As Shen Cha said, An Ming and Li Jun have long since given up trying to compete with each other.
Li Jun, in particular, changes so fast that people around him cannot imagine it. An Ming once asked him how he could figure out something overnight that he had not figured out for so many years.
"There is heaven outside the sky, and there is someone outside people. If the frog at the bottom of the well does not jump out of the well, he will never know the vastness of this world."
Although he didn't answer the question a bit, Li Jun's answer was his most personal feeling after entering the Shadow Camp.
In the past, Shadow was an existence that ordinary soldiers like them needed to look up to. They had always believed that to be selected as Shadow by General Shen, in addition to meeting certain requirements, he had strong abilities in one or more aspects. Talent is the kind of talent that others may not master in years, but can be learned in just one or two glances.
But when he was actually there, Li Jun realized how naive and ridiculous he used to be. The so-called talented people he imagined before do exist, such as the leaders in the Shadow Camp, Shadow Four, Shadow Five, and Shadow Thirteen, but most of them are just like himself, very ordinary people, the only ones. The difference is that those who become shadows work harder and harder than him, and have no distracting thoughts.
"As the saying goes, the stupid bird flies first." Ying Si, who came to train An Ming and Li Jun under Shen Cha's order, told them this on the first day they arrived, "If you know your shortcomings, you must try your best. Make up for it. Don’t talk about congenital defects that cannot be repaired. As long as it is a defect, there is a way to make up for it. It depends on whether you are willing."
From that day on, An Ming and Li Jun began to practice day and night. They practiced with Ying Si during the day. If they still had the strength at night, they would choose to practice more on their own. I don't know if it was fate, but every time they practiced on their own, they would meet Dai Yi, who was brought by General Shen from the new barracks. This boy has long lost the arrogance he had when he first joined the army, and his whole person has become much calmer.
An Ming didn't interact much with Dai Yi. When they met, they just nodded and said hello to each other. Li Jun, on the other hand, didn't know how he made friends with Dai Yi. Although he couldn't talk about everything, he would occasionally talk about what was on his mind.
"Let's take a rest. We've been practicing too hard these past two days."
On this day, only Li Jun and Dai Yi were training extra. An Ming was called away by Shadow Four in the afternoon and had not returned by dinner time.
After practicing for almost an hour, the two of them wiped off their sweat and lay directly on the grass in the school field.
"Brother Li, do you know what Fourth Master asked Brother An to do?" Dai Yi put his hands behind his head and looked at the stars in the sky and said, "I haven't seen him the whole afternoon and night."
"I don't know." Li Jun shook his head, took a deep breath, and caught the falling snowflakes. "Ever since the list of entourage was announced, he has been busy and has been like this for several days. We live in the same house. When I went back at night, he hadn't come back yet. When I woke up in the morning, he had already gone out. Basically, I didn't see him once a day."
"We'll be setting off in two days, so it's normal to be busy. But you... are also the team leader, why didn't Fourth Master find you?"
"You kid, don't be rude to me. I'm just a team leader in name only. It's useless." Hearing what Dai Yi said, Li Jun wasn't angry either. He just raised his foot and kicked him in the direction of him. By the way, He also covered him with the cloak that was still on the ground. "Look at who is going out with General Shen and Military Advisor Jin this time? Elites from the Pioneer Battalion, General Shen's personal soldiers, and people from the Shadow Battalion."
"Don't belittle yourself. You are quite capable. The only shortcoming is that you are not as careful as Brother An. If you had to correct this problem, you would no longer be a captain." Dai Yi sighed and said nothing, staring at the sky. The stars are in a trance.
Hearing the silence, Li Jun felt curious and turned sideways and glanced, "What are you thinking about?"
"Brother Li, the battlefield... isn't it scary?"
"It's not scary, but it's cruel." Li Jun patted Dai Yi on the shoulder, "Don't worry, we won't encounter any danger this time."
"That's not what I meant." Dai Yi crossed his hands on his chest. "When I was in Xijing, I always envied the people at the border. They were shrouding corpses in horse leather and fighting on the battlefield. They felt particularly majestic. In the past two years, the marshals and marquises and others When I returned to Beijing, I also joined in the fun, stood in the crowd and watched them, feeling... very envious, and I hope that one day I will be one of them."
