74: Yue Changlong's identity revealed! A top-tier combat hero?!

Hearing the words of Zhao Mengsheng, the hundreds of thousands of netizens in the live stream instantly exploded.

The bullet screen comments flooded the screen like a waterfall.

[Didn't Dragon Country only have ten War God-level generals? They are all famous; I've never heard of a figure named Yue Changlong!]

[Don't argue, upstairs! War God-level generals are officially rated. The "War God" that War God Zhao mentioned should be a hero recognized by his brothers in the military, a reputation earned through battle!]

[Exactly! It's like the old Party Secretary in our village; he wasn't a high official, but in the hearts of the villagers, he is the pillar of strength. It's the same principle!]

[No matter what, anyone who can earn such respect from the War God of Mountains and Rivers must be extraordinary!]

..."But in reality—"

Zhao Mengsheng looked at the bullet screen comments and continued:

"Company Commander Yue was a 'Special-Grade Combat Hero' who received two Special Merits, five first-class merits... and so many other military medals they could be used as a bulletproof vest!"

A commotion broke out!

As soon as he said this, the entire venue erupted in an uproar.

Shock was clearly written on the faces of the guests.

In the military merit system of Great Xia, there was an unwritten saying—

Third-class merit is received standing up; that means excellent performance in combat!

Second-class merit is received lying down, often meaning fighting while injured and barely surviving!

first-class merit, most of the time, must be received by family members, meaning the recipient has likely already sacrificed his life or is too severely injured to accept the award personally.

And Special Merit? Many people have only ever seen it mentioned in history books.

In peacetime, this was practically a legendary existence.

Yue Changlong actually managed to receive it twice?

What immense contributions must he have made!

"Impossible!"

Gao Tianxiong immediately retorted: "If that Yue Changlong was truly that formidable, he would have been publicized long ago for everyone to know. How could so few people know about him? Tell us, how did he earn those two Special Merits?"

Gao Zisheng also chimed in, pointing his phone at Zhao Mengsheng: "Exactly! If he can't produce evidence, he's spreading rumors! Everyone look, he's lying!"

"Fine."

Zhao Mengsheng's eyes narrowed, and his voice suddenly rose.

"Then I will tell you how Company Commander Yue earned his first [Special Merit]!"

"That was during the most brutal Black Hat Mountain Campaign!"

"To talk about this campaign, I must mention a comrade from Steel Seventh Company, whom everyone called 'Little Chuan'."

"Little Chuan wasn't his real name. Because he came from Chuan-Yu Province, that's what we called him."

"He was short and young, the youngest soldier in Steel Seventh Company, with a face full of childish innocence."

"We always loved to tease him, asking if every family in Chuan-Yu raised pandas."

"Every time, Little Chuan would say seriously: 'Yes! When I was little, I even rode a panda to school. Pandas are very obedient and run faster than horses'."

...As soon as he said this, the originally solemn atmosphere instantly eased.

The netizens were all amused, and the bullet screen comments were filled with joy.

[Hahahaha, rode a panda to school? This Little Chuan is too adorable!]

[Chuan-Yu netizen says: It's true! He's right, my nephew was raised by a panda teaching him everything!]

[Diao Prefecture netizen applying for battle: What's riding a panda? When we were kids, we rode dinosaurs to school—Tyrannosaurus Rex, no less—it was totally awesome!]

[Fu Province netizen refuses to be outdone: The one upstairs is weak! I ate dinosaur meat when I was little, and it was delicious!]

The tone of the live stream suddenly went off track.

Yue Xiaofei couldn't help but laugh either, as if the image of Uncle Little Chuan riding a panda to school appeared before him.

"Little Chuan was young, but when it came to training, he pushed himself harder than anyone!"

Zhao Mengsheng's voice was filled with nostalgia, his gaze seemingly piercing through time.

"While others rested at noon, he held his rifle, practicing his aim at the shooting range, soaking his training uniform with sweat, practicing until his fingertips bled."

