The yellow sand billowed as the wind swept up and blew sand onto his cheeks and the corners of his mouth. Some of it seemed to try to slip into his mouth， slide down his throat， and he couldn't help but spit it out continuously.
The sun， a giant furnace， dazzling and scorching， hung high in the sky. There was not a cloud in sight， the deep blue sky resembling his eyes， so bright and captivating.
Alex squeezed the water pouch and took a few sips. Unfortunately， he had just swallowed the last sip of water. The open linen robe clung tightly to his skin， and the pulsating pectoral muscles were the color of bronze， like a specially made breastplate.
His complexion， under the scorching sun in this world， was wheat-colored before， but now it had become like a rich， dark chocolate. But undeniable was the charismatic charm that still shone through his entire being， even though he seemed lacking in spirit， somewhat drowsy， and constantly yawning.
A few days ago， when the messenger， a blue bird， had transported him here， his complaints had not stopped，'What is this? I finally get a break， and before I can rest enough， I'm dragged here to do menial tasks.' or 'Isn't everything handled by Uncle Wu Fan? Since he's around， there's no need for me to be brought here.' In his words， the man seemed omnipotent， and he himself was like a decorative onion on a delicate pastry， optional.
Despite his words， he still stepped forward and found a navy blue package laid flat on the soft yellow sand. Alex casually picked up the package， opened it， and skillfully found the robe. He took off his casual clothes， exchanged them for the robe， then nonchalantly stuffed the discarded clothes into the package， took a sip from the nearby water pouch (filled with various kinds of alcohol)， and let out a satisfied burp.
He tied the water pouch to his waist， took out a small wooden model from the package， a dumb bird， entirely indigo， with large eyes (Alex could ascertain they were painted with a feather brush， leaving distinctive traces)， dumbfounded eyebrows above the quizzical eyes， and a mouth made of two movable wooden pieces. Alex gave it a gentle flick， and its upper and lower lips suddenly moved.
“Quite ugly，“Alex commented.
“Don't judge me like that， Alex，“the grotesque creature suddenly emitted a melodious and clear voice that contradicted its appearance.
“Goodness， buddy， you really startled me.“Alex quickly grabbed the model's small foot to prevent it from falling to the ground.
“What does this mean， buddy?“Alex asked tentatively.
“As you can see， Alex， I will not directly participate in this mission，“a clear voice emanated from the wooden bird's beak. Alex stared at the two thin wooden boards， trying to figure it out.
“What does this mean? Do you expect me to go it alone? Then why did you notify me earlier? I thought you would come later， as always.“Alex reached into the bird's beak， feeling the warmth inside.(He knew it was its power control center.)
“Of course not， my dear Alex. As your partner， your guide， I am sorry that I cannot accompany you this time.“Even with its mouth gagged， the voice was still clear and reached Alex's ears， as if there was no mouth.
“Okay， I understand， buddy. Great， I mean， I really feel uncomfortable without you by my side. I think I will miss you，“Alex smiled， speaking sorrowful words with a cheerful tone.
“No， no， Alex， don't daydream. My dear partner， although I am not with you， there will be someone to monitor you.“The wooden bird seemed to be stuck in its throat， emitting“Ha—(paused)—ha—(paused)—ha“laughter.
“Who?“Alex almost reflexively asked this foolish question.
“Allow me to keep you guessing. In time， you will know.“With that， it continued to slowly emit that unpleasant mechanical laughter.
“Alex， don't mistreat my model， be gentle with it. Trust me， buddy， it will come in handy later.“As if understanding Alex's deep thoughts， the bird's words made Alex stop his rough actions. He was on the verge of smashing the wooden bird to pieces to vent his anger.
“Oh， shoot! Finally feeling a taste of freedom， not being constrained or disciplined. But who is the new guide?“He furrowed his brow.
