“What’s going on exactly?”

“He saved me.”

“He? Saved you?” Yahui raised her eyebrows in surprise.

Liang Qiuchi sighed, “You heard me right, it was him.”

Yahui dragged Liang Qiuchi out of the compartment eagerly, “Is he crazy or are you crazy? How could he save you? If he were discovered, he’d be shot by a military tribunal! Moreover, didn’t he set a trap to arrest you and send you to prison? How could he save you?”

“Yeah, I also want to know what he’s thinking.”

Liang Qiuchi sighed and shook his head, sitting on the sofa and looking at Yahui, who was puzzled, “Let’s not talk about this for now. Did you bring the phone?”

“Here.” Yahui threw the phone to him, still pondering over Mo Xin’s actions, “Is he sick? Capturing and then saving, what’s he playing at? Trying to move you emotionally or just messing with us?”

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got, “If it weren’t for him sticking his nose in, we would have taken action on the way to the military tribunal that day. Maybe you wouldn’t have been injured at all!”

She had a violent temper. That day she personally led the team on a rescue mission, only to be told that there was a shootout two streets away. By the time she hurried over with her people, it was too late.

She was so angry that she cursed her deputy on the spot.

Thinking about it now still made her angry.

“No, I have to go scold that idiot again. If it weren’t for his suggestion of the wrong ambush location, none of this would have happened.”

“Yahui!” Liang Qiuchi hurriedly grabbed her, smiling helplessly, “What’s the point of pursuing this now? Besides, if you had encountered them that day, the consequences would have been even more serious.”

He patted the seat next to him, “Stay with me for a while, calm down. I’m fine now, aren’t I?”

Yahui sat down beside him, silent, watching him fiddle with his phone, still obviously upset.

Liang Qiuchi saw the startup screen of the phone and raised an eyebrow, “New?”

“Yeah,” Yahui said in a not-so-good tone, “That Mo guy is willing to risk his life to save you, but he’s not willing to buy you a new phone?”

Liang Qiuchi smiled and shook his head, remaining silent for a long time before saying, “It’s my fault.”

Yahui looked at him, “What do you mean?”

A bitter smile spread across Liang Qiuchi’s face.

He logged into the cloud on his phone and found a photo he had cherished for eight years in the privacy space, downloading it to the album.

Because of the low resolution at the time, the photo looked a bit blurry on the new phone, but Mo Xin’s youthful smile on the screen had been etched into Liang Qiuchi’s heart like a brand that couldn’t be erased.

Yahui squinted at the photo of Mo Xin, “When was this taken?”

“When we were still in the military academy,” Liang Qiuchi’s tone was somewhat melancholic, “Everything was good back then…”

Back then, he hadn’t lost his home and family, nor had he defected from the Alliance. He had close friends, excellent grades, and was the envy of everyone—a golden boy groomed by the school.

Liang Qiuchi remembered the scene when he first met Mo Xin. He was only 20 years old, chosen by the academy because of his outstanding performance in several exercises, and assigned to be an assistant military training instructor for freshmen.

Liang Qiuchi’s friend, Xiang Bei, was also selected to be an assistant instructor. When organizing the new recruits, he couldn’t help but complain to Liang Qiuchi, “To put it bluntly, we’re just here to do the grunt work. All the tough tasks are assigned to us. Can you believe it?”

Liang Qiuchi kicked him with a smile, “Save some energy. If you collapse from exhaustion during the wilderness training later, I won’t help you.”

“Buddy, you’ve got to look out for me,” Xiang Bei came over with a playful smile, noticing a team in camouflage uniforms approaching. He patted Liang Qiuchi’s back, “Here they come. I heard there’s a big shot among the new recruits. Want to know something?”

“What?”

“Let me see,” Xiangbei craned his neck and looked around until he found the target, “Second to last in the third column on the right,” he lightly bumped Liang Qiuchi’s shoulder, “See him? That’s the Governor of Danga’s youngest son. Heard he got into trouble and was thrown in here for training.”

