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The two letters disappeared without a trace, as if they had been thrown into the sea.

Vietnam's rainy season continues, soaking the world in wetness and mud.

Hope seems so weak and fragile in the face of the harsh reality.

Su Ning knew very well that distant water could not quench immediate thirst. Before receiving any external assistance, the only thing he could rely on was himself and the "killing blade" in his hand that had been honed to an ever-sharp edge.

Instead of becoming discouraged, Suning transformed his anticipation for a reply and his deep-seated anxiety about escaping into a ruthless drive to survive and accumulate capital on the battlefield.

He became more silent, and his eyes sharpened, like a sophisticated war machine stripped of unnecessary emotions.

During a company-level mopping-up operation, Company A encountered a strong defensive line built by the enemy in a village.

The machine gun fire spewed from the windows of the thatched huts and behind the bamboo fences, pinning the entire company down and causing heavy casualties to the first few squads.

"Damn it! Their firing positions are too tricky!" The new platoon leader shouted into the radio from behind a dry ditch.

Bullets thudded into the earthen mound above his head, sending dirt flying.

Just when everyone was at a loss, Su Ning moved to the platoon leader's side like a ghost.

Su Ning's face was covered in mud, but his eyes were frighteningly calm.

"Platoon leader, give me three men to launch a feint attack and draw fire from the front and left. I'll take that bamboo house on the right with the PKM machine gun."

"Gan? How do you plan to get across? That open area is impossible to cross!"

Su Ning didn't explain, but simply pointed to a seemingly impassable swamp of reeds on the outskirts of the village.

"I circled around from there. Ten minutes later, I launched a feint attack."

Before the platoon leader could respond, Su Ning had already lowered his body and silently slid into the murky swamp.

Using the reeds for cover, he was almost submerged in the water, relying solely on a hollow reed stalk to maintain his breathing, and moved towards the flank of his target at an extremely slow but determined pace.

The leeches in the muddy water cling to the skin without the person even noticing.

Ten minutes later, the feint attack began, and gunfire erupted.

Just as the enemy's firepower was drawn away, Su Ning suddenly leaped out like a lurking crocodile from the edge of the reeds that was thought to be impassable!
Covered in mud, yet moving with lightning speed.

Instead of using a rifle, he held a sharper military knife that Rambo had taught him to modify in his right hand, and an M1911 pistol with a silencer in his left.

Like the Grim Reaper, he crept up to the bottom of the bamboo building and dealt with the unsuspecting sentry.

Then, using the structure of the bamboo house, they climbed up as nimbly as monkeys and suddenly leaned out from below the window, out of the machine gunner's blind spot!
"Pfft! Pfft!" Two soft gunshots rang out.

The machine gunners inside the bamboo building instantly had bloody holes in their foreheads and collapsed to the ground without uttering a sound.

The rampaging PKM machine gun immediately fell silent.

Immediately afterwards, Su Ning did not linger. He used the newly captured high ground to calmly observe the situation, and then began to eliminate other exposed firing positions with precise single-shot bursts.

Each of his bullets was extremely deadly, greatly disrupting the enemy's defensive deployment.

"It's 'Professor'! He's done it!" The American soldiers below were greatly encouraged by the chaos of the enemy's firepower.

"Charge! Follow the gap the 'Professor' opened!"

After the battle, Elder Walker looked at the young man who calmly rappelled down from the bamboo house, covered in mud but with a clear and cold eye. "Did you see that? Gan single-handedly tore through the entire defensive line! I'm going to apply for the Silver Star Medal for him!"

The soldiers around Su Ning looked at him with admiration, even a hint of awe.

They gave him a nickname in private—"The Ghost Professor".

However, in the face of praise, Su Ning simply wiped his weapon silently, his face expressionless.

Establishing merit is not for honor, but rather as a bargaining chip.

Each successful action adds a record to his file, which may increase his chances of being transferred or seeking other opportunities in the future.

