On the way back to school, Shi Jin was bombarded with questions from his classmates.

"Is the instructor really your brother?" they asked.

Shi Jin nodded. "Absolutely."

"Then why did you hide it?" they pressed.

Shi Jin sighed with a world-weary air. "When I first joined the army, everyone was spreading rumors that I was some useless rich kid. I was afraid that if people found out about my relationship with my brother, the rumors would only get worse, so I didn't mention it."

The group fell silent, understanding the unspoken implications. If it got out that a pampered young master had a protective older brother in the army, the rumors would only become more outrageous. "At that time, the rumors were spreading too fast and I believed them without investigating further. I even discussed them with others...I'm sorry, I will be more cautious in the future," one of the students apologized.

Shi Jin quickly waved his hand, saying that it was nothing. He spoke some polite words about how they were all classmates and misunderstandings happen, and that they should all get along well in the future.

As soon as the others saw this, they all apologized one after another, and the atmosphere in the car slowly eased and became warm. One of the classmates happened to witness Shi Jin's arrival on the day of registration and couldn't help but laugh, teasing, "But Shi Jin, it's no wonder everyone misunderstood you. The sports car your family drove on registration day was a limited edition of that brand, with a special design that's hard to ignore. And your family's words were... well, they were just too straightforward."

Upon hearing this, Shi Jin choked up, remembering Li Jiuzheng's "the school gate is too tacky" and Rong Zhouzhong's similar "only girls drive red cars" comments. He raised his hand to cover his face and said in despair, "I'm sorry, they didn't mean it that way, there was no malice, it's just... we weren't thinking at the time."

"It's okay, it's okay. You don't have to apologize to me. Actually, no one has the right to judge your family. But who are those two people with you? They look so young. Are they your cousins or something?"

Shi Jin's expression stiffened as he replied vaguely, "Uh, it's a similar kind of relationship."

"Shi Jin, your family has great genes. All of you are handsome." Another person who had met Shi Jin on the day of the interview couldn't help but exclaim.

"Yeah, I thought they were students from the nearby film school who had gotten lost and ended up here." Another classmate chimed in, naturally joining the conversation. The rumors had spread far and wide, but now there was a chance to uncover the truth behind them. Everyone immediately jumped on the topic, talking back and forth. Poor Shi Jin was caught in the middle, looking hopeless and confused about how the conversation had turned out this way.

"I remember there was someone who always wore a mask back then. Did he have a cold?" asked Classmate A.

Shi Jin awkwardly smiled and replied, "No... he ate too much spicy food the day before and his mouth swelled up. He didn't want to be seen by anyone."

"Hahaha, so it was because of a swollen mouth! Some people even thought that masked guy was a celebrity and criticized him for being too pretentious. Coming to school incognito, thinking he's so famous," laughed Classmate B.

Shi Jin felt a bit unhappy upon hearing this and scratched his hat, saying, "It's too much to curse at people. Whether to wear a mask or not is a personal choice." Besides, Rong Zhouzhong is really famous and would suffer the consequences of not wearing a mask when going out.

Classmate B stiffened at his words, his expression becoming awkward as he said, "Um...yeah, it's not good to curse at people."

There was a brief silence in the car before Classmate C spoke up again, asking, "Shi Jin, I heard your cousin said that our school dorms are too run-down and not fit for human habitation. He said he wanted to buy you a villa near the school to live in. Is it true?"

Where did this rumor come from? Using words like "run-down," "not fit for human habitation," and "buying a villa" is too malicious and outrageous.

Shi Jin furrowed his brow and explained, "My fifth brother... um, is a doctor and a bit of a clean freak. He just thinks it's inconvenient to not have a private bathroom in the dormitory, so he suggested I become a day student. He didn't say the dormitory was too run-down to live in or that he wanted to buy me a villa. The rumors have been exaggerated and spread through misunderstandings."

"But what about intentionally flaunting your wealth? Everyone says you were showing off as soon as you arrived on campus," interjected classmate D.

