"Achoo!" Xiao Ye, who was currently in B city, could not hold in a sneeze. He lifted his head and looked up at the air conditioning unit above his head.
Having noticed his superior's actions, the adjutant standing beside Xiao Ye asked softly, "Shall I adjust the temperature for you? Do you need it to be warmer?"
Xiao Ye waved at him dismissively and continued reading his documents.
The ringtone of his cell phone reverberated throughout the quiet room, breaking the silence.
Glancing casually at the number displayed on his cell phone, a charming smile spread on Xiao Ye's face. After pressing the answer button without any hesitation, he said to the person on the line, "Master Shen must be pretty free these days. You seem to have plenty of time to chat with me."
"I think the Xiao family must be pretty free as well since someone turns up every other day. Two days ago, it was General Xiao Yu, and today it was General Xiao Zheng. All for their fourth brother, a mere Second Lieutenant, whom I have never heard of before this."
Leaning against the chair, Xiao Ye tapped his fingers lightly on the desk, an expression of mirth spreading on his face. Grinning like a Cheshire cat, he said, "I had not expected this special brother of mine to be that popular."
"Well, neither had I. Just now, Xiao Zheng asked me to hand Xiao Jing over to him, but since you had recommended second Lieutenant Xiao Jing, it would be rude of me not to cherish his talent. Besides, he seems to be immune to me, so he is very important. I should keep him by my side, at least until I figure out why."
Xiao Ye felt a sudden sense of betrayal. For some reason, there was a chill running down his back.
"Are you alright, sir?" The adjutant asked hurriedly, seeing that Xiao Ye was still holding onto his cell phone, but had stopped speaking into it.
Xiao Ye turned off his cell phone, then leaped up from his chair and grabbed a set of car keys lying on the desk. "No matter who asks for me later, tell them that I am on a mission and that it is unclear as to when my mission will end."
Before the adjutant could even respond, the general had disappeared without a trace.
After getting into a vehicle and shutting the door, Xiao Ye floored the gas and drove out of the camp. Just as his car left the barracks, a missile descended from the sky and headed towards the SUV.
"Boom!" The SUV became a pile of scrap metal at the side of the road and emitted thick and billowing white smoke.
"Warning, warning, there has been a breach." The siren sounded within the camp, as a line of missile vehicles broke past the sentry.
Xiao Ye kicked open the car door, not knowing whether to laugh or cry at the sight of the multiple layers of surface-to-air missiles surrounding him. Seriously? Was it necessary to go to such an extent?
…
Back at the hospital, it was so quiet that only the sounds of the dehumidifier could be heard.
Xiao Jing rubbed her eyes sleepily, sensing that something or someone was staring at her beautiful visage.
She instinctively looked towards her right. In the corner, waiting for her on the dark and windy night, in the quiet of the night, was a pair of gleaming eyes staring back at her.
And those eyes were filled with the words, "I have an ax to grind with you."
"Do you know why I am here?" asked the man in a voice so low and deep that it was as if he were a ghost who had appeared in the middle of the night.
On the hospital bed, Xiao Jing sat up with a start, the exaggerated movement causing her bandaged wound to throb.
Shen Chengfeng set down his glass of water and stood up. All 1.9 meters of him towered over her, obscuring her line of sight.
"Xiao Zheng came over to my territory today to discuss something with me. I think I need to consider very carefully how you should be dealt with," said Shen Chengfeng, as he fixed her with a stare. When they made eye contact, there was a flash of hesitation in his eyes, but it soon disappeared.
This person was fascinating.
Although Xiao Jing's facial expression did not betray her emotions, her thoughts were like a train going at full speed. What if her brother wasn't on her side? Would her Third Brother call her out so that he could make the rice dumpling return her to Regiment 525?
Given how strict and unyielding Xiao Zheng was, it was virtually sure that he had asked Shen Chengfeng to send her back.
"You must be wondering what he said to me, right?" Shen Chengfeng spoke up.
"Based on your scores, you would not even make the cut for an S-rank Special Command Unit, not to mention Steel Eagle."
"Sir, how do you know I'm not a diamond in the rough?" Xiao Jing retorted.
"So you are suggesting that you are good enough for my unit?" said Shen Chengfeng, as he shifted his gaze towards her injured limb.
Xiao Jing could see the disdain in his eyes.
"I am giving you a chance. Remember, you only have one chance. I don't like dealing with stupid people." Shen Chengfeng moved towards her and narrowed the gap between them. They were now only an arm's length apart.
Xiao Jing could not stop her body from shifting backward. If it had not been for the fact that her gender was "male" on her ID, she would have been convinced that the man in front of her wanted to kiss her.
"You're afraid of me?" Sheng Chengfeng lifted his chin and clicked his tongue. "I don't know how you were brought up by the Xiao family, but based on the resources they have at their disposal, even an idiot like Xiao Ye was made a general. Yet you are only a Second Lieutenant. That makes me curious."
Xiao Jing had a sudden sense of foreboding.
"Unless it is true what Xiao Ye said about you. You have an unspeakable illness?"
"Like you just said, Xiao Ye is an idiot. How could someone as smart as you believe the words of an idiot? Is it not an insult to your intelligence?" taunted Xiao Jing, as she stared into Shen Chengfeng's eyes.
"But Xiao Ye was right about one thing. You are extraordinary," Shen Chengfeng straightened and removed his gloves. Under the glare of the lamp, it appeared that the pair of pale hands had never seen sunlight.
Staring at his hands, Xiao Jing felt a sudden chill go down her spine, as if warning her that something terrible was about to happen.
The next moment, her face was being grabbed by Shen Chengfeng with some force. "What do you feel now?" he asked.
"What do you think, motherf*cker? How do you think it would feel, having someone grab you like this? Do you want me to tell you how much I am enjoying it? That it feels as pleasurable as drinking a vintage wine? How about you come closer and let me do it to you instead?" Xiao Jing thought viciously.
"You're not dead!" exclaimed Shen Chengfeng.
Shen Chengfeng finally let go of her face and placed a palm near the head of the bed. Wisps of smoke suddenly filled the air.
"As expected, nothing has changed," Shen Chengfeng muttered to himself. "Xiao Ye was right. You are special. You are the only person who has not burned to ashes after coming into contact with my skin."