Chapter 174 Nothing but Illusion

Lu Jinye quietly watched Wen Ni's profile.

He knew that those few words contained the path she had taken.

Everything she experienced on that road is a testament to her courage, fearlessness, and unwavering commitment to her original aspirations!

"Premier Wen is right!" Cai Wenyou shouted, leading the applause.

Everyone present nodded and applauded in agreement!

Li Shu was standing in the mud, unsure whether to leave or stay!

The brief surge of shame in her heart was far less important than her pride and dignity.

They've already said they wouldn't record it; if they stay, wouldn't they become a laughingstock?

"Let whoever wants to record, record! I'm not recording!"

Li Shu's eyes were slightly red. Frustrated, she stomped her foot and turned to run away.

The staff and filming crew rushed after her, calling out, "Sister Li Shu! Sister Li Shu, calm down..."

"Director Zhao, what should we do? Should we replace him?" the assistant asked anxiously.

"Don't worry, Li Shu will be back. If she doesn't film, all the suffering these past few days will have been for nothing," Director Zhao waved his hand. "Besides, a little conflict like this is what makes the show interesting! Don't just stand there, keep filming!"

"Okay..." The remaining staff members took their positions again.

Mud training ground

Wen Ni stood tall and graceful, her hands behind her back.

Her voice wasn't loud, but every word she spoke was ruthless and domineering!

"What are you all standing there for? Do you want to back down like Li Shu?"

"No!" Among the trainees, Cai Wenyou and Xiwen responded the loudest.

"If you don't want to, then keep training! Crawl properly! Anyone who dawdles will have their clothes taken off, soaked in cold water, and used as an ice pack to soothe Lu Jinye's back!"

"……yes!"

The group obediently lowered their heads and remained silent, which was a good practice!

Lu Jinye stood to the side, his eyes crinkling.

Qin Yuan, who had been silently watching over him, glanced sideways and thought: My goodness, he's secretly gloating again!

The morning training and filming were in full swing.

In the afternoon, Wen Ni did not arrange for further training and filming, but instead led the film crew to the 357th Company Headquarters Historical Memorial Hall.

The memorial hall is located at the foot of the hill outside the company headquarters.

"I didn't even notice this place when we went up the mountain for training. There's actually such a place here?" Cai Wenyou walked ahead, sighing slightly.

“Yes, this place is quite secluded!” Xiwen said as they walked. “The stones piled up in the walls must have been quarried from this mountain, right?”

"That's right."

Liu Shuzheng nodded and introduced, "This memorial hall was first built in the second year of the Republic of China, and the entire structure was built by excavating and constructing it based on the foundation of the mountain. At the end of the same year, our 357th Hero Company officially moved its headquarters here."

"Now that you've come to Company 357, you should learn about this part of its history."

Liu Shu was pointing to the old objects hanging on the wall and displayed in the showcase.

"These are all original items left over from the war years ago. Some of them were donated by veterans and military enthusiasts!"

"Oh~ My grandfather retired from the battlefield, and he has an old military uniform just like the one he wore!" the crowd exclaimed eagerly, their voices filled with awe and curiosity about that history.

Wen Ni walked slowly at the back of the group.

Looking at the familiar surroundings and decorations, everything was exactly the same as when she came here two years ago; it was still the same as before.

“Is the 357th Company your old company? You seem very familiar with everything here.” Lu Jinye stopped beside her, looking at the old-fashioned rifles hanging on the wall.

"When I was a recruit, I was in Company 77515. After less than a year, I was assigned to Company 357. After only a few months in Company 357, I was selected by the special forces and went abroad to carry out a mission."

At this point, Wen Ni glanced at Lu Jinye and asked, "Do you still remember the meritorious president of the General Hospital of the Military Region?"

“I remember.” Lu Jinye nodded solemnly.

“During my second year abroad, I participated in the COVID-19 relief efforts in Sistine Chapel. By chance, I met Dean Cheng online, and I was very fortunate to become his student,” Wen Ni said.

"How should I put it? During my three years in the military, I lost a lot, but I also gained a lot."

There seemed to be starlight in her eyes.

Looking at her profile, half-hidden by a tactical mask, Lu Jinye couldn't help but blurt out the question that had been lingering in his heart: "How many times in the past three years have you experienced something similar to what you went through in Myanmar?"

"How could I possibly remember clearly?"

Wen Ni didn't turn around. She shrugged casually. "I only remember dying many times and then coming back to life in a daze."

"..." Lu Jinye remained silent for a long time until his tightly clenched hands at his sides gradually loosened.

"Wen Ni".

"Um?"

"Have you ever thought about what you would do if you didn't join the army?"

"I haven't thought about it."

Wen Ni shook her head, her eyelashes fluttering slightly. Then she took a step and followed the departing group, replying in a clear, cold voice, "I've never liked making assumptions, nor do I like assigning an outcome to assumptions!"

“Lu Jinye, you should do the same as me. What didn’t happen, didn’t happen. Neither you nor I need to have any unrealistic fantasies; it’s just worrying unnecessarily.”

"Including emotions?"

"Including emotions."

Her words made him pause in his raised footsteps and stand still!

"But emotions are never an illusion; they are real, you just don't realize it."

"Perhaps! But that's none of my business."

Wen Ni walked further and further away until she was quite far from Lu Jinye, at which point she finally slowed down.

Hidden beneath the tactical mask was a hint of despondency and loneliness that no one could see!

A person who has died many times might one day run out of luck and never come back to life. If that's the case, why leave people with nothing but empty memories?

"It seems like Lu Jinye and President Wen had a fight? The atmosphere is a bit off!" Xiwen walked beside Cai Wenyou, frequently turning her head to look back, muttering to herself in a low voice while avoiding the camera.

“Arguing is good,” Cai Wenyou blurted out, then added after a moment’s thought, “With Lu Jinye’s awful temper, not many people can stand him!”

"Brother Cai, do you think Lu Jinye likes Chief Instructor Wen?" Xiwen, being a girl, had a strong sixth sense. "It seemed like he treated her very differently during the meeting!"

"...Heh." Cai Wenyou snorted coldly. "Could that arrogant guy truly like anyone?"

"That's true. He comes from a good family and is famous. Ordinary people wouldn't catch his eye," Xiwen muttered to herself.

"Whose eyes do you want to catch?" Instructor Liu Shuzheng suddenly appeared, staring at Xiwen with an air of righteousness.

Without thinking, Xiwen blurted out, "Lu Jinye."

"Oh~"

Liu Shuzheng glanced at the moved camera and said in a deep voice, "I saw on the news that Lu Jinye doesn't like women, but that he does like..."