(8) Heavenly Soldiers and Heavenly Generals
This incident was the first time I encountered something that couldn't be explained by practical science. It was a strange occurrence that captured my attention and left a deep impression on me. It was more extraordinary than my soul being tied to a dream, my first kiss with Zhu Xiangxiang, and the sudden appearance of a beautiful figure on the "Ghost Bamboo". Compared to this incident, those other things were insignificant. Moreover, after this incident, it seemed like I had an inexplicable connection with similar strange occurrences. Even if they happened thousands of miles away and had nothing to do with me, they would somehow find their way to me and become my concern.
The reason I encountered so many "strange occurrences" was twofold. Firstly, it was because of my curious and inquisitive nature. I couldn't help but investigate things that I didn't understand. Secondly, one of the explanations I obtained from this incident was also a contributing factor. What was that explanation and who provided it? Please read on. Alright, so this "incident" began outside the city. I had only been getting along with Kuang Yinghao for a short while, but we quickly became good friends. Young people are straightforward and passionate, and the relationships between people can quickly grow close, unlike adults who have many considerations. It can be confirmed that the kind of lifelong friendship where "white-haired friends lean on their swords" is not something that can be formed during one's youth. Kuang Yinghao suddenly disappeared, and I saw him being interrogated and taken captive. Due to his special identity as General Kuang's son, this became a very serious matter. At that time, I didn't lie down on the stretcher and continued to struggle. I stood up and was immediately taken away in a military vehicle. Zhu Xiangxiang was with me the whole time, and she kept looking at me with her tender and watery eyes. In her eyes, I could sense anxiety, concern, and doubt. Her gaze made me feel restless. She didn't ask anything, and even if she did, I wouldn't know how to answer. In her eyes, I saw her concern for Kuang Yinghao. As a young person, my thoughts were in chaos at that time, but they were always revolving around one question: If it were me who had disappeared, would she look at me with the same concerned eyes? The military vehicle stopped at the train station, a simple building in the county. Zhu Xiangxiang and I, under the guidance of a military officer, walked towards a few train cars. The train cars were brightly lit, and there were soldiers all around, some on guard duty, some running back and forth. There were many military officers riding motorcycles, creating a deafening noise. The train had about seven or eight cars, and as soon as we approached, we saw a beautiful woman sticking her head out of one of the windows and waving at us. It was Xiang Mama. I was very uneasy on the way here, but when I saw Xiang Mama, I felt an indescribable sense of security. I waved my hand eagerly, and for some reason, I thought to myself, "With her here, no matter how big the problem is, it won't be an issue." We entered that car, and I was surprised because it wasn't an ordinary car, but General Kuang's temporary command post. General Kuang was standing in front of a map, and two officers were reporting to him. They were pointing at the map, and one of them said, "The nearest enemy forces are over 200 miles away. It's impossible for them to be active here!" The other one said, "There have been no reports of small-scale raiding parties either!" General Kuang furrowed his brows and said to a senior officer who was close to him, "The enemy wouldn't stoop so low as to do something like this. Throughout history, there has never been a case where capturing a general's son would force the general to surrender!" I knew they were discussing Kuang Yinghao's disappearance, so I suddenly exclaimed, "He wasn't taken by someone!" As soon as I spoke, everyone's gaze turned towards me. There were quite a few people in the car, including five or six senior military officers, Xiang Mama, county officials, and my uncle. My young uncle, who was always good to me, was making gestures to reassure me. General Kuang looked at me and said, "Alright, kid. You were with him at the time, so tell us the details as clearly as possible!" While he was speaking, he beckoned me to come closer. I walked up to him, and although he seemed anxious, he tried to ask in a gentle tone, "You said he wasn't taken by someone, so who took him?" In that situation, I couldn't afford to carefully think or give a detailed explanation. I could only give a simple answer based on my knowledge and imagination. So I blurted out, "Heavenly soldiers and heavenly generals!" As soon as those four words came out, there was a strong reaction in the car. Several people exclaimed in unison, "Nonsense!" General Kuang furrowed his brows even more and had a dismissive expression. My uncle immediately spoke up, "This child may do all sorts of strange things, but he never tells lies!" My uncle didn't say that I was "talking nonsense," but rather that I "never tell lies." His meaning was that even if I was talking nonsense, it must be because I genuinely believed it. This uncle of mine knew me very well and could be considered my earliest confidant. Later, some things happened to him that were worth mentioning, but unfortunately, there are some concerns, so I'll see if there's an opportunity in the future. At this moment, Zhu Xiangxiang called me in a low voice. I looked at her, and from her, I received a message of encouragement as well. General Kuang asked in a deep voice, "What do you mean by that?" Honestly, with my knowledge at the time, I was not capable of supporting such rich imagination. Imagination is not something that comes out of thin air; it is based on knowledge. I only had a vague concept that there was a mysterious power beyond human strength. As for what that power was, I couldn't say, so I could only