Qin Fen adjusted his composure, attempting once more to coax a reaction from the other party.
“Continue training, await the arrival of the next mission.”
Lin Ling’s reply almost drove Qin Fen to distraction. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of aggressively militarized family she hailed from to have conditioned a woman to such an extreme degree.
“That isn't a desire, Qin Fen explained again. “A desire is something you long to achieve from the bottom of your heart.”
Lin Ling answered with crisp finality, almost without a pause for thought: “None.”
*‘Every person must have a **. The most crucial aspect of psychology is uncovering that *.’
The Squad Leader's words echoed in his mind. Qin Fen once again recalibrated his approach, seizing this interaction as an opportunity to sharpen his own psychological acumen by attempting to elicit an emotional response from Lin Ling.
“Is there anything you particularly want to eat?”
“No.”
“Any clothes you especially want to wear?”
“No.”
“Any place you particularly want to go?”
“No.”
“Any martial art you particularly want to learn?”
“No.”
“Anyone you particularly want to see?”
“No.”
Qin Fen gently rubbed his forehead and temples. Could this Lin Ling truly be devoid of all cravings, having achieved a state of utter detachment?
...
A brief silence followed. Qin Fen drew a long breath. “Let’s discuss the mission then. If you cannot force a genuinely happy smile, the mission might fail.”
“Failure…” Although Lin Ling’s tone remained frigid, utterly devoid of discernible emotion, Qin Fen sensed her deep aversion to failure, or perhaps an extreme repulsion toward it.
“Therefore, you must learn to smile happily,” Qin Fen concluded.
“How does one become happy?” Lin Ling steered the conversation right back to the starting point.
This time, Qin Fen was prepared. He spoke again: “Think about it. If you learned to smile happily, how would that feel?”
...
Lin Ling remained silent, deep contemplation etched onto her brow, yet her eyes betrayed almost no flicker of actual thought. Qin Fen marvelled internally. What bizarre martial art had this woman practiced? Had she somehow eradicated every human emotion she was meant to possess? Could it be the sinister [Fossil Wonder Technique]? A legend of a strange martial art once mentioned on the Sky Combat Network suddenly flashed through Qin Fen’s mind.
Rumour had it that the Fossil Wonder Technique was an incredibly eerie discipline, divided into nine transformations. Once mastered, the practitioner could turn their entire body to stone and iron, rendering them invulnerable to all blades, allowing them to roam the world unchallenged. In a sense, the new martial art, [Ironclad Physique], was developed based on this legendary ancient technique. However, the mythical Fossil Wonder Technique reportedly required one to possess a ** Yin Constitution, and upon mastery, the practitioner would become cold, emotionless beings.
“Would it be... the kind of happiness you mentioned?”
Lin Ling’s words sounded both like a question and an answer. Qin Fen could only nod. “Yes, you would be happy.” Lin Ling nodded too, as if confirming his statement.
“So,” Qin Fen sighed, “When you have time, consider how joyful it would be once you master that happy smile.”
“Understood.” Lin Ling nodded, then abruptly shifted the topic. “And what about my voice? Isn't it gentle and content? I recently analyzed data from a voice synthesis software downloaded online—it has a vocal range capable of winning an Oscar.”
Qin Fen held his temples. What were the Military Region and the Police Department thinking? They should have selected a partner more carefully... Select carefully? Qin Fen shook his head repeatedly. It wasn't that the Military Region hadn't chosen; it was simply that he hadn't met many women since joining the army, and Lin Ling was the most readily available, plus her combat strength was undeniable. Qin Fen could only sigh, looking at the stunningly beautiful and powerful Lin Ling, lamenting that no one is perfect, just as no gold is pure.
“Do you know what happiness is?” Qin Fen posed the question, suddenly realizing he might have aimed too high. What was happiness? Even many normal modern people couldn't truly define their own happiness. How could he expect Lin Ling, who possessed almost no emotions, to grasp it?
“I know that,” Lin Ling responded, startling Qin Fen. This woman truly was full of surprises.
“Happiness is cats eating fish, dogs eating meat, and Ultraman fighting little monsters.”
Watching Lin Ling solemnly recite this decades-old internet adage, Qin Fen couldn't begin to gauge the complexity of his own expression. He never imagined she would deliver such a dry joke with such seriousness. Qin Fen scrutinized her closely and realized she wasn't joking at all; she looked like an elementary school student diligently answering a teacher's question. The realization that Lin Ling was being completely earnest made the situation even more incredible. Even with the mental fortitude drilled into him by Instructor Hao, Qin Fen asked with hesitant uncertainty, “What did you just say? Is that your honest belief? Where did you get the answer to what happiness is?”
“The internet,” Lin Ling replied concisely. “The data stated that you and I are a happy couple. I must know what happiness entails.”
“I see,” Qin Fen nodded slowly. “It seems you don't know what true happiness is, either.”
He glanced up at the clock on the wall, then left the washroom. “Change your clothes. We’re going out. Perhaps your environment has been too monotonous and isolated; a trip to the night market might help cultivate something in you.”
Lin Ling quickly returned in her military uniform. Clad in the uniform, her aura became even more strikingly heroic, a cold beauty easily igniting others' urge to conquer her. Qin Fen shook his head. “Change into something else. There are other clothes in the closet, right?”
