Rong lit a cigarette for himself and lowered his eyes in the white smoke.

There was a gray iron box beside Guo Weixiang. It was the size of an ordinary shoebox and was sealed with a golden-red ribbon.

Zhou Rong knew what it was. It was a relic box, which contained the miscellaneous items used by Deputy Minister Guo when he was alive.

A fountain pen, handwritten manuscripts, reading glasses, and at least half a box of heavy meritorious service certificates and military medals.

"You're 118," Zhou Rong said in a low voice. "The old man has been showing off this to others. He'll die in peace."

Guo Weixiang cried and shook his head, saying, "Brother Rong, you don't understand, you don't understand."

"He originally wanted me to do something else, but I insisted on joining the special forces … I wanted to prove myself, I wanted to fight for my dignity, I yelled at him that I wanted to realize my dreams … But he actually just wanted his only grandson to stay by his side peacefully. He didn't expect me to be successful at all …"

Guo Weixiang's voice was not loud. It was even a little hoarse because of his crying, but Zhou Rong seemed to have been stabbed by something sharp and couldn't speak for a while.

"If I had been with him all the time, he wouldn't have died."

Guo Weixiang held the cigarette between his fingers and pressed the base of his palm against his red forehead. He murmured, "If I had been there, I wouldn't have let an eighty-year-old man like him close the gate. I would have …"

Zhou Rong patted Guo Weixiang's arm as if to transmit some kind of power. He pressed it heavily and said, "Don't think like that.

If you've lived for so long and have nothing to do except to accompany the old man, how can Deputy Minister Guo rest in peace? "

"Your grandfather was actually very happy when you yelled at him to pursue your dreams." Zhou Rong said again, "You don't understand, Xiangzi.

The old man must have been very relieved when he left. He knew that you had a bright future and didn't need to rely on anyone. "

Xiangzi gasped for air, his nostrils emitting a sharp, cracking sound. Finally, it turned into a wail of anguish.

Ding Shi walked over cautiously, and Chun Cao followed him quietly.

The four of them sat around the small dining table. Ding Shi patted Guo Weixiang's back and comforted him in a low voice. The latter's wailing gradually turned into a hoarse sob.

"Brother Rong," Chun Cao asked softly, "About the disbandment … has it been confirmed?"

Zhou Rong exhaled a mouthful of white smoke. He seemed to be smiling bitterly, but it was hard to see clearly.

Chun Cao and Ding Shi looked at each other, as if they didn't want to believe it. "But … our Sixth Squadron is still here.

Didn't they say that as long as there was a captain, there would be a division?

How could they disband just like that … "

Zhou Rong didn't answer.

Chun Cao wanted to ask more, but Ding Shi touched her hand and signaled her to look down with his eyes.

Zhou Rong was smoking cigarettes with his left hand, but his right hand was holding an unopened can of beer.

He probably didn't realize how strong his hand was, but the aluminum can was already deformed. His fingernails had left deep marks on the smooth can.

Chun Cao's heart suddenly jumped, and she didn't say anything.

"What are your dreams?" After a while, Zhou Rong suddenly said in the white smoke of tobacco.

Chun Cao and Ding Shi looked at each other.

"My dream is to do something real."

Zhou Rong seemed to be talking to himself. "Not to pay attention to whether the seams of my pants are straight, whether my collar is straight, whether I look good in front of the camera, and whether my subordinates are embarrassing themselves in front of the foreign media.

Not to think about what other people's eyes mean, which words have hidden meanings, which people and factions are inextricably linked … I just want to do something real. Even if it's just like the People's Liberation Army, I just want to help the orphanage shovel some snow when I get up early in the morning. "

He wiped his face, put out the cigarette, and smiled sadly.

Guo Weixiang unconsciously forgot to cry. She whispered, "Brother Rong …?"

Zhou Rong responded, but didn't answer the question. "That's it. It's good. Everyone is walking on the road to realize their dreams."

He stood up under everyone's puzzled gaze and exhaled with all his strength, as if he had finally finished a difficult battle. He patted the shoulders of his three comrades one by one during the gunfire.

"I'm proud of you."

He smiled briefly, turned around and walked out of the small cafeteria.

As expected, Sinan didn't cooperate. He just leaned against the bed in the intensive care unit, and no one dared to disturb him.

It wasn't until he heard Zhou Rong's footsteps that he sat up straight. In an extremely subtle way, he seemed to be slightly relaxed.

