The sounds of distant gunfire and cannon fire grew louder and more distinct. Shi Jin had Xiao Si activate his enhanced vision buff and nervously watched the situation on the battlefield.

After watching for a while, Shi Jin furrowed his brow in confusion. He noticed that despite facing Nine Eagles' attacks, Annihilation's side was only defending and not launching a strong counterattack. They were also constantly trying to stay close to Nine Eagles' ships, limiting the battlefield to a very small space and forcing Nine Eagles to hold back on heavy firepower and expand their attack range. 

It was as if they were trying to force Nine Eagles to not move and attack. At first, he found it strange. After all, neither Lian Jun nor Number One were the type to avoid conflict. If they continued like this, Annihilation would gradually be suppressed. 

Then he faintly saw that on the other side of Annihilation's ship, facing away from Nine Eagles, someone was trying to get off the ship during the battle. It was only then that Shi Jin suddenly realized Annihilation's purpose in doing this.

"Could it be that Lian Jun has already discovered that I jumped into the water and is only holding back because of me? Are those people coming to rescue me?" Shi Jin was shocked and quickly searched his body, finding a satellite phone wrapped in several layers of plastic in his pocket. 

After confirming that there was only a little water inside and the phone could still turn on, he called Lian Jun. The phone was quickly answered and Lian Jun's voice came through immediately. He spoke quickly and with obvious anxiety, asking, "Shi Jin? Where are you? Don't worry, I'll send someone to pick you up."

As expected!

Shi Jin rubbed his forehead and hurriedly replied, "Don't send anyone down. The situation on the battlefield is unclear and it's very dangerous to send someone down. I'm fine, I'm on lifeboat 03 and I'm not injured. I've already rescued Long Shi and he's still alive. You can see my location through the lifeboat's positioning, but don't send anyone over--" 

As the story unfolded, he noticed several ships appearing on the horizon, heading straight towards the battlefield. It was clear that they were not friendly. He looked behind him and saw more ships approaching. His eyes widened as he quickly spoke up, "There are several ships surrounding you, and I'm also within their range. I can find a way to avoid them, but what about you?"

Upon hearing that he was safe and sound, and with a spirited voice, Lian Jun's anxiety lessened. He said, "First, protect yourself. There are emergency medicines and clean food and drinking water on the lifeboat. I will find a way to lead all the ships away from here. You stay away, and once I deal with them, I'll come and get you." 

This time, Shi Jin was anxious and said, "They have so many boats, how are you going to handle it? Why don't you withdraw first and come back to pick me up when it's safe? I can float on the sea for a while longer."

"I have help, don't worry," Lian Jun said. After this sentence, he suddenly fell silent for a moment, then lowered his voice and said, "Shi Jin, you must take care of yourself... Please, wait for me."

Shi Jin was taken aback by Lian Jun's words. Suddenly, his heart felt a little sour and his emotions couldn't help but become a bit low. 

He moved his lips and whispered, "Lian Jun, am I causing you trouble again?" 

"No, it's me who has been holding you back all this time," said Lian Jun, his voice rising. But then he calmed down and reassured her, "Don't be afraid, I won't hang up the phone. Number Nine has located the position of lifeboat 03. Listen to my instructions and I will guide you to safety. The radar shows that there are ships approaching from the southwest and due south. Head east and I will try to lead the battle to the west. Your watch has a directional pointer, so if you can't tell which way to go, follow the pointer." 

As Shi Jin calmed down, he glanced at the progress bar that showed Lian Jun's card stuck at 950. After hesitating for a moment, he obediently reached out to restart the lifeboat and asked, "Do you really have help? I'm fine here, you don't have to worry about me. Lian Jun, you must come to pick me up safely."

Lian Jun's response this time was only one word: "Okay."

In the cockpit, Lian Jun put down his phone and looked at the screen showing the green dot of lifeboat No. 03 moving eastward. His tense mood finally relaxed a little. He looked at several red dots on the radar that were rapidly approaching their location, his eyes full of coldness, and ordered, "Number One, contact Phantom."

Number One had also heard the conversation between Lian Jun and Shi Jin and had calmed down by now. Upon hearing Lian Jun's order, he immediately responded and dialed Phantom's phone. 

"Number Five, head west and meet with the officials on the western side," commanded Young Master Jun.

Without hesitation, Number Five ordered the captain to change course and establish contact with the officials' ship.

