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墨書 Inktalez
Hehehe, how has everyone been lately? There have been quite a few things happening since the new year, so I've been around less. By the way, who’s interested in grabbing the 10,000th post? Haha, let’s keep going with our story.
**Chapter 329: Soul Chaser Fourteen**
On the way back, the convoy was silent, a stark contrast to the excitement we had when we arrived. The atmosphere was rather somber. I tried to lighten the mood by using the intercom to get everyone to sing, but their voices were weak and lifeless; it would have been better if we hadn’t sung at all.
I understood everyone's feelings. After all, people are emotional beings. After spending so much time together, it’s hard to just leave without any attachment. But there was nothing we could do; as soldiers, we had to harden our hearts and do what needed to be done. Many believe that soldiers shouldn’t have their own emotions, that they are merely cogs in a machine. Yet sometimes I think it is precisely because they have their own judgments and feelings that soldiers possess resilience beyond the ordinary.
I didn’t know how to comfort everyone, so I let them be. Time would change everything. Once we returned to the base, the soldiers listlessly packed their bags into their small dorm rooms, lacking the excitement they had before the National Day Holiday.
Old Tang seemed surprised and asked if anything had happened. I thought for a moment and replied, “Nothing should have happened.” They were just kids after all; they wouldn’t hold onto their feelings for long. At worst, during the holiday period, management could be a bit looser, allowing them to go out more and meet up with those students they had formed connections with. After all, many students chose to stay at school.
After returning to the base, everyone’s mood noticeably improved. Perhaps it was because they were back in a group setting and away from that scene. Many soldiers began sharing their experiences of leading troops with their comrades. Of course, there was plenty of boasting involved, but even so, those listening were filled with envy.
I still had one question that lingered in my mind: what exactly did Fu Yuehua say to Jinghe? I felt this question was directly related to Jinghe's responses regarding that incident with the bomb.
After dinner, just as everyone was about to head upstairs to watch the News Broadcast, I found Jinghe sitting in the barracks lost in thought. I didn’t hold back and pulled him outside to ask what Fu Yuehua had said that day.
As soon as I asked, Jinghe forced a smile and said, “Company Commander, don’t mention it. I didn’t really hear clearly; I just saw her pull the string and not let go. It scared me to death.”
“No way! It was that close?” I questioned skeptically.
“Company Commander, would I lie to you?” Jinghe seemed a bit anxious. “I only vaguely heard her mumbling something about leaving.”
“I see.” I scratched my head. It was indeed tricky; however, no matter the reason, at least we had withdrawn safely. The rest wasn’t something I could control.
But there was one issue that kept me uneasy: did Jinghe have any emotional entanglements with Fu Yuehua? This was something I worried about constantly; I feared any soldier might get involved with those girls and end up with complications.
I hesitated for a moment before asking Jinghe directly, “Jinghe, tell me honestly—do you have anything going on with Fu Yuehua?”
Jinghe’s face turned bright red instantly. “Company Commander! What do you take me for? How could that be? Besides, I don’t even like that type!” He seemed genuinely flustered; his last words came tumbling out.
I patted his shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t worry; I believe you.” I truly did believe him because I had always held high hopes for this little buddy of mine—he was diligent in learning and hardworking. Plus, I knew he had his own aspirations; he wouldn’t make any irrational choices lightly.
I let out a sigh of relief and realized I still needed to gradually rule out other possibilities. Developing feelings while training students is one thing; developing romantic feelings is another entirely. After all, we couldn’t let the image of our unit be tarnished on our watch.
After questioning Jinghe, we chatted for a while about their experiences during Military Training. Once it seemed like enough time had passed, I took him upstairs again to the unit's television room.
The local news broadcast had just ended, and as per usual, we were allowed to disperse for some free time. After all, tomorrow was the National Day holiday, and everyone could relax tonight. The computer room was open for use.
I was about to announce the arrangements for the holiday when a local news story caught my attention. It reported that an ancient tomb had been discovered in the Tianxin District's Horticultural Center, and the local Cultural Relics Team was conducting preliminary investigations. What piqued my interest was that during my time as Squad Leader, our Unit had been involved in Fiber Optic Cable Construction right near that area. During that project, we had unearthed a coffin and a strange mirror known as the Previous Talk Town Coffin Bronze Mirror.
