At noon in October, the sun is hanging in the sky.

Under the bright sun, Sergeant Xiao Keyuan and Private Wei Futong stood upright in the back garden of the Prime Minister's Office. The two of them were wearing thick woolen military uniforms. According to the standards of the Central Army, ordinary soldiers have no rights to these military uniforms.

They enjoyed it, but today is different. Today is a very special day. Although the woolen military uniforms look very elegant when worn, it is torture for the two of them. At this time, they are sweating profusely from the heat.

Standing next to Xiao Keyuan was Wei Futong. His chubby face looked a little pale, and it looked even more uncomfortable with the heat. Sweat beads rolled down Fatty Wei's cheeks and neck, accumulating on the layers of flesh.

Zhong. It’s late October, and the weather shouldn’t be so hot, even in Beijing.

Feeling that the sweat was almost soaking through his military uniform, Xiao Keyuan looked aside. It seemed that the officers in the Prime Minister's Office were quite cool, especially since they were wearing black military uniforms, which absorbed more heat.

Obviously, they may have adapted to all this long ago.

"Hey, hey."

This is the sound of the sound check coming from the speakers.

Xiao Ke glanced at his parents from a distance. They were sitting with a small group of spectators on white folding chairs a few feet away from the podium. Although his father, who had never been out of his hometown, was wearing new clothes, his honest face was full of smiles.

He looked very nervous, and his mother sat there nervously, not even daring to move. In the back garden of the Prime Minister's Office, the two of them looked so awkward sitting there. Xiao Keyuan didn't know why the Prime Minister

Will invite them here.

At this time, Xiao Xiao, chief of military staff of the State Council, walked towards the rostrum.

"Ladies and gentlemen. Ladies and gentlemen."

The buzz and chatter in the crowd gradually died down. Only then did he unfold a piece of paper he took out of his coat pocket.

"Your Excellency the Prime Minister, Sergeant Xiao Keyuan, and Private Wei Futong. Friends, it is a great honor for me to be here today. Many of you know that at the suggestion of the State Council and some members of Congress, the Congress passed the "Republic of China Land and Sea Law"

"Air Force Medal Regulations", the medals at all levels in this regulation are a country's reward for the contribution of any Chinese military personnel, and it is also a country's respect for military personnel. Medals, it is for those who are above,

Heroism beyond the call of duty is reserved for the most outstanding acts of bravery in the military. Now, I can't help but be extremely proud to award this medal to two of our finest soldiers on the occasion of my appointment."

As he listened to the awarding of medals, Xiao Keyuan's chest couldn't help but puff up. He looked at the Prime Minister standing on the rostrum. Looking at the Prime Minister who was no more than a year or two older than him, he felt bursts of gratitude in his heart, because he knew that,

It was at the request of the State Council and members of the National Socialist Party that the Congress passed the "Regulations on the Army, Navy and Air Force Medals of the Republic of China" after two months of discussions. After the medals were awarded to the fallen officers and soldiers, what surprised him even more was that,

Not only did he receive a medal, but his medal will be awarded directly by the Prime Minister.

"...and Sergeant Xiao Keyuan and Private Wei Futong embody the highest realm of a soldier."

Xiao Keyuan's attention quickly turned to the military chief of staff. As an ordinary soldier, he did not know. In fact, there was a debate on the issue of awarding him and Wei Futong. In the end, the reason why it was awarded by the State Council was

It's very simple. The War Department didn't want to tarnish its name, so it entrusted it to the State Council.

At this time, Li Zicheng had already stood in front of the microphone and took over Xiao Xiao's speech.

"...To put it lightly, these two should be our best warriors!"

He took it and said without hesitation,

"Both of them are like many ordinary people. Before joining the army, they were just ordinary Chinese people. Their understanding of the country was often just the plants and trees in their hometown. They had never even left Hunan before joining the army.

