Chapter 67: Parting by the Bamboo Forest Brook (Part 1)

  On the way back to Hui Lian Department, Dong Li Mao blamed Wang Jia Gui and Gou Hao.

  "Are you two out of your minds? Such a good thing, why don't you agree? Do you know what it means to follow the commander-in-chief? That's a good job that can save your lives!"

  Wang Jiagui didn't speak, but Gou Hao was quick to say: "My life has already died once, and if I die again, I'll still make a profit. Following the commander-in-chief, can the devils kill me? I'd rather not be a decoration following him around all day, that... that fox and tiger."

  Wang Jiagui smiled and added: "It's a fox exploiting the tiger's prestige!"

  "Right! Like a fox exploiting the tiger's prestige, following behind the tiger's butt like a fake fox. I don't want to be a fake fox!"

  "It's not that the fake fox is following behind the tiger's butt, it means the fox is taking advantage of the tiger's prestige." Wang Jiagui explained with a hearty laugh.

  "It doesn't matter what it means, just follow Lianzhang and kill the devils! That's the most satisfying!"

  Dong Li Mao didn't find the conversation between the two amusing at all, and his heart felt heavy. If what Old Master Tai said was true, that he had such devoted brothers following him back then, it meant that among these brothers in the Special Operations Unit, he possessed a charisma greater than even the Commander-in-Chief.

  "Secondly, with your exceptional marksmanship skills, you will definitely have great achievements by General Wang's side. Why not seize this opportunity to bring honor to your ancestors?" Dong Li Mao asked Wang Jia Gui.

  "Hehe...... Lian Chang, why didn't you seize this opportunity for promotion?" Wang Jia Gui asked instead of answering.

  "Dong Li Mao stopped in his tracks, seemingly wanting to explain something, but finally only said: 'That's because I'm immortal!'"

  Wang Jiagui understood Dong Li Mao's words as a sign of fearlessness, and replied: "That's right! With your skills, General Dong, you can become a general in the future. Even if the company commander doesn't want to follow the commander-in-chief, I'm not afraid of you, but I'm not a coward either. If I were afraid of death and wanted to save my life, I would have deserted long ago!"

  "You... Ah..." Dong Li Mao suddenly tore off the Blue Sky and White Sun Medal on his left chest, grasped it in his palm, and waved it in front of Wang Jia Gui and Gou Hao, saying: "Do you know what this is?"

  "It's the highest honor of the party and state." Wang Jiagui said in a low voice.

  "The highest honor of the Party State is a fart! This is a reward for sacrificing one's life! Do you understand? Giving you this means you must sacrifice your life for the so-called Party State!" Dong Li Mao said with some excitement.

  Wang Jia Gui and Gou Hao exchanged a stunned glance, unable to comprehend why Lian Chang would despise the coveted Qing Tian Bai Ri medal.

  Dong Li Mao looked at one and then the other, seeing confusion on their faces. He shook his head helplessly and turned to walk away with big strides.

  In the following days, the Special Operations Unit was basically idle except for its guard duties at the military department. Dong Li Mao devoted his mind to the training of the entire unit. He found all available maps of the Sino-Burmese border from the Guard Regiment and made plans for the future of the Special Operations Unit. As the day of defeat of the Expeditionary Army drew near, it seemed that everyone was still in the joy of winning one local war after another.

  By April 15, Dong Limao went to the front-line rescue team of the Wild War Hospital to find Dāo Lánxiāng, but heard that she had volunteered to go to the front line with General Dai Anlan's 200th Division and was stationed at the Piyou River. Dong Limao secretly worried about Dao Lanxiang, he clearly remembered that according to historical records, the west bank of the Piyou River would soon be occupied by the Japanese army, and the 200th Division was responsible for defending the east bank of the Piyou River, and would engage in a fierce battle with the Japanese vanguard on the 19th.

  That evening, Li Yuanyuan went to the special agent team to find Dong Limao. The two strolled along a small river in the suburbs, surrounded by bamboo forests. The sunset's twilight made this foreign land look very beautiful, despite the desolation of the city, but the scenery in the suburbs was full of infinite charm.

