Qin Fen had thought that having witnessed countless bizarre things, nothing Instructor Hao or the others said or did could shock him anymore. Yet, in the next moment, he encountered the biggest shock of his military career.

Hearing the term "sister-in-law," a rare blush of shyness flickered across Phoenix’s face.

"More or less," Instructor Hao pondered with a thoughtful expression. "If your elder brother ever agrees to marry her, you'll truly have to address Phoenix as sister-in-law."

When Phoenix heard Instructor Hao utter the words "ever agrees to marry her," not a trace of anger appeared on her face, only a faint hint of wistfulness flickering in her eyes.

"So, Phoenix," Instructor Hao clapped Qin Fen on the shoulder, "tell me, if Qin Zhan finds out you crippled his younger brother..."

Phoenix’s expression grew even more somber. Besides being an astonishingly gifted and low-key super-genius, Qin Zhan was also an intensely passionate person.

Years ago, when a new recruit comrade was beaten up by exchange recruits from Europe, Qin Zhan secretly cornered those European soldiers by the seaside and beat them soundly, ensuring they left on stretchers after arriving on their own feet.

The heroic sight of Qin Zhan fighting by the sea that night often still appeared in Phoenix’s dreams.

"Qin Fen, that’s on you too! How could you use such a sneaky and despicable fighting style against your sister-in-law? Hurry up and apologize to your sister-in-law!" Instructor Hao tried to mediate. Though their usual banter was rough, they couldn't let their roughhousing actually damage their camaraderie.

Roughhousing was their mantra for strengthening bonds—a saying among Instructor Hao and the few others whom Phoenix often referred to as scumbags.

Instructor Hao pushed Qin Fen on the back with one palm, propelling him in front of Phoenix, who looked utterly embarrassed. The subconscious choice of the best counter-attack during combat had inadvertently dragged this situation out.

Seeing Phoenix looking equally awkward, Qin Fen opened his mouth: "Sis... Sis..."

Saying "sister-in-law," Qin Fen suddenly realized, was surprisingly difficult. Just as he was about to think of another title, he noticed an intense flicker of hopeful anticipation in Phoenix's awkward eyes.

Qin Fen was intimately familiar with that emotion; he’d worn the same expression himself whenever he desperately wanted a particular job.

"Sister-in-law... I apologize... it was an involuntary physical reaction."

Getting the sentence out haltingly, Qin Fen felt more exhausted than after sprinting ten thousand meters at full speed. He secretly wondered if Big Brother would actually marry this Phoenix; otherwise, calling her that now felt like a real loss.

"It's... it's fine! Fighting is about winning; any means are justified to achieve victory."

Phoenix suddenly became forthright, joy overflowing across her cheeks and the corners of her eyes.

That single utterance of "sister-in-law" not only swept away the displeasure in Phoenix’s heart but also gave her an unprecedented sense of satisfaction. Qin Fen, whom she had found intensely disagreeable moments before, suddenly seemed incomparably agreeable, much more so than the scumbags in the room.

Several years ago, Qin Zhan had vanished without warning, leaving behind no agreements or promises, and there had been no news of him since. The depth of Phoenix's feelings was known only to her.

Though it was just one word, "sister-in-law," Phoenix felt a satisfaction she had never known before. She was happy, elated—happier than completing the most arduous military mission.

Gradually, Phoenix’s smiling eyes became slightly moist. Even for a master of her caliber, while they couldn't entirely control their tear ducts, they could certainly suppress their emotions through sheer iron will.

Today, Phoenix was truly overjoyed. Qin Zhan’s younger brother had suddenly appeared, and the title bestowed upon her was "sister-in-law."

"Oh dear, am I seeing things? Phoenix's eyes are red?" Instructor Hao remained as if delighted by chaos. "The Iron Phoenix is actually shedding tears?"

As he spoke, Instructor Hao adopted a guarded stance, constantly ready to fend off an attack from Phoenix provoked by his loose tongue.

Silence... Silence... Silence...

Phoenix remained silent for several seconds. The tears in her eyes swirled a couple of times, and finally, she burst into loud laughter, the tears genuinely streaming from her eyes.

Qin Fen also fell silent. This woman's feelings for his brother were real, and profound. A simple title had brought her to tears.

"Hahaha..." Phoenix made no move to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes. Her inherent boldness only seemed to increase. Hands on her hips, her proud chest thrust forward, she declared, "Yes! I'm crying! Got a problem with that? I’m a woman too; crying isn't shameful."

Instructor Hao and the others were stunned. The instructors glanced at each other, finally revealing faint smiles on their lips.

That's right! Phoenix was a woman! Even though she possessed a boldness surpassing that of many men, boasted combat prowess few men could match, and completed missions many men failed, never crying out in pain even when injured, she was still a woman.

"This damned army," Instructor Hao muttered under his breath, the others nodding in shared sentiment. Such a beautiful woman like Phoenix had had her gender completely overlooked by everyone. If it wasn't the fault of this damned army, whose could it be?

"Qin Fen, is it? Starting today, you have a seventh instructor—me!" Phoenix declared, neither asking nor waiting for the consent of the other six instructors as she casually slapped her chest. "If anyone in the military dares to provoke you later, just tell your sister-in-law!"

With this domineering, queenly aura unleashed, Qin Fen even suspected that his brother's departure might have been due to being scared off by this female overlord’s personality.

"Phoenix, can you catch up on introductions later?" Instructor Hao asked cautiously. "I’m still teaching."

"You're teaching?" Phoenix sized up Instructor Hao from head to toe. "Trickery?"

"Of course," Instructor Hao admitted candidly. "To instruct Qin Fen, I naturally have to bring out my best material."

"Are you teaching aerial combat? Assassination? Mobile Armor? Firearms? Stealth and camouflage?" Phoenix listed them off, pointing at the instructors one by one.

"That's right. We’re teaching Qin Zhan’s brother so he can beat his elder brother. It makes us look good too," a voice, sounding particularly high-pitched and useless, chirped. The others laughed and nodded along.

"Very well, I will teach squad tactical cooperation," Phoenix swept her gaze over the group. "Any objections?"

Instructor Hao gave a thumbs-up. "Unless they are facing Qin Zhan, your squads have never lost."

"Who says we never lost?" Phoenix was unimpressed by Instructor Hao’s flattery. "I lost to the American squad during that new recruit competition. Of course, it wasn't my command tactics that were lacking; it was the people cooperating with me who were completely incompetent."

"Oh~~"

The instructors exchanged looks, their expressions clearly conveying that the person they were watching was exactly the incompetent individual Phoenix was referring to.