Chapter 58 - Chapter 26

Easy Company prepared to return to Veghel, where they would take over the defense from Dog Company and serve as a reserve company.

The return of the First Platoon brothers overjoyed the men of Easy Company, but the disappearance of Parks cast a shadow over everyone's hearts.

The German planes had flown away, finally allowing them the chance to chat with the First Platoon brothers; they smiled and greeted each other, but few cracked jokes.

"Hey, Guarnere!" Talbert spotted Guarnere and went over to embrace him.

"Talbert, I didn't think I'd see you again, I thought I wasn't coming back!" Guarnere released him, then plopped down; they were still waiting for the trucks to take them back.

"It's getting dark, we're going back to Veghel soon!" Talbert sat down next to him, then looked at the Rhine River, "I really wish I could have gone on the mission with you guys, you know, it must have been a very interesting mission!"

Guarnere grinned at him, "Yes, it was indeed very interesting, if the Captain hadn't gone missing, this mission would have been perfect."

Then he looked at the river, his smile fading, "Klinken is dead, Frank is injured, has he returned to the company?"

"I don't know, maybe he met up with another division, or the 82nd Division, and went straight to a rear hospital, who knows!" Talbert frowned slightly and said, "Don't worry about them, they should be fine."

"I hope so!" Guarnere tried to force a smile, but it didn't materialize, only a twitch at the corner of his mouth.

The two of them sat there in silence until Welsh yelled loudly, "Easy Company brothers, assemble! Our trucks are here, we're leaving, hurry, hurry!"

To avoid German Air Force bombing, all supporting troops and the remnants of the British and Polish forces left the north bank of the Rhine River at night, and over seven hundred British soldiers lay buried in that part of the Rhine River.

When Easy Company returned to Veghel, Colonel Sink personally led men out to greet them; although it was already midnight, Colonel Sink's face was full of smiles as he waited in the town square.

When the convoy drove in and all the brothers disembarked, he strode forward.

He walked towards the brothers of Easy Company's First Platoon who had been on the mission.

The thirty-odd brothers of the First Platoon looked very tired, but when they saw Colonel Sink approaching, they still managed to rouse their spirits, and Lieutenant Welsh stepped forward two paces towards Colonel Sink.

"Lieutenant Welsh!" Colonel Sink saluted him.

"Sir!" Welsh returned the salute, then looked at him.

"How are the brothers?"

"Klinken is dead, Frank is injured; we ordered him and two pilots to return ahead of time.

And..." Welsh looked into Colonel Sink's eyes and said softly, "Lieutenant Parks is missing! The brothers are all very tired; they've been through too much these past few days.

I think it will take some time."

"I understand!" Colonel Sink nodded; he patted Welsh's shoulder, then smiled slightly and said, "Have a good talk with the brothers!"

Then he walked in front of the First Platoon brothers, cleared his throat, and said loudly, "Brothers, I am extremely proud of your performance, General Taylor was also very proud when he heard about it, so he will give Easy Company a holiday.

You will have the opportunity to recuperate in Paris; this is the only company in our regiment that gets to go to Paris.

This is specially authorized by General Taylor."

"This is the main point!" Cobb whispered, pumping his fist, then, with a wide smile, he nudged Liebgott's arm beside him, "I can't wait, Liebgott!"

"Shut up, Cobb!" Liebgott glared at him, then looked away.

"You've earned this, the holiday starts tomorrow, enjoy yourselves!" Colonel Sink didn't say much; he nodded to the First Platoon brothers, then said to Winters and Welsh, "Have a good talk with the brothers; General Taylor is very satisfied with your actions this time, they are all excellent."

"Colonel!" Winters stepped forward, "What should we do about Lieutenant Parks?

I don't think we should list him as missing in action; I believe he will return.

I know him, he is outstanding, the pride of Easy Company, he has never disappointed us, and I believe this time will be no exception.

So I hope that even if he does return, he will be with Easy Company and his brothers."

Colonel Sink frowned, then looked at Winters, and after a long deliberation, said, "Dick, you know, if he can't return to duty, he can only be considered missing, but we can delay reporting it for a bit.

I know this news is hard to accept, but—in fact, Parks has not yet returned to duty, he is surrounded by the German forces."

"I know, I have confidence, Colonel!" Winters insisted.

"Alright then, if there's any news of him, I'll inform you immediately!" Colonel Sink nodded, then walked towards the battalion headquarters in the town.

The effect of this operation was excellent, especially receiving very high praise from General Taylor.

However, the only regrettable thing was the disappearance of Parks; under the heavy encirclement of the German forces, the hope of escaping was very slim.

"It seems you'll have to reconsider the position of Easy Company Commander!" As Colonel Sink stepped into the battalion headquarters, Lieutenant Colonel Strayer was engrossed in a map, then turned around and saw Colonel Sink, and couldn't help but say to him.

"Do you believe Lieutenant Parks is dead?" Colonel Sink glanced at him, then nodded and said, "Captain Winters seems to have a lot of confidence in him; anyway, Easy Company is going on holiday to Paris, so why don't we wait a bit, maybe a miracle will happen!"

"You also believe Parks isn't dead?" Colonel Strehl couldn't help but laugh, "That's not like you.

Alright, let's not talk about that for now; our current mission is to garrison Veghel and Veghel, ensuring the road remains clear.

Both retreating personnel and material transport rely on this fragile road.

Fortunately, the German forces have already retreated, but we cannot guarantee that their bombers won't bomb this road.

General Taylor and Allied Command have coordinated, and anti-aircraft artillery units will assist us; this is good news!"

"Did General Taylor say how long we need to hold out?" Colonel Sink pulled up a chair and sat down, "This operation has completely failed; this road is too fragile to support any large-scale campaign.

The German forces will certainly not give up easily; they will counterattack."

Lieutenant Colonel Strayer nodded and said, "Their considerations are the same as yours; the Allied forces will withdraw from here and then redeploy; we will have to find another route to enter Germany.

The Allied focus will be on General Patton's offensive."

The failure of Operation Market Garden forced the Allied forces to abandon this route and turn to the Eastern Front.

General Bradley and General Patton on the Eastern Front had long hoped to first capture Metz to the east and then enter the industrial region of Saarland.

"We must consolidate our defenses here to prevent German counterattacks from this area, which could affect the Eastern Front's attack!" Colonel Strehl continued, "Sink, we're going to be busy!"

"Yes!" Colonel Sink seemed a bit distracted; he got up, poured a glass of wine, then sat down again, slowly savoring it, yet tasting nothing.

The wine sloshed in the glass, then he drank it all.

Just as Colonel Sink was in a low mood, Nixon was also at the company headquarters, holding a bottle, continuously pouring wine into his glass; he seemed a bit emotional.

"You still can't accept this news?" Winters picked up a pastry from the table, then stuffed it into his mouth, "Alright, Nick, everything's over, don't think about these things anymore.

The brothers still have to move forward, we haven't found a way into Germany yet.

We still have a long life ahead of us."

Nixon shook his head with a bitter smile and said, "I know, I know, I just want to drink some wine, I don't even know what to say.

Perhaps in the future, when we meet Parks' family, what will we tell her?"

"Tell them that Parks is an excellent soldier!" Winters shook his head, "Actually, I don't believe he's dead.

If that were true, the German forces would have released the news long ago, but there's been no movement from their broadcasts and radio stations; they even only reported Bittrich's death as being injured and receiving good medical treatment.

Do you believe that?"

"Perhaps, you're more optimistic than I am!" Nixon poured another glass of wine, "If I were as optimistic as you, I wouldn't be sitting here drinking and worrying."

"Then let's go to Paris!" Winters nodded to him, "We all have holidays now, I hope you can experience a baptism of civilization in Paris, and then be optimistic about everything."

"You'll change your mind, Nick!" Winters smiled slightly at him, then patted his shoulder, stood up and said, "Colonel Sink and I talked for a while yesterday; he wants to transfer me to Battalion HQ.

I asked him about the choice for Easy Company Commander, and then recommended Parks.

I'm still waiting for Parks to take over as Company Commander!"

He poured a glass of wine, then paused, realizing he didn't drink alcohol.

The Rhine River water was a bit cold at night.

Parks swam in the river like a fish; he gathered some strength, then swam towards the opposite bank.

This section of the river was swift, and swimming across it was an extremely physically demanding activity.

Parks had to evade German patrols, so he couldn't use any floating objects to assist him; he could only rely on his own full strength.

When he reached the middle of the river, he felt his strength almost completely drained.

Since he started his escape, he hadn't stopped, and his physical exertion was too great; although he had eaten some raw animal meat, it provided very limited replenishment to his strength.

He had a belief in his heart that he absolutely could not be swept away by the river like this; since he had come into this world, he naturally had reasons to strive, and naturally could not live such a short life.

He stretched his body, took a deep breath, letting his body float freely on the river, accumulating strength once again.

When Parks felt his strength had mostly recovered, he started swimming again, putting all his effort into it.

He mechanically moved his arms, approaching the shore little by little.

He could even hear the whooshing sound of the waves hitting the rocks on the shore, which invigorated him.

