When Shi Jin heard the footsteps of Xiang Aoting following him, he wanted to turn around but hesitated because of his classmates behind him. So he walked to the corner without looking back, stood at attention, and faced Xiang Aoting without saying a word.

Xiang Aoting stood facing him with his back to the crowd, reached out and patted his shoulder, saying, "Relax your arms, let them hang naturally, and your middle finger should touch the seam of your pants."

It was such a familiar line. Did every military training instructor in the world say the same thing?

Shi Jin glanced at Xiang Aoting's serious expression and silently followed his instructions.

"Stand up straight, legs together." Xiang Aoting circled around him and patted his back, then lightly kicked the side of his foot. As he circled back, Shi Jin couldn't hold it in any longer.

He glared at Xiang Aoting with anger. Enough already! I may have only gone to police school in my past life, but standing at attention is basic training. You're just nitpicking now!

"Do you think you're standing pretty well?" Xiang Aoting looked down at him with a condescending gaze and patted his hat. "My little brother, standing at attention is not just about doing it well, it's about doing it the best. Understand?"

The police school hat had a brim, and with Xiang Aoting's pat, Shi Jin's hat was knocked askew, covering his eyes. He could only see darkness when looking straight ahead and only Xiang Aoting's feet and legs when looking down.

He had no choice but to speak up and report obediently. With a slight smile on his face, Xiang Aoting seemed to be amused by Shi Jin's honest and straightforward manner. But he quickly composed himself and said, "Speak."

"Sir, my hat is blocking my vision. Please allow me to adjust it so that I can see your heroic figure more clearly and listen to your teachings!" Shi Jin flattered earnestly, hoping to end this painful conversation with the instructor as soon as possible.

Xiang Aoting sternly refused, "Request not granted. Stand still and don't move!"

Shi Jin thought to himself, "Is this personal revenge? How can I stand at attention properly with a crooked hat on my head?"

Not far away, the students who were secretly observing this scene from their formation couldn't help but feel both satisfied and sympathetic as they watched Shi Jin being scolded and punished like a grandson by the instructor, unable to even adjust his hat.

The young master was really pitiful. Being singled out and scolded in front of so many classmates, he had lost all face and dignity.

While everyone pretended to sympathize, they were secretly enjoying the show. Suddenly, as if he had eyes on the back of his head, Xiang Aoting turned around and looked at a few people who were particularly obvious in their gloating. His expression was serious, his eyes sharp, and his gaze pierced through them.

He raised his chin and shouted, "Fifth and sixth in the third row, third and fourth in the fourth row! If I catch you slacking off and not paying attention again, I'll double your training today!"

Wow, he was so fierce! His eyes were so sharp!

The innocent students who had never experienced the harshness of society were stunned by Xiang Aoting's imposing presence. They immediately became as obedient as quails and dared not look at the commotion caused by Shi Jin. They turned their heads to listen to the military leader's speech obediently.

This time, it was Shi Jin's turn to feel a little smug. He was just an ordinary person, but ever since the news broke, people had been looking at him with strange eyes. He tried not to show it, but deep down, he cared a little bit.

Well, maybe more than a little bit.

"Why are you so happy? They don't know any better, but should you follow their lead? These people will be your classmates and comrades for the next four years. If you end up on the battlefield, they'll have your back. You need to have the right mindset." Xiang Aoting had turned his head back at some point and helped Shi Jin adjust his hat.

When their eyes met, Xiang Aoting's expression softened. He patted Shi Jin's head as he adjusted his hat and said, "Congratulations on getting into the school. I'm proud of you." Shi Jin was stunned. Suddenly, a scene flashed through his mind of the original owner being rescued from the kidnappers by Xiang Aoting in his past life.

His heart inexplicably warmed and he said, "I also take pride in you. You're my hero."

Xiang Aoting's hand on his head paused for a moment. He looked at Shi Jin and carefully adjusted his hat, shoulder badge, and student number on his chest before finally saying, "I'm very happy that you have chosen this profession, and I'm also happy that you see me this way. I will work hard not to disappoint you."

Seizing the opportunity, Shi Jin asked, "So how did you go from the Air Force to the Army? And how did you become my instructor? Did you use connections?"

Xiang Aoting replied, "I didn't use connections, it was a normal transfer."

Shi Jin looked at him suspiciously. With a stern expression, Xiang Aoting took a step back and said, "As a student, when speaking to a superior, you must first shout 'report'. What happened to your manners?"