“Never mind， whatever.“Alex quickly put the matter aside because of the influence of a certain uncle. The first line in his life dictionary read，“Where a road is needed， a road will appear; where a boat is needed， a path will emerge. A proud life should not be burdened by trivial matters.“They lived almost their entire lives adhering to this saying， and even when his uncle had to undergo his own trials， only Alex still held this saying in high regard.
“I should continue to be carefree like Uncle Wu Fan， shouldn't I?“He asked， but received no response.
He took out a stack of crispy orange thin pancakes from the package. Alex tore off a piece， chewed it， and savored it with closed eyes，“Egg filling.“
He tore off another piece，“Not bad， meat filling.“When he took the third piece， his face suddenly changed color. He almost spoke in a disdainful tone，“What is this? Secret dung and egg flavor?“
When he ate the fourth piece， he pretended to vomit，“Oh my god， what the hell is this， the bile of a poisonous toad， what on earth were they thinking? Does Bluebird find this prank amusing?“
He put the remaining pancakes back into the package， ensuring he wouldn't touch them easily.(However， he couldn't resist taking out a piece from time to time to sample it.) Then， he slung the package over his shoulder and inserted the sword into his belt.
In fact， Alex didn't need to eat， and he didn't really feel thirsty. After all， he was born as a “part“of this world， and for him， death was a luxury. But undoubtedly， he still knew how to enjoy life. His favorite uncle had once told him，“Alex， you have to make yourself interesting， and in the long years of life， you have to do something interesting to pass the time， such as tasting things with your tongue and digesting things with your stomach.“ He
Alex finished the last piece of pancake， drank the last sip of water， and threw away the last water pouch left by Bluebird. As he took a few steps forward， he suddenly encountered a quicksand. The death gods in this desert waited for those fated to encounter them. The sand behemoths would gradually engulf people， slowly corroding the skin and sucking out the flesh and blood. Alex didn't feel a shred of fear， feeling unneeding to eat or drink; this guy had long forgotten what it meant to be afraid. His body flowed with the blood of his father， the supreme being， only the world fear him， why should he fear the world?
Clearly trapped in the sand， he seemed to be performing an odd projectile motion， moving forward horizontally at a speed slightly slower than on the ground. His entire body gradually buried into the soft sand， as if gently sinking into the goddess of the earth.
A strange scene， a head of wine-red hair moved forward in the sand， the bright hair contrasting sharply with the yellow-brown soil， like a flame growing from the earth.
“So comfortable，“Alex's voice， with a hint of drowsiness， was muffled in the sand. The soft sand seemed to make him think he was taking a sand bath， but everyone else was lying horizontally， while he was standing vertically， straight and erect.
“Ouch，“he suddenly let out a painful scream as he popped up from the yellow sand. On his hand， the index finger on his right hand was holding an ugly， yellow-brown creature， a shade lighter than the sand， with a snake-like head but a body not as long as a snake， only about five inches. Its skin was not as smooth as a snake's， its scales were rough， and there were two circles of yellowish millet-like growths on its cheeks. This little creature also had four small webbed feet， with hook teeth hanging beneath its body， a tiger-striped lizard.
Alex was about to throw this little troublemaker away when he suddenly heard a familiar yet eerie and strange laugh emanating from the lizard's mouth，“Hehehe， ah! Alex， my dearest nephew， it's been so long since we last met.“
“Ah， Fourteenth Uncle， it has indeed been a long time. Goodbye.“Alex's heart skipped a beat， and he quickly threw the ugly lizard away， sending it soaring across the sky with a perfect parabolic trajectory. With a thud， the little creature fell to the ground， a devil whose voice was a nightmare; Alex didn't want to hear it for a moment.
Alex gave his right hand a shake， leaving two small black tooth marks behind on his finger. Two drops of black blood dripped to the ground， as if hot oil had splashed on snow， making a sizzling sound. Suddenly， a smooth patch of sand sank into a big depression， about the size of a bowl bottom， and a nauseating greenish gas floated out from it.