"After lights out, when others tucked into their blankets, he was still doing push-ups on the field. If one hundred wasn't enough, he'd do two hundred, refusing to stop until his arms shook too much to lift."

"Once during an armed cross-country run, blood blisters formed on his ankles, yet he gritted his teeth and finished the twenty kilometers. By the time he reached the finish line, the blisters had burst, and his socks were stuck to his flesh."

"When the medic treated his wounds, the kid's eyes were brimming with tears from the pain, but he stuck out his neck and said, 'It's nothing. What's this little injury? It hurts way less than when my mom twists my ear'."

"This kid also had one biggest hobby—eating."

Speaking of this, a warm smile appeared on Zhao Mengsheng's lips.

"He always said he wanted to taste all the delicacies across the country!"

"He said the pan-fried buns from Magic City were only flavorful when eaten with vinegar!"

"The Zha Jiang Mian from Dragon Capital had to be eaten with raw garlic to be authentic!"

"The Rou Jia Mo (meat burger) from Chang'an was only fragrant if the meat was half lean and half fat!"

"The morning tea dim sum from Guangfu could keep him eating from dawn till dusk."

"..."

"The soldiers of Steel Seventh Company came from all corners of the country and would drool listening to him talk."

"Everyone patted their chests and promised that once they retired, they would definitely take him back to their hometowns."

"The veteran from the Northeast said he would take him to eat candied hawthorns, frozen pears, and sauerkraut pork stew!"

"The squad leader from Jiangnan said he would take him to eat West Lake Vinegar Fish and drink Biluochun tea."

"..."

"Company Commander Yue cherished this kid the most and kept him close as his communications officer."

Zhao Mengsheng's voice deepened.

"Little Chuan always loved following behind Company Commander Yue like a little shadow. When reporting military intelligence, he would casually add, 'Company Commander, the kitchen made braised pork today, and I saved you two pieces'."

"When the Black Hat Mountain Campaign began, Company Commander Yue gave everyone a send-off, lighting cigarettes and raising wine, saying, 'comrades, smoke this cigarette, drink this cup of wine, and we will meet again at the Martyrs Cemetery!'"

"'See you at the Martyrs Cemetery!' All one hundred and twenty of us roared in unison, not a single person flinched."

"The next day, we finally arrived at Black Hat Mountain."

Zhao Mengsheng's voice suddenly grew heavy, as if carrying the scent of gunpowder smoke.

"That place was a true meat grinder!"

"Steel Seventh Company was defending the foremost position, surrounded by mountains on three sides, with only one narrow path leading up—it was a death trap."

"From dawn till dusk every day, the sound of guns and cannons never stopped. Bodies piled up like small hills, blood flowed into rivers, staining the rocks on the mountain red."

"Casualties reached over a thousand every day. The brother who was joking with you in the morning might fall beside you in the afternoon."

"Company Commander Yue led by example, charging at the very front with his machine gun, taking out nineteen enemies on the first day alone!"

"But the terrain of Black Hat Mountain was too perilous. The enemy had built bunkers on the summit and set up machine guns. Every time we charged up, a whole group would fall."

"A week later, only just over fifty of our company's one hundred and twenty men remained, every single one wounded."

"Some had lost arms, some had lost legs, and some were blinded, but not a single man suggested fleeing!"

"On the eighth day, we encountered the enemy's elite unit, the 'Snow Wolf Regiment'!"

"They wore thick bulletproof vests and carried the most advanced weapons, surging toward us in a dense, dark mass, like a tide."

"Little Chuan was protecting the communication device when he was flung away by the blast wave of a shell. His right arm was broken instantly, with the bone exposed!"

"The medic used a stretcher to carry him down, but after only a few steps, the kid suddenly rolled off the stretcher!"

"He dragged his broken arm and crawled toward the position, his fingernails digging into the mud, leaving streaks of blood, shouting, 'I'm not leaving! I can still fight!'"