, they are the most authentic common people. However, when they join the army, they are out-and-out warriors, and on the front line, they use their actual actions to prove that they are warriors who defend the motherland!"

Li Zicheng raised his voice.

"These two most ordinary soldiers once fought side by side with their comrades. They persisted under the attack of fourteen-inch artillery shells and fulfilled their duties as soldiers to defend the motherland. It can be said that it was they and

Their brothers, relying on the mission of defending the country, persisted until the end..."

Looking at the two of them, Li Zicheng looked very solemn. They were the "buried" heroes, the only two people left in the army that were "annihilated" in Lanshan. They were not willing to do so.

Those who were captured, in fact, how many soldiers were willing to be captured? But those in the Army Department thought that their existence was a shame. It was really...

...Amidst the applause, Xiao Keyuan's thoughts drifted away along with the Prime Minister's speech. Until now, he still remembers the appearance of the battalion commander, company commander and each of his comrades. He clearly remembers that day on the coast,

That fierce artillery fire, and that day later, they all died there. Their death on the battlefield has changed him forever.

In the auditorium, in addition to his and Wei Futong's parents, there was also a group of people, a group of people dressed in black. They were the survivors of the brothers in the camp. They had lost their sons, their husbands, and their fathers.

..., and he, he was still alive, thinking that he was still alive, he moved uncomfortably.

"...Perhaps they were seriously injured and captured by the Japanese army, but even then, their enemies also witnessed their bravery and gave them certain courtesy. Warriors are worthy of everyone's respect...Japanese Army

After the defense line was torn apart, as prisoners, they even captured several Japanese losers with their bare hands. Their unyielding will will never yield to any enemy. There is no doubt that they are two real Chinese heroes!"

Hero? Am I?

Xiao Keyuan thought in his heart that he had never thought so much in the past. He even hated himself for being alive and wanted to die with his brothers. But now, when he was carrying the name of "hero", it made him feel extremely

Uncomfortable, not at all as happy as he imagined, he thought to himself. He glanced at the military survivors, many of them were sobbing silently.

The commendation order was finally read out. Xiao Keyuan and Wei Futui walked forward with difficulty and stood next to the podium. The Prime Minister also walked over and turned to a neatly dressed army officer holding a box in his hand. The lid of the box was open and there was a box inside.

medal.

"You have so much to be proud of, Sergeant Shaw."

As he spoke, Li Zicheng pinned the medal on him, shook hands with the Army sergeant, and continued.

"I know that you have a lot to say, and I also know that you have applied to join the combat army. I am proud of you, soldier, and I hope that one day, your motherland will be proud of you too!"

Holding Xiao Keyuan's hand vigorously, Li Zicheng had a smile on his face and expectations in his eyes. For him, this was not only an acknowledgment of the soldier's achievements in front of him, but also a heart-warming move. The president likes to give

When generals are awarded medals, Duan Qirui will award medals to officers. But what about himself?

All he needs is to personally award a few soldiers with honors, and that is enough. As for them being captured? This may be a stain in the eyes of others, but in fact, they have also fought for this country. The Chinese

They deeply believe that being captured is a symbol of humiliation, and they are distrustful and discriminatory towards captured personnel, but they never consider that the vast majority of them were forced to surrender or fight to the death when they were forced to do so.

Forced to be captured.

However, Western regulations allow soldiers to surrender, and when captured soldiers are released and return home, they will be greeted like heroes, and their future promotions and normal lives will not be affected.

There may be traditional culture that "a scholar can be killed but not humiliated", "become a benevolent if you don't succeed", and "it is better to be a piece of jade than to be ruined", but in Li Zicheng's view, encouraging sacrifice and advocating self-sacrifice is a kind of intolerant political hero.

Doctrine, only those who never need to go to the battlefield would propose such unrealistic "heroism". Compared to this kind of "heroism that lets everyone die", Li Zicheng is more inclined to truly care for soldiers -

—Think of them as people, not tools.

