Searching for someone in northern Myanmar, and you call that earning tuition fees?

According to his agreement with the "chess player," Su Ming must attend this special "welcome ceremony" held for him and for the "Breaking Waves" before heading to the next destination.

This is both an official honor bestowed upon him and a public procedure, bringing a perfect conclusion to that thrilling high seas incident for the public.

The next morning.

Jiangnan Military Port.

The port, which is kept strictly secret from the outside world, has a solemn atmosphere.

Eight active-duty warships are moored on both sides of the port.

Type 052D destroyers "Nanchang" and "Guiyang";

Type 054A corvettes "Xianning" and "Chenzhou".

The four conventional submarines, like whales, lay silently underwater.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and a thin layer of white gauze floated on the sea.

A small, seemingly precariously built tin boat is slowly entering the port area.

It was the wreckage of the "Breaking Waves".

The ship was riddled with bullet holes and scorch marks, a corner of the deck had collapsed, and the main engine was also destroyed. It was only by being towed by tugboats that it was barely able to move forward.

Behind the wrecked ship, a thick steel cable was taut, dragging a huge object.

It was the core component of a deep-sea drilling rig, as tall as a two-story building, its surface covered with thick seaweed and shells, gleaming with a cold metallic sheen in the morning light.

On the deck stood a handsome young man wearing faded sportswear and carrying a backpack.

He had his head down, as if he were in a daze, or as if he was thinking about something.

"Ugh—!!!"

The long, drawn-out whistle of a ship broke the tranquility of the harbor.

From the "Nanchang" train.

Then came the second sound, the third sound...

Eight warships sounded their horns almost simultaneously!

This is the highest level of courtesy from the Navy—a salute with a horn!

The soldiers on deck stood at attention in unison, raised their right hands, and gave a standard military salute to the wrecked ship and the boy.

"Attention, everyone! Salute to Comrade Su Ming!"

The captain of the "Nanchang," a middle-aged man with a weathered face, stood on the bridge, his voice carried throughout the entire port area through the loudspeaker.

"You single-handedly safeguarded the nation's technological lifeline!"

"With your courage alone, you thwarted the encirclement by hostile forces!"

"You are a true hero!"

No sooner had the captain finished speaking than the shore was already filled with people.

There were high-ranking military officers, academicians and experts from research institutes, and...

Representatives of teachers and students from Jiangnan University.

Dean Chen, Counselor Wang, Lin Xiaoyue, Zhang Hao...

They watched the boy standing on the wrecked boat from afar, their eyes reddening.

"Holy crap..." Zhang Hao choked out, "This is my brother...this is my roommate..."

Lin Xiaoyue gripped her phone tightly, tears streaming down her face as they splattered onto the screen.

She frantically pressed the shutter button, wanting to record this scene forever.

In the video, the boy slowly raises his head, his expression calm and his eyes clear.

He didn't wave or greet anyone; he just stood there quietly, letting the sea breeze tousle his hair.

The "Breaking Waves" came to a stop at the port.

The soldiers of the "Jiaolong" special forces quickly boarded the ship and began to secure the core component.

Su Ming, carrying his bag, jumped off the boat and walked onto the dock.

The "chess player" was already there waiting for him.

The old man looked at Su Ming with a mix of emotions in his eyes, and simply patted him on the shoulder.

"Thank you for your hard work, comrade."

"Of course," Su Ming grinned. "I'm paid to do my job."

The chess player was both amused and exasperated.

Just then, a middle-aged police officer in uniform jogged over and saluted.

"Excuse me, are you Comrade Su Ming?"

"it's me."

"I'm from the Criminal Investigation Division of the Jiangnan City Public Security Bureau." The officer took out a document.

"According to instructions from higher authorities, your actions of sinking an enemy warship and capturing six enemy agents alive while on the high seas constitute legitimate self-defense and assisting national law enforcement. This is the relevant documentation. If anyone asks in the future, just say it was an officially certified 'summer social practice'."

"Summer social practice?"

Su Ming took the document, flipped through two pages, and almost burst out laughing.

These guys really know how to have fun.

But that's perfect.

He turned around, looked at the students and reporters behind him who were taking pictures with their phones, and said loudly:

"Officer, does this count as my summer social practice?"

The sound wasn't loud, but it carried clearly throughout the entire venue.

The audience fell silent for a moment, then burst into enthusiastic laughter and applause!

"Hahaha! Summer social practice! That's an amazing reason!"

"I earned two thousand yuan working at a supermarket during summer vacation, while you earned ten million yuan and incidentally performed meritorious service for the country?"

"Top scholar, please, have some decency!"

The live chat and comment section exploded.

Su Ming, carrying his bag and with his head down, blended into the crowd.

He walked very fast, as if he was in a hurry to get breakfast from the cafeteria.

"Hey, Ming-ge!" Zhang Hao wanted to catch up, but the noise around him made it impossible for him to move.

Lin Xiaoyue wanted to say something more, but found that the figure had already disappeared into the crowd and could no longer be found.

She stared blankly at the last photo on her phone—

In the photo, the boy is carrying a bag and tilting his head slightly, as if answering a teacher's question.

The background features a steel fleet sounding its horns in salute.