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“He wants to meet you, but I told him I’d have to ask you about it first.” Huaijun said. “I don’t know what kind of mission you’re on right now, after all, and I don’t wanna meddle in your business too much. You don’t have to meet him if you can’t.”

“Mission……” Lin Yi scratched at his nose a little as he smiled bitterly. “I don’t know what this mission even is, to be honest with you…… I’ll meet him- he’s your saviour, isn’t he? Of course I’ll meet him.”

“Ah? You don’t have to force it……” Huaijun was touched- Lin Yi wasn’t someone who’d meddle with other people’s business, and he was sure that Lin Yi wouldn’t be bothered to meet some random stranger if it weren’t for Huaijun’s involvement.

“There’s nothing to force…...I’m really free anyway.” Lin Yi said with a smile. “I’ll also have an easier time in Songshan if I have a criminal police captain backing me up, right?”

“Alright then. You set the time.” Huaijun said without any bullshitting- his friendship with Lin Yi was well past the point of them having to waste their breath on thanks with each other.

“Tomorrow then? Tell Wang Zhifeng that you need me for a written statement at the police station tomorrow, and I’ll be able to get out nicely. I don’t wanna skip class if possible……” Lin Yi said as he pointed in the door’s direction.

“Kay. I’ll communicate that to him later.” Huaijun said with a nod- it wasn’t anything much.

“Ah, I forgot to give you the medicine I made. I’ll give it to you later- your body will lose a lot of tension after you finish the first stage treatment. I’ll make the second stage medicine for you later, and you’ll be back to normal in about three months.” Lin Yi said.

“Three months?” Huaijun asked, completely stunned as he stared at Lin Yi.

“Well, it can be two months if it goes well.” Lin Yi said, mistaking Huaijun’s tone and thinking that three months was too long for him. “Eastern medicine soup isn’t known for being delicious, but you’ll have to endure it for two months for your body to recover……”

“Are you joking, Lin Yi? I’ll be back to normal in just two months?” Huaijun was getting a little excited. “Are you serious? The doctor said it’ll be a great fortune if my condition doesn’t worsen, and you’re telling me I can recover from this?”

“Ugh…… So it’s not about the bitterness in the medicine?” Lin Yi smiled. “What, don’t trust me?”

“Of course I do! I trust you, but it’s just- it’s so shocking!” Huaijun said, utterly trusting of Lin Yi’s words despite his surprise. They’d manage to get out of many tough situations back on the battlefields with just Lin Yi’s accurate judgements alone, even making a comeback against an enemy or two when they were being chased down. Lin Yi’s words, as a result, held absolute reign in the team, his orders always carried out without any hesitation in the slightest. “You…… Bitterness in the soup? I don’t even feel bullets when they hit me, you think I’ll be afraid of some bitterness in the soup? Mocking me……”

“Heh…… Don’t be too sure, I’ve seen the most fearless of people cower before a syringe or bitter medicine……” Lin Yi laughed. “Come to the classroom with me later, I’ll give it to you.”

“Captain, you’re really-!” Huaijun had no words for the joy inside him- he’d prepared for the worst, living each day as if it were his last, waiting for the painkillers and massaging to lose their effect one day…… He didn’t expect Lin Yi to be able to cure him completely!

Huaijun still found it hard to suppress his stunned joy, even if he did treat Lin Yi as a godly existence in the team. Lin Yi was young, and he should be somewhere around seven or eight years younger than him, close to Yi’s age- yet the guy was so unbelievably resourceful!! He knew his way around everything, and Huaijun couldn’t help but wonder where Lin Yi learned all that knowledge from.

“Honestly though, I kinda miss the days in the warzones……” Lin Yi said, lamenting upon hearing Huaijun call him ‘captain’.

“Yeah, and Yi-” Huaijun cut his sentence off abruptly as he noticed Lin Yi’s face change at the name……

“Let’s not talk about that……” Lin Yi sighed. “What’s past is past.”

“But…… Yi’s still looking for you, and I……” Huaijun felt bad for Yi, but it was no wish of his to go against his captain’s intentions……

“Then tell her that Eagle’s dead.” Lin Yi said faintly, a hint of sadness in his eyes. Indeed- he’d been given a new identity, and a new mission. It was a reincarnation, a new life that’d end again as the mission was completed.

“But……” Huaijun was just about to say something else when Lin Yi interrupted him.

“Just tell her that the next time you see her.” Lin Yi said. “Let’s not lead her on, yeah? You know how it is with people like us, there’s no telling when we’ll die on a mission one day…… You don’t want her to be waiting for me forever, do you?”

Huaijun only lowered his head, helpless- Lin Yi was right: their lives were far more dangerous than the police job he had right now. Lin Yi was an asura, something like a godly entity- but who was to say that even a god of war would live forever?

“Then you and Song……” Huaijun said, suddenly remembering how intimate the two were rumored to be.

“I’ve nothing to do with her- do you believe me?” Lin Yi smiled bitterly, not expecting the news from the hospital to reach even Huaijun’s ears. Rumors spread like wildfire, it seemed.

“Alright, I’ll believe you.” Huaijun nodded. “Though, if we look at the two of you from an occupational perspective- you guys would make quite an item, honestly. That girl always charges to the front, always throwing herself into the most dangerous of situations whenever possible……”

“Haha, yeah, I could tell- she’s a bit of a tiger, isn’t she.” Lin Yi laughed. “She’s cute, too; maybe you could consider her.”

“Age gap’s too much. She treats me like an elder brother, it’s not very appropriate for me to be thinking of stuff like that about her, right?” Huaijun said with a laugh. “And it’s not like you don’t know- I’m not the one who gets to decide who I marry. My family has their own agenda and stuff, always thinking about the bigger picture…… I’m guessing they’ll arrange a partner for me the year after the next.”

“Well, let’s go then. I’ll get you the medicine.” Lin Yi said, standing up and making his way to the door.

Wang Zhifeng had been waiting at the hallway quietly, walking to Lin Yi with quick steps upon seeing the door open. “Well, Captain Yang? Is everything good?”

“Everything’s fine, Lin Yi was just acting in self defense. He’ll have to come to the station tomorrow for a written statement, and we’ll be done.” Huaijun nodded. “I’m headed to Lin Yi’s classroom with him for some materials, you don’t have to worry about anything at all, Mr. Wang.”

“Oh…… I see, that’s good news.” Zhifeng said as he relaxed a little.

*[Long Taos]: side characters in Chinese operas who perform acrobatics and fight scenes

*[12.47 to 13.07]: don't ask me about the tree sap