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墨書 Inktalez
Before Shen Han could speak, everyone asked in surprise, "Why?"
Old Bi chuckled and said, "Because Shen Han's name is not good."
"What do you mean?" Shen Han asked, bewildered.
"Think about it, Shen Han, Shen Han—this name just sounds bad! 'Han' means suffering. Look at Old Wang's name, Wang Wei; 'Wei' is so much better than yours!"
"Come on, don’t listen to Old Bi’s nonsense. My fate is in my own hands!" I interrupted Old Bi.
"Exactly, it's just a temporary setback. Are you going to accept your fate, Brother Shen?" Qizi chimed in.
"Accept my fate? No, no, I won't accept it! My fate is in my own hands! But I've already tried so hard. Why hasn’t anything changed?" Shen Han repeated this thought several times, staring blankly at his drink.
Old Bi smiled and said, "I think many things in life depend on our own efforts. However, not everything can be achieved just by hard work. Often, we feel powerless. It's not just Shen Han; it's not just me; everyone feels the same way. We don't seek everything to go our way; we only hope to have no regrets!"
Huh? When did Old Bi become so philosophical? Everyone fell silent, pondering his words.
Old Ma was the first to break the silence. "Wow, Brother's words are quite profound! Worth reflecting on!"
The girls around Luoluo looked at Old Bi with newfound respect, but then he followed up with, "Luoluo, why not give me your phone number?"
Unbelievable!…
Just as everyone was mocking Old Bi, Shen Han suddenly lit up with excitement. "Yes! What a great saying: 'Not seeking everything to go my way but hoping for no regrets!' Yes! I will take control of my own destiny! I will learn to go with the flow! Come on, brothers! Let's drink! I'm so glad to know you all!"
"Hey!? Are we being left out?" Luo Luo laughed.
Shen Han looked a bit embarrassed, and Old Bi tried to smooth things over, saying, "Then let's all join in! Come on! Cheers!"
"Alright!" "Cheers!" Everyone chimed in, and a group of them stood up again, counting one, two, three before downing another drink.
Wiping my mouth, I glanced around at everyone and suddenly felt quite happy. It's a joy to know such a group of friends. Watching Old Bi joking with Luo Luo, Shen Han speaking with a lisp, and Old Ma boasting... I suddenly felt a strong desire for this gathering not to end. But I knew that no feast lasts forever; once it's over, everyone would go their separate ways and return to their own lives. Life in the military often means spending little time with loved ones and friends. Happiness and joy often come in fleeting moments like these.
"I really hope we can stay like this forever," I murmured.
"Brother Wang, what are you saying?" Qizi, sitting to my right, looked up and asked.
"Nothing much." I quickly pulled my thoughts back together, poured a glass of wine, and smiled at her. "Sister, I'm sorry for last time; I went too far."
"What? I'm not as skilled as you; I won't take on your tasks." Qizi also stood up in a fluster. We clinked our glasses together and drank it all in one go. Perhaps it was because Qizi had darker skin; she seemed completely fine now. Do girls nowadays really have such strong alcohol tolerance? I sighed inwardly.
"Cheers! Cheers!" Old Bi clinked his chopsticks to stir up excitement.
"Brother Bi, what about you?" Jing teased Old Bi from beside Luo Luo.
"Ah, I'm just trying to toast with Old Wang and you!" Old Bi said playfully to Luo Luo. "Beautiful Navy, let's have a drink together! You’re amazing! Who knew there were so many talented people joining from this place?"
Flattery may be insincere, but Luo Luo smiled sweetly as she drank with Old Bi.
Shen Han took the initiative to quietly drink a glass as well. Although he seemed a bit shy, everyone was "tolerant" and didn’t tease him.
The first to get drunk was not Shen Han, but Old Ma. After Old Ma fell, the atmosphere became even livelier. Old Bi surprisingly started to spar with Luo Luo, revealing that the aloof beauty could actually do this.
In the end, Shen Han also joined in, but due to his lack of skill, he ended up drinking quite a bit.
Thus, everyone continued to drink and have fun until around nine o'clock at night when a waiter came to knock on the door, signaling that the restaurant was about to close. I checked the time and realized it was indeed getting late, so I shook Old Ma awake. He stood up unsteadily and took a while to comprehend what was happening. "I'll go settle the bill. You all can stay here tonight, right? Let me check with the front desk."
I glanced around and noticed that we had already consumed more than a case of beer. It seemed we had indeed made ourselves comfortable.
Old Ma was really drunk; he asked the waiter to call everyone downstairs. Although no one wanted to leave, we had all had enough and were satisfied, so we gradually stood up and headed outside. Jing walked quietly in front of me and discreetly tugged at Luo Luo's sleeve, asking, "Luo Luo, is it really that tough where Shen Han is from?"
