Chapter 523: Chapter 522 (2/3)
"The poem is excellent!" The commander glanced at Yang Chen and sighed, "It’s a pity that I didn’t write it!"
Yang Chen looked at the commander, smiled slightly, and said, "Your handwriting is also very good."
"Far from it!" The commander shook his head and walked to the tea table.
After the commander sat down, he gestured for Yang Chen to sit as well.
Zhou Qinghe conscientiously brewed tea for the two of them.
The commander looked at Yang Chen and said, "Actually, I think there are no heroes in our era."
Yang Chen lowered his head slightly, pondered for a moment, and said slowly, "I’m sorry, but I don’t quite agree with that. I believe that no matter the era, there are always heroes."
The commander smiled and nodded, "You’re right. Before I met you, I thought there were no heroes, but after meeting you, I believe there are heroes in this era."
Yang Chen shook his head again, "A hero is not a single person, but a group, a spirit."
The commander looked at Yang Chen and said, "I think sometimes a certain person embodies these qualities; his presence is a symbol of that spirit, representing a group."
Yang Chen remained silent for a moment.
"The tea is ready." Zhou Botao poured the tea and placed the cups on saucers, pushing them in front of the two.
The commander waved his hand, signaling Zhou Botao to leave.
Zhou Botao respectfully left, closing the door behind him.
Watching Zhou Botao leave, Yang Chen smiled and said, "It seems you trust me a lot."
The commander laughed, "If I can’t trust my own captain, then whom can I trust?"
"Captain?" Yang Chen was taken aback.
"You didn’t know?" He looked at Yang Chen in surprise.
Yang Chen shook his head slightly.
"Indeed!" he laughed, "This information is pretty confidential."
As he spoke, he stood up, walked to a cabinet, and bent down to retrieve a box.
Yang Chen quietly watched his actions.
He placed the box on the table.
Yang Chen frowned slightly, his body tense.
At this distance, it’s difficult for anyone to escape a hidden weapon attack, but Yang Chen was confident he could evade if he saw any signs.
His task now was to keep a close eye on the actions and changes of the box.
He opened the box gently; nothing changed.
Then, the commander reached in and took out a set of clothes.
Seeing the clothes, Yang Chen’s pupils involuntarily contracted, and he quickly stood up.
"This is..." Yang Chen was a bit excited.
The military green uniform was neatly folded, as if it had never been opened.
The commander smiled and handed the clothes to Yang Chen.
Yang Chen hurriedly reached out and respectfully accepted the clothes.
Looking at the uniform, a sense of pride arose in Yang Chen’s heart.
Soon after, two shoulder badges were taken out from the box and gently placed on the uniform.
Seeing the shoulder badges, Yang Chen finally confirmed his guess.
A one-star captain!
This is a junior captain rank!
"...This..." Yang Chen was very puzzled.
"It’s yours!"
"Mine?" Yang Chen was thrilled.
Napoleon once said: A guard who doesn’t want to be a captain is not a good guard!
Indeed, becoming a captain is every guard’s dream and ultimate goal.
However, after the nation was founded, becoming a captain is extremely difficult!
When Yang Chen left, he only held the rank of a major!
The commander laughed and explained, "Do you remember the battle with the Three Black Corps three years ago?"
Yang Chen nodded, his voice deep, "I remember; it was that battle where I almost died on Lijia Continent!"
"We thought you were dead!" he sighed.
Yang Chen fell silent.
Although some accidents happened at that time, it was true that Yang Chen made them think that way.
When Yang Chen emerged, the news of his death had only recently been announced.
The commander spoke slowly, "Hearing the news of your sacrifice, I was shocked, as were those aware of your existence. Your track record over those years was incredibly astonishing. Arguably, your guard was the most formidable since the founding of the nation, and also the one that achieved the most. I seem to recall that you had so many medals that you couldn’t wear them all at once; some seniors didn’t have as many merits as you did! You made many sacrifices for Flame Country, and contributed significantly... Without you, Flame Country wouldn’t be as prosperous as it is. Your contributions were immense!"
"But, after hearing about your sacrifice, I knew Dragon Tooth would struggle to be like the Dragon Tooth of old. Ultimately, we decided to hold a funeral for you, lower the national flag at all artificial tethers, and give you a state funeral, awarding you the junior captain rank, the youngest captain of Flame Country!"
Listening, Yang Chen clenched his fists.
He was very excited.
After all, who wouldn’t want to become a captain?
Moreover, a state funeral is not something everyone can receive.
If he’d truly died then, he wouldn’t have any regrets.
As a guard, his life would have been complete!
"However, just as I expected after you left, Dragon Tooth was not as before. It took half a year of decline before things improved somewhat, and it began executing high-difficulty tasks again, but still couldn’t match your previous prowess."
Yang Chen took a deep breath and said with a smile, "Without me, Dragon Tooth is still Dragon Tooth. Our world isn’t one that stops turning when someone is missing. I’ve taught them everything I could, and I trust they can do it. What they need is to leave the eagle’s protection and spread their wings to soar!"
The commander nodded, "Yes, you’ve done very well. The current Dragon Tooth indeed soars high."
Yang Chen nodded, gazing at the guard uniform and the rank in his arms, a flash of reluctance in his eyes.
However, Yang Chen still sighed, carefully putting the items back into the box.
Seeing this scene, the commander had a look of confusion in his eyes, "What are you doing...?"
Yang Chen took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "I’m sorry, I cannot accept these."
"Why?" He was very confused. He thought no guard could resist this temptation; this is a captain, after all!
Yang Chen said solemnly, "Since I chose to leave back then, I won’t change my decision. Once I’ve chosen, I won’t regret it. Moreover, I don’t think I deserve these. No matter my reasons for leaving then, actions like those are akin to a deserter, and I don’t see it as something honorable. If I had really sacrificed myself, I would accept such honors, but since I haven’t, I won’t accept them."
"But your merits and abilities fully justify these."
Yang Chen still shook his head.
He preferred to leave quietly and hide his achievements and name.