Chapter 1279 Work hard and don't let people down
Finally, Gu Chengyuan stopped in front of the guest who was closest to the head of the table and also the one with the most special status on the entire viewing platform.
His father was Gu Jianguo, the chairman of the Night Province Management Committee.
When Gu Chengyuan stood still and his gaze met his father's eyes, which were etched with the marks of time but now shone with an indescribable complexity, time seemed to stand still for a moment.
All the surrounding sounds and gazes seemed to fade away temporarily at this moment, leaving only the father and son, who were separated by only half a step but whose identities were worlds apart.
Two hands meet in mid-air, and then grasp each other tightly.
On this high platform where everyone is watching, all intense emotions are compressed and tempered, transforming into the heavy and steady warmth when palms touch, and into a thousand words that transcend words when eyes meet.
The complex emotions involved are difficult for outsiders to understand.
Gu Jianguo's hands trembled slightly, not because of old age, but because his heart was surging with emotion.
He never dreamed that his son, Gu Chengyuan, who was smart but also a bit unruly from a young age, and who later studied and joined the army in an orderly manner, would one day stand at such a height and have such a grand presence!
In less than two years!
Before the end of the world arrived, his greatest hope for his son was simply that he could live a peaceful and safe life, find a stable job, get married and have children, and live an ordinary but stable life.
He even had a vague worry that his son wasn't "ambitious" enough.
But now...
The man before him stood tall and straight like a pine tree. The stars on his epaulets stung his eyes in the sunlight, and his crisp officer's uniform seemed to have been made for him.
He stood there, calmly accepting the heartfelt respect and admiration from all the high-ranking officials of the war zone, representatives of friendly forces, and even tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians below the stage.
He was the absolute core of the new regime on these ruins, the supreme commander of this battle-hardened army, and the "chosen one" who brought order and hope in the eyes of millions of survivors!
From the night school in the stream area to this parade ground overlooking the mountains and rivers; from the initial ten guns and a few hundred people living in constant fear, to now commanding hundreds of thousands of armored soldiers, governing millions of people, and liberating a magnificent city...
What they crossed was more than just an insurmountable barrier; it was practically a myth!
And the one who created this myth was none other than his own son!
At this moment, a mixture of unparalleled pride, a sense of being in another world, a sigh at the capriciousness of fate, and a deep-seated worry stemming from his son's high position and heavy responsibilities, churned and swirled in Gu Jianguo's heart like an overturned spice bottle, a complex mix of emotions.
He gazed at his son's young face, which already possessed an immense, mature dignity, and at those deep, calm eyes that seemed to see through everything. His throat bobbed a few times.
A thousand words surged within his chest, but in the end, they all condensed into the simplest, most weighty, and most fitting admonition for his current position.
He gripped his son's hand slightly tighter, his voice low but clear enough to reach Gu Chengyuan's ears, and also the ears of several core members nearby:
"Work hard...don't let everyone down!"
These words sound like a father's ordinary advice to his son, but in this context, when spoken by Gu Jianguo, they carried immense weight.
"Everyone" refers to the countless soldiers and civilians below the stage who have entrusted their lives and hopes for the future to the Central Plains War Zone; it refers to the generals and cadres on the reviewing stand who have followed them and fought bloody battles; it refers to all the compatriots further away who are still struggling in suffering and looking forward to the arrival of light.
"Don't let us down" is an instruction, an expectation, and a heavy warning. The higher the position, the greater the responsibility, and there is no room for error.
Gu Chengyuan felt the slight tremor in his father's palm and the deep emotion he was trying so hard to suppress.
His peaceful smile remained unchanged, but a fleeting warmth and understanding, perceptible only to his closest relatives, flashed quickly across his deep eyes.
He met his father's gaze, said nothing, but squeezed his hand back firmly, then slowly released it and nodded gently.
This simple gesture and eye contact speak louder than a thousand words.
It is a promise, an understanding, and a silent trust—trust that his father will always stand behind him, supporting him in his own unique way.
After letting go, Gu Chengyuan did not stop, but continued to walk towards the main seat reserved for him in the center of the viewing platform.
Gu Jianguo stood there, watching his son's retreating figure, his chest rising and falling slightly, slowly and deeply suppressing the complex emotions that were about to overflow from his eyes.
He knew that from this moment on, in the public eye, Gu Chengyuan was first and foremost a commander, a leader, while he himself was first and foremost a "veteran minister" under his command, and only then his father.
That instruction he just gave his son was perhaps the most he could offer at that moment, and the support his son needed most.
Gu Chengyuan took his seat in the main seat, his posture still upright. Chen Haitao immediately stepped forward and quietly reported on the final preparations.
Gu Chengyuan nodded slightly, his gaze falling on the solemn and expectant blue sea below the stage, and further into the distance, on the "Revival Avenue" gradually becoming clearer in the morning light.
The time was exactly nine o'clock in the morning.
From the loudspeaker came the booming and excited voice of Lieutenant General Chen Haitao, the commander-in-chief of the military parade:
"Everyone stand up—!!"
"Welcome—the battle flag—!!"
Boom! Like a surging tide, tens of thousands of people on the square stood up in unison, their eyes fixed on the huge battle flag that began to rise slowly on the flagpole in the center of the square, accompanied by stirring military music.
At this moment, the golden sunrise rose to a perfect angle, showering its radiant light upon the entire Victory Square, upon the straight Avenue of Rejuvenation, upon the fluttering battle flag, and upon the young figure at the highest point of the reviewing stand, who was about to overlook this grand ceremony belonging to the new regime and the indomitable people.
The historic moment has finally arrived!
