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

At exactly six o'clock in the morning, the sky over the city was so gloomy that it seemed to be pressing down, with gray clouds hanging low above the red walls and golden tiles.

"Lower the flag——!"

On Tiananmen Square, with a hoarse yet solemn command from the commander of the National Flag Guard, the red flag that rose with the morning sun of the new era slowly reached its top, and then, amidst the suppressed sobs of tens of thousands of people standing in solemn silence, it was lowered by one-third.

At the same time.

From radar outposts in the northern deserts to patrol warships on the turbulent South China Sea, from government offices in bustling cities in the south to boundary markers on cliffs in the southwest, the national flags were flown at half-mast on all public buildings and military fortresses across the entire Kyushu region.

……

By 8 a.m., both sides of the long street were already packed with people.

The fine rain fell silently, soaking the road and the white flowers on the shoulders of the hundreds of thousands of people who had spontaneously come to see them off. There was no commotion, no pushing or shoving; along the entire ten-mile-long street, only the rhythmic sound of military boots on the wet ground and the faint, mournful music could be heard.

The hearse slowly led the way.

Thirty-six fully armed special military motorcycles formed an arrow-shaped escort formation, with their speed kept at a very slow 15 mph.

Walking directly in front of the hearse was Liu Ming.

He had changed out of his usual civilian clothes and into a crisp, dark woolen officer's uniform. Instead of the four gleaming First-Class Merit Medals on his chest, he wore only a hand-folded white paper flower. His hands held Lin Lao's black-and-white portrait with steady, solemnity, the frame tightly gripped by his warm palms.

Beside him, Lin Xiaoxiao, dressed in a dark military uniform, was crying so hard she was almost dehydrated, and could only be supported by Xi Wanqing and Nangong Yao on either side.

"Director Liu, the number of people gathered on the outer streets has exceeded 500,000." The guard company commander, walking diagonally behind, reported in a low voice, his eyes red. "The transportation department has suggested that the convoy speed up a bit to prevent the people from getting too wet in the rain and catching a cold."

Liu Ming stared straight ahead at the gray-white avenue that stretched to the horizon, her steps steady without faltering.

"No speed increase."

Liu Ming spoke, her voice hoarse yet carrying an undeniable power.

"He loved seeing ordinary people most of all during his lifetime. This final journey allowed him to see more of the everyday life he had dedicated his life to protecting."

"Yes, sir." The guard company commander wiped the rain off his face and silently returned to the ranks.

The hearse moved slowly forward.

As the convoy passed the Fuxingmen overpass, a heart-wrenching scream suddenly rang out from the roadside:

"Old General! Rest in peace!"

He was a retired veteran with gray hair and his right leg missing, his body covered with rusted medals. He shook off the young man beside him, gritted his teeth, stood straight on one leg, and gave a perfectly standard salute with his right hand, which was covered with burn scars.

Followed by.

Along the roadside, a group of retired soldiers, dozens of disabled veterans, straightened their bodies at the same time, raising their aged arms in unison, like a forest of swords and spears piercing through the rain.

"Farewell, sir!"

"We will not fall! Rest in peace, sir!"

The cries of tens of thousands of people, like rolling thunder, swept through the streets.

Hearing the deafening shout, Lin Xiaoxiao could no longer hold back her tears, which streamed down her face as she buried her head in Xi Wanqing's neck.

Xi Wanqing raised her slender fingers and gently wiped away the mixture of rain and tears from Lin Xiaoxiao's cheeks, her voice extremely soft yet resolute:

"Xiaoxiao, he has never been selfish in his life. Every scar on his body was for these people. The people have the sharpest eyes; they remember those who are truly good to them to the core."

Nangong Yao held a black umbrella to the side, tilting the brim as much as possible over Liu Ming and Lin Xiaoxiao's heads.

She looked at the man beside her, whose expression was as cold and aloof as a mountain, and said in a low voice:

"Just now, the high-level secretariat called. The heads of major multinational corporations, as well as the Western special envoys who previously signed the surrender agreement, have all sent their top representatives to the city. They requested to go to the outskirts of Jiubaoshan to see them off and lay wreaths, and asked if we should accept their request?"

Liu Ming continued walking without stopping, her tone as cold and hard as if carved with a knife:

"Tell them the wreaths can remain, but they don't need to go there. The old man has never been able to stand spineless people strutting around; it would be best not to disturb his peace."

Nangong Yao nodded and quickly gestured to her confidential secretary behind her.

