Medal

When Alex stepped off the train, a tall, robust white man strode over quickly, the white fur hat on his head tumbling off as he moved. The man paid it no mind, walking up excitedly and hugging Alex tightly before he could react, muttering words Alex couldn't understand at all.

After holding the embrace for a full ten seconds, the man reluctantly let Alex go.

Alex was completely stunned by the man's flurry of actions, especially the incomprehensible language spilling from his mouth. He turned to look at the slightly hunched figure behind him—none other than the translator from Auschwitz.

Alex had dealt with all the ** at Auschwitz, and the translator was originally meant to be killed too. But the translator, fearing death, had spilled plenty of secrets, and Alex's success in intercepting the coal train owed much to him. According to the translator himself, he wasn't really a translator but the camp's confidential secretary, privy to many ** military secrets, and had only been temporarily roped into translating because he was fluent in multiple languages.

After some hesitation, Alex decided to keep him. The Nordic countries each had their own languages, and Alex worried he wouldn't be able to communicate once they reached Finland, so he held onto him. Still, to be safe, the translator was mostly kept under guard by two soldiers, only released just before getting off the train, since Alex figured he might need a translator soon.

As expected, Alex didn't understand a word of the white man's first sentence, so he turned to the translator: "Norwell, what did he say?"

"He said, 'Welcome, Alex,'" the translator "Norwell" replied respectfully, with none of the arrogance he'd shown at their first meeting.

"He knows my name?" Alex was a bit surprised. After a moment's thought, he said, "Ask him who he is."

Norwell stepped forward, exchanged a few words with the white man, then retreated, leaning in to whisper behind Alex: "He's Neil Grant, a Finnish general, sent specifically to pick you up."

"Sent specifically for me? Was it Howard?" Alex had no idea how much of a stir his group had caused internationally. Hearing this, he assumed Howard had arranged it.

In truth, when Alex had led seventy thousand prisoners and civilians out of Auschwitz, Howard had already begun trumpeting the escape, which drew widespread international attention and was hailed as "the greatest escape in history." The Soviet Union, under international pressure, had no choice but to turn a blind eye to the train, letting it pass through the three Baltic states.

"He didn't say, but he's invited us to head to Finland immediately," Norwell said, keeping his head low so his face was hidden.

About two hours later, with nearly a hundred ships dispatched by Finland, the seventy thousand people left Estonia in an orderly fashion, stepping onto Finland's snow-covered land.

From start to finish, the local Estonian government showed no reaction, treating the seventy thousand as if they were invisible. This left Toby Manes, who'd expected another tough battle, somewhat disappointed.

Wrapping a thick fur coat around Audrey, Alex turned to Neil Grant beside him and asked curiously, "Mr. Grant, how much longer until we see the Norwegian Sea?" After resting a night in Helsinki, the group had boarded another train heading to northernmost Finland, where they would set sail, crossing the Barents Sea and the Norwegian Sea to return to the United Kingdom.

"Two more hours to Inari, and from there you can take a boat out to sea," Neil said. Though he looked imposing, he was actually very kind, always wearing a gentle smile.

"Oh, that's great—finally going home!" After months away, Alex really missed home: Steve and Bucky, that pair of good buddies, and Marilyn Monroe, that little sister.

"Alex, I'm afraid you'll have to stay in the UK a few extra days!" Just then, Toby hurried over, his face full of envy. "Mr. Churchill has invited you to dinner, and His Majesty the King will personally award you the Victoria Cross! The Victoria Cross—oh my god, this is the Victoria Cross!"

"What?" Alex stared at Toby in shock. "You're not joking, are you?"

"Joking? I wish I were!" Toby rolled his eyes at Alex and casually handed him a letter. "There are also rumors that the US Government wants to give you the Medal of Honor."

"No way? I haven't done anything!" Alex was quite self-aware; he really didn't think he deserved any accolades.

"Saving seventy thousand prisoners and civilians—that's a monumental achievement!" Neil said with envy, and Norwell faithfully translated his admiration—though he himself was just as envious.

"But I didn't do it alone; Toby and the other soldiers helped," Alex said, turning to Neil. "And of course, we couldn't have left the European Continent without your help."

"You had the power to escape alone, but you stayed—most people couldn't do that." Toby looked at Alex seriously. "The Victoria Cross—it's yours." Toby had truly seen Alex's abilities; he could have left anytime he wanted, but he chose to stay, leading seventy thousand people out of Auschwitz in a perilous thousand-mile breakout.

"When you put it that way, I do feel a bit proud." Alex chuckled, but his mind drifted to his past life.

In his previous life, Zhang Xuan was just an ordinary homebody, a bit of a hotheaded nationalist. Lucky enough to gain Teleportation, he didn't use it to get rich or fight evil—just as a convenient way to travel, occasionally snatching back treasures that belonged to China. The most extreme thing he ever did was, after the Diaoyu Islands incident erupted, burn down the Yasukuni Shrine in a fit of rage.

Of course, no one ever knew Zhang Xuan did it; there wasn't even a whisper online or on TV, as if it had never happened. Sometimes Zhang Xuan enjoyed the solitude of being an unsung hero, but other times, he wanted to be known, praised by thousands.

In that life, Zhang Xuan died unknown, with no one aware of what he'd done.

In this life, in just a few short months, his name had spread across the world. The UK Prime Minister Churchill wanted to dine with him, and the British royal family wanted to honor him. Just thinking about it made Zhang Xuan excited—he loved this feeling.

"In this life, I won't be unknown anymore!" Alex spread his arms, facing the biting wind, shouting in his heart, "I want to be a hero, a great hero admired by all!"

PS: Thanks to classmate Wo Bu Feng Mo Zen Cheng Fo for the tip, and thanks to all the friends supporting Scorpion!