By the time Old Ghost arrived, the rescue team had already cleaned up the scene and were preparing to load the bodies onto trucks.

Number One had originally wanted to stop Old Ghost from entering the villa to see the gruesome scene, but Lian Jun stopped him.

Old Ghost went straight to the villa and stopped at the spot in the yard where the bodies were laid out. He stood there for a few seconds before going forward to open each body bag one by one.

Finally, he squatted in front of his deputy's body, gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, his eyes turning red, but he didn't cry.

Lian Jun rolled his wheelchair up behind him and pulled out a cellphone. "When we found the assistant, this was next to him, but he didn't use it to call for help. The explosives in the villa were remote-controlled, and besides the assistant, fifteen other people died inside. His left hand had all five fingers broken, and his right hand only had his thumb and index finger left. It was clearly intentional."

At these words, the Old Ghost whipped around and strode over, practically snatching the phone out of Lian Jun's hand. He found that it was just a regular disposable phone, completely clean with nothing on it, but it had a SIM card and could make calls.

"He could have called for help... He could have called for help." The Old Ghost repeated this sentence over and over again, gripping the phone tightly. His voice was heavy with hatred, and his tone grew increasingly intense.

According to the investigation, the deputy was indeed able to call for help before he died. This phone was probably intentionally left for him by Gunfire, but the deputy did not use it. He watched helplessly as the bomb exploded in the room, taking the lives of his fifteen subordinates.

It was clear what had happened. Gunfire had already taken control of the villa, attempting to ambush Lian Jun, who was due to arrive today. But due to various unexpected circumstances, Lian Jun did not arrive on time. He even chose to deviate from his original route and park to wait for Number Three.

When Gunfire spotted Lian Jun's parked car, they probably wanted his deputy to quickly bring Lian Jun over and prevent him from meeting with Number Three. But the deputy didn't follow orders, so Gunfire tortured him. Later, Gunfire was probably provoked by his deputy's stubbornness and decided to nearly kill him. They threw a phone at him and tied up all of his subordinates in the room with explosives, using their lives to force him to call for help and bring Lian Jun over.

However, the deputy still refused to obey and held out against Gunfire. In the end, Lian Jun successfully joined forces with Number Three when the reinforcements arrived. Gunfire knew that their chance was lost, so they detonated the explosives.

"When I decided to temporarily park, I called your deputy. He sounded normal and even said there was no need to hurry, it was okay to come later. He hung up quickly, but I didn't notice anything wrong. It was my negligence," Number One said, his tone filled with self-blame.

The Old Ghost's lips trembled for a moment, then he forcefully pressed them together, suppressing all his sorrow. "Lao Wen is a very cunning and skilled negotiator. If he doesn't want you to notice anything wrong, you won't detect any problems in his tone. It's not your fault. He...he did the right thing!

"Even if you hadn't stopped the car and continued driving forward, Lao Wen would have found a way to warn you not to approach the villa. If he couldn't stop you, he would have probably chosen to sacrifice himself and the person with the gun...he would definitely do that, he would. It's my fault. When I found out there was a mole amongst the Phantoms, I should have been more careful and not let anyone act alone. It's my fault."

Lian Jun could see the emotions that he was struggling to suppress, and after a moment of silence, he decided to relay the dying words that his subordinate had entrusted him with to Old Ghost. "I did not betray you. I'm sorry I couldn't save our brothers' life."

Old Ghost's face trembled, his throat bobbing up and down. Finally, his rationality was shattered by this last straw. He let out a suppressed sob and turned to face his deputy's body. He knelt down, buried his head, and cried with his shoulders shaking.

It was early May in L country, the beginning of the rainy season. The weather was hot and humid, and dark clouds were rolling in the distance, as if another storm was about to hit. The gloomy sky, the hellish scene of death, and the suppressed cries all seemed to be shrouded in a layer of gray, making one's eyes sore.

As Shi Jin watched the Old Ghost's weeping figure disappear, he felt a heavy weight in his heart and wiped his own face to hide his emotions.

For those who walk in darkness, finding the light is an incredibly difficult task.

When night fell, everything at the villa had finally been taken care of.

The Old Ghost composed himself and led his men to handle the affairs of their subordinates, while Lian Jun took his own men and moved into an official building in L country.

This residence was the result of coordination between the local government and the L country officials. It was a cancerous presence in the southeast region, notorious for its violent and aggressive tactics. Now that someone was willing to help clean up the mess, the L country officials were more than happy to provide some assistance.

It was a strange experience, a group of foreign gangsters living in an official residence provided by the L country government, protected by L country soldiers.

After everyone settled in, they gathered for a tasteless lunch before retiring to their rooms. As Shi Jin pushed Lian Jun back to their room, he filled the tub with hot water for Lian Jun to soak in. After quickly showering himself, Shi Jin didn't return to his own room but stayed with Lian Jun to watch the rain outside gradually intensify.