In fact, for those soldiers in Western countries who were captured and did not have a traitor complex, they suffered more torture and endured more humiliation when they were captured, but even so they did not betray the country, so it is worth giving them

More courtesy. Li Zicheng also found it difficult to understand in the past. In the eyes of many Chinese, soldiers should die in battle and never become prisoners. But if they run out of ammunition and food, are injured and faint, they cannot even commit suicide.

What choice? Moreover, the respect for captured soldiers also reflects superb wisdom. Soviet Russia can lump captured personnel into the ranks of "enemies" and "traitors". It is precisely because of this harsh military law.

, which made more than one million captured Soviet soldiers become puppet troops during World War II. Moreover, on the battlefield, when they fought with the Soviet army, they were even braver than the German army, and often fought to the last man. What motivated them?

Although there are various reasons for this change, those soldiers knew that from the day they were captured, if they wanted to survive, there was only one way - to destroy the government of their country!

But when the West chose to respect the captured personnel, it allowed them to maintain a runner-up status no matter in any prisoner of war camp or in any adversity after being captured. The captured officers could also effectively manage the soldiers as much as possible.

To preserve their vitality and unite people's hearts as much as possible, because they were full of hope for the future, few of the captured personnel betrayed them.

It is precisely for this reason that Li Zicheng hopes that through this award, he can clearly tell those people that as long as they have fought bravely for the country, they will be able to win the honor and respect they deserve, regardless of whether they have been captured or not.

At the subsequent reception held in the banquet hall on the second floor of the Prime Minister's residence, Xiao Keyuan, who was wearing the medal of loyalty and bravery he had just awarded, felt nervous and drifted among the people coming and going. The waiters at the Prime Minister's Office were dressed in short dresses and wore silver medals.

Handmade plates carry food and drinks back and forth among the crowd.

Sunlight poured in through the tall windows, flowing between the chandeliers and champagne glasses. The grandeur here gave people the feeling that history was made in a room like this. But for him, there was

So many other things just seemed so wrong.

The compliments and laughter that surrounded him stung him deeply. He realized that drinking champagne would be too inappropriate for such an occasion.

"How does it feel to be a hero, Sergeant?"

Zach turned around. Only then did he realize that he was facing an army colonel. The man's appearance was quite eye-catching, with a strong physique and a handsome face with clear outlines. He recognized this man with several medals hanging on his left chest.

Xiao Xiao, an Army Colonel with the Military Medal - Chief of Military Staff of the State Council. He had just heard about this position. He heard that this position meant that he was in charge of all matters related to the military in the State Council.

"Sir...sir."

Xiao Keyuan seemed a little nervous. In fact, in this banquet hall, all he could feel was nervousness, because there were too many dignitaries in this hall.

"It's easy to be a hero for a moment, the question is how to become a hero for life!"

Xiao Xiao said seriously. Then he looked at the soldier who was awarded the Medal of Loyalty and Bravery.

"I can't tell you how proud the Prime Minister was of you when he heard about you."

Xiao Xiao smiled slightly when speaking, with bright eyes.

"We thought that everyone in your battalion was loyal to the country. The Prime Minister has always felt very sorry. When he heard that someone was still alive, he was very happy. He said more than once that you are heroes, real heroes."

Facing the praise from the military chief of staff, Xiao Keyuan didn't even know what to say. He just stood there blankly and kept talking.

"Sir. Sir." and other words, he didn't know what to say at all. In other words, how to answer the officer's question.

"You have to know that living is a kind of luck in itself, but now, you are living with all expectations..."

Looking at this person seriously, Xiao Xiao continued.

"Now you are not only burdened with the expectations of the prime minister, but more importantly, they..."

Turning his attention to the relatives of the survivors, Xiao Xiao continued.

"The honor of the brothers who died in Lanshan requires you to defend them vigorously. Don't let them down, do you understand?"

"Yes, sir!"
To be continued...