The two brothers huddled together to watch a horror movie. Fei Yujing's brow furrowed with a serious expression as he leaned back in his chair, trying to stay as far away from the screen as possible.

Shi Jin had brought over a few bags of melon seeds from who knows where and lazily leaned against the armrest of his chair. He watched the bloody scenes on the screen while casually munching on the seeds, his expression calm, and kept giving irritating spoilers.

"You see under the table, there's actually a foreshadowing here. That person who was jumping around during the day died early, and the killer is the one wearing the plaid shirt," Shi Jin said.

Fei Yujing immediately looked at the spot Shi Jin mentioned and saw a bloody handprint and a few severed fingers. His heart shook, and he silently moved his gaze away, taking a deep breath and leaning back even further. The movie continued, and as Fei Yujing knew who the killer was, his attention unconsciously shifted. His furrowed brow relaxed slightly.

"Also, look at this statue. It looks strange, right? Let me tell you, the body of the third female lead is actually hidden inside. Poor main lead is going to be scared here."

Sure enough, the next second, when the main lead walked by the statue, it suddenly moved and fell apart, revealing the terrifying horror inside.

Fei Yujing's heart trembled a little, but because of the spoiler, he was slightly mentally prepared and wasn't too scared.

"Someone's going to die again, someone's going to die again. Watch closely, this person's head is going to roll in the next second. Look at the blood here, oh, it's so fake. That's not blood, it must be tomato sauce."

Bang.

Cannon fodder number N lost their head, and the tomato sauce...oh, no, the blood splattered all over the wall.

Fei Yujing looked at the bloodstained wall in the scene, which should have looked very creepy, but inexplicably felt that what was on it was just tomato sauce. Suddenly, there was no sense of horror at all.

After a while, the music in the movie suddenly became terrifying, and the main lead accidentally stepped into the killer's trap.

Fei Yujing couldn't help but tense up again, feeling nervous once more. As they watched the movie, Shi Jin suddenly started cracking his sunflower seeds harder, while leaning over to pour milk into their cups.

He exaggeratedly exclaimed, "Wow, here comes the climax! The main lead who's been scared the whole movie is finally going to reveal the villain and beat him up!"

The sound of Shi Jin cracking his seeds drowned out the movie's sound effects, and the tense atmosphere was momentarily interrupted by his pouring of milk. By the time Fei Yujing looked back at the screen, the main lead had already caught the fake ghost and was fighting him.

In the end, the villain was subdued by the main lead and the truth was revealed. It turned out that there was no ghost in the movie at all, only a bad guy pretending to be one. The people who died did not turn into ghosts and harm others. The only ones causing harm were the cowardly and incompetent villains hiding behind various ghostly disguises.

"Tsk tsk tsk, no wonder this movie has such a low rating, the plot is too bad. Let's switch to something more interesting," Shi Jin shook his head and commented, stuffing some sunflower seeds into Fei Yujing's hand. He quickly changed the movie and said, "Let's watch this one. I heard it's super bloody and has no plot, just all kinds of ways people die."

Fei Yujing glanced at the half bag of sunflower seeds still warm in his hand and frowned. Seeing Shi Jin tearing open another bag of seeds and starting to munch, he hesitated for a moment but decided not to give the bag back.

Drowning, burning, car accidents, poisoning, falling from a building, getting hit by a falling brick... all kinds of deaths were played out one after another. Shi Jin munched on his sunflower seeds with a bored expression, commenting on the movie from time to time, "That tomato sauce looks fake," or "Is that knife real?"

His mouth never stopped. Fei Yujing used to think that watching people die was a very torturous thing, but with Shi Jin's presence, suddenly the bloody scenes in movies didn't seem so bad.

His hand unconsciously grabbed a melon seed and slowly brought it to his mouth. His thoughts wandered a bit - he seemed to have heard that eating melon seeds can relieve stress...

The deaths on the screen continued, and Shi Jin kept muttering while cracking melon seeds.

Fei Yujing seemed to be listening to him, but also seemed not to be. His eyes were fixed on the tablet, and the motion of cracking melon seeds in his hand went from awkward to skilled. His tense body unconsciously relaxed.

"Ah, this one's not good. Let's watch something else. Let me see... how about 'Getting Closer to Science'? I heard it's really interesting, like a comedy show every episode," said Shi Jin as he suddenly changed the movie.

The screams and bloody scenes disappeared, replaced by an invigorating opening music. Then, a deep and magnetic voiceover began, narrating a ghost story with a mysterious tone.

After being exposed to horror movies and various ways of dying, Fei Yujing couldn't help but sneer at the narration. "There's no such thing as ghosts in this world. TV shows nowadays are becoming more and more lowbrow and perfunctory."

"Ugh, this episode is about ghosts. So boring," Shi Jin complained.