“Oh， my dear nephew， I thought seeing you this time will surely bring tears to my eyes. After all， meeting you is so rare. When was the last time we saw each other? Forgive me for my poor memory， I can't remember for a while， but I feel like it should have been quite some time， a long time. Times like this are rare， and I always miss you so much.“The lizard， who had been thrown away， swiftly hobbled back in front of him.
“Is that so? I really must thank you for your concern. My dear uncle，“he spoke coldly， gripping the sword hilt with his intact left hand (his right hand was infected and turned pitch black)， a clang， and the divine sword unsheathed. The sword roared its name in fury， its jet-red blade exuding a golden light， spreading like blood. Soon， it shone brightly.
Alex held it as if grasping a piece of a newborn sun， lightly slashing from top to bottom. The lizard split into two instantly， and the flames quickly engulfed both halves of its body. It left behind black and grey residues， brittle and hard， on the sand， which scattered with the wind.
“Ah， Alex， my most beloved nephew， how could you be so heartless， this really saddens me.“The lizard's falsely crying voice sounded like several people holding a megaphone， coming from all directions.
“This time， I came with an errand from your Second Uncle， it's a precious encounter， my dear nephew. Your Second Uncle， the Heaven Will， if he were to know about your action towards your elders， how heartbroken he would be.“Its voice was full of grievance， as if it had nothing to do with the poisoning of its most beloved nephew.
“Hmph，“Alex snorted coldly.“Damn， I should've expected this.“
He muttered under his breath， his eyes flashing with a hint of cold-blooded intent， but soon replaced by the lazy tone from before.“Never mind， whatever.“He turned and continued on his way.
It was a beautiful night， with pleasant temperatures and a gentle breeze brushing across the face， dispersing the heat of the day. The wind swept over the ground， causing the sand and bushes to rustle.
Two travelers， with the moonlight shining above them， the stars scattered like a handful of scattered gemstones in the sky. A peaceful cloud covered a corner of the sky， and within the hazy clouds， dozens of stars flickered， like a string of pearls threaded by invisible threads.
“Sir， what's the big secret? The one related to me，“Wu Fan ran up to 22， blinking incessantly.
22 regretted it a bit. He shouldn't have let his mouth run wild just now.“Going back there will make you talk non-stop. You and your big mouth， why can't you keep it shut?“he complained in his mind. Obviously， he regretted speaking untimely words to Wu Fan.
By the time he realized it， it was too late， so Wu Fan， with this question， was entangled in the matter. He told Wu Fan that he was burdened with a huge secret. What more could he say?“Shut up， don't say anything more to him!“He gave himself a compulsory command in his mind.
Then， Wu Fan， with his persistence， and he， with his annoyance， walked a long way.
“Alright， I give up. I think I finally know how you feel. I admit that sometimes I can be quite annoying，“he shrugged， looking back with regret. When he had been talking non-stop before， Wu Fan had covered his ears. Now it was his turn， and just like Wu Fan back then， it wasn't a good idea. That voice would still worm its way into his ears like a thread.
Wu Fan smiled triumphantly.
“I don't know what the big secret is.“Just as Wu Fan was about to speak again， he continued，“But I can tell you a story， about me.“
“Sir， if I may ask， what does your story have to do with my secret?“Wu Fan asked bluntly.
“Perhaps it does，“ 22 paused.“I think maybe not. Who knows.“
“Alright， do you want to hear it or not?“he said impatiently.
Seeing Wu Fan's hesitant expression， he cleared his throat and began to tell his story.
“ When I was still a human， my name was Karles Dean Beremon. I was born in a small town called Santa Rosa in California， in July 1918， about four months before the end of the First World War. My great-grandfather's name was Dean， Dean Beremon. He was an Englander who visited the American continent in 1789 and settled here. He was a great pioneer. To commemorate his contribution， my name was added with Dean， his name.“
22 touched the sticky hair on his forehead and， in a self-narrative tone， his thoughts automatically sank into those memories.
Wu Fan was stunned， apparently realizing that something was not quite right. Almost simultaneously， 22 saw through his thoughts.“That's right， the person standing in front of you is not as young as you imagine. I am now 104 years old， which is quite unbelievable， isn't it?“When he smiled， his teeth were perfectly intact， without any signs of looseness.
