Du Lei kept his head down and did not answer.

Du's mother tidied up the dishes and placed them aside, then sighed, "Leizi, you should also think about your parents."

Mr. Du agreed, saying, "Your mother and I only have you as our son. You really scared us to death this time."

"Yes, if anything happens to you, your father and I will have to go with you."

Du Lei laughed and said, "It's not that exaggerated. Even though I'm not by your side now, you still have to live your own lives, don't you?"

Du's mother was not exaggerating at all. She ran her fingers through her hair and said, "Since the day you had the accident, a large patch of my hair has turned white."

Du's mother then pointed to Du's father, "Look at your father, his hair on both sides has turned completely white from fright because of you."

Seeing that Du Lei still didn't express his opinion, Du's father gestured to Du's mother, asking her to tell Du Lei what they had discussed.

Du Lei's parents have been thinking about getting him discharged from the military these past few days.

It's really too dangerous for Du Lei to be a soldier.

They only have one son, and there's really no need for Du Lei to suffer like this in the army.

“Lei Zi, I’ve made up my mind. As soon as you retire from the army, I will go to Pei Zhi’s mother. I have done her a favor, so I will go and beg her to find a way to get Pei Zhi to get a divorce.”

Mr. Du agreed, "If all else fails, we'll go find Pei Zhi's man and try to get him to back out, whether it's by spending money or finding a way."

Du Lei's parents, honest people their whole lives, came up with this crooked and unethical method for their son's sake.

"Didn't you always want to be with Zhizhi? You should retire from the army and be with Zhizhi properly."

"If you're willing, you can learn a trade from your father. Or, we can give you money to start a business, or you can play around for a few years if you want."

Du Lei sighed and said, "It seems I really scared you guys this time."

Even saying something like "let him play for a few years" shows how spoiled he is.

Du's mother pleaded, "Children are all debts. I'm begging you, please, for my sake, retire from the army, okay?"

Mr. Du chimed in, "Yes, after leaving the army, he got together with Zhizhi, had a child, and had a wife, a child, and a warm bed. How wonderful that would be."

"It's pretty good." Du Lei nodded in agreement.

Du's mother's eyes lit up. "So you agree?"

Du Lei laughed and retorted, "Hey mom, didn't you scold me when I said I wanted Zhizhi to divorce her husband and come to me? Why are you now aiding and abetting this?"

Du's mother glared at Du Lei fiercely. If it weren't for the fact that Du Lei was still injured, she would have slapped him hard across the face.

"Who am I doing this for? Isn't it because I feel sorry for you?"

Du Lei's mother didn't want to ruin Pei Zhi's marriage either. She was just worried that she couldn't persuade Du Lei to join the army.

Therefore, Pei Zhi can be used to add weight to the story. Judging from her son's suicide note, Pei Zhi's importance in his heart is undeniable.

Du Lei's smile vanished, and he stopped joking. "Mom and Dad, to be honest, if you had said that to me when I was home last time, I would have immediately written a report and come home to live a normal life without saying a word."

Du's mother had a vague sense of foreboding. "Why is it not working now? You're so badly injured, aren't you afraid of dying?"

Du's mother didn't believe that Du Lei was truly unafraid of death.

"After you die, you will never see Zhizhi again, nor will you see your parents."

"Mom, I know all of this."

Du Lei's tone was somewhat heavy, "This time, on our mission, just my team alone sent twenty people, and only five of them came back alive."

Mr. Du nodded. “We know all that you’re saying, which is why we don’t want you to stay in the army.”

Du Lei said woodenly, "In our unit, there are two kids who went undercover."

"Somehow, those people found them. When they found them, their bodies were being eaten by dogs."

"His eyes are gone, his tongue is gone, and all his teeth have been knocked out."

Upon hearing this, Du's mother quickly covered her mouth; it was simply too cruel.

"My fingernails are gone, all ten fingers have been broken, and my body organs are gone too."

Mr. Du sighed; they were unaware of what Du Lei was saying.

"Those two children, one is twenty years old, and the other is only nineteen."

"The one who's twenty years old, he's only been married for a short time, and he's always bragging to us about how beautiful and virtuous his wife is."

"The nineteen-year-old is the son of a military leader. He's an only child. When he first joined the army, he was defiant of everyone. After a few missions, he started calling me Brother Lei."

Du Lei gritted his teeth, his eyes red, and said, "Now the people who harmed them have run away. Father and Mother, tell me, if I am to retire from the army, how can I face them in the future?"

Du Lei didn't like being a soldier; he had been a troublemaker since he was a child.

When I first joined the army, I heard that if I worked hard, I could get a spot in a military academy.

Du Lei's initial plan was that once he secured a spot at the military academy, he could openly propose to Pei Zhi.

When he first arrived at the army, Du Lei often hid away to cry and curse.

It's hard work and tiring, and there are many rules to follow.

Later, driven by a strong will, he resolved to become outstanding in order to secure a place in the military academy.

Gradually, Du Lei adapted and gained a group of brothers he could trust.

Previously, Du Lei was fine while he was on the border. At most, there were some minor skirmishes, with the two sides exchanging fire briefly and then stopping short of a full-blown war. No one really wanted to fight.

But this mission is completely different.

This also made Du Lei realize that there was a group of parasites in their country who, while harming the country's interests, even turned on their own compatriots in such a cruel way.

Du Lei said firmly, "Mom and Dad, I will not leave the army. Once I recover from my injuries, I will go back to lead the team. I will never be able to live with myself until I have wiped them out."

Du's mother was still unwilling to give up, "What about Zhizhi? Can you really let her go?"

"I can't let her go," Du Lei confessed honestly, "but she's not suitable for me to marry."

Du Lei still loves Pei Zhi, but he no longer fantasizes about marrying her.

"What a tragedy, what a tragedy!" Mother Du slapped her thigh, cursing incessantly.

Du's mother knew that Du Lei's statement that he was not suitable to marry Pei Zhi meant he had truly given up and was going to stay in the army.

Mr. Du gripped the cigarette box in his pocket, somewhat irritated. "Can't you think about your parents? Those people are all ruthless thugs."

"If something happens to you, who will take care of your mother and me when we get old?"

"We have no children, what will we do if bad people come to bully us in the future?"

Du Lei feigned nonchalance, "I'm still alive and well, why are you saying such discouraging things?"

"Besides, even if something really happens to me, the military will take care of you. They won't abandon you."