Starting from South America, speeding through the world

Chapter 328 Seventeen Years of Shared Hardships and More

The sky was overcast, and the clouds hung low.

The granite in the square had a somewhat dull luster after last night's drizzle.

More tents were set up, making the already crowded space even narrower.

White mist swirled around the stall, where hot tea and boiled corn steamed.

Madeline paused for a moment before getting off the bus and looked ahead.

The group of young people had just hung up the new banner.

Blue background with yellow stars, fluttering in the wind.

She tightened the scarf a little, then gestured for them to begin.

"Maintain the route," the agent at the side reported in a low voice.

Madeline didn't look at them, but simply tilted the bouquet downwards to avoid obscuring the badge on her chest.

In news footage, the square appears to be made up of mottled fragments.

The students' backpacks had writing on them, the priest's cross was on them, and the national flag was sewn onto their coats.

Madeline took the list and headed towards the first supply point.

Two volunteers are unloading cardboard boxes from a pickup truck.

There is a wide variety of things.

Disposable raincoats, hand warmers, medical gauze, and compressed biscuits.

She took the pen and counted with a young girl with freckles.

“Twenty boxes.” The girl’s eyes were bright, and her voice trembled slightly from the cold.

"Twenty boxes, plus a bucket of hot water."

Madeline put a small checkmark next to the list. "Thank you."

She quickly got used to the process.

Hand the cardboard box to the other person and hear them say thank you.

Then, watch as the owner of those hands disappears into the gaps in the tent.

A narrow passage was divided by iron barriers.

The end is arranged in a semi-open "L" shape to facilitate taking photos.

Madeline walked over and stopped at the makeshift table.

There were water stains on the table, and hand sanitizer was taped to the edge.

She took a disposable cup, turned on the valve of the hot water tank, and steam hit her face.

Volunteers handed out tea bags and sugar.

"For you guys."

Madeline handed the first cup to the boy opposite her.

The boy took off his mask and thanked him repeatedly.

She then handed the water glass to the girl next to her.

The girl's nose turned slightly red, and she nodded gratefully.

"Where are you from?" Madeline asked.

“Lviv,” the boy said, “arrived last night.”

"Was the journey smooth?"

“The police checked the car,” he said, glancing at his companion, “but it’s nothing.”

After that, more names were gradually revealed.

Chernigov.

Gernopol.

Odessa.

Countless red dots gradually connect to form a patch, outlining a map.

People nearby kept taking pictures with their phones.

In the end, a young man squeezed out of the crowd, followed by three people his age.

Although his clothes weren't exactly neat, he clearly had a lot of influence in the scene.

“Welcome,” he said in Ukrainian, extending his right hand.

The sound wasn't loud, but it quieted the surroundings down.

Madeline looked up and responded in a friendly manner.

Thank you. Is there anything else you need?

The young man remained silent for a long time, as if he was carefully choosing his words.

“We need supplies: tents, medicine, and water,” he said.

"But we need your help even more."

"Your presence is needed."

Madeline's eyelids twitched slightly, her gaze falling on his shoulder before returning to his face.

“We will be here,” she said, “standing shoulder to shoulder with you.”

In the media area, several familiar television cameramen were already in place.

"They're ready," the PR person whispered from behind.

Madeline smiled and walked over there.

The microphone was then extended towards them.

"Madam Deputy Secretary, does the United States support the action at Independence Square?"

"The United States supports the Ukrainian people in peacefully expressing their demands for democracy and dignity."

Will the United States provide more support?

"We are maintaining close communication with our European partners and other international friends."

At this point, Madeline deliberately slowed down her speech to make herself sound more determined.

"The United States will continue to stand with the people of Ukraine in their pursuit of a more democratic, stable, and prosperous future."

When a reporter tried to press for more information, she quietly stepped back a little.

The blue and yellow flags in the background dominate the entire frame. The next second, someone carrying a bottle of mineral water happens to walk by and stumbles a couple of steps.

Madeline took the opportunity to raise her hand and help him steady the box.

The camera shutter suddenly started clicking rapidly.

"Ms. Watts is in a good mood today."

Jim commented casually through his binoculars.

"Give us the numbers, and we'll get this over with quickly," Zhou Yi replied succinctly.

The anemometer was placed at my feet, and the numbers on the display screen kept changing.

"Surface wind: 3 points. Upper-level winds: 5 to 7 points. Gusts: 8 points."

"Direction 110".

“Corrected by 0.8 left,” he said.

The metal knob made a faint "click" sound.

Jim opened his backpack and handed over the fully loaded magazines.

"LOT June, NATO system, initial velocity approximately 894 per second."

Zhou Yi took it, inserted it, confirmed the locking position, and gently pulled the bolt.

The bullet is pushed into the chamber along the feed ramp.

"DA 700 feet, temperature 14, humidity 70."

"Distance of 1,973, angle of depression of 1.2 degrees, drop of 38 degrees."

"Correction nineteen point six above, zero point eight left."

Zhou Yi's finger rested on the outside of the trigger guard.

“Confirm the parallax,” Jim reminded him.

“Done,” Zhou Yi replied.

"The wind is temporarily stable at 3.5."

The crosshairs are positioned to the left of the chest.

Slowly tighten your fingers.

"The wind is still blowing," Jim whispered a reminder.

“I know,” Zhou Yi said, letting out a breath.

"On target."

“R——”

The next second, the phone on my chest vibrated twice.

That's not a conventional communication device.

It is usually kept silent, and only a very few people know the number.

Zhou Yi frowned slightly, stopped what he was doing, and removed his right hand from the trigger.

Then, the screen lit up.

He looked down and opened the message.

Jim waited for a long time, but there was still silence on the other end, so he couldn't help but ask.

"Condition?"

No one answered.

“John?” Jim looked away from the viewing mirror and turned to look.

Zhou Yi didn't move; he just stood there, frozen in place.

two seconds.

three seconds.

Jim felt a rare sense of unease.

"Say something, brother."

"What happened?"

“Colin is dead,” Zhou Yi said.

Jim was stunned by what he heard.

There was a momentary blank in my mind.

He blinked: "...When?"

"One week ago. Congo. S-Vest."

The wind swept past the building, stirring up sand and gravel.

Jim's Adam's apple bobbed, his lips parted, and in the end, he could only utter a clumsy word of comfort.

"Are you alright, bro?"

Zhou Yi remained silent.

He bent down again, pressing his face against the cold metal as if nothing had happened.

Two kilometers away, the stage and the crowd remained clearly visible, unchanged.

Jim stared intently at his expression.

"Wind?" Zhou Yi asked.

Jim realized what was happening and quickly glanced at the anemometer.

"constant."

"Ground level 3.2, upper-level turbulence 5 to 7, gusts 8."

"receive."

However, just when Jim thought the message wouldn't have much of an impact on him—

Zhou Yi's calm voice came from beside me.

"I've known him for seventeen years."

There was another moment of silence.

"Sharing hardships is not the only part of it."

(End of this chapter)