He saw a dark rock, but his strength was draining away little by little, almost completely depleted, and his arms could barely lift.

The blur after losing strength wavered before his eyes.

Parks used the last bit of his remaining strength to touch the rock on the shore; the cold sensation transmitted to his hand, and then he slowly climbed up.

Parks tried to stand up; he swayed, straightened his upper body, but he couldn't support himself, swayed, then fell headfirst into the water, his head hitting the rock heavily, making a dull sound.

His vision went black, and he knew nothing more.

The morning birdsong clearly entered his ears, and when Parks opened his eyes, a dazzling ray of sunlight shone in.

He felt a pain in his head, and then realized that he was in a house, lying on a wooden bed.

He felt some pain in his head, and when he reached out to touch it, he felt a cloth wrapped around it.

It was clear his head was injured last night, and someone had bandaged it for him!

Parks couldn't help but think to himself: Lucky.

If he had fallen into the hands of the Germans, who knew what would have happened.

He tried to sit up, but his head hurt so much that he couldn't help but groan.

He didn't know how badly he had been hit, but he felt his head splitting, and this feeling was not pleasant.

He heard footsteps, and his high alert made him quickly get out of bed and hide behind the door.

The footsteps stopped at the door, and then he heard the sound of the door opening.

"Where is he?" He heard a woman's voice, then he slipped out and saw the back of a woman, with a whip hanging behind her, wearing a blue dress common among Europeans, and a floral scarf tied on her head.

"I'm here!" Parks slowly spoke after confirming he was not in danger.

"Ah--" The woman turned around in surprise, backing up a few steps.

After seeing clearly the person opposite her, she couldn't help but let out a long sigh, pressing her hand to her chest, still somewhat startled, and said, "You scared me!"

"I'm sorry!" Parks stepped forward, spreading his hands at her and said, "I don't know where this is, so I had to hide for a bit, anyway... I'm sorry!"

As Parks spoke, he was observing the woman, or rather, the young lady, who looked about eighteen or nineteen years old, with very fair skin on her face, a few freckles visible below her nose, and a slender figure, standing there like a graceful tulip.

"Tulip!" Parks smiled slightly at her, then a word popped out of his mouth.

The young lady couldn't help but frown and look at him, saying, "What did you say?"

"Nothing, I wanted to ask, are you Dutch? Did you save me last night?" Parks walked over, then found a chair and gestured for the young lady to sit down, smiling at her, "Why don't we sit and talk?" He walked to the bed and sat on it.

The young lady completely relaxed her guard towards him.

She nodded, sat down, and smiled slightly at Parks, saying, "Yes, I am Dutch, but it wasn't I who saved you, it was my father.

He found you yesterday morning and carried you back.

But you were too heavy, and he rested several times along the way."

"Have I been unconscious for a whole day?" Parks' mouth widened, a little surprised.

Cecilia wrinkled her nose slightly and smiled, "Yes, but you were really quiet, just unconscious, not shouting or making a fuss.

I remember when I was little, my father once fell badly while hunting and passed out, and he was delirious and caused a lot of trouble at home!"

"You speak English very well!" Parks was a bit speechless, but even though his head still hurt a bit, he wanted to leave a good impression on the young lady, so he changed the subject, "By the way, I haven't asked your name yet!"

The young lady giggled, "Is that how you Americans deal with girls?" Then she looked at Parks with a bewildered expression and said, "Cecilia, Cecilia van Gulit!

Now can you tell me your name?"

"Reese Parks!" Parks smiled slightly.

"Are you sure you're not lying to me?" Cecilia smiled mischievously, "My father once said that Americans are not very honest, and many of them are playboys."

"No, Cecilia, he's not lying, I can prove it!" At this moment, a burly middle-aged man appeared at the door.

He walked in and smiled at Cecilia, "He's telling his real name, you can see that from his dog tag!" Then he turned slightly and extended his hand to Parks, smiling, "My name is Karl, and I already know your name.

Parks!"

Parks stood up and shook hands with the burly middle-aged man, feeling the great strength in his hands: "Thank you very much for saving me."

Then he asked, "Why don't you think I'm British or Polish?"

The middle-aged man found a chair and sat down: "Because of your dog tag, and your uniform, although your jacket is off, I can still tell you are American.

You know, I served in the First World War, with the rank of Sergeant!

So I can identify you."

"Very impressive!" Parks nodded, "I can see that the callus on your right index finger is very thick, which is the result of frequently pulling the Trigger, and your eyes are very sharp, as if you are always aiming.

It seems you are a very excellent soldier."

"No, no, everything is different now!" Karl's expression was a bit gloomy, "The Germans ruined everything for us.

How much we used to hope you would come over sooner, but now you've come, and you've met with failure.

The Germans will return here again."

"We've gotten through so many years, Dad!" Cecilia spoke from the side, extending her hand and gently covering her father's palm, "We can get through this time too!"

Karl looked at Cecilia, smiled, and nodded, "Yes, we will get through it, child!"

Parks looked at the father and daughter, and nodded apologetically, "I'm really sorry, we also always thought this was a very big operation, but the result was not satisfactory."

"This is not your fault, Mr. Parks!" Karl said, "Sorry, I don't know your rank!"

"Lieutenant, with the American 101st Airborne Division." Parks had completely determined that the father and daughter posed no threat to him, so he revealed his rank.

"Lieutenant? That's good!" Karl smiled and nodded, "I don't know what you've been through, but it looks like you've certainly experienced some catastrophic things.

Don't worry, I won't ask you why, I just want to tell you that this place is still quite far from your Allied rally point.

And the Germans began building pontoon bridges this morning; they want to cross the river and pursue their victory."

"Then, Mr. Karl, can you tell me how far it is from here to Eindhoven?" As he spoke, he habitually reached for his map, but the map was gone; it had completely rotted after being soaked in the river.

"Follow me!" Karl stood up and walked out the door, "I'll show you the way!"

"But, Dad, his injury hasn't healed yet!" Cecilia suddenly called out from behind them, "You can't let him leave like this, what if he runs into the Germans?"

Karl glanced back at Parks.

Parks knew what he meant and couldn't help but smile, "I'm fine, although I have a bit of a headache, that's not a problem.

Right now, all I want is to get back to my company."

Karl shrugged at Cecilia, spread his hands, and smiled, "He's a soldier, this little injury is nothing!" With that, he led the way out of the house.

Parks followed closely, and then realized that this was a wide area.

Karl's house was located at the top of a gentle slope, surrounded by green trees and grass.

All around was a large expanse of grassland, and a winding path led from the house directly down the slope to a ribbon-like road.

Parks couldn't help but take a deep breath.

"Are you sure you can walk a long distance now?" Karl asked Parks.

"Yes, sir, I'm sure!" Parks nodded, "I must return to my unit as soon as possible.

My brothers need me, and I need them too!"

"Alright then, you follow me, I'll take you!" Karl nodded, then shouted to Cecilia, "You stay home and watch carefully, I'll be back very soon.

Don't go anywhere until I return, stay home and wait for me!"

"Okay, Dad, but I'm still worried about him, his injury hasn't healed yet!" Cecilia looked a bit worried, frowning at Parks, "Can't you take him tomorrow, no, the day after tomorrow?"

"No, you can't!" Karl refused Cecilia's suggestion without hesitation.

Parks knew his thoughts.

Karl could save him, but he would never let him stay here.

On this land, with the Germans not yet fully retreated and the area not yet fully liberated, harboring an American would entail great danger.

If the Germans found out, he and his daughter would both lose their lives.

So he had to rush Parks away, because the Germans had already started building pontoon bridges this morning, and they would surely come searching.

"Alright!" Cecilia pouted, then suddenly called out to Karl, "Dad, then let me come too."

"No, stay put, you're not allowed to go anywhere!" Karl refused without hesitation, issuing orders like an officer.

He was worried about Cecilia and would never let her come along.

Parks looked at Cecilia's cute, feigned angry expression and couldn't help but smile softly.

The young lady made his mood become very good, like a ray of sunshine illuminating a dark place.

"Don't worry, Cecilia, we'll be fine." Parks said with a smile, "I'll be fine too, don't worry!"

"Alright!" Cecilia felt there was no hope, and she pouted, clearly somewhat unwilling.

"Let's go! Mr. Karl!" Parks called out to Karl, needing Karl to guide him on the way.

"Wait a moment!" Karl suddenly said to Parks, then turned and walked into the house.

After a while, to Parks' surprise, he came back out, holding a gun in his hand.

"Krag-Jørgensen rifle!" Karl raised the rifle in his hand and smiled at Parks, "The Germans didn't find it, I buried it under the big tree behind the slope.

It seems to be well maintained now, and we still have twenty rounds of ammunition!

Try it!" Saying that, he threw the rifle to Parks.

Parks took it and skillfully handled it.

In fact, the bolt action was not complicated, easy to disassemble and reassemble.

Watching Parks skillfully take apart the rifle and then put it back together, Karl couldn't help but whistle, "It seems you must often handle these fellows!"

"Yes, for soldiers, guns are our second life!" Parks raised his head, then put the last part of the rifle on, pulled the bolt, raised it, aimed forward, and then nodded, "Good gun!"

