Traveler Major League

Chapter 300: 1004 Troops
Inside the conference hall, the light was soft and solemn. Nearly a thousand elite officers and soldiers from the navy, army and air force were like silent sculptures. Their faces looked particularly resolute and their eyes were sharp under the lights. An unspoken solemn atmosphere permeated every corner.

On the podium, Colonel Zhou Weiyang, captain of the research vessel "United", was wearing a neat military uniform with medals shining on his chest. He is a former strategic nuclear submarine captain with a meritorious resume and the sharpest sword of the motherland.

The crimson curtain behind him, with the solemn military emblem embroidered in the center, looks even more solemn under the light, and is a witness to history and glory.

Colonel Zhou Weiyang gently adjusted his military cap, and that subtle movement revealed the seriousness of the moment. "Comrades!" His voice echoed in the hall with an indescribable appeal. "Today, our scientific expedition team is officially established! We are about to embark on an unknown and glorious journey!"

Although the officers and soldiers below the stage were excited, military discipline made them remain absolutely silent. Their eyes sparkled with curiosity and expectation for the future, and the weight of history was in the air.

"You!" Zhou Weiyang's eyes swept across the crowd, his words full of pride, "You were once the eagles soaring in the sky of the Air Force, the rock-solid guardians of the Army, the warriors riding the wind and waves of the Navy, and the precise swords of the strategic missile force. You are the elites of each army and the pride of the country. Today, we gather together to shoulder a heavy responsibility that concerns the future of the country and the destiny of the nation - exploring the unknown fourth world."

"From today on, you have a new identity - 'Unit 1004'." Zhou Weiyang's voice was firm. "This is an unprecedented expedition. We will step into a field that humans know very little about. The environment there is special and there are many challenges, but it is also of great significance."

Zhou Weiyang stood up slowly and adjusted his military cap again. At that moment, his eyes seemed to travel through time and space. "Comrades!" His voice was full of awe for history. "3.8 billion years ago, life on Earth was born in the most primitive cell form. 600 million years ago, multicellular plants began to cluster; 500 million years ago, multicellular animals first appeared on Earth; until 10 million years ago, the prototype of human beings slowly emerged, and we, modern humans, did not truly stand in the world until 250,000 years ago. The long evolutionary process of 3.8 billion years has created the miracle of life today. And at this moment, we are once again standing at the turning point of history."

"'Unit 1004'!" Zhou Weiyang's words were full of passion. "We are the writers of this new chapter, the embodiment of human wisdom and courage. We, as well as the experts and scholars who will join in the future, and colleagues from countless schools and factories, will contribute to this mission together. This mission may span decades, hundreds of years, or even forever accompany the future of mankind. We will witness history and create the future."

The soldiers in the audience fell into a long contemplation. At that moment, they seemed to be talking to history and felt the heavy responsibility on their shoulders. Although the road ahead is long and unknown, and they cannot see the end of the road, they can feel the hope and glory ahead. Their hearts have long flown across the long river of time and devoted themselves to the blood and fire of human growth. It is the holy place where all soldiers' souls meet and their common mission and glory.

At this moment, what echoed in the hall was not only the voice of Colonel Zhou Weiyang, but also an unspoken sense of mission. It was like an invisible force that closely connected everyone's hearts.

Yu Chengdong came back and stayed for two days, then left again. The remaining Yu's father returned to his retired life of never leaving the house, but this time it didn't last more than a few days before he was kicked out of the house by Yu's mother.

The father had no choice but to go to the community senior activity room to find old friends to have tea and chat.

I never thought that the senior citizen activity room would be unexpectedly lively. The words written on the big red cloth hanging on the wall had fallen off by half, and the remaining words vaguely read "the most beautiful sunset".

The nostalgic golden songs from the loudspeakers made the activity room of more than 100 square meters even more noisy.

"Hey, Old Yu, come on, come on, we are short of one." Dong Zhanqiang shouted at the card table.

"Three of a kind." Li Ziliang threw down two cards. "What has Old Yu been busy with lately? You should enjoy yourself now that you are retired."

"Yes, six. We are in our sixties and we are healthy and free from disasters. We don't have to worry about working and making money. This is the time to enjoy our old age." Dong Zhanqiang responded.

"Hey, you don't have to worry about making money. Your house is enough for us to live on for half our lives." Huang Yongsen shook his head. He also worked part-time as a sanitation worker in the community to earn some money for his retirement.

"Returning the house? Look at how the house prices have dropped to less than 15,000 now. Have you heard? Many experts now say that house prices have to drop further and that we should focus on developing the manufacturing industry. There are two worlds over there, and the market demand is huge. Those who run factories now are making a lot of money!" Dong Zhanqiang clapped his hands, "I am old, otherwise I would have to go over there to take a look."

"Where to go? Daming?" Li Ziliang muttered, "Don't bother, I heard there's a commotion going on over there."

Li Ziliang made a trumpet shape with his hands and whispered, "The culture is so chaotic." "Oh, is there a commotion over there too?"

"More than that, they say it's a wartime system."

"Lao Li, how did you know?"

"Hey, business is not good here. My son is in the steel structure business, so he went over there. Hey, it's very poor over there. There are only dirt roads outside. The trains are still the old-fashioned ones that burn coal. Guess how much the salary is for hiring a worker?" Lao Li exclaimed: "Only 20 yuan a month!"

“What a hard life!”

These strange stories caused a lot of exclamations, but what he didn't say was that the twenty yuan was not RMB, but the alliance currency of the Ming Dynasty.

At this moment, a burst of music made four people look at the TV at the same time, the familiar musical prelude of the news broadcast.

The news begins to play: According to our reporter stationed at the Secretariat of the People's Alliance, the People's Alliance and our country have officially established the First World Space Development Center. The spokesperson announced at the press conference that just ended that this cooperation aims to establish the First World's global satellite network and to formulate corresponding bilateral reciprocal treaties to enable both parties to explore outer space more actively. Now we would like to invite Professor Zhou from the Aviation University to give us a detailed introduction.

"In a few days, I also want to go to Daming to take a look." Lao Li talked about strange stories for a long time and suddenly blurted out something.

"Didn't you say there was a commotion over there?" Dong Zhanqiang asked.

"Hey, my son's business is booming over there, and there's gold everywhere. Shouldn't I go take a look? Besides, this is a Chinese passport, they can't control me."

The original retro wooden platform was filled with a surging crowd of thousands and thousands of people that stretched as far as the eye could see. Old Yu followed behind Li Ziliang and looked at the slogan "Strive to Realize the Four Modernizations" on the wall, as if he had returned to decades ago.

Amid the sound of the train whistle, young people on the train leaned out of the windows, said goodbye, laughed, and cried to those who were seeing them off. The autumn and winter sunshine dispelled the slight chill.

"Hurry up and get on the bus, Lao Yu. It's about to leave." Li Ziliang pulled Lao Yu's arm and got into the crowd.

"I'm getting old." Old Yu pinched his sore legs and sighed. He too, had listened to Old Li's words and felt dizzy so he actually followed him. Following Old Yu's figure, he squeezed into the carriage, where there was a little more space.

Old Yu looked for a seat while looking at the ticket in his hand, and quickly put his luggage on the grille above. He then breathed a sigh of relief. Only then did he realize that sitting opposite him and Old Li were four thin young men who were staring at them.

"Old man, are you from the third world?" asked the young man opposite.

"Yes." Old Yu replied.

"Can you play chess?"

(End of this chapter)