The nation needed him to make an appearance at this moment. This old man, who had devoted his entire life to his motherland, deserved to return to the land he had longed for under the gaze of countless people.
Four ceremonial guards carefully carried the wheelchair down the boarding stairs, step by step. Their movements were steady and solemn, as though afraid even the slightest bump might jostle the frail old man in the chair.
The wheelchair touched down on the red carpet. The ceremonial guards stood at attention and saluted. Elementary school students waved national flags, bouquets looked especially vibrant beneath the sunlight, and childish voices rang out again and again.
The livestream's bullet comments had already covered the entire screen.
"He's back! He's finally back!"
"Professor Gao, welcome home!"
"How many years have we waited for this? It's finally happened."
The flood of text obscured the footage, the wheelchair, and the red carpet.
The staff had no choice but to temporarily disable the bullet comments, leaving only the scrolling comment section along the side of the screen.
Meanwhile, the real Professor Gao sat in the hospital, watching himself on television, watching the waving national flags. His gaze swept over those young faces and across the airport he had seen countless times in his dreams.
His lips moved slightly, as though he wanted to say something, but no sound came out.
Tears slipped from the corners of his eyes, flowing along the deep wrinkles on his face.
Then, the scrolling comment section at the side of the livestream suddenly erupted.
"Wait, where's Major Fang? Why hasn't Major Fang Tianyi come out yet?"
"Yeah, didn't they say he was coming back with Professor Gao?"
"Is he still on the plane?"
"Don't tell me he's on the next flight?"
"Are you