"What should we do next?" Shi Jin asked.

Lian Jun looked at the raindrops on the window and replied, "Pay this back to Gunfire."

Shi Jin was taken aback and turned to look at him, asking, "How?"

Boom!

The dark clouds in the sky rolled and thunder rumbled incessantly.

Lian Jun seemed to be brought back to his senses by the thunder, and he looked at Shi Jin, his expression slowly relaxing. He reached out and touched Shi Jin's face, asking in return, "Are you tired? Do you want to take a nap?"

The topic was abruptly changed, clearly to avoid answering the question.

Shi Jin held Lian Jun's hand and looked at the dark eyes that Lian Jun couldn't completely conceal, even though he tried his best. Shi Jin understood in his heart that Lian Jun didn't want to answer the question he asked because the answer would definitely not be what he wanted to hear.

The grudges between criminal organisations can only be resolved with four words - an eye for an eye.

In the evening, Old Ghost returned with his men, dressed in all black. His face looked worse than before, but his spirit was unusually good, as if there was something supporting him, not allowing him to be weak or fall.

After knowing that he had returned, Lian Jun went to talk to him for a while. Two leaders stayed alone in the study for about fifteen minutes. Afterwards, Old Ghost pushed open the door and led the way out into the rain once again. Following closely behind, Lian Jun instructed Number One, who was waiting outside, to make a phone call to Number Two and simply said, "Fully cooperate with Old Ghost."

Shi Jin observed everything without asking any questions and pushed Lian Jun back to their room after their usual leg massage. After taking a shower in his own room, Shi Jin returned to Lian Jun's room.

Lian Jun was leaning against the headboard, flipping through something when Shi Jin entered wearing his pajamas. "What's wrong? Did you drop something?" Lian Jun asked.

Shi Jin didn't say anything and walked straight to the bed, lifting the covers from the other side and lying down, closing his eyes. Lian Jun paused and set aside the documents in his hand. He turned to look at Shi Jin, who was lying next to him, and reached out to touch him before retracting his hand. He whispered, "Shi Jin?"

Shi Jin opened his eyes and looked at him seriously. "It's getting late. We should go to sleep."

Lian Jun looked at his serious expression and suddenly smiled. He put the documents aside and lay down on his side facing him. He reached out and touched his face, saying, "Thank you."

"I don't understand what you're thanking me for..." Shi Jin frowned and muttered. He also turned to face him, holding his hand and closing his eyes again. "No more talking. Goodnight."

Lian Jun hooked his lips, leaned in closer to him, obediently not saying anything, but his arm moved, propping up his body as he lowered his head to kiss him. Shi Jin's eyelashes trembled as he reached out and embraced the other's body, willingly parting his lips to deepen the kiss.

Their positions slowly shifted from facing each other to one on top of the other. Sensing Shi Jin's initiative, Lian Jun's movements became slightly uncontrolled as he groped for Shi Jin's face, suspending his body over him and indulging in his own desires.

"Mmm." Shi Jin's tongue was bitten, causing him to let out a low moan.

Lian Jun let out a low laugh, slightly restraining his movements and lightly brushing his lips against Shi Jin's.

Shi Jin had only intended to come over and keep Lian Jun company, using their companionship as comfort. But he never expected the situation to spiral out of control. What was supposed to be a simple goodnight kiss turned into such a passionate scene, all because of his small initiative, which Lian Jun took and ran with.

The two bodies intertwined under the blanket. Lian Jun was wearing a nightgown that had been messed up, with the collar askew, revealing his collarbone and a small part of his chest, which looked very tempting under the light.

As Shi Jin was kissing him, he saw this and before his brain could react, his hand had already climbed onto Lian Jun's body, gently caressing him.

Lian Jun's breathing became irregular, and the kisses gradually shifted position. His body moved downwards, and his hand reached into the blanket, wanting to touch Shi Jin's body.

"Click--" As the tension in the air reached its peak, a strange and muffled quack suddenly echoed in Shi Jin's mind. His instinct-filled brain instantly cleared, realizing the situation he and Lian Jun were in, and remembering the presence of Xiao Si.

His mind exploded with realization, and he quickly pulled back his hand that was fumbling around Lian Jun, then grabbed Lian Jun's hand that had already slipped under the covers, and said, "Don't."

The ambiguous atmosphere instantly dissipated.

Lian Jun paused for a moment, then bit Shi Jin's earlobe and sat up to look at him. He silently adjusted his breathing, lowered his head to touch Shi Jin's lips, then held his hand tightly and pulled him back onto the bed. He comfortingly stroked Shi Jin's back and said, "I was too hasty. Go to sleep, goodnight."

Shi Jin was young and had a better reaction than Lian Jun. At this moment, his breathing was still erratic, his body was hot, but his heart was a little cold. He felt hopeless and kept poking at Xiao Si in his mind.

