With one exercise, Shi Jin became famous and firmly secured his position as the number one new student of the police academy. In the eyes of everyone, his image transformed from a pampered sports car heir to a physically fit and enduring expert at standing in military posture. The nickname given to him by the public also changed from "public enemy" to... "comedian for the masses".

"Look, it's that guy. I heard he tried to show off his ability to stand in military posture yesterday but couldn't handle it and almost fainted on the spot. In the end, the instructor had to carry him out of the training ground."

"No way, no one from the women's team fainted, but a man did?"

"It's not entirely his fault. He had to stand in military posture for several hours, and yesterday morning he was even punished to stand alone. It's pretty tough for him."

"Not only is he pitiful, but he's also foolish. I heard that he doesn't even know how to fold a blanket. But he's quite humble and knows to seek help from others. He's not as arrogant and domineering as the rumors say."

"No way, he doesn't even know how to fold a blanket? How did he grow up like that?"

"I guess his family must have a lot of money. They probably change their blankets every day, so they don't need to fold them."

As he listened in on their conversation, he felt a sense of despair wash over him. But Xiao Si saw his expression and quickly comforted him, "At least now no one will look at you with disdainful eyes or use negative words to describe you. Don't be sad, Jin Jin."

"I'm not sad," said Shi Jin as he wiped his face, resigned. "I can't control how others see me. Whether they hate me or like me, it doesn't affect how much food I can eat. I just think these young people have big imaginations, talking about having mines in their families. My family could never have that..."

"We do have it, though. You have mines under your name," interrupted Xiao Si bluntly. "Baby is yours, and Ruihang is also yours now. Shi Jin, your net worth is very high."

Shi Jin: "..."

Lu Donghao suddenly appeared next to Shi Jin and bumped him with his shoulder. "Shi Jin, everyone has agreed that if the instructor makes us stand in attention again today, we will all endure it together and try to stand for as little time as possible. If you get tired, you can sit down and rest in place, and we will cover for you during the extra training."

"Huh? Everyone?" Shi Jin snapped out of his thoughts and looked around. He noticed that everyone in the formation was looking at him with awkward and uneasy expressions. He couldn't help but smile and wave at them before turning back to Lu Donghao, who looked nervous.

Shi Jin raised his voice and said, "Alright, let's all endure it together and make it so the devil instructor can't give us extra training!"

"Yes! Let's all persevere together!" When Luo Donghao heard him say this, he immediately echoed loudly, with a high spirit.

When the others in the team heard his words, the guilt that had been weighing on their hearts all night lightened a bit. They also started to speak up one by one. Some even shouted with hot blood that they would defeat the devil instructor and win a great victory for the team!

"Who do you think is the devil?"

Just as the atmosphere was getting heated, a low voice that had only been heard for a day and had already been deeply engraved in everyone's hearts suddenly came from behind the team. Everyone trembled and fell silent, pretending to look ahead as if nothing had happened.

Looking at them, Xiang Aoting felt like he was watching a group of young quails who were not yet fully grown but already eager to rebel. His gaze swept over the fluffiest one, and a smirk appeared on his face.

Then, he became serious, took a step forward, and said, "You may be young, but you talk big. Seems like you all have nothing better to do. Everyone, get up and run three laps around the playground, then stand in military posture for an hour. Same old rules, if one person is unstable, the whole team will do extra training!"

How ruthless! But everyone wasn't afraid!

Shi Jin was the first to stand up and loudly replied, "Yes, instructor!"

The others also stood up one after another, unlike yesterday when they all looked dejected upon hearing the training content. Instead, they were now full of morale and echoed Shi Jin's response, "Yes, instructor!"

Xiang Aoting said with a poker face, "What's all the shouting for? Line up, warm up first, then jog on the track!" The people in the queue quickly quieted down at the words, looked at each other, and quickly lined up, joking and pushing each other, and the atmosphere in the team became much more harmonious.