The supplies on the aircraft carrier were okay. Zhou Rong brought back food and sweet soup.

The sky over the sea quickly darkened. When night fell, they ate at a small table in the ward. The steam of the sweet pineapple soup filled the air under the light.

"Is Rooster okay?" Sinan asked without raising his head.

"He's fine." Zhou Rong said, "Don't go to him. Give him some time alone."

Sinan nodded thoughtfully.

After a while, Zhou Rong saw him open a lunch box that he had just sealed himself. He began to eat two pieces of braised chicken legs and half a bowl of sweet soup. He suddenly understood why Sinan left this lunch box alone before dinner — it wasn't to save it for tomorrow's breakfast.

He wanted to take it as a gift to visit Guo Weixiang.

Zhou Rong burst out laughing. Sinan spat out the chicken bone expressionlessly. "What are you laughing at?"

"No, nothing." Zhou Rong waved his hand repeatedly. The dark clouds in his heart suddenly dispersed.

After dinner, the nurse finally dared to draw blood. Zhou Rong watched carefully. Unexpectedly, she didn't draw too much blood and stopped.

He asked why, and the nurse's attitude was very good. "Doctor Ning from the Strategic Research Institute said that he just drew blood a few days ago. He was afraid that drawing too much blood would affect his health, so he wanted to continue for a long time …"

The nurse blurted it out and her face immediately turned red.

Sinan didn't know much about the basic national policy. He rarely took the initiative to ask, "Continue for what?"

The nurse ran away in a flurry.

The door closed with a click. The ward with orange light turned into a small bedroom.

Zhou Rong took a hot shower and came out. His black hair stood up in a mess after being dried with a towel. The water droplets flowed down his strong back muscles. He leaned over and put his hands on the pillow, staring at Sinan lying on the bed.

Sinan had a very full dinner — although it was only a few pieces of chicken legs and sweet soup, it was obvious that Sinan enjoyed it very much.

This was the best meal he had ever had since he met me, Zhou Rong thought.

He didn't have to eat hardtack, drink cold water in the winter, and worry about suddenly having to pick up a weapon to fight zombies when he was extremely hungry.

But I can't give him any of these. I don't have anything.

Zhou Rong swallowed. There was an indescribable sourness in his tongue. Sinan moved, "What's wrong?"

"… Nothing," Zhou Rong whispered and kissed the soft white gauze in front of him.

The next moment, Sinan's hand pressed down on the back of his neck.

With a bang, Zhou Rong's back hit the bed. He didn't even have time to react before the two of them switched positions. Sinan's legs straddled Zhou Rong's strong waist. He looked down at his face, raised his eyebrows and asked, "What's wrong with you? Do you want to be f * cked?"

Zhou Rong raised his hips threateningly, "Who's f * cking who?"

Sinan, "…"

Zhou Rong said viciously, "Comrade Si Xiaonan, the organization wants you to face the hardware gap. When have you ever seen someone use a Type-92 handgun and an anti-tank rocket launcher to shoot at each other?"

"It's an anti-tank pile-driver."

Sinan smiled and reached over to grab the thing, "The user experience isn't good anyway. Let's just break it …"

Zhou Rong hurriedly pulled his hand over and forced Sinan into the quilt and rolled him into a pancake in his arms.

The two of them poked and scratched each other for a long time. Zhou Rong was so hard that his thighs clamped Sinan tightly to prevent him from struggling. He turned off the light and ordered, "No more playing. Sleep!"

Sinan, "Ear."

Zhou Rong used his fingers to constantly rub Sinan's ear. He rubbed it until it was very comfortable and his breathing gradually became deep and stable.

It was so dark in the ward that one couldn't see his own fingers. The surroundings were quiet, and there seemed to be the sound of waves hitting the beach from afar.

Zhou Rong opened his eyes in the dark. He didn't know how long it took before he stopped.

"The ship will dock tomorrow …" he said almost silently. He didn't know if he was asking Sinan or himself, "What should I do in the future?"

The surroundings were silent for a long time.

"Cooperate with the research, make the vaccine, go out and continue to kill zombies."

Suddenly, Sinan's clear voice sounded in his arms. He didn't hide his mockery, "Can you sleep, Miss Zhou?"

Zhou Rong, "…"

Zhou Rong's mouth twitched. Sinan snuggled into his chest comfortably. After a while, he ordered, "Ear."