From the 7th Steel Company to the Synthetic Division

Wang Kezheng rushed back in a hurry. Accompanied by He Yazhou, he did a lot of mental preparation before taking a deep breath and pushing open the door to go in.

They marched in perfect unison from the entrance and stood at attention in front of the old leader.

shuh~~
He gave a standard military salute and shouted in the loudest voice, "Good morning, sir! I, Wang Kezheng, am here to report for duty. Please give me your instructions."

After Wang Kezheng finished speaking, he didn't dare to lower his salute until the old leader returned the salute.

However, the teacher seemed not to hear or see Wang Kezheng enter, staring straight ahead at the empty space without any reaction.

Wang Ke forced a rare fawning smile, unsure of what to do.

Political Commissar He Yazhou immediately stepped in to smooth things over, bowing slightly and saying cautiously, "Commander, Brigade Commander Wang has specially rushed back from the training ground. Let's go eat now."

"Did I come here specifically for a meal?" the old commander asked coldly, his brows furrowed.

"That's definitely not it. It just happens to be time, so let's go have lunch together first. If there's anything else, we can talk while we eat."

He Yazhou stepped forward with a smile and offered to help the teacher sitting there.

"Yes, yes, let's eat first, let's eat first."

Wang Kezheng quickly ran over and helped the teacher up from the other side.

With both arms supported, the teacher had no choice but to get up, but he didn't want to let He Yazhou get away with it so easily.

As they walked out, one of them said, "I heard that a lot of new content has been added to this military history museum..."

"No."

"You heard wrong."

Wang Kezheng and He Yazhou were both startled and interrupted the old leader at the same time.

The old leader's expression remained very serious as he looked at He Yazhou with intense suspicion, forcing He Yazhou to force himself to lie through his teeth and say, "Indeed, there has been no increase; it's basically the same as it was last year."

"Teacher, the mess hall has prepared all the food. Let's hurry up, or it'll get cold." Wang Kezheng was extremely anxious and urged them on.

"Don't rush when eating, the key is to eat comfortably..."

"That is."

The old leader had only spoken halfway when Wang Kezheng interrupted him, saying, "If you had informed us beforehand, we could have prepared much better, ensuring you not only ate comfortably but also enjoyed your meal."

"Alright, enough nonsense. If you want me to feel comfortable, come with me to the military history museum." The old commander was still very persistent as he spoke and walked out.

"Huh? You're going now?" Wang Ke was dumbfounded.

"Let's finish eating first, then go see it. Anyway, it's the same as before," He Yazhou quickly advised.

Both of them had the same thought at that moment: if the old commander insisted on visiting the military history museum, they would first trick him into having lunch.

Then, while we were having lunch, we quickly found someone to temporarily move the monument to shame.

"Since nothing has changed, I'll just take a stroll and reminisce a bit. It'll only take a few minutes. Then I can have lunch later, right?"

The old leader followed up with a question, and emphasized while tapping the ground with his cane, "I'll leave after I've looked around, so as not to cause you any trouble. You can go do whatever you need to do. I can go for a walk by myself."

The old leader thought that Wang Kezheng and the others didn't want to accompany him, but in reality, they were afraid to let him go.

Worried that his old commander wouldn't be able to handle it, Wang Kezheng, even in this situation, could only bite the bullet and persuade him, "Does it have to be today? Can't we look at it tomorrow?"

"Wang Kezheng, I have something to tell you..."

The old commander's eyes suddenly deepened, and he said with a touch of sadness, "Yesterday, the wife of one of my old comrades called me and said that my old comrade passed away the day before yesterday."

Of those who joined the army before liberation, very few are still alive. I am still alive, but I don't know when I will be gone.

The reason I can come here in person today is to recall my combat experiences with my comrades and the glorious history of the 708th Division.

Once I get back, even if I suddenly pass away one day, I will have no regrets.

If you're busy, I'll go by myself, don't stop me.

The old commander was very determined, treating this as the last time he would personally visit his old unit. He pushed aside He Yazhou, who was blocking his way, and left.

"Wait, wait, teacher."

He Yazhou could understand the old leader's feelings, but precisely because he understood, he couldn't let him go, and dared not let the old leader visit.

If, as Wang Kezheng said, the teacher couldn't bear seeing the Monument to Shame and actually smashed his head against it and died, then...

Then those two are truly finished.

Therefore, no matter what means are used, as long as the old commander doesn't force them to the death, we absolutely cannot let him enter the military history museum today.

So He Yazhou stood in front of him and simply played his last card, saying, "Even if you go now, you won't be able to get into the military history museum."

"Why?" the old commander asked, his eyes wide.

"The key is with the propaganda officer. I've already notified him to come over immediately, but it will take him some time. You can only rest and have a meal while you're here."