......

During the jog, there were people in the team who usually lacked exercise and wanted to drop out after just one lap. When Shi Jin saw this, he was next to the person and helped him adjust his breathing while running forward. Seeing this, others in the team also took the initiative to help those who were struggling.

Running alongside the team, Xiang Aoting looked at Shi Jin's movements and the changes in the students in the team, feeling pleased. In just one day, the atmosphere in the team had changed so much, not bad. After the run, it was time to stand at attention. Everyone looked eager and ready to give it their all. Without waiting for instructions from Xiang Aoting, they obediently took their positions.

As usual, Xiang Aoting went around adjusting everyone's posture. When he reached Shi Jin, he purposely stopped at a closer distance.

Shi Jin glared at him menacingly. If he was publicly humiliated again, he would go complain to Shi Weichong and the others!

Sensing the threat in his eyes, Xiang Aoting smirked and lightly patted his shoulder while adjusting his posture. Then, he composed himself and moved on to the next student. After checking their postures, as usual, Xiang Aoting walked to the back of the line, exerting pressure on the team as if they were being watched.

Everyone cursed Xiang Aoting in their hearts, holding their breath and wanting to wash away yesterday's "shame" and prove themselves to Xiang Aoting!

Twenty minutes passed, then half an hour... By the time they reached the 40th minute, one trainee couldn't resist and adjusted their posture, looking regretful. After that, a few more people couldn't control themselves and moved a little due to reaching their physical limit. But overall, today's situation was much better than yesterday.

Finally, after an hour, Xiang Aoting walked to the front of the team and said, "The remaining time is all for additional training, a total of 15 minutes. Those who moved can sit down and rest in place." The crowd's hearts skipped a beat, knowing that the most challenging part was coming up.

Several seconds passed, and no one sat down. Everyone who had moved before tightened their expressions and continued to stand still. It was only fifteen minutes, and they could grit their teeth and hold on. They could do it!

Seeing this, Xiang Aoting waved the roster in his hand and said in a gentle tone, "I know you want to prove yourselves, but if you can't resist moving, it means your physical and mental endurance are below the team's average. If you continue to hold on, there is a high chance that you will lose control and cause even greater pressure on the team, creating a vicious cycle. Sometimes, giving up is also a way to protect your teammates."

The words spoken by Xiang Aoting were quite reasonable, and his gentle attitude towards teaching made some of the students who lacked confidence in their physical abilities begin to waver.

Shi Jin's eyes rolled so far back in his head that they almost disappeared. He never expected Xiang Aoting to play such a deceitful trick.

Finally, one of the students was persuaded by Xiang Aoting and sat down on the spot.

Xiang Aoting immediately changed his tone and expression, becoming stern. He said, "Just now, one of your teammates chose 'death' in order not to drag you down. And when I, the 'enemy', tempted him to go to his death, not a single one of you spoke up to remind him or help him. To see someone die without trying to save them is to be an accomplice. The whole team is unqualified and will receive an additional ten minutes of training."

"What?!" The student who chose to sit down couldn't help but stand up again and argue.

"'Dead people' have no right to speak, sit down," interrupted Xiang Aoting directly, then immediately called out a few names and said, "These few people were just affected and shaken, the whole team will have extra training again!"

Devil!

At this moment, all the team members had only one thought in their minds - Xiang Aoting was a devil! They really wanted to hit him!

Shi Jin forcefully closed his eyes and wanted to sigh deeply - he knew it would be like this! What kind of police officer would choose to give up and abandon their teammates?

This is a matter of life and death, brothers! Xiang Aoting, oh Xiang Aoting, I thought you were different from other experienced soldiers and wouldn't be so harsh on new recruits, but I didn't expect you to be even more ruthless than the others!

