Tao Rui thought she was about to make a move again and reflexively took a step back.
Xiang Yunjian, with his arm around Jiang Linxia’s neck, walked over and lightly patted Cheng Feng’s head, saying, “Cheng Feng, the winner should be the more magnanimous one.”
Cheng Feng reached out her hand, holding it in midair, and said, “Don’t be nervous. I’m not here to pick a fight with you. I just want to tell you two things.”
Tao Rui stared at her steadily, her gaze slightly lowered, and took her hand with a mixture of doubt and trust.
Because both of them had trained in coding for a long time, the knuckles of their fingers were rather prominent. When their hands clasped together, each could feel how hard and rough the other’s hand was.
“The first thing – I was too angry at the time to make it clear to you. Actually, my father, Ye Jing, really wasn’t a deserter in the ordinary sense.”
Cheng Feng smiled as she spoke, no longer angry about the matter.
“As a mech pilot trained by the Alliance, he chose not to accept the First-Class Merit citation, because he truly hated fighting. Mm… for him, surviving to the end wasn’t something to be proud of, so excelling on the battlefield wasn’t something worthy of praise either.”
Cheng Feng paused, then continued, “And in a country that could only endure being struck, no one’s life carried any weight at all. Medals like that would only make him relive those painful experiences countless more times after the war was over. Holding out to the end had already taken the last of his willpower; he couldn’t digest any more pain.”
And indeed, he never truly did.
Cheng Feng recalled those blurry images, and amid her sense of release, there was a touch of wistfulness. “He really did want to escape – he longed for it desperately – but he still held on to the very end. Although… he died in the dawn after the war, I still think he was a resolute and courageous person. Those who endure through pain, even if they don’t earn respect, at least shouldn’t have to bear insult, right?”
Tao Rui tried several times to speak, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down, but no words came out.
He probably had no idea that his expression at that moment was extremely complicated – a face mixed with embarrassment, guilt, sympathy, and a trace of bewilderment, something akin to being at a loss.
He averted his gaze from Cheng Feng and said in a very soft voice, “I’m sorry. I didn’t really mean it that way. I shouldn’t have said those things in front of you.”
He had regretted it almost as soon as he said it. Unlike a difference in views or stance, this kind of behavior was actually quite contemptible.
Cheng Feng shrugged and said, “After all, Alliance has always been very peaceful. Your teacher probably kept telling you things like, ‘Running away is a shameful act.'”
“Second thing.” Cheng Feng pulled her hand back and stuffed it into her pocket, saying, “Although we’re both deputy commanders, I’m also a frontline soldier, and I was born in a time of war, so our positions are bound to be somewhat different. Later, I thought about it carefully and realized that your way of thinking actually makes some sense, in a certain way.”
Tao Rui looked up in astonishment, completely unprepared for her to say something like that.
“But…” Cheng Feng pressed her lips together, her smile fading, and said in a low voice, “There’s something I don’t really understand.”
She said calmly, “Soldiers are willing to sacrifice themselves because they hope their country can become peaceful, and then grow and prosper. In a strong and prosperous nation, life gains meaning, and people come to value life above interests. Hasn’t Alliance already achieved that?”
Tao Rui was stunned.
Before Cheng Feng spoke, he had also thought about how he would counter her arguments.
The scene surely wouldn’t be this peaceful – it should have been filled with the same conflict and contradiction as before.
Cheng Feng, as the victor, might have belittled him, mocked him, and cursed him out just like before. He would have responded rationally, using historical evidence to prove his point.
But the scenario he had imagined was crumbling, and all the arguments he had prepared collapsed along with it.
Cheng Feng said, “I’ve seen a lot of news from Alliance. You’re willing to spend enormous resources just to save one weak life. You’ll even pay a great price for someone’s dream alone – as if every single person is especially important. It’s nothing like our post-war planet.”
Tao Rui lowered his head, a whirlwind of thoughts racing through his mind. For a moment, he felt disoriented and didn’t know how to respond to her words.
“So I really envy the Alliance,” Cheng Feng said. “I think it’s a place where ideals can exist. I thought you felt the same way.”
Xiang Yunjian, who had been listening on the side, let out a hearty laugh at her words. Jiang Linxia took the chance to pry his hand off and break free from his grip.
Tao Rui had never felt so tongue-tied before. His attention seemed unable to focus, his mind flashing with all sorts of random thoughts.
Cheng Feng’s casual tone gave him the strange feeling that he was already beyond redemption in her eyes.
But why?
His instructors and his parents had all said he wasn’t mature enough, and that a commander’s maturity had to be forged through countless experiences and bloodshed. So he had studied with all his might, trying to make himself more mature.
But the first person to earn that recognition wasn’t him – it was Cheng Feng.
Tao Rui was a little resentful. Casualties were inevitable – even Cheng Feng, as the overall commander, had to send soldiers to the front lines, trading lives for advantages, didn’t she?
But at this moment… Tao Rui wavered. His pupils trembled slightly, and he felt as though he was shrinking.
Cheng Feng raised her hand and waved it in front of his face, scattering the half-formed retort he had just begun to piece together.
“You guys fought really well in this match – you almost won.” Cheng Feng beamed with a smug, triumphant look, holding up her fingers to show a huge gap. “But you were still just that far off!” Jiang Linxia ran over to Cheng Feng, slung an arm around her shoulder, and threatened in her ear, “Cheng Feng, if you get too carried away, the instructors are going to chew you out!”
Cheng Feng said, “Why? Mr. Kong told me I should enjoy it while I can.”
Jiang Linxia was deeply offended. “Why! How come they’re so double-standard?”
