Old Master Qiu was a man who cherished talent! And he had a fiery temper, an upright general who couldn't tolerate any injustice in his sight. When he said he wanted to seek justice for Yang Yi, he truly meant to act! He didn't hesitate or second-guess at all!
Beside him, Lu Pengju was a bit more shrewd. He glanced at Old Master Qiu, then at Yang Yi, but remained silent.
Yang Yi, however, shook his head with a wry smile and said, "No need, thank you, General Qiu."
"Why?" Old Master Zeng couldn't help but ask. "Qiu Weiguo wants to help you get justice—how rare is that!"
"Because..." Yang Yi smiled bitterly, then sighed and uttered a name, "It's Lu Donglai."
"Lu Donglai?" Old Master Qiu hadn't caught on yet; he had been retired for far too long.
"Lu Donglai!" Lu Pengju spoke up instead, looking at Yang Yi with some surprise. Seeing Yang Yi nod, he chuckled and said, "So it's him. No wonder you said it's unnecessary, Xiao Yang."
Noticing Old Master Qiu's confusion, Lu Pengju explained, "Lu Donglai, former head of logistics in the Southwest Military Region, and also a man of someone important. Two years ago, that someone fell from grace, and he lost his backing. Last year, he was investigated..."
Indeed, Yang Yi had originally wanted to vent on behalf of his predecessor, but upon seeing this news in his predecessor's memories, Lu Donglai had been executed by firing squad earlier this year, and his son had been sentenced to decades in prison after many cases were reopened...
But the punishment of the culprits brought no joy to the original Yang Yi.
What use was it if the bad guys got what they deserved? Could he ever get back what he had lost? Five years had passed, and he could never return to that familiar barracks or fight side by side with his brothers again!
Of course, the pain belonged only to the original Yang Yi; the current Yang Yi didn't care at all.
So, when Lu Pengju, having set aside his concerns, extended an olive branch...
"Xiao Yang's skills are as sharp as ever. It would be a shame if he left the military because of this!" Lu Pengju said warmly, smiling. "Why not come to our Jiangnan Military Region? Even if you don't go to the front lines, you can be an instructor for the Viper unit!"
Old Master Zeng laughed, "Lu has spoken—this is a rare opportunity! Xiao Yang, you should seriously consider it!"
"Coming back to serve is a good idea!" Old Master Qiu, having forgotten about Yang Yi's books, sighed. "Yang Yi, with your skills, it's a waste not to keep you in the army!"
Yang Yi naturally shook his head with a smile and said, "Thank you for the offer, General Lu. But now, I have a family and my own career, and my daughter is still young. Though I truly miss the old days, my current life is something I need to cherish. I'm sorry, but I can't leave them behind to return to the barracks."
Lu Pengju looked a bit regretful, but he was a broad-minded man and didn't press further. Instead, he raised his cup to Yang Yi, toasting with tea in place of wine, honoring the years Yang Yi had fought for the country.
...
As originally planned, Yang Yi arrived at the main training ground at four in the afternoon to give a speech to the new recruits enlisted this year.
Even at four o'clock, the open-air training ground was still scorching hot, but Yang Yi didn't flinch. Below the stage were thousands of new soldiers who had already trained for two hours under the blazing sun (Note 1), their skin tanned to a reddish-black and drenched in sweat. He had to set an example!
After stepping onto the stage, Yang Yi faced the fervent gazes of thousands.
Before this, these new recruits had used their rest time after training to read Yang Yi's books, already curious about the author. At noon, when Yang Yi sparred with the Viper unit at East Second Drill Ground, some passing recruits had seen it. Though they didn't know Yang Yi was from the Wolf Warrior unit—kept confidential by orders—the news that the author of *Soldiers' Sortie* and *Drawing Sword* had once been a soldier and was incredibly tough spread quickly through the military region.
What is an idol? This is an idol!
Yang Yi stuck to protocol, first giving a round of thanks, before getting to the point: "Military discipline and your true heart—that's what I want to talk about with you all today."
The topic was fairly standard, and the leaders nearby nodded in approval.
"We come from all corners of the land, gathered here for the same purpose..." Yang Yi even opened with a famous quote, though one that didn't exist in this world, sounding profound and somewhat enigmatic.