Could it be a burial site? I paused for a moment, continuing to watch the news. The segment was brief; the host provided a quick overview, mentioning that relevant departments were conducting further investigations to determine the age of the tomb. In just a few seconds, it was over. I didn’t think much of it at the time; after all, this area had been an ancient capital for many dynasties. While it wasn’t as famous as Xi'an or Nanjing, it had existed for a long time, and finding ancient tombs wasn’t unusual.
After briefly announcing the holiday arrangements, I dismissed everyone. Whether they were staying behind for training or joining me for Military Training, they had all worked hard. This holiday was a chance for everyone to rest; after National Day, training would resume in earnest with the Year-End Assessment approaching. Little did I know that I would be absent from this Year-End Assessment.
An hour later, lights out was called. Roll call and bed checks were completed without incident. I lay comfortably in my bed, relieved that I wouldn’t have to wake up early for morning exercises. I relaxed completely and soon drifted off to sleep.
Suddenly, the shrill sound of my phone ringing jolted me awake. I didn’t even sit up; still groggy, I fumbled around on my bedside table until I found my phone.
I glanced at the screen: it was barely 7 AM.
“Hello?” I answered irritably. I knew it wasn’t a call from our unit since they would use military lines or contact me through a Clerk. Anyone calling me at this hour had to be from outside the unit.
A hurried voice responded, “Company Commander Wang? This is Fu Yuehua’s homeroom teacher. You need to come quickly—Fu Yuehua has committed suicide.”
“What?” My heart raced as I sat up abruptly.
“Say that again,” I demanded loudly.
There was silence on the other end before another voice took over. “Company Commander Wang? This is the Head of School Security Department. We need you to come to the school right away. By the way, there’s a soldier named Jinghe—bring him along too. We need to investigate some matters, and if necessary, we will report back to your unit later.” The Security Chief's tone carried an unmistakable threat.
My heart sank as I quickly asked, “What’s happening? How is she?”
“We’ll discuss that when you arrive,” came the cold reply before they hung up.
“Damn it.” I sat on my bed for what felt like an eternity before managing to utter those two words.
Just when you think things can’t get worse—they do. My mind raced as I replayed the Security Chief's words over and over again. It was clear what they were implying: the school likely believed there was some connection between Jinghe and Fu Yuehua leading up to her suicide. Honestly, this seemed like the only way for the school to absolve itself of responsibility; after all, how could they explain a freshman committing suicide shortly after enrollment? Parents wouldn’t accept any explanation from them.
What could I do? I had to go and clarify things. Thankfully, I had spoken with Jinghe last night; that gave me some peace of mind. If nothing had happened, then there was no way the school could pin this on us—after all, during Military Training we were all together; if something serious occurred, someone would surely speak up. But if nothing happened, they couldn’t just blame us without reason.
Resolute now, I swung my legs off the bed and got dressed in casual clothes before heading over to Old Tang’s room. He had just woken up and was leisurely getting dressed by his bedside; he had plans for a date today and had told me about it yesterday.
But at this moment, I couldn’t care less about his plans. I approached him and firmly said, “Old Tang, you need to stay home today.”
Looking at Old Tang's shocked expression, I had to briefly explain the situation.
"What the hell! This is a huge deal!" Old Tang jumped up, his pants falling to the ground. "You need to hurry and go. I'll stay home, and by the way, I need to report this to the leader. It's better to be proactive about it."
I paused for a moment. "Oh, alright. You go tell the leader. I guarantee there won't be any issues on my end. I'll head to the school and communicate with them. Just in case there are any disputes, it's good for you to give your family a heads-up."
"Yeah, yeah, you hurry and take Jinghe with you," Old Tang urged as he pushed me toward the door.
I didn't have time to say anything else to Old Tang and ran straight to the Barracks to find Jinghe, startling Sheng Xiong, who was wiping down tables in the conference room.
Jinghe was just finishing breakfast and changing into casual clothes in the Barracks when I grabbed him and pulled him outside. "Hey, hey, Company Commander!" Jinghe exclaimed in surprise.
"There's no time to explain; just come with me, and I'll fill you in on the way," I said as I dragged him along.
Of course, with such a big issue, how could I possibly discuss it at the Unit? It was better to talk when there were no people around on the way.
To be continued; stay tuned for more exciting developments.
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