When Yue Xiaofei made his request,
the courtyard, which had been full of laughter, fell silent.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Every gaze turned to Yue Xiaofei's young, resolute face.
A complicated emotion stirred in Zhao Mengsheng's heart.
Yue Xiaofei had not forgotten—
behind the honors and glory were 137 young lives left forever in those ruins.
He had not forgotten—
behind this victory were 137 shattered families.
And after receiving the Highest Honor, Yue Xiaofei, the man who had contributed the most, had thought first not of celebrating or showing off...
but of the comrades who had fought beside him and lost their lives.
That strength of character, that sense of responsibility, was more precious than his extraordinary combat record or his dazzling general's uniform.
Zhao Mengsheng felt both proud of him and heartsick for him.
"Of course!"
He nodded firmly, his voice hoarse with emotion.
"Of course we should!"
"I'll have someone compile the fallen soldiers' names and their families' contact information and get it all to you right away!"
Zhao Mengsheng turned and barked an order to the guard behind him.
Swish!
The guard snapped to attention, saluted, and hurried off to carry out the order.
Xiao Tian Ce looked at Yue Xiaofei with approval in his eyes.
He patted Yue Xiaofei's shoulder without saying a word. That look said everything.
This was what a soldier of the Dragon Kingdom should be!
Humble in victory, never arrogant about his achievements.
Always keeping his country, its people, and his fallen comrades in his heart!
Late that night.
The lights blazed in an office hastily cleared out at Bureau 7's Modu branch.
Yet the atmosphere was so oppressive it was hard to breathe.
Spread across a long conference table was a list urgently faxed over from the Eastern Frontier Theater