On July 15, two weeks after the sea standoff ended.

Medellin returned to Texas, where he was the warmest welcome in recent years.

People sang his deeds and invited him to participate in TV programs. The newspapers were filled with news about him flying fighter jets to fight wits and courage, and even the look of his fiancée looking at him changed.

Before he left, his fiancée's eyes were probably admiration, but now, more...respecting?

It seems that I have really become a hero.

A hero who crashed.

Medellin sat in his yard with the sun shining brightly, and he was playing with an Air Force Cross in his hand.

This is a rare medal, but it is not the end. The highest honor awarded to him, the medal of honor awarded by the Supreme Commander, is already on the way.

He stroked the glowing medal, and felt an indescribable feeling in his heart.

He would have been very excited for himself.

Even if it is not excitement, you should feel proud, satisfied, and get what you want.

But, none of them.

There is only emptiness, worry, and even fear.

When did this army change?

When did the pilot like himself who was played with by the enemy, and even forced to abandon the plane and parachutize without the help of any modern weapons became a combat hero?

Medellin couldn't think of the answer.

He sighed deeply, the door behind him opened, his fiancee Catherine walked out, squatted down gently, stroked his face and said:

"Look at your expression, little pitiful, what's wrong?"

Medellin shook his head and replied:

"It's no big deal, I just don't feel very comfortable."

"Not very comfortable? Was it sunburned? You shouldn't be lying here, the sun is too strong now."

"It's not the reason."

Medellin shook his head and did not continue to answer.

Katherine could not understand her worries, and she could not tell him about her in violation of the confidentiality agreement.

----In other words, even if there is no confidentiality agreement, I cannot tell her.

Be a fake fighting hero or a real coward?

This is an obvious choice.

After pausing for a moment, he spoke:

"Today's interview is scheduled for an hour later. I hope you will join me at that time. Is it OK?"

Catherine showed an excited expression on her face, and she nodded heavily and replied:

"As long as you want!"

"Of course I want to, because I have half of my credit for you..."

Medellin took Catherine into her arms and kissed her forehead deeply, but when he hugged her, a cold and confused expression appeared on his face again.

...

At 11 a.m., Medellin and Catherine appeared at the interview site on time. They snuggled up and sat on the sofa in the studio, like a pair of good friends.

The host first introduced Medellin's deeds and then asked:

"Captain, I heard that you once forced back three fighter planes from the other side with your own strength in the battle with each other. Can you tell us how this is done?"

"I mean, wow, one-on-three! This isn't decades ago, everyone's planes are very advanced, right? Such operations have almost become impossible, right?"

Hearing the host's question, Medellin coughed and replied:

"In fact, she is still great and she's very good at work--I mean my f-35c fighter."

"You know, I have been born and died with her many times. We have experienced many hardships together, so we have also had a tacit understanding."

"So, when facing the enemy, we cooperate very well."

"This time there are only three. Next time I rush into the sky with her, even if there are 10 enemy planes, I won't be afraid."

Medellin's words were filled with puns, and the host nodded with satisfaction.

He didn't care how the other party forced the enemy back. He only cared about whether the other party's answer could motivate the audience's emotions.

And obviously, at this point, Medellin did a great job.

After a classic white laugh, the host continued to ask:

"You have already received a cross medal, right? There may be other rewards in the future. Texas officials will also give you bonuses. What are your plans for how to use the bonus in the future?"

Medellin pretended to think for a moment, and then replied:

“I will auction the medal.”

"auction?"

This time, the surprise on the host's face was not a false statement.

"Yes, I'll auction it off and donate the funds I've received to the Veterans Care Association. You know, we have a lot of comrades who are suffering from PTTSD. I think I don't have much energy - because I'm going to continue serving, but I can help them in this way."

"A true patriot!"

The host took the lead and clapped his hands, with a look of emotion on his face. Then he continued to ask:

"So what about yourself? What are your own plans?"

"Well, I'm going to have a grand wedding with Catherine, we'll renovate our house, dig a swimming pool, and change a new car. You know, the Chevrolet I parked outside the studio was a little old and dissatisfied."

"Hahahahahaha, I think Chevrolet should give you a new car directly! Also, maybe you can do a global trip?"

"That's what happened in the future. For now, I'll probably continue to serve the Air Force until we completely conquer the sky."

There was warm applause in the studio, and Medellin and Catherine looked at each other and smiled, everything was silent.

....

When Ugly Country hyped Medellin into a hero, gave him all kinds of superior treatments and helped him embark on the road to winning in life, Gao Fei seemed to have not received any preferential treatment except for a full three-month holiday.

He retrieved his handwritten letter from the political commissar, tore it apart on the train home, then sprinkled it in the small river in his hometown, and then went to the Huayu Flower Shop to pick up flowers himself, bought snacks at the Fulai Supermarket, and bought fertilizers specially for growing flowers at the flower and bird market.

After doing all this, he returned home.

His wife Liu Yiran had already prepared the meal and waited for him at home. The parents of both sides had already gathered together. When Gao Fei arrived home, they were chatting happily on the sofa.

When everyone saw Gao Fei coming back, they looked surprised. They came up to ask about their well-being. Sometimes they said that the food on the aircraft carrier was so good to gain weight, and sometimes they said that the sea breeze salt was too big and their faces were rough. But in the end, everyone came to a common conclusion:

Just come back.

At the dinner table, Gao Fei's father-in-law poured him a full glass of wine, and then asked:

"I heard that you were driving J-20 on the sea this time? How about it, kill a few ugly devils?"

Gao Fei smiled and replied:

"What! Dad, this is not a mess. We are all peacefully fighting, and there is nothing to kill or not."

"Is that so? Then why did I hear that they had a plane crashed into the sea? Didn't you do it?"

"No, no."

Gao Fei shook his head and replied.

A look of disappointment appeared on my father-in-law's face, but in a blink of an eye, he suddenly became excited again.

"Oh, I understand, you can't say it! Hi, look at my mouth, I just can't control it, I have to ask everything. Come on, drink and drink!"

Gao Fei picked up the wine glass and drank it all, giving his father-in-law an expression of "Heaven and Earth know you and I know you."

After drinking a glass, my father also poured him wine, but his problems were much more down-to-earth.

"You are back for three months on holiday this time? Did you take this opportunity to take the kids? You two are not young anymore. In another two years, Ranran will be older and dangerous."

"Don't take it seriously. Your mother and I suffered this loss back then, so you should hurry up!"

Gao Fei nodded solemnly and replied:

"That's what we plan to try to have a little pilot when we take leave next year."

"That's great!"

The father clapped his hands suddenly and raised his glasses at the table.

"Then this is the last meal. After that, you will close the mountains and cultivate forests and succeed as soon as possible------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Send something? What to send?"

Gao Fei asked in confusion.

"I don't know, you don't know how I know, your leader didn't inform you?"
To be continued...