A completely drenched Xu Le pushed open the door and walked in, rainwater dripping down his sleeves.
The gazes of several members of Team Seven followed the water droplets to the ground. Subconsciously, or perhaps deliberately, they did not look at his face. Because of their nervousness, or perhaps because they did not know how to face him, they did not dare to raise their eyes.
The atmosphere in the room was very strange. There was some nervousness, but it was not the nervousness of a life and death battle. There was some suffocation, but it was not the suffocation of a firebomb. Instead, it was the suffocation of a naked man on a sunny island rushing down a cliff to see who was faster.
Xu Le wiped the rainwater off his face. Looking at the people in the room, he paused for a moment. He put his right hand into his shirt pocket, as if he wanted to take something out.
The members of NTR in the room suddenly became nervous. Their feelings were completely different from those of Team Seven. To them, the man who had broken into the small courtyard through the wind and rain was a legendary figure, and an extremely dangerous figure. More importantly, the other party was a person of the Empire.
They subconsciously tightened their grip on the guns in their hands, ready to raise their aim and shoot at any moment.
Seeing this scene, the members of Team Seven reacted purely subconsciously. They quickly moved the muzzles of their guns, aiming at the floor in front of their feet to suppress him.
"Don't be nervous."
Xu Le noticed the situation in the room. He directly threw the gun in his hand to the ground. When he took out his hand from his shirt pocket, there was an extra wet cigarette case.
"Brother Chuo, Zhuzi, Mountain Pao …"
He looked at the few familiar subordinates and called out their names with an uncontrollable emotion. Then, he took out the dry cigarettes from the cigarette case and handed them out one by one. He did not even miss out on those NTR members who were nervously holding their guns.
Those Federation soldiers who did not have Team Seven background felt their scalps go numb when they saw the cigarettes in front of them. They did not know what to do. After a moment of awkwardness, they hesitantly took the cigarettes. However, not a single one of them dared to light it. They still carefully held their guns with both hands, vigilantly or perhaps perplexedly looking at the situation in the room.
The members of Old Seven's group didn't have any misgivings. Mountain Pao took the cigarette with a chuckle and flipped it over. His already thick bangs were now even thicker because of the dirt on his forehead. After he lit it up, he took a deep puff. However, he was choked by the spicy smoke after it got wet and started coughing.
He quickly took out a blue pack of cigarettes from his trouser pocket. Holding a cigarette with both hands, he said sympathetically, "Boss, smoke this. It's a Blue Box 37. You haven't smoked in a long time, right?"
Xu Le was startled. He took the thirty-seven brand cigarette that he hadn't smoked for a long time. Looking at the swaying thick black hair in front of him, he thought of the young master who had forced this smoking habit into the seventh group. He also thought of the past of more than a hundred men on the battlefield many years ago.
Just like Brother Sow and Bead, Shan Pao was also one of the new members of Unit 8384 who joined Group 7. His father was a famous lawyer, and his family was extremely well-off.
Xu Le still remembered that after a certain devilish training, this kid hid in the grass and cried. Like a wronged boy, he complained that the conditions in the military camp were too bad. Even his cigarettes could only be smoked cheap goods like the Blue Box 37.
He lit the cigarette, narrowed his eyes, and took a deep breath. With a self-deprecating and nostalgic sigh, he said, "It's been many years since someone called me boss."
Hearing this, the expressions of the members became somewhat complicated. They once again thought of the identity of the man in front of them. They thought of the revelation of their identities that shocked the entire Federation. They suddenly realized that there were some problems with their behavior. They didn't have the attitude that soldiers of the Federation should have.
But this really couldn't be helped. Mountain Pao frowned. He was sure that he couldn't treat the boss as an enemy. Thus, he looked at the people in the room and chuckled. He lit the military fire lighter in his hand and smiled as he moved in front of the NTR members to light their cigarettes for them.
A dozen men lit their cigarettes and stood in place, sucking hard. The swirling smoke quickly spread out, occupying every corner of the room, successfully dispersing the previous tension, strangeness, and confrontation.
On a dangerous battlefield where life and death were imminent, this kind of burning stick was always the best material to close the distance and harmonize emotions. The NTR members, who were facing a great enemy, finally relaxed. Genuine smiles began to appear on their faces as they leaned against the wall and whispered something to their companions.
Outside the window, the wind and rain continued. The pearl-like raindrops hit the broken glass and the wooden planks of the beech tree. The raindrops continued to blossom, and the sound of the raindrops echoed in the ears of the people in the room. It was like a light and lively violin song, making people feel extremely relaxed.
Xu Le took off the cigarette and held it between his fingers. He quickly scanned the room and saw a wounded person lying on a stretcher in the dark. Paul was behind the stretcher. His still young face was filled with disbelief, surprise, and frustration as he tried to stand up.
He gently pressed down with his right hand hanging by his side, indicating for Paul to calm down and not move too much. Then, he looked at the burly man by the window and said after a moment of silence, "You know how dangerous this place is.