"Dad, Germans!" Cecilia suddenly cried out in alarm, then pointed at the three German soldiers faintly walking up the slope below.

The German forces were led by a Sergeant. After crossing the river, the German troops received orders to scout ahead and ascertain the American forces' strength.

These three men were part of the German patrol sent for reconnaissance; they spotted Karl's small house from a distance, and then the Sergeant led the three men forward.

Four more men were waiting below.

"Hurry, to the woods!" Karl yelled at Parks, pushing him towards the woods beside the house, which conveniently blocked the three Germans' view. "I'll handle these three Germans!"

"Karl, give me your coat!" Parks suddenly pointed at his coat.

"What?" Karl looked at him in surprise. "What the hell?"

"Coat!" Parks pointed again.

Karl quickly took it off and handed it to him, saying, "Hurry, here it is, go hide quickly, and take the gun." He handed the rifle to Parks. "Don't come out, they definitely have others. Don't be impulsive, Lieutenant!"

"Don't worry!" Parks took his coat, grabbed the gun, and quickly ran towards the woods. He could completely conceal himself before the Germans saw him.

He quickly concealed himself, covering his body with turf and leaves again, then watched the movements in front of the house with the keen eyes of a hunter. His rifle slowly extended.

He slowly felt the cold sensation of the rifle in his hand, slowly and calmly inhaled the air, and then tightly wrapped Karl's coat around the muzzle.

About two hundred meters was the distance from himself to the front of the house. The rifle's effective range was six hundred meters, which was sufficient.

However, there were still four German soldiers down the slope; if they were alerted, Karl's family would be in danger.

They would definitely call for reinforcements. Parks was not entirely confident now; the only hope was that the Germans were just conducting a routine check and would then leave.

"Cecilia, hide inside the house!" Karl whispered, roaring at the panicked Cecilia.

Cecilia said nothing; she ran into the house like a flash, then stayed in her room, hiding under the window and peeking out. From where she was, she could see her father's back outside.

Her father was like a mountain, standing in front of her, easing her heart a little.

They had encountered German inspections before, and she knew how her father would handle it.

"Uncle Karl, good to see you." The German Sergeant approached, greeting Karl with a wide smile and stiff Dutch. It was clear this Sergeant knew Karl; he had dealt with Karl twice before, once to search all Dutch people for resistance weapons, and once when passing by, taking a few of their family's sheep from Karl.

"Is there something you need, Sergeant Kadro?" Karl looked at him coldly, his tone somewhat stiff.

"Have you seen any Americans?" Sergeant Kadro stepped forward, craning his neck to look around the sides of the house, trying to discover something.

At this moment, the other two German soldiers had already entered Karl's house.

"Don't go in, what are you trying to do?!" Karl rushed forward, trying to block the two German soldiers from entering.

But he was stopped by Sergeant Kadro.

"Don't get so worked up, Uncle Karl. We're just doing our routine duty, nothing else!" Kadro said, "If you act rudely, it's hard to guarantee they won't cause trouble!

Listen to me, they won't mess up your house. Trust me, Uncle Karl, we're old acquaintances, aren't we? Step back, step back a little."

Karl took two steps back, watching helplessly as the Germans entered the house. Then he heard a scream from inside.

His face instantly turned purple with rage, and he shouted into the house: "Cecilia!" Then he tried to rush into the house regardless of the consequences, but he was still blocked by Sergeant Kadro, who desperately held Karl back.

"Don't mess around, Karl, I promise they won't lay a finger on her." Kadro then turned and shouted into the house, "Guys, don't mess around, don't touch that girl.

I won't allow you to do that. If there's nothing, come out. We still have other places to go, hurry up, guys!"

At this moment, the door burst open with a "bang." Cecilia quickly ran out of the house, one hand covering her face, the other tightly clutching her chest.

Through her torn clothes, a patch of fair skin was exposed. She rushed into Karl's arms, and although tears welled in her eyes, she stubbornly did not cry.

"Cecilia, are you alright?" Karl held Cecilia tightly, then looked down at her face, his eyes full of unconcealed anger glaring at Sergeant Kadro. "Is this what you meant?"

Kadro shrugged and smiled slightly, "I am very sorry, they are all new recruits. You know, new recruits always make some mistakes.

So just consider them bad students who made mistakes. I promise, such a thing will absolutely not happen again. Uncle Karl, I have already apologized, why don't you invite us into your house and offer us a drink?"

"I have nothing here! Sorry, Sergeant!" Karl looked at him coldly.

"I'm not picky, anything will do. Even a cup of goat's milk." Sergeant Kadro smiled cheerfully, and without waiting for Karl's agreement, he walked into the house himself.

He looked around, seemingly nonchalantly. Then he walked into the kitchen, saw a can of goat's milk in the cupboard, took it down, found a cup, and poured a full cup of milk.

His eyes caught a piece of gauze under the cupboard. He looked at it; there was a dark red stain on it. Then he sniffed it, frowned, and then stuffed the gauze into his pants pocket.

"Fresh goat's milk, it tastes so good!" Sergeant Kadro walked out holding the cup of goat's milk. "Was it just milked today? I think it must be, fresh taste!"

"This is all we have left; you took my sheep!" Karl said grumpily.

Kadro couldn't help but smile slightly, "That was a misunderstanding. Aren't there still two left? Why do you say this is all you have? Did you butcher them all?"

"No, but a few days ago, one more was taken by your men. Now I only have one left. One sheep can only give this much milk, so this is all there is; I didn't say anything wrong!" Karl snorted, his tone not very good, somewhat aggressive.

"Don't be so angry, Uncle Karl, being too angry is not good for you!" Kadro said with another cheerful smile, "Did you not injure yourselves today, or something?"

Karl couldn't help but stare at him intently, "Sergeant, what exactly do you want to say?"

"What do I want to say?" Sergeant Kadro pulled the blood-stained gauze from his pants pocket. "This is what I want to say, what is this? Where did it come from? Are you hiding some British or American people?"

"I cut my finger this morning, that doesn't prove anything!" Karl's heart suddenly trembled. It was clear that this gauze had been used to wipe the American Lieutenant when he was injured.

He had put it down casually, not knowing where, how did this German find it? Many thoughts ran through his mind, but he couldn't grasp the key point.

"Tell me, where is that person?" Sergeant Kadro stared at Karl, but Karl kept his mouth shut, not even looking at him.

He smiled slightly, then signaled two German soldiers to search again, "Look carefully, don't make things difficult for Uncle Karl. If he doesn't want to say, then find him and let him see for himself."

Karl didn't even look at him, just stared at the house. Cecilia, meanwhile, was somewhat panicked, hiding behind Karl, her eyes showing a hint of fear, both hands tightly gripping Karl's clothes.

Karl kept reassuring her: "Don't worry, don't worry, I'm here."

Sergeant Kadro walked over with a smile, then faced Cecilia and asked in a low, even slightly gentle tone, "Cecilia, I didn't expect you to be even more beautiful. We haven't seen each other for only a few months, have we?"

Cecilia instinctively hid further behind Karl, her panicked eyes staring at Kadro, shaking her head, then nodding again. She was somewhat at a loss.

"Don't touch her, Sergeant! I warn you, don't touch her!" Karl instinctively positioned his body in front of Cecilia, completely shielding her behind him, separating himself from Sergeant Kadro.

"I'm just saying hello to a pretty girl, Uncle Karl!" Kadro said. At this moment, the two German soldiers came out, shaking their heads at Kadro, "Nothing, Sergeant!"

Sergeant Kadro couldn't help but frown, then looked at Karl again and said, "Alright, Karl, let's not beat around the bush anymore. You tell us yourself, we need to find that damn injured American or Brit.

Then we'll leave, and we won't bother each other. We can guarantee not to disturb you again, and we'll even return your sheep to you! How about it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Karl frowned, staring at Kadro. "I don't have any Americans or British here. So I have nothing to say."

"Uncle Karl, please don't be like this, I know you know. Tell me, you know my two new recruits aren't very disciplined, nor are they very polite.

I can't guarantee what they might do." As he spoke, he whistled at the two German soldiers behind him, his eyes glancing at Cecilia behind Karl.

The two German soldiers chuckled, then moved to encircle Cecilia, one on each side, behind Karl. Their eyes were filled with lewd glints; if Kadro hadn't stopped them earlier, they would have already unleashed their beastly nature.

"Last chance, Uncle Karl!" Kadro smiled slightly, watching Karl nervously look at the two Germans encircling them. "Tell us, and we'll leave immediately.

It's really not worth it for an American or Brit you don't even know."

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Karl protected the panicked Cecilia, saying resolutely.

Kadro couldn't help but frown, then sighed, "Alright then, you've closed the door to negotiation." He then said to the two German soldiers, "You're free to do as you please."

Karl roared, "Cecilia, run!" As he spoke, he lunged at one German soldier, but was held tightly from behind by the other.

The other German soldier chuckled and lunged at Cecilia, who was turning in fright and running towards the woods.

"Pfft," a very faint sound came from the woods, startling no one. The German soldier chasing Cecilia suddenly fell to the ground.

The German's fall caused Kadrow and another German to burst into laughter.