However... as he glanced at the students in the front row, who suddenly straightened their backs, he remembered his past life when he had been through the same thing. He looked back with nostalgia in his eyes, thinking that it was indeed useful for these innocent students who still didn't understand the cruelty of the battlefield and society to have a lesson like this.

The atmosphere in the team became tense, and Xiang Aoting stopped talking and walked to the side and back of the team. Before leaving, he reminded them, "Those who have been shaken can sit down and rest at any time. Those who sit down below will not receive any additional training."

Upon hearing this, the students gritted their teeth, as the mere mention of additional training gave them a headache! After a few more minutes, those who had previously wavered and lacked confidence in their physical abilities, after much inner turmoil, chose to apologize to everyone and sit down, bowing their heads in self-blame and regret for being useless and holding the team back.

As one person did, so did another. One by one, those who had wavered before chose to sit down and relieve the pressure on the team. But those who had not wavered gritted their teeth and persevered. Unfortunately, the additional training time was too long.

As time went on, more and more people couldn't help but sway. The training time continued to lengthen, as if it would never end. Some of those who had swayed wanted to continue to persevere, but sometimes willpower cannot determine the body. They had reached their physical limit and could not resist moving again, which made the situation worse for the team.

In this situation, those who had swayed, even if they were unwilling, had to choose to sit down voluntarily.

Because some of the students wanted to persevere but made mistakes repeatedly, although there were more people standing today than yesterday, the training time was about to exceed yesterday's. Time seemed to stretch on endlessly, and the team's morale had already shifted from the high spirits and anticipation of the morning to the heaviness that followed yesterday's training, even worse than before.

Gradually, only Luo Donghao and Shi Jin remained on the field, persevering.

Finally, as the morning training session was about to end, Xiang Aoting came around from behind the team and announced, "Extra training is over. The situation is slightly better than yesterday, with one more person still standing. Get up and start the next training."

At the moment Xiang Aoting announced the end of extra training, Shi Jin and Luo Donghao both felt their bodies go limp, almost collapsing to the ground. Before they could say anything, their teammates beside them couldn't help but speak up, saying, "Instructor, let these two rest for a bit first."

The stern and impartial Xiang Aoting directly refused: "Our training speed has fallen behind other teams and we must catch up. Moreover, their rest time has already been used to pay for your mistakes. If you want them to rest well, you must perform better tomorrow. Now, get up and report as a team!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression dimmed and they reluctantly stood up one by one. Shi Jin and Luo Donghao also stood up with the help of their teammates and lined up to report.

Fortunately, the morning training session was not too long, and the later training only consisted of practicing walking and turning left and right, which was not too tiring. Shi Jin and Luo Donghao used this opportunity to move their bodies and actually felt much better. After lunch, there was over an hour of nap time. Everyone in room 103 lay on their beds like corpses, not speaking.

"Are we all just going to give up immediately after experiencing some turbulence?" After a long silence, one person couldn't help but speak up, their voice full of unwillingness. "I don't want to hold everyone back anymore. What is the instructor even doing? Just trying to bully us?"

No one responded, and it seemed like everyone had fallen asleep.

"I just want to persevere with everyone else..." The person continued to speak, their voice growing increasingly sad, almost on the verge of tears. The psychological pressure of watching their teammates suffer because of them was too much to bear.

Shi Jin leaned back, holding his head with both hands. He could hear the frustration in the man's voice and let out a sigh in his heart. "Let's just stick with it together. It's okay if we sway again, practice makes perfect. The instructor can't keep us in extra training indefinitely."

The man was taken aback and said, "But if I keep swaying, I'll be adding a lot of extra training time for the whole team..."

"It's not that difficult, actually. If the coach hadn't tricked us this morning with just a fifteen-minute extension, we would have pushed through it easily. Completing the extra training as a team is not a daunting task," said Shi Jin, jokingly adding, "And with me around, no one can steal my title as the little prince of standing at attention. Just keep going, no matter how long the training lasts, I can handle it. I believe you will gradually improve. Right now, you're just not used to the intensity of military training."

