Chapter 1: The Cheetah Troop Advances

  In February, C city is still cold, the sunshine is delicate and gentle, like a shy girl, deliberately hiding behind the clouds, occasionally poking her head out to kiss the quiet earth.

  In such a cold season, inside the C City suburban-based Leopard Special Forces Brigade, there is another lively scene. With Chinese New Year approaching, the special forces soldiers are taking advantage of their training break to play basketball on the court, shirtless and emitting steam from their bodies.

  The first captain of the Cheetah Squad, Jin Huan, stood at the edge of the flowerbed, his hands clasped behind his back as he gazed intently at the figures moving about on the field. As the youngest colonel in the Chinese army, this thirty-year-old had already achieved great military merit for the country. His short hair was neatly trimmed, and his dark, angular face had sharp features that seemed to have been carved out with a knife or an axe. Under his flying eyebrows, a pair of deep eyes shone with wisdom and cold light, while his straight nose and tightly pursed lips exuded an air of mystery and danger. His training uniform accentuated his tall and powerful physique, which stood at 185 centimeters, yet somehow gave off a sense of agility reminiscent of a cheetah - fittingly, his codename was also "Cheetah".

  Team leader Lei Meng received the basketball, he was a sturdy Shandong man with a loud and powerful voice that seemed to come from his chest rather than his throat. He hugged the ball on the court and shouted loudly, "Jin Da, let's go together."

  Jin Huang waved his hand at Lei Meng, indicating that he would not be going on stage.

  Lei Meng hugged the basketball and refused to let go, causing dissatisfaction among players from both teams. Someone even directly pounced on him to grab the ball. Lei Meng dodged while laughing and scolding: "Little monkeys, you've got skills now, haven't you?"

  Standing behind Jin Huan, the guard consultant Cheng Xiaopeng was a little restless and twisted, looking at the fierce competition in the arena, he had been itching for a long time.

  Jin Hao didn't turn around, but a faint smile played on his lips: "Go ahead, take half a day off." His voice was low and mellow, like a cup of aged old wine, intoxicating to listen to.

  "Yes, Jin Da!" Cheng Xiaopeng responded loudly with excitement, striding into the court with his long legs, stripping off his clothes as he ran, quickly revealing his muscular upper body. He tossed his training uniform to the grass on the side of the court and charged straight into the court, pouncing on the basketball. Lei Meng was caught off guard and had the ball snatched from his hands, immediately shouting loudly: "You little rascal, you didn't even say a word before coming on!"

  Cheng Xiaopeng didn't care about that set, hugging the ball and making a series of tactical moves in a row, completely disrupting the rules on the basketball court. The players from both teams laughed and rushed towards him, even the special forces watching from the sidelines charged forward, turning a good game of basketball into a chaotic rugby match.

  Jin Huan smiled and turned to walk towards the training ground. Just a few steps away, he heard a low, magnetic voice behind him: "Jin Huan, wait, I need to talk to you about something."

  Jin Hao turned around and saw Deputy Captain Chen Jianfeng walking quickly towards him.

  Chen Jianfeng walked while waving a file folder in his hand: "That large batch of foreign military materials we need to translate has finally been settled, the political commissar ran back and forth to the military region more than ten times to get an quota for introducing special talents. This is the information of several suitable candidates selected by me and Long Fei, who will be chosen in the end, waiting for your decision."

  Chen Jianfeng's height is similar to Jin Huan's, as a sniper and deputy captain of the special forces, although his code name is "Hawk", but from him, you can't see any ferocity or sharpness related to hawks. He is the representative of "a gentle gentleman, warm and elegant like jade". He is forever like a piece of warm jade, his brilliance is hidden inside rather than shown outside. His deep and distant eyes convey a calm and composed demeanor; his elegant and refined appearance, as well as his open-minded and carefree attitude, let masculinity's elegance and boldness be released in splendor. There is a quality of refinement, elegance, and boldness on him; there is also an aura of calmness, stability, and firmness that is captivating.