Lin Ling soon changed into a white, sheer, short dress, paired with a red, pure cotton T-shirt. The thin fabric hinted at the fullness of her chest, while the short skirt accentuated the curve of her shapely rear, poking upward alluringly. Her long, proportionate legs were bare, without stockings, her pale thighs exposed—exceedingly sexy. As Lin Ling walked out of the bedroom into the living room, the entire space seemed to brighten with her appearance. Qin Fen froze momentarily. Despite her somewhat rigid demeanor, Lin Ling possessed a natural knack for dressing and styling herself. It seemed an innate ability existed within her; even if she didn't know why she was so wooden, this particular skill hadn't degraded at all.
“What? Is it still not right?” Lin Ling began to suspect that the online information might be completely false, as this was an ensemble praised in countless online fashion forums.
“No, it’s perfect.”
Qin Fen walked toward the door. Lin Ling hurried to catch up, looping her arms around his, leaning against him like a small bird. This action, however, made Qin Fen feel slightly uneasy. He admired her psychological fortitude; she was incredibly forthcoming in this charade of a relationship, far more professional than he was.
Out the door, lock secured, down the elevator, hail a taxi, off to the night market... Since the government covered all expenses, Qin Fen had no qualms about spending for the moment.
Walking through the bustling night market, Lin Ling again showed her difference from other women. She paid absolutely no attention to the charming trinkets and beautiful clothes lining the stalls; she displayed no interest whatsoever.
“These... you don’t like these accessories?” Qin Fen found himself curious. Even if she disliked accessories, surely among the myriad items at the night market, something else could capture her attention? The dazzling array of goods could appeal even to Qin Fen, and he found it unbelievable that Lin Ling wouldn't like anything.
Lin Ling glanced briefly at the merchandise the vendors were selling and replied placidly, “For combat, these are all encumbrances; they only serve to hinder.”
Qin Fen stared at her as if she were a strange creature. Who trained this person? What kind of education had she received that could cultivate a dislike for everything? That trained her to view everything through the lens of combat utility?
“Then let’s try some games,” Qin Fen conceded, helplessly pulling Lin Ling toward a large department store. With societal development, the thriving side of big cities brought increased material wealth, and any major shopping mall would house an electronic arcade.
Qin Fen purchased over a hundred tokens, and under the strange gaze of the token attendant, obtained an official receipt for the coins before leading Lin Ling into the arcade, a place buzzing with dynamic sound effects and music.
“Let’s play House of the Dead X.” Qin Fen briefly explained how to use the "gun" prop, quickly inserting game tokens. Soon, many passersby paused to watch their progress.
As a trained marksman, Qin Fen wasn't embarrassed playing with any kind of gun, real or toy. Lin Ling, who clearly had never played video games, displayed an innate, almost supernatural talent for gaming, playing every bit as well as Qin Fen. Her aim was precise; every shot hit a zombie’s head, achieving terrifying headshots. Driven by their aggressive skill, the game advanced rapidly. Finishing the entire game on a single token insert—something most people considered impossible—they accomplished it with ease.
Putting down the game prop, Qin Fen noticed about a dozen people gathered nearby. Lin Ling remained as placid as ever, showing no curiosity or shyness.
“Was that interesting?”
“No.”
Hearing Lin Ling’s reply, Qin Fen wasn't surprised. According to the plan, he was supposed to let her find everything perfectly normal first, stripping it of any novelty. Qin Fen switched to the racing game. “That was cooperation; now let’s race and see who’s faster.”
“Fine.” Lin Ling settled into the driver’s seat, focusing intently on the screen, unaware of the slightly smug smile spreading across Qin Fen’s face in the adjacent cockpit.
Lin Ling drove excellently. For a novice, she was nearly a match for seasoned arcade racing veterans. But her opponent this time was Qin Fen—an all-around talent trained by several instructors who were paragons of abnormality in their respective fields. Consequently, she lost. She lost by a margin of zero point five seconds.
“I won,” Qin Fen said, his eyes flashing with almost challenging intensity. Not long ago, back on Happy Paradise Island, the new recruits had constantly sparred over performance during training. Qin Fen, Lin Ling, and Du Zhanpeng had nearly always ended in stalemates. Winning this car race at this moment was timely.
“Let’s go again; I prefer winning,” Qin Fen said, inserting another coin before Lin Ling could refuse.
The second lap results appeared; Qin Fen won again. “How about one more time?” Qin Fen inserted the third coin. The fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh time... Qin Fen inserted coin after coin, achieving victory after victory. Each time he won, he would smile happily and exclaim, “Winning feels great, really satisfying.”
Lin Ling remained expressionless as usual, though she seemed to drive with increased intensity. After Qin Fen’s eleventh victory, he stretched, placing one leg outside the cockpit. “That’s enough winning for now. We’ll play again next time. Let’s go…”
“One more game.”
Lin Ling remained seated in the car, unlike before when she would have followed Qin Fen out. She stared quietly at the screen, her hands gripping the steering wheel, showing no sign of leaving.
“What?” Qin Fen turned his head to look at her. Her face was still serene, her eyes devoid of any emotion, but that didn't mean she could truly maintain that exterior; otherwise, she would have already stood up.
“Race again,” Lin Ling repeated her request, her tone completely flat.
Qin Fen returned to the driver’s cockpit. His entire plan had been a resounding success. Instructor Hao’s words were absolutely right: if you can't find someone's preference, then manufacture one for them! Every human harbors a competitive spirit; it’s just a matter of how deeply it's buried. Once someone is frustrated by losing repeatedly, what happens if they finally secure a win? A slight smile played on Qin Fen’s lips—the answer was too simple. The winner would generate an emotion, an emotion called happiness.