Chapter 184: This Burden Is Handed to You

Chapter 184 – The Burden Is Yours Now

Whether for Huang Yu and his companions who had just rushed from Yellow Stone City, or for Chen Jian’s party who had just concluded a great battle, that night was a precious reprieve.

Following the old custom, Chen Jian lit a bonfire in the manor and pried open the sumptuous cans that Fu Xi had hauled in the all‑terrain freight vehicle from 011.

Gathered around the fire, beneath the massive silhouette of the 30A, the simmering cans released a rich meaty aroma tinged with a faint char, granting the weary crowd a long‑awaited sense of satisfaction.

As warm grease mingled with broth entered their mouths, every member of the squad involuntarily let out a chorus of sighs.

One must admit, for those who have lived their whole lives on the wasteland, these canned goods are still far beyond ordinary.

Setting aside any nutritional value, the umami supplied solely by the MSG inside eclipses most so‑called “exquisite” culinary techniques.

In that instant, the sheer pleasure of the food transmuted into a palpable cohesion among the troops.

The Yellow Stone City folk, who had begun the night with doubts about the future, felt their confidence swell like a rising tide after swallowing that first bite.

Chen Jian watched the reactions with satisfaction, unable to suppress a quiet admiration.

After all, a good mess hall can stand in for a political commissar, can’t it?

This is a concrete example, plain and undeniable!

Carrying his own portion of canned fare, Chen Jian weaved through the crowd, recounting each freshly‑concluded battle to every curious ear.

The terror‑spirit blown apart by missile, the second‑tier monster nailed to the ground by an electromagnetic cannon, the Flower City troops trampled under an unmanned combat swarm.

Those miraculous tales unfolded vividly before everyone, and when they reached out to touch the battle‑scarred unmanned combat robots, the cold, hard texture reminded them starkly that it was all real.

Only a dozen or so hours earlier, those machines had been charging across the battlefield.

Now the scorching barrels have cooled, and their foes have been utterly extinguished.

Yet the hearts of the Yellow Stone City folk burned hotter than ever before in recorded history.

When Chen Jian returned to his seat and sat beside Huang Yu, Ji Xing, Shen Yue, and a handful of residents from Yellow Stone City he still barely knew, the manor’s atmosphere had become fully ablaze.

Someone spontaneously broke into song.

It was a melody Chen Jian had never heard before, its tune foreign, its lyrics barely comprehensible.

Back and forth he could only catch a few words.

“Heavenly palace,” “jade platter,” “grasping the moon,” “three‑foot‑three.”

He sensed the grandeur in the verses, yet could not fully grasp their meaning in such a short span.

Chen Jian couldn’t help but grin, then shouted toward the distant He Shuo:

“Teacher He! Teach them something more popular!”

Amid a few chuckles, He Shuo rose without a hint of hesitation.

His voice was already good, and his pitch was impeccable—always the trump card in any sing‑along.

And when the refrain “It’s a bright, clear morning” rang out, the laughing crowd gradually fell silent.

By the time he sang “Young soldiers yearn to forge glory,” many were softly joining in.

The clamor settled into harmony; after the song ended, the next line rose—“Hear the horn of a new expedition sound.”

And finally, “Forward, forward, forward.”

Just as Chen Jian could not decipher their lyrics, perhaps they too could not fully understand the meaning behind He Shuo’s verses.

Yet something, carried on He Shuo’s charismatic voice, seeped deep into their souls.

——

Damn!

What a wasteland siren!

Chen Jian turned back with a grin, and even the hoarse‑voiced Shen Yue, after gulping his drink, finally quieted a little.

After swallowing a mouthful of hot water brewed from the canned broth, he spat out:

“Damn, what the hell is this lousy tea the Mechanical Cult sent us? It reeks of mold!”

“Some people are lucky just to get a sip—what, you’re dissatisfied with life here, your thoughts are wavering?”

“No, you really want a taste of commissar life, don’t you?”

Shen Yue widened his eyes and said:

“Take it easy, this job isn’t for just anyone. Watch out you don’t drive yourself into depression.”

“If I don’t do it, who will? You?”

“I can’t take that on.”

Shen Yue shook his head repeatedly, then said:

“Jokes aside, you’re the best fit for this role.”

“We have no one else here, just you.”

“One person handling both the military and political command isn’t unprecedented; after all, President Peng has done it before.”

“Our situation now isn’t much better than back then; if you step up, I don’t see a big problem.” “No.”

Chen Jian looked at Shen Yue solemnly and said:

“I intend to have you take on this task.”

“Damn, you’ve already dug the pit for me, haven’t you?”

Shen Yue stared, dumbfounded.

“Why? Do I look like material for a commissar?”

“I don’t know the commissar routine either; my tongue can only juggle jokes, but if you want me to handle propaganda and ideological work, I—”

“You want me to—”

“You—”

“You don’t need to overthink it.”

Chen Jian waved his hand and said:

“We don’t need a professional political officer right now; we just need the form of one.”

“We need someone to do the job, regardless of expertise—just doing it is enough.”

“Understood.”

Shen Yue offered no further objections, replying with a hint of sarcasm:

“Then I’ll answer the call in crisis.”

“But I’m genuinely curious—how did you swing that bend of yours?”

“You just asked me if my thoughts were shifting; I thought you were going to pull out a ‘guardian sword’ to examine me, then suddenly zeroed in on me?”

“There’s no such ‘guardian sword’ in 011.”

Chen Jian said wordlessly:

“Honestly, I originally planned to do it myself, but then I recalled the résumé Fu Xi gave me earlier.”

“And I suddenly felt you were far more suitable than I.”

"Why?"

Shen Yue asked curiously, and Chen Jian let out a soft sigh before speaking:

"You know, most of the time you're just a pampered son."

"Good family, good education, good skills."

"If you followed a normal path, as you said, compared to Lei Jie, you should have ended up as a professor."

"But fate chose you to fall on the battlefield."

"---I mean, you died on the battlefield in that timeline."

"So I think your mindset differs from mine."

"The people here need a more vibrant soul to serve as their political commissar."

"They need to see more of the light from our era."

"You, after all, shine the brightest."

"How saccharine."

Shen Yue grinned a crooked smile and then said:

"Then let's do it."

"Back when I was a student, I served as the league secretary for two or three years, whether I wanted to or not."

"I'll shoulder that burden!"

As he spoke, Shen Yue rose to his feet.

He drew a deep breath, his grin widening.

Then, walking toward He Shuo, he fell in step with the crowd's clapping and shouted loudly:

"Forward, forward, forward!"

(End of Chapter)