"I'm worried that if I don't say it now, I won't have the chance to say it anymore," Ronald responded dejectedly. He did not want to seem disheartened, but they were going to a battlefield. The situation was bleak, and the future remained uncertain. No one could predict what would happen next. It was always good to be prepared.
"Nonsense," Levi leveled a fierce glare on Ronald and replied, "Our goal is to help deal with a riot, not fight a war. Why are you panicking? Pull yourself together. Even if we are going to fight, we have so many people. Why should we be afraid?"
"I don't care. I want to be prepared beforehand. Find someone to tell my parents that I love them very much. Tell them not to worry as I am no longer the timid person that I used to be." Perhaps he was afraid of the unknown, or maybe he just had a bad feeling about the mission... But Ronald was worried about his parents, who were already quite elderly.
He was the only son of the family. His mother had tried to stop him when he insisted on joining the army. It was only under his father's persuasions that his mother gave her consent reluctantly and let him join the army. Therefore, Ronald was perturbed when he thought of his parents. If he perished or was injured, his parents would not be able to endure the heartbreak.
"Ronald, you must live to tell them this yourself. Only then would they know that you have truly matured. Hence, they won't be worried about you." Usually, Levi would have chided him if he dared to be in low spirits before the commencement of a mission. However, due to some unknown reasons, Levi took his words to heart this time.
Levi shifted his gaze to Monique who was sitting beside him. Seeing that she looked composed and was not in the least frightened, Levi heaved a sigh of relief. He muttered, "She is really a tomboy. She remains bold even when men are afraid."
Levi did not know that Monique was hiding her fear. She was nervous and frightened, but she did not show it. As a soldier, protecting the people and the country was her duty. She should muster her courage in the face of danger. If she was afraid, what would happen to the civilians in the area?
A few hours passed, and they finally arrived at their destination. After getting off the plane, they got on the tanks specially prepared for them and rushed to the place where the riot occurred without further delay.
The area was in a mess. Corpses were scattered all around. All the houses and stations had been destroyed. The area had suffered a heavy loss.
Monique's heart skipped a beat when she took in the scene. Nevertheless, she did not utter a word.
Soon, the temporary commander gave them orders. The rioters had blown up the bridge and roads in the nearby cities and had occupied the entire city. The higher-ups had commanded them to send a team over to rescue the people who were trapped in the city.
It was a voluntary choice. The commander did not force anyone to be in the vanguard. Levi was the first to raise his hand. Monique and the others followed suit. Levi glared at Monique and whispered, "Monique, you are a woman. Why are you getting yourself into danger?"
"Do you think the rioters would let the civilians go just because they are women or children?" Her eyes fleeted across the two bodies scattered on the ground not far away. "They even attacked innocent women and children. Hence, it does not matter who you are on the battlefield. It's either you are a comrade or an enemy."
Levi could not refute her words. Those rioters were indeed ruthless and vicious. They showed no mercy even to women and children. Their only chance of winning was to join forces and take them into custody.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: My Husband, Warm The Bed