Number Three, noticing that Young Master Jun had not mentioned rescuing Shi Jin during the conversation, furrowed their brow and asked, "Young Master Jun, should we send a helicopter to pick up Shi Jin?"

Young Master Jun waved his hand and replied, "No, sending a helicopter out recklessly may attract the attention of the Nine Eagles. We must try our best to keep Shi Jin hidden from them and lead them away first."

Number Three nodded in understanding.

Everything was proceeding smoothly. Number Two watched Young Master Jun's seemingly calm expression and tightly gripped phone, and then glanced at the location of the lifeboat 03 on the screen of Number Nine, which was moving away to the east. 

After holding it in for so long, he couldn't help but raise his hand and wipe his face heavily. "Shi Jin, he always manages to do things that make people love and hate him at the same time. And now, he has actually managed to bring Long Shi back, when everyone thought it was hopeless.

He couldn't help but glance at Number One, who had just finished a call with Phantom. Their eyes met, and they exchanged a complex look that conveyed a lot without words. Then they both looked away and went back to their work.

On the sea, Shi Jin listened to Lian Jun's instructions and felt his heart settle. It seemed that Lian Jun had made arrangements with Phantom and the authorities, so everyone's safety should be assured during the attack on Nine Eagles. 

Finally able to relax, he noticed that Long Shi had been still for quite some time. Seeing his flushed cheeks and delirious state, he was alarmed and quickly took out the cloth from his mouth, searched for medicine and water from the lifeboat, gave him some water, and began to bandage his wounds.

"You can't die, at least not before telling me about the toxin's base," he muttered as he bandaged. Perhaps his voice was too loud, as it was heard by Lian Jun through the phone. Lian Jun's voice immediately came through, asking, "What's wrong?"

Shi Jin glanced at his phone and replied, "Long Shi's condition is not good, I'm bandaging him."

"Don't worry about him," Lian Jun's tone became calm again, almost indifferent, and he said, "Keep all the medicine, food, and drinking water for yourself. I only ask that you stay alive." 

As Shi Jin continued to wrap Long Shi's wounds, he suddenly felt a strange itch in his heart. He responded with a simple "okay," but his hands continued to work. 

On the other end, Lian Jun had already guessed that Shi Jin was going against his own words. After a moment of silence, he spoke again, "At least leave half for yourself. I will come find you as soon as possible." 

Shi Jin couldn't help but smile at Lian Jun's compromise. His eyes curved and his heart felt warm as he replied, "I know. I'll be waiting for you. I believe you will come for me." 

"Mhmm," Lian Jun responded, his voice now gentle. He promised once again, "I will definitely come for you. Just wait for me." 

Shi Jin responded once more, unable to contain his happiness as he even hummed a song. He managed to bring a bit of sunshine to this dark and cold night at sea. 

As Lian Jun listened to the muffled humming coming from the receiver, a slight smile formed on his lips. He then covered the part of the phone where the sound was coming from and looked at the Nine Eagles ships chasing them on the radar. 

He estimated the distance between them and the approaching time, composed his expression, and ordered, "Start firing. The battlefield has already widened, there's no need to hold back anymore."

Upon hearing this, all of the Numbers were instantly invigorated. They stood up, rubbing their hands together eagerly - they had been on the receiving end of attacks for too long and were itching to fight back.

Number Two even let out a cold laugh, clenching his fists tightly and saying, "Damn those Nine Eagles. If we don't fight back, they'll think we have nothing on this ship and can be easily controlled. Watch me turn their entire ship into scrap metal!" 

In the back, Zhuo Yang leaned comfortably against the window of the driver's cabin, watching the "fleeing in panic" enemies ahead. He couldn't help but feel pleased and casually ordered, "Keep firing and have the other ships go around to block them from the front. Lian Jun has been playing with me for so long, today I will make him taste the feeling of being played with like a cat and mouse."

Everyone in the cabin responded in unison. The captain was about to give the signal for the next round of attack when suddenly the quiet radar blared loudly. Then, a huge explosion sounded, causing the ship to jerk violently.

Zhuo Yang was almost thrown to the ground by the shaking and quickly grabbed onto the window to steady himself. He frowned and asked, "What's going on?" 

The captain was sweating profusely as he pointed to a gun barrel suddenly protruding from the front of the ship. He spoke in a dry voice, "Boss, that ship opening fire is definitely not a civilian vessel. It's just like ours, and even more..." 

