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墨書 Inktalez
Li Chunbo never imagined that his father would actually agree to his decision to enlist in the military in response to the urgent expansion. Even now, he felt as if he were living in a dream.
In truth, Li Chunbo knew that even if his father had adamantly opposed it, he would have gone ahead and enlisted anyway.
Li Chunbo's enlistment process went very smoothly, especially with a recommendation letter from Jinghua University. It was well-known that the influence of the military was profound, so Li Chunbo naturally passed through all the necessary checks without any issues.
Now, Li Chunbo had been transferred from Beijing to Tianjin, where he joined the ranks of the Coastal Defense Navy's 6th Fleet, which served as the second line of defense for the nation, just behind the naval forces.
A week ago:
Li Chunbo's home was in Dongcheng District, Beijing. Upon receiving news of the second-level combat readiness, he rushed back home from Jinghua University to face his father, whom he hadn't seen in nearly six months.
To Li Chunbo's surprise, his father was not at the company nor on vacation; instead, he was sitting in the living room at home. After Li Chunbo returned, his father silently observed him for a moment before inviting him to sit beside him.
"Chunbo, it seems like we can count on one hand how many times we've met in recent years," his father said with a faint smile as he poured a cup of tea from the kettle on the table and handed it to Li Chunbo.
Li Chunbo frowned slightly, wondering if his father was trying to play an emotional card. However, even if he brought up his mother to pressure him now, it wouldn't work; he should first bring her back.
Seeing Li Chunbo's dark expression, his father laughed heartily and teased him, "You brat! Are you thinking about why I'm being so nice? Are you preparing for some emotional tactics?"
Caught off guard by his father's insight into his thoughts, Li Chunbo felt a bit embarrassed. After all, this was his father; thinking like that seemed somewhat inappropriate.
His father chuckled softly before letting out a long sigh and shaking his head helplessly. "Well, you have to go if you want to go. Since you're so eager and it just happens to be this time, then go ahead. I won't interfere anymore."
Li Chunbo truly did not expect such an outcome. Within five minutes of entering the house, his father agreed to let him enlist? And during such a tense period! If he was willing to agree now, why had he been so opposed before?
The old man picked up a cup of tea, took a slight sip, and chuckled softly, "Let’s take our time; it’s rare to find such good tea. Just right for me to clarify things with you. First, adjust your mindset."
Li Chunbo took a deep breath twice before lifting his teacup, gently sipping the light green tea. A hint of bitterness mixed with a refreshing aroma flowed down his throat, and he could even distinctly smell the fragrance of the tea.
The old man looked at Li Chunbo's foolish expression and smiled lightly, shaking his head. "Well then, I’ll begin."
Li Chunbo immediately set down his teacup, adopting a posture that signaled he was ready for whatever was coming. After all, he knew that his father’s sudden agreement to something he had opposed for years must have some hidden meaning behind it.
"You are joining the military to defend our homeland as a citizen. I don’t care what orders you receive; even if they are against your will, you are not allowed to step onto foreign soil!" The old man pointed sternly at Li Chunbo. "Otherwise, don’t blame me for being ruthless."
Li Chunbo smiled and countered, "I understand, but Dad, you should also know that with our country's policies, is it possible for us to take the initiative and step onto another country’s territory? That’s impossible."
The old man closed his fingers together to signal him to stop and continued, "Don’t always think that our government officials are truly gentle people. You must realize that our country possesses an independent dead hand system just like other nuclear powers! This alone reveals the true nature of the highest levels!"
Li Chunbo, who was fascinated by the military, naturally understood these unspoken matters and immediately retorted, "Nuclear deterrence is meant to better intimidate other nuclear powers to ensure that mutual annihilation does not occur."
The old man scoffed coldly. "You should know that the current directed Hydrogen Bomb does not fall under the category of nuclear weapons; it has already been confirmed as a high-power weapon equipped by enemy forces. Moreover, rumors say that the divine staff is ready, and even ion beam weapons are currently in the testing phase. Today's warfare cannot be resolved by just one or two big soldiers."
Li Chunbo remained calm and nodded patiently. "I know, I know. But you must also understand that high-tech weapons are still operated by people. At its core, war is still based on human factors! Furthermore, as wars progress, various cutting-edge technologies will be used and depleted; in the end, it will still rely on soldiers, tanks, planes, and artillery."
The old man interrupted Li Chunbo again; he realized he could no longer control his son. While feeling a sense of comfort, he also experienced a kind of sadness—a lonely sadness.
"Alright, I won’t argue with you anymore. Just remember one thing: you must ensure your own safety at all times!" The old man sighed deeply before finally expressing what had long been hidden in his heart.