Kadrow scoffed, "Hey, kid, that's not how you chase a girl. You need to put more effort into it!"

"Bastard!" Karl desperately tried to break free from the German's grip, but the German soldier held him tightly, preventing him from struggling free, and he let out roars of anger.

"Oh, something's wrong!" Kadrow suddenly noticed that the fallen German soldier was still motionless, and he couldn't help but shout, "Damn it, let him go and see what's wrong? He's not moving at all, go see what's the matter!" Kadrow commanded the soldier loudly, a solemn expression on his face.

Karl was released, and he didn't know what was happening, but he instinctively ran quickly towards Cecilia.

Cecilia was about to run into the woods, which was where the American Lieutenant was hiding.

"Cecilia, come back!" He shouted loudly at her, trying to stop her.

But Cecilia was terrified; she ignored Karl's shouts and continued to run towards the woods.

"He's dead!" The German suddenly cried out loudly, his voice filled with panic.

A hole had opened in the fallen German's head, and blood was gushing out, making him feel his nerves tense.

He nervously looked around, trying to find something.

"Stop them!" Kadrow grabbed his rifle and shouted, pointing at Karl and his daughter.

Parks watched Cecilia running towards him.

He was completely unfazed, calmly pulled the bolt, ejected the shell, then wrapped the muzzle with his clothes, and aimed again.

His target was the hysterical German soldier.

"Puff" There was another muffled sound.

The German, who was looking around in panic, was hit in the chest by Parks.

His scream was cut off as if choked, coming to an abrupt halt.

He fell headfirst onto the body of the previous German.

Seeing the unfavorable situation, Sergeant Kadrow didn't try to stop Karl and his daughter; he turned and ran.

He wanted to seek assistance down the slope, where he had four more comrades.

It was clear that the enemy was hiding in the woods, sniping at him.

Parks stood up, wrapped his clothes around the muzzle again, then raised his rifle, aimed, and pulled the Trigger without hesitation.

The bullet made a low, muffled sound, and with a "whoosh," it drilled into Kadrow's head.

He fell to the ground like a wooden stake.

Parks, covered in grass and leaves, appeared before Karl, startling him: "You killed them?"

Parks nodded, apologizing, "Sorry, I know this might cause you trouble."

As he spoke, he handed the rifle to Karl, "A very good gun!"

Karl took it and said, "There are still four Germans down the slope; we'll be discovered by them very soon."

Parks looked at him apologetically, then said, "I'm sorry, I don't think you can stay in this place anymore.

You should move out of here.

There are still four Germans; I think I can handle them.

You go into the house first and pack; I'll go take care of those four Germans!"

"Will you be with us?" Cecilia suddenly opened her eyes wide and looked at Parks.

She was full of longing and eagerness, hoping that this American would stay with them, which made her feel safe.

"Yes, I will, I promise!" Parks smiled slightly at her.

His smile made Cecilia feel much more at ease.

Parks quickly led the father and daughter towards the house.

On the way, he collected a German soldier's 98K rifle, his ammunition, and grenades, then gestured to Karl and headed down the slope.

Karl ran towards his own house.

He had no choice now; he had to move.

And judging from Parks's performance just now, dealing with four Germans seemed to be no problem for him.

Parks was crawling on the grass, the grass and leaves on him effectively concealing him.

He slowly crept forward, then approached the four Germans who were sitting by the roadside, laughing and talking.

"Let's go! Kid, have you packed your things?" Karl said loudly inside the house.

"Almost ready!" Cecilia answered loudly from the room.

She packed her clothes, then saw a small bear doll on the bed.

She had made it herself, sewing it stitch by stitch with needle and thread.

She hesitated for a moment, then picked up the little bear doll and put it in her bag.

"Alright, we're going!" Karl didn't bring many things; he only took his clothes and the gun.

"Where are we going, Dad?" Cecilia suddenly looked at Karl and said, "Are we following the Lieutenant?"

Karl smiled bitterly, "Do we have any other choice, kid?

We're going to Veghel; it's still occupied by the American forces.

We'll find a place to settle down.

Trust me, Dad won't let you wander homeless or sleep outdoors.

I can build you a beautiful house, just like the one we have here."

"Thank you, Dad!" Cecilia's nose suddenly felt a little sore.

"Don't cry, kid! We'll always be together!" Karl hugged Cecilia tightly, then reached out and lovingly stroked her hair, then released her and said, "I'll go see if there's anything I can do to help the Lieutenant.

You stay here!"

Karl ran in the direction Parks had gone.

He didn't want to be submissive anymore; a fire was burning in his chest, the flame of his pride as a former soldier.

He wanted to resist, to kill those German bastards.

"Karl!" As he ran across a patch of grass, a low voice suddenly sounded beside him, and then a person stood up from behind him.

It was Parks!

Karl hadn't seen Parks's disguise at all.

"If you were a German, I'd be finished!" Karl looked at Parks admiringly, "Where are those four Germans?"

"They're all finished!" Parks nodded and said, "Alright, are you packed?

Let's go!" As he spoke, Parks pulled off the weeds and leaves covering him, then said to Karl, "You lead the way; we're going to Veghel."

"No problem!" Karl smiled, and the two walked towards the house.

In front of the house, Cecilia stood there, slender and graceful, like a budding tulip.

The leaves underfoot felt soft, and their footsteps made very faint sounds in the woods.

Parks carried Cecilia's package, and the two of them followed behind Karl, with Cecilia occasionally giving Parks a slight smile.

"I'm sorry!" Parks whispered to Cecilia.

He suddenly felt very guilty for bringing such an experience to the father and daughter.

"Don't say you're sorry!" Cecilia's smile was like flowers blooming in spring; there was no sorrow or unhappiness on her face.

She was an optimistic girl; she had forgotten the unpleasant things that had happened, or at least she wasn't thinking about those terrible experiences right now.

Seemingly sensing Parks's apology, she smiled and said, "Actually, we didn't want to live there for a long time.

The Germans often harassed us.

Later, Dad heard that you had arrived in Netherlands, so even without you, we were planning to move.

Move to a place without Germans, as long as it's in Netherlands."

"Yes, Lieutenant, you absolutely don't need to feel guilty!" Karl turned back and smiled slightly at Parks, saying, "What Cecilia said is true, so you can completely disregard it.

It's just because of you that our moving plan was moved up a little bit, that's all! It's not a big deal!"

"That makes me feel a lot better! Thank you, Karl!" Parks couldn't help but smile.

"Lieutenant, can you tell me about yourself?" Karl didn't turn back, but Parks could hear his voice, "You killed seven Germans today, and from beginning to end, they didn't have a chance to resist, not even a chance to shoot.

How did you do that?

It seems a bit incredible.

You know, I was also a soldier; in the First Great War, I killed twelve people, but I never saw anyone like you, who made it seem as easy as chopping vegetables."

Parks smiled slightly, and Cecilia, beside him, also showed a listening expression.

Clearly, she was also very interested and wanted to understand this American.

"Hard training, plus a little luck!" Parks smiled, "And calmness, no hesitation.

I think these are my basic principles when fighting the enemy.

For opponents, you need to observe and understand them carefully, then launch a fatal blow."

Karl nodded repeatedly after hearing this: "Very good theory.

I really can't believe it; someone like you is truly a killing machine.

I wonder how many soldiers like you are in the American 101st Division?"

Parks smiled slightly and said, "I am me, and there is only one of me!"

Cecilia clearly heard Parks's teasing and couldn't help but let out a giggle.

She quickly glanced at Parks, a slight blush on her fair face.

The three walked for a long time, and Cecilia was already exhausted.

She kept gritting her teeth and persevering, but she didn't utter a sound.

Clearly, she was stubborn, but her pitiful appearance as she gritted her teeth made people feel pity for her involuntarily.

"Karl, let's rest for a bit!" Parks said to Karl, who was two steps ahead.

Karl turned around and looked at Cecilia.

She was covered in sweat and looked mentally exhausted, but her eyes were still bright.

She said to Karl, "Dad, I can still walk, it's okay!"

"Let's rest for a bit!" Karl shook his head and smiled, "The Germans won't be able to catch up to us anymore."

With that, he picked a spot under a large tree and sat down, leaning his body against the tree trunk.

Parks and Cecilia sat under separate trees, leaning against the trunks.

Then Cecilia reached into the backpack beside her, pulled out a water bottle, took a sip of water, and handed it to Parks: "Have some, Lieutenant."

Parks took it, smiled and said, "You can call me Reese!"

"Reese? Reese!" Cecilia giggled, her little nose scrunching up.

"Mr. Karl, um, what are your plans for the future?" Parks took a sip of water, then handed it to Karl.

Karl took it, also took a sip, then looked at Parks and said, "The Netherlands underground resistance organization contacted me before, wanting me to join them, but I refused.

I've experienced one war, so I'm tired of war.

I just want to spend the rest of my life quietly with my Cecilia.

But clearly, the Germans won't let me have that thought.

Perhaps I can contact them!"

"Do you want my help?" Parks nodded and said, "I might know some of them."

"No, no need! I'll handle it myself!" Karl glanced at Parks, then cast his gaze forward and said, "Veghel is just ahead! We're almost there!"

