33: Chapter 33 The Family of a First-Class Hero

Just as the atmosphere was tense and trigger-happy—

A henchman behind Zhou Fei noticed something with a sharp eye.

"Brother Zhou, look!"

He pointed at the gold-stamped envelope in Chen Rong's hand:

"What is that?"

Zhou Fei looked in that direction.

And saw the large golden characters "Great Xia National Defense University".

His eyes lit up.

"Snatch it!"

That henchman rushed forward in a single stride and snatched the admission notice.

"Give it back to me!"

Chen Rong wanted to snatch it back.

But the other side had superior numbers.

Several punks surrounded him and pushed him away.

"Hahaha!"

Holding the admission notice, Zhou Fei flipped through it wantonly:

"National Defense University?"

"Amazing, Chen Rong!"

"I didn't expect you to actually get into National Defense University!"

His tone was full of mockery:

"What a pity—"

"Do you think it's useful just by getting into National Defense University?"

"Can it change your destiny?"

"Keep dreaming!"

He pointed at the dilapidated courtyard of the Chen family:

"Look at this dump of your family!"

"Poor as church mice!"

"Your mother is a widow, supporting you two brothers by washing clothes and doing odd jobs for others!"

"Your older brother joined the army, what the hell is the use?"

"What is that little allowance a month good for?"

"And you—"

He poked hard at the admission notice:

"Even if you graduate from National Defense University, so what?"

"At most, you're just a stinking soldier!"

"A salary of a few thousand yuan a month!"

"And you still have to obey orders, transferred wherever they tell you to go!"

"Who knows which day you'll die somewhere!"

"Look at me—"

He patted his own chest:

"My dad is a major real estate developer!"

"With money! With power!"

"I can crush a poor boy like you to death with just a flick of my finger!"

"What do you have to compare with me?"

"With this lousy admission notice of yours?"

He raised the admission notice, his face full of malice:

"In my eyes, this thing is just a piece of waste paper!"

"No—"

Chen Rong's expression changed drastically:

"You dare—"

"Why wouldn't I dare?"

Zhou Fei grinned viciously.

Then—

Rip—

He exerted force with both hands.

That gold-stamped admission notice was torn into two halves!

"No!!!"

Chen Rong let out a miserable scream.

Yao Lan was also anxious.

"You beast!"

She rushed forward, wanting to snatch back the torn admission notice:

"That is my son's admission notice!"

"How can you—"

"Get lost!"

Zhou Fei pushed her away.

Yao Lan staggered backward.

But she did not give up, choosing to rush up again.

Grabbing tightly onto those fragments.

"Let go!"

Zhou Fei flew into a rage from embarrassment.

He raised the spring-loaded knife in his hand—

"Mom! Be careful!"

Chen Rong shouted.

But it was already too late.

Stab—

The blade plunged into Yao Lan's abdomen.

Fresh blood gushed out instantly.

Yao Lan lowered her head, looking at the knife in her abdomen.

Her face instantly turned pale.

"Mom—!"

Chen Rong's voice was heartbreaking.

He rushed over and supported his mother.

Yao Lan slowly collapsed.

In her hand, she still tightly clutched the fragments of the admission notice.

"Mom! Mom!"

Chen Rong knelt on the ground, his hands trembling:

"How are you? Don't scare me!"

"Mom!"

Fresh blood continuously gushed from Yao Lan's abdomen.

Dyeing her clothes red.

And dyeing the fragments of the admission notice red as well.

"Rong… Rong'er…"

Yao Lan opened her eyes with difficulty:

"Don't be afraid… Don't be afraid…"

"You… you must be good…"

"Must… must be a good soldier…"

"Mom!"

Chen Rong's tears flowed uncontrollably:

"Don't talk!"

"I'll send you to the hospital right now!"

"Immediately!"

He wanted to pick up his mother.

But Yao Lan's body became softer and softer.

And more and more blood flowed out.

"I… I killed someone…"

Zhou Fei looked at the blood on the ground.

Looking at Yao Lan lying in a pool of blood.

He was completely dumbfounded.

The knife in his hand dropped to the ground with a clatter.

"Brother Zhou! Run quickly!"

The few henchmen behind him were so frightened that their faces turned pale.

"Run! Run quickly!"

They turned around and fled.

Zhou Fei also reacted.

He glanced at Yao Lan on the ground.

He glanced at the blood.

Then—sprinted away on his legs.

"Stop!"

Chen Rong wanted to chase.

But he couldn't leave his mother behind.

"Mom! Mom!"

He held his mother and shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Help!"

"Is anyone there?!"

"Help!"

The blood was still flowing.

Yao Lan's face grew paler and paler.

Her gaze also became increasingly scattered.

"Rong'er…"

With trembling hands, she wanted to touch her son's face:

"You… you must…"

"Mom!"

Chen Rong grasped his mother's hand:

"Don't talk!"

"I'll send you to the hospital right now!"

Meanwhile.

A dozen kilometers away from Chenjia Village.

Three black off-road vehicles with military license plates were driving on the rural road.

Inside the car.

Su Mingyuan sat in the back row.

Holding a heavy plaque in his arms.

Red wood base, golden characters.

Six large characters shone brilliantly under the sunlight:

"Family of a First-Class Hero"

His hand gently stroked those characters.

Over and over again.

As if stroking the face of person.

On the seat beside him—lay a black briefcase.

Inside, it contained person's suicide note.

And two medals.

One Third-Class Merit medal.

One First-Class Merit medal.

The Third-Class Merit was earned by person during training.

And that First-Class Merit was what he exchanged with his life.

Su Mingyuan closed his eyes.

In his mind, that scene emerged once again…

"Comrade Su."

The driving soldier suddenly spoke:

"According to custom, we should notify the town's leaders."

"And then grandly send this First-Class Merit back."

"Television stations, newspapers, banners, gongs and drums…"

"Let everyone know that person is a hero."

Su Mingyuan opened his eyes and was silent for a few seconds.

Then, he shook his head:

"No."

"Why?"

The soldier was puzzled.

The senior officer of the military region had said before.

Su Mingyuan's voice was very soft:

"It's better to keep a low profile."

"First—"

He looked out the window:

"The mission executed by person was top-secret."

"If it's too sensational upon return, it might attract the attention of interested parties."

"Although we are not afraid of being noticed—"

"We should avoid trouble as much as possible."

"This is to protect person."

"And also to protect his family."

The soldier nodded.

"Second—"

Su Mingyuan continued:

"We don't have enough time."

"If we notify local leaders, television stations, and the like—"

"It can't be finished in a day or two at all."

"Various procedures, various ceremonies…"

"And us—"

He looked at the countdown in front of him:

"There are more important things to do."

"Time waits for no one."

Inside the car, silence fell for a moment.

After a while, the driving soldier said: "We're almost there."

"Ahead is Chenjia Village."

Su Mingyuan took a deep breath.

Held the plaque in his hands tightly.

Afterward, the car drove into the village.

Muddy dirt roads, dilapidated houses, sparse figures.

This is where person grew up.

The soldier pointed forward: "That's it."

The car decelerated.

Then, everyone was stunned.

Because they saw.

person's family gate hung crookedly on the door frame.

The window glass was shattered all over the floor.

The courtyard was in complete disarray.

"What's going on?"

The soldier in the passenger seat changed expression:

"Could something have happened?"