Chapter 181 Heroes are just different ways of protecting.

Black Wind's words were like a bolt of lightning, cleaving through the fog in Zhou Jue's mind.

Yes, heroes never die. Perhaps the truth isn't always cruel.

Tell it in a different way, in a way that it can accept.

Zhou Jue took a deep breath, suppressing her surging emotions. She refocused her mental energy, and this time, her voice carried a calming power.

"Charge! Listen to me!"

"Li Xiang... he didn't come back."

When those words echoed in "Meritorious Service's" mind, Zhou Jue clearly sensed that the old dog's condition had deteriorated further.

Didn't they come back?

【Why……】

He lied to me...

He said he'd come back to pick me up... Liar...

Despair, sadness, anger at being deceived... countless negative emotions erupted like a volcano, instantly filling its heart.

The old dog "Meritorious" swayed violently as it had just managed to stand up, as if it would collapse again at any moment. It let out a painful whimper, and two streams of murky liquid actually flowed slowly from its cloudy eyes.

Wang Meng, who was standing nearby, felt his heart clench when he saw this. He instinctively wanted to step forward, but Zhou Jue raised his hand to stop him.

“But,” Zhou Jue’s voice followed, firm and powerful: “he didn’t lie to you.”

"He's just moved to a different place and is waiting for you."

The sadness of "meritorious service" paused for a moment.

[They changed to... a different location?]

Zhou Jue looked at it, his gaze gentle yet solemn: "Chongfeng, do you remember? Li Xiang loved to point to the stars in the sky and tell you which one was the brightest."

Zhou Jue gleaned this detail from the fragmented memories of "meritorious service": "He didn't lie to you, he just... became a star himself first."

"A very bright star. Every night, when everyone is asleep, it will be in the sky, quietly watching over you."

"He watched you eat, watched you sleep, watched you wait for him at the door."

"He misses you very much and wants to come back and hug you, but he can't because he has a more important mission now."

Zhou Jue's voice, like an ancient lullaby, gently soothed the "meritorious servicemen."

"What he wants to protect is no longer just a small camp, but our entire country. He wants to be like a star in the sky, lighting the way home for all those who are lost."

【Star……】

Countless nights flashed through the mind of the "meritorious" man.

The young soldier lay on the grass, pointing to the starry sky, and tirelessly told stories to the creature beside him.

[Charge! Look, that brightest star is called the Morning Star. Seeing it means dawn is approaching.]

[Charge! If I ever get lost, just look up at the stars. The brightest one is me, guiding you.]

...

It turns out he had already said that.

So, he wasn't lying to me after all.

He simply became a star.

The storm raging in the heart of "Meritorious Service" gradually subsided; it stopped sobbing and trembling.

It simply watched Zhou Jue quietly, its cloudy eyes filled with endless longing and relief.

Is he alright?

“He’s doing well.” Zhou Jue smiled. “He became a great hero in that place. Everyone respects him. He will never get hurt again and he’s happy every day.”

"And he's waiting for you too."

【wait for me? 】

"Yes, he is waiting for you. He said that once you have completed your mission in the human world, and whenever you miss him or fall asleep, you can go to that place to find him."

"Then, he will, just like before, pat your head and take you home together."

go home……

This word, like a key, unlocked the last shackle in the heart of "Meritorious Service." The promise it had waited a lifetime for was finally fulfilled today in another way.

It understood.

It understood everything.

The old dog, "Meritorious," slowly retracted its front legs that were supporting its body.

This time, it did not fall.

Instead, with an extremely solemn posture, it lay down on the ground again, adjusted its position, and gently rested its head on its crossed front paws.

This action hasn't been performed for five years.

Ever since Li Xiang left, it had always slept half-lying down with its ears perked up, waking up immediately at the slightest noise. But now, it can finally get a good night's sleep.

It closed its eyes.

In the last moments of his mind, Zhou Jue "heard" a whisper so soft it was almost inaudible.

Li Xiang, I miss you so much...

I...have come to find you...

Zhou Jue's heart suddenly ached. She saw that the old dog's lips seemed to still have a satisfied smile on them.

Its breathing gradually became calm, then weaker and weaker, until finally, it disappeared completely.

Wang Meng stared blankly at the scene, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.

He knew that "Meritorious Service" was gone.

There was no pain, no struggle; he passed away peacefully.

After waiting for five years, it finally received its answer and then went to keep its five-year promise.

The surrounding military dogs also sensed it. One by one, they stood up, lowered their proud heads towards the direction of the "meritorious service," and let out low, sorrowful whimpers.

That wasn't a dog barking; it was a farewell to an old soldier, a hero.

Even the usually most boisterous German Shepherd, "Black Wind," quieted down, burying its head deep in its front paws and twitching slightly.

[Old squad leader, you're home...]

Don't cry, we should be happy for him...

Zhou Jue slowly stood up and wiped away the tears on his face.

She didn't know if she had done the right thing, but she thought that for someone with "merit," this might be the best outcome.

“Captain Wang,” she turned to Wang Meng and said, “Give it a proper burial. If possible, please bury it together with Martyr Li Xiang.”

"Yes, sir!" Wang Meng straightened up abruptly and gave Zhou Jue a standard military salute.

Then, he turned around, saluted the quiet kennel again, and lingered there for a long time.

"salute!"

He gave the order in a hoarse voice.

Inside the kennel, all the trainers who came upon hearing the noise stood solemnly facing the direction of the "meritorious dog" and saluted in unison.

The silent farewell, bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, appeared all the more poignant.

Zhou Jue didn't bother them any further. She quietly left the military dog ​​camp, her heart heavy.

The ability to hear the heart of all things brought her not only novelty and awe, but also an indescribable heaviness.

She drove slowly along the empty roads of the base, her mind still replaying the story of the old dog "Meritorious Service." She wondered how many military dogs like "Meritorious Service" were there in our entire country.

Just then, her communicator suddenly rang, and Zhou Jue answered the call.

It's Chen Jianguo.

"Xiao Jue! Come to the command center!"

Zhou Jue's heart skipped a beat: "Uncle Chen, what happened?"