The Questioned

That evening, the base cafeteria prepared hot soup and meals that had been delayed for the returning troops of both regiments. Two recruits from Regiment 491 finished eating, put down their chopsticks, and stood up to turn themselves in. They were undercover operatives from the Cleansing Faction. They hadn't done anything yet and hadn't been exposed in the slightest. But now, they simply couldn't carry on with it. Later that night, Wen Jifei, who had previously said he would see them tomorrow, suddenly arrived clutching his bedroll. As he made his bed on an empty bunk, he explained, "I had Lao Jian pull some strings through an acquaintance to let me stay here for a few days. The equipment depot only has dormitories for female equipment officers, and they wouldn't let me stay there... Sleeping alone in the equipment room, I had a hard time getting to sleep." Once the lights were out, everyone lay down. After a period of silence, someone ventured to speak, trying to find a lighter topic. Though it felt a bit inappropriate, when two jokes fell flat, they simply turned to gossip instead. Spreading gossip was probably forever the best way to relieve boredom and divert attention. He asked, "Hey, Qingzi? Do you have some kind of secret crush on Instructor Milla? Risking your life like that back then... Haha, they told you not to leap, didn't they? Plenty of people are whispering about it now, saying you're a hero saving the beauty." Azure was not averse to romance; that had been made clear long ago. Moreover, love here was bound by far fewer conventional notions, so things like age and status were automatically cleared from the restriction list. "Then what about that Yaoyao-huanghuang? Who is she?" He Tangtang blurted out an entirely new name on the spot. The gossipy mood thickened instantly. After a moment, Han Qingyu heard his name amid the chatter and murmured, "Huh?" The group couldn't wrap their heads around his reaction, staring blankly in the dark. What did he mean, 'huh'? We've been gossiping about you for half the evening! Amid the awkward silence, Wen Jifei chuckled and said, "There's no point in asking him about this. It's like asking a blacksmith how to embroider. He's completely missing that part of his brain—I even suspect he traded it in for his degree of fusion... "Back when we were in high school together, there was a pretty girl in the next class. Lots of guys liked her, but she seemed to have taken a fancy to him. Whenever she had free time, she'd come over to trade notes or mistake notebooks with him. Then once during a sports meet, she saw him at the snack shop, walked over to greet him, and asked with a sweet smile in front of a whole crowd, 'Qingzi, could you treat me to a popsicle?' But he was stingy with his money, pretended he didn't hear, and ran off. I heard the poor girl was so embarrassed she cried, and she never spoke to him again." "No wonder!" He Tangtang said with some agitation. "You guys have no idea. This time, he helped that Yaoyao-huanghuang catch a bug, and ended up squashing the bug right onto the girl with his finger! Picture it yourselves—even I was stunned at the time." Laughter broke out across the dormitory. "Haha, that's just how he is. It's not that he's dense, he's just single-minded. Back when he wanted to study, all he cared about was studying... Now that he has to fight for his life, all he cares about is fighting for his life." That night, Wen Jifei answered the first inquiry Han Qingyu faced upon returning. Qingzi didn't have to say a single word himself, nor did he realize that this was merely the beginning of many inquiries to come. The next morning, the army command called for him first. Han Qingyu followed the escort. After entering the office and calling out his report, he heard the door close behind him. Inside were only him and Army Commander Lu Wuzheng. Lu Wuzheng, who was watering flowers by the window, turned around and scrutinized him thoroughly before speaking. "Have a seat. I won't brew tea for you. A member of the Sub-Sequence... tsk, I only just found out myself. Impressive. Even an army commander like me has to apply for permission just to formally question you." He seemed to be muttering to himself, so Han Qingyu didn't know how to respond and simply followed orders to sit down. "Looking at the report, you performed well this time," Lu Wuzheng said, brewing a cup of tea for himself and sitting down. "How about you walk me through the specifics yourself?" "Yes, sir." Han Qingyu truthfully recounted the entire sequence of events, except that, out of lingering unease, he described absorbing the metal block as destroying the device. Everything else was completely factual. There were actually quite a few questionable details regarding his strength. However, because Han Qingyu was registered under the Sub-Sequence, many questions concerning him automatically carried labels of 'understandable' and 'classified circumstances,' so Lu Wuzheng refrained from prying too deeply. "Right, I'll submit recommendations of merit for you later. Yours and Old Zhang's will have to be submitted to the International Coalition Council," Commander Lu paused, then added, "By the way, there's one small