  Two people walked side by side, Jin Huan took over the file folder and slowly flipped through it. When he turned to the third person's photo, he suddenly stopped.

  Chen Jianfeng glanced at the photo with his head tilted to one side, and the woman in it had a pair of almond-shaped eyes full of spirit. These eyes seemed to be speaking, as if telling something to the person looking at the photo. He smiled faintly: "This female reporter named Lin Ruolan is indeed more suitable. She has been living in Germany since she was young, whether it's spoken language, written language or professional language, she must be much stronger than those who graduated from a foreign language college. How about it? Do you like her?"

  Jin Hao didn't speak immediately, he stared at Lin Ruolan's photo for a long time, as if searching for something in his memories, even his eyes, which were not easily revealing emotions, showed a hint of strange and profound mystery.

  Chen Jianfeng looked at his partner with a hint of astonishment, it was the first time he had seen such an expression in his partner's eyes.

  Just twenty seconds later, Jin Huan restored his usual cold eyes, he closed the file and handed it to Chen Jianfeng: "It's her. As a special talent introduced as an undergraduate, she can be treated equally with military academy graduates, please report to the military district and give her a lieutenant rank."

  "Alright. I'll go with Long Fei to the military district right away and try to get everything done before the new year. After the new year, I'll personally go ask for her hand in marriage."

  "I'll go with you." Jin Huan said, taking a step towards the training field. Chen Jianfeng gazed at his tall and majestic back, his eyes changing from shock and confusion to deep contemplation.

  ……

  On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, there were only a few pedestrians on the street, making it seem even more desolate. The sun hung high in the sky like an ice plate, and its rays cast on people's bodies didn't bring much warmth, but instead accentuated the chilliness of the weather.

  Lin Ruo-lan got up at 6:00 as usual, and went for a one-hour run every morning, which had been her habit for ten years. After the run, she had breakfast, tidied up her room, and it was already 9:00.

  She sat down at her desk, and again couldn't help but open her diary. On the first page was a clipping with a photo that she had forgotten how many times she had looked at it. She gently stroked the blurry photo of a soldier, who despite being blurry, still exuded an air of handsomeness. How could there be such an excellent person in this world? His tall and handsome appearance was the source of strength and radiance.

  She was like a person under a spell, gently stroking the newspaper clippings over and over again.

  My mind inadvertently drifted back to the unprecedented great flood of 1998 ——

  At that time she was a volunteer and he was the commander of the flood fighting detachment. On the Yangtze River embankment, she saw this outstanding man who was difficult to describe.

  It was too outstanding, making her unable to bear lowering her head, and the self-abasement in her heart that made her feel particularly uncomfortable.

  Yes, inferiority.

  He was too outstanding, and she was too far behind, so far that she didn't have the courage to stand beside him, standing together with him, but could only be completely engulfed by his brilliance.

  Lin Ruo Lan held her pen and let it wander randomly on the manuscript paper beside her:

  It feels great thinking of him

  The corners of her smiling mouth revealed a hint of sweetness.

  Longing is better than meeting

  Long and deep sleep

  Meeting is just an instant

  Longing is like a flowing river

  Abundant, pure

  Another flavor

  It feels great thinking of him

  There is always a place in my heart for you

  Seven-colored sunlight is even more dazzling

  The knock at the door startled Lin Ruolan, as since her parents passed away three years ago, no one else had entered this house except for herself.

  Hastily closing the diary, but forgetting the poem manuscript placed beside it.

  The person she saw in the mirror made her stunned involuntarily, oh my god, was she dreaming? Just now she was looking at his photo, and now he was standing outside her door. She leaned against the door, lost for a moment.

  The person outside didn't get discouraged by her lack of response and continued with the previous rhythm, knocking slowly but persistently.

  With a great effort to restrain her wildly racing heart, she took a deep breath and regained her usual calm after a brief moment of distraction. She slowly opened the door and quietly looked at the unexpected visitor outside.

