Chapter 1275 On the Eve of the Military Parade 3
The bus continued to slowly incline forward, undergoing document checks and a quick security screening.
When it was the turn of the convoy from Panjiang gathering place, the cadres at the front presented a thick stack of documents stamped with official letters. After the officers at the checkpoint carefully checked the documents, they saluted and let the convoy pass.
When the bus finally passed the two 99A tanks and officially entered the night market area, Chen Shitou felt a slight dizziness.
It wasn't just because I had finally set foot on the soil of this legendary city, but also because of the powerful impact of the scene before me.
On either side of the brand-new, incredibly wide road, there is a stark juxtaposition of the shocking scars of war and the tenacious rebirth.
The charred, collapsed building skeletons, like the remains of a giant beast, silently recount the past tragedy; buildings, half-shewn off by artillery fire, stand abruptly, their exposed steel bars twisted and menacing. A faint, lingering scent of burnt wood, disinfectant, and newly sprouted vegetation seems to remain in the air.
But even amidst these ruins, traces of cleanup and reconstruction can already be seen:
The mountains of construction waste have been sorted and piled up, and some main streets have been initially cleared. Along the way, you can even see some simple but clean public toilet signs and temporary drinking water points.
Further away, huge red celebratory banners and brand-new war zone flags have been hung on some relatively intact buildings.
The orderly flow of vehicles on the road consisted almost entirely of representative buses from various regions, heading towards the city center under the direction of traffic guides wearing fluorescent vests.
An atmosphere of solemnity, grandeur, and a blend of historical weight and new hope began to envelop us more and more intensely.
Chen Shitou withdrew his gaze and looked into the car.
The cadres from Panjiang Town stood up again, holding a map and a list, and began to divide into groups and emphasize the meeting point and discipline after getting off the bus.
Old Wu nudged his arm and whispered, "Brother Shitou, we're almost there. Let's stick close to the people of Panjiang Town and make sure we don't get separated."
Chen Shitou nodded, took a deep breath, stuffed the last bit of bread into his mouth, and carefully straightened his collar.
He knew that the flag of Qingyan Village (a simple but carefully sewn small flag) was in Lao Wu's bag.
They are about to step into not just a celebration, but a history being written, and he will be a small but real footnote in this history.
----------
Around 8 a.m., the morning mist dissipated, and the sky brightened completely.
After strict security checks and guidance, the convoy of vehicles representing various gathering places finally arrived at the core area of the victory parade celebration for the night market battle.
Located in the core area of the former Guanshan District night market, the "Victory Square" and "Fuxing Avenue" parade area were renovated after large-scale post-war cleanup and emergency construction.
The scene before them left Chen Shitou, who had just stepped off the bus, and all the other representatives who were arriving for the first time in a state of near-speechless shock.
This place was once a bustling new city with towering buildings, and it also experienced the most brutal baptism of war.
But at this moment, the wounds of past wars have been covered and reshaped by a grand plan full of order and new life.
The first thing that catches the eye is the straight, wide, and dazzlingly new main road of the parade – "Fuxing Avenue"!
It stretches for eight kilometers and is a true eight-lane dual carriageway. The dark asphalt road surface gleams in the morning sunlight, and the white traffic markings are as straight and clear as if drawn with a ruler.
The dilapidated buildings on both sides of the road were completely demolished, clearing out a solemn passageway more than 100 meters wide.
Further away, some massive building ruins that were impossible to clear quickly were cleverly covered with huge camouflage nets or banners with slogans, forming a neat backdrop.
In the middle of this magnificent avenue lies Victory Square.
This is a super-large open plaza that was urgently expanded from the original city square and park, with enough space to easily accommodate tens of thousands of people.
The square was paved with temporary hardened material, and a flagpole tens of meters high stood in the center, with a huge battle flag of the Central Plains Theater Command fluttering in the morning breeze at the top.
At this moment, the entire celebration area has been transformed into a sea of joy and solemnity.
Everywhere you look, huge red banners are hanging, bearing inspiring slogans:
"Celebrating the great victory in the recapture of the night market!" "The martyrs are immortal, their spirit will live on forever!" "Rebuilding our country and creating new glory!" "Long live the Central Plains War Zone! Long live the people!"
.......
Several large red hot air balloons hovered in the air at the edge of the square and on both sides of the parade route, with huge congratulatory messages hanging in the baskets below, adding a strong festive atmosphere to the scene.
Although it was the end of the world and flowers were a luxury, the organizers still decorated the main entrance of the square, the sides of the passageway, and the edge of the viewing area with a large number of handmade silk flowers, colored paper flowers, and wildflower bouquets collected from the surrounding safe areas. Those clusters of bright colors looked particularly precious and eye-catching against the still desolate background.
...
Inside and outside the square, along the parade route, at every key node, high point, and passage entrance, armed soldiers of the Theater Guard Regiment were deployed.
They wore star-patterned camouflage combat uniforms, covered with 'Dragon Spine-I' individual exoskeletons, wore high-cut tactical helmets with night vision goggle mounts, and carried standard assault rifles equipped with various accessories. Their faces were stern, and their eyes scanned their surroundings like those of hawks.
In addition to fixed sentry posts, three-person mobile patrol teams move silently and efficiently through dense crowds and gaps in buildings in standard tactical formations.
On some inconspicuous rooftops or the remaining high-rise frames, the reflections of sniper team scopes can be faintly seen.
The most eye-catching feature is the parade ground specially erected directly opposite Victory Square. It is a temporary structure, but its scale and imposing presence are in no way inferior.
The main body adopts a sturdy steel structure frame, and the exterior is covered with dark gray composite armor plates. The overall shape is stepped, and the front faces the wide parade route.
The platform is about ten meters high and consists of two levels.
The upper level is the main viewing and inspection area, with a dark red non-slip carpet on the ground. At the front is a row of simple-designed podiums with amplification equipment and parade railings.
Behind them are rows of seats with backrests and armrests, all covered with a uniform dark green velvet.
A retractable sunshade has been erected on the top of the reviewing stand, and huge full-color LED screens have been erected on both sides, which are currently playing promotional videos of the war zone and precious footage of the night market battle.
The entire reviewing stand is designed to be solemn and grand, combining functionality and defense. It is clearly the result of meticulous design and rapid construction, and will become the focus of all eyes today.
Along the eight-kilometer-long "Fuxing Avenue," especially in the core section near the square and the parade ground, dozens of neat square formations have been marked out on both sides of the road with temporary white lines.