Shi Jin immediately shouted "report" in a clear and confident voice.

Xiang Aoting wanted to laugh but held it in, and replied, "Speak!"

"Reporting to the superior, I was just talking to my fourth brother, not to you, Xiang Aoting. Do I have to follow the rules when talking to my brother too?" Shi Jin earnestly tried to justify his actions.

Xiang Aoting couldn't help but laugh, patting Shi Jin on the shoulder and saying, "You can't be so unruly in the military camp... Stand here for half an hour, I'll come back to inspect in half an hour." With that, he patted Shi Jin's shoulder again and turned to leave.

As Shi Jin watched him leave, the depression he felt from parting with Lian Jun dissipated a bit. He looked over at the police academy students standing in formation not far away and couldn't help but feel a bit sentimental. Comrades and having his back... When Shi Jin spoke to Xiang Aoting, he really did sound like a professional instructor.

......

After the morning incident, Shi Jin became famous once again. He shamelessly pretended like nothing had happened and, upon returning to the team, acted as if he had been trained to exhaustion, ignoring anyone who tried to talk to him.

Training didn't start until the afternoon. The morning was just a simple gathering and dormitory assignment. Shi Jin followed the rest of the group to the dormitory building assigned to the students in the military camp, received various necessities, and then went to organize his own dormitory.

The living conditions provided by the military camp for students were worse than those of the school. Ten people shared one room with bunk beds. Meals were taken in a large cafeteria, showers in a communal bathhouse, and brushing teeth and washing up were done in public restrooms. There was no personal space, and no privacy whatsoever.

"I heard that the instructors will come to inspect our living quarters regularly. Anyone who fails will have to do extra training. Some people in our room probably haven't even folded their own blankets before. Looks like history class this morning will be repeated," a classmate who shared a room with Shi Jin said with a sneer.

Shi Jin's bed was on the top bunk. Upon hearing this, he stopped folding his blanket and jumped down from his bed, standing in front of the classmate and looking down at him from above. The man didn't expect Shi Jin to come directly to him, and he looked a bit nervous as he faced him. He stiffened his neck and asked, "What are you looking at? Do you want to fight?"

As they passed by the room, Xiang Aoting stopped and signaled to the instructor behind him to also stop and prevent the students from causing trouble. He turned his head and looked into the room.

Because of the bed frame blocking the view, the people inside the room did not see Xiang Aoting standing at the door. Some students in the neighboring room and those passing by noticed the commotion, but they were too scared to approach or make any noise because of Xiang Aoting's intimidating expression.

With everyone's attention on them, Shi Jin pointed his chin at the troublemaker and asked, "Which bed do you sleep in?"

The man shifted uncomfortably and said, "Why do you care?"

"Is this your bed?" Shi Jin ignored the person's uncooperative attitude and asked the other people in the room. After confirming that this was indeed the person's bed, he stepped forward and shook out the neatly folded blanket.

The person immediately exploded, standing up and saying, "Hey! What are you doing? I just said one thing to you, do you have to--"

Shi Jin re-folded the blanket in front of him a few times, put it back where it was before, and then stood up straight, looking at him. "I hope that in the future, if you have any doubts about me, you can come to me face to face for verification. We are in the same class and will have to rely on each other for the next four years. I don't want there to be any unnecessary misunderstandings between us. My name is Shi Jin, what's yours?"

As he spoke, he reached out his hand towards the other person. The man was completely bewildered by Shi Jin's actions and awkwardly reached out to shake his hand, saying, "M-my name is Luo Donghao."

"Nice to meet you," Shi Jin smiled at him and continued, "Want to have lunch together?"

"S-sure," Luo Donghao replied, feeling a bit embarrassed as he looked at Shi Jin's friendly face. This person seemed different from the rumors he had heard, and surprisingly approachable...

Shi Jin let go of his hand and said with a smile, "You're the first friend I've made at the police academy besides my roommate. I hope we can get along well."

Was this what it meant to have a friend? Luo Donghao felt a bit dizzy and sensed that something was off. He glanced at Shi Jin's sincere expression and felt that everything was going in the right direction. He nodded and stuttered, "Definitely... Shi, um, Shi Jin, I'm sorry about earlier. I tend to speak my mind without thinking."

"It's okay," Shi Jin laughed heartily and continued to pour the aphrodisiac into Luo Donghao's drink. "I actually find your frankness quite charming. I really like it."

