149: Chapter 149 Platoon Leader, Did You Pick Up the Wrong Manuscript?

The fifteenth day since Qin Feng "sacrificed" his life.

In the auditorium of the northern Sharp Sword Base, the lights were blazing, but the atmosphere was so oppressive it made it hard to breathe.

A memorial service was being held here.

A memorial service for all the martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the "Sharp Blade-2" border conflict.

On the stage at the front of the auditorium, black-and-white photos were arranged side by side, with the names and biographies of the martyrs beneath them.

Every name had once been a vibrant life.

Huazi, Houzi, Shitou... the photos of the brothers from the Falcon Reconnaissance Platoon who sacrificed their lives were all there.

Only in Qin Feng's spot, besides a photo, there was also a black pot.

The pot had been polished until it gleamed and had even been welded.

As for the Chef's body, the military had already given up searching for it.

Platoon Leader Long Zhan, Chen Mo, Squad Leader Zhang Shan, and Tiezhu, all wearing crisp service uniforms, were sitting in the front row.

Each of them had a white flower pinned to their chest, and their faces were etched with solemnity and grief.

Fifteen days.

From the initial desperate search, holding onto a sliver of hope, to the later despair, and now, to this numb acceptance.

This process was harder to endure than taking a bullet on the battlefield.

This afternoon, the notification of death and the martyr's certificate sent by the military completely shattered the last glimmer of hope in their hearts.

Qin Feng, confirmed dead.

The cold signature on the document could not lie.

The atmosphere of the memorial service was solemn, and the host read out the life stories of each martyr in a low voice.

Every time a name was read, a wave of suppressed sobbing erupted from the audience.

These iron-blooded men who feared nothing in heaven or earth had, at this moment, become fragile children.

"Next, we invite Comrade Platoon Leader Long Zhan of the Falcon Reconnaissance Platoon to come up and speak."

Platoon Leader Long Zhan stood up abruptly, straightened his uniform, and walked onto the stage with heavy steps.

He stood in front of the microphone, his gaze sweeping across the faces of his comrades below, and finally cleared his throat.

"Comrades!"

"Today, we are here to bid farewell to our comrades, to our brothers!"

"Houzi always loved to brag, saying that when he retired, he would become a big star. But when he was breaking through the encirclement, he was the first to charge with his gun."

"Shitou, that simple, honest rural soldier, always sent his allowance home, never willing to buy even a bottle of soda for himself. In the battle of Yangjiao Village, he never once retreated."

Platoon Leader Long Zhan's voice grew louder and louder, filled with a heart-wrenching roar.

Every word seemed to burst forth from his chest.

He spoke of every brother who had sacrificed his life, of the little moments before their deaths, and of their final heroic feats on the battlefield.

The crying from the audience merged into a single sound.

Squad Leader Zhang Shan bit his lip hard to keep from crying out, but his vision was already blurred by tears.

Tiezhu's shoulders were heaving violently.

Chen Mo kept his head down; no one could see his expression, only his hands, which were clenched into tight fists, his knuckles white.

Finally, Platoon Leader Long Zhan's gaze fell upon that portrait.

"And also... Comrade Qin Feng!"

His voice suddenly caught in his throat.

The auditorium instantly went quiet, and everyone's eyes were focused on him.

Platoon Leader Long Zhan's mind went blank.

Qin Feng?

Regarding Qin Feng's deeds... what should he say?

Talk about how he killed prisoners on his first day?

Talk about how he disobeyed orders on the battlefield, enough to be shot 100 times?

Or talk about how his cooking was indeed delicious, but he was a real jerk?

Could these things be said on such an occasion?

But the higher-ups had said this memorial service must properly promote the hero's deeds, to let everyone know how heroic and fearless our hero was!

A layer of fine sweat broke out on Platoon Leader Long Zhan's forehead.

He looked at those pairs of tear-filled, expectant eyes below, steeled his heart, and gritted his teeth.

Damn it, go for it!

"Comrade Qin Feng!"

Platoon Leader Long Zhan's voice suddenly rose an octave, filled with unprecedented passion and tragedy.

"He was the most... the most taciturn, yet also the most mysterious soldier in our Falcon Reconnaissance Platoon!"

In the front row, the corner of Chen Mo's eye twitched imperceptibly.