Suddenly, Luo Donghao sat up from his bed, furrowing his brow and saying, "Don't take on too much responsibility. If someone in the team faints or gets dizzy, you'll be the one standing there doing nothing!"

Shi Jin poked his head out and said, "Have you ever noticed the police officers standing guard in the roadside pavilions? They stand there for the entire morning or even the whole day, constantly paying attention to their surroundings. Have you ever thought about how exhausting that must be? After we graduate, we will definitely be sent to grassroots positions, and we might even end up in those guard posts. The training our instructor is putting us through is just the basics, and he's pushing us to our limits because he doesn't want us to give up easily. This is our future job, and there's no room for giving up."

Luo Donghao was stunned, and the others in the room sat up one by one, silent and contemplative. "The instructor said it himself, 'Dead people' have no say. He probably still has something left unsaid. Being alive means having unlimited possibilities, so let's persevere. In the profession we've chosen, giving up is not an option." Shi Jin spoke earnestly, unable to bear watching these young ones continue down the wrong path or get stuck in a dead end.

Everyone looked thoughtful, and the person who spoke first suddenly clenched their fist and said, "Shi Jin is right. In the profession we've chosen, giving up is not an option. I will persevere. Sorry for holding you back, Shi Jin!"

"It's okay," Shi Jin replied with a smile that resembled that of a caring father. "If my leg is injured, it's injured. I'll treat you all to a meal when I'm better. Rest up now, we should have normal training in the afternoon. Everyone, focus and try to regain your strength as soon as possible."

"Okay!" The man responded with a forceful nod before suddenly bursting into laughter. "If you're treating us to a meal, I better start saving up now. My stamina is really terrible."

Everyone couldn't help but laugh at his words, and the atmosphere finally relaxed a bit. Luo Donghao looked at Shi Jin, who was smiling while leaning on the edge of the bed, and couldn't help but feel curious.

He asked, "Shi Jin, your family is so wealthy, why did you choose to enter the police academy?" The laughter of the crowd stopped, and they all looked at Shi Jin with confusion - why would this young master, who could be enjoying a life of luxury, come to the police academy to suffer?

Shi Jin: "..."

As a civil servant, he couldn't answer like that. He lowered his head and pretended to be deep in thought for a moment before replying, "Because I have someone I want to protect. When I become a police officer, I can protect them openly and honestly."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but imagine the way Lian Jun would call him "Mr. Policeman" with a look of dependence on his face, and he couldn't help but smile to himself.

Someone he wanted to protect.

Looking at him, Luo Donghao clearly thought of someone as well. His smile softened, and he lay back on the bed, sighing, "You really are a strange young master..."

"I'm just an ordinary person," Shi Jin said as he flipped back onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. He suddenly missed Lian Jun terribly. It had been three days since he left home, and he didn't know if Lian Jun had been eating well during his absence...

......

At the club, Lian Jun held a tablet and flipped through the first-hand intelligence that Li Jiuzheng had obtained from Xiang Aoting. As he looked at the photos of Shi Jin in uniform, handsome and upright, his eyes softened.

So this is where you've always wanted to be... You look so good in uniform. This person he loved was truly more suited to walking in the light.

"Young Master Jun." Number One appeared in the study at some point, holding a document and calling out to Lian Jun.

Lian Jun snapped out of his thoughts, covering the tablet and looking at Number One with a restrained expression. "What's the matter?" he asked.

Number One stepped forward and placed the documents in front of him, frowning as he spoke, "There's been some movement, and in addition, the authorities have suddenly invited us to collaborate on a mission in G Province."

G Province? Isn't that the stronghold of the Tarantula?

Lian Jun furrowed his brow, quickly flipping through the documents and his expression gradually darkened. "The authorities want to go after the Tarantula. What's going on? Why would they suddenly target the Tarantula when the Snake Fang gang is clearly being more active?"