Liang Qiuchi found the person he was referring to, and at first glance, only felt that the other person was tall, with a hint of a cold aura between his brows and eyes, unlike the other new recruits who were curiously looking around or engaging in conversation, as if he couldn’t blend into the outside world.

He stood out in the crowd.

“How do you know he’s the governor’s son?” Liang Qiuchi asked Xiang Bei.

“Tsk, with skin that fair, it’s hard not to notice, and he’s not talking to anyone, isn’t he just putting on airs?” Xiang Bei raised an eyebrow at him, “What do you say, want to bet?”

“I’ll pass,” Liang Qiuchi’s gaze returned to the face of the person at the end of the line, then he asked Xiang Bei, “What did he do wrong?”

“Probably hit someone, not sure about the specifics,” Xiang Bei chuckled, “But the governor’s power is vast. He can casually send his son into the Federal Military Academy.”

“Speaking of others, aren’t you also here because your old man sent you?”

“Huh? Why are you bringing that up…”

Liang Qiuchi blew his whistle, raised his hand, and called out to the team, “Gather over here, hurry up.”

Xiang Bei cursed with a smile, and when the team was assembled, he took the register and began to call out names. Liang Qiuchi listened attentively and remembered the name of the young master who was sent here, named “Mo Xin.”

“Today is a weighted cross-country march, a total of twenty kilometers! The backpacks you’ll be given contain fifteen kilograms of equipment and supplies. Please check them carefully, especially the water bottle and gas mask, as they can be life-saving in critical moments and must not be overlooked.”

As soon as the instructor announced the training content for the day, Liang Qiuchi saw that the new recruits all looked uneasy, except for Mo Xin, who still had a calm demeanor, showing no expression.

He couldn’t help but think that this young master from a high-ranking family indeed had a lofty temperament.

Liang Qiuchi and Xiang Bei were responsible for distributing the backpacks. When they came to Mo Xin, Liang Qiuchi couldn’t help but take a second look at him.

His skin was indeed quite fair.

Then he noticed that there was a thin callus on the inside of Mo Xin’s hand, probably from holding a gun for a long time.

Mo Xin frowned slightly, showing his displeasure at Liang Qiuchi’s staring.

“Sorry.” Liang Qiuchi quickly handed him the backpack.

Mo Xin didn’t say anything, just lowered his head to check the items the instructor had instructed.

After the inspection was over, the first outdoor training for the new recruits officially began. Liang Qiuchi and Xiang Bei, as assistant instructors, had to accompany them.

Xiang Bei carried the marching flag and ran alongside Liang Qiuchi, muttering under his breath, “I didn’t say anything wrong, did I? They said we’re here to set an example for the new recruits, but in reality, we’re just doing the grunt work! If we had this time, I’d rather play games in the dorm!”

Liang Qiuchi glanced at him, put the whistle in his mouth, and started blowing to lead the way.

After the team marched a certain distance with consistent steps, they entered the rugged wilderness, and the marching speed began to slow down.

Xiang Bei gradually lost the strength to complain and closed his mouth, focusing on carrying the flag and leading the way.

Liang Qiuchi slowed down and observed the condition of the recruits at the back. He saw Mo Xin take off his hat, pick up the water bottle, and take a big gulp, his fair face and neck tinged with a thin layer of red due to the heat.

Liang Qiuchi reminded loudly, “When drinking water, remember to take small sips and swallow slowly. Drinking too quickly can cause stomach aches.”

Mo Xin glanced at him upon hearing this but quickly turned his gaze away.

Liang Qiuchi took the initiative to walk over, upholding the responsibility of an instructor, showing concern.

He asked the new recruits, “Are you still able to move?”

But Mo Xin didn’t appreciate this concern.

He just replied with a faint “Hmm” and then put on his hat and walked past Liang Qiuchi.