Wu Fan nodded.
“Becoming a dinosaur man gave me a strong vitality. For the long life of dinosaur—beings，over a hundred years is nothing. The metabolism of a dinosaur—beings are completely different from that of a human. Their cell division and iterated times， as well as the telomere information of the chromosomes， are vastly different from humans， which leads to the much longer lifespan of dinosaur—beings， maintaining youthful vigor for several times longer than a human.“
22 raised his head， gazing at the stars in the distance， and gathered his nostalgic thoughts in his mind.
“You will understand all of this later，“he said.“My family is wealthy and prestigious in the local area， the result of generations of hard work. My father was a farmer， inheriting everything from his ancestors， including a large estate and a large group of servants. Of course， if I hadn't had an accident， all of this would have been mine in the future. I was the only child in our family.“
“California is a major agricultural state， providing nearly half of the fruits and vegetables in the United States. In addition， California is also known for its winemaking. The town where I lived produced several kinds of sweet and delicious wines， famous far and wide.“
“Most of my childhood memories were spent in the winery， orchard， and estate， watching the workers and tenants coming and going， busy with their work. My father would always proudly tell me，'Our status is noble. The Beremon family has made a huge contribution to America， in the past， present， and future. Many workers and farmers rely on us for their livelihoods because we provide them with work and value.'
In addition， he would often take me to the basement， a small museum that housed various artifacts passed down from my great-grandfather. My father liked to point at those piles of antiques with his slender cane and say，'Forgetting history is betrayal. We must not be called upstarts. We must never be. The symbol of the Beremon family is upper-class， high-end taste， and we must pass on this timeless elegance.'
“My father was called 'Glorious Old George' by the people， and yes， he was very satisfied with this title. Whenever someone called him that， he would take off his tall hat and bow with a fake smile. My father loved to show off and was very proud.“
“My wife was my childhood sweetheart， her name was Sophia Molly Levitt. She was of the same social standing as me， only a year younger， and the daughter of another wealthy family in town. Sophia loved to smile， and when she smiled， she had two sweet dimples.“At this point， his eyes sparkled， and Wu Fan realized that there was a strong sense of tenderness reflected in them.
“This tenderness was fleeting，“and he continued，“Until that incident happened， my life was plain and boring but beautiful. I thought I would live a mundane life， marry Sophia， inherit Old George's estate， and pass on the elegance of the Beremon family.“
Wu Fan nodded heavily， indicating his deep agreement. If his life had not been kidnapped by the dinosaur guys， it would have been a dull and boring life.
“In December 1941， the Pearl Harbor incident broke out， and the authorities realized the urgency of the situation， so an unprecedented nationwide conscription campaign began. Honestly， the glamorous lady on the conscription posters didn't have much of an impact on me. Compared to the red wine we produced at home， Coca-Cola tasted far worse. Besides， my fiancée Sophia， she was a lively， beautiful， and passionate girl. I dare say no man could resist her charm. His smile deepened， showing what a lucky man he was.“
“All of this goes to show that I had no reason to go to the front lines. But Old George didn't think so. One day， my dear father called me into his study， and the first thing he said was，'I have already discussed with Mr. Levitt， and we have decided to hold a wedding for you and Miss Sophia Molly Levitt soon.'
“Sophia and I were in love and had decided to spend our lives together. She would eventually be mine. But when my father suddenly announced this to me， I felt like a downpour was pouring down on me， filled with milk and honey. This sudden visit of happiness almost overwhelmed my mind.“
“For the first time， I felt so respectful of my father.“
“But happiness came quickly and left just as quickly. Old George continued，'After the wedding， go join the army， carrying the honor of the Levitts and the Beremon family. God bless America.' In an instant， I felt another downpour， mixed with the bitter taste of lemon and sea urchin.“
“In January 1942， less than a month after my marriage to Sophia Molly Levitt， I set off with the expectations of my family. I thought my new bride would try to keep me， but poor Sophia， on the day I left， she cried and wet several handkerchiefs with her tears. I still can't forget her sad eyes when I left. If she had tried to stop me， I would have stayed， but in the end， she only watched me leave.“22 lightly patted his palm， and Wu Fan felt sorry for him.