Number One shook his head, looking just as puzzled. "Young Master, should we take on this mission?"

"We have to. If we want to protect the Tarantula, we must participate in this mission." Lian Jun pointed to the documents and instructed, "Go and arrange a meeting with the Tarantula. I must meet with Lu Shan."

Number One knew that this matter had to be handled with caution. He nodded and went to take care of it.

......

As expected, during the afternoon training, Xiang Aoting did not make everyone stand at attention again. Instead, like other teams, he arranged for everyone to do some routine training. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief - to be honest, the psychological pressure of standing at attention multiple times a day like they did in the morning would eventually crush them.

After experiencing two hellish sessions of standing at attention training, everyone found the routine training to be easy and enjoyable. They didn't need to be told by Xiang Aoting, they actively and enthusiastically participated.

Moreover, everyone still had a chip on their shoulder and wanted to prove themselves in other areas, to show that they weren't as useless as Xiang Aoting had thought. During their normal break time, Luo Donghao and the others in Room 103 exchanged knowing glances and quietly got up, walking towards the other dorms in the team to have some private conversations.

Shi Jin had no idea about this, as he was immediately pulled by Xiang Aoting to help carry water for everyone in the team outside the training field.

"You really hold a grudge," Shi Jin whispered in a low voice as he lifted a bucket of water, reprimanding Xiang Aoting.

Xiang Aoting also carried a bucket and saw Shi Jin covered in sweat. He quickly reached out to help him lift the bucket and said, "I just wanted to talk to you. Did I make you angry during this morning's training?"

Shi Jin looked at him with the eyes of someone with an intellectual disability and said, "Why should I be angry with you? You're the instructor, so of course you have the final say in how to train us. Besides, you're doing it for our own good. We'll understand your good intentions in the future."

Xiang Aoting was surprised that he could understand and was a little touched. He reached out and touched his head.

With the support gone, Shi Jin Yong almost dropped the water bucket. He stopped and straightened his back, taking a step to the side to avoid Xiang Aoting's hand. He said, "Men don't touch other men's heads, and I'm not a child anymore. Don't touch me!"

After speaking, he suddenly moved back and looked at Xiang Aoting with a fake look of admiration.

Xiang Aoting knew that Shi Jin Yong was up to no good again when he saw him acting like a peacock. He reached out and helped him hold the water bucket again, asking, "What do you want?"

Shi Jin tried to please his brother with a smile and said, "It's nothing much... I just heard that you instructors can use cell phones. Do you have one with you? I want to pass a message to Lian Jun. My own phone was confiscated by the counselor and locked up. I can only get it back after the military training is over."

Upon hearing this, Xiang Aoting frowned, clearly unhappy.

Shi Jin lamented, "Are you still my brother? Look at my trembling legs, my hunched back, my sweaty head, and this bucket of water in my arms. You--"

"I can't lend you my phone, but I can pass on your message," Xiang Aoting reluctantly compromised and asked, "What do you want to tell Lian Jun?"

"Just to tell him to remember to eat well and sleep well, I won't ask for too much, else it'll be troublesome for Fourth Brother. Thank you, Fourth Brother, you really are the one who cares for me the most."

"We all care for you the same," Xiang Aoting's expression softened. Suddenly, he reached out and took the water from Shi Jin's hand, quickening his pace towards the location of the team.

Shi Jin was taken aback, watching Xiang Aoting's fast pace as he carried two buckets of water. He squinted and smiled, running after him.

For some reason, he felt so happy, as if he had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

No one had fallen into the abyss, and there was still infinite possibility between everyone.

Suddenly, Xiao Si spoke up, reminding Shi Jin, "Jin Jin, your progress bar has dropped to 80."

Shi Jin froze in his tracks and glanced at the progress bar that had suddenly dropped to 80. He looked confused and bewildered, wondering what he had just done to cause the sudden drop.