"Maybe some of you are like Cheng Cai, from a well-off family, thinking highly of yourselves, wanting to make a big mark in the army. Or maybe some are like Xu Sanduo, from humble beginnings, sent to the barracks without a clue, not knowing if you'd raise your hands at the sight of a tank. But I hope you won't."
Yang Yi's words drew some laughter from the audience.
"I know there are also friends like Li Yunlong, wild and unruly, but rough on the outside with great talent inside! Such people make good brothers, but don't be their wives. Well, no, think about Monk Heshang—being their brother seems pretty dangerous too."
The crowd burst into full laughter, and even the leaders on stage couldn't help but smile. Was Yang Yi poking fun at himself?
Once the laughter died down, Yang Yi continued, "But no matter where you come from, what experiences you've had, or what personalities you have, when you join the army, you have to set aside the word 'self.' Because we have ironclad military discipline, and not every squad leader is like Shi Jin, nor every political commissar like Zhao Gang!"
There was still some laughter, but it faded as the audience grew contemplative.
"Novels are just novels—many idealized things don't work in reality. When you join the army, you first learn to obey military discipline, to quickly break free from your individual role and integrate into this big collective. Forget the word 'I,' and only remember 'we'!" Yang Yi said firmly, looking at the crowd. "This, in fact, is another interpretation of the spirit of 'never abandon, never give up' from *Soldiers' Sortie*!"
Thunderous applause erupted from the audience...
After talking about military discipline for a while, Yang Yi shifted gears and said, "But I have a question for you all: When you face a conflict between military discipline and reality, what choice will you make?"
Huh? What did that mean?
But Yang Yi didn't let them dwell on it; he simply gave an example, though not his own.
"I once had a comrade who, with two brothers, escorted the ashes of a fallen soldier home. But they ran into a demolition... The demolition crew was arrogant, and their leader said, 'You soldiers can protect them for now, but can you protect them forever? Once you're gone, I'll make sure they're done for!'" (Note 2)
Yang Yi's story stirred some unrest. The new recruits clenched their fists in anger.
"Yes, my comrade took off his hat and jacket, willing to give up his uniform to stand up for the widow and orphan. His skills were formidable—just one kick sent that man crashing into an excavator, barely clinging to life..."
"Well done!" The recruits below couldn't help shouting, voices rising one after another.
"Yes, he did well, did brilliantly! But unfortunately, because of military discipline, he was forced to retire, and for intentional injury, my comrade spent a few years in prison." Yang Yi said with some sadness. "But I asked him, 'Leng, was it worth it?' He said, 'Yes. If I hadn't done it, I'd have betrayed my true heart.'"
The outcome was heavy, and the soldiers fell silent.
"So, I want to talk about this matter of your true heart. No matter what happens, always remember the real purpose of being a soldier!" Yang Yi said. "Some might say it's for promotion and wealth, or for a meal ticket. Like Cheng Cai and Xu Sanduo, their initial reasons for joining weren't clear. But I hope you'll be like them, growing to understand your duty: to protect the country and your home!"
"...Maybe in the future, you'll face dilemmas like my comrade, like Li Yunlong, like Xu Sanduo—situations that might violate military discipline or force you to leave the barracks!"
"At such times, think about your true heart! If it goes against it—corruption, greed—don't do it. Don't let this uniform be stained! If it aligns with your true heart, make the right choice! Because even if the cost is great, it will be worth it!"
Yang Yi's speech made some leaders around him uneasy, but since Lu Pengju didn't object, they could only silently listen.
Yet the recruits below were stirred with excitement, giving Yang Yi a standing ovation that lasted long after he finished.
Yang Yi secretly wiped his brow. What he said today had some of his own twists mixed in!
Military discipline was just a front; his real intent was the latter half!
Why follow so many rules? If something pisses you off, just fight back!
Luckily, he'd masked it well enough not to provoke the leaders' ire.
He wondered if he'd end up teaching a bunch of little troublemakers. Heh heh...
(Note 1: The author doesn't know how many recruits a military region enlists, but for the sake of the setting, let's assume it's a few thousand. Please don't scrutinize the realism. Note 2: This story pays tribute to *Wolf Warrior 2* and Leng Feng. If you haven't seen the movie, go buy a ticket for the director—the author was pumped watching it.)