At night, during brief moments of rest, he would be alone, by the dim light, rereading Professor Wheeler's past letters or caressing the photographs sent by Kim Yoon-ji.

He was waiting, waiting for an opportunity, or a reply from afar, that could rescue him from this green hell.

Before that, he could only continue to play the role of a battlefield legend who instilled fear in the enemy and was relied upon by his comrades, using the blood of the enemy to pave a possible path to survival for himself.

……

Unlike Suning's Company A, which frequently carried out proactive missions, Agan's Company B was more responsible for garrisoning and patrolling.

However, in Vietnam, calm is always the prelude to a storm.

It was a sweltering afternoon when B Company was conducting a routine patrol along a narrow path covered with dense vegetation.

Lieutenant Dan walked at the front of the column, his eyes still sharp, but the tension and fatigue of the past few days made him look somewhat haggard.

Forrest Gump and Bubba followed in the middle of the group, with Bubba still whispering to Forrest about his grand vision for "Bub-Gump Shrimp Company".

“Listen, Gan, when we get back we’ll buy a shrimp boat. You’ll be the captain, and I’ll be the first mate…”

“But Bubba, I can’t drive a boat,” Forrest Gump answered honestly.

“It’s okay, you can learn! Or you can just run on the boat and keep it moving!” Babu thought optimistically.

Suddenly, without warning, death arrived.

The first explosion came from the very front of the column; it was a carefully disguised landmine!
Immediately afterwards, rifles, machine guns, and rockets poured out from the dense forest on both sides of the road like a torrential downpour, instantly cutting B Company into several sections.

The firepower was far more ferocious than any ambush they had ever encountered before.

"Take cover! Get under cover!" Lieutenant Dane's shout was almost drowned out by the deafening gunfire.

He had just raised his pistol to try and mount a counterattack when a bullet struck his thigh. He groaned and fell heavily to the ground, blood quickly staining his trouser leg.

The scene was completely out of control.

Screams, explosions, and cries for help filled the air.

Inexperienced recruits panicked and ran around like headless flies, only to be mercilessly shot down.

"Gan! Run! Run!" Babu shouted in terror as he watched as several familiar soldiers in front of him were instantly riddled with bullets.

Amidst the chaos, Forrest Gump's mind was filled only with his brother Suning's repeated admonitions and the muscle memory he had developed through day-to-day training...

"Run! Run fast! The faster you run, the more likely you are to survive!"

"Baboo! Follow me!" Forrest shouted at Baboo.

Then, like a startled antelope, it burst forth with astonishing speed, charging toward the relatively less heavily armed rear jungle.

Babu also gave it his all, keeping close behind.

Bullets whizzed past their ears, striking the surrounding tree trunks and leaves.

Thanks to their almost self-torturing weighted trail running, their cardiopulmonary function and leg strength far exceed those of ordinary people.

Forrest Gump walked steadily, making the rugged woodland feel like flat ground. Although Bubba was panting heavily, he managed to keep up with Forrest's pace.

The two of them became one of the few "lucky ones" who managed to break through the first wave of fire in this deadly ambush by speed.

He ran wildly until he could no longer hear the gunfire, then dared to stop and lean against a big tree, panting heavily.

“God…we…we escaped…” Babu’s face was deathly pale, his voice trembling, “But Lieutenant…and the others…”

Forrest Gump was panting heavily, his innocent eyes filled with fear, but even more so with anxiety and worry.

I remembered Lieutenant Dane falling, and the sight of my other comrades falling in the hail of bullets.

“No, Bubba,” Agam suddenly said, his tone unusually firm. “We can’t abandon Lieutenant and Jennings. We can’t abandon our comrades.”

"Are you crazy, Gan! Going back is suicide!" Babu grabbed him in terror.

“It’s okay! I’m fast, the bullets won’t hit me!” Forrest Gump said stubbornly, his simple logic proving incredibly powerful at that moment.

