Middle Eastern tyrants

Chapter 40 Medal Ceremony
"(In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious and the Most Merciful.)"
Dear compatriots, may the peace, mercy and blessings of God be with you.

Today, we celebrate a great victory. It is a victory for justice, a victory for faith, and a victory for every brave warrior who shed blood for their homeland.

Our enemies—those treacherous invaders of Zion—think they can subdue us with weapons and lies, but they forget that their atrocities will only strengthen our faith and unite us more firmly!

Today, we declare to the world—this sacred land, past, present, and future, forever belongs to the people who revere God!

King Shams was giving a speech on the platform, while radio stations across the country were recording and broadcasting the event live.

"Lieutenant Colonel Amir bin Mohammed Abdulaziz Al Saud led the 1st Mechanized Infantry Battalion of the 1st Armored Division in a fierce battle against the Nukhoshir outpost, successfully repelling the enemy's 7th Armored Regiment of the 38th Armored Division and killing its combat commander. He was exceptionally brave and outstanding."
He is hereby awarded the King Abdulaziz Medal of Honor! His military rank is promoted to Major General!

The "King Abdulaziz Medal" is the highest honor medal for soldiers of the Duchy of Aztecs. If it were in World War II, it would be comparable to Antwerp's Gold Star Medal or Prossen's Cross of Diamonds and Iron Cross.

Although he already knew he would be promoted to major general, Lu Lin was still secretly amazed, considering that he was only a major two weeks ago.

The last person to receive such a rapid promotion was a second lieutenant in the French artillery.

The royal master of ceremonies gestured for Lu Lin to step forward and receive the medal. As Lu Lin walked up to King Shams, the clicking sounds around them suddenly became even more intense.

King Shams personally changed his shoulder insignia, and bestowed upon him the King's Medal and Grand Sash, before gently touching Lu Lin's shoulders with a traditional curved sword.

"May you bring more glory to Allah and live up to the name of Al-Shat," the king whispered in his ear.

Lu Lin suddenly thought of the ancient custom of "being granted the Nine Bestowments, being granted the authority to command troops, being allowed to pay homage without being named, being allowed to enter the court without hastening, and being allowed to wear a sword and shoes in the palace."

It must be said that the current King of Shams is completely different from the one before. His gaze is peaceful and kind, and he has the image of a gentle and refined elder.

According to the ceremony, Lu Lin took his uncle's right hand and gently touched it to his forehead.

Alright, he is now a general who has been officially awarded the double honors.

"The 1st Mechanized Infantry Battalion of the 1st Armored Division of Shuangzhi was awarded the title of 'Guards,' and from officers to soldiers, the 'Courage' Medal was awarded."

The large-scale award ceremony lasted for nearly an hour, and all the soldiers who participated in the fighting at the Nukoshir outpost, even the cooks, were rewarded.

Everyone was overjoyed. The non-commissioned officers were all promoted to lieutenant officers, and the rest of the officers were promoted at least one rank.

"Congratulations, Your Highness, or rather, you should be called Major General now."

Lu Lin turned his head and saw Brigadier General Ali, whom he had met once before. The latter pointed to his shoulder insignia and joked, "Looks like I'll have to call you 'sir' in public from now on."

"Thanks to you, Your Excellency Ali."

Lu Lin responded with a polite smile. The other party was a staff officer from the Ministry of National Defense, in other words, they belonged to the same Sudli faction and were one of his own.

At this moment, the soldiers who had received the medals all came to Lu Lin's back. Everyone made room in the middle, but there were still too many people. Everyone wanted to squeeze next to Lu Lin, so the photographer had to say, "Stop pushing! The general is almost out of the frame! Attendants, attendants, let's get some chairs! Let His Majesty and the general sit in the middle of the first row!"

At that moment, Lu Lin felt someone put their arm around his shoulder. He looked up and saw a pair of familiar blue eyes.

"Everyone, get into position and smile!"

"Crack!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After the medal awarding ceremony, in the lounge.

"I thought you would miss this ceremony."

Khalid slightly raised his military cap, revealing his head wrapped in bandages, and smiled, "How could I not come to such an important occasion? This might be the only chance I'll ever have. But don't you dare tell my parents, because I snuck out."

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that. The group photos will be sent to each soldier's home in the end."

"Okay, it's worth it. At least this photo is worth a... two scoldings."

Lu Lin asked curiously, "Why are there two channels?"

Khalid said, "I'm preparing to leave the army."

"Leave the army?" Lu Lin was taken aback. "Where are you planning to go?"

“I feel that I am not suitable for military service, so I am preparing to do something else, such as becoming a diplomat in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I have a feeling that I will definitely have to deal with other countries in the future.”

Khalid shrugged: "It's just that my foreign language skills aren't very good, and I guess I'll have to study for a few more years."

Lu Lin's feelings became somewhat complicated. Khalid was considered one of his close associates, but he was also a friend of the original owner of this body. Having a familiar person who knew him inside and out by his side made him feel constrained.

Lu Lin hesitated for a moment, but still advised, "Perhaps now is not a good time to leave."

