Opening game, American Tycoon

From North America to Europe, the war is in full swing. Cities have been turned into ruins under the flames of war, and the exquisite masonry buildings are only left with broken walls.The overwhelming bomber swarms flew from one place to another like locusts, and the howling bombs plowed the earth all over.Groups of tanks roared and ruthlessly crushed the earth, and the whole world trembled under the tanks.The artillery was roaring, thick smoke billowed up from the destroyed battle tanks, and gathered into thick dark clouds.The billowing gunpowder smoke is like the devil's giant mouth that wants to swallow all life and even the whole world.

One side is death, the other side is peace.

When the world was in flames of war, the mainland of the empire was still at peace. Although the imperial army expanded to 700 million people more than a year after the war started, the mainland was not directly impacted by the war, which was also the biggest advantage of the empire.

For the people in the empire, the war didn't seem to have brought much change, except of course... most of the passengers in the carriages were women.

With the long sound of the whistle, the train gradually slowed down, and the long platform appeared in people's eyes.

"Dear passengers, the terminal station of this train has arrived at Qingzhou Station. Passengers who get off the train, please pack your luggage so as not to forget it. Finally, I would like to thank passengers and friends again for taking this train, thank you."

The quiet and beautiful voice of the train conductor came out from the loudspeaker—this is also the change brought about by the war. Before the war, who would have thought that there would be a female train conductor?
However, the passengers obviously didn’t notice this. People who arrived at the terminal took their luggage from the luggage rack one after another, and then crowded people to move to the door of the carriage. Although people deliberately kept a certain distance, it was still a bit crowded. .

"Sure enough, it's not the same as before!"

Sitting upright in his seat, Zhao Guodong straightened his back and sat there without looking sideways, but he still felt the changes in the country.Although on the surface all this seemed to have nothing to do with him, but under the calm appearance, he couldn't help but think a lot in his heart.

It seems that nothing has changed, but in fact many things have changed. Most of the female trains and passengers are women and children.It was rare to see adult males in the carriages—all went to the army.

Some of the classmates who went to leave Qingzhou with me now have died in battle, some are enjoying the sunshine in California in North America, some are soaking their feet in the muddy trenches of France, some are flying in the air, and some are floating in the sea.

Only he returned to his hometown at this time.Slowly, all the passengers in the carriage got off the train, and he was the only one left sitting in the train. Finally, he sighed, stood up and took the backpack from the luggage rack with his left hand, and turned to leave after carrying the backpack on his back. At that moment, the empty right sleeve revealed the reason for his return.

Some people came back and became disabled.

Qingzhou Station is the terminal station, and many passengers got off the train before arriving here.But even so, the number of people coming out of each compartment is still considerable.Zhao Guodong, carrying a backpack, walked out of the station following the crowd of people.

At the exit, because of the need for ticket checking, there were many people crowded there. Just as Zhao Guodong was queuing in the crowd, a station attendant who was patrolling back and forth walked up to him and said.

"Sir, you can take the priority lane here."

Although he was not wearing a uniform, the station attendant recognized him.

"Thank you."

Under the guidance of the station attendant, Zhao Guodong walked out of the station through the priority channel.

Zhao Guodong, who was standing on the side of the avenue in front of the station, watched the cars coming and going on the street, but his mood seemed a little depressed. Where should he go now?

Is it home?

Parents will be very happy that he came back alive, and he survived, but it was not without cost-the right arm was amputated.

Just when he was a little melancholy, a car stopped in front of him, and the owner rolled up the window and said to him.

"Hey, young man, where are you going, let me see you off."

"Thank you, I can take the tram later..."

"The tram will have to wait for a while. You must have just returned from the front line."

Seeing his empty sleeves, the car owner got out of the car and opened the door for him.

"Go, boy, where are you going? I'll see you off."

Facing the unfamiliar enthusiasm, Zhao Guodong couldn't help but feel warm. From the day he returned to China, he felt how the society treats soldiers. This kind of concern and enthusiasm came from the bottom of his heart.

"thank you, sir."

"You're welcome, my child is also on the front line, and I think he will be welcomed by people when he comes back."

"He will."

"Thank you."

The owner of the car on the road didn't ask Zhao Guodong where he was serving, nor did he ask what was going on at the front line. Perhaps he knew that there were some things that people were not necessarily willing to mention.

After getting off the car near the community, Zhao Guodong expressed his thanks again, and when he turned and walked towards the community, he heard someone shouting.

"Guodong! It's really Guodong, the old Zhao's Guodong is back!"

In an instant, people surrounded him, and some people's eyes turned red when they saw his empty sleeves.

Facing the familiar and enthusiastic neighbors, Zhao Guodong talked and laughed with them from time to time, it seemed that at this moment, he found the feeling of home again, at least on the surface.

……

There are no classmates who talk and laugh, and no comrades-in-arms who share life and death. Who can understand this feeling of being alone?

Once again, Zhao Guodong was sitting in the bar, drinking beer silently. When he was on the front line, a brother once said that it would be great if he could drink a glass of cold beer.

But in the end?

No beer was drunk until the time of sacrifice.

While Zhao Guodong was sitting at the bar drinking beer, a stranger came over, handed a dollar to the bartender, and said to him.

"My friend, please have a glass of beer."

"Thank you, I'll just have a drink."

Zhao Guodong directly refused, because he didn't need these.The stranger looked at him with a straight face and said.

"My friend, you fought the war. You fought the war so that we could all live happily here. I appreciate your sacrifice for that. It's just a small case of my gratitude."

Zhao Guodong was taken aback by the stranger's words. He knew that if he didn't accept it, the other party would be unhappy. They understood that happiness is not free.And him?A high price was paid for happiness.

"thank you, friend."

Happiness has a price. At this moment, he seemed to understand why there was that article in the book—happiness has a price.

"If people don't understand this, then hundreds of thousands of people will die in vain..."

Once again, the text he had read appeared in Zhao Guodong's mind...