Fei Yujing silently agreed in his heart. Indeed, it was very boring.

Even though he said it was boring, Shi Jin continued to play the show. He started to slouch on the couch, muttering to himself while slowing down his rate of munching on sunflower seeds. His body slid further down, and he began to yawn frequently.

Fei Yujing heard Shi Jin's yawn and looked at the show on TV, which was full of pretentious and confusing scenes. He couldn't help but yawn too and rubbed his forehead.

This show is really boring. It makes people sleepy.

"I heard that the voiceover for this program used to be for a food show. Isn't that interesting?" Shi Jin suddenly mumbled vaguely, then tilted his head and fell asleep.

Fei Yujing turned his head to glance at him. His previously muddled thoughts were suddenly cleared by the mention of food, reminding him of some cooking shows he had watched before. His mind was completely freed from the various bloody scenes that had been troubling him for a long time, and he closed his eyes in the midst of the aroma of melon seeds and milk.

As the TV program slowly came to an end, the video software automatically played the next video. A video titled "Cleansing the Soul with Pure Music" popped up, and the gentle music lulled two adults with poor sleep patterns to sleep.

In the early morning, Shi Jin was awakened by Xiao Si. He glanced at the time and realized it was almost the same time that Lian Jun usually wakes up. He quickly washed his face and got up, turned off the tablet computer that had run out of battery on the table, and looked at Fei Yujing sleeping soundly on the sofa next to him.

Being a good person, he moved him to the longer sofa, covered him with a blanket, and left.

Fei Yujing was rudely awakened by Shi Jin's movements, and he opened his eyes in a daze. He saw Shi Jin getting up and leaving, and was stunned for a moment. He pulled the blanket over himself and closed his eyes again.

When Shi Jin returned to the room, Lian Jun was still sleeping. He quietly slipped into bed, trying not to disturb him.

"Where did you go to snack? You smell like sunflower seeds." Lian Jun suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze clear and alert. He didn't look like someone who had just woken up.

Shi Jin was startled and stared at him for a few seconds before suddenly pouncing on him and biting him.

Lian Jun was pinned down and let out a muffled groan. He quickly lifted his arm to embrace Shi Jin and furrowed his brows, saying, "Don't try to fool me... Mmm."

Shi Jin gave him a small bite and then backed away, explaining, "I couldn't sleep at night and ran into Fei Yujing. He was in a bad state, so I took him to watch a horror movie."

Lian Jun's hand moved up and he pinched Shi Jin's face, pulling it outwards. He said, "Always trying to do good deeds?"

"Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda*," Shi Jin replied lazily, snuggling into his embrace. "Actually, I'm still sleepy. Adjusting my sleep schedule is so painful."

*T/N: Building a seven-story pagoda is like donating money to a church.

"Changing the subject won't work," Lian Jun said, but his hand gently stroked Shi Jin's back. So Shi Jin was feeling quite content, finding a comfortable position in his arms like an octopus with eight legs, and fell back asleep.

When he woke up, there was a new message from Old Ghost - Zhuo Yang agreed to release all the detained Phantom people, but with one condition: the people must be personally picked up by Lian Jun.

"Daydreaming! Zhuo Yang really has a short memory," Number Two sneered when he heard the request, his eyes filled with killing intent.

Everyone's expression was not good either. They all remembered how Zhuo Yang had set up Lian Jun last time. It hadn't been that long, and Zhuo Yang was already back at it again.

Shi Jin couldn't understand Zhuo Yang's thinking at all. He even wondered if Zhuo Yang was really stupid. Even with just a little bit of thought, it was obvious that Lian Jun wouldn't agree to such an obvious trap.

Did Zhuo Yang go crazy trying to kill Lian Jun?

On the video call, the Old Ghost spoke with a serious expression, looking at Lian Jun who had been silent the whole time, "He wants to sow discord between you and me."

"Lian Jun, don't worry, I won't blame you for not agreeing to take the risk and lead the team. I'm not that stupid. Zhuo Yang didn't come here to negotiate in good faith. He never intended to release the hostages."

After thinking for a moment, Lian Jun denied the Old Ghost's words and said, "No, he wants to release the hostages. He made this request not to sow discord between us, but to buy time and gain a chance to catch his breath."

The Old Ghost was taken aback and asked, "What do you mean?"

Lian Jun explained, "Although Nine Eagles has developed quickly, its foundation is not stable. Having been bitten hard by you this time, it won't be able to hold on for long. Knowing Zhuo Yang's personality, if he finds that he can't benefit from fighting with you and may even suffer losses, he will most likely take the opportunity to scrape off a layer of your skin and quickly resolve the situation.

"But right now, he has only expressed his attitude of wanting to resolve the situation with you, without giving convincing sincerity. Why do you think that is?"