He Yazhou's chosen reason was reasonable and did not arouse the suspicion of the old leader.

He could only sit down angrily and say, "I'll sit here and wait for five minutes. If they don't come in after five minutes, I'll knock on the lock and come in."

"Okay, okay, sit down and rest first. I'll call back and urge them again."

Wang Kezheng, whose heart was in his throat, saw that he had finally gained a few minutes, so he quickly made an excuse and hurriedly left.

It's definitely not possible to move the monument of shame in five minutes; it's carved from stone and weighs several hundred kilograms.

Since there's no way to move the monument, the only temporary solution is for the propaganda department to find a large red cloth and wrap the entire monument with it.

Then he also notified the staff member in the propaganda department to be in charge of explaining to the old leader and diverting attention away from this.

Although this arrangement is still full of loopholes, it would be very difficult to completely fool the old leader, but it is the limit that can be done under the current conditions.

The propaganda department also attached great importance to this and acted hastily according to the brigade commander's instructions.

Five minutes passed in the blink of an eye.

Having run out of options, He Yazhou and Wang Kezheng, with mixed feelings of unease, accompanied their old commander to the military museum.

Just before entering the gate, Wang Kezheng gave the propaganda officer several winks.

The propaganda officer understood what was meant and immediately gestured to the right as he entered, saying, "Old Chief, I'll be in charge of explaining things to you. Please follow me this way."

The propaganda officer's words and actions were all correct, and he did not show any abnormality in his expression.

However, the old commander, who had visited the military history museum countless times, was extremely familiar with every corner of the place and had left traces of his visits in every place.

The large red cloth, suddenly placed in the hall, immediately drew his attention.

He couldn't hear what the propaganda officers were saying at all.

Staring blankly at the red cloth, the old commander's eyes were filled with doubt as he sternly questioned, "Tell me immediately, what is this? It's so dazzling. Wang Kezheng, tell me, what exactly is this?"

Wang Kezheng and He Yazhou were extremely guilty and dared not answer their old leader's question.

The old leader waited for several breaths, and seeing that no one answered him, he already had his answer in mind. He said coldly, "This is your fig leaf, isn't it?"

After waiting for about two more seconds, there was still no answer.

The old leader suddenly shouted angrily, "Uncover it for me!!" The old leader's voice was extremely loud, hoarse and cracking with anger, echoing throughout the large hall, making everyone present tremble.

Finished!

It's all over!
Wang Kezheng and He Yazhou exchanged glances, their thoughts being exactly the same.

Faced with the old commander's furious outburst, the two knew there was no way to escape; whether they faced danger or not, they would be killed anyway, so they had no choice but to bite the bullet and go up together.

Grabbing the two ends of the red cloth from the left and right, they gritted their teeth and pulled it off together.

The words hidden underneath were all exposed to the old leader's eyes.

The old leader looked at the words on the monument with piercing eyes but no expression. He slowly walked step by step to the front of the Monument to Shame.

"Why are you still covering it up? You're already ashamed, so why are you afraid of others finding out?"

The old leader spoke softly, yet his voice was so powerful that it resonated deeply, reaching the ears of Wang Kezheng and He Yazhou, causing them to lower their heads in shame.

He Yazhou was completely unsure of himself, but he had to give his old superior an explanation, so he whispered, "We don't usually have lids on. We only put them on temporarily because we were afraid you would be angry."

"Yes, I'm angry, I'm very angry, I'm extremely angry."

The old leader was very emotional; his body was trembling as he spoke, and his cane kept thumping on the ground.

"You...you knew all along? You came here for this?" He Yazhou asked belatedly.

"Yes, you wouldn't come here without a reason. I came here specifically for this matter. You've done such a big mistake, why didn't you tell me?"

The old commander walked up to He Yazhou and stared straight at him, asking, "After the defeat, Wang Kezheng didn't dare to tell me, which is understandable. He was ashamed to see me, afraid that I would scold him or make him angry."

But if you, as the political commissar, hadn't told me about this, I absolutely wouldn't have done it.

Such a large stone was placed in the military history museum and called a monument to shame. In the military history of the 708th Brigade, that was unprecedented. You guys really dare to think and act.

I'm not dead yet!!!

When the old leader said those last words, he raised his cane and roared hoarsely, every pore of his body radiating anger.

Because he was so emotionally agitated, he started coughing violently after shouting.

Wang Kezheng and He Yazhou rushed over and supported him on either side, afraid that their teacher would collapse there and they would be unable to bear the consequences.

"Don't touch me."

The old leader was furious and angrily shoved the two of them away.

As the first commander of the 708th Division, Meng Huainan personally built this unit, which held a place in his heart even more important than his own son.

Yet this very unit, which under his leadership has always been known for its honors and achievements, has been tainted with such a huge stain today.

