Bandage sat down as well, but he did not eat. He simply stared blankly at the campfire before him. Jiang Yan Hai resumed slowly chewing the dried meat in his mouth. It was tough, and he had to bite through it bit by bit.
The others fell silent for a moment, then took out their rations and each took a hard bite. The cave returned to silence.
After several minutes, Jiang Yan Hai suddenly spoke again. "I was the same as you. I came through this stage too."
Jiang Yan Hai's words snapped everyone back to attention. They all glanced at him, Bandage included, but no one spoke. Jiang Yan Hai continued in an even tone.
"A few years ago, during the evacuation of citizens from Hamen, I took part in the operation as a special operations unit of the Marine Corps." Jiang Yan Hai's tone remained calm. Red Star had also carried out an evacuation in this world, except that country was called Hamen.
"At the time, Hamen's capital had already been occupied by the Rebel Army. The Rebel Army had forced the ambassador from our embassy, along with more than twenty civilians he was leading out, into the war zone while they were passing along its edge."
"Then the government forces and the Rebel Army began a fierce battle in that district. Hamen's government forces were no longer capable of protecting our citizens and the embassy convoy as they withdrew, but they allowed us to send in our own troops for rescue. We were ordered into danger to save our compatriots."
"There were sixteen of us who entered the battlefield... When we rescued the citizens and were withdrawing, the Rebel Army used car bombs to break through the government forces' defenses."
"They held pistols to civilians' children's heads