***
Bai Luo Yin thought that after Gu Yang left in a fit of rage, that matter would immediately come to an end. How could he have known that it was only the beginning? The next day, Gu Yang went straight to HaiYin High-Tech Co. without a moment of hesitation, and under the disguise of Gu Hai’s impeccable reputation, he caused all kinds of damage. He even dared to flirt with the division manager in front of all employees, completely shattering Gu Hai’s image.
Nevertheless, those things were not considered as serious matters. The most repulsive of all was, every day, when Bai Luo Yin dragged his exhausted body back to his dorm, he would open the door thinking that Gu Hai had returned only to see that it was not him. That kind of defeated and overthrown feeling was absolutely indescribable.
Relying solely on that blueprint, Gu Yang had taken advantage of Bai Luo Yin numerous times. He has also come to completely understand that, rather than sleeping with Bai Luo Yin and causing the blueprint to lose its effectiveness, he might as well hold on to it longer and lengthen its usage toward a more stable and effective outcome. In that way, he could take revenge, while slowly cultivating his relationship with Bai Luo Yin at the same time.
–
Meanwhile, the old demon Zhou Ling Yun finally emerged on the training field.
Bai Luo Yin has truly experienced what it was like to be surrounded by enemies and isolated without any help from all four corners.
“Major Bai, what are you thinking about?”
Zhou Ling Yun’s voice resounded in the middle of the empty training field.
That’s true, you didn’t hear wrong. It was really empty. Only Bai Luo Yin alone was standing in the middle of the deserted training field. He was currently enjoying the training sessions that Commander Zhou had especially prepared for him; enjoying the rare honor of training alone with thousands of eyes watching him.
Zhou Ling Yun stepped down from the platform and walked to Bai Luo Yin’s side, and when his lids rose, that scalding and provocative gaze burned the person he glared at.
“I realized that it was a huge mistake on my part to make such as rash decision in going out of my way to find a good successor elsewhere when a genuinely talented expert is in front of me. From now on, I will be faithful to you until I die. I will no longer waste my time or thoughts on any good-for-nothing loser.”
Yes, that’s right. It was only until today did Bai Luo Yin came to realize that Zhou Ling Yun’s so-called “fascination” towards Gu Hai was—in truth—due to his plasticity, that was, the quality to be easily shaped and molded as he deemed fit. He praised the perfection of Gu Hai’s body because he believed that he had the potential to become an extraordinary pilot. He admired Gu Hai’s mischievous nature because he truly believed he has the psychological mindset to brave any combat thrown his way.
Unfortunately, Bai Luo Yin was too late in realizing those points.
Once the conspiracy was exposed, Zhou Ling Yun finally knew that Bai Luo Yin was the real mastermind behind the scenes. What a pleasant surprise! In the past, he had always thought that Bai Luo Yin was perfect in everything except for one flaw, and that was, he thought that kid’s conscience was too upright which would make it hard for him to become a capable person. Now that all is well and the empty gap of cruelty has been fulfilled, Bai Luo Yin became the apple of his eye.
“Commander, I believe I have a lot of flaws. I am not qualified to receive such favor from you.”
Zhou Ling Yun magnanimously patted Bai Luo Yin’s shoulder, “Who doesn’t have a little flaw? Honestly, it’s a good thing to have some since it proves that you still have room to improve.”
Bai Luo Yin’s lips pulled into a grim smile, “My flaws are physical injuries. It’s impossible to improve such thing.”
“Oh?” Zhou Ling Yun simply uttered then looked at Bai Luo Yin with great interest, “I actually want to hear how serious your injuries are. If it’s beyond what I can fix, then I can reconsider my decision.”
“My skeletal framework is small, making it hard for me to gain.”
Zhou Ling Yun appeared to be unconcerned as he replied nonchalantly, “What else? Only that?”
Bai Luo Yin thought of more reasons, “I have congenital tracheostenosis[1] which makes it impossible for me to adapt to an oxygen-deficient environment for a long time.”
“Are there anything else?”
“Eh…” Bai Luo Yin racked his brains to compile another reason, “Severe intermittent night blindness…it’s difficult for me to see in relatively low light. Once the sky becomes dark and I become nervous, I won’t be able to see anything. I’ve gone to many hospitals, but all have stated that there is no way to cure it.”
“If you have night blindness then how did you manage to get selected as a pilot?”
Bai Luo Yin calmly explained, “As per the doctor’s diagnosis, my condition doesn’t genuinely fall into the category of intense night blindness since it only occurs when I am in a high anxiety situation. In normal times, there are no problems during regular checkups. It mainly happens during night training, but as you know, the doctor can’t come into the aircraft with me, so they can’t properly prescribe any medication for me.”
Even if he couldn’t prevent Zhou Ling Yun’s relentless pursuit and fierce attack, but at the very least, he could reduce the standard that he had for him to participate in night combats. Perhaps, he could even reduce the frequency of night trainings, all for the sake of creating the perfect opportunity to easily sneak out of the dormitory in the future.