Luo Luo looked at Shen Han's back and whispered, "I haven't been there, so I don't know. But I've heard from colleagues who were transferred from Tibet that there are many outposts on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, covered in ice and snow year-round, where you hardly see anyone. Many soldiers stay there after enlisting until retirement; when they finally come down from the mountains, they hug a tree and cry because they haven't seen any signs of life for so long. There are also many who suffer from heart hypertrophy and other altitude sicknesses after spending years on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. You outsiders can't even imagine this."
Jing was stunned. "If it's that tough, why do they still station troops there? Why can't they improve the environment a bit?"
Old Bi chimed in, "Actually, having troops stationed in many remote areas and islands signifies the existence of national sovereignty. Even if they do nothing else, their presence is a form of sacrifice! Those places cannot be compared to towns or even ordinary Special Forces due to their unique environments and transportation issues; someone always has to make sacrifices."
I felt a wave of emotion wash over me as I listened. It was true; compared to these soldiers stationed in harsh conditions, I was incredibly fortunate to be stationed in the provincial capital with opportunities for advancement. I thought about my classmate Ayu from Guilin Military Academy who was assigned to border defense right after graduation. Now he had become a military doctor turned squad leader, leading patrols along the border and potentially facing armed drug traffickers.
Is there really such a thing as fate in life? I pondered silently. Having drunk too much made my body feel warm as I watched Shen Han sway slightly ahead of me. Suddenly, an idea struck me.
We guys first escorted the girls back to their rooms. Old Bi returned to his room while Old Ma prepared to leave. I pulled him aside and asked to borrow the venue keys. Old Ma looked surprised and asked what I wanted them for. I explained that I wanted to practice since the semifinals were tomorrow. Without thinking too much about it, Old Ma handed me the keys but reminded me to lock up afterward.
With the keys in hand, I headed straight for Shen Han's room. He had arrived last and was in the farthest room all by himself. When Shen Han opened the door for me, he looked astonished. I stared into his eyes and directly asked, "Old Shen, can you still pick up a weapon?"
Shen Han had drunk more than we did that night; his gaze was somewhat unfocused as he replied, "Hmm? Fight? Who am I fighting?"
“Tomorrow's Match, too many leaders are watching. There are no rules, but there are still significant limitations. It will only be a typical fight, not a true reflection of our skills. Old Shen, I hope to truly face you once. No matter who wins or loses, there will be no regrets. The key to Venue is here; let’s go and have a real battle!” I knew Shen Han couldn’t refuse.
Sure enough, Shen Han was initially surprised, leaning against the door. After I finished speaking, his eyes lit up, and he straightened his body. “Haha, great! I also feel that we won’t be satisfied in the ring; it’s rare that we think alike!”
“Good! Change your clothes and grab your weapons; see you at the entrance of Venue!”
Back in my room, I started changing into my training gear when Old Bi came out of the bathroom, looking astonished. “So late, and you still want to train?!”
Without looking up, I replied, “I’m going to have a match with Shen Han that doesn’t need a referee!”
Old Bi was surprised. “What about Ming?”
“Ming’s matches are bound to be dull; only a true display of strength in a showdown is what I crave!”
“You two are really passionate!” Old Bi sighed. “I’ll go watch with you!”
After changing clothes and grabbing my Steel Rod, I headed down the hotel stairs with Old Bi, arriving at the entrance of Venue. At that moment, Shen Han was already waiting at the door.
“Hey, Old Bi is here too?” Shen Han greeted us like an old friend.
“Yeah, I want to see who’s stronger between you two,” Old Bi smiled but then added worriedly, “You both really have to go all out? You won’t accidentally hurt each other, right?”
I patted Old Bi on the shoulder and said nothing as I opened the door to Venue.
As the door swung open, faint moonlight poured into Venue, flowing like water. Looking at the dark center of Venue, I felt an unfamiliar tension—perhaps it was due to the impending confrontation with Shen Han.
To avoid drawing too much attention, the three of us decided to turn on the arena lights instead of the main lights.
Once the arena lights were on, the central basketball court was as bright as day. Shen Han and I descended from opposite ends into one of the venues, while Old Bi stood nearby, looking like a notary. "Are you both ready?" he asked.
I gripped one end of the steel rod in my right hand and lightly touched the other end to the ground, positioning it diagonally in front of me. My left leg stepped back slightly, and I gave Old Bi a 'K' gesture with my left hand.
After taking a few deep breaths, my emotions began to settle. Suddenly, everything around me fell silent, and my eyes were fixed intently on Shen Han across from me.
Shen Han held the thin steel rod with both hands, keeping it horizontal with the pointed end aimed at me. He also stepped back with his left leg and quietly said, "Ready!"
"Begin!" Old Bi shouted loudly.
We both moved almost simultaneously!
(To be continued, more excitement tomorrow!)
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