"Aren't you one of them now? Haven't you already fulfilled your wish?" Li Jun smiled, "Or are you worried that you will shrink from the battle?"
"I definitely won't back down from the battle. I'm just worried that at the critical moment, it will hold everyone back. Brother Li, don't you have such concerns when you go to the battlefield for the first time?"
"I have never thought about it, and I have no chance to think about it." Li Jun imitated Dai Yi and lay on his back. "When we joined the army, it was different from now. We were fighting almost all the time. We were in the recruit camp. After staying for almost forty days, I had the opportunity to face the Liao soldiers. At that time, there was no other feeling except excitement and excitement. I just hoped that I could behead the enemy and become famous in one battle."
"Then did you behead the enemy?"
"I'm pretty lucky. I killed six Liao soldiers in total, and I was also stabbed three times." Li Jun pointed to his calf, right arm, and back, "The injuries are not serious, and he will be alive and kicking in a few days." Although my wish to behead the enemy came true, I failed to become famous in one battle. That boy An Ming killed twelve people in that battle and trampled me under his feet. At that time, I was very angry. , I went to have a fight with him after my injury healed. As a result, the superior officer found out about the private fight between the two of us. We lost all our military exploits and even received a beating." He smiled bitterly, "Based on our performance, it was Those who can be transferred to the front army can face the enemy directly even if they are not in the vanguard camp. But... in the end, we were assigned to the rear army. Although we still have the opportunity to kill the enemy, it is much less than the front army." He Turning his head, he looked at Dai Yi who was listening to him very seriously. "Don't be afraid. Since you have come to join the army and since you have the idea of killing the enemy and serving the country, face it bravely."
"It doesn't matter if it drags down the brothers?"
"If you feel that you were held back this time, try not to make this mistake next time. We all have been through this time, and no one will complain or get angry with you because of this."
Dai Yi didn't speak. After thinking for a long time, he nodded slowly, "I remember, thank you, Brother Li."
"You're welcome, it's just..." Li Jun smiled and glanced at Dai Yi, who was hesitant to speak, "You not only came to me to answer your questions today, but you also wanted to tell me something else, didn't you? "
"You have a very keen sense." Dai Yi nodded, "You do have something to say."
"What did you say? I'm all ears."
"Tell me about you and Brother An."
"An Ming? What are you worried about about us? Are you worried that we will fight?"
"No, I just want to express my own thoughts." Dai Yi sat up and stretched, "I have also heard about the two of you."
"You're not surprised when you heard about it. I'm afraid this matter has spread throughout the Shen family army, right?" Li Jun smiled bitterly, "Everyone thinks it's my fault and I shouldn't pester him. These days, I also Have you ever thought about it, if you had a different approach, would the situation be different today?"
"As long as you have the idea of acknowledging your relatives, no matter what method you use, the result will be the same." Dai Yi held his chin and looked at Li Jun, "If you ask me, you shouldn't have such thoughts. "
"Why? We are brothers. If we didn't know each other's existence, maybe this wouldn't happen. But knowing that we know it, and still ignoring it, isn't it so impersonal?" Li Jun yawned. Patting the falling snowflakes on his body, "You are an only child at home, right? Don't you wish you had a brother who could support each other?"
"No wonder the general asked me to come and talk to you. Sure enough, as the general said, you haven't completely figured it out yet." Seeing the confusion on Li Jun's face, Dai Yi twitched the corner of his mouth, "You are right, between brothers It is true that we can support each other, but this must be based on your willingness and our willingness, rather than your enthusiasm. Obviously, Brother An does not have this idea. Even in ten or twenty years, you will not be able to get what you want. willing."
"I...work hard, what if I can do it?" Li Jun spread his hands, "Look, I originally thought that with my own ability, I would not be able to enter the Shadow Camp. After this period of training, I With all my efforts, I think if there is a next selection, maybe I will have a chance to be selected, right? An Ming's side..."
"No chance!" Dai Yi waved his hand decisively, "Actually, Brother An is not a hard-hearted person, but he is a very stubborn and stubborn person. Once he is sure of something, he will never change it. In this matter, He believes that your father, Zun Lingtang, has bad intentions, and is malicious towards his adoptive parents and Anjia's property." He glanced at Li Jun, "You won't deny this, right?"
"...Yes, I tried to persuade them, but they didn't listen. Not only was An Ming angry, but I was also angry. This is why I decided to join the army."
