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墨書 Inktalez
Watching Old Lei walk out of the room, everyone present was deeply moved, and Wang Chao felt a lump in his throat, almost on the verge of tears. Even much later, he often recalled Old Lei's expression and the resolute tone in his voice during that moment.
That evening, all the soldiers were gathered in the hallway, and Wang Chao and the members of the Bioterrorism Security Department naturally joined them. Since they were among the last to retreat, most of the soldiers had taken refuge in this building. This was a significant oversight by the management; otherwise, such a tragedy would not have occurred in the other buildings. However, it was undeniable that they had gathered nearly all their firepower here. The hallway could not accommodate everyone, resulting in a peculiar scene where soldiers filled the staircases from one to several floors, reminding Wang Chao of the chaos during school recess.
Old Lei stood on the landing above them, and everyone could only look up through the gaps in the stairs to see him. Under normal circumstances, this would have been a comical sight, but at that moment, not a single person spoke or even chuckled. Old Lei glanced down at the hundreds of soldiers and said with a smile, "I never thought I, Old Lei, would one day hold a headquarters meeting here. In the long river of history, I am the first!"
A few scattered laughs echoed back through the building but only served to heighten the silence.
"Decades ago, when I was a soldier at just fourteen or fifteen years old," Old Lei continued calmly, "if you asked me why I joined the army, I'd say it was cool; I could act tough and handle guns. After leaving service, in my little village, that was a source of pride for everyone. Going back to marry a fair-skinned plump girl would be no problem at all." As he spoke, laughter began to rise again as Old Lei added, "With that mindset, I drifted through military life until one day we were assigned a mission."
Everyone listened intently as Old Lei recounted, "At that time, our relations with neighboring countries were unstable, and a border war broke out. The flames of war swept through and eventually reached my little village."
At this point, Old Lei's voice trembled slightly as he continued, "I was just coasting along when suddenly combat erupted. Being young, everyone protected me; I didn't suffer any injuries during the war. But war is cruel—soon my little village was unrecognizable. Our squad was ordered to cover the villagers' evacuation. Just as we were about to succeed in getting them out safely, an enemy unit appeared before us."
"The squad leader immediately ordered us to fire while I was assigned to continue covering the villagers' retreat. Unexpectedly during this process, I encountered an enemy soldier. I was so shocked that I froze and couldn't pull the trigger. When the enemy opened fire, I knew it was all over for me. But at that moment, my parents rushed out from the crowd and held me tightly, shielding me from countless bullets."
As he spoke these words, tears streamed down Old Lei's face. He said, "I was completely stunned; that enemy kept firing while countless villagers charged forward for what they believed was their 'pride.' I remained unharmed but had no idea how many of my loved ones fell under those bullets."
"I have thought countless times about why I took up this gun. Every time I remember how many relatives fell before me, I realize I'm not here just to drift through military life. The country entrusted me with this weapon not for showboating or for my own pride! This gun is meant for me to protect my loved ones, safeguard our citizens, and defend our nation!"
"You all know that in recent days there has been significant public dissent against me; you’ve seen me being pelted with stones." Old Lei's pace quickened as he spoke passionately: "But you don’t know—I smiled! I felt joy! Every time I think about how I saved thousands of lives; every time I remember that I didn’t let children lose their parents or let elders lose their support; every time I reflect on how I don’t need others to protect me but can protect others instead—I wake up smiling from what feels like a dream!"
Old Lei's heartfelt words left everyone present profoundly moved.
"Old Lei" continued, "Now, we are surrounded in this neighborhood. The other buildings are filled with people from our small town. Your parents might be there, your sisters might be there. As soldiers, can we just sit back and watch them die? Tell me!"
"No! No! No!" The unified and resounding voices echoed throughout the building.
"Good! But if we don't take action soon, those people will all perish! Our parents, our brothers and sisters will die! I, Old Lei, can no longer accept such a fate. From now on, I will form a Suicide Squad! Grab grenades, grab firearms, and let's take down those damn zombies! If anyone wants to join me, speak up! Of course, those who don't want to join are not forced; who wants to go fight with me?"
"I do! I do! I do!" The voices were as heavy as mountains.
"Haha, all of you have blood in your veins and the spirit of wolves! However, I can't let you all go to your deaths. Anyone under eighteen with only their mothers left at home, step forward!" Old Lei shouted.
Not a single person moved.
"Don't think I don't know you little brats—Xiao Wu! Xiao Wu! Wu Xiaobao!" Old Lei called out.
"Here!" A soldier shouted from below.
Old Lei cursed, "You brat aren't even eighteen yet! Hand over your weapons and ammo and get back inside!"
"I just had my birthday today!" Xiao Wu's voice rang out through the building. "I'm eighteen now!"
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