Special forces soldier demobilization: Starting from the county government compound, a meteoric rise

The 100-inch ultra-thin curved screen in the living room is emitting a delicate and realistic cool light.

The footage is a bit shaky; it's firsthand footage transmitted from the red planet hundreds of millions of kilometers away.

Amidst the swirling reddish-brown dust, a silver-white landing module stood silently. Its hatch was slowly opening, and the white vapors billowing from its hydraulic system stood out starkly against the thin Martian air.

Followed by.

An astronaut in a pure white spacesuit steadily set foot on that desolate and tranquil land.

Then.

A five-star flag made of memory metal miraculously unfurled in the Martian breeze, like a raging fire burning in the alien wilderness.

"...This is 'Nantianmen No. 1'." "We have successfully landed on Mars!" "Long live the Dragon Kingdom! Long live the Nine Provinces!"

That voice, slightly distorted by electronic interference yet brimming with extreme pride, echoed clearly through the old yet cozy courtyard living room in the capital city, relayed via countless base stations and satellites.

Dead silence.

The old men who were just shouting and clamoring to have a drinking contest were now all frozen in place.

Lei Tie held half a lamb spine in his hand, oblivious to the oil dripping from his fingers. His eyes, wide as copper bells, were fixed on the screen, his chest heaving violently.

Zhang Dapao's mouth was wide open, the cigarette butt in his hand burned the filter, and the acrid smell filled the hall, but he didn't feel any pain.

Lu Chen sat upright, his hand, which had been holding his reading glasses, was now trembling slightly, and his eyes were flashing with an almost devout fanaticism.

"It's done..." Lu Chen's voice was terribly hoarse. "Xiao Ming... they really got it done."

Liu Ming leaned back in the single sofa. In his hand was an enamel mug with half the paint chipped off and the words "Serve the People" written on it.

The teacup was still steaming. But he didn't drink it.

He simply stared quietly at the bright red flag on the screen, at the flag he had poured half his life's blood into, and was even willing to sacrifice himself to protect.

In that instant, his thoughts seemed to traverse thirty years of time and space, returning to that turbulent starting point.

Back then, China was beset by internal and external troubles. Its core technologies were being held back, and its high-end manufacturing was completely nonexistent. Officials were scheming and corrupt at the dinner table, and criminal gangs held absolute power at the grassroots level.

I can't even imagine that one day my own flag will be planted in a place beyond Earth.

"Boss."

Tank and Lone Wolf, who had been helping the three women wash dishes in the kitchen, also came out. These two tough guys, who killed without blinking an eye on the battlefield, were now standing side by side in front of the television, their eyes moist like those of children.

Tank wiped the stubble off his face, his voice booming.

"Back then... we were venturing into the forests of the Golden Triangle, clearing mines in Death Valley, and confronting those foreign warships on the high seas..."

"Isn't this the day we've been waiting for?"

Lone Wolf pushed up his glasses and a relieved smile appeared on his lips.

"Yes. Back then, we thought that if our generation shed more blood, the next generation would have to shed less sweat."

"Now it seems," "that our blood wasn't shed in vain."

Liu Ming put down his teacup. He slowly stood up and walked to the window.

Outside the window, the setting sun had completely sunk below the horizon. The myriad lights of the capital city shone like stars. The traffic on Chang'an Avenue formed a dazzling golden dragon, flowing ceaselessly through the veins of this ancient city.

It was serene, yet powerful; it was the true grandeur of a great nation, one that no one dared to easily covet.

"Do you remember that marathon we organized in Ningzhou back then?"

Looking at the lights outside the window, Liu Ming suddenly asked a question out of the blue.

Lu Chen walked over. He stood next to Liu Ming, and the two old friends, both in their twilight years, smiled at each other.

"Why don't you remember?"