"Out of sight is out of sight, right?" Dai Yi sighed and thought silently in his heart. General Shen is really a god at guessing the thoughts of the Li family and his wife. If he were not a god, he would never have known it. How could someone who met him guess so accurately? Seeing Li Jun's doubtful gaze, he smiled and said, "Although Brother An doesn't recognize you, his attitude towards you is obviously different from that of your father. In his opinion, your thoughts are very simple, and you just want to It’s just a matter of recognizing this brother, and I don’t have any other messy thoughts.”
"Then why doesn't he acknowledge me?"
"Is it possible to admit you but not your biological parents?" Dai Yi shook his head, "Isn't it true that if I admit my biological parents, I will push my adoptive parents into the abyss of eternal destruction? It is not as important to cultivate kindness as to give birth to kindness. In his heart, his adoptive parents are the people he respects the most."
"I haven't thought about it that way."
"It's not too late to start thinking about it now." Dai Yi shook off the snowflakes on his body, "You have to be lucky that the person you are entangled with is Brother An, not me. He has a good temper. No matter what you do, he will choose to avoid it. No Confronting you head-on. If it had been me, the first time you tried to break this relationship, I would have slapped you in the face with my big mouth. How could you possibly get any further?"
"See what you can do, and you slap me with such a big mouth? Do you want to try?"
"Just give it a try. I'm a famous street fighter in Xijing. I can get away with it even if I make him angry. So far, only..." Thinking of the burning pain from the whip on his face, Dai Yi subconsciously touched it. He touched the place where he was slapped and stopped talking.
Li Jun saw him like that and thought of the rumors in the army, and couldn't help but laugh.
"Why are you laughing? If it weren't for that whip, I wouldn't be where I am today. It's a blessing in disguise!" Dai Yi snorted and continued with a straight face, "As for your parents, the An family are also well-educated and don't argue. If you don’t bother me, try it with those people in Xijing. Even those from a small family would dare to go to the Yamen and file a complaint against them."
"Complain?"
"Yes, today we value filial piety and human ethics. Not only do children have to be filial to their parents and elders, but in turn, parents and elders must also love and protect their children and prevent them from getting hurt. If I remember correctly, there was also an incident in Xijing For something like this in your family, Jingzhao Mansion sentenced the parents of the abandoned child to 50 yuan and ten years in prison. From then on, there has never been such a case in Xijing." Dai Yi patted Li Jun, "If The An family couple are serious people and have already sued your parents to the Yamen. Compared with the case in Xijing, even if you don't go to jail for ten years, you can't escape it in three to five years."
"It turns out that no one has mentioned this before."
"I told you, when you write back, remember to tell them not to really get out of hand. If your parents refuse to give up, it will also have an impact on your future."
"This... shouldn't be something you came up with yourself, right?" Li Jun stared at Dai Yi, "Did General Shen ask you to tell me?"
"It's good that you know, don't let down the general's hard work."
"...Okay, I will tell them."
"Also, the general asked me to tell you, don't worry about brothers or not. The hundreds of thousands of soldiers in the Shen family's army are all brothers of life and death once they go to the battlefield. The feelings of fighting with real swords and guns are comparable to the so-called blood relationship. Much more reliable." Dai Yi stood up and moved a little, "I think so too, whether they are brothers with the same father and mother, or brothers with the same father and mother, they will become enemies in the face of interests and frame each other. When they chop each other with knives, they never think that they are brothers."
"..." Li Jun also sat up, looked at Dai Yi's half cup of tea seriously, and smiled bitterly, "I'm several years older than you, but I can't see and live as clearly as you. I'm really ashamed! "
"It was only after I learned a lesson that I realized how stupid I was in the past. I always clung to the little things in front of me. I didn't look like an upright man at all." Dai Yi jumped up twice. He got off and lay down again, "When I was at home, my life was not going well, and I would lose my temper at every turn. Only when I arrived at the border pass did I realize that although the guard at the border pass was in a high position, he was not even qualified to lose his temper or act petty. No. Such a comparison can only highlight how miserable I used to be." A slight smile appeared on his face, "I think if I go home now, my father will be shocked. He will never think of it. I will become what I am now.”
"Uncle will be very happy." Li Jun patted him, "We work together and one day we will become the kind of people we want to be."
