The next day, early morning.
The first light of dawn had barely appeared, yet Helu City's settlement was already awake. The air was filled with a solemn anticipation unlike anything before.
Today was the opening day of the East Blade Training Camp, and a ceremony destined to go down in history was about to begin.
At exactly eight in the morning, a group of people had already gathered at the helicopter landing pad on the outskirts of the settlement, waiting.
Lin Yi was among them. Standing beside him were Lieutenant General Nie Chang, Major General Liu Qiying of the General Staff preparatory group, Zhang Weidong, the person in charge of the Helu City settlement, and others.
Everyone looked solemn as they waited in silence.
The quiet atmosphere carried a barely perceptible tension.
Lin Yi's expression was calm, his gaze far-reaching. No one knew whether a ripple stirred in his heart at that moment.
They didn't have to wait long before the distinctive whir of helicopter blades cutting through the air came from the distant sky.
Soon, a black speck rapidly grew larger in the distance, gradually resolving into a sturdy military transport helicopter, flying in under the close escort of four armed helicopters.
The helicopter landed steadily in the center of the landing pad. The powerful downdraft from its rotors stirred the hems of everyone's clothes.
The cabin door slowly opened.
The first to step out was a nimble guard officer with sharp eyes. He swiftly surveyed the area, then gave a signal to those inside that it was safe.
Then an old man appeared in the doorway.
His hair was meticulously combed. Though he was nearly seventy, his back was still straight.
Most striking were his eyes: deep and composed, as if they could see through everything, yet imbued