Shi Jin hadn't delved into the specifics of the rumors before, but now he understood why Luo Donghao, who was actually a decent person, had targeted him. These rumors had gone beyond mere gossip and reached the level of malicious slander and defamation!

Shi Jin suppressed his dislike for the rumor-mongers in his heart and put on a helpless expression. "What do you mean by showing off wealth? I remember that day I was just being accompanied by my family to the school for registration. If showing off wealth means that my clothes and food are slightly better than others, then I guess I did show off a little."

After spending more than a month together, everyone had come to know Shi Jin's character. Seeing him like this, they quickly changed the topic and comforted him, scolding those who spread rumors for being too much. They emphasized that family conditions were given by parents, and no one should be the subject of gossip because of it.

Shi Jin was relieved that they finally stopped talking about this. He quickly smiled and reassured everyone, saying that it was great that they no longer misunderstood him.

The atmosphere was slowly becoming warm again when suddenly a discordant voice rang out. "So, are you saying that your family is simply well-off? So well-off that everything you do seems like you're showing off? I don't believe it. There are plenty of students at school who come from wealthy families, but none of them are like you, being labeled as some kind of spoiled brat."

The air suddenly became quiet, and everyone turned their heads towards the source of the voice, only to find a stranger speaking. They were all stunned.

"Who are you?" Liu Yong asked, very confused. "Weren't we all in the same car from the platoon? How did we end up with an extra person?"

Classmate D replied, "I know! He was sent over by the instructor from the next compartment. They said he's a senior from the second year who missed last year's military training due to a leg injury, so he's making it up this year. The teacher couldn't fit him in their compartment, so they moved him to ours. He was the second best in this year's military training and even went up on stage to receive an award. I remember him!"

It turned out that he was a senior from the second year, and everyone looked at each other, unsure of how to handle the situation.

"So, Shi Jin, what does your family do? You seem to have so much money that you can just do whatever you want and make it seem like you're showing off your wealth." The person enjoyed the feeling of being watched by everyone and continued to ask Shi Jin with apparent curiosity, but with a hint of malice.

Shi Jin thought this person was crazy. He looked him up and down, but refused to talk to him. He casually said, "Do you know why Little Ming's grandfather lived to be 100 years old?"

This joke was too old, and everyone understood it. The tense atmosphere instantly became strange. Luo Donghao, who had just regained his composure, burst out laughing and shouted, "Because he never meddled in other people's business. Even if other people's homes are filled with gold and silver, it has nothing to do with you, senior."

"Exactly, people who pry into others' privacy are the worst," Liu Yong immediately agreed.

The other classmates also chimed in, and everyone united against the senior, making him embarrassed. Shi Jin was ecstatic as he watched from the sidelines - finally, someone else was taking the heat and the attention was off him. He could finally breathe a sigh of relief. With an outsider present, everyone became more reserved in their conversations and the topics became more normal and mundane.

After over an hour, the group arrived at the school and everyone began to disembark and head back to their dorms to settle in and retrieve their locked-up phones from the counselor. They were all ready to enjoy their well-deserved break after the grueling military training.

"Shi Jin, do you want to come to my family's bowling alley? We can grab lunch on the way, my treat!" Liu Yong ran into Shi Jin's dorm room, followed closely by Luo Donghao, who had already changed back into casual clothes.

Shi Jin was still in his uniform, holding a backpack and packing his documents. When he heard Liu Yong's invitation, he shook his head and said, "Thanks, but my boyfriend is coming to pick me up. I have to go. Let's play together next time. Bye." With that, he slung his backpack over his shoulder and ran away without looking back, at an incredible speed.

"Ah..." Liu Yong watched him go, then turned to look at Luo Donghao and asked, "Did I hear something wrong just now?"

Luo Donghao blinked, rubbed his ear, looked confused for a moment, and then suddenly exploded, unable to believe it as he shouted, "Boyfriend? Shi Jin actually has a boyfriend?!"

......