Unexpectedly, Zhou Ling Yun merely revealed an indulgent smile after clearly hearing everything.
“Those flaws are not serious to me. Don’t worry, in less than six months, I’ll transform your so-called ‘flaws’ into your advantages. Child, trust me. I will forge you into a legend of the aviation world.”
Although that was the first time Bai Luo Yin saw such a benevolent smile etched on Zhou Ling Yun’s face, he instead only felt a bitter coldness slither from the top of his head, down to the tips of his toes. He silently muttered, have I said too much?
That noon, Zhou Ling Yun dragged Bai Luo Yin into a private dining room and presented him with a special treat.
“Eat!”
Bai Luo Yin lowered his head to take a peek at the table in front of him only to be confronted with two large pot full of only fatty meat! Not a single vein could be seen; everything was shining white fat granules.
“These… how am I supposed to eat it?” With just one look, Bai Luo Yin wanted to throw up then and there.
“Do I have to teach you?” Zhou Ling Yun picked a piece of fat and lifted it in front of Bai Luo Yin. “Look properly. First, you use the chopsticks to pick it up, then place it in your mouth and chew it into pieces. Look at my mouth carefully, you must chew it thoroughly before swallowing. Do you understand?”
Bai Luo Yin couldn’t help but to swallow a mouth of saliva beforehand, “I understand.”
Zhou Ling Yun smiled tenderly at him, “Then, start eating.”
A surge of emotions churned inside Bai Luo Yin’s stomach. He picked up a piece of fat, put it into his mouth and immediately swallowed it after only chewing twice. Upon seeing that, Zhou Ling Yun gripped his cheeks and solemnly ordered, “Don’t swallow too quickly. You must chew it thoroughly or else your stomach will not be able to digest it properly.”
Just like that, Bai Luo Yin summoned all of his courage to swallow everything down his stomach. He incessantly thought to himself, don’t treat this as a meal, but regard it as part of training…train your teeth, tongue, and throat…what you’re eating is not fat, but a substance without any taste or smell that’s only meant to alleviate your hunger.
“Does the fat taste that good? You look like you’re really enjoying it.”
All of a sudden, a retching sound echoed across the room and Bai Luo Yin threw up all the fat into the pot.
Not even a moment later, another pot was placed on the table. Zhou Ling Yun didn’t forget to say a few comforting words to Bai Luo Yin.
“Don’t blame me for being heartless. I am doing this for your sake. Since your skeletal framework is small, you can only depend on muscles as compensation. Relying solely on training won’t do, you also need to eat nourishing food to invigorate your body and fat is the most optimal source of food for that. From now on, that will be your staple.”
At night, Zhou Ling Yun dragged Bai Luo Yin to a small sealed up dark room with ten black-clothed people inside, but he did not see them when he had initially entered. A moment later, Zhou Ling Yun snapped his fingers and Bai Luo Yin suddenly saw ten sets of white teeth float in his surroundings. Honestly, he couldn’t help but to be a bit shock.
Soon, those black-clothed people wore black braces over their teeth as concealment and put on black gloves while holding black darts in their hands. Under Zhou Ling Yun’s command, each person started to throw the darts towards Bai Luo Yin without mercy.
Bai Luo Yin could only depend on the sound and flash of light that emitted from the darts when it was thrown in order to judge the specific location of where it was coming before quickly avoiding it. At first, the speed of the darts was very slow, but as time passed, it accelerated even more. If Bai Luo Yin did not want to get hit, a high level of attention was mandatory, and his reaction must also be equally swift.
Suddenly, a dart struck his waist. Although he did not sustain an injury, it was still rather painful; it was to the point that Bai Luo Yin did not dare to be careless anymore.
When Bai Luo Yin came out of the dark room, his physical strength was severely drained, and his neck could not turn or bend. However, the result was clear as day. Bai Luo Yin has already perfected the ability to maintain a sharp eye. If there was even a slight rustle of leaves in the wind, his eyes would immediately skate over.
Zhou Ling Yun patted Bai Luo Yin’s head in satisfaction.
“I believe that in less than half a month, your intermittent night blindness will be cured.”
Bai Luo Yin, “……”
As he dragged his exhausted body back to the dorm, Bai Luo Yin only wished to plunge into the bed and sleep the night away. But, someone had unexpectedly occupied his bed already. Gu Yang was sitting on his bed, watching a movie with a look that screamed ‘relaxed’ in his eyes, and an expression that belted ‘satisfied’ on his face.
“Xiao Yin Zi, help me peel an apple.” Master Gu commanded.
If that person was Gu Hai, the moment he saw Bai Luo Yin’s appearance, he would have definitely leaped down from the bed, carry him to the bathtub and give him a massage. But that person was Gu Yang—not only did the bastard not see the sweat dripping from Bai Luo Yin’s forehead, he even has the audacity to force him to serve him. They both have the same surname Gu, but how is the difference in their attitude so huge?
