2. Special Forces of Dog Day, I'm here

  I boarded the helicopter with a sense of hatred, and the company commanders standing on the riverbank gazed at me eagerly; they also gazed at their soldiers, just like watching their own children go to Beijing for the imperial examination. Because this is their pride, their honor - to some extent, it is also their own embodiment. They stood there until our helicopter was out of sight and we could no longer see them. They hoped that we would make them proud and not be sent back, hoped that we would achieve something to satisfy their simple vanity.

  Of course, to a greater extent is to realize their dreams.

  I boarded the helicopter with a belly full of hatred, until I couldn't see my company commander anymore. My hatred didn't disappear, but instead doubled. Although I was the only private, the other lieutenants and non-commissioned officers were all excited to the point of being unable to sit still, because everyone was taking their first helicopter ride, looking around like sparrows, stretching their necks longer than their bodies, competing to see clouds, lakes, mountains, cities, and everything that could be seen, enjoying themselves to the fullest, even the wispy clouds were exciting for half a day.

  But I sat alone in the corner, biting my teeth and muttering this sentence in my heart:

  "Son of a bitch special forces team, I'm here!"

  When I got off the plane, I was already thoroughly exhausted. We were all thrown out of the plane by the soldiers who came up, regardless of whether we were junior officers or privates like me, and we were ruthlessly thrown together, helping each other to get up and crawl around for half a day, unable to find our bearings, with stars streaming down our eyes as if we had been punched by a heavenly horse.

  We were taken down a peg and everyone was knocked to the ground. Then we saw military officers wearing camouflage uniforms walking quickly towards us, standing in front of us with big smiles on their faces. We all knew this was just a show, they weren't new recruits, but old veterans from various reconnaissance units. Later I found out that the "Wolf's Fang" unit was located within 20 kilometers of where we boarded the plane, but the helicopter flew around in circles for over an hour, rapidly ascending and descending, and constantly moving up and down, left and right - it was all intentional to mess with us. The pilot later became familiar with me and said he had held back, but at the time, we were all knocked to the ground, that's a fact.

  I don't know how many people have taken a helicopter, but the first time I took it was a rapid vertical ascent and descent - my friends from the land aviation and flight brothers shouldn't argue with me, I believe that if you guys had such a rapid vertical takeoff for the first time, you wouldn't be much better than us. We are all elites among the elite reconnaissance troops in the entire military region, our physical examination standards may not be worse than yours, but we all fell down and couldn't withstand such ups and downs plus an hour and a half of turbulence.

  We're all first-timers. Although I've been on a plane before, it was a comfortable Boeing passenger cabin, not this cargo transport helicopter's rear cabin. We just lay down and didn't have much to say, in my heart I'm still cursing the special forces team, I'm here!

  I was stunned as soon as I looked up, and he was also stunned.

  What a coincidence in this damn world!

  Many years later, the person I used to run into every time I raised my head at the special forces base came to the city where I lived with his wife and child for his intellectually disabled son's medical treatment. I met him again. He was still in the army, and there was another star on his shoulder. However, that nationally renowned hospital didn't even give him a glance, scheduling an appointment for almost a month later. Having no other choice, he tried to call me, and I immediately drove to the small hotel where he was staying.

  When I saw the living environment, my nose was sour. Even if we are used to eating bitterness, what about our wives and children? Then I took them to a villa of one of my business friends. My friend is based abroad and doesn't come back even once a year, so basically it's mine to use - do I need to explain what for? I also have my private life, of course, first of all, it's not some messy stuff, I'm from the army and have basic moral principles, it's just that sometimes I'll bring beautiful university girls here to spend the weekend - oh no, I've said too much again.

  Then I drove to the labor market and picked up a young nanny from Anhui. In the car, I handed her an envelope and told her that if she served me well for a month, I would give her this much money again. If she didn't serve me well, I would make sure she couldn't stay in this city anymore. I would ask my police friends to put her in a detention center and not let her out, so she could slowly enjoy herself inside. She started to get scared, thinking I was from the underworld. As soon as she opened the envelope, she got excited and nodded repeatedly, as if to say that even Saddam Hussein would serve me.

  Then I went shopping for vegetables, cooked food, drinks, Coca-Cola, clothes for my kids, and everything else I thought I should buy, and brought them all back to the villa. Next, I picked up the phone book and called all my friends in this city, including those from hospitals, government departments, and even news agencies, just to ask one question: who could help me establish a connection with the hospital director or secretary?

  Here is the translation:

  It was one of my female friends who helped me solve this problem. At that time, I didn't tell her about it, just casually mentioned it as a troublesome thing. She laughed and said it wasn't a big deal. Because the hospital's secretary and her father were old comrades from the army, and he was also her godfather.

  I was so excited at the time, I hugged her and said that once this matter is settled, I'll register our marriage with you. But she just smiled and asked why should she marry me? I was taken aback for a moment, but then thought about it and realized that I wasn't worthy of her either.

