Chapter 113 Crowned God? No, Let's Go Home
Six months after the end of the "War of Apocalypse," it was the height of summer in the capital.
Inside the Joint Council Hall, the air was still as amber.
This place holds all the power of the new world.
Heads of state, commanders, and top scholars from all countries, former enemies and current allies, all turned their attention to that tightly closed golden door.
Mr. Smith of Country M stroked his ring, while General Ivanov of Russia straightened his back, which had been grazed by shrapnel.
They are waiting.
The whole world is waiting.
At 10:00 a.m. sharp, a welcoming melody played, and the heavy golden doors opened inward.
Amidst the light and shadow, Lu Zhanting and Su Wanqing walked in side by side.
The buzzing discussion was instantly cut off, and thousands of people in the audience stood up in unison.
Those gazes that once looked down upon the world are now filled with nothing but pure admiration and awe.
Lu Zhanting wore a deep black marshal's uniform, representing the highest honor for military personnel worldwide. The golden tassels on his epaulets shone brightly, making him look like a walking deity.
His chest was completely bare.
Only on the left chest, where the heart is, is a "Guardian" badge with an olive branch and a sword intertwined.
Those eyes that once froze mountains of corpses and seas of blood now held only the stillness of the sea.
Su Wanqing chose a plain white dress, with herbal patterns outlined in silver thread faintly visible on the hem, and a wooden hairpin casually held her long hair back.
She wore no jewelry, yet she was more dazzling than all the jewels in the hall.
She was not a mere foil to the general, nor an appendage to the hero.
She is Su Wanqing.
As the two walked on the red carpet, Lu Zhanting turned slightly to the side, using his mountain-like body to shield her from most of the cameras.
This silent act, through the live broadcast, was imprinted in the hearts of billions of people around the world.
The applause surged like a tidal wave, pounding against the dome of the hall and lasting for a long time.
The ceremony was personally presided over by the chairman of the conference.
His voice, amplified by the loudspeaker, rang out after the thunderous applause subsided, carrying the weight of history.
Six months ago, humanity reached the edge of a precipice.
"It was courage, sacrifice, and unity that brought us back the dawn."
The chairman's gaze fell on the two people below the stage, his expression gentle yet solemn.
"Now, I propose that we invite Ms. Su Wanqing, the Permanent Honorary Chair of the World Peace and Development Council, to come to the stage!"
The applause rose again.
Su Wanqing stood up and walked onto the platform.
The Chairman personally opened the velvet gift box, inside which lay a uniquely designed medal.
It was a seed made of seven-colored glass, with a tender emerald green sprout emerging from its tip.
"This chapter is titled 'Gaia, the Heart of Life'."
"Only those who make the greatest contribution to protecting life on this planet are qualified to wear it."
"Ms. Su Wanqing, with her 'purifying rain,' cleansed the world, single-handedly resisting evil gods and protecting the minds of millions. After the war, she gave away all her wealth to establish the 'Pure Rain Foundation' to restore the environment and provide relief to orphans."
"She refused all authority and only wanted to be a doctor."
"By unanimous resolution of the World Peace Council, Ms. Su Wanqing is awarded the 'Gaia Heart of Life' Medal and appointed as a lifetime honorary advisor to the 'World Health Organization'!"
The chairman personally pinned the medal on her chest.
In the audience, a blonde girl who had been healed by the Paris petrochemical disaster held a bouquet of lilies and said in her childish Chinese, "Thank you, angel sister."
Su Wanqing knelt down, took the flowers, and gave her a gentle hug.
Then she stood up without saying a word.
He simply bowed deeply to everyone in the audience.
This bow brought tears to the eyes of countless iron-willed generals.
What they saw was not a savior, but a compassionate soul.
After Su Wanqing stepped down from the stage, the chairman's voice rang out again.
"Now, please welcome Marshal Lu Zhanting, the Chief Advisor of the Global Joint Defense Command and the first Dean of the Guardian Academy!"
Lu Zhanting stood up, his military boots making a dull thud on the floor.
Every step was like stepping to the beat of a war, carrying a spirit that could shake mountains and rivers.
Mr. Smith from Country M and General Ivanov from Russia, two former adversaries, jointly presented a sandalwood box.
Inside the box is an eight-pointed star platinum medal, with a sapphire symbolizing the Earth in the center, upon which a diamond sword and a gold shield are crossed.
"This chapter is titled 'Star of the World'!" Mr. Smith's voice boomed.
General Ivanov continued, "Marshal Lu Zhanting, you commanded the Allied forces, beheaded the enemy leader, and then relinquished supreme command, laying the foundation for world peace. You are a role model for all soldiers!"
The two men pinned the medal on his chest together.
Lu Zhanting did not immediately step down from the stage, but instead walked to the front of the podium.
His sharp gaze swept across the entire hall, and the once-boiling hall fell into a deathly silence.
"I accept this honor."
His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly penetrated everyone's ears.
"But it doesn't belong to me personally."
"It belongs to Lieutenant Colonel Zhou Hai, who charged to the death over the Bohai Bay."
"Belongs to the 'Wolf Fang' team members who perished together with the altar in the Amazon rainforest."
"It belongs to all the nameless heroes who shed their last drop of blood for their homeland."
He paused for a moment.
"I am not a hero, they are."
"Everything I do is to fulfill the duty of a soldier."
His gaze pierced through the crowd and landed on Su Wanqing below the stage. In that instant, all the ice and snow melted away in his eyes.
"A promise to a husband."
"My new mission is to end wars."
"I've finished speaking."
He stepped back and gave an impeccable military salute.
After a brief silence, thunderous applause erupted, this time more intense than ever before.
One is as compassionate as water, the other as steadfast as a mountain.
They are the strongest barrier to this new world.
The medal-awarding ceremony has concluded, and the state banquet is about to begin.
When the heads of state entered the banquet hall, they found that the two most important seats were empty.
At this moment, outside the side door of the council hall.
An ordinary black SUV silently glided into the evening traffic of Beijing.
Lu Zhanting took off his marshal's uniform, which weighed over a thousand pounds, and casually tossed it onto the back seat.
All that was left was a simple white shirt.
He started the car, gripped the steering wheel with one hand, and reached out with the other to hold Su Wanqing's hand.
Su Wanqing had already put the "Gaia Heart of Life" into the box.
"It's finally over." She leaned back in her chair and let out a long sigh of relief.
"Um."
Lu Zhanting looked at her, a relaxed smile curving his lips.
"From tomorrow onwards, there will be no more saviors in this world."
He turned to look at her.
“Only Dean Lu in the ‘Guardians’ Academy, who always has a stern face.”
"And then there's Dr. Su at Renxintang, who sometimes slacks off and dozes off."
Su Wanqing was amused by him, and she gripped his hand tightly in return, gently resting her head on his shoulder.
Outside the car window, the city lights lit up one by one, forming a dazzling galaxy.
Their legend has come to an end.
And their most genuine and simple happiness is just beginning.
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