"What?!" Zhuo Yang's expression changed as he leaned in to take a closer look. Suddenly, the vice-captain on the other side shouted in panic, "Boss, the Phantom's ship has suddenly appeared behind us and is rapidly approaching. It looks like it's going to ram us!" 

Zhuo Yang's expression completely changed. After the swaying stopped, he leaned over to take a closer look and saw that it was indeed the Phantom's ship, which was completely invisible in the dark without any lights, chasing after them. 

He couldn't help but exclaim in anger, "Damn it! We've been played by Lian Jun! That Old Ghost actually teamed up with Lian Jun. Attack them! Don't let them get close! Have the other ships surround them and attack directly!"

The cockpit immediately became chaotic. The previous leisurely atmosphere was gone, replaced by roaring and various alarm sounds.

On the lifeboat, Long Shi's condition improved slightly after his wounds were bandaged. Shi Jin also gave him some basic medicine to take. Afterwards, he leaned against the small storage box on the lifeboat and lifted his hand to tug at his still damp collar.

"How long has it been?" he asked himself in his mind, feeling a bit short of breath. Xiao Si was worried and said, "It's been half an hour already. The buff effect is going to end soon. You..." 

"No wonder I'm starting to feel uncomfortable. It's okay, I can handle it," Shi Jin reassured her. He picked up his phone, which still showed an ongoing call, and listened to the intermittent voice coming from Lian Jun's end. 

He glanced at the progress bar in his mind, which was gradually retreating, and breathed a sigh of relief. 

"It seems that Phantom has held back Nine Eagles. The officials' ship has also arrived, and everyone is going to be okay." 

Xiao Si still looked worried and said, "Jin Jin, have some water. Drinking water might make you feel better. The buff has changed your respiratory system, so when it disappears, you may experience breathing difficulties, body pain, and even confusion. I'm a little scared..."

"Don't worry, I'm really fine," Shi Jin's voice was noticeably lower. Although he was trying to reassure Xiao Si, he honestly reached for a bottle of water and took a sip. He did feel a little better and quickly regained his normal voice, leaning closer to his phone and calling out a few times.

Immediately, Lian Jun's response came through, asking what was wrong. "I'm a bit tired and want to sleep. It should be safe on my end, so just focus on your side and don't worry about me. If I don't respond when you call me later, don't panic. I just want to rest for a bit. I used up a lot of energy when I was rescuing someone earlier and I'm a bit exhausted." 

Hearing this, Lian Jun frowned. He didn't think it was a good idea for him to fall asleep on the sea, but he also felt sorry for him when he mentioned feeling tired. 

After thinking for a moment, he replied, "Okay, you can take a nap for a bit. I'll wake you up a few times. Just don't sleep too deeply. Remember to tie up Long Shi before you sleep, so he won't have a chance to harm you." 

"Alright," Shi Jin responded before feeling his breathing become difficult again. He quickly drank some water and then placed his phone a little further away before leaning against the storage box and breathing heavily. 

"Jin Jin..." Xiao Si panicked, afraid that he might suffocate. 

"I'm fine, just taking it slow and steady..." As Shi Jin panted, he lay flat on the storage box with his face turned towards the sea. He tried to regulate his breathing while continuing to talk to Xiao Si in his mind, hoping to keep his spirits up. 

Xiao Si responded with increasing concern.

Without realizing it, half an hour had passed. Lian Jun called out a few times on the phone, and Shi Jin quickly turned to answer, his voice weak and groggy, sounding like he had just woken up.

"Are you very cold?" Lian Jun asked with concern.

Shi Jin did feel very cold, and his body ached as if all his bones and flesh had been shattered and reassembled. But he forced himself to reply, "It's a little cold, but I'm okay. How are things on your end?" 

Lian Jun looked at the Nine Eagles' ship on the radar that had started to flee instead of attack, and reassured Shi Jin, "It's almost over, I'll be able to come find you soon."

"Okay, I'll be waiting for you," replied Shi Jin, unable to resist taking a painkiller.

Xiao Si hesitated and said, "Jin Jin, should I give you some buffs so you can hold on until the baby finds you?"

"No, the more buffs I have, the worse I'll feel when they wear off. I can still handle it for now," Shi Jin quickly stopped him. After chatting with Lian Jun for a bit, he took the opportunity to check on Long Shi while he was still alert.

Long Shi's face had a sickly flush, and his fever hadn't gone down, but he was at least stable and breathing evenly.