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“Old George， on the other hand， was joyful， with a determined expression， as if he was the one about to go to the battlefield， not me. His voice was generous， powerful， and full of strength.“
“The day before I was about to leave， he held a farewell party for me， inviting people from all over the place， whether they knew me or not， into our home.“
“He stood in the center of the hall， like an excellent orator.'In the past days， our ancestor Dean Beremon crossed the sea alone， and single-handedly arrived in this magical land， establishing a flourishing Bearemont family.'“
“'Now， his great-grandson， Karles Dean Beremon， will continue this spirit and continue to fight for this country and this magical land. God bless America. To the great President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.'He raised his glass.“
“His speech immediately received a lot of applause， and the onlookers raised their glasses， shouting in unison，'God bless America， to President Franklin Roosevelt.'He enjoyed the glory in the crowd， while I was full of worry about my upcoming journey.“
Wu Fan seemed to understand his feelings more and more， burying his head lower and humming a deep “hmm“in response. Adults always have high expectations for children， especially in matters of family honor.
“The days in the boot camp were actually not easy， but compared to the upcoming war， they were truly beautiful days.“His gaze suddenly became deep， his eyebrows raised high， and all the experiences seemed to have happened just yesterday.
“The military truck took us away the day after we reported for duty at the boot camp. I was lost in thought due to anxiety， and when I turned around， I realized that someone was calling my name. It was a great young man， with neat chestnut-colored short hair and big eyes. His skin was as ripe as wheat in the field， and he flashed a set of pearly white teeth， smiling at me，'Master Karles， what a coincidence.'“
“What a coincidence，“I replied absentmindedly. After a moment， I asked，“Who are you?“The young man hesitated for a moment， perhaps feeling a bit out of place. After adjusting his emotions， he introduced himself，“Master Karles， I am the third son of the Smith family， the youngest child of Nevich Smith.“
“'Oh，'I put on a look of sudden realization， but in my heart， I had no idea who Nevich Smith was. In California， the surname Smith was too common.“
“'What's your name? How is your father's health? Is everything okay recently?'I had to change the subject to cover up my inner embarrassment.“
“'Thank you for your concern， Master Karles. Thanks to Sir George， my parents are doing well. My name is Sandonelli， Sandonelli Smith. Master.'The young man was very shy， and when he spoke to me， his eyes were always fixed on the ground.“
“Sand was my first friend.“Karles smiled.
“The days on the truck were boring. It took ten days to two weeks to travel from the recruitment center to the military base. But with the company of the shy Sandonelli， my tense nerves gradually relaxed.“
“In fact， not only Sandonelli and I， but many new recruits had such a habit. Perhaps it was due to nervousness， and we were all eager to chat with each other. The old soldiers didn't do this. They paid no attention to the chattering of the new recruits， not stopping them， just sitting quietly in the corner， dozing off. Perhaps they were pretending to sleep， listening to our conversations while silently mocking the new recruits' ignorance. When I became an old soldier and welcomed new recruits， I did the same.“
“Sandonelli was a very humorous person. Once he lost his shyness and opened up， he would tell me some strange things I had never heard of， although most of the time I thought he was just making it up.“
“'Master， do you know? I once saw a pig running over people. The pig was bigger than a mule.'he said in an exaggerated tone. I thought he would be a pity if he didn't become a poet in the future.'I also saw a chicken fall from the sky， landing less than two centimeters above my head. It scared me to death.'“
“He became more and more absurd， but I was too lazy to expose his tall tales. I just listened quietly， and just listening to him was enough to give me a moment of peace in my heart.“22's eyes seemed to light up again， and Wu Fan felt that those eyes were so incredible， able to reflect the owner's emotional changes in time.