Like... like?! Luo Donghao looked at Shi Jin's handsome smile and listened to his enchanting voice, and his heart almost leapt out of his chest.

This person seems to be really...

Knock, knock.

Xiang Aoting Qu pointedly knocked on the door twice and asked, "What are you guys doing?"

He fixed his gaze on Luo Donghao's blushing face and scrutinized him. As if a spell had been broken, Luo Donghao's heart fell back to its original place as he was met with the sharp gaze of Xiang Aoting.

He couldn't even speak - was he done for? Did the devilish officer see everything when he was provoking earlier? Would he be punished by being singled out to stand outside?

"Reporting to the Captain, I don't know how to fold the sheets. Luo Donghao was teaching me," Shi Jin turned around and met Xiang Aoting's gaze, lying with a straight face.

The instructor standing behind Xiang Aoting couldn't help but smile as he watched the whole process. Shi Jin's eyes were much friendlier than before.

Xiang Aoting frowned, took a deep look at Shi Jin, and said, "No loud noises. After finishing the chores, go downstairs and prepare to gather at the cafeteria." After speaking, he gestured to the accompanying instructor and walked towards the next room to inspect.

"The young trainees are quite clever," a trainer couldn't help but tease as he walked by. Shi Jin responded with a confused look, acting the part perfectly.

The conflict disappeared into thin air. After the altercation, the atmosphere in Room 103, where Shi Jin lived, inexplicably eased. Everyone exchanged names and briefly got to know each other. Luo Donghao solemnly apologized to Shi Jin and thanked him for his help. Shi Jin brushed it off, saying they were all friends.

As Luo Donghao looked at Shi Jin's incredibly handsome face, he couldn't help but feel a fatherly concern. Could this pampered and arrogant young master, rumored to be clueless, actually be a naive and innocent person? With this kind of personality, he might suffer a lot in the future.

Shi Jin was completely unaware of Xiao Si's intentions as he praised it in his mind for successfully boosting his popularity. He felt that Xiao Si's recent buff had improved his image in the eyes of his classmates.

Xiao Si was overjoyed at the praise and couldn't help but feel a little inflated. It replied, "No need to thank me, this is what a good dad like me should do."

Shi Jin's expression froze and he once again banished Xiao Si to the cold palace, telling it to calm down.

......

After lunch, the military training officially began. The instructors for each team were finally assigned, and without surprise, Shi Jin's team was handed over to Xiang Aoting.

All the students who had witnessed Shi Jin's morning training with Xiang Aoting couldn't help but gasp in shock as they saw him walking straight towards their team. They thought to themselves, "It's him, we're done for." The morale of the team was visibly low, like eggplants hit by frost.

Although he was also tired, Shi Jin couldn't help but say, "Don't be like this. We earned it, didn't we? Look at the rank of our instructor. He has the highest rank among all the instructors."

Since it was the first day at the military camp, everyone was wearing formal summer uniforms instead of training clothes. The rank of Xiang Aoting was printed on his shoulder badge, clearly visible at a glance.

The people around Shi Jin were stunned when they heard this and all looked towards Xiang Aoting, who was approaching. After seeing his rank, they couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

Oh my god, why would someone of this rank come to be their military training instructor? This is not logical!

"Where are you looking? Stand straight!" Upon arrival, Xiang Aoting scolded the students, causing them to unconsciously stand up straight and look ahead.

Looking at Xiang Aoting's current appearance, Shi Jin felt a bit of novelty and a bit of admiration - the attitude of these students towards Xiang Aoting was completely sincere, unlike the emperor treatment he had enjoyed before.

Lost in thought, Xiang Aoting had already finished introducing himself and began to reorganize the team. When he reached Shi Jin, he raised his hand and patted Shi Jin's hat, reminding him to focus.

Shi Jin felt a bit embarrassed and quickly cleared his mind, obediently finding his place according to his height and standing straight. The team was ready and lined up. They went to Xiang Aoting to check their names on the roster and received a brief lesson on military posture. Then came the chilling command: "Stand in military posture for an hour. If anyone wavers, the whole team will receive extra training!"

Everyone was dumbfounded. This was too harsh! Was the instructor a devil?

With a poker face, the devilish Xiang Aoting slapped the back of the first student in the front row and barked, "Straighten your back! Didn't I just teach you that?"