If he were transferred to another unit, he might be able to offer some assistance.

"Forget it, I'd rather be a carefree prince than a soldier, with the royal family supporting me every month," Khalid laughed. "Let's not talk about that. There's someone you need to meet."

"Ahmed?" Lu Lin immediately thought of him and asked, "Has he woken up yet?"

A pang of guilt rose in his heart, but it was precisely the veteran's self-sacrifice that led to the final victory in the war.

"It's hard to say," Khalid said, "but he would be very happy to see you now."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries with Khalid, Lu Lin immediately set off for Tabuk's royal hospital.

The hospital had a pungent, watery smell. At that time, medical conditions in Shuangzhi were very poor, and the doctors were mostly barefoot doctors from the local community.

However, Lu Lin insisted on hiring doctors from the International Red Cross to treat the wounded soldiers who retreated from Nukoshir. Otherwise, relying solely on folk remedies and prayers, not even half of his wounded soldiers would survive.

"Excuse me, which ward is Ahmed bin Ibrahim al-Qahatani in?"

The nurse, who was chatting idly at the counter, glanced at the visitor. There had been quite a lot of people coming to visit these past two days, so she casually handed him a notebook and told him to look it up himself.

But then he saw the two gold stars on the other person's shoulder, along with the crossed national emblem of two swords and palm branches, and for a moment he became incoherent.

"Your Excellency, Major General, please wait a moment."

It is extremely rare for someone to reach the rank of major general in a shogunate; they are mostly members of the royal family, and their positions are equivalent to that of a corps commander.

In other words, the young man standing in front of him was of the same rank as the commander of the Tabuk District!

"Lieutenant Ahmed is in room 201. The stairs are on the left. Go up and turn right to the first room."

"Thank you."

Lu Lin nodded, and Fahad, carrying the things behind him, followed.

The nurse behind muttered, "Am I seeing things? That's a major general! And so young!"

Another person chimed in, "He's probably a prince from the royal family, otherwise how could he be so young? He'd probably be scared to death on the battlefield!"

“Unless he is…” The nurse quickly checked the background of the “Muhammad” and found the name of the 1st Mechanized Infantry Battalion of the Shuangzhi Army listed. He then remembered the award ceremony broadcast that morning and exclaimed in surprise, “It’s Lieutenant General Amir! He’s come to visit the wounded!”

"But he looks younger than me!!"

"Oh, Shuangzhi's eagle!"

Lu Lin pushed open the door and saw Ahmed reading a newspaper.

A radio nearby was broadcasting the King's speech: "The 1st Mechanized Infantry Battalion of the 1st Armored Division is hereby awarded the title of 'Guards'."

Hearing the door open, the veteran turned his gaze and his eyes widened in surprise when he saw who it was.

"Lieutenant Colonel?"

Looking at the empty space under the blanket, Lu Lin originally wanted to say, "Thank you for your sacrifice for the country," and "The entire battalion thanks you for your achievements." But he swallowed his words back. The person the other side had saved on the battlefield wasn't the Amir of the past, but the real him.

For a moment he didn't know how to start, and seeing the awkward atmosphere, Fahad spoke up:
"Uh, General, I've put the things on the ground first. You two talk first, I'll head out now."

He turned and left, not forgetting to close the door behind him.

Ahmed looked at the empty bed beside him: "If you're looking for Khalid, you're a little late. He was just discharged this morning."

"I owe you my life." Lu Lin walked to Ahmed's bedside and whispered, "If only I hadn't acted so impulsively back then."

Even now, when Lu Lin recalls riding the AMX-13 that day, he is still terrified by his own actions.

The price he paid for putting himself in danger was that dozens of young lives, just like his, were lost there forever.

Fortunately, they won in the end.

“There are no ‘ifs.’ In my opinion, you’ve done more than enough.” Ahmed took off his glasses and interrupted him. “Under Nukoshir’s command, you held off an attack by an armored regiment from Zion and saved the entire battalion.”

This was the most brilliant battle I had fought in my thirty years of service, and it will be the glory of my later years. As a soldier, what could be more gratifying than this?

Lu Lin's gaze involuntarily shifted downwards. Even so, he would no longer have a nagging, bearded old soldier cleaning up his messes by his side.

He suddenly spoke up: "If you need any help, or if it's for your son..."

Ahmed stared at him, then suddenly laughed: "Although I've lost my legs, I haven't lost my life. Besides, I still have my family. You shouldn't waste your time on me."

Go see those mothers who entrusted their sons to you, only to receive medals in return, Lieutenant Colonel. Those are the people you should be seeing most.

Lu Lin looked up at him.

The veteran continued, "You're only ready to be a general when you can look them in the eye without flinching."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Lu Lin went to the military base in Tabuk. Thanks to his status as a prince and a major general, he had a smooth journey and quickly obtained the list of compensation for the fallen soldiers.

"Looks like we'll have to go back to Riyadh tonight." Lu Lin carefully placed the list on his person, next to the booklet filled with names.

"I'll make arrangements."

Fahd hurriedly prepared to leave, and after saying goodbye to Ahmed, Lu Lin boarded the plane for his return journey.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The next morning, Lu Lin parked his jeep in the Sana'a area on the outskirts of Riyadh.

