"You know, many of the martyrs were not much older than you when they sacrificed themselves. Some were even around your age."
"Really? They joined the army that young?"
"Yes! In those war-torn years, many children your age resolutely marched to the battlefield to defend their homeland and protect their loved ones. They might not have had the chance to sit in bright classrooms and study peacefully like you do, before they had to shoulder rifles taller than themselves to fight the enemy..."
"..."
"They were so brave! If I lived in that era, I would want to be a hero too!" said a sturdy little boy, clenching his fist.
Liu Yutong gently patted his head and said with a smile, "Every era has its own heroes. You don't need to go to war now, but you can still be little heroes. For example, by working hard to leave these mountains and using the knowledge you gain to build your hometown. Or, like today, by persevering and completing this journey of over a hundred li. Just by persevering and succeeding, you are remarkable little heroes."
Just then, a quiet girl wearing glasses couldn't help but ask softly, "Sister, is the path we're walking today the same as the one the martyrs walked back then?"
"Although the paths are different, the spirit is the same."
Liu Yutong looked towards the mountain path in the distance and continued, "The path they walked was one of defending the homeland. The path we walk today is one of remembering history and passing on their spirit. Every step is a tribute to the heroes."
"Sister, I understand! We must persevere to the end, just like the martyrs did!"
"Sister, I'm not tired anymore, let's keep going!"
"I'm not tired either, let's go!"
"..."
The children chimed in one after another, standing up again and gritting their teeth as they marched forward.
Time passed bit by bit, and in the blink of an eye, it was the third day of the training march.
The entire team, both students and teachers, were utterly exhausted, as it was the first time any of them had walked such a long distance.
If it weren't for the constant encouragement from Liu Yutong, the others, and the school teachers, the students might not have been able to persevere.
Finally, on the morning of the 12th, the team arrived at the solemn and majestic martyrs' cemetery.
After a simple yet solemn memorial ceremony, everyone rested briefly before preparing for the return journey.
By noon, their returning team had set up camp in a wide, flat open area.
The children eagerly gathered firewood and helped start the fire to cook, creating a lively and bustling scene.
Watching these innocent and lovely children, the pressure in Liu Yutong's heart seemed to ease a little.
Their team had come so far; the situation with the other teams should be similar, right?
Thinking this, she picked up her phone and called a member of the Wanlong Hui in the other teams.
Although the mobile signal was poor, she managed to get a general idea of each team's situation.
All teams had basically moved far away from the epicenter area.
However, just as she hung up, the ground beneath her feet began to shake violently without warning!
The mountains trembled, trees swayed wildly!
The camp instantly descended into chaos, filled with cries of alarm.
"Earthquake!"
"Ah!"
"Mom, I'm scared!"
"Teacher..."
"Don't panic! Everyone, come to the middle of the open area immediately, away from the hillsides and trees!" Liu Yutong shouted, grabbing a megaphone at once.
Fortunately, the past few days of marching had made the students more disciplined.
Finally, guided by the teachers and Wanlong Hui volunteers, the students quickly gathered in the open area at the center of the camp.
"Hold hands, squat down, protect your heads!" Yun Cheng's powerful voice rang out among the crowd as he took charge of directing.
Zhu Silin also recovered from the initial panic and hurriedly comforted the children trembling beside her.
The earth continued to shake, and the distant, dull sound of rolling rocks was terrifying.
Fortunately, there was no real danger, and there were no casualties in their temporarily set-up camp.
Liu Yutong continued to give loud commands while holding a few terrified younger children in her arms.
Her own heart was beating very fast, and she also felt an indescribable sense of relief.
She had succeeded. At least these nearly one hundred vibrant lives before her, because of her seemingly absurd actions, had survived this great catastrophe.
The tremors lasted for several minutes before gradually subsiding.
The shaken children, looking at the chaotic scene around them and the huge boulders that had tumbled down the mountainside in the distance, couldn't hold back their tears.
"Classmates, don't be afraid, we are safe now!"
"Look around you. Your teachers and older brothers and sisters are all here. We will definitely get back safely. Don't forget, you are all little heroes who conquered a hundred-li journey. Now you can conquer fear too!"
Because of her time spent with the children day and night over the past few days, Liu Yutong had built deep trust in their hearts.
So as soon as she spoke, the children's emotions gradually stabilized.
Just then, Liu Yutong's satellite phone rang. It was Yu Xin.
Her voice sounded particularly tense.
"Yutong, are you okay? There's been an earthquake."
"I'm fine. What's the situation?"
"The news I've gotten so far is that most signals in areas like Bei C and Wen C are down. The situation in the urban areas is terrible; many buildings have collapsed."
"This earthquake was so sudden, it scared me to death!" Yu Xin on the other end of the line was also shaken.
"As long as you and everyone else are safe, that's what matters."
"I have a feeling this earthquake's magnitude won't be low. Distribute all the supplies we brought to those in need. Have everyone participate in the rescue efforts, but of course, only on the premise of ensuring their own safety."
"Yes, Yutong!"
"..."
Just as Liu Yutong hung up, Zhu Silin ran over to borrow the phone.
All regular signals were now down; only this satellite phone Liu Yutong had brought could get through.
Zhu Silin wanted to call her father to report she was safe and to ask about the situation.
The leader on the other end breathed a sigh of relief upon receiving his daughter's call, while also feeling a secret sense of relief. That girl Liu Yutong was so thoughtful, knowing there might be poor signal during field training and preparing a satellite phone in advance.
He had just returned to the provincial capital not long ago when the sudden tremors made him realize something was terribly wrong.
Soon, reports came in: a major earthquake had struck areas like Wen C and Bei C... the very places he had just returned from inspecting.
The earthquake magnitude was at least above 7, possibly even reaching 8.
An 8.0 magnitude earthquake—a devastating disaster in human history. The energy released is equivalent to thousands of small atomic bombs exploding simultaneously.
Historically, earthquakes of this scale have always resulted in horrifying casualty numbers.
The leader immediately set off for the site to direct the earthquake relief efforts.
To save time, he flew directly by helicopter.
Along the way, he received many reports, mostly bad news: many roads paralyzed, rescue operations difficult, severe building collapses, etc....
However, after his daughter's call, the good news started coming in more and more.
The unprecedented-scale sports meet and public marathon initiated by Liu Yutong and her Wanlong Hui Group had, by sheer coincidence, left the teachers, students, and a large number of citizens who were right in the epicenter area miraculously safe.
This meant countless lives that might otherwise have been buried under rubble had survived because of it.
The leader held the phone, listening to his daughter's voice speaking from after the disaster, Liu Yutong's young face appearing in his mind. A wave of gratitude welled up in his heart.
That girl, she really was his lucky star!
No! She should be the lucky star of BS Province!
