The little star from the Gobi Desert, handed over to the state, is hailed as a national treasure.

Wan Hongxin's face turned pale and then red as he was scolded, and his lips trembled for a long time, but he couldn't utter another word.

By this time, Dr. Sun had finished bandaging his wound. Song Dazhuang stepped forward, picked him up like a chick, stared at his timid and cowering appearance, and shouted with disgust, "Get in the car!"

Wan Hongxin, a man capable of betraying his ancestors and selling out his country, naturally cherished his life. He dared not resist in the slightest and was slunk away by Song Dazhuang towards the military vehicle. Just before stepping onto the vehicle, he couldn't help but glance back at Jiang Guoqiang.

The latter turned her face away decisively, with a resolute expression that she had severed all ties and never wanted to know him again. Only they knew how much unspeakable disappointment and heartache was hidden in that straight back.

Only when the car door slammed shut did Wan Hongxin's last glimpse of the car completely disappear.

Jiang Guoqiang stood there, watching the dust kicked up by the military vehicles, motionless for a long time. The broken end of his glasses slid across his nose; he raised his hand to steady it, his fingertips trembling slightly.

Commander Liu walked over to him and handed him the cigarette again. This time, Jiang Guoqiang did not refuse.

He took a deep drag on the match the commander had lit. The smoke rolled through his lungs and was slowly exhaled through his nose, as if he wanted to expel all the pent-up stagnation in his chest.

"Old Jiang," Commander Liu said with regret, "what a pity about your student."

"It's not a pity." Jiang Guoqiang said in a hoarse voice, his tone firm. "He chose his own path. He has to bear the consequences of whichever path he chose."

Liang Zhe watched silently from the side. He thought of Professor Qian returning to the experimental field despite his illness, of the old commander's tired eyes after many days of hard work, and of the technicians who stayed up all night in front of the blueprints, enduring the cold with only cold water and biscuits. Then he looked at the old professor in front of him, his clothes wrinkled, his glasses crooked, but his spine ramrod straight.

Some people live on their knees, yet think themselves clever; some people die standing, yet bear the weight of an era.

"Liang Troupe!"

The soldier on guard suddenly spoke up. Liang Zhe looked in the direction of the sound and saw the figure lying in the back seat of the car move slightly.

The military doctor, Sun, quickly stepped forward and whispered in his ear, "He's alright, he just sprained his ankle and was knocked unconscious by Wan Hongxin. He just woke up."

"It's good that you're awake." Liang Zhe had just spoken when Dr. Sun walked towards the back seat. "I'll go check on the situation first."

He got into the car, first checking the other man's pulse to make sure it was steady, before softly asking, "Comrade, how are you feeling? Can you hear me?"

The person in the seat made a soft "uh" sound, a sound of suppressed pain.

"Are you feeling dizzy? Can you try to sit up by yourself?"

The person raised a pale white hand, gently pressed it against their temple, and then slowly propped themselves up.

The soldiers on guard and Liang Zhe then realized that the other person's movements were gentle and graceful, with a captivating charm; it turned out to be a woman.

As she sat up, her long hair cascaded over her shoulders, the jet-black strands gleaming with a lustrous sheen, making half of her profile appear as white as snow.

The woman seemed a little dizzy. She leaned weakly against the back of the chair, her high breasts rising and falling slightly, exuding a delicate and fragile beauty.

Liang Zhe slowly narrowed his eyes, feeling that this woman looked somewhat familiar.

"Comrade, are you alright? Do you need to be taken to the town hospital for a check-up?" Dr. Sun asked again.

The woman remained silent for a moment before slowly opening her mouth and whispering, "Comrade, thank you, I'm alright."

As she spoke, she opened her eyes and looked around. All she saw were soldiers standing at attention, rifles at their sides, each with a stern expression. She paused, her shoulders trembling slightly, as if she were frightened by the sight.

Dr. Sun quickly said, "Don't be afraid. We are a garrison unit, here to protect the people. The person who hijacked your car has been caught. How are you feeling now? Is anything particularly uncomfortable?"

"I……"

The woman opened her mouth, about to answer, when her beautiful eyes suddenly fell on Liang Zhe. A light flashed in her eyes. "Comrade! Is that you?"

She was looking in Liang Zhe's direction.

Liang Zhe was taken aback and subconsciously looked around—there was no one else around, and she was definitely talking to him.

"Who are you……"

He had only uttered two words when suddenly a face flashed through his mind. He then realized why she looked familiar; he had indeed seen this woman in town not long ago!

Not only did he meet her, but he also helped her snatch her handbag back from a few thugs, and the other party even gave her a sketchbook.

"Comrade Shen? Is that you?"

A look of surprise flashed in Shen Ruowen's eyes. She tried to straighten up and said to Liang Zhe, "It's me. You still remember me..." Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly cried out in pain and reached out to cover her ankle.

The military doctor, Sun, who was standing nearby, quickly reached out to support her, saying, "Comrade, you've sprained your ankle. Don't move around too much."

Shen Ruowen's face was still contorted with pain as she looked at her swollen ankle and asked worriedly, "Then... is the bone alright? Will it affect my walking in the future?"

Dr. Sun had examined her while she was unconscious and immediately said, "The bones should be fine, but the soft tissue is badly swollen. She needs to rest to reduce the swelling, and she absolutely must not move around during this time."

Shen Ruowen glanced at his car, which was stuck in the sand pit, his face clouded with worry, and remained silent.

Liang Zhe stepped forward and asked, "Comrade Shen, why did you drive all the way to the desert alone?"

A hint of annoyance flashed across Shen Ruowen's face: "I was sent by the newspaper to do fieldwork. The conditions are tough now, and the leaders asked me to take more pictures of the people's hard work and struggle, to show their spirit of fighting against nature, and to inspire the people of the whole country to overcome difficulties together and better devote themselves to the construction of the motherland. I didn't expect that I would get lost so soon after entering the desert."

"Did you come alone? Didn't you bring a partner?"

Shen Ruowen sensed the doubt and distrust in his words, and her face fell slightly.

"What's wrong with me being a lesbian? Women hold up half the sky. I can complete interviews independently and don't need to rely on anyone."

Liang Zhe sensed her displeasure and realized he had misspoke, so he quickly explained, "I'm sorry, that's not what I meant. I was just worried about your safety."

Shen Ruowen saw the sincerity in his expression and her expression softened slightly: "Of course I know. You helped me before, and I trust your character. It's just that many people don't believe in the abilities of us women. They always look at us with suspicion and think that we have to rely on men for everything."

Liang Zhe thought to himself that the logic was sound, but getting lost as soon as they entered the desert seemed to diminish the "independent mission completion" claim. He naturally wouldn't point this out, and instead asked, "How did you get your car hijacked?"

Shen Ruowen sighed, still shaken. "It was my carelessness. I drove around in the desert for ages without finding the road, and then I ran into that guy. He claimed to be an expert from a construction aid project who had been injured and asked me to take him back to town for treatment. I saw that he looked disheveled, so I stopped the car without thinking much about it. I never expected..." She shook her head and didn't continue.

At this point, Commander Liu walked over. He looked at Shen Ruowen, then at Liang Zhe, and asked, "Little Liang, do you recognize this female comrade?"