Li Zheng said, "Yes, it’s still fresh in my mory."
"In the first few days when the Matrix Ga started, the reason I refused to pick up a weapon..." Xiao Siyuan’s expression grew sorrowful, as if rembering sothing: "The reason I wouldn’t take up a weapon was actually because I had shot a warrior!"
"How could that be!?" Li Zheng was shocked. Based on his understanding of Xiao Siyuan, how could he possibly point a gun at his own people?
"Yes... how could it be?" Xiao Siyuan smiled bitterly, looking down at his own hands, as if recalling the events of that day. His hands shook uncontrollably: "In tactics, there’s a term called ’bait and ambush.’ On a small-scale battlefield, this tactic often works wonders."
"I ntioned to you about a young injured warrior with a fracture, you should still rember."
Xiao Siyuan slowly began to recount his past: "I rember that day I went to that outpost, and I t him visiting his forr comrades. When he saw , he was very happy and ca over to give a hug.
He had a fractured arm, and although I treated it, it left so aftereffects, so he couldn’t exert much strength. When he hugged , he felt very weak."
"That day, everyone at the outpost was very happy. The company commander made an exception and added an extra dish for everyone, braised pork with potatoes!"
"But during the al, the warrior on watch returned to report that a large number of people from the neighboring country had gathered near the border, attempting to cross."
"When we heard this, who could still focus on eating? We grabbed our weapons and gear and rushed to the site."
"But when we got there, do you know what we saw?"
"There were originally two people on guard. One ca back to report, leaving one to watch the border-crossers. By the ti we arrived, he was already lying in a pool of blood, trembling in pain!"
"At that mont, we all realized it was a trap, because the injured warrior had been crippled by a sniper. The enemy could have easily taken his life! They left him because they knew we couldn’t abandon him and would try to save him!"
"But how could we save him with so many snipers hidden in the dark?"
"Commander Qi’s eyes were red. A man as tough as iron, tears streaming uncontrollably down his face. I was behind the sa cover as him. He swallowed his sobs, whimpering like a stray dog kicked by soone."
"Because he knew, that warrior couldn’t be saved, or it would certainly lead to more casualties. But..."
"That was a comrade who we lived alongside every day! How could we not save him!?"
"As we were contemplating a plan, that young injured retired warrior sohow had followed us, without even wearing combat gear. He rushed out alone and started dragging the injured warrior back."
"He didn’t have the strength in his arms!"
"He couldn’t even hug properly!"
"Yet he forcibly dragged that comrade back over ten ters!"
"The enemy sniper shot holes through his body, with blood pouring out like water through a broken dam. Even until the mont he fell, he never let go!"
Xiao Siyuan said, tears brimming in his eyes, choking with emotion: "The initially wounded warrior couldn’t make it to cover, but from a distance, he could see and said: Doctor Xiao, it hurts..."
"But I couldn’t save him! I’m a doctor! I couldn’t save him!"
"He continued to tell : Doctor Xiao, don’t save , give a quick death."
"I had a gun in my hand, and as a doctor, I knew where to shoot to quickly end his suffering. I could aim accurately..."
"But damn it, I’m a doctor! I’m supposed to save people! I shouldn’t be killing anyone!"
"I shouldn’t be killing anyone!!!"
Xiao Siyuan scread in agony: "But when I saw him pleading with for a quick death with those eyes, I couldn’t bear to let him die in agony. I... I shot..."
Hearing this, Li Zheng’s heart ached. He couldn’t begin to imagine the imnse pressure Xiao Siyuan was under at that ti.
Shooting his comrade with his own hands, perhaps there is nothing more cruel in this world.
Moreover, he was a doctor, one whose duty was to save lives.
"That day, we all went insane." Xiao Siyuan cald himself a bit, continuing: "Including , there were less than ten at the outpost. We fought fiercely, repelling over a hundred of them and thwarting their border-crossing attempt!"
"The price we paid was that, except for Commander Qi and , all our comrades sacrificed themselves!"
"Commander Qi fought to the last mont, taking fourteen bullets. He nearly bled out, but he didn’t fall. After being taken to the hospital... they couldn’t save him, and he ended up in a vegetative state."
"I was the luckiest one, I only got hit once."
Xiao Siyuan raised a hand to part his hair on the left side, showing Li Zheng: "Here, a bullet went in. Luckily, it got lodged in the skull, not penetrating further, but it did damage my nerves."
"Afterward, they told they found Commander Qi’s DNA on that bullet. It turned out, the bullet that hit had passed through Commander Qi’s body, reducing its energy before getting lodged in my skull. Otherwise..."
Xiao Siyuan smiled woefully: "Honestly, I wish more that I could have died there, to rest alongside those warriors."
"I’m sorry." Li Zheng was silent for a long ti before apologizing: "I didn’t know that bringing this up would trigger your mories. I thought... I just thought you were slacking off during training. I’m really sorry."
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