บท 11: Chapter 011 - The Father and Son who Refuse to Lose Face_1
"Dad, I can't run anymore."
"Hold on a little longer."
"But I really can't run anymore, can I take a break and then run again?"
"On the battlefield, would the imperial apes let you take a break?"
"I definitely wouldn't run on the battlefield, I'd bash the heads of those imperial apes."
"You must run, if you need to run, you must."
"No, I won't run, I want to kill them."
"But if you die, there will be no one left to kill them."
"But if I run, there won't be anyone left to hold them back."
...
If time could go back to those early morning runs, Ji Xinghe would have tried harder to persuade his son, Ji Chenxing. But time couldn't be turned back, and his persuasion was useless anyway, because Ji Chenxing was stubborn and heroic to a fault.
You should have run, my son.
Ji Xinghe silently repeated these words. He didn't care about holding the line, who won the war between the Federation and the Empire, or even if humans ruled over apes and monkeys, or if apes and monkeys ruled over humans. All he wanted was for his son to live.
You should have run, my son.
Ji Xinghe ran every morning with Ji Chenxing, year after year. After Ji Chenxing was admitted to the Military University, Ji Xinghe ran through New Phoenix City every morning at the same time as the Military University's group run, all to accompany his son, despite the distance between them. All he wanted was for Ji Chenxing to have better physical fitness, to be able to run a clear path when needed to escape.
You should have run, my son.
But Ji Chenxing did not run. He fought to the death on the front line of the alien planet, single-handedly destroying six imperial mechas, perishing amidst the self-destruction of an enemy mecha.
While running in silence, Ji Xinghe's mind was filled with the video brought by Han Li from Ji Chenxing's mecha's black box. It showed no image of Ji Chenxing, only the imperial mechas from his son's perspective.
They appeared one after another, seemingly endless, until Ji Chenxing's mecha was ultimately overwhelmed.
When the explosion filled the entire screen, the black box recorded Ji Chenxing's last words.
"Crackle... crackle... Dad, I didn't run, because I didn't want to let you down... crackle... crackle..."
Yes, my son, you didn't let me down, and I won't let you down either.
The distance you didn't run, I'll run it for you.
Ji Xinghe entered a state of extreme concentration all too familiar to his colleagues. Whenever he encountered a problem while fixing cars, he would fall silent and focus entirely, oblivious to the outside world, unwilling to be distracted until his objective was achieved.
His single goal today was to complete the ten-kilometer run, as if by doing so, his son could have found a path to survival on the battlefield. As if his son could come back to life. As if, at the end of the run, his son would be waiting to embrace him.
Lost to time, he maintained a pace through decades of morning run routines and the instincts of a mechanic, ensuring that he would finish in the allotted time.
He was exhausted, but he wouldn't stop or slow down because his son didn't let him down, and he wouldn't let his son down either.
He was running, but it wasn't in flight, nor was he running for his son. He simply wanted to close the distance between him and his son, even if the end was death.
...
In New Phoenix City Stadium, Major General Tu Yuan, who had already stood up from his seat on the platform, hears a voice from his staff officer in his ear.
"Nine kilometers in...there's still time."
This reminder seemed somewhat redundant, as the giant screen in the stadium showed only one image. All split screens were merged into one, allowing everyone to see Ji Xinghe as he ran.
In the upper right corner of the big screen, it clearly shows the distance that Ji Xinghe has already covered, as well as the time Ji Xinghe used: 9136 meters, 31 minutes.
There are still four minutes left and 864 meters to go, and Ji Xinghe's average speed has exceeded 290 meters per minute. If Ji Xinghe doesn't slow down, he will definitely finish within the stipulated time.
Tu Yuan asked expressionlessly: "Why hasn't his speed changed at all from beginning to end?"
Normally in a 10-kilometer run, the speed will fluctuate due to differing physical conditions, and this type of time-limited long-distance run also brings a lot of psychological pressure to participants, prompting them to speed up while their energy is abundant and establish a time advantage as much as possible early on. Towards the end, it's a matter of perseverance.
But Ji Xinghe's speed has remained constant from beginning to end. He didn't speed up when his energy was abundant, nor did he slow down when his energy declined.
"Perhaps it's because he has a very good understanding of his own physical condition, having achieved a rational distribution of energy right from the start." The Staff Officer analyzed, "Considering his martial arts prowess, I think this makes sense."
Tu Yuan glanced at the Staff Officer: "Martial arts? Rational?"
The Staff Officer didn't respond immediately but silently watched Ji Xinghe in the big screen. When he saw that the beautiful reporter brought a cup of water to Ji Xinghe's mouth, but Ji Xinghe didn't open his mouth, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of concern.
"General." The Staff Officer said seriously, "Let him go to the front line on the alien planet, even if it's just to take a look at that position that Ji Chenxing defended with his life."
Tu Yuan had already turned his eyes back to the big screen. The figure of Ji Xinghe in the image was getting closer and closer to the finish line, but his eyes weren't on Ji Xinghe, they were on the people near the finish line.
There were many people at the finish line, but at this moment, no one cheered for Ji Xinghe. They simply watched him silently, the other runners on the track were invisible to them, even though among these runners were their friends and family.
Including the female reporter Pei Jing, who could always attract the attention of all the men around her, she seemed to have disappeared from these people's sight. The only person in their eyes was Ji Xinghe.
If the camera could capture these people's gazes, it would be able to capture their worry, but unfortunately, the camera couldn't capture it so clearly.
But Tu Yuan saw those worried looks, just like the look he saw in his Staff Officer's eyes when he looked at him earlier, almost everyone was worried about Ji Xinghe at this moment.
A 10-kilometer distance isn't considered long, long-distance running enthusiasts can all run more than 10 kilometers, it's not uncommon for people in their sixties or even seventies to run more than 10 kilometers. However, if it's running 10 kilometers within 35 minutes, it would be quite challenging once you're over 40 years old.
And after 40, each passing year takes a toll.
For some reason, Tu Yuan felt like talking at this moment. Looking at Ji Xinghe in the screen getting closer and closer to the finish line, he asked again.
"If it was you, would you run like this, risking your life?"
General, are you cursing me?
The Staff Officer responded from the heart, "I wouldn't, because I know it wouldn't mean much."
"Then why does he feel like it's meaningful?"
"Maybe it's because... other than this, he doesn't know what else to do, he doesn't know what else he CAN do."
"Is the ambulance in position?"
"Yes, it's waiting at the finish line."
"Then arrange it, we're going to visit the hospital later."
"Yes."
During their conversation, Ji Xinghe in the screen had already crossed the finish line, in 34 minutes and 44 seconds, he was 16 seconds ahead of schedule. Cheers erupted from the finish line, and many people wanted to rush to Ji Xinghe who was slowing down and then starting to walk slowly, but medical staff carrying a stretcher rushed over first. Hence, the crowd stopped, they watched Ji Xinghe with concern.
Because they all knew that the moment Ji Xinghe stops, he'd collapse onto the stretcher.
Once he collapsed, would he be able to stand up again?
This question won't have an answer, because Ji Xinghe didn't collapse. He who had finally stopped was standing erect like a pine tree on a cliff, looking at the worried Pei Jing and extending his hand.
"Young lady, my knife."
Tu Yuan, sitting in the main seats in the stadium, began to laugh. He knew he wouldn't be going to the hospital today.
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