My Little Poplar - Chap 108

Yu Fengcheng came on stage and gave a standard military salute to the audience, the stiff plaster and the obtrusive crutches did not detract from his sturdy and heroic appearance. He didn’t say a word, the audience was already applauding, many of the students had heard about the new student representative, a special forces soldier who had just been wounded in the line of duty and there was no one better to deliver a speech on behalf of these future pillars of the nation.

He finished his salute, he started to adjust the height of the microphone stand, it was set to the highest level but still required him to bend down, he simply picked up the microphone, there was laughter on stage.

Yu Fengcheng also smiled, he looks around the audience, he seems to be looking for something but because there are so many people, he doesn’t seem to find it in the end. He coughs twice and begins his entrance speech. After the usual introductory remarks, he got down to business: “I know many of you are wondering why I’m wounded, I was sent to the academy as an active special forces soldier of the Snowleopard Brigade, this wound is from a recent mission, I was the most severely wounded on that mission but for me and my comrades, it’s a good thing. For me and my comrades, the ratio was very satisfactory. I’ve only been with the Snowleopard for a short time, in the space of a year or so, I’ve lost six men, I can remember the details of their faces, the way they spoke, their homes and when and how they died, shot, fallen from a height, infected, killed with the enemy, even killed with the enemy, they even died of exhaustion. Most of those who died had travelled thousands of miles from their homes to the frontier, we were trained hard, paid poorly, had no security and had to fight the worst of the enemy but as hard as it was, I didn’t hear a single complaint from my comrades, because it was our choice, a man’s choice. Often when we are in the thick of it, we don’t have time to think about family and country, the only thing we know, is that we are doing the right thing and we have to avenge our wounded and fallen comrades.”

A silence fell over the large playground.

Yu Fengcheng’s eyes finally find Bai Xinyu, he looked at Bai Xinyu for two seconds in awe, there is an indescribable dependence in his eyes.

This two second pause caused many people to look in his direction, Bai Xinyu knew that they would not know that Yu Fengcheng was looking at him but he still felt his cheeks burning.

Luckily Yu Fengcheng quickly looked away, he continued: “The day we enter the military academy, it is our choice to become soldiers, in four years we will be sent to any unit anywhere, to take on our responsibilities, we have commanders, we have researchers, we have technology, we have a lot of people. Whatever our future role in the army, I’m sure no one will complain or regret it, because everything we have learned and every drop of sweat we have contributed to this land at the best military academy in the country, will be given a sacred meaning. The alumni whose statues are engraved on the playground, the brave men and women who have made unreserved sacrifices for the rise of our country over the past 60 years, whose spirits have shaken the campus, whose contributions have blessed the land, we will always be urged by our predecessors to study hard and train hard and throughout our education, we will always remember that the efforts we make, for the sake of our country and our loved ones behind us.” Yu Fengcheng’s gaze moved again to Bai Xinyu and said, “We are the guns, the shields, the defences, we have to make ourselves stronger, tougher, more solid, that’s what we are standing here for!”

The whole playground erupted in thunderous applause, it felt like it was going to last forever.

Bai Xinyu’s heart trembled at the applause, halfway across the playground, his and Yu Fengcheng’s eyes met in the air, for a moment, it was as if there was only each other left in heaven and earth, the rising and falling applause became a heavenly sound, isolated from the space they belonged to, Yu Fengcheng’s eyes burned like a fire, turning them into a flame. Yu Fengcheng’s eyes burned like a fire, setting a part of his nerves on fire.