The Old Ghost thought about his words and suddenly changed his expression, saying, "Because Nine Eagles can't show that sincerity? Have my people already been killed by him?"

His tone already carried a murderous intent towards the end.

"No, it's possible that your people are not even in the hands of Zhuo Yang, and he has no right to decide whether they stay or go. Zhuo Yang and the person holding the gun to your head are only after their own interests. Unless absolutely necessary, they won't kill their bargaining chips," explained and reassured Lian Jun.

Upon hearing this, the Old Ghost calmed down a bit and pondered over Lian Jun's words. He furrowed his brow and said, "So according to you, the situation now is that Nine Eagles wants to return my people to me and settle this matter, but Gunfire is holding onto them and refusing. They're having a conflict?"

Lian Jun nodded and said, "Gunfire is a local organization here with deep roots. Even if we harass them, they won't compromise easily and may even bite back. I suspect that there is a conflict between Nine Eagles and Gunfire over whether or not to fight us, and coupled with Nine Eagles's failure to help Gunfire infiltrate the country before, their cooperation may have been problematic for some time."

The Old Ghost couldn't help but slam the table and say, "Serves them right! Let them fight like dogs!"

Lian glanced at him and poured cold water on his excitement, "But having problems doesn't mean their alliance has already broken. Zhuo Yang's delay this time is probably to first stabilize you and buy time to communicate with Gunfire. Once they have finished communicating, this matter should be resolved."

The Old Ghost furrowed his brow and suppressed his emotions before asking, "So what do we do now?"

"Keep up the pressure, the harder the better. We can't give Zhuo Yang any breathing room and must force him into a conflict with Gunfire. In the end, there are only three possible outcomes for their internal strife: one, Gunfire sheds blood and calls for resources to support Nine Eagles, continuing to fight us; two, Gunfire is persuaded by Nine Eagles to compromise and release the hostages, choosing to calm things down; three, Nine Eagles and Gunfire fall out, and their alliance breaks apart. Regardless of which outcome occurs, it will be advantageous for us."

The Old Ghost furrowed his brow and asked, "Continuing to fight is also advantageous?"

Lian Jun replied, "Of course it's advantageous. Gunfire operates with impunity in the southeast region, making many enemies. If they continue to fight us, their own strength will be weakened, and then we won't even have to lift a finger because someone else will come and take advantage of the situation. Our foundation is not here, and if we continue to fight with Gunfire, we will be at a disadvantage in the long run. So, if we persist until the end, it will definitely be Gunfire who suffers more."

Upon hearing this, the Old Ghost felt completely at ease and said, "Good, then I will continue to fight them to the death! Lian Jun, thank you for this."

However, Lian Jun did not accept his gratitude and replied, "We both just took what we needed."

The Old Ghost did not agree with his statement and looked deeply into his eyes. He then cut off the conversation and made up his mind to minimize Annihilation's casualties in future conflicts.

"After that look he just gave, it made me feel all mushy inside," Number Two couldn't help but speak up after the Old Ghost ended their conversation, even exaggeratingly rubbing his arms.

Number One gave him a warning look and changed the subject, asking, "Young Master Jun, what do we do next?"

Lian Jun also glanced at Number Two before replying, "We can temporarily stop the attacks on our end. Zhuo Yang couldn't resist speaking up to the Old Ghost, and Gunfire will definitely be angry and retaliate against us. From now on, let the various branches in the southeast region increase their defense, then gather our forces and begin clearing out Gunfire's forces within L country. We must make sure that Gunfire's forces in L country have a power vacuum, cutting off their entire business chain that goes through L country to the outside."

Number One asked in detail, "Do we clear everything? Even the hidden roots?"

"Pull them all out. Gunfire won't straighten themselves up if they don't take a bad enough loss," replied Lian Jun.

Number One nodded to show he understood. Just as he was about to lead the others out, Lian Jun called him back.

"Wait, for this round against Gunfire's forces within L country, bring Shi Jin with you," Lian Jun added. Without looking at Shi Jin, who immediately turned his head to look, Lian Jun continued, "Also, that small organization where Long Shi has been hiding for years can be dealt with during this clean-up. Be careful, Long Shi has been hiding in the southeast region for many years and chose to hide in that small organization for a special reason. Don't take it lightly."

Number One glanced at Shi Jin, who clearly wanted to say something, and then exchanged a look with the others in the room. They all responded with a yes and left the study with their team. After the door closed, Shi Jin immediately grabbed Lian Jun's hand and said, "Lian Jun, you..."

"This is a chance for you to grow." Lian Jun interrupted him, turning to face him and saying, "Shi Jin, I'm giving you an opportunity to learn. With Number One and the others there to guide you, study hard and don't make me regret this decision."

Shi Jin was filled with mixed emotions upon hearing this.

