Chapter 208 Welcoming Victory

The scent of ink, along with the joyous news of victory, filled the streets, and extra editions of newspapers were snatched up and flew everywhere!

"Great victory on Xiaoshan Island! Ceasefire agreement signed!" An old man in the alley ran around banging a gong, while children waved small red flags excitedly.

The enemy finally bowed its head, not only signing the ceasefire agreement but also obediently handing over a list of core technologies. The problems that had been choking China for years were solved with a victory on a small island.

However, Xia Qianqian and the others were unaware of this good news. After escorting the prisoners back to the mainland, they returned to the small island once more.

A makeshift mourning hall has been set up on the rocks, with white banners fluttering in the sea breeze.

Erwa knelt at the front, holding Uncle Liu's urn in his arms.

His voice trembled as if it had been sanded with sandpaper: "Uncle Liu... the war is over, I'll take you home..."

A scene from his memory suddenly came flooding back: the last time a shell hit, Uncle Liu stuffed the last compressed biscuit into his hands, his helmet slammed onto his head with a thud, and his rough hands patted the back of his head with a laugh: "Kid, go back alive and get a wife!"

But Uncle Liu himself remained forever by that reef.

On the small island, similar scenes are everywhere.

Some people held the urn to their chests and wept; some squatted in front of their comrades' graves pulling weeds, not even noticing their fingertips were worn raw; others placed their comrades' old military caps on the urns and whispered, "Brother, we're going home."

The sea breeze carried a mournful sound, yet it carried a hint of warmth than before—going home is an obsession etched into everyone's bones.

Suddenly, the ship's horn pierced the sea like a thunderclap!

A large ship approaching from afar carried a red banner that read "Heroes are home." Comrades on deck waved and roared, their voices shaking the waves: "Heroes—are home!"

The soldiers stopped instantly, their eyes shining like stars as they looked up at the ship. Some wiped away tears, grabbed the urn, and ran towards the shore.

Xia Qianqian stood on the deck, the sea breeze ruffling her hair.

Lu Zheng walked to her side and said in a low voice, "Qianqian, you have done a great job this time."

But his brows were furrowed, and there was no joy of victory in his eyes, only unconcealable worry.

Xia Qianqian gripped the hem of her clothes with her fingertips; she knew why Lu Zheng was acting this way.

Originally, she only wanted to work as a logistics support staff member who quietly provided supplies, but at the critical moment of life and death, she exposed the secret of Peach Blossom Spring - collecting cannonballs and capturing enemy ships. All the soldiers on the island knew that she had "extraordinary abilities".

She harbored a slight worry: would this exposed secret bring them new trouble?

Xia Qianqian unconsciously stroked the worn clasp on the medical kit with her fingertips, her brows furrowed slightly, but she showed no regret whatsoever.

She looked up at Lu Zheng, her voice soft but firm: "If it happened again, I would still do the same thing."

Lu Zheng had long anticipated that Qianqian would say that.

He thought for a moment and said, "I know the situation was urgent at the time. Commander Wang and the brothers all patted their chests and guaranteed that they would not leak any secrets, but with so many people and so many mouths... even a single slip of the tongue could cause a huge mess. We have to prepare for the worst."

"The worst-case scenario?" Xia Qianqian tilted her head to look at him, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes.

Lu Zheng nodded, his gaze sweeping over the soldiers holding urns on the deck: "After we disembark, the unit will give us time to rest, followed by a victory celebration banquet—that's when the crowd is the most chaotic, so we'll take advantage of the confusion to leave."

"Where to?" Xia Qianqian's voice carried a hint of dependence, her fingertips unconsciously gripping his sleeve.

Lu Zheng said in a deep voice, "Let's take Mom and the children to Hong Kong."

Xia Qianqian was stunned; she hadn't expected Lu Zheng to go to such lengths for her.

He once pointed to a map and told her late at night that he wanted to go to the border of the motherland and make every inch of the land safe and secure.

But now, for her sake, he is willing to give up his lifelong ideals and leave his hometown.

A lump formed in her throat, and her eyes instantly welled up with tears: "Actually... it's not necessary to leave... Commander Wang and the others have assured me..."

Lu Zheng slowly shook his head and gently wiped away the moisture from the corner of her eyes.

"Qianqian, I can't gamble. If your secret gets out, people will treat you like a monster."

Xia Qianqian bit her lower lip. She knew better than anyone that Lu Zheng's words were true. If the secret of Peach Blossom Spring, which she was carrying, were to be revealed, those eyes lurking in the shadows might really treat her as an alien and capture her for research.

In fact, when the secret was first exposed, the comments had already warned her of all sorts of terrible consequences, but every time she saw her comrades fall in front of her, she couldn't bring herself to stand by and do nothing.

She took a deep breath and finally nodded gently: "Okay, I'll listen to you. We'll find a chance to leave once we get ashore."

She paused, then asked softly, "So...should we say goodbye to Peng Fei and the others?"

Lu Zheng's Adam's apple bobbed, and he reached out to ruffle her hair, his voice tinged with a hint of unease: "No. Saying goodbye will only make it harder to leave. Once we're settled in Hong Kong, we'll ask someone to send them a message to let them know we're safe. That will be enough."

The sea breeze carried the distant sound of ship horns, and the soldiers on deck were still busy organizing equipment. No one noticed the two figures talking quietly in the corner.

Just then, Peng Fei rushed over and nudged Lu Zheng's shoulder with his elbow: "Brother Lu! Sister-in-law! We've been looking for you for ages!"

He said excitedly, "I was just chatting with Commander Wang, and he said he'll write a report as soon as he gets back—we'll establish an independent elite battalion! We won't be bound by those rules and regulations anymore; we can do whatever we want!"

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "Alright, you'd better work hard from now on and not embarrass me."

Peng Fei scratched his head, looking puzzled: "Hey? Isn't this what you've been waiting for? Last time you said you'd lead us to the Japanese stronghold! Why are you so unenthusiastic now that I've brought good news?"

He leaned closer, lowered his voice, and winked, "Have you been so engrossed in your wife that you forgot about the important matter?"

Xia Qianqian secretly glanced at Lu Zheng, a hint of apology flashing in her eyes.

Lu Zheng took a deep breath and patted Peng Fei on the back: "Don't overthink it. Hurry up and help the brothers move their things. You'll be busy once we get ashore."

Peng Fei gave an "oh," and without thinking much, turned around and ran off again, shouting, "Brother Lu, you wait! I'll snatch the first mission for the Sharp Knife Battalion for you!"

After he left, Xia Qianqian gently leaned over and whispered, "I'm sorry..."

Lu Zheng shook his head and reached out to ruffle her hair: "This is my choice. Even if we go to Hong Kong, we can still serve our country."

The ship finally docked, and the sound of gongs and drums shook the ground. The crowd cheered with bouquets in hand. Xia Qianqian followed Lu Zheng and the soldiers from Xiaoshan Island to the military camp.

They were placed in the most spacious barracks, where doctors in white coats carried medical kits and examined each of them.

At this moment, the soldiers' tense nerves finally relaxed. Some fell asleep instantly on their bunks, some slept with their heads tilted to the side while eating, and some even called out the names of their comrades in their dreams.

For three days and three nights, the barracks were so quiet that only the sound of breathing could be heard, and no one noticed that two people were missing from the team.