Taciturn? Mysterious?

Platoon Leader, are you sure we know the same Qin Feng?

That guy who could kill a conversation the moment he opened his mouth and choke people to death with his words?

Platoon Leader Long Zhan didn't notice the strangeness below at all; his emotions were already running high, or rather, he had worked himself into a frenzy.

"Before the battle broke out, he keenly sensed the enemy's conspiracy!"

"It was he who first warned me, telling us that the enemy might adopt tactics we had never imagined!"

Tiezhu was stunned; he tried hard to recall that before the battle, the Chef seemed to have said a few strange things,

but wasn't he shouting about killing prisoners from the very beginning? How did that become a warning?

Platoon Leader Long Zhan had completely entered the zone; his voice echoed in the auditorium, full of infectious power.

"At the critical moment when the position was under saturation bombing! Everyone was stunned by the bombardment! It was Comrade Qin Feng!"

"Like a nimble leopard, he braved the sky-filling artillery fire, charging against the flow to deliver the intelligence!"

"Pfft—"

Chen Mo couldn't hold his breath and almost laughed out loud, but quickly covered it up with a fit of violent coughing.

It was true enough, but didn't he come back on his own?

And when he came back, he caused more trouble, not only sneaking off to attack the electronic information highland but also getting blown to ashes himself.

Platoon Leader Long Zhan's eyes were already red; the more he spoke, the more agitated he became, as if those scenes were truly happening right before his eyes.

"In the battle to seize the highland! Bullets whistled past his ears! Shrapnel tore through his uniform!"

"Yet he didn't have a shred of fear! His gaze was so firm!"

"He had only one thought in his heart, and that was to extend the borders of our Dragon Kingdom by fifty kilometers!"

In the back rows, the new recruits and staff officers who didn't know the situation were already listening with boiling blood and moist eyes.

"Well done!"

"This is a true soldier!"

"So touching!"

Chen Mo and Tiezhu exchanged a glance, both seeing a trace of confusion and... a trace of admiration in each other's eyes.

Platoon Leader's ability to spout nonsense—it's a real waste that he didn't go into political work.

Platoon Leader Long Zhan had reached the climax; he took a step forward, braced his hands on the podium, his body trembling slightly from excitement.

"At the final moment! When the enemy launched an air strike, only then did Qin Feng heroically sacrifice his life. But... he succeeded in breaking the enemy's information blockade and transmitting important information."

"He used his young life to win the most precious victory for us, for the Dragon Kingdom!"

"Before he died, he was still shouting—'For the Dragon Kingdom! Fire at me!'"

"Boom—!"

Platoon Leader Long Zhan's speech seemed to have detonated a bomb in the auditorium.

The whole place erupted in thunderous applause!

Everyone stood up, clapping excitedly, many already weeping uncontrollably.

"Hero! A true hero!"

"Salute to Martyr Qin Feng!"

"Wuwuwu... too great..."

Platoon Leader Long Zhan stood on the stage, watching the fervent scene below, and was even moved by his own words.

He raised his hand, wiped away what he didn't know was sweat or tears, his voice choking.

"Comrade Qin Feng... he was a good comrade!"

"He... he poured his deepest love for the Dragon Kingdom into every meal he cooked! He..."

He really couldn't make up any more.

He suddenly gave a standard military salute to the audience, shouting hoarsely: "Heroes never die!"

"Never die!"

Below, the mountain-shaking, sea-roaring response lasted for a long time.

Platoon Leader Long Zhan walked off the stage, his legs a bit weak.

Chen Mo silently handed over a bottle of water.

Squad Leader Zhang Shan leaned in, lowered his voice, and looked at him with an extremely complex expression.

"Platoon Leader, you... was what you just said true? How come I don't remember the Chef doing those things?"

Platoon Leader Long Zhan unscrewed the cap, took a huge gulp of water, and glared at him.

"What the hell do you know! This is called... artistic embellishment! The dead are paramount, understand?"

"I'm doing this to make the hero's image more glorious! More magnificent!"

After speaking, he ignored Squad Leader Zhang Shan and cast his gaze back toward that portrait.

In his eyes, however, a trace of genuine sadness was revealed.

"Chef... you son of a bitch... today, I've used up a lifetime of bragging on you."