The journey of film and television world is endless

#529 - Chapter 16: Fighting Spirit

After landing in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States, Liu Yuan boarded a tour bus heading towards Arlington National Cemetery on the banks of the Potomac River.

Located in Washington D.C., the cemetery is very close to the White House, connected by a bridge leading directly to its gates, with the Lincoln Memorial facing it across the river.

Arlington National Cemetery is not only a cemetery but also a famous tourist attraction, drawing countless visitors every year. Liu Yuan blended into the crowd, inconspicuous, just like any other visitor.

Entering Arlington National Cemetery, the first things you see are vast green fields and neatly arranged rows of tombstones. Covering approximately 170 hectares, Arlington National Cemetery has been the final resting place for over 260,000 military personnel and public servants who died for their country over the past century.

The cemetery also contains the tombs of many famous figures, such as John Pershing, William Halsey, George Marshall, and John F. Kennedy, important figures in American history who are laid to rest here.

Liu Yuan's purpose in coming to Arlington National Cemetery this time was not for sightseeing. As the Americans say, this is hallowed ground where heroic souls find rest. He came for these special souls, because in this world with a leaning towards technology, there really are 'spirits'.

The American soldiers buried in the cemetery are among the finest. As someone who personally experienced the Korean War, Liu Yuan deeply understood the strength of the American military. They not only possessed superb combat skills but also excellent tactical awareness, making them world-class. In Liu Yuan's view, the American military, like the German military during World War II, were worthy opponents to be respected.

This time, Liu Yuan's purpose was to collect the souls of these brave warriors. Unlike ordinary ghosts, heroic souls retained some of their combat awareness from their lives and were revered and remembered by people. Therefore, their soul bodies were more solid and would not easily dissipate, even during the day.

As he walked deeper, Liu Yuan gradually reached the core area of the cemetery, where a vast expanse of graves appeared before him. Countless tombstones stood here, stretching endlessly as far as the eye could see. However, from the outside, there was no obvious distinction in rank among these tombstones. Generals and soldiers' tombstones stood side by side, as if telling a tale of special equality. As the Americans say, 'In Arlington National Cemetery, you will witness true independence and equality—all are born equal, and all die equal.'

But in Liu Yuan's eyes, this cemetery was a different sight altogether. He saw densely packed, semi-transparent figures, numbering as many as hundreds of thousands. They clung tightly to the tombstones, their eyes revealing a sense of numbness and confusion, as if they had lost their perception of the world. Only a few brave souls cast their gazes at passersby, trying to find a trace of familiarity. However, most of the souls' faces were already blurred and difficult to recognize. Liu Yuan knew what this state meant—death was not the end; the truly terrifying thing was being forgotten. The relatives of these souls had long since passed away, and all that remained of them in this world was this tombstone and a name.

Liu Yuan sighed deeply, a feeling of pity welling up in his heart. He said slowly, 'Why must you endure the wind and sun here, eventually dissipating into the world? Why not follow me and become brave warriors again, continuing to fight? Return, O souls!' As he spoke, he held out his right hand, holding a deep green sphere that emitted a faint light. The souls seemed to sense some kind of summons and detached from the tombstones, converging towards the sphere. When they touched the faint golden light on the surface of the sphere, they were quickly absorbed into it.

Time passed, and most of the heroic souls in the cemetery successfully entered the jade sphere. However, there were still a few souls stubbornly remaining on the tombstones, unwilling to leave. At this moment, the color of the jade sphere became increasingly deep, almost black, emitting a mysterious purple light. In reality, this so-called medium was just a passage through which the souls poured into Liu Yuan's small world. These heroic spirits attached themselves to jade beads only the size of fingernails, forming a special existence—soul beads.

Soon, Liu Yuan learned the total number of soul beads: a full one hundred sixty thousand one hundred and twenty-one! Faced with such a large number, Liu Yuan did not feel greedy but decisively chose to leave the cemetery. Originally, he planned to return to Los Angeles immediately, but the air route over Washington was temporarily occupied by the military, forcing civil aviation to suspend flights for more than two hours. While waiting, Liu Yuan overheard security personnel chatting, learning that Air Force One had encountered some issues and needed to fly back from San Francisco.

Meanwhile, in a small town on the border of Qatar, a fierce battle was in full swing. The American military squad that had escaped earlier had just arrived when they were attacked by a powerful mechanical monster. The monster resembled a giant scorpion, possessing incredibly fierce firepower.

Captain William remained calm in the face of danger and quickly directed his soldiers to resist in stages. Fortunately, the town had a large stockpile of weapons and equipment, and with the help of the villagers, they successfully resisted the mechanical scorpion's attack. William finally made contact with the Pentagon, which made him deeply appreciate the advantage of having numerous American military bases. The Al Udeid Air Base quickly took action, urgently launching two A-10 attack aircraft. These aircraft arrived over the battlefield at an astonishing speed, in just thirteen minutes!

After a barrage of intense bombing and shelling, the mechanical scorpion had no choice but to leave behind half of its body and escape underground in a panic. This fierce battle was thrilling and gave people a deeper understanding of the strength of the American military.

Two hours later, a large number of American soldiers arrived on the scene by helicopter to provide support. They successfully picked up William's squad and took away the half of the mechanical body. However, the poor town suffered an innocent disaster, and many innocent villagers were injured or even killed.

Liu Yuan felt very upset as he stepped out of the airport gate. His flight was delayed for a full sixteen hours, and the plane even made a temporary stop in Philadelphia, which bothered him greatly. As soon as he arrived at the airport, he called Tracy, but learned that she had already gone to her hometown in New Mexico to visit her parents. Tracy thoughtfully left the house key in the flower pot by the door for Liu Yuan to let himself in. Helpless, Liu Yuan had to call a taxi himself.