Under the gaze of countless eyes, Zhou Rong took a deep breath, seemingly suddenly losing his eloquence and not knowing what to say. After a long moment, he briefly laughed:
“Brother Rong isn’t good at speaking.”
Everyone burst into laughter, and Zhou Rong laughed along.
“Last New Year’s Eve, during the most rampant period of the virus, I and the instructor you all fear the most were separated from the main group, trapped in the deep mountains sealed by heavy snow.”
Zhou Rong slowly said, “When midnight arrived, I made three wishes looking out the window. I won’t mention the first personal wish, the second wish was for all fallen comrades’ souls to return home and bless us to safely pass through this disaster.”
The third was for humans to develop antibodies as soon as possible, defeat the virus, rebuild homes, and restore stability and peace.”
“These three wishes have all come true,” Zhou Rong paused briefly. “So I think there might be some magic in making wishes on New Year’s Eve, and I’ve decided to make three wishes again this year.”
He filled his wine glass, not looking at anyone, and drank it directly: “The first cup is still my personal wish.”
Zhou Rong smiled and shook his head without answering.
“—The second cup.”
He filled the glass, looked around, pausing in the direction of the family section, and bowed deeply:
“Wishing our comrades who have left us are still well in heaven. Your names will forever be in our hearts, and your merits will be eternally inscribed in human history.”
Just like last New Year’s Eve, Zhou Rong again called out seventeen names in the order of sacrifice, with Zhang Yingjie being the last.
The entire canteen fell silent. Some family members choked up, others looked dejected.
“Last year, I said to wait until after the disaster to be reborn, to avoid facing this hellish world again. This year, I can finally say that the disaster has passed, homes are being rebuilt, and human society will gradually return to normal. If the brave souls of our comrades are watching from heaven, you can now return.
Zhou Rong’s eyes reddened slightly, and after a while, he said hoarsely, “Brother Rong… misses you all.”
“Everyone misses you.”