It turned out that Lian Jun's previous words of "give me some time" were not just empty promises to placate him. Lian Jun's efforts to work out their differences were genuine, and when he discovered a problem, he didn't just brush it off, but instead thought seriously about how to solve it and made compromises with himself.

Shi Jin's heart swelled with a bittersweet feeling for this person's sincerity and thoughtfulness.

"Your abilities shouldn't be wasted on taking care of me. The daily trivial matters will drain your energy, and that's not what I want to see," said Lian Jun, sensing his emotional turmoil. Suddenly, his expression softened and he leaned in to kiss his eyes, saying, "Shi Jin, keep growing and I'll wait for the day when we can stand side by side."

Shi Jin couldn't help but embrace him, rubbing his chest with force and saying, "I'll study hard...wait for me." Wait for me to grow up and share your burden.

Lian Jun smiled, patting the back of his head and replied, "Okay, I'll wait for you."

...

After communicating with Lian Jun, Old Ghost completely ignored Zhuo Yang's negotiations and aggressively suppressed Nine Eagles's business with even more madness than before, causing Nine Eagles's business chain in the southeast region to fall apart.

Zhuo Yang was on the verge of going crazy. After discovering that yet another one of his deals had been cut off, he couldn't help but smash his phone and curse, "Damn Old Ghost, is he insane? Just for a few subordinates, he's willing to give up the business. Does he want to go down with me?"

His deputy couldn't help but suggest again, "Boss, let's return the people to Phantom. Last time we attacked Lian Jun, it didn't work out and instead angered the authorities. Now our domestic business is being suppressed and targeted by the authorities, if there's another problem in the southeast region, our entire business network is likely to collapse."

"Do you think I don't want to return them? Gunfire is playing dirty with me now, what can I do?" Zhuo Yang was furious.

The assistant hesitated for a moment before suggesting, "Why don't we betray them? The reason why Phantom is fighting so hard this time is because they have support from Annihilation. As long as we compromise and work with Annihilation instead, helping Phantom get their people out of Gunfire, this matter should be resolved."

"How could you be so foolish!" Zhuo Yang couldn't stand it and cursed at him, grabbing his collar and saying, "If we betray them now, we'll all be killed by Gunfire when the time comes. Be rational, Annihilation isn't that scary!"

The assistant didn't dare to face his anger directly and wisely shut his mouth, but he couldn't help but wonder why they were constantly being beaten if Annihilation wasn't that scary. Zhuo Yang pushed him away and paced around the room twice.

Suddenly, his emotions calmed down and he walked over to the desk, grabbing the landline phone and dialing a number. "Help me keep an eye on someone. It's the new Number Four that was with Lian Jun at the conference this year... Yes, I heard them call him that, but that's probably not his real name... Alright, I'll send you a photo later." He hung up the phone without another word.

His assistant looked puzzled and asked, "Boss, why are you keeping an eye on that young man? He's obviously just a rookie that Lian Jun recently promoted. He hasn't even represented the company in any major events yet. He's just a nobody."

"Insignificant? In Lian Jun's eyes, even Number One isn't as significant as this newbie you call a rookie! And it's precisely because he's a rookie that it's easier to handle! Use your brain and stop being a pushover all the time!" Zhuo Yang retorted with a cold sneer, recalling Lian Jun's special treatment towards Shi Jin. He finally found a breakthrough to vent his pent-up frustration and said, "You won't be able to bring me down!"

......

"Achoo!" Shi Jin sneezed and rubbed his nose, puzzled. "Who's cursing at me?"

Number Two slammed the table and said, "Don't get distracted. Did you remember what I just said? Physical conflict and undercover missions are not the same. What's needed is courage and a big picture perspective. You need to stop daydreaming all the time."

Shi Jin took action and said, "I wasn't daydreaming, I remember everything you said. By the way, have you decided who will take me on the first mission and what the target is?"

"We've decided. Number Three and I will take you on the first mission. As for the target, here it is. We guarantee you'll be satisfied." Number Two handed him a file and gestured for him to look at it himself.

Shi Jin took the file and opened it. After seeing the name of the mission target, he was stunned and asked, "Lishui? Isn't that the name of the community hospital where Long Shi has been hiding for many years?"

"It's this one. I know you've been concerned about it, so Number One and I discussed it and decided to take you to investigate it first," Number One Two replied, patting his shoulder. "Personnel scheduling can be completed in just one day. We'll leave for this hospital tomorrow morning, so familiarize yourself with the information."

Shi Jin nodded eagerly, thanking him before immediately flipping through the documents.

Number Two found it amusing how urgent Shi Jin was, and with a hint of emotion in his eyes, he poured a glass of water for him and placed it by his side. He then quietly left the bedroom, which was serving as a temporary classroom.