Starting from the deputy company commander of the Soldier Assault Team

Outside the auditorium, Gao Cheng, the company commander of the 7th Steel Company, and Hong Xingguo, the political instructor, led all the officers and soldiers who were at home to carry two bright red company flags on foot. Then, under the guidance of the division staff, they sat in the front seats and formed the Hero Company Formation.

Representatives of officers and soldiers from other regiments and headquarters companies of the T Division then entered the venue one by one and took their seats in an orderly manner.

Finally, the representatives of the 2000th winter training class of the T Division entered the venue one by one, selected from the twelve recruit companies, accompanied by a lieutenant from the division's training team.

As a group observing and learning, the new recruits were uniformly arranged in the 25th row, maintaining a hierarchical distinction from the areas where veterans and officers sat, fully reflecting the military tradition of training before combat and new recruits learning from veterans.

At 8:50 a.m., all the representatives from the various regiments of the T Division were seated, quietly waiting for the ceremony to begin and for the arrival of the heroes.

At 8:55 a.m., the commander and political commissar of the T Division, and Wang Qingrui, the commander and political commissar of the 702nd Regiment, appeared at the entrance of the auditorium on time and took their seats according to their name tags.

At 8:58, Li, the head of the propaganda section of the division's political department, wearing a Type 87 brown-green winter uniform and carrying the rank of major, strode onto the stage with a straight posture and began the warm-up in a loud voice.

"Comrades, please be quiet! The T Division's First-Class Merit Award Ceremony is about to begin. Please have each unit count the number of attendees, tidy your attire, and maintain order in the venue!"

As the host's voice faded, the team leaders from each unit counted the number of people again, and the staff checked the sound system and the military band's preparations.

Awards are an extremely important ceremony in the military. For the award recipients, it is proof of their ability, the cornerstone of their prestige, a vehicle for passing on their legacy, and the most valuable ceremony in their military career.

At 9:00 AM sharp, Section Chief Li announced again in a loud voice, "Everyone stand! Play the National Anthem of the People's Republic of China!"

Snapped!

Everyone in the auditorium stood at attention in perfect unison, their eyes fixed on the national flag above the stage.

The band members played the national anthem.

"After the national anthem, please be seated. Comrades! Today, with utmost respect and excitement, we gather in the division auditorium to solemnly hold the First-Class Merit Award Ceremony."

First of all, on behalf of the Political Department of the Division, I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to Comrade Zhang Anbang, who is being honored today with a first-class merit!

I extend my sincere greetings to all the leaders and guests present at the ceremony, as well as to all the officers and soldiers of the 7th Steel Company of the 702nd Regiment!

Section Chief Li's impassioned voice resounded throughout the auditorium, and the soldiers below the stage applauded enthusiastically in congratulations.

Section Chief Li raised his hand to signal, and the applause instantly disappeared. "The leaders attending today's ceremony are: Comrade Chen Shi, Commander of Division T, and Comrade Liu Gang, Political Commissar of Division T."

Comrade Li Kangmei, Deputy Commander of the T Division, Comrade Tian Ming, Director of the Political Department of the T Division… Let us welcome our leaders with warm applause!

Section Chief Li introduced each leader one by one, his gaze following each one as he spoke. As soon as he finished speaking, a burst of applause echoed throughout the auditorium once again.

"Comrades, at the previous farewell party for our comrades, Comrade Zhang Anbang composed and performed two military songs to express his deep comradeship."

When that day arrived, it profoundly expressed the soldiers' unwavering determination to fight, their selfless dedication, and their absolute loyalty to the motherland and the people.

The two military songs were well received by soldiers across the army and made significant contributions to the development of spiritual civilization in the armed forces.

With the approval of the military unit, he is awarded a First-Class Merit. Now, let us welcome Comrade Tian Ming, Director of the Political Department of the T Division, to read out the order of merit!

As Section Chief Li spoke, he gestured to the Director of the Political Department to stand up and go on stage. Amidst the applause in the auditorium, Director Tian Ming walked to the microphone and began to read out the order for meritorious service.

……

"Thank you, Director Tian Ming! Please return to your post, Director."

Tian Ming smiled and nodded, then returned to his seat.

"The order recognizing his meritorious service has been read aloud. This honor is the result of Comrade Zhang Anbang's painstaking efforts in his writing, and he is a role model for all officers and soldiers in our division to learn from!"

This sentence is a signal that the award recipient is about to go on stage.

Inside the officers' lounge next to the auditorium, officers from the division headquarters assisted Zhang Anbang in a final check, ensuring that all the shoulder boards and collar insignia on his uniform were in the correct position, and that all the medals of honor he had previously received were hung in the correct place. They also reminded Zhang Anbang of the precautions for receiving the awards.

"Now, let's present the awards! Please welcome Comrade Zhang Anbang, a recipient of the First-Class Merit Citation, to the stage! We'll play the 'Welcome March'!"

As the military band members began to play a lively tune, Zhang Anbang stepped from the side into his designated position below the rostrum, while two honor guards from the division's guard company entered the hall in goose-step through the side door.

