books44 Chapter 392 [Empire] carries this man's faith and glory.
Chapter 392 [Empire] carries this man's faith and glory.
Amidst the flames and smoke, as the din of battle faded and my consciousness began to blur, memories I had once suppressed came flooding back. They weren't from this fierce battle, nor from the battlefield before me—those memories belonged to the past, to the days when I, a small soldier, had just stepped onto the battlefield.
I felt like I was back in those early days of military service, stepping onto this steely battlefield, my heart filled with the fear of war and an inexplicable dread of death. Back then, I couldn't even hold my gun steady. I stood there in fear, my breathing clearly audible. I remember when I first arrived at the camp, the rumored "madman" commander was the first person to rescue me from my confusion.
His laughter was the roughest I had ever heard - the kind of laughter that was wanton and unrestrained, as if it could penetrate all shackles.
"Boy, don't be afraid! The battlefield is not a terrible place. Fighting is the proof of being alive!" He patted my thin shoulder with such force that I almost fell down. The slap hurt my shoulder, but it also seemed like an inexplicable encouragement.
That day, it was his laughter and the mountain-like strength that dispelled the fear in my heart.
I remember him scolding me once: "You can't even snap your fingers, you're holding a gun like it's a toy." He scoffed at me, slapping me hard on the arm with a rather unbridled laugh. "If you hadn't been holding onto this broken gun so tightly, I'd have suspected you'd picked it up by mistake!" His teasing nearly made me jump up in anger, but in the end, I just stared at him blankly. His unaffected smile filled me with an inexplicable warmth.
I remember that man always exuding a fearless aura. Whether facing a powerful opponent or the trivialities of daily training, he always handled it with unconcern. But for some reason, there were always small gestures that made me feel he wasn't as relaxed as he appeared. Sometimes he would stare quietly into the distance, his eyes complex, as if he was lost in thought.
But these brief moments never last long, and he will immediately return to that fearless, omnipotent smile, like a solid wall, blocking all worries and fears.
I never understood his past, but his unwavering strength and fearless courage have profoundly influenced me. In him, I see the courage to live with a smile even in troubled times, and I also see his profound understanding of "protection" and "responsibility." He doesn't ask anyone to understand his actions, but through his actions, he teaches us: no matter how difficult it is, as long as we live, we must fight for those around us.
And now, on this burning battlefield, all those memories suddenly came flooding back like a scrap of old paper blown by the wind. The roar of battle faded, and I could almost feel him patting my shoulder, his rough laughter echoing in my ears. No matter how dangerous the future, no matter how powerful the enemy, I knew I couldn't fall. I couldn't let his fiery faith and courage be buried in the ashes of this battlefield.
I vaguely saw the man's smiling face, still so full of strength, as if he were right in front of me. Although this battle had almost crushed me and my team, the indescribable power in my heart prevented me from giving up - I could not let him be forgotten.
I must live on, live the way that man wanted me to, fight to survive, return to the empire, bring back his deeds, report them to history, and let everyone remember the man who used his life to hold up this sky for us.
I gripped the weapon tightly, feeling its cold touch, but it couldn't quench the fire within me. No matter what, I would rise and return, carrying this man's faith and honor with me.
Coming out of the simulator cabin, I felt dazed and as if I had just struggled out of a completely different world.
The air seemed heavy, and my head felt dizzy. The sensory overload and the tense atmosphere of the battle simulation made me feel unwell. Instinctively, I cursed, "What the hell is this? This is such a lousy plot." My mood was turbulent, and I couldn't help but sigh.
Then, my eyes swept across the signboard beside me. The big, bright words that were so eye-catching that I couldn't help but read them at a glance made me calm down instantly.
"Mr. Shan Qi donated on xx/xx/xx."
My mouth twitched slightly, as if struck by lightning, and suddenly I understood. Only Shan Qi—that business tycoon—could have donated such luxurious combat simulation equipment to this obscure school. I was shocked that this seemingly hard, cold, even cruel man would donate such an expensive item to my school.
Shan Qi, the name is familiar to me. He's one of my guardians and a legend in the interstellar business world. Countless stories of business wars and vicious competition are linked to him, and his name has become synonymous with ruthlessness, efficiency, and rationality. The outside world's assessment of him is often tinged with a certain awe, a certain fear of approaching, and a certain amount of unthinking, deifying praise. It's hard to imagine such a man making such a significant donation to a humble institution.
I stared down at the sign, a mixture of emotions welling up in my chest. Thinking back to the few brief times I'd met Shan Qi, he always seemed so cold, like an iceberg that never warmed. I remember when I was in the hospital, he personally took me to treatment and provided me with the most basic care. Back then, his face was stern, and he barely said a word.
That was the most exaggerated thing he'd ever said to me. "If you want to survive, remember, the most important things in life are rationality and calmness." His expression remained perfectly still, as if it were just a simple reminder from his everyday life. At that moment, I barely dared to look up at him, afraid to see the coldness in his eyes.
However, I still find this sentence so baffling and incomprehensible. I don't know how he could have imagined that he would say such a thing in such a situation.
Yet, this man, who made me feel so cold, silently watched over me for days when I was sick, as if just to fulfill his responsibility. Although he never said any words of encouragement, or even comforted me, his actions were enough.
His existence was like a silent force that supported me through the most difficult time.
That was the loneliest time.
Sometimes, I wonder, how did Shan Qi do it? He's rocked the business world, yet why, when it comes to me, does he always seem subtly clumsy and overwhelmed? He's like a perfect machine, perfectly attuned to the world of business, yet he can never quite embrace the emotional connection that others do. The occasional expressions of concern he'd reveal are almost like a test of his own emotional well-being, clumsy and awkward, yet filled with a deep warmth.
This instilled in me an inexplicable curiosity about him. It was the fragments I pieced together bit by bit from my hazy memories—this seemingly ruthless and cold-blooded man, with no softness in his eyes, actually revealed a bit of indescribable clumsiness when he was with me, like a cautious teenager trying to protect others.
But, ultimately, he would never let you see his most vulnerable side, never let you get close to his inner self. This rational, almost cold-blooded exterior became his weapon for survival, but also the invisible yet intangible barrier between him and the world.
I sighed softly and couldn't help shaking my head. Shan Qi, like this simulator, possessed that elusive presence: cold and sharp, calm and ruthless, yet revealing a rare clumsiness and care in the smallest details. I don't know how to describe this feeling, but it truly exists in my heart.