Running out of the school gate, Shi Jin turned onto the main street outside and crossed a small alley to reach another main road. He looked around and sure enough, on the left side of the street, he saw a familiar black car. His eyes lit up and he hurried over, opening the back door and getting in.

"Well, well, well! Look who it is, our little police officer. Your face is pretty dark," Number Two immediately teased from the driver's seat.

Shi Jin gave him the middle finger, shrugged off his backpack, and reached out to embrace Lian Jun, who was looking at him tenderly. He savored the feeling of his presence before letting go and sitting up straight.

He adjusted the hat on his head and asked, "How do I look in this uniform?"

"Looks like someone who deserves a beating." Number Two replied, but wisely shut his mouth after receiving a disdainful look from Shi Jin. He raised the partition in the car, creating a separate space for the two of them.

Lian Jun withdrew his warning gaze towards Number Two and took a good look at Shi Jin in his uniform. He reached out and touched his face, saying, "You look handsome."

Being praised by his lover, Shi Jin was very satisfied and said with a grin, "Summer uniforms are relatively simple, but the autumn and winter uniforms have more complex styles and will look even more handsome. I'll wear them for you to see when the time comes."

With Shi Jin's return, the air around them seemed to become livelier and brighter. Lian Jun's lips curled up and he nodded, asking, "Are you feeling hot? Have you eaten lunch?"

"The car has air conditioning, so it's not hot, and I haven't had lunch yet," replied Shi Jin. Suddenly, he took out his phone and said, "Let's take a photo together to remember this moment. I don't get this tan often."

Lian Jun's smile deepened as he leaned in and took a few photos with him. Then, he reached over and took off Shi Jin's hat, ruffling his hair that had been flattened by the hat. "We're heading straight to the airport in this car, I'm sorry we don't have time for you to rest properly," he said.

"Airport?" Shi Jin was stunned, the joy on his face fading a bit. He stopped flipping through the photos on his phone and asked, "Why the rush? Is the situation in G Province really that bad?"

Lian Jun nodded. "Yes, another organization has intervened, so I need to go and see the situation for myself. Thank you for coming with me and enduring all this traveling."

"This is nothing compared to what I've been through," said Shi Jin, frowning as he took over the conversation. Seeing that he was feeling down, he quickly reached for his backpack and pulled out two certificates of achievement and two red velvet square boxes. He handed them all to Lian Jun, eagerly saying, "Here, gifts! Take a look and see if you like them."

Gifts? Lian Jun was taken aback.

He opened the certificates first and his eyes lit up as he read the contents. Then he glanced at Shi Jin, who was looking on with a hint of pride. Lian Jun's lips curved into a smile as he opened the two boxes.

Two exquisitely crafted medals were revealed. One was in the shape of a five-pointed star, golden in color, with the name and date of Shi Jin engraved in bold font in the center. It was simple yet elegant. The other was circular, with a ring of spikes surrounding it, forming the shape of a sun. The circle had a red emblem and two wheat stalks embossed on the edge, converging towards the center to protect a floral number. Below it was Shi Jin's name and a series of small numbers.

"This is the first prize for military training. The number represents which session it is, and the small number under my name is my student number. This is the badge for outstanding students, with a five-pointed star symbolizing hope," Shi Jin explained to Lian Jun. He then took out both badges and placed them in Lian Jun's hands. "You said we are one team. All the honors I receive, you deserve half of them."

Lian Jun's finger trembled, then quickly clenched, holding the two badges in his palm. He looked at Shi Jin, who was now so serious that he looked silly, and couldn't help but pull him into his arms. His throat rolled, but he didn't say anything.

"I knew you would like this gift. It was worth my effort to come in first," said Shi Jin as he hugged him tightly, enjoying the comforting scent of his body. "Lian Jun, I won't let you regret sending me to the police academy. I want to protect you too. So don't worry that I'll leave you behind in the darkness once I step onto the path of light. We are one, for life."

Lian Jun couldn't help but understand the meaning behind this gift. He tightened his arms around Shi Jin and kissed his hair, whispering, "I understand. I know... Shi Jin, thank you." Thank you for being by my side.

