#74 - Chapter 74: Persistence in the Ruins
"The front is our base."
The Marine, holding a bowl of rice, introduced it to Olga beside him.
"Ooooh..."
"So dilapidated..."
Olga looked at the Marine base standing on the sea, feeling a burning sensation in her eyes.
"Little girl, although we have a good relationship, you can't slander our magnificent Marine base!"
The Marine immediately retorted upon hearing Olga's words.
In their eyes, the base represents safety, comrades fighting together, and a place to settle down.
"But I really didn't expect the Marines to stay in this kind of place..." Olga said weakly.
The faint light of dawn had yet to pierce through the heavy sea fog, and a strange silence enveloped the entire area.
Jin An and the others stood together on the deck of the warship, looking at the gradually revealing outline of the Marine base.
A sea breeze blew, bringing with it a mixture of salty and rotten smells.
The gates of the Marine base were tightly closed, like a dead zone with no living beings.
The scars left on the base told the newcomers of the disaster that had occurred here.
The walls were broken, part of the bunker had collapsed, and black smoke was still rising slowly in a corner.
And the most shocking thing was the corpses scattered outside the base.
The corpses were either lying scattered or maintained their last fighting posture, silently telling those who came here that a fierce battle had once taken place here.
A veteran Marine on the ship pointed to those silent bodies and explained in a hoarse voice:
"These are all the pirates who died attacking this base. We Marines also suffered heavy losses."
"Outside this base, every once in a while, some pirates will rush into the base to burn, kill, and loot."
The Marine clenched his fists, letting the sea breeze mess up his hair.
The dilapidated base and scattered corpses, all of this constituted the heavy scene before them.
Despite the brutal and cruel reality before him, Jin An knew that as soldiers, their duty was to face danger at all times. All they could do was work hard to improve their strength and prevent tragedy from happening again.
The Marine waved his hand, signaling the team to follow him ashore.
Tian Yue Shi's expression was stern, and Olga and Ashia nodded silently. No words were needed between the four of them; eye contact was enough to convey information.
As the morning sun rose and the mist dissipated, they stepped forward towards the dilapidated Marine base, each step as heavy as a thousand pounds.
"..."
The scene inside the base was even more tragic than imagined, filled with the lingering smell of gunpowder and an atmosphere of sorrow.
Bricks, broken glass, and bullet casings were like a dirge on the ground, telling of the fierce battle that had just passed amidst the devastation.
Although the battle had passed, every surviving Marine was doing what they could, either moving supplies, repairing broken walls, or guarding the surroundings, guarding against the crisis that might come again.
The appearance of Jin An and his group of four initially caused a burst of alert.
These Marines had built up lines of defense, guarding their remaining territory.
They were exhausted but still maintained a strong fighting spirit, and any unusual movement could become a new threat.
However, after confirming that the newcomers were on their side, the vigilant gazes gradually softened.
Some Marines nodded, and some even tried to squeeze out a smile, expressing the unspoken comfort and encouragement between comrades.
Although the base was broken, the morale was not lost.
Tian Yue Shi and the others walked forward along the corridor that had been destroyed by the ruins. Each place they passed made their hearts heavier, but at the same time strengthened their determination to join the Marines.
And the Marines in the base returned to their posts and continued their busy work.
"Our Vice Admiral is in this office. I'll go back to my post first," the Marine who was leading the way explained to Jin An and the others, and then hurried towards the depths of the corridor.
......
"Knock, knock, knock..." Jin An reached out and gently knocked on the door.
An old voice came from the room, "Come in."
The group pushed the door open and entered the office.
Sitting behind the large desk was an old Marine, his skin like aged parchment, reflecting the vicissitudes of time.
His eyes were framed by silver hair, and through his reading glasses, he revealed a wise light.
Seeing someone coming in, the old man smiled and put down the materials in his hand, raised his head, and his piercing eyes stared at the four people in front of the desk.
The old man's voice was hoarse and gentle: "Welcome to the G-5 Branch. I am Maldu, the person in charge of this branch."
"Please sit down. You are not Marines from our branch, so don't be so restrained."
His words were brief, but revealed his friendliness to Jin An and the others.
Jin An and his companions exchanged glances tacitly, and then sat down one by one, ready to listen to what arrangements this old Marine, who had experienced countless storms, would give them.
"You are the little guy Kapu mentioned," Maldu said, looking directly at Jin An, with a hint of interest in his eyes.
Jin An nodded, "That's me."
After building a good relationship with the Marines on the warship, he heard them say that Kapu had privately asked their Vice Admiral to help find Jin An and the others.
Now that he had met the Vice Admiral himself, Jin An felt very grateful.
The old man's eyes contained a hint of imperceptible anxiety. He leaned slightly forward from his chair, placed his hands lightly on the desk, and stared straight at the protagonist and the others.
"I have a request!" Maldu said, his voice steady but full of strength.
The urgency of the war seemed to be concentrated on his old face at this moment, and every wrinkle was like a deep gully, recording the base's predicament and the urgency of seeking help.
"I know this is a big request."
"But our situation is really not optimistic. We are short of supplies and personnel..."
"We are about to collapse. If the Marine Headquarters can give us more support, we can continue to defend this sea area."
His eyes swept across Jin An's faces one by one, as if trying to read a trace of hope from their young faces.
"I believe your arrival is not accidental. Your talents and your performance during this period have proven your worth."
"The Marshal has always been generous in his praise for excellent soldiers, so..."
Maldu paused slightly, took a deep breath, and continued:
"If you can say a few good words for us in front of the Marshal, even just a few words, I believe he will consider it. All the men, women, old and young here will be grateful for your great kindness."
Jin An and the others exchanged glances, reaching a consensus almost without words.
They knew that this was not only the old man's request, but also his responsibility for those helpless lives in the war.
Jin An stood up