Gu Yang shook the blueprint in his hands, “Hurry up!”
Fine, I’ll bear with it!
After peeling the apple, Bai Luo Yin handed it over to Gu Yang only have it rejected with a face of utter disgust. “The way you peel it is too ugly. I don’t have any appetite at all just from looking at it.”
Bai Luo Yin retorted resentfully, “Why is it so troublesome just to eat a fucking apple?!!”
Gu Yang shook the blueprint in his hands for the second time, “Peel it again.”
Bai Luo Yin continued to endure the humiliation in silence. This time, he peeled the apple into a rather round shape and made sure to cut all the edges and corners before respectfully delivering it Gu Yang, “Master Gu”, he said mocking, “Please eat.”
Gu Yang took the proffered apple and scrutinized it, “You’ve misunderstood my what I mean. I want you to cut it into the shape of a five-corner star.”
The muscles on Bai Luo Yin’s face started to twitch in annoyance.
But that bastard, Gu Yang waved the blueprint in his hand for a third time in pleasure.
Bai Luo Yin merely nodded his head and continued to peel the apple. While peeling away, he kindly reminded in a low voice: “Shouldn’t you return to Hong Kong for a kook at your own damn business already? Wasting all your time here isn’t helping anyone! Which one is more important, your business or your amusement? Don’t let your business go bankrupt just for the sake of this temporary moment of happiness.”
“Don’t worry,” Gu Yang sneered, “There’s a generous person taking good care of my business for free in my place. What’s there for me to worry about? If you want to worry about something, then worry about Gu Hai’s company.”
Bai Luo Yin gritted his teeth in anger, “It’s such a pity for your kindhearted little brother!”
“You can call and tell him everything.” Gu Yang spoke while shaking the blueprint in his hand, “However, take responsibility for the consequences of your actions.”
After he finished peeling the apple, Bai Luo Yin cautiously placed it in Gu Yang’s hands.
Unexpectedly, Gu Yang’s hand slipped, and the apple fell on his leg. When he picked it up, it had lost one of its edges.
“Oh no. There’s only four corners left, what should we do?” Gu Yang asked in a light monotonously manner.
Bai Luo Yin didn’t wait for Gu Yang to pick up the blueprint. He consciously picked up another apple and started to peel it.
Seeing that, Gu Yang happily enjoyed the richly colorful expression on Bai Luo Yin’s face.
That night, taking the advantage of the time Gu Yang went out to make a call, Bai Luo Yin swiftly opened the chat window and started a video call with Gu Hai.
“I’ve been here for a whole week, but the employees here haven’t even recognized me yet. Look at me, do I look like my brother?” Gu Hai adopted Gu Yang’s typical expression.
Bai Luo Yin’s lips rose into a soft smile, “You look so similar to him that I want to punch you!”
“How is it going on your side?” Gu Hai asked.
The corner of Bai Luo Yin’s mouth crooked into a smirk, “Everything is still the same. I reckon he won’t be able to go back any time soon.”
“Today, I transferred some funds from his company over to my account. If my company runs into any financial problems, we can use it to completely resolve it. I think it’s more than enough. I’ve already stolen all the things I could from here. What do you think, are there still any reasons left for me to remain here?”
“There are!!” Bai Luo Yin’s eyes radiated with mischief, “Steal even the things that you can’t steal for me!!!”
Gu Hai carefully stared at Bai Luo Yin for a moment then asked him in a cautious tone, “You didn’t let the cat out of the bag, right?”
“Don’t worry. I played my role to perfection that it’s almost terrifying.”
Gu Hai’s expression tensed, “They didn’t make things difficult for you, did they?”
“No.” Bai Luo Yin said resolutely, “You can just focus on wreaking havoc over there!”
“Baobeir~ do you miss me?” Gu Hai suddenly exposed a gentle smile.
Bai Luo Yin’s tears almost leap out. I reckon by the time you return, I’ve already trained until I became Sylvester Stallone.Although he thought that, Bai Luo Yin still rationally collected his state of mine. He lightly replied with a simple, ‘miss’.
It was obvious that Gu Hai was dissatisfied with Bai Luo Yin’s answer.
“Are you even being sincere? How come I could see a hint of deceit in your eyes?”
Let me throw three thousand darts at your body as a test! Then you take a look at whether or not your eyes are full of deceit or not?
“Yin Zi, when you encounter any situations, whether difficult or not, you must be agile and adjust yourself accordingly. You must not let yourself be at a disadvantage or allow your opponent to gain even the slightest advantage. If you hesitate when dealing with other people out of consideration, I will be the first to not forgive you, do you hear me?”
Bai Luo Yin did not hear those words, but what he heard was the sound of the footsteps that concealed it instead.
“I’m hanging up first. He’s coming.”