  He is more mature and outstanding than three years ago, far surpassing the him in her memory! "Jin Huang." Lin Ruo Lan quickly glanced at the name tag on his chest, silently reciting the name to herself. So, his name was Jin Huang. Lin Ruo Lan felt a little dazed, suddenly recalling what some famous author had said: A man who dares to defy the heavens must be a true hero.

  Jin Hao was also sizing up the woman in front of him, purely appreciating her with a man's eyes. "Beautiful!" he silently praised her in his heart. This delicate and weak woman had an aura about her, an extremely moving aura that seemed to gather all the beauty of heaven and earth onto one person, like a clear and bright full moon in a quiet night sky, like a gentle breeze on a hot summer day, like the snow that never melts on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, like white clouds stretching across the autumn sky, like the first blooming flower of early spring.

  So elegant, so calm, so leisurely.

  "Miss Lin Ruolan, we are from the C Military District. This is our military ID. May we come in and speak?" Jin Huan spoke up, his voice low and sonorous, although it was a question, it carried an unyielding dignity.

  Lin Ruo Lan did not take the military ID card handed over by him. She turned her body to make way for the door and made a please gesture.

  The small living room was tidy and elegant, filled with a warm and cozy home atmosphere. A faint, almost imperceptible scent wafted around the tip of one's nose, making one want to take a deep breath and keep this heartwarming flavor forever in their lungs. The two men couldn't help but feel a sudden movement in their hearts at the same time, as if a long-forgotten sense of home had risen from the bottom of their hearts.

  "Sorry, it wasn't convenient to explain outside the door just now. I'm Chen Jianfeng and Jin Huang are from the Cheetah Special Forces." Chen Jianfeng's smile was as warm and natural as a sunny winter day.

  "Special Forces?" Lin Ruolan repeated in surprise. "Please sit down." She pointed to the sofa, inviting the two guests to take a seat.

  "I'll go make some tea, please wait a moment." She smiled politely and turned to head into the kitchen to get teacups.

  When she returned to the living room with a cup of tea, she found herself making a huge mistake - her poem was now in Jin Huan's hands! He looked down at the poem, his lips curled into an almost imperceptible smile. Yu Lan's face began to burn as she rushed over and snatched the paper from his hand, tearing it into shreds with a few quick rips.

  Chen Jianfeng raised an eyebrow, his hands clasped behind his back, as he watched the scene with great interest. He had known Jin Huang since the day he entered military school at the age of 18, and their 12 years of shared experiences in the midst of gunfire and explosions made him 100% certain that with Jin Huang's agility and quick reflexes, it was impossible for Lin Ruolan, a weak woman who hadn't received any training, to snatch the paper from him so easily, unless... Jin Huang had intentionally let her do so.

  Lin Ruo Lan found herself in a predicament, Jin Huan letting her snatch the poem draft without retreating. She was practically throwing herself into his arms! At this moment, Jin Huan was looking down at her from above, their distance so close that they could hear each other's breathing, the strong masculine scent and warmth of his body temperature impacting her senses, her heart beating wildly like a drum, for an instant, she didn't have the strength to retreat half a step.

  "I'm sorry, I was wrong. I shouldn't have messed with your manuscript." Jin Hao said softly, gazing at her with a smile. He was a strong and ruthless man, even in a safe environment, he still had a strong sense of aggression. However, he was also good at restraining that unsettling aura, and when he rarely showed a smile, everyone around him would let their guard down.

  Lin Ruo Lan stared at him with her eyes wide open, alarm bells ringing in her heart, constantly warning her that the man in front of her was a master of playing ambiguous games. She bit her tongue hard and took two steps back to a safe distance under intense pain. A hint of confusion flashed across Jin Hao's eyes, although it disappeared quickly, but not before Lin Ruo Lan caught sight of it.

  Chen Jianfeng coughed dryly and Jin Huan's smile didn't diminish as he also took a step back.