Shi Jin gave him some medicine and water, then loosened his tight collar to make him more comfortable." As the night grew deeper, the only sound around was the crashing of the waves. 

Thanks to the painkillers, Shi Jin felt a little better, and his consciousness began to blur as the boat rocked back and forth. Just as he was about to pass out, Long Shi, who had been quiet all this time, suddenly started shouting.

"I'm not crazy! I'm not crazy! Young Master Jun, why don't you like me? Why... I'll destroy you! I'll destroy you!"

Shi Jin immediately snapped out of his daze and was furious. He snapped, "Shut up, you freak!"

Long Shi continued to shout, shaking his head and writhing, but his eyes remained closed. Shi Jin realized something was wrong and approached to take a closer look. He saw that Long Shi wasn't awake, but rather delirious and speaking nonsense. 

Shi Jin quickly moved in to stabilize his head and called out to him anxiously, but received no response. He turned around and rummaged through the first aid kit.

"Shi Jin? What's going on?" Lian Jun heard the commotion and asked on the phone.

"Long Shi is delirious and speaking nonsense. I'm going to give him some fever-reducing medicine," Shi Jin replied. He found the pills and crushed them into powder, mixing them with water and giving them to Long Shi.

With water in his throat and being jostled around like this, Long Shi regained some clarity and opened his eyes to see Shi Jin. 

Without hesitation, he wanted to attack and said, "It's you! You bastard, I'll kill you! How dare you touch Young Master Jun, I'll kill you!" 

Shi Jin slapped him directly on the head and shouted, "Don't think that just because you're having a fever, I won't deal with you. Shut up! If you dare to curse at me again, I'll turn you into a eunuch! And I'll even scratch your face!"

For someone like Long Shi who valued his face and "male dignity" more than his life, Shi Jin's threat was too harsh. Although he continued to curse and grumble that Shi Jin was a dead monster, his arrogance had dissipated, and he looked cowardly and despicable.

Shi Jin was about to burst out laughing from his anger. He rudely forced the medicine down Long Shi's throat and picked up his phone to say to Lian Jun, "I want to deal with Long Shi, but the details are too brutal to tell you. I'll hang up now and call you back later."

Lian Jun remained silent, then kindly advised, "Don't act too rashly. It's dirty. I'll give you fifteen minutes, and then I'll call you back." 

"Rest assured, I know what I'm doing," said Shi Jin before hanging up the phone. He looked at Long Shi with a sinister expression and mentally instructed Xiao Si to apply the Voice Manipulation and Persuasion buffs on himself.

Xiao Si hesitated, "Although these buffs have no major side effects, they will still be a burden on your current physical condition and make you feel worse."

"It's fine. Long Shi's current state is perfect for manipulation. We can't afford to miss this opportunity," Shi Jin insisted.

Xiao Si couldn't argue with him and reluctantly applied the buffs. Long Shi couldn't hear the conversation between Shi Jin and Xiao Si, but he could hear the dialogue between Lian Jun and Shi Jin. 

His heart was filled with jealousy, anger, and a little fear. When Shi Jin looked over, Long Shi instinctively moved back and tried to remain calm, saying, "You can't kill me. If you do, Lian Jun's leg will never heal."

Shi Jin sneered and, after his buff was activated, approached Long Shi. He grabbed his collar and looked into his eyes, intentionally saying, "Why would I kill you? You make me so angry, I want to play with you. Long Shi, I heard you were only 19 when you first met Young Master Jun. You didn't look like this back then, did you?"

Long Shi stared into his eyes at close range and listened to his voice. His thoughts seemed to spiral out of control as he was instantly transported back to those memories of the past.

...... 

Long Shi was a scumbag, that was beyond doubt. But delving deep into the world of scumbags was a task that would make any normal person feel frustrated and miserable.

After several long minutes, Shi Jin threw Long Shi, who had once again lost consciousness, back onto the deck. Fuming with anger, he couldn't help but kick him a few times. 

Thinking of the warm and gentle Lian Jun that Long Shi had mentioned, his heart felt sour and swollen. He angrily cursed, "If you can't have him, you destroy him. You perverted bastard, you deserve to die alone. Dragging others down to hell with you is despicable! And you have the nerve to call it pure and noble love? Bah! You damn scumbag, Lian Jun must have had terrible luck to have met you!"

Long Shi groaned in pain from the kicks, but he had no strength to fight back. Due to the high fever and the effects of the buff, he probably didn't even remember what he had said before. 