detail. When you destroyed the device, did you see a metal block? The cleanup crew said they haven't found it yet." Han Qingyu paused, concentrating as if trying to recall, but in reality, he was weighing his choices. His final conclusion was: even if he were to speak of it, it couldn't be here, nor to an army commander. It wasn't that Han Qingyu looked down on the commander, but rather that the fear of undercover operatives from the Cleansing Faction was simply too great. "I don't think so," he shook his head and said. "That Great Spike started chasing me right then, and I didn't have time to notice." *** After leaving Lu Wuzheng's office, Han Qingyu was called over by Regimental Commander Li Wangqiang and the others. A conversation among their own people didn't carry the posture of an interrogation; instead, it felt more like a discussion. Moreover, as Li Wangqiang looked upon Han Qingyu amid his grief, knowing how well the boy had performed brought him a measure of solace. "Here's how it is. Our Sole Witness Legion has always had a tradition: when a soldier falls, their urn has no name engraved and no photograph attached, only their service number engraved in the upper right corner. And the lower left corner... usually bears the numbers of a few comrades-in-arms, so the fallen won't be so lonely. Of course, this is entirely voluntary." Li Wangqiang finished speaking briefly, then turned to look at Han Qingyu. "Regarding Old Zhang, I spent the whole morning on the phone arranging this. In the end, the remaining members of the Red Eraser basically all agreed to let him have Captain Wang Liuzheng's number engraved on it, as well as their own—including Old Miao, who also gave his consent." This, perhaps, represented forgiveness. "Old Zhang's own wishes can no longer be asked," Li Wangqiang continued with emotion. "So the few of us considered it on his behalf, and we felt that if your number were engraved on it as well... down in the underworld, he would..." Han Qingyu nodded. "I agree." The following day, the ashes of Zhang Dao'an and the others who had fallen were carried up Mount Nine Armies to the Wall of Heroic Spirits. In addition to the recruits sending them off, not only did most leaders from the regiment and army attend, but representatives were also dispatched from Legion Headquarters and the Council. There were even internal correspondents. The Azure Coalition had internal periodicals and newspapers as well, though they were typically displayed only in glass cases for viewing and collected on a regular schedule. The person who carried Zhang Dao'an's urn up the mountain was someone many had not expected: Wen Jifei. Only when the regiment handled Zhang Dao'an's affairs after his death did they learn about many things he had never mentioned. For instance, before setting out, he had submitted a special report, acting as guarantor to apply for a set of three-dimensional apparatus on Wen Jifei's behalf. Whether the army would originally have approved it was unknown, though the likelihood was probably slim. Now, however, considering the matter as a martyr's dying wish, they weighed the circumstances and ultimately decided that once Zhang Dao'an's own three-dimensional apparatus had been inspected and repaired, it would not be reclaimed, but rather given to Wen Jifei. Rain fell during the ascent up the mountain, the weather bleak and chilly. The recruits who returned alive stood in the rain, bidding farewell to their fourteen instructors, one hundred and forty-one comrades-in-arms, and the entirety of Squad 1123, with whom they had briefly fought shoulder to shoulder. The urn was sealed into the Wall of Heroic Spirits. Wen Jifei stood with empty hands for a while, then drew a bag of peanuts from his breast pocket and laid it before Zhang Dao'an's resting place. At the same time, at the foot of Mount Nine Armies, a limping figure appeared and began walking up the mountain alone in silence. With visible difficulty, the figure made his way to Zhang Dao'an's memorial. Opening a wooden food carrier, he lifted out a large, still-warm bowl of beef brisket noodles, set it down... and pushed a pair of chopsticks into it. Then, holding the wooden food carrier, the man turned and limped down the mountain step by step in the rain. From beginning to end, he didn't utter a single word. Zhang Dao'an was gone. Old Geng from the cafeteria, who had hated and antagonized him for so many years, had come to deliver a bowl of beef brisket noodles. Many people loved the beef noodles Old Geng cooked; they were peerless, and another specialty was roasted mutton... But back in the day, Zhang Dao'an had been particularly fond of the beef brisket noodles. Zhang Dao'an was gone, but the big yellow dog named 34473 still guarded the front gate of Base 425. *** By the time they returned from Mount Nine Armies that day, it was already dusk. Upon arriving, everyone was arranged to shower, change clothes, and prepare for dinner. Han Qingyu was called away once again by the army commander's orderly. This time, the orderly appeared hurried and anxious. "It's not Commander Lu who wants to see you..." he whispered. "The people from the Rejecters have already been waiting for you all afternoon."