......

As they rode in the car, Shi Jin changed into a fresh set of clothes and put on the engagement ring that Lian Jun had given him. He then snacked on some treats that were provided in the car to fill his stomach. Lian Jun frowned as he watched, regretting not having the kitchen prepare some food to bring along on the trip.

This time, they were headed to G province and everyone was on a private plane, including a few unfamiliar faces besides the members of the team.

"It's people on the officials' side," explained Lian Jun with the help of Shi Jin as he settled into his seat. Seeing Shi Jin looking around in confusion, Lian Jun continued, "G Province is the stronghold of the Tarantula gang. The officials' plan is to not only completely eradicate the gang, but also to severely damage its foundation. The Tarantula gang used to rely on smuggling and some illegal business dealings, which provided plenty of evidence to use against them.

"Although Aunt Lu immediately cleared out some of the gang's shady business dealings when she took over, there wasn't enough time to completely eliminate all the hidden dangers. This time, the officials are determined to crack down on the gang's smuggling operations and destroy their entire business network that spans from G Province and beyond. These officials are here to assist us and coordinate with us. We'll work in the shadows while they work in the light."

They want to destroy their main business network, just like that?

Shi Jin furrowed his brows and turned to sit next to Lian Jun, asking, "You mentioned earlier that other organizations were involved, what's going on now?"

"The G Province business chain controlled by the Tarantula is like a golden egg-laying chicken. Some organizations short on cash want to take advantage of the situation," Lian Jun replied, calling over a flight attendant to order lunch for Shi Jin.

After the flight attendant left, Shi Jin continued to ask, "Do criminal organisations also run out of money? Everyone seems to be quite wealthy."

Whether it was the extinct Nine Eagles and Phantom, or Annihilation and Tarantula, everyone had an attitude of being rich and extravagant, causing envy and anger. When Lian Jun saw the eager look in his eyes, he thought it would be good to teach him more.

So he replied carefully, "Of course there are shortages, especially during the crazy expansion phase of the organization. criminal organisations make money quickly, but they also lose it quickly. Business is accompanied by risks and is not stable. A conflict between organizations can consume more resources than a medium-sized enterprise earns in a month. In addition to the large portion spent on weapons, there are also miscellaneous expenses such as personnel placement fees, medical insurance fees, and transportation costs... There are many places where money is needed. On the road, organizations that cannot make money cannot survive. The organizations that can survive now are those that have chips in their hands."

Shi Jin was taken aback and remembered the extravagant way that Number Two and the others had used up their weapons during every mission, as well as the time when Lian Jun had given him an empty bullet to play along with. His heart trembled as he asked, "What about Annihilation's chips..."

"There are plenty." Lian Jun saw through his thoughts with one glance and reached out to pat his head, reassuring him, "Don't worry, your small expenses won't bankrupt me. Everything that Annihilation needs now is self-sufficient, and we have our own channels for weapons. It won't cost much money."

"Small expenses? Are you secretly running a weapons factory?" Shi Jin thought to himself but wisely didn't ask. Just then, the flight attendant brought their lunch, so they temporarily ended the conversation and sat up straight to fill their stomachs.

......

The plane landed on time in Province G. After getting off the plane, Number Two contacted Number One and led everyone through the VIP channel out of the airport and into a waiting black business car.

The official personnel were thrown into another car, and Shi Jin could finally relax. He leaned on Lian Jun and said, "I noticed those officials were secretly watching us. It's creepy."

"Don't worry about them. Someone will 'educate' them," Lian Jun reassured him, letting him lean on him. He looked at Number One, who was waiting in the car, and asked, "How's the situation?"

"Not good," Number One replied.

With just one sentence, Number One captured everyone's attention. Shi Jin sat up from Lian Jun's embrace and frowned at Number One.

Number One didn't beat around the bush and quickly explained, "According to our investigation, the organizations that want to take advantage of the situation this time, besides the already confirmed Snake Fang, are also Meridian Gate and Thousand Leaves."

