At this moment, a ten-year-old child ran in and asked, "Grandpa, isn't your last name Chen?"

The man with the aquiline nose was startled, then chuckled saying, "You little rascal, daring to tease me, eh? Off you go and play."

"Okay!" The little boy ran out quickly.

Watching the little boy's retreating figure, the man with the aquiline nose couldn't help but sigh, "Tianxiu, ah, your child has grown so big, yet you can't be there to watch him grow up. This is truly a tragedy."

The man in the suit by his side hurriedly said, "General, it's been years since that happened, how can you still not forget about it?"

"Indeed!" The man with the aquiline nose nodded, "This matter, I will never forget in my lifetime."

......

The General's Mansion.

Today, the old General was in a great mood, drinking merrily with Lin Chuan by his side. After the third round of drinks, the old General became more talkative.

"Lin Chuan, you lad are the one I value the most," the old General said with pride: "When your master brought you back, I took a shine to you at first sight. You could scale the sky to snatch birds, and dive into the water to catch fish."

"Hehe..." Lin Chuan chuckled.

At this time, Tie Niu was discontent, grumbling, "Old General, this bird catching in the sky and fish scooping from the water, it's not just Lin Chuan who can do it, we all can! Why didn't you choose us and favored this brat Lin Chuan instead?"

"Exactly." Xiao Han next to him was also very dissatisfied, saying resentfully, "We were even more formidable than Lin Chuan back then."

"Hehe." The old General chuckled, "Do you know why?"

"Why?" Everyone asked curiously.

"Because this kid is tall in stature and daring in spirit," the old General said with a flushed face, "You may not have thought of it, but this kid dared to sneak into my mansion to steal and drink my Moutai when he just joined the army. With such audacity and going undetected, it shows that the kid is both brave and cunning."

Wow!

The crowd was instantly abuzz.

Tie Niu's eyes widened, "No wonder, back then, Lin Chuan always had his own stash of alcohol and acted all secretive, always reeking of liquor. Turns out your booze was all pilfered from the Old General's place? Not bad, kid, talk about guts."

"Tsk, so arrogant from the start." Huang Hui, patting Lin Chuan's shoulder, said, "No wonder you're so badass now."

Miss Lan was also surprised, looking at Lin Chuan, she said, "Lin Chuan, were you that impressive back then? With such tight security at the General's mansion, how did you sneak in, kid?"

"I'm quite curious, how did the Old General find out?" Xiao Han chuckled at this point, "Since you discovered it, why didn't you have Lin Chuan arrested? If you had caught this kid back then, maybe I would be the captain of the Dark Soldiers now!"

Tsk!

The rest looked at Xiao Han with disdain.

But the old General laughed and said, "Lin Chuan is a talent, why would I have the heart to arrest such talent? I should encourage him. That's why my wine cellar is never short of alcohol. If you have the skills to get in, the wine is yours to drink."

A green recruit, yet he easily breached the defenses of the General's mansion, and even managed to sneak into the wine cellar. From this, it was clear that Lin Chuan was indeed an extraordinary kid from the start. Therefore, no one found it strange that Lin Chuan could grow into what he is today.

Scratching his head, Lin Chuan said, "So you knew all along? I thought you didn't notice."

"Haha..." The old General laughed heartily, "You lad, did you really think you could deceive me?"

"It seems I really couldn't hide it from your discerning eyes," Lin Chuan said awkwardly.

The crowd burst into hearty laughter.

"Lin Chuan, your accomplishments on this mission to Japan were substantial," the old General said with much satisfaction, "By now, Japan must know you've returned. I believe they will surely take some covert action. So, you must be vigilant and cautious."

"Don't worry, General," Lin Chuan nodded, "I will certainly be cautious."

"You've worked hard this time." The old General smiled and said, "So, I'm giving you some time off. I know you have a group of friends in Jiangbei City, and a girlfriend too. Go back and spend some time with them. When the next mission comes, I will notify you immediately."

"Hmph!" Before Lin Chuan could speak, Miss Lan let out an annoyed huff.

Lin Chuan exclaimed with surprise, "General, are you serious?"

"When have I ever lied to you?" The General glared at Lin Chuan and then softened his tone, "However, comrades, the current international situation is not optimistic. Imperialistic ambitions against us will never cease. I'm afraid the upcoming tasks will be quite arduous, so you must all stay vigilant, understand?"

"Yes!" Everyone nodded in agreement.

Leaving the General's residence, Tie Niu and Huang Hui, along with a few others, drove back to the military base in Miyun Mountain. Meanwhile, Lin Chuan and Miss Lan took a walk on the streets of Beijing. They walked all the way from the General's residence to Chang'an Street, and from Chang'an Street to Tiananmen Square. During this journey, Lin Chuan and Miss Lan did not speak a word.