“In late January 1942， after a long and arduous journey， the new recruits finally arrived at the Bay Military Base in San Francisco， where we would undergo three to four months of basic training. Fate was so lovely and mysterious. It made Sandonelli and me assigned to the same platoon， and it was there that I formed other unforgettable bonds.“
“Training was a very torturous thing， especially for someone like me， who had been living a comfortable life. My training results were very embarrassing， and my progress was slow. If it weren't for the need for manpower in the war， I believe my instructor would have been happy to make a decision that would please both sides， kicking me out of the camp so that he wouldn't have to worry about me， and I could go home early， back into Sophia's arms.“
“Faced with the mocking eyes of others， lovely Sandonelli didn't think so. He always liked to be with me， even in the face of the strange looks of other new recruits. I felt very ashamed about this. Sandonelli performed well， and he shouldn't have to endure all this with me. Several times， I wanted to tell him to stay away from me. But he didn't seem to notice， still cheerful all day long， talking to me， sharing everything he knew， as if it was the happiest thing for him， so how could I speak up?“
“When I no longer agonized over this， I thought our friendship would last forever. He was my best buddy in the camp. We came from the same place， were of similar age， and both loved the folk songs of California and the beautiful blonde girls. His parents worked for my father， didn't they? But soon， maybe about a week later， that young man， Sandonelli Smith， started avoiding me. We were not assigned to the same dormitory， and the day after the training ended， when I found him as usual， he kept his distance from me as if he had seen a ghost. At first， I didn't understand what had happened between us. I gathered the courage to go to his dormitory， wanting to ask if there was any misunderstanding between us. Usually， to avoid causing him trouble， I wouldn't actively look for him. I called his name at the door， but he didn't appear. I stood at the door， calling his name three or four times. The door opened， and a person appeared in front of me.'Sand doesn’t want to see you. Stay away from him in the future，'Veli Tiller Ferro said sternly， warning me， and then slammed the iron door shut.
“Veli had long black hair， and his skin was also wheat-colored. If it weren't for his eyes， I would almost have mistaken him for an Asian. His brown eyes had a hint of emerald green in them. He wasn't tall， standing at less than 5 feet 7 inches， but he had the fiery spirit of a Mexican， especially when he stared at me. Sandonelli was also a Mexican， and Veli's training results were just as outstanding as Sandonelli's， especially in hand-to-hand combat. It seemed to be their racial talent. Sandonelli's wrestling skills were exceptional， and even the old soldiers were no match for him. Veli was also very good at wrestling. They were highly respected among the new recruits. Veli was seen as an ambitious and aspiring young man by the new recruits， and he even earned the respect of some of the old soldiers. But what I didn't understand was why he disliked me so much. Once， when I accidentally bumped into his arm， I immediately apologized to him， but he scolded me，'Be careful， you high and mighty young master.'“
“Veli's appearance made it impossible for the icy relationship between Sandonelli and me to be eased. Every time I greeted Sandonelli or tried to approach him， Veli would always block us with a group of people.“
“I got angry.'Get out of the way and let me through，'I wanted to push through their blockade， but Veli and his followers pushed me to the ground.'If it weren't for Sand，I would have taught you a lesson.'he said harshly before they left. I got up from the ground， but Sandonelli's figure was already gone.“
“Old George had once said，'Wolves flock together， and lions fight alongside lions.'As a sheep like me， Sand’s abandonment of me was a wise move. At least he didn't have to endure the disdain with me. I could only console myself in my heart.“
“In the days that followed， without Sand’s company， I felt like a lonely man again， with no one willing to accompany me. Every new recruit entering the camp would receive 'special treatment'as a matter of course， which the old soldiers called a 'gift，'so that the new recruits could quickly experience the cruelty of the battlefield. No one was exempt from this.“
“Previously， it was the old soldiers who 'took care'of the new recruits， but for someone like me who made no progress， the old soldiers probably felt that it was not worth bullying me， so it was the new recruits who gave me that 'special treatment.'“
“I didn't know whether I was lucky or unlucky， but at that time， I met my second friend in the boot camp， and my lifelong friend， Kane Lare Pino. Like me， Kane didn't make much progress. He also came from a prominent family. He was the eldest son of the Pino family in the neighboring town of Pino. Kane was a generous person who seemed to be good at dealing with people. When he first arrived， he distributed all the things he could bring to everyone， bread， cigarettes， and valuable red wine.“
“Kane was a very cheerful person. He had the iconic red hair and blue eyes inherited from the Pino family. His skin was fairer than that of most girls I had seen， smooth as codfish. He was a kind person， but he had come to the wrong place， and I thought I had too. The camp was a melting pot， filled with violent elements.“
“So his natural approach didn't work. Years of carefree living only meant that he and I often enjoyed a good fight. It was almost as if we became friends the moment we saw each other's miserable state.“
“Sometimes I had to admit that I really owed Old George a lot.“22's mouth curled up into a big smile， and his cheekbones made Wu Fan unable to look away. They were so prominent， and he found it a bit perplexing.