The entire Easy Company was recuperating in Veghel and serving as security for battalion headquarters, but with the orders issued by General Taylor, Easy Company received a holiday.

Although it was a rotating leave, it was finally a chance to alleviate the tension, fatigue, and low spirits from the battlefield.

Today was their last day of guard duty, followed by a ten-day holiday, so the brothers were very relaxed.

Staff Sergeant Talbert led Muck, Pankala, Ellie, Sergei, Cisco, Smith, and others on an outer perimeter patrol.

The group walked through the woods on the outskirts of Veghel.

They knew the German had retreated, and even if they were to attack, it wouldn't be immediately, so they appeared relatively relaxed.

Their footsteps trod on the soft soil, their boots sinking slightly into the mud with faint sounds.

"Tibbett, have you heard? About Captain Winters!" Muck followed behind Talbert, speaking to his back.

He was chewing gum, his cheeks bulging, making his voice a little muffled.

"What?" Talbert didn't turn around.

He looked around, "When did you become so nosy?"

Muck shook his head and said, "Now it's spread among the brothers in the company.

Colonel Sink is going to promote Captain Winters.

He will be transferred to Battalion HQ.

I don't think this can be wrong.

Now all the brothers think so, and I don't believe you haven't heard anything.

Hey, buddy, you often stay at company headquarters, do you have anything to tell us?"

"No, I don't want to be a gossip!" Talbert shook his head and smiled, "If you want to know the truth, why don't you ask Captain Winters yourself?

Perhaps he'll be in a good mood because of his promotion and give you a reward."

"Oh, come on, Tibbett, I know you're a good person, just spill a little!" Muck continued to plead, "You know what we care about.

We just want to know who we'll be commanded by in the future."

Talbert shrugged helplessly and said, "Alright, but you guys have to promise not to say I told you!" Talbert turned around, then stopped and looked at everyone behind him, "Promise?"

"We promise!" Everyone immediately nodded.

Clearly, they also wanted to know the answer, they just hadn't asked first.

Talbert nodded and said, "Alright, Commander Sink did talk to Captain Winters about transferring him to Battalion HQ as chief of staff.

And Captain Winters did recommend a candidate for company commander to Colonel Sink.

He always believed Lieutenant Parks was the best choice for company commander, and Colonel Sink clearly agreed with this decision, it's just Lieutenant Parks... you know!" Talbert seemed a bit helpless.

"That's not the point, why don't you just tell us directly, don't keep us in suspense, besides Lieutenant Parks, who's the best second choice?" Muck asked impatiently.

"That—I don't know.

Maybe it's Lieutenant Welsh, or maybe Lieutenant Compton, or maybe Lieutenant Halliger, who knows?" Talbert spread one hand, "That's not something I can know.

I also don't know who Captain Winters and Colonel Sink's second choice is, or maybe there isn't even a second choice!"

"Perhaps Welsh is a good choice, to be honest, I like him a lot," Pankala interjected at this point, "At least he doesn't put on airs, unlike that platoon leader from Second Platoon."

Everyone knew who Pankala was referring to as that platoon leader.

They all nodded in agreement.

"As long as Pika doesn't become the platoon leader, I'll be satisfied! To be honest, I hate his preaching, thankfully he's just a platoon leader." Cisco made a cross on his chest and then mumbled, "God bless!"

"If Lieutenant Parks came back, all problems would be solved!" Muck said, "Colonel Sink wouldn't be troubled by this, and to be honest, the brothers wouldn't be troubled by this either!"

Talbert couldn't help but shake his head and say, "You're absolutely right, but that's not within our scope of discussion.

It's not our place to worry about this.

Let Commander Sink and Captain Winters worry about it.

We just need to do our part! Let's go, guys, we have a holiday tomorrow.

To be honest, I really long for Paris, have any of you been there?"

"Paris? I like it, I heard the girls there are very good!" Ellie followed with a laugh, "But I haven't been there.

I think we'll need an experienced person to guide us, otherwise I'll get lost in the girls' skirts!"

"Oh, disgusting! Ellie!" Smith mumbled.

"Are you jealous? You must be, maybe you're even a poor little virgin!" Ellie teased Smith, "Thank God, I was unharmed in this operation.

I really hope it stays this way in the future!"

"Who wouldn't?" Talbert said, "At least we enjoyed a good time longer than the brothers in First Platoon.

They had it much worse than us, but I'd rather go on a mission with First Platoon."

"So we should be envying them instead!" Sergei interjected, then noticed everyone looking at him, and couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Did I say something wrong?"

Muck shook his head and said, "No, it's just that we were thinking the same thing!"

The few of them continued to search the woods as they talked.

They didn't expect to find anything; it was more like going through the motions.

They could now enjoy hot showers, delicious food, and fine wine they had scrounged from around.

"Is that Staff Sergeant Talbert?" Suddenly, a low voice came from about thirty meters away from them, very soft, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.

Everyone instinctively turned around and raised their rifles.

"Don't shoot!" Talbert quickly shouted, then ran towards that direction, leaping, almost at top speed.

Everyone's heart suddenly stirred, and then they looked over there in disbelief.

From the leaves and weeds over there, a person suddenly stood up.

He held a German 98k rifle and smiled broadly at the shouting.

"Boss!" Talbert almost screamed, then rushed over.

He seemed to want to give Parks a big hug, but he held back, stopping abruptly beside Parks and saluting him.

"Tibbett!" Parks smiled slightly, then raised his hand in return.

Then he whistled towards his back, and at that moment, two more people stood up from the grass and leaf piles behind him: a middle-aged man and a young woman.

The middle-aged man held a rifle in his hand.

"Lieutenant Parks!"

"Lieutenant!"

A group of people gathered around.

Clearly, this was completely unexpected for them.

Lieutenant Parks, whom they had just been discussing, had actually appeared and was standing before them now.

"God, I doubt if this is real!" Muck exclaimed exaggeratedly, causing the group behind him to burst into laughter.

Clearly, the atmosphere was warm and friendly, and everyone was so excited that Sergei, upon seeing Parks, even stammered a bit: "Sir, I'm very happy that you're back, really, we all hoped you'd come back, this is great, great!"

Parks shook hands with each of them, then pointed to the middle-aged man and the girl and said, "They saved me, kind Dutch people, Mr. Karl and Miss Cecilia!" Then he turned to Mr. Karl and his daughter and smiled, "These are the brothers of our company!"

Karl smiled, then nodded and said, "Yes, very pleased to meet you all!"

Parks' return was something none of the patrolling brothers had expected, so they were very excited.

Talbert had Sergeant Muke lead the men to continue patrolling, while he and Parks returned to company headquarters.

On the way back, Parks asked about the situation of the First Platoon brothers who had crossed the river earlier.

After all, he was a bit worried.

He had personally witnessed the German planes wreaking havoc at the crossing, and he was afraid that the First Platoon brothers might have encountered something.

"Don't worry, Boss, they're fine, they're very well, they crossed the river in the first batch.

Company Commander Winters personally received them.

At the time, because you weren't with them, Lieutenant Welsh even wanted to stay behind alone and wait for you.

He has General Urquhart to thank; it was he who ordered Lieutenant Welsh to cross the river in the first batch.

They were really lucky!"

"Yes, lucky!" Parks couldn't help but sigh.

Although he had planned this operation in great detail, it still relied on some luck during the process.

"How are the other brothers?

Tell me about your operations!" He changed the subject and shifted to the other platoons of Easy Company.

Talbert then recounted Easy Company's other operations to Parks one by one.

Upon mentioning that Lieutenant Brule was still hit and Compton was still shot in the butt, he couldn't help but smile bitterly and shake his head.

It seemed some things had changed, but some things still couldn't be changed.

However, no matter what, the outcome was much better than he had expected.

At this moment, Parks suddenly felt his clothes being gently tugged.

He looked back and saw Cecilia.

She had secretly tugged at his clothes, and her face was flushed, looking very beautiful.

Talbert also noticed, but he just smiled slightly, quickening his pace a bit and putting some distance between himself and Parks.

"What's wrong?" Parks smiled slightly at her and whispered.

"It's clear they all respect you!" Cecilia said softly, her head bowed, only looking at her moving toes.

"Hmm, we're brothers in the same company, we respect each other!" Parks looked at her and whispered, "What do you want to say, Cecilia, it's alright!"

"Are we going to part ways?" Cecilia's eyes were a little red, but she didn't want Parks to see.

She kept her head down.

Her tone was a bit low, and her mood was a bit down.

Parks looked up at Karl.

Karl's head was completely turned to the other side, as if he hadn't noticed anything.

He could only smile and say, "Yes, Cecilia, I'm going back to the barracks.

Don't worry, if we're still stationed here, we'll still have a chance to meet, won't we?

And you and your father saved me, that's something that can never change."

"Alright! If you're leaving, don't forget to write to me!" Cecilia mustered her courage and looked up at Parks.

"I will!" Parks nodded.

At this moment, Talbert shouted loudly from ahead, "Boss, we're here, let's go to company headquarters first.

I think Captain Winters will get a surprise, and of course, all the brothers of Easy Company will get this surprise!"

