132: Chapter 132 I dreamt they were wailing at a funeral, is that plausible?

The seventh day since Qin Feng "sacrificed" himself.

North of Yangjiao Village, beside the newly erected national monument, a new frontline camp had begun to take shape.

Seven days of continuous search and rescue, without rest, had effectively turned over the surrounding Gobi Desert.

Except for finding that black pot belonging to the Seventh Company, nothing else had been found.

Time is the most ruthless of all.

It slowly grinds away all hope.

Many people were clear in their hearts that under that kind of devastating, saturation-style bombing, let alone flesh and blood, even steel would have turned into molten iron.

Being able to leave behind a complete body was a luxury.

In the tent where the Falcon Reconnaissance Team was resting temporarily, Platoon Leader Long Zhan, Chen Mo, Squad Leader Zhang Shan, and Tie Zhu sat around a crude marching table.

On the table, there was no food, no wine.

Right in the center sat the black pot dug out from the ruins.

The black pot had been polished until it shone, reflecting a cold, eerie light under the dim kerosene lamp.

In front of the pot, several photos stood side by side; they were the brothers who had sacrificed themselves in this mission.

Monkey, Stone...

Only Qin Feng's spot was empty. With no photo to be found, and even less of a body, this pot had become his only relic.

"Drip."

A drop of murky liquid fell onto the dust-covered ground.

It was Tie Zhu's tears.

"Chef... you saved me... how come you couldn't save yourself..."

He choked, unable to say a complete sentence.

Squad Leader Zhang Shan's eyes were red. He fished a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his pocket, lit one with trembling hands, took a deep drag, and then suddenly started coughing violently.

He stuck the cigarette in front of the black pot, letting the blue smoke rise in wisps.

"Chef, you dog-of-a-thing, I haven't even gotten tired of the food you cook yet!"

"Damn you, just come back!"

Squad Leader Zhang Shan's voice was hoarse, and by the end, it turned into a suppressed roar.

Chen Mo didn't speak, just silently picked up another cigarette, lit it, held it to his lips, but didn't smoke it.

He just stared quietly at the pot, his eyes hollow.

After a long while, he spoke softly, as if talking to himself.

"I haven't tasted it yet. In the next life, you cook for me, and I'll treat."

His voice was very soft, but it felt like a small hammer, tapping on everyone's heart with every word.

The air in the tent solidified.

Only Tie Zhu's suppressed crying and the "sizzling" sound of the burning cigarette remained.

Platoon Leader Long Zhan stood up abruptly, picked up the Erguotou, and poured a full circle on the empty ground in front of the pot.

"Brothers! Chef!"

Platoon Leader Long Zhan's voice was like a wounded beast roaring.

"Listen up, all of you! We won!"

"This boundary monument was smashed fifty kilometers into the north! Fifty kilometers! This is our land of the Dragon Country! It's something you traded your lives for!"

His bloodshot eyes swept over everyone present, finally staring fixedly at the black pot.

"The higher-ups have approved a collective First-Class Merit for us! It's a collective First-Class Merit! Every one of you is a hero! A hero of the Dragon Country!"

"Chef... Comrade Qin Feng! Individual First-Class Merit!"

Platoon Leader Long Zhan pulled a neatly folded document from his pocket and unfolded it violently.

"Posthumously awarded the title of 'Defender of the Nation Martyr'! Exceptionally promoted to the rank of Second Lieutenant in the Army!"

"Chef! Did you hear that, you brat! You're an officer now! You're a Second Lieutenant!"

The roar echoed in the tent, carrying endless sorrow.

This iron-blooded man who bled on the battlefield but never shed tears was now letting tears, mixed with wine, slide wantonly down his resolute cheeks.

"I don't want this damn credit! I just want you all back! All of you, come back to me!"

He abruptly poured the remaining half bottle of wine into his own mouth, then smashed the bottle hard against the ground.

"Snap!"

It shattered into pieces.

At the same time.

Southern Military Region, recruit training camp.

Company Commander Zhou Hailong stood by the training ground, looking at the energetic college students, but his heart felt like it was being pressed by a giant boulder, making it hard to breathe.

That nightmare about Qin Feng had clung to him like a maggot on a bone for seven whole days.

Uneasy, he even mustered the thick skin to call his Old Chief, who had retired for many years, wanting to fish for some information indirectly.

As a result, as soon as the call connected, he was scolded severely.

"Company Commander Zhou Hailong! Has your life in peacetime been too comfortable? Have you forgotten the discipline of The Military? Don't ask what you shouldn't ask! Don't think about what you shouldn't think about! Manage the soldiers under you!"

The phone was hung up hard, leaving only the "beep-beep" busy signal.

The Old Chief's reaction didn't put him at ease; instead, it made his heart sink even deeper.

Later, he pieced together a vague message from some internal scraps of conversation.

Northern border, a small-scale border conflict, the Dragon Country won a great victory, and the territory expanded outward.

Territorial dispute!

These five words were simple to say, but Company Commander Zhou Hailong knew better than anyone that expanding the territory by fifty kilometers meant how cruel the battlefield was behind it.

He couldn't help but think of that dream.

In the dream, the kid who always had a slight, cheeky smile on his face saluted him, covered in blood.

"Company Commander, the pot... I probably won't be able to return it."

Northern Theater Command.

Li Qingxue felt troubled; she had lost contact with Qin Feng for seven days.

Even after using her family's connections, she only found out that Qin Feng had been transferred to the Northern Theater Command to participate in a mission at a frontline base codenamed "Sharp Sword."

As for the rest, she couldn't find anything.

All of Qin Feng's records stopped abruptly the moment he entered "Sharp Sword."

A living person had just disappeared into thin air.

Li Qingxue picked up her phone, an inexplicable irritability in her heart.

Downstairs of the girls' dormitory.

Shen Youchu had just finished her morning five-kilometer run, sweat dampening her bangs.

She stopped and looked up at the rising morning sun in the sky, its orange-red light warm but not blinding.

She smacked her little lips unconsciously.

"The eighth day without Qin Feng."

"I've started missing the feeling of being bullied."

"When are you coming back..."

Yang Country, Red Rock Canyon.

Just as the name suggests, this is a vast, desolate land composed of red sandstone.

Weathered boulders stand on the parched land.

The canyon is crisscrossed with gullies, and the terrain is complex; it is a naturally excellent battlefield.

An old, blue pickup truck, like an inconspicuous beetle, drove cautiously in the shadows of the canyon.

Lanna was driving, her palms full of sweat.

The Chef had fallen asleep, snoring for over an hour.

During this hour, Lanna had countless impulses to kill him.

But... she held back.

She was afraid this was a trap set by the Chef.

After all, the Chef was too cunning!

Facts proved that she was right not to do so.

Qin Feng had indeed fallen asleep, and he had even had a dream.

But that bionic spider had long been lurking behind Lanna's backrest.

If she had any moves against Qin Feng, she would have been killed on the spot!

"Damn it!"

Qin Feng shuddered and woke up with a start!

He had just dreamed that his comrades in the Falcon team were holding a funeral for him!

Bad luck!