It's even more troublesome to walk with two captives. Don't talk to me about tactical manuals. If you think the wounded are a problem, I can help you. "
Raindrops drilled in through the smashed beech planks behind Xiong Linquan, drenching his strong shoulders. However, he had no intention of moving to take shelter from the rain. Ever since Xu Le entered the room, he had been standing by the window and looking at him expressionlessly and silently. He didn't hug him, pick up his gun, or pick up the cigarette.
"Big Bear, you know me. I won't lie, and I won't talk nonsense. Give me some face and let Paul go. He is not a prince of the Imperium. He and his mother saved me in the Imperium years ago. In other words, they helped the Federation. Although it was not intentional, I assure you that he is a good person. His whole family is good people. "
Xiong Linquan slightly frowned, thinking that these words sounded weird. When he was about to say something, a burst of exaggerated laughter suddenly came from the dark corner of the room.
"What a f * cking joy! Hahahaha! "
The laughter was very loud, arrogant, cold, and even filled with resentment. It immediately attracted the attention of everyone in the room. Everybody took off the cigarette in their mouth and looked at that direction in shock.
"What are you doing? Acting in a movie? A warm reunion? You idiots. You think that this guy is not a citizen of the Imperium if you cover his eyes? "
Dongfang Yu, who was lying on the stretcher, was seriously injured. But at this moment, he somehow found the strength to prop himself up and lean against the damp corner of the wall. Panting heavily, he looked at the crowd and scolded fiercely, "What do you want! Defect to the enemy or commit treason? Or are you planning to suck up to the Imperial Crown Prince? "
He raised his arm with difficulty and pointed at Xiong Linquan, who was standing by the window, and shouted, "Xiong Linquan! If you dare to make a deal with him, unless you kill me right now, this daddy will f * ck your entire family and eighteen generations of ancestors when I get back! "
Shan Pao was enraged by this person's vicious words. He spat out the cigarette in his mouth and roared, "Dongfang! This daddy doesn't care about your rank. If you dare to call the boss a citizen of the Empire, this daddy will definitely stab you three more times in your stomach when you recover! "
Dongfang Yu's resentful laughter forced tears out of his eyes. The wound on his chest and abdomen split open and began to seep out blood. He looked very miserable.
He looked at Shan Pao and said with contempt, "Coward, you think he's not a citizen just because you say so?"
Shan Pao's lips moved slightly. He wanted to retort but didn't know how to. He grimaced and looked back at Xu Le. His eyes were like that of a wounded rabbit, extremely pitiful.
Xu Le looked towards the corner of the room. Only now did he recognize the identity of this seriously injured person. He couldn't help but feel a wave of shock and strong confusion.
Dongfang Yu was the commander of the first regiment of the Iron Seventh Division many years ago. He was Du Shaoqing's right hand man along with Ximen Jin. The war had lasted for many years. According to the usual trajectory, this person should be at least the commander of a certain Federation division or even higher command right now. He should have become one of the Federal military's new generation generals.
Who would have thought that such an officer with a bright future would appear in the most desperate courtyard of the southwest war zone, lying on a stretcher and coughing blood while letting out mournful and resentful laughter?
Xu Le naturally remembered that he was the one who had forced Du Shaoqing to personally punish this person and throw him into the NTR unit of the new 17th division. However, he didn't expect this person to survive for three years in the NTR unit where the casualty rate was incomparably high. He also didn't expect that Du Shaoqing, who had long been the number one person on the Federation's frontlines, would actually not bail out this most loyal subordinate of his.
"You're right. Whether I admit it or not, I'm still a citizen of the Empire. However, I've already learned not to treat this identity as a humiliation, because not everyone from the Empire is bad, and not everyone from the Federation is good."
Three years ago, several bottles of inferior wine, two bowls of instant noodles, and a long conversation in the department store at the foot of the mountain. Xu Le had long forgotten about his identity. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Dongfang Yu on the stretcher.
"For example, someone from the Federation like you is actually shameless enough to shoot a comrade in the back on the battlefield. Do you think you have the right to call others cowards?"
The room was silent. Dongfang Yu leaned against the wall and looked at him, the smile on her face gradually fading. After a moment of silence, she coldly replied, "I don't want to explain anything about what happened back then. Even during these years in NTR, I've never hidden my disgust for that piece of shit Team Seven. For bandits like you, even if all of you die, I won't show any sympathy."
"But I paid the price."
Dongfang Yu lowered her head and looked at the blood seeping out of the bandage on her abdomen. She said, "I've been in NTR for three whole years. How long have the other people in this room been in NTR? Who on Mo Hua Planet has killed more enemies than me? "
"According to my military achievements, I could have walked out of NTR with my chest held high a long time ago. However, I'm not leaving. I'm going to stay in NTR until I die!"
"Why?"
Dongfang Yu stared into his eyes and continued expressionlessly, "Xu Le, I'm doing this to shut the mouth of a moral peddler like you. I'm going to tell everyone that I didn't disgrace my commander and the Iron Seventh Division. I'm going to make it so that you won't have any excuse to criticize my unit."
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