vaguely refer to it as "heavenly soldiers and heavenly generals." My answer was based on this line of thinking. General Kuang and I looked at each other, and I felt calm and fearless. I truthfully answered, "I can't say!" This answer was met with several reproachful voices. I didn't care about the reasons behind these people's reactions; they were just self-righteous, and I found it very annoying. General Kuang's position was higher than theirs, but his attitude was better. So I turned around and said to an officer who was scolding me the loudest, "If you think I'm talking nonsense, then I can stop talking and let you explain it!" The expression on that officer's face turned ugly, thinking that he could bully a young person. He raised his hand and rushed towards me, but General Kuang and my uncle shouted at the same time, stopping him. I stood tall with a disdainful expression, making his hand hang in the air, unable to put it down. He was extremely embarrassed, which brought me a sense of satisfaction. I turned to General Kuang and said, "Let me explain the whole situation." General Kuang said in a deep voice, "Alright, go ahead!" So I recounted the whole incident from the beginning. When I mentioned seeing Kuang Yinghao in the darkness, within a gray-white light screen, everyone showed puzzled expressions. I described it repeatedly. One senior officer exclaimed, "General, the way this young man described it sounds like a very advanced image transmission technology!" This senior officer had studied at the Virginia Military Institute in the United States and had broad knowledge. After he said that, he mentioned an English word. At that time, perhaps only he understood it, but nowadays even a three-year-old child would understand that word. The word was "television"! General Kuang thought for a moment and motioned for me to continue. When I reached the part about "lip reading," I asked several people to demonstrate not speaking out loud, and I was able to accurately say what they were saying. When I talked about Kuang Yinghao being interrogated, I provided more details. Kuang Yinghao mentioned a person's name, "Wang Tianbin" (or three characters with the same pronunciation), and I said it out loud. Unexpectedly, as soon as this name was spoken, General Kuang and Xiang Mama exclaimed in shock. Xiang Mama's expression became even more complicated and indescribable! From the lip movements of Kuang Yinghao, I couldn't derive any meaning. Moreover, lip reading has a flaw. When it involves specialized terms, there can be different homophonic characters to choose from. I said the name "Wang Tianbin," but Xiang Mama, who was sitting down, suddenly stood up. On her beautiful face, there was an indescribable display of complex emotions. In a low voice, Xiang Mama said, "Xiang Xiang, it's you..." Xiang Mama turned to look at her mother and said in a low voice, "Mom, don't blame me. I didn't tell you!" General Kuang was still in a rage and asked, "Did you kill him when you saw him?" Xiang Mama exclaimed, "As soon as he saw me, he shouted loudly. I didn't expect him to be like that, so I shouted as well. Then, he turned and ran, and I turned and ran too. That was it, and I never saw him again!" At this point, Xiang Mama explained the encounter she had with "that person," and I was dumbfounded! This scene was so familiar! Because I was there too! Xiang Mama wanted me to take her to meet my master, and when I took her, as soon as they saw each other, they both shouted loudly and ran in opposite directions. At that time, I chased after Xiang Mama and only caught up to her under a big tree. That's when I knew something was fishy, but Xiang Mama refused to say anything! At this moment, it became clear to me that the person who had infuriated General Kuang, besides my master who had disappeared since that day, could not be anyone else! I had also suspected that there must be some dispute between my master and Xiang Mama because her image had appeared on the "Ghost Bamboo," and now it was confirmed! After Xiang Mama finished speaking, she looked at me, and I nodded slightly to indicate that I understood what she was talking about. General Kuang gestured for me to speak up, and I pointed at Xiang Mama and said, "I also know that Xiang Mama might be his dream lover!" This statement caused Xiang Mama's face to turn pale, and Zhu Xiangxiang looked displeased. But General Kuang let out a long sigh, and after a while, he said, "You seem to know quite a bit. Did he tell you all this?" I shook my head and said, "No." Then, I explained the story of the "Ghost Bamboo" and how it related to everything. General Kuang listened with a stunned expression, and when he reached the door, he called out. My uncle and the senior officer returned to the car. General Kuang asked my uncle, "Did you bring the 'Ghost Bamboo' here?" My uncle smiled bitterly and said, "Yes, I don't know how this strange phenomenon occurred. It's too unbelievable!" The senior officer exclaimed, "That's not bamboo at all, it's a device! It's a device that can receive brainwaves and project the images formed by those brainwaves. It's an incredible device!" Ladies and gentlemen, several years later, I could confidently explain this kind of thing myself, but at that time, it was the first time I had heard of it, and I couldn't fully understand it. However, it felt incredibly marvelous, and I felt like I had entered a magical and vast new world in an instant! And it was in this marvelous world that I would gallop and explore, seeking to understand the mysteries of the universe! When I think back to that moment years later, I still feel that sudden sense of breaking free, as if nothing could restrain my thoughts anymore! From then on, my days were spent in this kind of situation. General Kuang asked in a deep voice, "What does this mean? Who invented such a thing?" The senior officer spoke slowly, pointing his hand upwards, "Heavenly soldiers and heavenly generals!" My vague concept suddenly became clear. It was a mysterious power from the heavens!