With firm and powerful strides, perfectly in sync with the rhythm of the music, they marched towards a point three meters directly in front of the podium.

Once Zhang Anbang and the two honor guards had all taken their designated positions and stood at attention, the music gradually subsided.

"Please welcome Commander Chen Shi and Political Commissar Liu Gang of Division T to present Comrade Zhang Anbang with the First-Class Merit Medal and certificate! Play the 'Review March'!"

Amid solemn and steady music, the two leaders rose and came to the podium. Two honor guards followed them, stepping forward in unison and stopping to their left. They steadily handed the trays to the leaders within easy reach, their eyes fixed straight ahead, chins slightly tucked in, their expressions extremely serious and solemn.

The stainless steel tray with its edges wrapped in red velvet is easy to clean and avoids the glare of metal reflections.

On the tray held by the honor guard to the left of the division commander was a red box.

Inside the unfolded red cardboard box with gold foil stamping, a gilded bronze medal lay quietly in a red velvet recess, gleaming under the auditorium lights.

The medal's main insignia is 40mm in diameter and is a regular pentagon. The center features the August 1st Army emblem, surrounded by fifteen radiating lines symbolizing widespread honor. The outer perimeter is decorated with reliefs of kapok flowers and five-pointed stars.

The ribbon is white with blue sides and a red bar in the middle, clearly indicating that this is a First-Class Merit Medal. The back of the medal is engraved with the inscription "First-Class Merit Medal Made by the General Political Department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army" and its unique serial number.

On another tray were neatly folded certificates, the gold lettering on the cover of which shone brightly toward the podium.

Commander Chen picked up the medal from the tray, unfastened the pin on the short ribbon, and hung the medal in the center above Zhang Anbang's left breast pocket, with the top edge aligned with the top edge of the pocket and the bottom edge aligned with the bottom edge of the pocket. The ribbon hung down naturally, and the medal was close to his clothes.

"Xiao Zhang, keep up the good work," Commander Chen whispered to him.

"Yes."

Political Commissar Liu also took the certificate from the tray and handed it to Zhang Anbang.

As the medals and certificates were awarded and the music stopped, the host, Section Chief Li, announced in a loud voice, "Comrade Zhang Anbang, please salute the leader and all comrades present."

As soon as the host finished speaking, Zhang Anbang suddenly raised his arm, his right hand with five fingers together and his elbow stretched into a sharp straight line, and gave a standard military salute to the two leaders.

The gilded medal swayed gently with his movements, yet remained firmly pressed against his chest, echoing the curve of his spine and exuding the unique strength of a soldier.

After the ceremony, he turned to face the crowd below the stage, and the eyes of over a thousand officers and soldiers all fell upon him. Zhang Anbang was wearing a Type 87 brown-green winter uniform, and the gold-plated pentagonal First-Class Merit Medal above his left breast pocket was particularly eye-catching. The blue, white, and red sash hung straight down, echoing the red five-pointed star on his collar. The soldiers below the stage looked at the medal with eyes full of awe; it was an honor that every soldier wanted to hold in their hands.

Zhang Anbang raised his arm in salute again, his gaze sweeping over the ranks of the Seventh Steel Company, over Gao Cheng's excited expression, over those familiar faces, and over the straight spines of everyone in the auditorium.

The certificate of merit stood firmly in his left hand, the gleam of the gold medal reflecting in his eyes. It was an honor that belonged to him alone, and even more so, a source of pride for the entire T Division.

……

"A military medal represents a responsibility. Now, please welcome Comrade Zhang Anbang, a recipient of the First-Class Merit Citation, to speak."

……

"Comrades, honor carries our mission, and role models guide us forward. Now, let us welcome Comrade Liu Gang, Political Commissar of Division T, with warm applause to deliver an important speech!"

……

"The awarding ceremony for the First-Class Merit Citation of Division T is now concluded! Leaders on the stage, please leave first, followed by all units in order to exit in an orderly manner!"

……

After the solemn award ceremony, the various troops who had gathered there returned to their original locations one by one, accompanied by their leaders.

Inside the military jeep, Gao Cheng said impatiently, "Let me see it quickly. Goodness, it's really too difficult to get this treasure."

Zhang Anbang took the red leather box out of his small bag. "Then you'd better be careful."

"Isn't that obvious? I'm just taking a look. I'm not going to break it. It won't stop you from passing it on to your son."

Zhang Anbang turned to look at Gao Cheng. "I don't even have a girlfriend, so where would I get a son? Besides, this thing is a testament to my worth. Even if I have a son in the future, why would I pass it on to him? If you want something, you should strive for it yourself."

These words struck a chord with Gao Cheng, who gave a thumbs-up and nodded, saying, "You're right. A real man should do what he wants, even risk his life for it."

"Alright, here you go. Put it away. Since you've done a great job today, I'll be your driver. Let's hurry back, we're in a bit of a rush."

As Gao Cheng spoke, he started the car, kicking up a cloud of dust, and quickly headed towards the recruit training camp.