A Beautiful Scroll

With the bombshell news from the elder, everyone was first startled, then overcome by a wave of sorrow.

Over eight thousand seven hundred sacrifices. What kind of number was that?

Never before in seventy years had there been such heavy casualties in the military.

"We have resolved that today, August 12th, shall be designated as the memorial day for our compatriots who died in the war against the Kaiju."

"We lament the loss of ordinary citizens and offer solace and remembrance to the heroic spirits of our martyrs."

"Every year on this day, we will mourn for them and sound the sirens."

Immediately, everyone in the venue stood up and observed three minutes of silence.

Then, the live broadcast ended.

Although the public was grieving, there were no excessive reactions.

As the elder had said, as long as we had the capability to protect Zhonghua Family, the threat of Kaiju would be minimized.

Because, on our front lines, stood rows of steel giants.

Yes, rows of them.

Z Nation would not have only one "Taishan."

Therefore, although the public was momentarily sorrowful, they did not fall into despair.

There would be no extreme violence or riots.

No social unrest would be caused.

In a mountaintop cemetery in Dalian.

There stood rows of tombstones.

It was a secluded martyrs' cemetery.

The resting place for the heroic spirits of some soldiers who sacrificed during the "Shanlan" battle.

A middle-aged man sat alone before a row of tombstones, drinking.

His figure in the cemetery filled with tombstones added a sense of desolate bleakness.

A piercing air raid siren wailed. It wasn't an enemy alert, but the mourning for today's memorial day.

The man looked up only when he heard the siren, slowly putting down the bottle in his hand.

Revealed was a handsome face, yet one that was also rugged, imposing, and bore the marks of time and experience. It was Lin Huixin.

He was the one who led the Falcon Squadron when they intercepted "Shanlan" back then.

Out of twenty-two fighter jets, only two remained, just him and another soldier.

That soldier had been severely traumatized and chose to retire.

And the rest of his brothers were all here.

Comrades are those who live and die with you. For soldiers, this bond is even closer than blood ties.

Even biological brothers argue and have strained relationships.

Only comrades are the ones who will silently carry a gun and follow behind you.

He had lost twenty brothers in one battle, and the only one remaining had retired. He didn't know when he would see him again.

Li Yunxiao was luckier than him. The living suffered the most.

Listening to the air raid siren, Lin Huixin's eyes welled up with tears.

Who says men don't cry easily? It's just that they haven't reached the point of deep sorrow.

"Brothers, can you hear that? The entire nation is mourning for you!"

"Your sacrifices were not in vain. You are not forgotten. Your names will live on forever."

"But what's the use? You can't hear it in the end."

"I hate you. I hate why you left me behind. You're gone, Li Zi is gone too. What's the point of me being left alone?"

That day, in that cemetery, the man sat before the tombstones, weeping bitterly and drinking his sorrows away.

The live broadcast ended, and the guests all rose. Of course, they didn't just pack up and leave.

The ashes and memorial tablets of the martyrs were to be transferred to the Martyrs' Mausoleum.

They would naturally escort them on this journey.

Superficial displays of formality would be an insult to the martyrs.

No one felt impatient. Today, in Dalian, there would be no joyous occasions.

No one would dare to defy heaven and celebrate with loud music and firecrackers.

Not today, at least.

The hearse carrying the ashes of the martyrs drove slowly, and passersby stopped in their tracks.

Vehicles on the road also cleared the way and honked their horns.

Everyone was offering their respects to the martyrs, seeing them off.

The martyrs' ashes were also to be interred in the cemetery on the mountaintop.

After the tombstones were erected, they saluted again.

By the time they finished, the sky had grown dark.

When Xiao Shou and the others arrived, it was already close to noon.

Between watching the live broadcast and coming to the cemetery to erect tombstones, the afternoon passed just like that.

Plus, it was already mid-August, and the days were shorter.

That's how it is in the north; the days get shorter and shorter, meaning it gets dark faster.

It's basically twilight by five or six o'clock.

After completing this final step, it was naturally time to head back.

Most of the officers in the Jaeger Combat Department had stayed outside for half the day, which was unprecedented.

For soldiers, there's no such thing as a holiday.

Especially for a department stationed on the front lines of the Pan-Pacific Defense Line.

They didn't even get to take turns resting.

They were always on standby.

Just as they were leaving, a suppressed sob caught Xie Yushan's attention.

A young girl was standing and crying in front of Colonel Li Yunxiao's tombstone.

It was Colonel Li Yunxiao's daughter, Li Mengmeng.

She was in her third year of high school, standing at the first major crossroads of her life.

To avoid affecting her mood, fearing she wouldn't be able to accept it for a while and it would impact her studies, her mother had kept the truth from her.

But how could it be hidden? The national broadcast had announced the matter today.

At school, they had naturally watched the broadcast together.

After learning the devastating news of her father's sacrifice, how could she sit still? She immediately took leave and ran out.

Upon learning her identity, the guards at the entrance naturally let her pass.

In fact, after the televised announcement today, the cemetery was no longer closed off.

It would not refuse the well-intentioned visits of citizens who came to pay their respects to the martyrs every day.

Xie Yushan stepped forward and gently hugged the girl.

"Don't be sad. This was your father's duty as a soldier. He protected you, he protected your mother. He would be very proud."

"If you grieve too much, it would go against your father's wishes. He would be heartbroken."

"After people die, they become stars, watching over you from the sky."

"He will always watch over you and bless you."

Hearing this, Li Mengmeng couldn't help but look up at the sky, imagining those stars in the sky were her father.

However, the sky was overcast and covered with dark clouds, as if mourning the fallen heroes.

Just as Li Mengmeng was feeling a bit disappointed, a point of light shone on her face.

It was a Kongming lantern.

The light of the Kongming lantern was so conspicuous in the pitch-black night.

But its glow was not long-lasting; a gust of wind extinguished it.

But before Li Mengmeng could feel disappointed again, a sudden light illuminated the entire cemetery.

It was a vast expanse of Kongming lanterns, stretching as far as the eye could see, flying from the city towards the mountaintop cemetery.

They dispelled the darkness of the cemetery, and the sorrow.

For a moment, Li Mengmeng stared at the Kongming lanterns, mesmerized, her grief momentarily forgotten.

Kongming lanterns symbolize blessings and also represent remembrance.

We remember those heroes who sacrificed their lives for the Zhonghua Family and for the safety and well-being of the people.

The soldiers who were about to leave also stopped, watching the approaching Kongming lanterns.

Lin Huixin, who was drinking alone in front of the tombstone, also raised his wine bottle, toasting the Kongming lanterns from afar.

Our sacrifice is by no means meaningless.

That day, the cemetery, the dark night, the soldiers saluting before the tombstones, the man sitting slumped to the side drinking, and the flying Kongming lanterns, all composed a picture.

A beautiful picture.