Lu Chen was filled with emotion. "Back then, the provincial party secretary hadn't retired yet. We were practically dancing on the edge of a knife for that project. The conservatives throughout the province were watching us, just waiting for us to cause trouble. At that time, the only weapon we had was your few unverified PPT slides."

That was our first "comeback battle".

Zhang Dapao also came over. He had already put out his cigarette and patted his round belly.

"Later, when we got to the provincial capital, things got even weirder. That old fox Luo Binwang was hiding deeper than an underground palace. At that time, I really thought we were going to die there. But Brother Liu, you were something else. All by yourself, with just a knife, you managed to rip open the sky."

Lei Tie also walked over and patted Liu Ming on the shoulder heavily.

"And that unfinished building in the High-tech Zone." "And that 'Dragon Abyss' chip." "Although I don't understand technology, I know that from then on, those foreign devils never dared to look at us with those arrogant eyes again."

Liu Ming listened to his old comrades' ramblings. Those bloody memories. Those thrilling battles. Those countless sleepless nights spent fighting for a permit, for a piece of data, for the truth.

At this moment, against the backdrop of Mars and red earth on television, everything seems so distant, yet so worthwhile.

"Old Lu."

Liu Ming turned his head and looked at his old friends.

"We, this generation, have lived up to our mission, haven't we?"

Lu Chen took off his glasses, wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, and uttered a single word heavily:

"value!"

"Even if you close my eyes now, I can still brag to my ancestors in the afterlife!"

Liu Ming smiled. It was the cleanest, most thorough, and most relaxed smile he had ever given in his life.

He turned around and looked into the kitchen. Xi Wanqing was cutting fruit. Nangong Yao was frowning at her apron. Lin Xiaoxiao was secretly eating freshly baked pastries.

In this life, he protected this land and its people. He also protected the woman he loved.

He sat back down on the sofa. He felt an unprecedented weariness. It wasn't physical exhaustion, but rather a kind of... tranquility after achieving one's goal.

"Director, the fruit is cut up," Chen Momo said, carrying a fruit platter over. Although she was already middle-aged, she still couldn't shake the habit of addressing Liu Ming by that form of address.

Liu Ming nodded. He closed his eyes. He could hear the boisterous chatter of his old buddies arguing about where to go fishing next. The aroma of food wafted from the kitchen. On the television, astronauts on Mars were waving at the camera.

At this moment, the hatred that had haunted him for half his life, the heavy burdens that had suffocated him, all quietly dissipated in this warm and inviting atmosphere.

He was no longer the fearsome "Shura," nor the all-powerful "Special Advisor." He was simply an old soldier who had finally completed all his missions.

"The country has become strong."

Liu Ming said this softly to herself.

"We can... take a break now."

The last rays of the setting sun shone through the branches of the jujube tree, falling on Liu Ming's graying temples. He smiled and quietly drifted off to sleep.

That was the most restful and sweetest sleep he had had in thirty years.

"Old Liu, do you want some of this melon? If not, I'll..."

Lei Tie reached out to pat Liu Ming, but Xi Wanqing gently blocked his hand.

She looked at her husband, who was leaning back on the sofa with a satisfied smile on his lips, her eyes filled with tenderness.

"Shh." "Let him sleep for a while." "He's too tired." "Let him dream of that prosperous world he desires."

Lei Tie paused for a moment, then chuckled, withdrew his hand, and said in a low voice:

"Alright, let's go to the courtyard for a drink, brothers. Let's not disturb Director Liu's sweet dreams."

A gentle night breeze blows, and outside the wooden gate of the courtyard house, streetlights illuminate the tidy alley. The distant chimes, melodious and lingering, seem to tell the world that a legend has come to a perfect end, and a new era is like the flag on Mars.

Forever. Shining.

"Dad, is the soil on Mars... really salty?"

A little boy pushed open the door and ran in, looking curiously at the sofa.

Xi Wanqing pulled him into her arms, pointed at Liu Ming, and whispered something in her son's ear:

"When you grow up, go and see for yourself."