Xiao Si pretended to be dead, but eventually couldn't resist being poked. Its tone was even more hopeless than Shi Jin's, and it even cried with self-blame: "I wanted to hold back, but I couldn't... Baby, I'm sorry, wuwuwu, please block me, Jin Jin... sob sob."

Shi Jin: "..."

It seems that Xiao Si had been trying very hard to hold back, but unfortunately couldn't.

It's a good thing it didn't hold back, otherwise he would have been watched by a system with a strange hobby during an intimate scene.

It's a bit scary.

Lian Jun saw that Shi Jin wasn't speaking and thought he had offended him with his abruptness, so he quickly whispered a few words to comfort him. As Shi Jin came to his senses amidst the sound of Xiao Si's crying, he sighed inwardly and buried his head in Lian Jun's embrace, explaining, "No, I'm not angry, and I do want to do something with you. It's just that...I wasn't prepared this time."

He made a mental note to remember to lock Xiao Si in the small black room next time!

Upon hearing his thoughts, Xiao Si immediately burst into tears again, causing Shi Jin to feel a headache.

After all, as an adult man, it was perfectly normal to have some intimate moments with someone he liked. And since this person had just been through a bit of a shock during the day, doing something intimate to shift their focus seemed like a good idea.

Unexpectedly, just when he was ready to indulge himself shamelessly, his "child" came and ruined everything. In the end, not only did he not get to enjoy himself, but he also had to comfort the frightened "child" and explain himself to the person he had rejected. He felt so miserable.

Lian Jun misunderstood his explanation and patted his head, saying, "I understand. You're still young. Go to sleep, I won't touch you again."

What did he mean by "won't touch you again"? Does he mean he won't touch him tonight or never again? Is Lian Jun planning to have a platonic love with him? No way, Lian Jun is so good, he can't just let this opportunity slip away.

He had waited for this moment for two lifetimes, he couldn't let it go to waste! Perhaps it was the impulse of his body that clouded his mind, but when Shi Jin heard those words, a storm quickly brewed in his head. His body acted faster than his brain, reaching out to tightly embrace Lian Jun and rubbing against him.

He earnestly said, "No, you should move. I like it when you move."

"Ga!" Xiao Si exclaimed.

Shi Jin's eyebrows twitched as he glanced at Lian Jun's increasingly handsome face under the light. He decisively chose to hide the progress bar and then reached out to pull open Lian Jun's shirt, rubbing against him and kissing him. His hand under the blanket moved, grabbing Lian Jun's hand and placing it on his own body. He whispered softly, "We don't have to move too much, just a little touch won't hurt."

Being so proactive, Lian Jun's breathing immediately became erratic. His previously passive hand became active, holding onto Shi Jin's waist and bringing him into his embrace.

......

The next morning, Xiao Si was finally released from the small dark room by Shi Jin. The whole system was sluggish, and Xiao Si said softly, "The progress bar hasn't moved, that's great."

Shi Jin had snapped out of his daze from being seduced by beauty since last night. Seeing Xiao Si like this, he felt a little guilty and coughed softly, saying, "The place we're staying in is an official building of L country, and Number Three has arranged for people to take turns on guard duty. Nothing will happen."

"Oh." Xiao Si responded dryly, unusually quiet.

Shi Jin couldn't bear it and coaxed, "I promise not to keep you locked up for so long next time."

"Men can't be trusted, just like how a sow can't climb a tree. Men are all big liars. I'd rather believe in ghosts than believe in a man's broken promises." Xiao Si recited the curse-like words, its voice mechanical and numb.

Shi Jin: "......"

Xiao Si began to sob.

As Shi Jin lowered his head and poked at his tablet, he pretended not to notice Xiao Si's attempts to engage him. But eventually, it couldn't hold back any longer and asked tentatively, "Did you and baby do anything last night? Anything at all?"

"No," Shi Jin replied, his heart skipping a beat at the memory of last night. He managed to keep a straight face, though, and stood up. "Lian Jun said Number Two is coming over today. I'm going to go check it out."

Xiao Si let out a disappointed "ah". It was really starting to feel down now.

Before lunch, Number Two rushed over. He looked thinner and darker, with stubble on his face. He wore a crumpled camouflage suit and didn't even have time to drink water before reporting to Lian Jun: "Last night, I cooperated with Phantom and raided three underground organizations, seizing several important shipments and capturing their leader. Old Ghost spared no expense this time, sacrificing a lot of business to hold onto Nine Eagles' part of the business here. Zhuo Yang probably can't sit still either."

"Not bad," Lian Jun nodded, gesturing for him to sit down. "And what about Old Ghost?"