Xiang Yunjian tugged at Jiang Linxia and said, “I hear someone knocking on my pod door. I’m logging off first – you hurry up too.”
Jiang Linxia quickly said, “You’re right – I still need to grab the center spot for the group photo!”
The two of them vanished one after another, and Cheng Feng hurriedly logged off as well.
Abruptly transitioning from the boisterous hall back to the silent exam room, Cheng Feng felt quite unaccustomed to it.
Most of the simulation pods were empty, with only a handful of people left in the entire exam hall. The examiner came over to check on Cheng Feng’s physical condition, found that she was just overly fatigued, and gave her a glass of water and a piece of bread, telling her to take a moment to recover.
Everything was so calm – outside the windows, in the hallways, in the classrooms – not a single extra sound. Even the examiner deliberately walked lightly as he moved around her.
Coming after such a noisy, chaotic scene, this silence instead made Cheng Feng feel a little hollow, with an unreal, empty sensation.
She tossed her trash, stood up, and pushed open the classroom door. As she reached out, she was still half-expecting Mr. Kong to be waiting outside, along with his office colleagues or maybe the senior physical training instructor, ready to give her a big hug.
She needed to think about whether to dodge – after all, in that kind of state, she’d probably end up with some unflattering photos.
But outside the door, there were only a few other examinees who had also finished and left.
Cheng Feng instantly felt even emptier.
The examiner stood behind her and asked, “What’s wrong? Not going out?”
Cheng Feng shook her head.
“A bit tired, huh? It’s not even seven yet – a lot of people haven’t even woken up.” The examiner pushed the door all the way open. “Go on, get some rest.”
Cheng Feng gave a little “Mm” and trotted down the stairwell.
The downward stairs soon came to an end. Cheng Feng turned a corner and saw a group of familiar faces standing at the exit, peeking out furtively.
Jiang Linxia spotted her and immediately waved her over. “Quick! We’re all waiting for you!”
Cheng Feng had no idea what was going on but quickened her pace and ran over. Instantly, the whole bunch crowded around her, jostling and shoving each other aside in a bid to get closer.
Xiang Yunjian let out a slightly helpless sigh, told them all to act with a bit more restraint, then pulled out a card and took charge of opening the door.
Cheng Feng was practically pushed out.
The moment the door opened, a bright light shone in from the side.
Cheng Feng squinted, unable to make out anything clearly, when two bouquets of flowers were thrust into her arms without warning. Then, before she could tell whether it was the principal or Mr. Kong, someone grabbed her arm and pulled her along.
Voices came from both sides – leaders and officials vying to offer their congratulations: “Everyone worked so hard!” “That was a brilliant match!” “Congratulations on the victory!” “UFU is so proud of you all!”
Dozens of confetti cannons burst in the air, and streamers fluttered down in a colorful shower, plastering themselves all over Cheng Feng’s head. She couldn’t free her hands to brush them off, but soon someone helped her by patting away the annoying bits.
Lights cast a hazy circle of shadows around her, and applause crashed like waves against rocks, rumbling in from all directions, rooting Cheng Feng to the spot.
She found herself surrounded by countless people, her face blank with dazed bewilderment.
“Smile – quick, smile!”
Jiang Linxia timely whispered from behind her, poking her in the back with a finger. Cheng Feng hastily pulled out a professional, practiced smile.
Camera flashes went off. Cheng Feng strained her ears and finally made out what the crowd around her was shouting.
They were all embarrassingly flattering things.
They were all students from UFU – some even in their pajamas – who had come specially to welcome them out.
The match had officially ended just after five, followed by score verification and summaries. These people had probably been standing in the cold wind for over an hour, yet they still looked full of energy.
Shen Dan had somehow been nudged over to Cheng Feng’s side by one of the command department instructors. She scratched her messy hair, opened her mouth wide, and yawned.
Cheng Feng put an arm around her waist, and Shen Dan leaned against her shoulder in return. The two huddled together for a few more photos.
Shen Dan, half-closing her eyes, mumbled, “I’m so tired. When I get back, I’m going to…”
She must have sensed an invisible killing intent, because she whipped her head around to glance at the dean and quickly corrected herself. “…devote myself even more wholeheartedly to studying the core spirit of our command department!”
The dean smiled with satisfaction and said, “Good, good.”
The photo session lasted about five minutes. Cheng Feng’s ears were numb from the cheers surging around her. The earlier emptiness had completely vanished, replaced by a dull roar filling her entire head.
Fortunately, it didn’t last too long. The principal raised both hands and pressed them down in the air, saying, “Alright, alright, everyone give them some space. These students haven’t slept all night – let them go back and rest first. The awards ceremony will start at seven tonight, and we can celebrate together then.”
The crowd parted voluntarily to make way.
Cheng Feng led the way, walking out with a mixture of surprise and flattery.
The crowd didn’t disperse, but instead followed closely behind them, escorting them all the way back to the residential area.
With so many people seeing her off to sleep, Cheng Feng felt oddly light and disconnected.
Along the way, quite a few students were out running or sweeping the grounds -apparently, they had been punished by the dormitory robots for yelling in the dorms early in the morning and disturbing other students’ rest, and were now doing labor reform.
Most of the dormitory buildings of the Military Academy were nearly empty. When these people spotted Cheng Feng, they showed absolutely no sign of having learned their lesson – they raised their arms and waved, shouting at her:
“Cheng Feng! Congratulations on taking 3 MVPs!”
“UFU rocks! Manual operation rocks!”
“The Command Department rocks!”
Basking in the hero’s welcome, Cheng Feng grinned and waved back in all directions. It wasn’t until she entered the dormitory building that the gathered crowd gradually dispersed.