“My superior， Major Leon， was my father's longtime friend， Old George's friend. When I first saw him， I understood what caused the two of them to get along so well.“
“Major Leon was close to my father's age. He was bald， unlike Old George， who had a thick head of hair， but he had an equally thick beard. Sometimes I wondered if his chin and the top of his head had switched places. Leon was a hot-tempered and impatient officer. He often cursed politicians. Every time I passed by his office， I would hear him loudly cursing the name of a certain official. He would call them traitors， lackeys， and he couldn't wait to arrest those men and execute them all.“
“Towards me， especially when he knew that I was the sole heir of the Beremon family， Old George's successor， his tone would become very gentle. He would put his calloused hand on my shoulder and say，'Young man， Old George would be proud of you.'“
“In contrast， Kane did not receive such treatment. When he mentioned that he came from the Pino family， I noticed that Old Leon's beard would often tremble uncontrollably， like an old cat going crazy. Then he would make a rude 'hmph'sound， indicating the close relationship between the Pino family and the officials.
“One day， I met Sandonelli again. He was as spirited as before. I thought he would keep his distance from me as usual once the training ended， but that day he approached me on his own. This made me suddenly hopeful， thinking that we could reconcile， but he just looked into my eyes， which seemed to imprison a wild beast， and he said fiercely，'I will never be oppressed by your Beremon family again.'“
“His companion， Veli， applauded and cheered him on.'Well said， Sand. This means you have completely broken away from the past. You are no longer the one who used to endure unfair treatment.'they said before leaving. As they left， Veli continued to glare at me， leaving me feeling bewildered and at a loss.“
“The old soldier， Sharon Van Woodfield， was our platoon leader， and he always favored them. He was also a Mexican. As for us， Kane and I were often sneered at. During that time， I often blamed myself， thinking that it was because Kane and I were dragging our feet during training， which made us train even harder during our rest time.“
“But when we were able to pass every test， I naively thought that they wouldn't treat us differently， but the fact proved that their attitude towards us remained the same.“
“I didn't understand why. I went to ask Kane， and he said it was because of our different backgrounds. The poor people had always united to resent the rich， and it had been that way since ancient times.“
“Sometimes I overheard their private conversations. They believed that my ancestors， a group of big landlords， capitalists， and certain officials， had always oppressed them. It was as if my father， Old George， was a full-fledged vampire， always enjoying their delicious blood. But Old George had told me that we had given them the value of work.“
“'Are we really oppressing them?'I secretly asked Kane. He shook his head and only said，'I don't know.'“
“One day， as I passed by Veli's dormitory， I happened to overhear him talking proudly，'Thank the army. It's only here that true equality is achieved. There is no oppression here， only real ability. This is the place every man aspires to. I dare say that those young masters who are afraid to kill a chicken on ordinary days are nothing here. When they get to the battlefield， they will be scared out of their wits.'Then they all burst into laughter， as if it was the funniest joke in the world. I looked through the window and saw Sandonelli， my former friend， sitting next to his new companion， laughing just as loudly.“
“While they resented us， they also fantasized about making a name for themselves. It seemed that this war wasn't as terrifying to them as it was to everyone else. In their hearts， it was a great opportunity for everyone to stand out.“
“History is a cycle， and the young calves are always fearless. New recruits who have not experienced the baptism of war always like to talk big and say some irrelevant things. In their mouths， war is just a game. However， the lessons of history repeatedly warn every participant that the consequences of underestimating war are painful and irreparable.“'Pity'this was the only word that Wu Fan could see in his eyes.
