On the second night after this contact, Wu Qiao heard that Tan Yan had come to the base.
"Strange," everyone was very puzzled, "Our base is not big, and we haven't had any important actions recently. How could the general come?"
Before dinner, Darrell called all the soldiers out and asked Tan Yan to tell them about the current situation and motivate them.
Tan Yan seemed very tired, didn't say a few words, and left soon.
Wu Qiao didn't see Tan Yan during the dinner, but he always had the feeling that the general would come to him later.
I don't know why, but when I think of this, I feel very nervous, and my heart is pounding.
He has no intention of doing anything.
At ten o'clock in the evening, there was a knock on the door.
Wu Qiao went to open the door, and saw a familiar face as expected.
"Admiral..."
"Ok."
"Why are you here?"
"You said you wanted to see me."
"..." Wu Qiao didn't know what to answer.
That day, as soon as my emotions opened, I couldn't help but say what I wanted to say at the time.
Afterwards, Wu Qiao actually regretted it. He felt that he had crossed the line. This is not what a junior officer should say to a superior officer.
He felt ashamed.
Wu Qiao tried many methods to withdraw the information, but none of them worked.
Originally thought that Tan Yan would just sneer, but now that the other party was really standing in front of him, Wu Qiao only had a feeling of disbelief.
The other party...why is he here? Is it because of yourself? Probably not, it must be just to inspect the base. However, when he thought of the possibility of "coming just for himself", Wu Qiao felt that something was wrong even with his breathing.
Reunited after a long absence, Wu Qiao hesitated to speak.
Tan Yan looked at Wu Qiao quietly, and said after a while, "You seem to be very tired."
Wu Qiao lowered his eyes, "Chongguang...he's gone."
I can't take it any longer, so I want to see you—
"Yeah." Tan Yan said softly, "I already know."
"He... died to protect me." Wu Qiao said in a nasal voice at this time, "I... now, as soon as I close my eyes, I will see the blood of that night, and as soon as I calm down, I will hear his parting cry."
"..."
"I can't stop thinking about it... I broke down those two days into pieces, and then I kept thinking, I should do this at this moment, I should do that at that moment...but I just do it What about the choices that lead to tragedy?"
The reason why many tragedies cannot be let go is because their occurrence is too coincidental. Before that day, no one knew it was going to happen. It’s fine if you don’t go, it’s fine if you don’t choose that path, it’s fine if you find something wrong and turn back immediately... It seems that it’s a coincidence one by one, pushing the matter to the point of no return. As long as one of those accidental factors and unintentional choices is missing, it will not lead to the final tragedy. So, people who couldn't figure it out had no choice but to sigh: Maybe this is fate.
Tan Yan sighed, and pulled Wu Qiao into his arms, "I won't say that you can't change it anyway, because in fact you can indeed change."
"… Ok."
"But you are not omniscient, so don't blame yourself too much, you can't protect him forever, you can only do your own thing."
"..." After a moment of silence, Wu Qiao called softly, "General."
"Ok?"
"Have you ever experienced... such a thing?"
"certainly."
"Then what was your state then?"
"It's sad."
"..."
"However, time really can heal everything." Tan Yan sighed, "At the beginning, I found that when my heart gradually returned to calm, I would feel a little panic, but it will pass, but there will be an old wound in your heart, which is touched occasionally. It still hurts."
"… Ok."
"I will resent the cruelty of the war, but at the same time, I am also grateful for the cruelty of the war."
"What do you mean?" Wu Qiao couldn't understand. Who would be thankful for such a horrible thing
"Because if it weren't for that, a lot of people would love it."
"..."
"Wu Qiao," Tan Yan asked, "do you know why the development of automated weapons is so slow? In fact, scientifically speaking, today's warfare should have gotten rid of battleships and mechas piloted by real people, and there should never be only long-range weapons. Control the mech to jump a few times."
"I know." Wu Qiao nodded, "Because there are many people in the scientific, industrial, financial, business, public, and even the military who strongly oppose and resolutely resist the development of automated weapons."
Especially in the scientific world. If any well-known scientist intends to do this research, he will immediately be reviled by all scientists collectively, and they will be regarded as a shame to the scientific community.
Because, soldiers want to get status, wealth, honor... The fastest way is to wage war. If one day, warfare is highly automated, soldiers no longer need to go to the battlefield, and never lose a single hair, the world will never have peace. Soldiers will not die at all. The culprit is hidden behind the scenes, and those who die are innocent people. This matter is too terrible, so it has always been hindered by all parties. When the death knell of the entire human race is sounding.
"So," Tan Yan said, "maybe one day, you and I will die on the battlefield too. But this is something you and I, Sheng Chongguang, and my friends need to bear."
"...Thank you." Wu Qiao tried to break free from Tan Yan's embrace, "I feel much better."
It was really strange that talking about Yan always seemed to calm him down.
When they first met, they obviously had frequent disagreements.
"Okay." Tan Yan lowered his head and kissed Wu Qiao's hair lightly, then let him go, then looked at the watch on his wrist, "It's eleven o'clock, go to sleep."
"... Oh." Wu Qiao also looked at his watch, "Well, just... stay a little longer? It's only 10:57, and we still have three minutes to chat."
"..." Tan Yan smiled, "Okay."
For the next three minutes, Wu Qiao couldn't stop looking at his watch, his anxiety was evident on his face.
He wished that time would stop.
The hour of talking with Tan Yan was the rare peace he had in this period of time.
If Tan Yan leaves, in the darkness, the suffocating air will surely return again.
"Otherwise, I'll sleep with you." Tan Yan seemed to see what Wu Qiao was thinking, "I'll go back when you fall asleep."
"..." Maybe in this way, can I really fall asleep peacefully
But Wu Qiao couldn't sleep at all.
Every few seconds, he opened his eyes to look for Tan Yan, and only closed his eyes again after he found that the other party was still sitting there.
After a few seconds, do it again.
It seemed that if he didn't confirm that Tan Yan was still with him instead of leaving his room quietly, he would be very disturbed.
After several times, Tan Yan finally asked him: "How can you sleep like this?"
"..." Wu Qiao whispered, "I want to make sure you are still here."
"..." Tan Yan sighed again, and stretched out his hand to hold Wu Qiao's two fingers, "Is it okay this time? You don't need to open your eyes to know that I'm here."
"..." Wu Qiao concentrated on feeling the body temperature from his ring finger and little finger, "Yes."
Sure enough, in this way, even if you close your eyes, you know he is there.
That night, Wu Qiao did not dream of Sheng Chongguang for the first time.
In the dream, there are warm sunshine in spring, falling rain, and rumbling spring thunder. The tender tree sprouts new buds, and the peony blossoms are just beginning to bloom. There are wild geese returning from the south, the sky is blue, high and far away, like a spring that I haven't seen for a long time.
…
The next day, Wu Qiao woke up, and was surprised to find that Tan Yan had fallen asleep lying beside his bed.
And himself, in turn, tightly grasped the opponent's fingers.
Tan Yan's eyelashes are very long, and the profile of his face is very beautiful.
"..."
"Are you awake?" Tan Yan felt the movement, and straightened up from the bed.
"I… "
"How was your sleep?"
"...very good." Wu Qiao looked at Tan Yan's obviously very tired cheeks and eyes, and asked carefully, "You...why...didn't go back?"
"Ok?"
"I heard people say that you haven't slept at all for more than ten days... The most exaggerated time is that you only slept for seven hours a week... You are too tired."
The whole person did not have the same look as before.
"..." Tan Yan looked at Wu Qiao and said, "Because you want me to accompany you."