Li Chunbo frowned slightly and retorted dismissively, "The events on the battlefield are not something you or I can decide; besides, war may not even happen! Even if we unfortunately enter a wartime era, I will stand shoulder to shoulder with my comrades until the end."
The old man was infuriated by Li Chunbo, forcing a bitter smile as he said, "You’re still in the military doing ideological work, and your awareness is already this high. I think you should be made a political commissar; that way, the soldiers under you would surely have high awareness too!"
Just as Li Chunbo was about to speak, the old man interrupted him. "Hold on, let me finish. I’m not suggesting you become a coward; I won’t allow that. Besides, if you really did that, it would bring shame to the Li Family. Just watch me break your legs!"
Li Chunbo chuckled and asked, "Then what do you mean?"
The old man silently glanced at Li Chunbo and sighed. "I want you to be sharp and aware. On the battlefield, often one mistake can lead to loss of life, so I need you to pay attention! You must stay alert!"
"I’ll lay my cards on the table; I don’t expect you to carry on the family line or anything! I don’t favor sons over daughters; your sister’s children also have Li Family blood! They can carry on just the same!"
Seeing that the old man was in a bad mood, Li Chunbo joked, "Old man, don’t be ridiculous. My sister is still so young; how could she have kids? What are you thinking?"
The old man immediately raised his hand as if to slap Li Chunbo and scolded, "In the future!"
"Alright, alright, you go on," Li Chunbo said as he moved a bit further away from the old man, wearing a smile.
"I don’t want you to do anything for me; I just want you to come back alive. Even if you want to stay in the military after returning, that’s fine—just come back alive!"
The old man took off his glasses and choked up as he said, "You don’t understand how much I hate war! Whether it’s offensive or defensive soldiers, I despise them all. Why? Because your grandfather died on the battlefield!"
Li Chunbo fell silent; he naturally knew about this matter. He hadn’t expected that after so many years, his father would still hold onto it so deeply. "That was grandfather's belief; it was something he was proud of."
The old man shouted angrily, "That’s why I don’t like soldiers! It’s not wrong for soldiers to regard military achievements as honors! But did they ever consider how their distant relatives feel while they’re fighting for their lives? Would their distant relatives want them to act that way? Isn’t that a bit selfish?"
Li Chunbo had rarely seen—or perhaps had never seen—his father in such a state of complete anger. The calmness that usually filled his eyes had vanished, leaving only the flames of rage behind.
"Those are the people who have sacrificed for the country. Why can't their families think about them?"
The old man shook his head. "When you're not in a position, you can't understand the responsibilities. Different circumstances lead to different thoughts. I no longer have that kind of passion, so I can't comprehend this mindset. Therefore, I tell you, I just hope you can come back alive!"
With a bitter smile, the old man sighed, "Although I don't want to admit it, your stubbornness over the years has truly pained me. It hurts a lot. Even though you, this fool, annoy me, you are indeed one of the few closest people to me. Losing you would be very hard for me, not to mention... this isn't the first time. Moreover, you are also the closest person to your mother and sister; losing you would hit them hard!"
Li Chunbo was deeply moved by the old man's words. He never expected his father to have such an undisclosed side. After hesitating for a long time, he finally nodded. "Not going to war is definitely fine, but even if war breaks out, I will do my best to protect myself without violating orders as you requested!"
The old man put his glasses back on and looked at Li Chunbo calmly, returning to the cold and selfless demeanor of General Li. "What are you still doing? You've achieved your purpose for coming back; pack your things and leave. I won't see you off."
Li Chunbo tidied up his belongings, took one last look at his home, and stepped out the door...
※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※
The air raid siren sounded again, and Li Chunbo instinctively jumped out of bed. Like everyone else, he quickly dressed, strapped on his gear, and rushed with the others to the playground.
The Commander and Political Commissar stood on the platform addressing over fifteen hundred members of the Navy's 6th Fleet loudly. "Comrades, we didn't wake you up in the middle of the night just for simple drills; we need to inform you of something serious. Now I'll let the Political Commissar explain it in detail!"
There was no applause or welcome like in a TV drama; only silence reigned. Not a single person among the fifteen hundred made a sound; the entire playground was as quiet as a graveyard.
The Political Commissar nodded and spoke loudly to everyone, "Comrades, I must seriously inform you that we have officially entered Level One Readiness status!!!..."
Listening to the Political Commissar speak above him, Li Chunbo silently told himself, "Dad, I know this might disappoint you, but what can I do? I'm a soldier. Mom, sister, I'm a warrior! If I go to battle, I can only let you down!"
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