  Later, when she went abroad to study, I went to the airport to see her off. I was heartbroken because among all those girls, only she had helped me with this big favor. We kissed goodbye at the customs gate in front of her parents, tears streaming down our faces. It wasn't me who initiated the kiss, but she came over and bit my lips until they bled...

  She finally pushed me away and turned to enter the gate, I saw her slender figure and long hair fluttering behind her. When she turned around, it seemed like she intentionally loosened her collar, and the wind in the corridor blew out a camouflage-colored handkerchief from under her clothes - it was mine! On that handkerchief were my sweat, blood, tears, youth, and all my pain and sorrow.

  I didn't know when she took it away because I wasn't even taking care of my own belongings. But today, she tied it around her neck, looking very pretty like a camouflage-colored butterfly, unlike how I used to casually tie it around my head, wiping sweat with it, or wetting it in a stream and tying it back on.

  That handkerchief was the symbol of all my painful memories, my most painful youth. She tied that handkerchief around her neck, and anyone could see what it meant - she came over to kiss me because I didn't notice it at first, and she bit my lips until they bled because I still didn't notice.

  I realized in that moment that I had missed the chance to pursue her even a little bit more. She was willing to take on my pain, but why didn't I see it? Her last move was to make me regret for the rest of my life, to occupy an important place in my heart among all those girls, so I would never forget her.

  Ah, what kind of person am I? How could I be so stupid and still have the nerve to tell people that I'm a former special forces soldier? I suddenly went crazy and rushed into the gate, but was stopped by customs officials and security guards. I knocked over several people and almost got into a fight, but was eventually subdued with an electric baton.

  I ended up being taken away with blood on my head. My face was pressed against the ground as I tried to look at the departing plane, but I had lost my voice. In the end, I was locked up. One of my comrades, who is now a captain in the airport's special police unit, bailed me out.

  I drove to a high slope outside the airport and watched the planes take off and land like a terrorist scouting for targets. Tears streamed down my face as that camouflage-colored handkerchief forever stayed in my heart. I'm still so stupid, always missing the most precious things, it's been this way until now, and I'll probably be single for the rest of my life.

  I don't have the qualifications to write anything or earn any money...

  Oh my, I got sidetracked again. Let me get back to the hospital story. I arranged for that kid to see a specialist right away. The father was so excited and kept wanting to treat me to dinner, but I refused at first. Eventually, he invited me out once, and then he brought out Wuliangye (a type of Chinese liquor), which I knew was one-fifth of his monthly salary. But I couldn't not drink it, so we ended up drinking two bottles, which was one-third of his monthly salary. In the end, we drank three bottles, which was more than half of his monthly salary... and then we both got drunk.

  We sang loudly, marching forward, forward, forward, our troops toward the sun - that classic military song that we all agreed was timeless. And also "Quick as Lightning, Fast as Wind, Invincible" - that song that we all thought was so bad it was good, our team anthem. On the street, we stumbled and staggered, discussing which building would be best to climb, and the patrolling police officers followed us in their car, but didn't dare to come over and stop us.

  Because we were still singing those military songs and occasionally talking about climbing and fighting techniques, and sometimes even demonstrating a few moves - they knew better than to mess with us. One of us was still wearing his military uniform, and they knew that these were old comrades-in-arms who had drunk too much and couldn't be easily handled. They were afraid that if they tried to stop us, we might get into a fight and someone would get hurt.

  So they just followed us from behind, like bodyguards, until we got home and couldn't find the door to our villa. Then they came over and helped us up, took our keys, opened the door, and sent us inside. We collapsed onto the floor, and I still managed to struggle to my feet to give them a military salute. They quickly stopped me, saying "all soldiers and police are one family." I was so moved that I started crying.

  Then they left, and I passed out from drinking too much. In my haze, I heard him say, "No matter where you go, it's still the soldiers you led who care about you most. Don't worry about how strict you were in training - the stricter you were, the more they care about you now." I suddenly started crying and said, "You're just realizing this now?" He also burst into tears and said, "Xiao Zhuang, Xiao Zhuang, you were my best soldier!" I said, "No, not the best," and he said, "That's because you never listened to me back then." But in his heart, he liked me the most.

  I told him not to talk nonsense, and that it didn't matter anymore. Then I fell asleep.

  The next day I woke up and the little nanny told me that he and his wife and children had already left, leaving me an envelope with about a month's salary inside... At that time, I was so annoyed, what do you want to give me money for? What are you dragging me into this for? But I couldn't find him, and the envelope and money are still in my drawer, I haven't even touched it until now. Later, I found out that he had changed his career and became a deputy director of the armed forces department in a small city.

  Oh dear, I've gone off on a tangent again. There are so many things mixed together that I'm all confused now. Let me get back to the point.

  The first face I saw when I raised my head in the special forces brigade was that lieutenant colonel.

  The lieutenant colonel who accompanied his pregnant wife to the general hospital for a check-up.

  The world is just so coincidental, I'll take a little rest and tidy up my chaotic thoughts.