Looking around, the low-lying mud-brick houses stretch out in a row, with a family every two or three steps. You can hear sheep bleating as you go. People walk barefoot in the alleys, pushing various odds and ends to sell in the city.

"Oh my god."

Lu Lin muttered to himself, not because of the environment, but because he couldn't find Lieutenant Hassan's home address.

Left with no other option, he asked someone for directions. Just then, an old woman was weaving sandals from palm leaves by the roadside: "Grandma, do you know where Hassan ibn Umm Ali lives?"

The old woman in the black robe looked up at him and muttered something, but Lu Lin couldn't understand a word she said.

Finally, Fahd stepped forward and bought the old lady's two pairs of sandals. Only then did she point in a general direction: "Go in from here, turn left at the third alley, and it's at the end."

Lu Lin thanked her and was about to leave when the old woman called out to him, "General, did you come here because Ali's child was killed?"

"He fought bravely on the battlefield until the very last moment," Lu Lin said solemnly. "It is because of hundreds and thousands of good lads like Hassan that we were able to defeat Zion."

“Zion. Oh, I know Zion, those blasphemers the Imam talks about during the weekly prayers.” The old woman then asked with some doubt, “But why are we fighting?”

“Because the Zionians have invaded our territory and want to turn our people into second-class citizens, madam!” Fahd couldn’t help but say.

"What can we do?" the old woman muttered, holding the sandals in her hand. "Alas, what a pity. Ali's wife has had such a hard life. She lost her husband early, and after raising four children with great difficulty, the eldest son died in battle."

Hearing the old lady's words, Lu Lin's mood became even heavier.

Most of the nobles in this country are still indulging in a life of luxury and extravagance, and guns and cannons have no effect on their lives, while the common people are already struggling to make a living and know nothing about war.

Lu Lin already vaguely understood Ahmed's purpose in taking this step personally.

Following the directions, Lu Lin finally arrived at Ali's doorstep.

"Is Fatima Ali here?" Lu Lin called out loudly.

A woman dressed in a black robe and a headscarf came out of the house, and several children curiously peeked out from behind her.

"That's me." The woman was cooking lentil soup, and there were still bluish marks on her fingers.

Lu Lin took off his military cap: "I am Hassan's commander."

"So you're the Major General Amir mentioned on the radio? The fact that you came here in person means my son has been killed, right?" Fatima appeared calm, as if she already knew the situation.

“Yes.” Lu Lin handed Hassan’s clothes and medals to his mother, Fatima, who stroked the fabric of his uniform and murmured to herself:

"Hassan joined the army with Assef from next door two years ago, but Assef came back the day before yesterday, while my son did not. General, can you tell me how my son died?"

Lu Lin recalled Hassan's heroic act of using his body as bait to launch a signal flare on the battlefield. If he had been lucky, he might have been able to escape by playing dead. This was something Bandar told him.

"Your son took the life of an elite tank crew in Zion. Before him, this crew had taken the lives of more than a dozen of our tank company's fine young men. He was brave and fearless throughout."

"That's good, that's good." Fatima gently placed her hands on her chest, closed her eyes softly, and murmured:
"Every living being must taste death."

What God takes away belongs to Him, and what He gives also belongs to Him; all things have their appointed time with Him.

You have departed, but heaven and earth have not forgotten you.
Only a broken heart within me weeps for you.

After Fatima finished praying, she invited Lu Lin to come in and sit for a while.

Lu Lin walked into the small house in the slum, where Ali's two youngest children were playing hopscotch on the floor.

He couldn't help but ask, "Hassan must have received a monthly allowance before, right? Wouldn't this money be enough for you to move to a better place to live?"

Upon hearing this, Fatima pulled out a biscuit box from under her pillow, inside which were neatly arranged zirials.

“Hassan said the same thing to you. He mails me his entire monthly salary, but I keep it all here. After all, he'll need a lot of money for his wedding.” Fatima held the box, tears welling in her eyes.

"After all, a camel in the bride price is worth at least 300 rials, and a better one might be 600 or 700. He also needs to buy a house later."
But none of that matters anymore, General, none of that matters anymore.

Lu Lin suddenly felt as if his heart was being gripped by a large hand. All he could do now was offer the other person some comfort.

He stepped forward, embraced the mother who had lost her son, and gently patted her back.

"Thank you, General, I appreciate your kindness."

Fatima wiped away her tears and pushed him away: "I can see your sadness, which proves that you are a kind general. My son's sacrifice was not in vain. It was his honor to fight alongside you."

But General, please don't grieve. Hassan wasn't the only one who died in the war. If we keep grieving, when will it ever end?

“I know sacrifices are unavoidable,” Lu Lin straightened his hat, “but if there’s anything I can do…”

"Then please keep winning until one day we hear the news of your victory over Zion on the radio."

Fatima turned around: "Alright, General, life goes on. I need to continue cooking for the children. Please make yourself at home."

Lu Lin squeezed the list in his hand and said softly, "I will."

(End of this chapter)