Number Two's expression changed and he said, "Why are they all first-tier organizations? Are they crazy?"

"That's the worst part. Originally, according to our plan, these organizations would gradually ally with the Tarantula to target Annihilation after the conflict between the Tarantula and us starts. But because of the sudden interference of the authorities, these organizations directly kicked the Tarantula out of the list of potential allies and even wanted to divide up the Tarantula's territory."

"Damn it! The authorities are such a bunch of useless teammates!" Number Two couldn't help but curse under his breath. He didn't expect the situation to be even worse than expected, and he was so angry that he wanted to kill those hot-headed officials.

Lian Jun asked, "Was it Snake Fang who initiated this? The fact that all the first-tier organizations are cooperating with the government to take down Tarantula so seamlessly must mean that someone is coordinating it all."

"It was Snake Fang. They are probably planning to use the shared goal of dividing up the spoils of Tarantula as the basis for an alliance with the other two first-tier organizations," replied Number One with a serious expression. "If they succeed this time, our situation will become very precarious."

Number Two was already contemplating murder. This was not just a precarious situation, it was a complete disaster!

Due to their association with the government, Annihilation has always been shunned and avoided by other criminal organisations. If something were to happen to Tarantula, Annihilation would be left with no allies, no insiders, and only a government pig teammate who wants to betray them. The game hasn't even started yet, and they've already lost half of it!

Everyone realized the seriousness of the situation and turned to Lian Jun, hoping he would come up with a solution.

Lian Jun tapped his knee with his finger, closed his eyes and pondered. His calm and composed demeanor eased the anxiety of the others without him saying a word.

"Don't worry," he said after a moment of silence. "Since the leading organization behind this is Snake Fang, the situation is manageable. It's not easy for the first-line organizations to form an alliance, and the time since the incident is not long enough for their contacts to become too close. Snake Fang has been expanding crazily after the destruction of Nine Eagles and Phantom, and their desire to be number one is well-known.

"The leaders of Meridian Gate and Thousand Leaves are both confident but cautious, and cunning and greedy, respectively. They may not necessarily approve of Snake Fang's reckless behavior. I believe they are here to make a choice, not to stir up trouble."

Number Two looked thoughtful for a moment, then suddenly relaxed his expression and even seemed a bit gleeful as he asked, "So, Young Master Jun, are you saying that Meridian Gate and Thousand Leaves actually lean more towards the Tarantula?"

Young Master Jun nodded and said, "Meridian Gate and Thousand Leaves don't lack money, what they lack is an environment where they can develop freely. In other words, on the surface, their goals are the same as the Tarantula's - to eliminate Annihilation and sever our close ties with the government and the underworld."

"Everyone wants to take us down. Sigh, the feeling of being hated by everyone is so lonely," Number Two leaned back in his chair and happily crossed his legs.

Number One also relaxed and said, "I was too hasty and almost got confused by the surface situation. Young Master Jun, I apologize."

Lian Jun waved his hand to indicate that everything was fine. Seeing that the main topic had been discussed, he turned his head to ask what they wanted for dinner. However, he was met with a look of confusion and curiosity from Shi Jin.

"Um...can one of you explain to me in detail, why you suddenly relaxed?" Shi Jin felt a bit embarrassed and even wondered if he had left his intelligence at home. "I didn't quite understand what you were talking about earlier...something about the Meridian Gate Thousand Leaves and Snake Fang organizations. Although I've read about them, I don't have a clear understanding of their relationships with each other."

The car fell silent. Number Two looked at Shi Jin's stupid and clueless expression and suddenly burst out laughing. He slapped Shi Jin's shoulder hard and said, "They say military training toughens people up. Looks like it really does, huh? Your limbs are strong, but your brain is fried. Come on, let me give you a lesson."

Shi Jin, feeling embarrassed and angry, pushed Number Two's hand away and retaliated with a series of punches.

Number One and Lian Jun watched the two of them playfully fighting and couldn't help but smile. Their tense mood had relaxed a lot. It was true that with Shi Jin around, the atmosphere never got too heavy.