Before Babu could object again, he resolutely turned around and, following the same route, rushed back to that hell on earth at an even faster speed than when he fled.

When he returned to the ambush area, the battle was nearing its end, and Vietnamese soldiers were cleaning up the battlefield and finishing off the wounded who had not yet died.

Forrest Gump skillfully evaded the pursuing enemies, relying on his animalistic instincts and speed.

He heard Lieutenant Dane's faint groans and followed the sound to find the lieutenant leaning against a shell crater, pale-faced, with a tourniquet tightly wrapped around his thigh, but his consciousness was beginning to fade. "Lieutenant!" Agan called out in a low voice.

Lieutenant Dane barely opened his eyes, and when he saw Forrest Gump return, his eyes were filled with disbelief: "Forrest...you...you idiot...what are you doing back here..."

“I’ll take you home, Lieutenant!” Forrest Gump said without hesitation, carefully carrying Lieutenant Dane on his back with his strong arms.

Then, he found two more soldiers nearby who were seriously wounded and unable to move.

He carried them one at a time, moving them with astonishing perseverance and speed to a relatively safe spot behind bushes where he hid them.

Just as he returned for the third time to try to rescue a young private who was wounded in the leg and calling for help, a bullet thudded into his right hip.

A searing pain shot through him, and Forrest stumbled, nearly falling over.

"Gan!" the private shouted in terror.

"I'm fine!" Forrest gritted his teeth, enduring the excruciating pain.

He grabbed the private and practically dragged him away, staggering as they fled the deadly area to reunite with Lieutenant Dane and the others who had been hiding.

Fortunately, their gunfire and commotion attracted the attention of nearby friendly forces who came to their rescue.

When the rescue team arrived, this was the scene they found: Lieutenant Dane and several seriously wounded men were barely alive, while Forrest Gump, enduring a gunshot wound to his hip, clumsily tried to re-bandage the lieutenant with torn strips of cloth, muttering repeatedly, "It's alright, Lieutenant, we're saved...it's alright..."

Thanks to Forrest Gump's repeated rescues, which risked his own life, five seriously wounded soldiers, including Lieutenant Dane, survived.

They were quickly transported to a field hospital in the rear.

The surgery removed the bullet from his buttocks. The doctor smiled and said, "Kid, you're really lucky. The bullet only went through the fat layer and didn't damage the bones or nerves. But you'll have to lie on your stomach for a while."

Do you have ice cream?

"Of course! We have as many as you want."

Forrest Gump lay on the hospital bed, his wound still hurting, but he grinned because he had fulfilled his promise to his brother and mother…

He ran very fast, he protected his companions, and he survived.

However, what he didn't know was that his "foolish" act of bravery would earn him a medal of honor, symbolizing the highest honor, and would completely change the course of his and his brother Su Ning's lives.

His bullet-struck buttocks became a somewhat comical yet incredibly heroic footnote to his legendary story.

……

For most wounded soldiers, life in a field hospital is long and painful, but for Forrest Gan, it unexpectedly became the brightest period of his military career.

This was not only because he was away from the constant threat of death on the front lines, and although the gunshot wound in his buttocks was painful, it was gradually improving; more importantly, he was able to receive letters steadily from faraway America, and the sender was Jenny Cullen, whom he had secretly liked since childhood.

Unlike the Jenny who was adrift and lost in the original historical trajectory, Jenny at this time, with the indirect help of Suning and the direct care of Elvis Presley, had become an assistant in Elvis's team.

She was no longer the depraved girl who would scream naked with a guitar in a low-class bar; she had a respectable job, toured with a band, and reached the pinnacle of the music industry.

The stability of her life and the clarity of her goals led to a subtle change in her mindset.

So, in Elvis Presley's mansion in Memphis, Jenny used her breaks from work to start writing letters to Forrest Gump, who was as innocent as a blank sheet of paper but was now wounded in the Vietnam War.