Shi Jin poured a glass of water in front of Number Two. After finishing his drink, Number Two wiped his mouth and replied, "The Old Ghost didn't come. He's busy with the business part of things. He's planning to cut off all the current deals, give up all the interests in the southeast region, and have a final showdown with Nine Eagles."

Shi Jin's mood was complicated upon hearing this. It seemed that the blow dealt by the deputy to the Old Ghost was indeed significant, and the Old Ghost was determined to fight back.

Lian Jun rubbed the edge of the data and asked, "Have you compiled a list of all the downstream organizations of Gunfire?"

"Yes, I have," Number Two replied, handing over a USB drive. "But the list may not be complete. Gunfire has several business lines that are obviously problematic, and there must be undercover organizations helping them. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to investigate."

"These are enough," said Lian Jun soothingly. He inserted the USB drive into the computer and quickly scanned the list, tapping his fingers on the desk. "Call everyone for a meeting."

Number Two was about to get up and call everyone, but Shi Jin stopped him and told him to rest for a while. Shi Jin got up and went to call everyone instead.

After calling everyone, Shi Jin brought back some food for Number Two. Number Two praised Shi Jin for being thoughtful and was about to pat him on the shoulder. However, he noticed a red mark on Shi Jin's neck that looked like a mosquito bite.

He froze and glanced at Lian Jun, who was sitting behind the desk talking to Number One. Number Two quickly lowered his hand and bumped Shi Jin's shoulder, asking in a hushed voice, "Xiao Jin Jin, did you take down Young Master Jun?"

Shi Jin looked at him in confusion. As Number Two glanced at his butt, his eyes were lecherous.

Shi Jin's heart skipped a beat and without hesitation, he made a scissor hand gesture and thrust it towards Number Two's eyes.

Number Two quickly dodged and chuckled lowly, looking very punchable.

With Number Two's jokes, the atmosphere that had been low due to the death of the Old Ghost's right-hand man finally improved.

After Lian Jun and Number One finished exchanging information from Number Two's report, they regained everyone's attention. Lian Jun said, "We can't be gentle when dealing with Gunfire. It's too difficult to retrieve the people from their hands through peaceful means, so the Old Ghost and I have decided to fight fire with fire."

Shi Jin's heart stirred as he immediately realized the significance of the list that Number Two had brought. "Nine Eagles and Gunfire are so confident when facing this tricky situation because they have the upper hand over the Old Ghost and know that he won't dare to resist too much. So, we'll also capture some of Gunfire's men and turn the passive situation around."

Lian Jun turned his computer around to show them and said, "This is a list of some of Gunfire's subordinate organizations, and four of these small groups are on Gunfire's important business lines. What we need to do next is to take down these four small groups and capture their leaders."

Indeed, that's the way to do it!

Shi Jin was excited and felt that Lian Jun, who was casually talking about these things, was simply awesome!

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. When dealing with situations that require confrontation, Lian Jun's methods are always tough and decisive, which is very satisfying!

Upon hearing this, everyone's spirits were lifted. Even Number Two couldn't resist rubbing his chin and sarcastically remarked, "Nine Eagles initially targeted Phantom because Phantom had interfered with their interests and they wanted to warn him. Later, with Gunfire and Nine Eagles holding onto Phantom's people, it was because they saw the benefits Phantom had in the southeast region.

"Actually, if they had talked to Old Ghost about conditions when they first held onto people, Old Ghost would definitely have given them some flesh, but they were too greedy. They not only wanted to cut Old Ghost's flesh, but also wanted to swallow him whole. Now, Old Ghost would rather ruin his business than compromise with them. Should we say they deserve it or they should die?"

"They should die," Number One, who rarely agreed with him, responded coldly. Shi Jin glanced at Number One and silently agreed with him.

After Lian Jun waited for them to finish speaking, he knocked on the table to regain their attention and continued, "There are four organizations, and each of you will be responsible for one. Number One and Number Five's tasks will be temporarily assigned to Number Nine. You can all leave now and prepare."

The four of them responded in unison, stood up, and left.

Shi Jin stared at them leaving, feeling a bit confused. He turned to Lian Jun, who was busy with his computer, and pointed to his own nose, asking, "Young Master Jun, what about me? Do I not have a task?"

He thought he had been listening for so long, but in the end, even Number Nine, who wasn't even here, had something to do. Did he have nothing at all? He seemed to have been idle for a long time since the mission with Yuan Ma-zi, and he had not received any new jobs since then.

Lian Jun was stunned by his question and found himself at a loss for words.

Seeing him like this, Shi Jin carefully guessed, "You haven't forgotten that I'm also your subordinate, have you?"

"...You're in charge of protecting me." Lian Jun quickly regained his composure, closed his laptop, and said calmly, "And while you're at it, help Number Nine with his work and take care of Long Shi."

Shi Jin fell silent, feeling that he had discovered the truth: Lian Jun really didn't see him as a subordinate anymore.