  "Miss Lin Ruolan, Han nationality, 22 years old this year, with a bachelor's degree. From the age of four to sixteen, she traveled to Frankfurt, Germany with her parents, where her father was the counselor of the Chinese Consulate General in Frankfurt, and received good education there, speaking fluent German and French. After returning to China, she was admitted to the School of Journalism at Sichuan University five years ago, majoring in foreign languages, joined the Communist Party of China three years ago, graduated with a double bachelor's degree one year ago, and is now an intern reporter for the provincial newspaper. Due to her good performance, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper has decided to convert her to a formal employee ahead of schedule." Chen Jianfeng repeated Lin Ruolan's resume verbatim, "The above is your personal resume, are there any errors?"

  "Why are you investigating me?" Lin Ruolan's voice was slightly sharp, and whoever it was would inevitably feel discontent when they found themselves being investigated by a stranger.

  "Don't get angry just yet." Chen Jianfeng smiled, his low, male voice echoing in the room. "As I said earlier, we're from the Cheetah Special Forces Unit, and we need you to join us."

  "You? How is that possible? I won't do anything." Lin Ruolan's expression was as if she had just heard the most absurd lie of the century.

  "You can!" Jin Hao gazed into her eyes, "Your fluent French and German are exactly the help we need now, Miss Lin, please help us!"

  "What can I do?"

  "We have a large amount of military documents that need to be translated."

  Lin Ruo Lan nodded, hastily avoiding eye contact, as if she had a secret hidden in her eyes. His gaze seemed to have the ability to see through the secrets in her eyes. "This is easy, give me the materials, I can translate."

  Chen Jianfeng shook his head and said bluntly, "This won't do. Those are all top-secret materials. Otherwise, we could have gone to the Foreign Language College to find someone to help us. Miss Lin, please join us."

  Lin Ruo Lan fell silent. Joining them meant enlisting, something she had never thought of before was suddenly right in front of her, and as she hesitated, she sank into a brief silence.

  The faint sunlight that shines into the room through the long window is slowly moving with time, outside, a gentle rustling sound of wind passing over the treetops can be heard, it's getting windy.

  The two men exchanged a glance, pursed their lips tightly, and Jin Huan spoke up: "Miss Lin, we really need your help very much, but we can also understand your feelings. So we'll give you three days to consider it. Whether or not you agree, please keep today's matters confidential." He bid farewell to Lin Ruolan.

  As he was about to leave, he stretched out his right hand to Lin Ruolan. Lin Ruolan grasped his rough and warm large hand, which was almost twice as big as hers. The palm was covered with thick calluses from thousands of trainings, and the hand seemed powerful enough to hold up the entire blue sky.

  Two men bid farewell and left, as soon as they sat in the car, Chen Jianfeng asked with a tone of blame: "What were you doing just now?"

  Jin Hao smiled wryly, "She's too calm, it doesn't match her age."

  "You're not going to tell me you just want to stir up trouble for her, are you?" Chen Jianfeng slanted a glance at him. "That's enough, she's a good girl."

  Jin Huang fell silent, and suddenly the pair of almond-shaped eyes hidden under his long eyelashes appeared before him. Those were a pair of eyes filled with spiritual energy, their pupils clear as if sapphire fragments scattered in black silver, so limpid and pure that they made the viewer infatuated. It seemed like something was slowly rising to the surface of his heart.

  ……

  Three days, Lin Ruolan spent three whole days thinking about a truth, why people live? French pastor Nadar; Ransome had an inscription on his tombstone: "If time could flow backwards, half of the world's population would become great men." She didn't want to repeat this phrase before she died, waiting until she was old and couldn't move, thinking back on a life that was just passing the days, without anything to be proud of, having spent her whole life as a machine for producing feces. What's the difference between living like this and being a pig?

  On the third day, Lin Ruolan carefully tidied up her home and dialed the phone number left by Chen Jianfeng to inform them of her decision. Then, she calmly locked the doors and windows, turned around without looking back, and walked towards the agreed meeting point with her luggage.

  It was Jin Huang himself who came to pick her up.