Parks looked up and saw that they had arrived at the town's intersection.

At this point, Karl walked over.

He walked up to Parks, his face full of smiles, and said, "It's time for us to part ways too, Lieutenant, it was a pleasure to meet you!"

"Me too!" Parks nodded, and the two shook hands, shaking them vigorously.

Karl nodded at him, then turned and walked towards the town.

"Goodbye! Here, take this!" Cecilia stuffed a cloth doll toy bear into Parks' hand, then followed behind Karl, turning back to smile sweetly at Parks, like spring flowers in March!

As Parks walked down the Town streets, he kept running into men from the 506th Regiment.

No matter what they were doing, they stopped and stared at him, clearly, there wasn't anyone in the 506th who didn't recognize Parks.

"Hey, that's Lieutenant Parks! He's back!" Someone stopped what he was doing and whispered to his companion.

"God, he's actually still alive."

"Damn it, this guy just popped up.

Where did he pop up from? Hell?

God, looking at him, I almost thought so.

I really don't know what he went through!"

...

"Lieutenant Parks!" There were men from Easy Company, and brothers from First Platoon, and their attitude towards Parks was much more direct.

As Parks walked along, they surrounded him, and gradually more and more gathered.

"God, Boss, I thought you weren't coming back!" Shifty was called out by a brother from Easy Company who knew the news.

When he saw Parks, he couldn't help but squeeze through, then firmly gripped Parks's hand.

"You know, I... I'm very grateful... I escaped, really, Boss, I wanted to go back and find you! But..." Due to excitement, Shifty's words became incoherent, broken, and incomplete.

"He fainted, Boss!" Landeman, next to Shifty, helped him explain, "He ran all the way back, but finally fainted after seeing us."

Guarnere chuckled, "Yes, he fainted, and it really worried us!"

Parks nodded at Shifty and said, "I know, I know, don't worry about it.

I'm back now, and everything is over.

Isn't it, Shifty!"

"Yes, yes, it's all over! Thank you, Boss!" Shifty's face finally broke into a smile.

"Oh, Shifty, you can finally eat potatoes now." Guarnere yelled at him, and then everyone burst into laughter.

Shifty couldn't help but laugh too.

The Lieutenant was back, what could be better than that?

For the past two days, he had been living in guilt, unable to sleep well, and even unable to eat.

"Alright, brothers, Boss just got back, shouldn't we let him go back to the company headquarters first?" Talbert said loudly in the crowd, "Alright, clear a path."

"Alright, brothers, if you're still this enthusiastic after our routine training in the future, then I'll believe you truly like me," Parks suddenly said with a smile.

All the surrounding brothers burst into laughter.

Luz, imitating Sobel's voice, shouted, "Charge, horses, three miles out, three miles back."

Immediately, there was another burst of laughter.

Someone shouted, "Luz, come on, cut out your old clichés.

Boss isn't a black swan, he likes us!"

"Yes, yes, I like everyone very much, if you can make a path for me!" Parks raised his hand and smiled.

Soon, the brothers dispersed, making a path.

Parks had only walked a few steps when he saw Lieutenant Welsh approaching.

He couldn't help but laugh at Parks, "Reese, I didn't expect to see you again.

This is truly a miracle.

Did the German just let you come back?" Then his hand tightly gripped Parks's hand and shook it vigorously, "It seems you weren't welcome by the German, and were deported!"

"It seems so!" Parks tilted his head and chuckled.

"But I still have to say, should I punch you, or should I kiss you!" Lieutenant Welsh said as he led Parks towards the company headquarters, "I knew you'd be fine.

Actually, I wasn't the only one who thought so.

Dick and Nixon too, let's go together, we'll give them a surprise."

"Sorry, Harry! But I had to take that risk!" Parks shrugged.

Lieutenant Welsh looked at Parks and smiled, "I know, if you didn't try, you wouldn't be Reese Parks.

This is your style, you can't change it!"

Then he changed the subject, his smile fading, and said somewhat solemnly, "To be honest, Reese, it was an honor to go on that mission with you.

I think I'll still strive for such an opportunity."

The two chatted and laughed, and soon arrived at the company headquarters entrance.

The door was open.

Before even entering, Welsh's loud voice called out, "Hey, Dick, I brought back good news!" Then he and Parks walked into the company headquarters.

"Harry, it better be good news, I'm sick of all the bad news these days!" Captain Winters was pouring coffee, then he turned around, glanced at the doorway, and then froze.

Nixon, beside him, was already staring at the doorway, wide-eyed, as if he had seen a ghost, holding a wine glass in his hand, his mouth agape, his eyes shining!

"God!" Nixon groaned softly.

"Reese?" Winters then repeated, "Reese!"

Parks walked forward with a smile, then extended his hand and said, "Yes, Dick, I'm back!"

Winters tried to reach out, but he was holding coffee and a plate, and for a moment he didn't know where to put them.

He looked around, then "clattered" the plate into the trash can, then tightly gripped Parks's hand, and let out a long sigh, "So glad you're back, Reese, this is really good news!" He said this to Welsh, who had already sat down.

"Care for a drink?" Nixon took a glass of wine, and without waiting for Parks's consent, handed the glass over.

"This is truly good news, but also bad news!"

Winters, Parks, and Nixon all turned to look at him.

Parks shrugged, then looked at him and smiled.

Nixon nodded and said, "You know, my wine, I'm worried about my wine.

Damn, if we're celebrating, how much will we drink?" Then he chuckled, "But who cares?"

The three couldn't help but smile knowingly.

Knowing Nixon was joking, Parks still couldn't help but smile and shake his head.

Clearly, his return had greatly improved the mood of Winters and the others.

And they were genuinely happy for him.

And among the officers in Easy Company, these three men in the company headquarters were indeed the closest small group.

"Oh, right, you haven't been to the battalion headquarters yet?" Nixon took a sip from his wine glass.

"Colonel Sink will be very happy to see you.

You know he's been worried these past few days."

"Worried?" Parks found a chair and sat down, holding the glass of wine Nixon had handed him.

He took a sip.

"Does it concern me?"

"Of course!" Nixon nodded, then waved the hand holding the wine glass towards Winters and said, "Dick performed bravely in the battle of Veghel, capturing almost a German battalion, so Colonel Sink wants to transfer him to Battalion HQ."

"Oh, that's great!" Parks couldn't help but whistle, and immediately raised his glass to Winters in congratulations.

Winters smiled slightly at him, completely unfazed by what Nixon said.

"So the position of Easy Company commander will be vacant.

Dick recommended you to Colonel Sink!" Nixon smiled, "And Colonel Sink also had that intention, after all, you made the German flee in disarray.

You also saved the lives of the British and Polish.

But you didn't return to duty with the brothers of First Platoon, which made Colonel Sink difficult! However, fortunately you're back, I think this problem won't be difficult to solve!"

"So what do you mean?" Welsh looked at Parks.

Parks, on the other hand, looked at Winters.

He was completely unprepared because he knew he was only an NCO before, and the process from NCO to officer and then to Lieutenant was very short, already setting a record for US soldiers being promoted to officers.

Now, he was going to be promoted again.

This left Parks with no mental preparation at all.

It wasn't that he hadn't thought about what kind of reward he would receive if this operation succeeded.

He thought most about medals, the Distinguished Service Cross or a slightly higher Congressional Medal of Honor, which would already be generous rewards.

"This..." Parks suddenly spread his hands towards Winters, "You've stumped me!"

Winters looked at him and said seriously, "Reese, I'm serious.

I recommended you to Colonel Sink, and Colonel Sink also has this intention.

The brothers need someone who can lead them to victory and preserve their lives.

They have to entrust their lives to the officer they trust the most.

You can do it!"

"I agree!" Welsh said with a smile, raising his hand.

Parks shifted his gaze to Nixon.

Nixon looked at him, a smile on his lips, "Don't look at me, Dick and I think the same way.

You have to take on this responsibility.

I know Dick has been worried about the choice for Easy Company commander ever since he learned of his promotion.

His feelings for Easy Company are the same as ours."

Parks nodded and said, "I understand.

This is my responsibility too, don't worry, Dick." Then he pursed his lips, hesitated for a moment, and said, "I'm just a little worried, you know, I came from being an NCO, so seniority will be a big problem.

Colonel Sink might encounter unexpected resistance."

"That's his problem, isn't it?" Nixon chuckled, raising his glass to Parks, "To Easy Company."

"To Sink!" Welsh, who had poured a glass of wine at some point, also raised his glass and said loudly with a smile.

However, Parks's return was indeed good news.

And soon, battalion headquarters received accurate news that Parks had returned to Veghel and had gone to the company headquarters.

After confirming, Colonel Sink suddenly stood up from his chair.

"You don't have to worry about the Easy Company commander position anymore!" Lieutenant Colonel Strayer chuckled at him, clearly in a good mood himself.

After all, Parks's achievements had greatly improved General Taylor's and the 101st Division's standing among the Allied.

Although his disappearance had once been regrettable, a flaw, now that he was back, what could be more perfect than this?

"Yes, I think so!" Colonel Sink was in a good mood.

He took a puff from his cigar, then looked out the window with a smile.

