Chapter 1038: Remnants of Soldiers on Isolated Island

At this moment, a group of people also hurried over from the depths of the gathering place.

The leader was a middle-aged man with a big belly and wearing an old, ill-fitting suit. He was the leader of the gathering place, Hu Renfu. At this moment, his face was full of nervousness and flattering smiles, but his eyes were full of uncertainty.

Following him was a middle-aged man wearing a whitish-green military uniform, with an upright figure and a hideous scar on his face. He walked steadily and his eyes were filled with the firmness unique to soldiers. He had been staring at Du Yuming and the equipment behind him since he appeared.

In addition, there were several other people following behind, including doctors in white coats and cadres who looked like they were in charge of supplies. Without exception, their faces showed a mixture of extreme shock, incredible excitement, and a hint of deep uneasiness.

"Chief... Chief! Welcome! Welcome to the Gucheng Lake gathering place!" Director Liu stretched out his hands from a distance and trotted forward, his voice stuttering with nervousness. "I am Hu Renfu, the leader of the Gucheng Lake gathering place. Chief..."

However, in response to Hu Renfu's warm greeting, Du Yuming didn't even look at him, but turned his head directly to the man in the old military uniform next to him.

"Which unit are you from? What position do you hold?" Du Yuming's tone was full of the naturalness of a superior inspecting his subordinates.

Hearing this, the man in the old military uniform instinctively straightened his chest and stood at attention, raised his hand to salute, and answered loudly with an uncontrollable trembling voice:

"Reporting to the commander, my name is Zhao Tielin, formerly the Major Battalion Commander of the 189th Garrison Regiment of the Jinling Military Region in the Eastern Theater Command!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the scar on Zhao Tieying's face trembled violently like a centipede crawling due to excitement.

His eyes were fixed on Du Yuming's collar badge and the extremely sci-fi individual equipment that he had never seen before, and his eyes instantly became red.

"It's not fake! This demeanor, this manner, and especially the military imprint that's ingrained into his bones, can't be faked!"

"There really are organized troops! The nation's troops! They've really returned!"

"Chief! You...you..." Zhao Tieying's throat rolled, thousands of words were stuck in his chest, and he didn't know where to start.

It seemed like a resonance between fellow soldiers. Du Yuming looked at Zhao Tielin, who was so excited that he could hardly control himself but still maintained his military demeanor. He also looked at the soldiers behind him who were also wearing tattered uniforms and covered with scars, but at this moment they all straightened their backs. The bitterness in his heart quickly turned into deeper respect.

The remaining troops on the island at the end of the world, desperate and patient, hold on...

Swah——

Du Yuming suddenly raised his hand and returned a very standard and powerful military salute.

After the ceremony, he took a step forward, his gaze sweeping over Zhao Tielin and every remaining soldier of the garrison regiment behind him, their eyes filled with tears. His voice remained steady, yet it carried a certainty and strength that could penetrate the soul:

"Major Zhao Tielin, and all the soldiers of the 189th Regiment of the former Eastern Theater Command!"

His voice was not loud, but it strangely drowned out the noise at the scene and was clearly heard by every soldier.

"You have worked hard!"

These five short words, like a heavy hammer, struck Zhao Tielin and all the remaining soldiers present in the heart.

How long had they held on? How long had they struggled? In despair, they watched their comrades fall one by one, isolated and helpless, drawing on their last remaining faith to protect the civilians behind them, who were also struggling in hardship...

They had almost given up hope and accepted their fate of fading into darkness in the future...

But now, a leader from a higher level, representing the country they have always been loyal to, stood in front of them and affirmed their efforts and recognized their sacrifices in the most direct and solemn tone!

So, at this moment, all the grievances, all the difficulties, and all the loneliness seemed to have found an emotional outlet.

The muscles on Zhao Tielin's face twitched violently, and the hideous scar became even more distorted. He tried to straighten his face to maintain the last dignity of a soldier, but the hot tears burst out completely uncontrollably, flowing freely down his weathered and dirt-covered cheeks.

He didn't wipe them away, but just straightened his chest higher and let the tears drip onto his old military uniform that was washed white.

Behind him, those equally vicissitudes of life and destitute veterans had already burst into tears. Some wiped their faces hard, but the more they wiped, the wetter their tears became; some lowered their heads, their shoulders shaking violently; and some, like their battalion commander, held their heads high, letting their tears flow, as if they wanted to wash away all their fatigue and grievances with tears.

They didn't cry loudly, but the suppressed silence mixed with sobs and sobs was more heartbreaking than any cry...

This is the most real outburst, after experiencing long periods of despair, finally seeing the light and finally getting recognition!

Du Yuming stood there quietly without disturbing them.

He understood that this emotion needed to be released. Looking at these soldiers who were ragged and poorly equipped but still had a military spirit, he seemed to see the shadows of the early days of the Zhongzhou war zone.

After a moment, Du Yuming spoke again, his voice slowing down:

"Your perseverance has not been in vain. You have protected the flame of hope. From now on, you are no longer fighting alone."

Du Yuming's words were both a declaration and a promise: "You have not been abandoned. In the future, the Zhongzhou Theater will fight alongside you!"

As Du Yuming finished speaking, the last bit of uneasiness and gloom in the hearts of Zhao Tielin and others were completely dispelled!

They raised their tearful eyes excitedly and looked at Du Yuming, and at the silent and powerful steel torrent behind him. An unprecedented strength and hope were injected into their long-exhausted souls.

The era of isolated cities and remnant armies is over!

Afterwards, Zhao Tielin didn't even have time to calm his surging emotions. He just wiped his face with the rough cuff of his sleeve, wiping away the excited tears and years of bitterness.

He turned abruptly, his chest heaving violently, and shouted with all his might towards the remaining garrison soldiers and militiamen behind him who were also in shock and confusion, his voice cracking with excitement:

"What the hell are you still standing there for?!"

This roar was like a thunderclap, waking everyone up instantly.

"Maintain order! Make room for the commander's troops! Quick! Quick! Quick!"

His order was like a spark thrown into boiling oil, instantly igniting the scene.

Those soldiers who were originally overwhelmed by shock and ecstasy seemed to be injected with souls in an instant and found the backbone and direction they had lost for a long time!

"Quick! Listen to the battalion commander! Move!"

"Get out of the way! Clear the passage! Make way for the convoy!"

"Team Two! Follow me over here! Tow that cart out of the way!"

.....

The soldiers' voices rang out, also with irrepressible excitement, but with a renewed sense of mission and responsibility.

They quickly squeezed into the bustling crowd. Their movements might have seemed a little slow due to long-term malnutrition, but the discipline and execution deeply rooted in their bones shone with astonishing brilliance at this moment.

Zhao Tielin himself led the way, squeezing his tall body into the bustling crowd. He looked so anxious, as if he was afraid that Du Yuming would change his mind if he was late for even a second!

While struggling to push aside the crowd blocking his way, he shouted with a loud voice that was almost a roar, yet filled with indescribable ecstasy. This shout was not so much an explanation of the situation as it was a declaration to the entire gathering place, to everyone he had protected until now, a declaration that had been suppressed for far too long:

"Fellow villagers! Make way! Everyone, make way!!"

"Let the convoy in! They are our troops! They are troops from the war zone!!"

He practically roared out the most crucial sentence, his voice piercing the sky and shaking the air:

"The country has not given up on us! The war zone troops are back! The war zone troops are back!!!"