Miss Lan walked with her hands clasped behind her back, her head down, and her fingers pinching her clothes, like a little girl who had been wronged. Her head bowed, she remained silent all the way.

As the two reached Tiananmen Square, the place was bustling with activity. Some were flying kites, some had set up street stalls selling small toys such as balloons. Although security patrolled the area, they couldn't completely stop the vending. The vendors would swiftly pack their wares into woven bags whenever they saw patrollers approaching, pretending as if nothing had happened. With no evidence, the patrolling security guards had nothing to say.

In the square, several patrol cars were parked with a few unkempt city management workers lying atop, soundly asleep. The noise from outside didn't disturb them at all.

As Lin Chuan and Miss Lan walked past them, they could smell the strong scent of alcohol emanating from the workers.

"Lin Chuan, are you really going back tomorrow?" Miss Lan asked.

"Yes!" Lin Chuan nodded and said, "I have already been out for quite a while."

"But, you have already returned to Dark Soldier." Miss Lan looked up at Lin Chuan and said, "Since you have returned, you should sever ties with your past. Indecision will only bring chaos. Heroic spirits are short, but romantic entanglements are lengthy. Don't you understand?"

"I do!" Lin Chuan nodded and said, "Actually, aside from being a soldier, I am just an ordinary person, a man, a being of flesh and blood. I am not a deity; I cannot cut off all emotions and desires, cannot rid myself of all burdens and responsibilities."

"Am I really inferior to her?" Miss Lan asked.

"No, you are outstanding." Lin Chuan said earnestly.

"But, you still chose her!" Miss Lan suddenly looked up bravely, trying hard to meet Lin Chuan's gaze, and said, "Lin Chuan, is it her you like, or the status she carries?"

"I just like her, the person. When I first met her, I didn't know about that other status of hers," Lin Chuan expressed an endless helplessness.

"But you will have to face it sooner or later," Miss Lan said seriously.

"Then let's wait for that day to come!" Lin Chuan looked up at the clear blue sky; this was the so-called Beijing Blue. Rarely seen, especially after more than ten consecutive days of smoggy weather, the sky was exceptionally blue. Tiananmen Square was already bustling with an endless stream of visitors, taking pictures and posing for group photos.

Their negotiation ended inconclusively.

Lin Chuan watched Miss Lan's departing figure, feeling a bit lost, somewhat sad, and somewhat desperate.

Some people meet inadvertently; some events start unexpectedly; some promises are made without thinking. Some loves are born without one realizing it. Some people part ways inadvertently. Some events disappear without notice. Some words are spoken without thinking. Some loves are etched into the soul unexpectedly.

Some people never had the chance to meet, and when the opportunity arises, they hesitate, thinking it might be better not to meet. Some actions were never taken, and when the chance comes, the desire to act is no longer there.

Some words are kept in the heart for a long time without the chance to say them, and when the opportunity arises, they can no longer be spoken. Some loves are never acted upon, and when the chance to love comes, the feeling is no longer there. Some people miss every chance to meet, always making excuses, and when they finally wish to meet, there is no chance left. Some tasks could have been done many times over, but are postponed day after day, and when the wish to act manifests, there is no longer an opportunity. Some words could have been said many times, but are put off until later, and when the time comes to say them, the chance is gone. Some loves are taken for granted and not cherished, and when one wishes to pay attention, the opportunity to love has passed.

Sometimes, life is ironic. Some people love each other, yet it's always a regret.

It's not that Lin Chuan is unwilling to face it, but he belongs to someone else. Lin Chuan knew that with Miss Lan's personality, she would never accept a man with multiple wives or concubines. Therefore, it's better to have a shorter rather than a prolonged agony.

Although the short pain can be heart-wrenching, it is still better than prolonged torment.

Lin Chuan stood alone in the grand expanse of Tiananmen Square, surrounded by a moving crowd, yet for the first time, he felt the world was incredibly cold. Particularly when Miss Lan turned to leave, he felt the cold emanating from her.

He seemed to sense that there was something he was about to miss in his life.

Some things exist, yet there's always a sense of helplessness. Some words are sweet to hear, yet they're all lies. Some loves are moving, yet they remain unrealistic. Some people will never understand the helplessness of certain matters, the importance of some words, the weight of some loves. Some people cannot be forgotten just because you want to forget them; they are not a picture on a computer that can be deleted with a keystroke. Some things cannot be escaped simply because you wish to; maybe others have long forgotten it, but it locks your heart like a demon.

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