After scolding, Shi Jin leaned weakly against the storage box and touched his forehead, which was starting to feel hot. He knew he probably couldn't stay conscious for much longer. He quickly picked up his phone, which had fallen to the side, and answered the umpteenth call from Lian Jun.

"Shi Jin, how's it going over there? Why haven't you been answering your phone? Hold on a little longer, I'm on my way to pick you up in a helicopter. I'll be there soon." Lian Jun's voice came through immediately, faster and more urgent than ever before. 

Shi Jin's voice was hoarse, and he guessed that he must be very anxious. He quickly explained, "Sorry, I fell asleep earlier... Lian Jun, I think I have a fever. I went into the water to rescue someone earlier and wore wet clothes for so long, so I got cold." 

After explaining, he also reminded Lian Jun to not worry too much when he sees him in such a half-dead state later.

Lian Jun immediately urged the pilot to go faster and explained the situation to the accompanying doctor. Then his voice became clear again as he reassured Shi Jin, "Don't be afraid, if you're not feeling well, just sleep a little longer. I'll be there soon." 

When Shi Jin heard his voice, he felt at ease and responded with a low voice. He noticed a few small flying dots in the distance sky and couldn't help but laugh, saying, "I see you guys, flying towards here."

Lian Jun couldn't help but call out to him, "Shi Jin."

"I managed to extract a portion of the toxin's base and also got a strange syringe from Long Shi... Lian Jun, you will get better." Shi Jin said to himself, his mind repeatedly echoing Long Shi's twisted words. 

Tortured by high fever and body pain, he could no longer suppress his sour and swollen emotions and couldn't help but say, "Lian Jun, I want to hug you. You look really good when you smile... If only I had met you earlier." 

If only he had met him earlier, Lian Jun wouldn't have suffered so much. 

As Lian Jun tightened his grip on his phone, he took a deep breath and leaned in closer. His voice was tense, as if he was holding back something, as he said, "Shi Jin, don't even think about fooling me again this time. Not for the rest of your life."

Several helicopters hovered steadily above the lifeboat. Shi Jin lay inside, looking up at the helicopter directly above him. The door opened and a clumsy Lian Jun, wearing full protective gear, descended slowly down the rope ladder. 

Shi Jin couldn't help but smile - he knew Lian Jun couldn't resist coming down to personally greet him.

The descent down the rope ladder, which should have taken only a few seconds, took Lian Jun over a minute. Shi Jin watched him the whole time, even reaching out as if to help him down, afraid he might fall. Finally, Lian Jun's feet landed in the lifeboat, and a thin layer of sweat formed on his forehead.

Shi Jin hurried over, happy to see him, but couldn't help but worry and ask, "Are you okay? I-"

After Lian Jun steadied himself, he bent down and pulled Shi Jin into his arms, holding him tightly. He rubbed the back of Shi Jin's head with force and said in a hoarse voice, "Shi Jin, there can't be a next time." 

"You said that last time during the incident in the community," Shi Jin said, still straightforwardly killing the mood. 

But his hand instinctively wrapped around him, forgetting to worry if Lian Jun couldn't hold on. All the strength in his body relaxed as he leaned into his embrace, burying his head and rubbing against him. The consciousness that had been struggling to stay clear finally had a reason to completely relax in this embrace. 

His voice grew softer and softer, "Lian Jun, I'm sorry. It seems like I'm always causing trouble for you."

Lian Jun shook his head and hugged him tighter, kissing the top of his head. He had many things he wanted to say, but couldn't seem to find the words. He just wanted to hold onto this person in his arms and never let go. 

In the corner of the lifeboat that no one paid attention to, Long Shi, who was in a daze, was awakened by the sound and light of the helicopter. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw the scene of Lian Jun embracing and kissing. 

His eyes widened and he struggled to twist a few times, saying incoherently, "Young Master Jun, don't hug him, don't kiss him, he's a monster! He's a monster!"

Shi Jin had already passed out in relaxation, and Lian Jun carefully let him lean against his chest. Hearing the voice, he turned his head to look at Long Shi, and a cold curve appeared on his thin lips as he coldly said, "Is that so? Well, that's great. I happen to like monsters."

Like, like--

Long Shi looked at Lian Jun's cold and murderous eyes, and noticed his gentle touch on Shi Jin's cheek. His heart skipped a beat and he rolled his eyes and passed out.