The group shuddered, recalling Xiang Aoting's fierce demeanor when he scolded someone for messing up his hat earlier that morning. They quickly composed themselves and stood at attention, waiting for the devil's inspection. Everyone stood in what they thought was the most standard posture, and then one by one, they were criticized and corrected by Xiang Aoting. Even though it was a scorching summer, their hearts felt like they were in the depths of winter.

It was terrifying. Although the instructor didn't say anything harsh, just that look of disdain was enough to crush a person's spirit.

Shi Jin stood obediently facing forward, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw Xiang Aoting slowly moving closer and closer to him. Unconsciously, he straightened his back even more.

Finally, Xiang Aoting stopped in front of Shi Jin, and the two brothers stared at each other.

"You, go to the front," Xiang Aoting suddenly spoke.

Shi Jin: "???"

"Move," Xiang Aoting frowned. When Shi Jin snapped out of his thoughts, he quickly responded and walked to the front of the line, standing alone in front of everyone. In his heart, he secretly cursed at Xiang Aoting for making him perform in front of everyone.

"Look at his posture, middle finger against the seam of his pants, legs straight and together, and his body weight maintained on a horizontal line," said Xiang Aoting as he stood next to Shi Jin, placing his hand on Shi Jin's shoulder and demonstrating the military posture to everyone once again.

He then scanned the students who had already been corrected once before and said, "I only trained him once this morning, and he remembered the posture. Look at all of you, I just corrected your posture, and how many of you have reverted back to your old habits."

Shi Jin was stunned, a little surprised that Xiang Aoting was actually praising him?

"After just praising you, your center of gravity shifted. Don't lose focus, stand properly!" Xiang Aoting lowered his voice and scolded him, then patted his back.

Shi Jin obediently stood still, temporarily not harboring any ill feelings towards Xiang Aoting.

Xiang Aoting continued to use Shi Jin as an example to teach the students, then went back to the team to correct everyone's movements. After reluctantly being satisfied, he stood next to the team and didn't move.

Shi Jin, who was still standing at the front of the team, thought to himself, "???"

No, why wasn't he allowed to go back? It was strange for him to stand alone here. Plus, everyone was watching him, so he didn't even have a chance to slack off.

The students in the team also had some doubts in their hearts. They glanced at Shi Jin standing at the front, then glanced at Xiang Aoting slowly walking to the back of the team, feeling a bit sympathetic. This young master must have caught the attention of the instructor. Although the instructor praised his movements, he made him stand alone, like a public execution. It was really miserable.

As time passed by, no one dared to turn their heads to see if Xiang Aoting had left or not. They could only obediently stand straight and look ahead, focusing on their own posture. However, their attention unconsciously shifted to Shi Jin, secretly worrying about him.

No one knew how long this young master could hold on, but he must not fall too early, otherwise everyone would be punished together. Ten minutes, twenty minutes, half an hour, forty minutes... one by one, students began to sway and lose their balance, and were pointed out by Xiang Aoting, adding more time to the team's standing military posture.

As everyone's attention gradually shifted away from their stiff and motionless bodies, they fixed their gaze back onto the formation - but please, no one move again, it's exhausting and we all just want to rest.

An hour of standing at attention had slowly passed, but due to additional training, everyone had to continue standing.

More than ten minutes had passed, and other classes' formations had already begun their first break one by one. Influenced by the cheerful atmosphere around them, people's mentality slowly became restless and more and more people began to sway. So the training continued, and because of Xiang Aoting's strict and impartial demeanor, everyone felt hopeless and even resentful.

"Being better than others requires working harder than others," Xiang Aoting suddenly turned from the back of the line to the front, standing next to Shi Jin and facing all the students. "If this were a battlefield, every time you move, a comrade will sacrifice. Are you still willing to move?"

Everyone frowned and their expressions tightened.

"For those who haven't moved, do you think those who move around are a burden? Are they the reason why you have to endure extra training here?" Xiang Aoting scanned the crowd and saw some people looking unhappy. Suddenly, he changed his tone and said, "Everyone who has moved, sit down and rest where you are."

Everyone was stunned, and then their expressions changed completely.

"Sit down!" Xiang Aoting shouted again when no one moved.

Those who had been called out before were all scared and hesitated before sitting down. The expressions of the others became increasingly resentful, their eyes filled with hatred as they looked towards Xiang Aoting. They felt that he was being extremely unfair.