  By the bamboo forest, that sparkling small river flowed very quietly. Dong Li Mao and Li Yuanyuan sat tightly together on the green grass by the riverbank.

  "Jia Cheng, do you know who that lieutenant colonel was, the one we caught at the airport last time?" Li Yuanyuan asked, leaning her head against Dong Limao's left shoulder.

  "I don't know." Dong Li Mao gazed at the couple walking in the lush fields on the other side of the river, as if they had been working all day and were hurrying home to their village, not far away, where wisps of smoke from cooking fires were already rising.

  "It's a traitor of Wang's regime! Has been hiding among us for a long time. The one who was shot dead is also."

  "Isn't he Japanese?" This was somewhat surprising to Dong Li Mao.

  "No, they're just Japan's running dogs!" Li Yuanyuan said.

  "If China didn't have these traitors, the war of resistance wouldn't have lasted eight years." Dong Limao said with some sighs.

  "Eight years of war against Japan? Jia Cheng, are you saying we're going to fight the Japanese for eight years?" Li Yuanyuan raised her head and asked with a surprised expression.

  "Oh, it's eight years, and in a little more than three years it will be over." Dong Li Mao nodded in response.

  "How did you know? Can you really calculate it?" Li Yuanyuan asked jokingly.

  "It's not that I can calculate or predict, it's just what's written in history books." Dong Limao replied with a bitter smile.

  "I find you're becoming more and more incomprehensible, the current you is completely different from the timid guy I first met, and you always say things that make no sense in front of me." Li Yuanyuan leaned her head on Dong Limao's shoulder again.

  "Never mind all that, sister. You came to the special forces unit to find me, not to talk about these things, did you?" Dong Li Mao didn't want to discuss himself further, guessing that Li Yuanyuan must have had other matters on her mind.

  "Uh, I'm leaving Donggua." Li Yuanyuan nodded and replied: "I came to bid you farewell."

  "Where are we going?" Dong Li Mao's heart was very calm, without any reluctance.

  "Return home." Li Yuanyuan replied simply, seemingly with some worries on her mind.

  "What about Mr. Xu? How is he now?" Dong Limao thought of Xu Hongming after arriving at the East Gourd, there was no news at all.

  "He is now a liaison officer in the military department, responsible for contacting local resistance organizations in Myanmar." Li Yuyuan replied.

  "It's better for you to return home, so you won't have to follow the main troops through the wilderness mountains." Dong Li Mao said with a deep breath.

  Li Yuyuan wrapped her arms around Dong Li Mao's waist and said softly, "Jiacheng, I didn't want to leave you, but this is my mission. We learned from the captured traitor that there are still many traitors active in Ruili and Mangshi, colluding with Japanese spies, especially one codenamed 'Mangshi No. 1'. It seems they planned an assassination attempt on our commander during his inspection of the Donggua front line. I have been ordered to return and eliminate those traitors who are selling out to the Japanese. I'll be leaving tomorrow morning, and before I go, you're the one person I most want to see. There's something I've been thinking about whether or not to tell you - after spending these days with you, I realized I've fallen in love with you. You're the first man I've met in years who makes me miss him when we're apart."

  "Hmm..." Dong Li Mao patted the waist that was being held by Li Yuanyuan's hands, stretched out his left arm and wrapped it around her waist, saying: "Sister, I've always treated you as a sister, it was you who taught me how to be a real man, I'm very grateful for everything you've given me, but..."

  "Don't say anything, I understand what you mean." Li Yuanyuan covered Dong Limao's mouth with her hand and said: "I know you like Lan Xiang, she found me the day before yesterday and told me that she also likes you..." As Li Yuanyuan spoke, she removed her hand and replaced it with her lips, sealing Dong Limao's mouth.

  Dong Li Mao felt Li Yuanyuan's tears, as her salty tears, along with her tongue, entered his mouth. He hugged Li Yuanyuan tightly and actively responded to her kiss, as if he wanted to swallow her tongue whole.

  Just as Dong Limao's hands were about to move, preparing to grope inside her clothes, Li Yuanyuan suddenly pushed him away, stood up, and said with a smile: "Let's go swimming!" After that, she quickly unbuttoned her clothes, unbuckled the belt around her waist, and stripped off all her armor at the fastest speed.