"Xiao Feng, Grandpa is here to see you. Look at you, you've always loved to be clean since you were little, but now your face is all black and dirty. If your grandma saw you, she'd give you a good beating."
As Qin Guotao spoke, he rolled up his sleeves and gently wiped Qin Feng's face.
But the more Qin Guotao wiped, the darker and redder his sleeves became, stained by the semi-congealed blood. Qin Feng's face grew dirtier with every wipe, impossible to clean.
Seeing Qin Feng's face becoming darker and dirtier with each wipe, Qin Guotao stopped. He looked at the motionless Qin Feng, a wave of grief and self-reproach washing over him. His once straight back sagged.
Finally, Qin Guotao began to sob silently. This old man, who had never cried in his life, was now in tears.
In an instant, Qin Guotao seemed to have aged considerably.
At the same time, He Zhijun, Fan Tianlei, and the others standing outside the operating room felt a pang of sorrow.
They had witnessed too much life and death. They hoped that the soldiers under their command, who went to battle for their country, would always return safely.
But the variables in war-torn regions were too many. Who could guarantee that every battle would end without a scratch?
Which soldier didn't want to live well and return home to their family, to be reunited with them?
But alas, as men of honor, they dedicated themselves to their country, and found it difficult to dedicate themselves to their families.
Soldiers always had too many debts to repay, not only to their loved ones, but even more so to their parents and relatives.
What's more, they were special forces soldiers! kuAiδugg
A group of special forces soldiers who could face the test of life and death at any moment!
But when the country was in trouble, when the people were in distress, their choice was still to cast aside all distractions, cast aside their families, and charge forward without hesitation.
Because, this was their duty, and this was the reason for their existence.
They had no choice!
Everyone thought that in this current era, the country was peaceful and prosperous, and life was tranquil.
But there was no tranquility, only a group of people who bore the heavy burdens for you…
Yet, what did reality offer soldiers?
Was it good policies?
No!
It was a body full of injuries, the misunderstanding of their families, the rebellion of their children, and their filial impiety towards their parents and relatives…
You could see, in hospitals, train stations, high-speed rail stations, airports, and other important places, signs indicating "Soldiers First."
But how many soldiers would actually step towards that preferential spot because of their identity as soldiers?
Wherever they stood, they feared their identity as soldiers being exposed, being discussed by the public, or being accused of special treatment.
But then, in places you couldn't see, the soldiers of Yan Kingdom were silently contributing, yet they dared not enjoy the treatment they deserved.
Truly a group of fools!!
…
Outside the hospital, when Mayor Wu Wenbin announced Qin Feng's death to all the media, the previously noisy scene outside instantly fell silent, and the atmosphere gradually became somber.
Every media person, every member of the public, bowed their heads slightly.
"Go back, everyone. Do what you need to do. Give them some time, let the hero have a proper reunion with his family, and don't disturb them," Mayor Wu Wenbin said, then turned and went inside.
The media personnel and the crowd bowed deeply towards the hospital entrance and quietly departed.
The hospital, once again, returned to its usual quietness, even quieter than before.
The weather, which had been sunny, now saw snowflakes begin to fall.
It was as if heaven itself was mourning for the hero.
A few minutes later, the news of Qin Feng's death after rescue efforts failed spread throughout the internet once again, plunging the nation into mourning.
Major media websites and television news displayed a massive banner: "Farewell, our most beloved hero!"
…
Inside the operating room.
Qin Guotao, his back bent, rested his head on Qin Feng's hand, speaking to himself, his tears already dried.
As the necrotic or damaged cells throughout Qin Feng's body repaired themselves, Qin Feng, who had entered a state of suspended animation, suddenly regained consciousness.
"Holy shit! Am I dead, or not?" Qin Feng shouted in his mind.
"Ding!"
The system's mechanical voice immediately sounded in Qin Feng's mind.
"You have entered a state of suspended animation. The system has saved your life."
The system then immediately explained the process to Qin Feng.
"System, this is a bit of a scam! Why did you wait until the doctors declared me dead before issuing the rewards?" Listening to the system's explanation, a crow seemed to fly over Qin Feng's head, leaving three dots as he grumbled speechless.
"Because the system was not certain if the hospital could save you. If you were saved, then other, better rewards would be issued." The system conjured hands and clasped them together, soothingly saying, "The system did this for your own good."
"But if you hadn't shown up in time, I would have really died?"
"It's alright. If the host truly died, the system would find another qualified host."
"...System, fuck your mother!"
Returning to his senses, Qin Feng felt his grandfather's grief and was also deeply pained.
He wasn't a saint. When he was burned by the flames, of course, he felt immense pain.
But what could he do? Besides enduring it and continuing to save people, what else could he do?
Therefore, he felt immense guilt and a sense of indebtedness towards his family.
With this thought, Qin Feng immediately asked the system, "System, how much longer until my heartbeat returns and I regain some life force?"
"There are only two minutes left!" The system glanced at the progress bar and reported truthfully.
Qin Feng breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. "System, can my body recover after merging with the cell repair fluid?"
"Yes!" The system explained, "But this also requires your own willpower."
"What do you mean?" Qin Feng was stunned by the system's words.
The system didn't hesitate and explained directly: "The cell repair fluid can not only repair your nerve and muscle cells and restore vitality, but also enhance your metabolism. In other words, once you recover, your hematopoietic function, cell regeneration function, and recovery function will significantly increase!"
"Moreover, your physique will also increase! But the increase in physique is based on you later integrating the energy of the cell repair fluid through training. This ten-minute fusion can only restore your vitality. Later, you will need to continue to integrate it slowly, helping the host to gradually repair internal organs and superficial muscle cells."
"Of course, there are limitations. It can only be integrated halfway at most. The other half requires the host to stimulate its fusion through extreme training. And as you integrate it further, you will become even stronger."
"How much stronger?" Qin Feng asked curiously.
"At least seven times that of a normal person!"
Holy shit…