"For the rest of the time, those who have already been shaken can all sit down and rest, while the remaining people will be responsible for completing the additional training tasks." Xiang Aoting ignored their gaze and gave a cold order, then took a step back to the side of the team.

The atmosphere of the team instantly changed. Everyone standing began to look around at those who were sitting, their expressions clearly hesitant and struggling - should they persist with their mistakes and carry on, or give up and rest? Which one to choose?

"Sorry." A slightly chubby male voice couldn't help but speak up first. He apologized to the remaining standing people before taking off his hat and sitting down, slightly ashamed as he lowered his head to rest.

Once one person did it, others followed suit. Some did it blatantly, while others pretended to do it accidentally, swaying and then sitting down in their original spot. As more and more people sat down, the atmosphere in the queue became increasingly oppressive. Even those who had rested wore no relaxed expressions, instead keeping their heads down and wearing unpleasant expressions.

Finally, out of the original forty people in the queue, only Luo Donghao and Shi Jin were still standing. They had been standing in military posture for almost two hours, their clothes soaked through. The other queues around them had already finished their rest and resumed training.

"Sir, I'm rested and ready to continue the additional training," someone couldn't help but report, wanting to take over for Luo Donghao and Shi Jin. Looking at the student, Xiang Aoting said, "Those who have 'died' on the battlefield cannot be resurrected."

Everyone was shaken by his words, their heads hanging lower and some even clenching their fists.

Luo Donghao, who almost fell to the ground, gritted his teeth and stood up straight again, looking at Shi Jin who remained motionless in front of him, his face tense - he refused to lose to this guy!

Twenty minutes later, Luo Donghao's leg trembled and he fell down in a sorry state. The field was finally left with only Shi Jin standing in front of everyone, with his back facing them all, perhaps unaware that his entire army had been defeated behind him.

As time passed by, someone couldn't help but speak up, "Instructor, let's start other training for the team. Everyone has had enough rest." Looking unfazed, Xiang Aoting said, "While Shi Jin is still persevering, are you all going to give up on him?"

Upon hearing this, everyone felt as if they had been slapped in the face and remained silent, lips tightly sealed.

As time ticked by, the surrounding teams were training with fervor, but this corner was as silent as death. Everyone watched Shi Jin in silence, their expressions serious and tense. The first person to fall had already rested for over an hour, and while their physical exhaustion had dissipated, their mental exhaustion only grew heavier.

After several more tens of minutes had passed, as the afternoon was coming to an end, Xiang Aoting finally walked back to the front of the team. He put his hand on Shi Jin's shoulder and looked at the seated crowd, saying, "There were a total of forty people in the team, and thirty-nine people fell. Each person will have to add three minutes of training, which adds up to nearly two hours of additional training time. It was Shi Jin's perseverance that 'saved' you all. Remember the feeling of just 'resting' and think about what your choices represent if you were on the battlefield at this moment. Dismissed!"

After he finished speaking, he moved his hand down and lightly tapped Shi Jin's back, then extended his arm to catch Shi Jin's suddenly limp body and carried him on his back. He turned around and walked towards the training ground.

After standing at attention for too long, Shi Jin finally found relief by collapsing onto Xiang Aoting's back. He grabbed onto Xiang Aoting's collar and gritted his teeth, saying, "Fourth Brother, just you wait for our combat class. I'll beat you down!"

"I'm sorry," Xiang Aoting shifted his body and lifted Shi Jin up, saying, "I know you can do it... Xiao Jin, from now on, no one will mistake you for a pampered young master, and no one will bully you again. You're also my hero, growing up quickly."

Shi Jin was taken aback, standing up straight and staring at the back of Xiang Aoting's head. Suddenly, he grabbed onto Xiang Aoting's ears and pulled them hard, saying fiercely, "I have my own ways to prove myself. You're just making things harder for me. My legs are about to break from standing for so long!"

As Xiang Aoting was pulled, he turned his head stiffly and said, "Is that so? Sorry, I seem to have done something unnecessary..."

"But thank you." Shi Jin crawled back onto his back, rested his head on his shoulder, and whispered, "Thank you for carrying me out, Fourth Brother. You saved me from falling and embarrassing myself in front of the whole team." Although being carried out by the instructor might have been even more embarrassing.

Well...never mind.

Xiang Aoting remained silent at his words, tightened his grip on him, and continued walking towards the training ground exit. He whispered back, "You're welcome...I'm your brother, it's what I should do."