Chapter Thirty-Two: An Unconventional Reunion of Old Comrades-in-Arms

"No opportunity?"

Liu Debao seized upon what he perceived as a "loophole" in Ye Yuan's words and immediately shouted, "Do you mean that war lasted for years? Did it go on until the end of the War of Resistance?"

"Decades have passed since that time until now. I simply cannot believe you never once had the chance to clear your name!"

"That is because I never once thought that, one day, my file would appear before the eyes of the people again."

Ye Yuan remained calm and composed, his tone steady. "A stain on a file has no impact on me whatsoever. It was merely dug up by people like you, who believed it to be the key information that could ruin my reputation."

At this moment, the entire audience, along with the many viewers in front of their television sets, fell silent.

There was no other reason than this: they remembered that during the first episode of the program, Ye Yuan had explained why he had hidden his true identity.

Ye Yuan truly only wanted to be an ordinary citizen, living out his life in peace and happiness.

However, it was because his granddaughter had been targeted by a local bully in the county that Ye Yuan was forced back into the public eye.

Precisely because of this, it served as indirect proof of Ye Yuan's claim.

Ye Yuan had never thought about using his past achievements to gain anything for himself. Had it not been for these unavoidable circumstances, it is likely that even until the day he died, no one would have known that such a war hero lived in that tiny place called Kaoshantun.

"I... I..."

Cold sweat streamed down Liu Debao's face. Ye Yuan's words had left him without a single point to argue.

"If it weren't for the fact that the writing on this letter paper was so distinctive, I might not have even kept it," Ye Yuan continued.

Once these words were spoken, they piqued everyone's curiosity. Who exactly wrote the words on this paper? Why was it enough to shock Zhang Qun, a commander of the Southern Theater Command, to such an extent? And why did Ye Yuan decide to keep this piece of paper for decades simply because of the writing on it?

The chat room was also buzzing with intense discussion, debating who the author of the writing might be.

At this time, in the studio...

***

Zhang Qun glanced at the sweat-drenched Liu Debao and let out a cold snort. "Do you have anything else to say regarding the old regimental commander?"

Liu Debao subconsciously took a step back, a guilty smile on his face. "No, nothing at all. He is truly worthy of being called an old hero, someone we should all admire and respect!"

"Now that the matter regarding the old commander is settled, shouldn't we talk about your affairs?" Sun Weiguo remarked leisurely from the side.

Liu Debao's guilt deepened. "Me? What problems could I have? Old Chief, you must be joking..."

"The file you are holding is one that requires strict supervision," Sun Weiguo said coolly. "Even if Commander Xiao Bo of the Provincial Military District wanted to borrow it, it would require layers of approval. As far as I know, this file should have been in the Eastern Theater Command. Why is it in your hands? Weren't you already discharged from the military?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Liu Debao's face turned ash-white.

Before he came here to stir up trouble, it wasn't as if he hadn't considered that someone might hold him accountable for this. However, he had assumed that if he successfully confirmed that Ye Yuan had once killed prisoners of war, everyone's focus would remain on Ye Yuan, and they would pay no attention to him, allowing him to slip away unnoticed.

But he hadn't expected Ye Yuan to deflect all of his attacks, which resulted in him being the one now held over the fire.

"Speak!" Zhang Qun stepped forward, like an angry lion. "This file is classified as top secret. Why is it in your possession?"

"Look me in the eye and answer me!"

Liu Debao collapsed onto the floor with a thud. Everything was lost, and the defeat stripped him of his usual cunning. He felt as though disaster were imminent.

Just then, the phone in Liu Debao's pocket rang. Startled, he didn't care about anything else and pulled it out. Upon seeing the name on the screen, he seemed to find his backbone again, and a smile returned to his face.

He answered the call directly in front of the cameras.

"Yes, yes, understood."

Liu Debao said "yes" several times, then handed the phone to Zhang Qun. "Chief Zhang, someone wants to speak with you."

Zhang Qun frowned immediately. "To speak with me?"

He took the phone and, without hesitation, pressed the speaker button. A voice came through the receiver: "You old pillar, you didn't even tell me you were coming here."

***

Zhang Qun frowned. "Are you... Zhao Ming?"

Laughter came from the other side. "Who else could it be? You didn't leave me a number, so I had to communicate with you through others."

The person calling was none other than Crippled Zhao!

"Say what you have to say!" Zhang Qun retorted mercilessly. He had always looked down on Zhao Ming; just hearing his voice made him feel disgusted.

"That young Liu was sent by me," Zhao Ming's tone remained unchanged as he explained. "I had the old commander's file transferred from the archives department to facilitate the process of awarding him a medal, and that was when I inadvertently saw the disciplinary record regarding him."

"The reason I sent young Liu was to ask the old commander for clarification on the matter. I didn't expect young Liu to misunderstand my intentions, which led to this whole situation. Thankfully, it was resolved satisfactorily; otherwise, wouldn't I be consumed by guilt? Hahaha..."

Hearty laughter echoed from the receiver. However, no one in the studio could laugh along.

"Hmph..." Zhang Qun laughed out of pure fury. "Seeing that things were slipping out of your control, you want to play this game with me? Do you take everyone for fools?"

"Crippled Zhao, why is your heart still as black as it ever was? The old commander treated you well back then. Was it necessary to go after him so viciously?"

"You have misunderstood me," Zhao Ming said without hesitation. "I have always respected the old commander; I merely had good intentions that led to a bad outcome. What could I do? Besides..."

"After investigating the old commander's service record, we have already decided to award him a medal."

"You, so kind?" Sun Weiguo couldn't help but interject. "Weren't you hoping the old commander would disappear without a trace?"

"Old Sun, you're there too? It’s been twenty years since us old comrades-in-arms have seen each other," Zhao Ming's laughter returned.

Zhang Qun immediately punctured Zhao Ming's lie. "Stop spouting nonsense. You're watching the television right now, aren't you! Why are you pretending to be ignorant?"

"Let's save the reminiscing for later. The medal ceremony might take some time, so since both of you are there, I will tell you the rank proposed for the old commander in advance, so you can be mentally prepared."

Zhao Ming's voice took on a strange tone, one that felt somewhat ominous.

"After deliberation, the organization has decided to bestow upon the old commander... the rank of Senior Colonel."