"But—Lieutenant Parks's promotion is—" Lieutenant Colonel Strayer was about to speak, but Colonel Sink stopped him.

"To hell with the clichés of those who oppose it!" Colonel Sink chuckled, "That's what General Taylor said!"

On the first day of Easy Company's vacation, Lieutenant Parks went to Division HQ, which was now located in Eindhoven. Despite the failed operation, the Allied forces still occupied a portion of Netherlands as a stronghold against the German forces.

Before leaving, Parks saw off Karl and Cecilia, father and daughter. Karl was going to Eindhoven, where the leader of the Dutch underground resistance organization he had previously contacted was located. They were now openly active and recruiting members.

Cecilia's eyes showed some reluctance, but she still had to leave with her father. As she turned, she looked back at Parks, smiled, and said, "Don't lose it!"

"What?" Parks looked at her, puzzled.

"The bear!" Cecilia stretched her hands forward, mimicking a clumsy bear, then turned and followed Karl away. Her dress and the floral scarf on her head fluttered slightly in the wind.

Parks did not go with Karl and Cecilia. Division HQ sent a major with a special car to pick him up. The car bounced along the winding, uneven road. This time, Parks was alone. He swayed in the car, looking at the surrounding scenery, and suddenly felt a sense of being in a different world. This life-and-death experience felt like a dream, so unreal.

Last night, he wrote a report, detailing all his combat experiences. As he wrote, scenes of those battles and the faces of his brothers flashed in his mind. Klinken was dead, and Frank was wounded; he had already learned that Frank had reunited with the brothers of the 82nd Airborne Division and was sent to a hospital in the rear. But when writing about Klinken's death, Parks still got a bit distracted. Although he had always comforted himself that Klinken's death was worthwhile.

The report was handed to Colonel Sink that night, and he immediately sent someone to Division HQ. By now, General Taylor must have known the full story, not to mention the British brief and General Urquhart's written statement.

The car stopped in front of a beautiful hotel in Eindhoven, where officers and non-commissioned officers were constantly going in and out. When Parks got out of the car, the major who drove him smiled and said, "Please come in, the General is waiting for you inside!"

Parks followed behind the major, feeling a little uneasy. It wasn't the first time he had met General Taylor, but he was still a bit nervous. He constantly adjusted his uniform and tie, trying to look neater and more energetic. He followed the major to the second floor, walked through a corridor, and then stopped outside a large hall.

The major slightly opened the door, then poked his head in and softly said, "Excuse me, General Taylor, Lieutenant Parks has arrived!" After receiving permission, the major pulled his head back, closed the door, and told Parks, "Go in alone, General Taylor is inside."

Parks cleared his throat, then once again adjusted his uniform, tie, and hat, straightened his back, and pushed the door open. The major behind him gently closed the door he had opened.

This was a very spacious conference room, with a long rectangular table in the middle, covered with a blanket, and equipped with sand tables for operations, military maps, etc. Several people sat around the table; from their uniforms, there were British, Polish, and American officers. Parks recognized the two British Generals sitting opposite him, General Urquhart and Brigadier General John Frost. There was also a familiar figure with his back to Parks, the Pole, General Sosabowski, while General Taylor stood at the front of the table.

When Parks entered, their gazes were drawn to him. General Urquhart and Brigadier General John Frost smiled at Parks. General Sosabowski turned around and nodded and smiled at Parks. General Taylor also nodded in acknowledgment.

"Lieutenant Parks, please have a seat!" General Taylor smiled slightly at Parks.

"Thank you, General!" Parks politely thanked him and sat down in a chair at the very end. He did not think he could sit at the table with the Generals.

"I have already read the brief submitted last night," General Taylor continued. "To be honest, the achievements you have made are remarkable, and our 101st Division is proud of you."

These words were quite weighty, and Parks looked at General Taylor with some surprise. General Taylor nodded at him, smiled, and said, "This is not just my conclusion. In fact, I and several Generals have analyzed your combat process, and we have to say, it was indeed very clever and decisive. And we also deeply admire the sacrifices you made for your brothers at the last moment."

Parks couldn't help but stand up and say to General Taylor, "It's nothing, General, I just did what I should. The brothers are the key to the operation."

General Taylor smiled and nodded, "I know, I know! Well, I heard you're back, and I'm very happy, as are the other Generals present. You know, your being able to return here alive is of great significance to us!"

"Thank you, General!" Parks quickly nodded.

At this moment, General Urquhart and General Sosabowski also stood up. They faced Parks, and General Urquhart nodded at Parks, saying, "Lieutenant, the British First Airborne Division thanks you for everything you have done!" He said, motioning to a sergeant behind him, whispered a few words to him, then smiled and said, "So I heard you were home, and I asked General Taylor to invite you over. I think, for the sake of our shared combat, we should have a drink."

"I second that!" General Sosabowski and Brigadier General John Frost also spoke at the same time.

"Of course, I can certainly join in!" General Taylor nodded and smiled.

At this moment, the sergeant brought in several glasses of wine, one for each person. General Urquhart smiled and said, "To the Allied!"

"To the Allied!" The glasses clinked together with a crisp "ding," and then everyone tilted their heads back and drained their wine.

General Taylor didn't say anything more, and Parks knew he should take his leave. So he thanked the Generals, saluted General Taylor, and then withdrew.

He couldn't help but feel a little depressed. It turned out that General Taylor had called him here just to say these empty words. Including Urquhart, John Frost, and Sosabowski, it was already difficult enough for him to be alive, yet they still had to bother him, making him run back and forth. Parks couldn't help but grumble a few words in his heart.

He hadn't walked far when he heard the major who brought him in call out, "Lieutenant Parks, please wait a moment. General Taylor wants to see you alone later!"

Parks was surprised but still stopped. The major found him a seat in the lobby on the first floor and said, "The General still has some matters to discuss, please wait a moment, I will come and call you when it's time!"

Parks nodded, then sat on the sofa in the lobby. He looked around. Many people were resting and chatting in the lobby. They were all officers, with a few non-commissioned officers and soldiers. People were constantly going in and out in small groups.

Parks was bored. At this moment, a sergeant walked over, carrying a tray with a glass of wine on it. The sergeant walked up and bowed slightly to Parks.

Parks couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Is that for me?"

"Yes, Lieutenant!" The sergeant nodded, "The major just instructed me to bring you a drink. Please enjoy!" The sergeant motioned for Parks to take the wine.

"Thank the major for me, Sergeant!" Parks nodded to him. Then he took a sip. The wine tasted good; it was aged French whiskey, very mellow. He took a sip, then placed the glass on the low stool in front of the sofa. He still felt a little tired, so he gently closed his eyes and leaned comfortably against the sofa.

Closing his eyes, the combat experiences flashed in Parks' mind like movie scenes again. The impact of the plane crashing into the tree, the scent of the soil while quietly lying in the grass, the vivid red blood blooming before his eyes when firing, and the cold river water and the venomous snake suddenly raising its triangular head and flicking its tongue at him.

In a daze, it seemed someone was calling his name. He suddenly woke up with a start and opened his eyes. Everything had disappeared. Three soldiers stood before him, smiling sincerely, calling his name.

Parks calmed himself down slightly, then looked at them with some surprise and asked, "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Are you Lieutenant Reese Parks himself?" one of the soldiers asked cautiously.

"Yes, I am Parks himself!" Parks was a little confused.

"Lieutenant Parks of Easy Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne Division?" Another soldier carefully confirmed. Then they looked at him with hope.

"Yes, yes, what's the matter?" Parks was unaccustomed to being stared at like this, and he was getting a little impatient. But the three soldiers didn't mind at all. After receiving Parks' affirmative answer, they immediately showed excitement.

"Excuse me, Lieutenant!" one of them stammered excitedly, "It's like this, we saw your story and photos in the newspaper, and it's a coincidence that we saw you here, so we'd like to ask for your autograph."

"I was in the newspaper?" Parks couldn't help but look at them in surprise. "Are you sure you want my autograph?"

"Yes, sir, we would be honored!" Another soldier said, immediately taking out paper and a pen. The other two also quickly took out their paper and pens and handed them all to Parks.

"Alright, alright!" Parks shook his head. "I hope you haven't found the wrong person for an autograph!" Parks took them, then wrote a few sentences on each and signed his name.

"Alright, lads!" Parks returned the notebooks and pens to them.

"Thank you, sir!" The three soldiers' faces were filled with smiles. Then they straightened up and gave Parks a very solemn military salute, nodded, and turned to leave!

Parks suddenly remembered and called out to the three of them, "Wait a moment! What did you say? I was in the newspaper? Which newspaper?"

"Several of them, sir!" one of them turned around and said.

"Understood, you may go!" Parks shook his head. Evidently, this must have happened today.

Before Parks returned, many war correspondents realized that Parks's death would certainly be excellent material. Some reporters appeared in Veghel or Eindhoven, believing the time was ripe. They quickly telegraphed Parks's story back home.

Thus, within a day, Parks's story appeared in newspapers, and although it wasn't a detailed, in-depth report, it caused a sensation in the United States, where a hero was hoped for.