When the first letter arrived, Forrest Gump was clumsily trying to change his own dressing.

The nurse handed him the letter, and when he saw the neat and familiar handwriting on the envelope, his eyes immediately lit up, and even the pain in his buttocks seemed to lessen a bit.

"Dear Foresh,"
I heard you were injured and are now recuperating in a field hospital. I hope that by the time this letter reaches you, you will be feeling much better.

You must listen to the doctor and take good care of your injury, okay?

I am fine.

I am currently in Memphis, working for Mr. Presley.

My job is to assist with organizing sheet music and handling some fan mail.

Everything here feels like a dream; the recording studio is huge, and the stage lights are blindingly bright.

Although Mr. Presley is a big star, he is very kind to people in private. He even asked about you. I told him that you are an old friend of mine from Greenfield County, and that you are serving in the military in Vietnam.

Fores, take good care of yourself.

The battlefield is dangerous; don't rush back recklessly like before.

You must come back safely.

Please give my regards to Su.

"Your friend, Jenny"

Forrest Gump held the letter and read it over and over again, especially the words "Your friend, Jenny".

Lying on the bed, grinning foolishly, he eagerly found paper and pen and began writing a reply.

"Jenny, I'm so glad to receive your letter. I was shot in the butt, but the doctor said it's not serious and I'll be fine soon."

The food here is pretty good; they have jelly and ice cream, which I really enjoy.

You're amazing! You even got to meet Elvis!

I listen to his songs every day; they're really good.

I met a good friend named Babu in the army. He was a shrimp fisherman, and we agreed to start a shrimp fishing company together when we got back.

If you don't want to work for Elvis anymore, you can come to our company. Bob said we need an accountant, and I believe you can definitely handle the job.

I will take good care of myself, and I miss you very much.

When I get back, can I visit you in Memphis?

"Fores Gan"

The communication continued in this way.

Jenny's letter, like a window, showed Forrest Gump a completely different world, full of music and light.

In her letters, she would describe her experiences on tour, which city had the most enthusiastic audience, the interesting things that happened on stage, and occasionally she would also reveal her confusion and contemplation about the future.

Her writing has lost some of the rebelliousness and sharpness of her teenage years, but gained a touch of maturity and stability.

He tried to find out as much information as possible about Suning, but Agan didn't know much, only that Suning was already a battlefield king.

Forrest Gump's replies, on the other hand, were always simple and direct, filled with concern for Jenny and longing for a simple life in the future.

Forrest Gump would tell her in his letters what new way Bubba had come up with to catch shrimp, how kind the nurses at the hospital were, or how he had dreamed of the big oak tree in Greenfield again.

He never mentioned the bloodshed and cruelty of the battlefield, as if the bullet wound on his buttocks was just an accidental fall.

Once, Jenny slipped a photograph into a letter.

In the photo, she is wearing a well-fitting dress, standing outside the recording studio with a gentle and confident smile on her face. She is completely different from the girl in Forrest Gump's memory who wore a faded T-shirt and had a stubborn yet vulnerable look in her eyes.

Forrest Gump carefully tucked the photo under his pillow and would take it out to look at it for a while every night before going to bed.

Lieutenant Dan, who shared the ward with him, would tease him when he saw him like this: "Hey, Gan, did your girlfriend send it?"

Forrest Gump would earnestly correct him: "It's Jenny, we're best friends."

But the smile he couldn't hide on his face revealed his deeper emotions.

These letters from across the ocean were a more effective medicine than any painkiller for Forrest Gump, who was lying in a hospital bed in a field hospital.

They dispelled the gloom of war, filled the boredom of his recovery period, and, more importantly, instilled boundless anticipation and joy into his simple heart.

Now I am even more determined to survive and return home safely.

I need to go back to see my mother, my brother Suning, Babu, and...

He met Jenny, who was waiting for him in Memphis and was getting better and better.

His world became incredibly fulfilling and full of hope because of these letters.

...(End of chapter)