This was something Meng Huainan truly couldn't accept!
“Teacher, we know we can’t hide it from you sooner or later, but we were really afraid of upsetting you, so we…” He Yazhou didn’t finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.

"So you want to keep the news from me??"

The old commander questioned in a cold voice, and then said, "That's right, I'm not happy, I'm very unhappy, but I also know that victory and defeat are common occurrences in war."

Our mistake was keeping it from me; after all, I was the first division commander of this unit.

The designation of the 708th Brigade was bestowed by the ZYJ Committee; it was a sacred and glorious banner. From that moment on, the fate of the 708th Brigade was tied to my old life.

Although I've retired, I'll never be able to let go of the 708th Brigade.

After the old commander finished speaking, he walked up to Wang Kezheng, who immediately straightened up in fright and continued, "Wang Kezheng, you won a battle, and you told me immediately to ask for praise."
Now that you've lost the battle, what's wrong with you? Are you just cowering like a turtle?

“Old Commander, it is my responsibility to lose the battle. We wanted to wait until we finished the battle to turn the tide for the 708th Brigade before I could report to you,” Wang Kezheng explained earnestly.

"Are you trying to take credit for your crimes? Having this kind of thinking proves that you still don't dare to take responsibility," the old leader criticized sternly.

“Teacher, please criticize me. I will accept it. If you are still not satisfied, you can hit me with your cane until you feel better,” Wang Kezheng said sincerely.

"Don't think I won't hit you."

The old leader angrily raised his cane, which startled He Yazhou, who quickly advised, "If there's anything wrong with us, just point it out, and we'll definitely correct it."

The old leader didn't look at He Yazhou, as if he hadn't heard him at all.

He continued, staring intently at Wang Kezheng, and said, "I see you're almost fifty, so there's no point in hitting you. I hope you've truly realized your mistake."

"Teacher, please point out any mistakes we made," He Yazhou said earnestly.

"Inappropriate? Of course it is."

The old commander turned to He Yazhou, pointing his cane at the stone tablet in front of him, and said, "Why did you keep this from me when you erected this tablet? You suffered a defeat this time, and you bear responsibility, but don't I bear any responsibility?"

Upon hearing the old commander's last words, Wang Kezheng suddenly raised his head and asked in astonishment, "Commander, you've been away from the 708th Brigade for decades. What responsibilities do you still have?"

"Hey~~"

The old commander sighed deeply and said solemnly, "From the beginning, the old 708th Brigade has always valued honor and emphasized that honor is supreme, which is not wrong."

But because this kind of thinking is so deeply ingrained, we lack education on failure, on setbacks, and on the sense of shame that you have defined.

For so many years, everyone has taken it for granted that the 708th Brigade is an invincible army with no blemishes and cannot be criticized.

This problem has spread from me to the leaders of the division.

By this point, the old leader's emotions had gradually calmed down, and the anger in his eyes had dissipated, replaced by a complex emotion.

“I didn’t sleep a wink all night because you lost to the Seventh Steel Brigade. I felt terrible and my heart was heavy. I was very dissatisfied.”

Later, I called Commander Xing to learn about the situation, watched the live video of your entire exercise, read the tactical analysis report of the 7th Steel Brigade, and also read your rectification report. I suddenly realized that this old guy of mine has fallen behind.

At that moment, I said to myself...

I'm a veteran, I can't fall behind, I have to keep up with the team. In this massive military reform, I have to do something.

When I learned that you had erected this monument to shame, I was shocked. Before this, I didn't have the courage to do this..."

As the old commander spoke, he fell into his memories, his voice softening again, almost murmuring, "In 1946, during the first attack on Yuanzhou, I led a company of soldiers up there. Because of my command error, twenty-eight comrades were killed."

I have always felt very guilty, but this incident has not yet been included in the military history museum of the 708th Brigade.

This is what makes me angry: why wasn't I invited to participate when you erected this monument? I should have written my name on it too.

When they receive honors, everyone is complacent, but when they suffer defeats, no one dares to step forward and take responsibility.

This is not the style of the 708th Brigade.

I'm here today to tell you two, the military and political leaders, and to all the officers and soldiers of the 708th Brigade, that I, Meng Huainan, will always be a soldier of the 708th Brigade.

I, Meng Huainan, am willing to stand with you, with my comrades, and be inspired to act bravely after knowing my shame.

Let us persevere together, enduring hardship and biding our time!

When the old leader uttered those last four words, Wang Kezheng and He Yazhou's eyes turned red, and they couldn't help but grab the old leader's hand.

At this moment, not a single word needs to be said; the unwavering determination in his eyes, as intense as the sun, is already the answer.

The 708 Brigade at this moment.

A true rebirth from the ashes began. (End of Chapter)