Although the British newspapers were still somewhat evasive, they at least acknowledged the crucial role played by a platoon from Easy Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, in saving the British 1st Airborne Division.

The newspapers quickly circulated to the Allied-occupied areas of France and Netherlands, which is why Parks was recognized.

Of course, most of what was in the newspapers was factual; the only inaccuracy was that Parks was still alive.

"Bang!" General Taylor threw several newspapers onto the table, then laughed heartily, "These reporters are just a bit too eager. Look, you're already dead, according to their pens."

General Taylor met Lieutenant Parks again in a small conference room; he found the newspaper blunder quite amusing. "Don't worry, I've already informed the reporters, and they'll correct their mistake very soon.

Don't worry, they won't kill you again with their pens!"

Parks nodded and smiled, "I don't mind these things, General!" Parks decided that if General Taylor didn't ask, he wouldn't say anything, and everything that needed to be said had already been included in the report.

General Taylor nodded, then opened a small metal box, took out a cigar, and offered it to Parks with a smile, "Havana cigars, quite good.

I've slowly started to like this taste! Churchill really knows how to enjoy good things!"

Parks immediately recalled the time before the war when General Taylor accompanied Churchill during a troop inspection, and Churchill asked about him, saying that very sentence, causing him to smile as he took the cigar.

General Taylor lit his own cigar, then tossed over the lighter, "It seems you still don't smoke often."

"Yes, General!" Parks took the lighter, lit it with a click, and took a deep puff.

He didn't smoke, but that didn't mean he disliked it. In his previous life, sometimes smoking was necessary for missions, but in this life, he had some restraint; he knew the harms of smoking.

Watching Parks's practiced movements, General Taylor shook his head and laughed, "It's incredible; you're as skilled and seasoned as an old smoker."

Seeing Parks about to hand the lighter back, he waved his hand and said, "Keep it; you might get addicted later.

The lighter is a gift for you! Take good care of it, don't lose it!"

The two chatted casually; Parks had long since lost his nervousness. He just felt that General Taylor was merely a vigorous, energetic, and combative bull in his prime.

Although their conversation was relaxed, General Taylor no longer brought up Parks's achievements.

However, it made sense; as a general, there was no need to repeatedly boast about his subordinates' accomplishments, especially when facing the one who achieved them.

Finally, General Taylor still had lunch with Parks, and only then did Parks take his leave.

Lunch consisted only of mashed potatoes, steak, and French wine; it wasn't particularly lavish.

As Parks stood up to leave, General Taylor called out to him again, "Lieutenant Parks, how do you plan to spend your vacation?"

Parks was a bit puzzled, so he just smiled and said, "I plan to go to Paris for a bit, then return to camp and see what there is to do.

Actually, I don't have any specific plans!"

General Taylor nodded and said, "Hmm, Lieutenant, Colonel Sink might have a new position to appoint you to; I believe you will do very well."

Then he shrugged, indicating that was all.

Parks quickly said goodbye again and then walked out of the hotel.

Outside, the Major was already waiting there. A jeep was parked beside him, and he smiled at Parks, "The General said that wherever you want to go now, I'll take you there!"

"No, no, I just want to go back to Veghel." Parks looked up at the hotel and got into the jeep.

The Major started the car, and the engine roared as they sped away.

In the small conference room, General Taylor stood by the window, watching the jeep carrying Parks drive away, and smiled faintly.

To be honest, when he first sent Parks out, he had no hope whatsoever. He knew the high risk of that operation.

However, he unexpectedly completed the mission, not only scouting German intelligence but also doing something world-shaking: raiding the German fuel and ammunition depots, thereby forcing the German to withdraw from the entire front.

The advantage of this was that his division suffered the least losses in the entire battle.

The 82nd Division suffered heavy losses when attacking Nijmegen, not to mention the British 1st Airborne Division, which lost nearly eight thousand men, suffering the heaviest blow.

Moreover, from the tactics Parks employed, he made excellent use of the First Platoon's mobility, making the German scramble in several directions and even losing the bridgehead position at one point, causing severe friendly fire.

Finally, he coordinated with the Polish paratroopers to capture Arnhem Bridge in one fell swoop. If the German hadn't been desperate and blown up the Nijmegen Bridge so early, the operation would have almost succeeded.

And finally, using the interval after shooting the German supreme commander to coordinate the British and Polish armies to retreat from the ferry crossing, one had to admire his meticulous thinking and calculations.

When he was scouting the German, he had already thought of a retreat route.

Now it seems that he had the entire plan well in hand, and the German, British, and Polish armies were merely pawns he could move at will.

"Thorough preparation plus a little bit of good luck!" General Taylor suddenly laughed, muttering to himself.

"General?" A Lieutenant Colonel standing beside him looked at him in confusion, thinking the General had an order.

"Nothing, I'm just a little emotional!" General Taylor was in a very good mood.

The success of this operation forced Marshal Montgomery to admit that even if 90% of the entire plan succeeded, the final 10% failure led to losses for the entire operation.

Although he did not admit that the entire operation was a failure, he specifically mentioned the contribution of the 101st Airborne Division at Allied Headquarters to show his sincerity.

Marshal Montgomery clearly believed that the Allies had established a solid position in Netherlands through this operation, bypassing France, and this was an achievement.

This was also why he did not admit defeat.

General Browning also specifically apologized to General Taylor in a private meeting, admitting his underestimation of the German armored forces, which led to the operation's damage.

And he once again thanked the 101st Airborne Division for its outstanding contribution in saving the British and Polish armies, and privately sent General Taylor a box of Havana cigars, the same kind Parks had just smoked.

"What an outstanding soldier!" General Taylor watched the jeep disappear from sight and muttered again.

This time the Lieutenant Colonel heard clearly and couldn't help but smile, "Yes, he is one of the 101st Division's best officers."

"Of course!" General Taylor nodded.

This meeting left Parks a bit confused, but he finally understood one thing: he might be promoted to Captain of Easy Company.

Parks still had some aspirations for this appointment. If he became the Captain of Easy Company, then Heliger would not have been accidentally injured, and Lieutenant Dyke would not have sent his brothers to their deaths.

Moreover, he did indeed have some aspirations in his heart.

When Parks returned to Veghel, most of Easy Company's brothers had already departed; their destination was Paris.

The previous night, they had gambled heavily, and some had lost all their money.

Malarkey was playing dice; he had initially lost all his belongings. But he borrowed fifty dollars from Muck and managed to turn his fortunes around, winning three thousand six hundred dollars by the end.

This made his hands tremble slightly.

"Skip (Muck's nickname), Skip, where are you, in the barracks?" Malarkey started shouting loudly before he even reached the barracks; the night's winnings made it impossible for him to calm his excited feelings.

"Bang!" The door was pushed open by Malarkey. Muck and Luz were sitting on the bed; Luz was counting his banknotes.

He had returned a little earlier than Malarkey, and clearly, he wasn't playing dice; he preferred blackjack.

"Malarkey, I was originally in my own home, but because of Hitler, I traveled overseas to get here, and that's why I'm sitting here!" Muck said, shaking his head as Malarkey entered.

"Oh, Malarkey, do you know how much I won?" Luz excitedly held up a wad of banknotes, "Two hundred seventy dollars, heavens, this is the most I've ever won.

You can go see Tibbett, Hubler, and Patrick Christenson now; their faces are pale. No, no, maybe green. What a wonderful night."

Malarkey completely ignored him. He plopped down next to Luz, squeezing him in, then faced Muck, pulled a wad of banknotes from his pocket, counted them, and handed them to Muck, saying, "Here's your fifty dollars back!"

"You're paying me back now?" Muck looked at Malarkey in surprise.

Malarkey didn't even look at him, continuing to lower his head and count out a few more bills from the wad, handing them over: "These are tips!"

Muck took them and saw a full sixty dollars, even more than what he had lent him. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Hey, Malarkey, did you rob the Dutch here?"

"I originally won 6,000 dollars. Now I only have 3,600 dollars left!" Malarkey looked triumphant.

"God!" Luz stared at Malarkey in surprise, instinctively stuffing the handful of loose change in his hand into his pants.

Clearly, this small amount of money was nothing in Malarkey's eyes. "You… what are you planning to do with this money?"

"I plan to spend all this money in Paris as soon as possible." Malarkey shoved the banknotes into his pants; he spoke quickly, his face unable to hide his joy.

"Share some with me!" Luz's eyes were fixed on his bulging pant pocket.

"Don't even think about it! Luz! Didn't you just win too?" Malarkey shook his head, then put his index finger to his lips, making a "shush" gesture.

"Oh, Malarkey, if no one helps you, how can you spend all this money in Paris?" Luz almost groaned, "You know, this is a tough task; for God's sake, I'm willing to share some of the burden with you!"

"Good idea, I think so too." Muck swallowed, then nodded vigorously.

"Alright, alright, once we get to Paris, you two follow me!" Malarkey then squeezed Luz again, then lay on the bed, saying, "Oh, God, I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight!"

That night, many in Easy Company couldn't sleep.

They had all set off early the next morning. After Parks returned from Eindhoven, he tidied up a bit, preparing to go to Paris.

There, he would meet someone.