……

The convoy drove past the end of Chang'an Avenue and headed west.

The light drizzle gradually stopped, replaced by a biting wind that rustled the poplars along the roadside.

As we approached the Xishan defense zone, a Hongqi car with extremely small military license plates was parked prominently at the intersection ahead.

The car door opened, and the officer in the long black overcoat stepped out. He didn't use an umbrella; he stood alone at the edge of the intersection, facing the cold wind, silently watching the hearse approach.

Liu Ming raised his hand to signal the convoy to stop.

Holding the portrait, he strode forward and stood solemnly three steps away from his superior.

The officer reached out his wrinkled hands and gently stroked the face of Old Lin in the photo frame. Tears welled up in his cloudy eyes, and his voice was so heavy it was almost muffled:

"Old Lin, you fulfilled every single promise we made back then. You preserved the foundation of the army, you kept the tough guys, and in the end, you personally handed over such a promising talent to the higher-ups... You left with peace of mind, but my heart feels empty."

After speaking, the officer turned his head and looked at Liu Ming's young face, which was no longer childish at all.

"Xiao Ming, are you tired?"

"Not tired," Liu Ming replied calmly.

The officer took a deep breath, raised his hand and patted Liu Ming's broad, sturdy shoulder, speaking earnestly:

"Before your grandfather passed away, he left a final instruction in a top-secret memorandum from the highest levels of government. He said that the giant ship of China has already broken through the shallows, but the reefs are more treacherous and the waves are bigger. He's gone now, and no one can rely on their age to shield you from bullets anymore."

Looking into her superior's eyes, which held a heavy weight of expectation and scrutiny, Liu Ming straightened her back even more:

"Don't worry, sir. Old Lin told me on the very first day he taught me that soldiers on the front lines never expect to have a shield behind them. I'm tough enough."

"Okay, very good."

A hint of appreciation flashed in the officer's eyes. He slowly stepped back and solemnly paid his respects to the hearse. "Go. Send the old marshal back to the mountains. You must take on the remaining heavy burden for him."

……

11:30 a.m.

Jiubaoshan Cemetery, First Cemetery Section.

The atmosphere here is solemn and sacred, surrounded by ancient cypress trees that are vigorous and upright, and the air is filled with the scent of pine resin and earth.

Twenty-four honor guards marched in step at the front.

The highest-level 21-gun salute of the entire army boomed loudly among the distant mountains.

"boom--!"

"boom--!"

Each deafening roar echoed through the valley, vibrating the eardrums of all the generals present, and also marking the end of an era.

There were no lengthy and hypocritical eulogies; the eulogy was extremely brief, each sentence simply recording how many enemies this old general had annihilated in a particular battle, or how many times he had turned the tide in a critical moment. This was the life of a general; his achievements are etched in history, needing no embellishment.

The coffin slowly sank into the already cleaned, deep red tomb.

The honor guards carefully removed and folded the huge national flag covering the coffin lid, and then General Zhang held it with both hands, walking step by step to Lin Xiaoxiao and Liu Ming.

"Please have the bereaved family keep this." General Zhang saluted, his voice choked with emotion.

Lin Xiaoxiao trembled as she accepted the national flag, clutching it tightly to her chest, and leaned on Liu Ming's shoulder, silently weeping.

Liu Ming stretched out her right hand, grabbed a handful of yellow soil from the tray next to her, and slowly walked to the edge of the tomb.

He looked down at the heavy, dark coffin, his fingers slowly loosening. The soil fell with a soft thud, striking the cold coffin with a muffled thud.

All grudges and passions, all the smoke of battle, have all vanished beneath this yellow earth.

A legend has now come to a complete end.

"Boss."

Tank, dressed in a black suit, stepped forward with red-rimmed eyes and said in a low voice:

"The ceremony is over. The commanders of the various theater commands and the heads of the major military industrial groups are waiting outside, saying they want to meet with you and ask about the next steps."

Liu Ming did not turn around; his gaze remained fixed on the familiar face on the tombstone.

The wind blew down from the mountaintop, ruffling the hem of his clothes.

"Tell them to go to the base and wait."

Liu Ming's voice was cold, carrying a terrifying pressure like a beast awakening:

"The old general has stepped down, but the battle flag of the Dragon Kingdom has not fallen yet."

"Tell them that anyone who thinks that without Elder Lin, Dragon Fang will back down will be left to its own devices, and let them try washing their own necks clean."