Then， he took out a vial from his pocket， opened the stopper， tilted his head back， and the bubbling emerald green liquid rushed into his throat.
“Really hard to drink“，he complained， and then smashed the test tube on the ground， followed by a crisp burst.
“On April 13， 1942， we finished the training in the boot camp， marking our official deployment to the Pacific battlefield. That night， the camp's loudspeakers repeatedly played President Roosevelt's speech， and both new and old soldiers listened attentively. The atmosphere that night was so heavy， and no one dared to forget. A sentence from the President made a lasting impression on me. He said，'We must always firmly believe that in the darkness， there are still stars shining for us.'“
“This reminded me of Sophia， my star， my wife. Would she shine for me? Yes， she definitely would.I told myself“.
“In June 1942， the Battle of Midway officially began， and we achieved a great victory. But after the war， I felt that it was so unreal. We won the battle with over 300 casualties， while the enemy lost more than ten times that number.“
“Looking at the floating bodies on the sea， the burning warships， the setting sun， and the blood staining the world red， I just kept vomiting.“
“After this battle， Sharon Van Woodfield passed away， and Veli Tiller Ferro， my best friend， Sandonelli Smith's close friend， didn't have the chance to realize his ambitions. He left the battlefield with the tragic outcome of losing an eye， an arm， and both legs. He was lucky. The fleet he was in， the Yorktown， sank， and almost the entire squadron he belonged to was wiped out.“
“This war was like a heavy blow， teaching all the new recruits who underestimated it a heavy lesson. Even though we eventually achieved victory， we won with fewer numbers and suffered ten times the casualties. But faced with the survivors who had been through the scythe of death， who would feel glorious?“
“Old George felt very proud， but my dear wife， Sophia， was worried. When she found out that I was safe and sound， her voice was joyful. She told me on the phone with a tearful voice that she was really afraid that something might happen to me， and she didn't want Allen to lose his dad.“
“I was a bit puzzled for a moment. My voice was trembling. What was the matter with Allen? Even though I was deeply immersed in the whirlpool of the past.“ 22's cheeks still turned red.“How excited he must have been at that time!“Wu Fan thought to himself.
“She told me that she became pregnant shortly after I left， and the child's full name was decided to be Allen Karles Beremon.“
“For a moment， I didn't know what to say. Only one sentence lingered in my mind:'I'm a father， I have a child.'“
“That day， Sophia and I poured our hearts out to each other until the operator told me that the time was up， and I reluctantly hung up the phone.“
“I couldn't wait to tell Kane and Sand this good news. This war brought the three of us back together. After the war， there were no masters， no servants， no class barriers， only three close friends. They all congratulated me， and Kane even said that after the war， he would prepare a big gift for his unborn niece.“
“I asked Kane why it was a niece and not a nephew. Kane said，'I prefer a niece to a nephew.'“
“Oh， Kane， foolish Kane， wasn't a nephew his most beloved nephew?“
“Sand said that after the war， he would propose to Daisy. I knew Daisy; she was our maid， a chubby girl with golden curly hair and a round face.“
“And so， the three young men in the cabin looked forward to a better life after the war. That night， we stayed up all night.“
22's words suddenly stopped， as if someone had pressed the pause button on the world. He gently closed his eyes， and the cold night wind drew two transparent threads on his face. Wu Fan saw two glistening tears sliding down his cheeks.