Xiao Zheng coughed awkwardly and looked away, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Xiao Ye clicked his tongue, and continued, "Actually, we could look at it from another perspective. After Xiao Jing joins Steel Eagle, we may be able to get info from him. After all, we are all members of the Xiao family."
"We are honorable soldiers. How could we do sneaky things like that?" Xiao Zheng sat down in his chair again, lost in his thoughts. After thinking about it, he still felt that it was not entirely appropriate.
Wait a minute, what had Xiao Ye said?
Make Shen Chengfeng call him Third Brother?
What did it mean to have Shen Chengfeng address him as Third Brother?
Xiao Ye's eyes narrowed to crescents. It was apparent what he was hinting at.
"What did you mean by getting Shen Chengfeng to address me as Third Brother?" Xiao Zheng asked anxiously.
"Don't you know what I'm getting at?" said Xiao Ye gleefully, the smile on his face growing wider.
Xiao Zheng got up with a start, pounding the desk as he stood up. "You better get rid of that idea of yours. Don't you know what that devil is like? It will be our loss if we get involved with him like that."
"What are you talking about, Third Brother? It is not a business transaction, so how could we define it as a gain or a loss?"
"You are doing this on purpose. Shen's body is different from everyone else. He won't be able to get married or have children in this lifetime. Pushing Xiao Jing to him – Are you asking for it?!"
Xiao Ye waved his hands in denial. "Third Brother, it's not like you don't know what's special about Xiao Jing. Don't you know what his body is like? He's immune to anything corrosive, so why would he have any problems having physical contact with Shen Chengfeng?"
"Even so, that is out of the question. You better get Xiao Jing back. If not, I'll screw you over."
Xiao Ye furrowed his brows. He knew his Third Brother was not joking about that. The look on his face was so severe. It seemed as if he was on the verge of strangling him.
Xiao Zheng picked his military cap up from the desk and walked out of the room without looking back.
There was a draft of cold air in the empty room. Xiao Yu rubbed his arms, suddenly freezing. He thought about his three elder brothers – how Xiao Zheng was bold, how Xiao Yu was reserved, and how Xiao Hong was cold – Xiao Yu felt another chill going down his spine.
D*mnit, it felt like he had run into a ghost. Why did he have to deal with this mess?
He had exhausted all means trying to get Xiao Jing into Steel Eagle. Did they think it had been easy for him?
Not at all. He went all out, at the risk of being beaten to death, and all because of them!
As expected, he was the most kind-hearted person in the entire Xiao family.
…
Somewhere within the quiet room, someone or something could be heard tapping rhythmically.
The figure on the hospital bed, who had been sleeping soundly, turned over in the bed.
In the moonlight, an onlooker would have had a hard time making out the silhouette of a person.
"Godd*mnit, what's that?" Xiao Jing sat up with a start, staring dumbfoundedly at the tall, silent figure standing next to her bed.
Looking at their build, the person had to be at least 1.85 meters tall and based on their aura, they were not someone simple!
"Look at this arm. Are you sure it's still working?" Xiao Ye leaned forward and gently poked Xiao Jing's mutilated arm. "Just simple training and you've already been put out of commission. Perhaps I overestimated you."
Xiao Jing raised her eyebrows and stared at the man who was far too close. At that very moment, she had a burning desire to use him as a punching bag.
"Look at your skinny arms and legs. Had we not grown up together as kids, I would have thought you were a girl disguised as a boy, who had infiltrated the Xiao family to sponge off us." Xiao Ye brought a chair over and sat down beside the bed. His arms were crossed, and there was a trace of ridicule in his voice.
For some reason, Xiao Jing felt a little guilty and coughed lightly out of embarrassment. "Fifth Brother doesn't seem to have come just to see how I am doing."
"When were we ever close enough for me to come all the way here just to visit you in the hospital?" mused Xiao Ye, as he stroked his chin. As his ambiguous gaze fell on Xiao Jing, he continued, "To save everyone the embarrassment, I'm prepared to submit to Shen Chengfeng a request for your transfer."
Xiao Jing hissed and got up. "Who said I was transferring?" she asked in bewilderment.
"I did," Xiao Ye said firmly.
"General Xiao Ye leads Unit SS505 and has no place in our SS501. Aren't you overstepping by interfering with the business of another camp? If this got out, you'd be confined."
"I'm doing this for you."
"For me? What have I done to deserve General Xiao Ye's concern? A minor character like me shouldn't be troubling General Xiao Ye."
"I'm sparing you the embarrassment. Do you think you have what it takes to remain in Steel Eagle? Fourth Brother, if you get sent back to Regiment 525, you'll become a disgrace to the Xiao family." chuckled Xiao Ye, as he placed the application form in front of Xiao Jing. "Sign it, and I'll bring you somewhere better. I guarantee that you'll have a good life for the next three years."
Xiao Jing glanced at the supposed application form and tore it into half without saying a single word. Keeping her chin up and chest out, she said with conviction, "I may be weak, but I have a backbone. Even if I fail, I will fail with dignity. I will not back off from a challenge just because I'm afraid of failure."
Xiao Ye was at a loss for words. He stared at her without batting an eyelid, barely able to make out the expression on Xiao Jing's face in the darkness.
Having a sudden feeling that he had shot himself in the foot, he let out a deep sigh.
This Xiao Jing, look how stubborn he was. Had he not stopped to consider that he might end up being beaten to death?
Xiao Jing could sense a cold draft coming in her direction and a chill going down her back. It was apparent from the look in Xiao Ye's eyes that he had now developed some resentment towards her, and she could already imagine his fist making contact with her beautiful face.
"I hope you have thought this through carefully. It's just an arm today, but it could be a leg tomorrow. It could be a hole in your body in two or three days or a broken head. Think about your pretty face. What if it gets scarred? Fourth Brother, we need to know our limits," Xiao Ye earnestly did his best to dissuade Xiao Jing.
"That's enough. Even if I become handicapped, that's my own choice."
Xiao Ye gritted his teeth. There was only one other way he could try to convince the stubborn Xiao Jing.
After about thirty seconds of silence, the man spoke resoundingly, "I know Shen Chengfeng personally. You could say I know him well. I'm well aware of his likes and interests. In a camp like this, there are many people with weird fetishes. Shen Chengfeng is already in his thirties, yet he doesn't have any women beside him. It should be quite obvious what I'm getting at. Do you need me to be any more explicit?"
Xiao Jing was silent as she waited for Xiao Ye to continue.
"He's always had Mu Xichi by his side. Everyone in Steel Eagle knows how important Mu Xichi is to him."