"Huh?" Qin Fen was pulled from his reverie by Xue Tian’s laughter, momentarily unsure how to respond.

"That's what a mercenary big brother said, a super cool big brother!" Xue Tian gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up, his face a mask of pure admiration. "Because of him, I have a dream in life too: to become the coolest mercenary! To stand before him and be able to say, 'Thank you, big brother!' Oh, right! That guy’s surname might have been Qin too. Maybe you two are related."

Xue Tian said it jokingly, but Qin Fen’s expression shifted dramatically. He stared intently at Xue Tian. "What was his name?"

"Don't know his full name." Xue Tian spread his hands. "But one of his squad members called him Zhan Ge."

Qin Fen froze. Even Butcher and Squad Leader Hao hadn't been able to find any news of his brother. Yet, this rookie beside him might have actually met Qin Zhan.

"Where is he now?" Qin Fen gripped Xue Tian suddenly, agitation rising. "Where?"

"Ow!" Xue Tian winced. "I don't know! That was years ago when I was traveling on Jupiter, I ran into him by chance."

Jupiter? His brother might have been on Jupiter? Qin Fen slowly released his grip on Xue Tian's shoulder.

"Seriously, are you two actually related?" Xue Tian sized Qin Fen up for a long moment before declaring, "If you're looking for this person, why not wait until you're discharged and become a mercenary with me? If he’s still in the game, maybe when we make a name for ourselves in the mercenary world, we’ll meet him! What do you say? We both have brains and skills the others don't! Let’s go mercenary together in the future!"

"I'll consider it." Qin Fen nodded slowly again. He didn't need to answer immediately. There was still time before his discharge. If he shared this information with Butcher and the others, they might be able to utilize their network to find his brother even faster.

The elevator doors opened just then, and the two switched to another car.

When the normal elevator doors opened, the two stepped out. Xue Tian lowered his voice. "Your marksmanship is good. We should exchange pointers sometime. I figure you must have some thoughts on my net, too? If you're interested, we can discuss that as well."

"Good!" Qin Fen's reply this time was crisp. Whether it was Butcher, or the Marksmanship King, or anyone else, none of his teachers had forbidden him from passing on techniques, as long as he felt the person deserved to learn.

"But, your master...?" Qin Fen felt a flicker of doubt about Xue Tian's instructor. In this day and age, while technology developed rapidly, human ideology hadn't entirely elevated to the 'what is yours is mine, what is mine is yours' mindset. It was still stuck on 'what is yours is mine, what is mine is still mine!'

"My master? He actually wants to find more apprentices." Xue Tian stretched languidly with a grin. "He gets annoyed seeing me, this lazy apprentice. But the people who want to learn techniques from them get even more annoyed when they see them. He did tell me once that my judgment is similar to theirs—if I take a liking to someone, they generally do too."

Qin Fen found it a bit strange. He'd only known Xue Tian for a few days. Where did this 'taking a liking' start?

"Relax," Xue Tian clapped Qin Fen on the back. "When we were sniping those terrorists, the words you spoke then mean you probably aren't a bad person."

Those words? Qin Fen brightened, recalling what he had uttered when charging in during extreme rage.

While talking, the two had already walked out of the hall and reached the bustling street.

Qin Fen pulled out the second-hand phone he’d bought for cash on an online flea market and quickly dialed Song Jia. For someone who had never genuinely dated, buying a gift was a headache, and it was best to consult someone if possible.

"Hello! This is Song Jia."

On the other end, Song Jia's voice was clear and cheerful, sounding like she was in a very good mood.

Qin Fen finally spoke slowly. "It's me, Qin Fen..."

"Oh! You got a phone?" Song Jia’s joyful voice carried a hint of surprise.

"Yes. For convenient contact."

"Convenient contact? With me?" Song Jia's voice was filled with eager anticipation, slightly shy.

"Yes," Qin Fen replied. "For convenient contact with you, Qiang Zi, and Old Yin."

"..." Song Jia fell silent for a moment before saying, "Barely satisfactory."

Qin Fen smiled. Song Jia just had a sharp tongue; 'barely satisfactory' was probably very close to 'very satisfactory' for her.

"Actually, here's the thing," Qin Fen finally steered the conversation to the main topic. "I was assigned a small, covert mission that took me to Hanzhou, which I heard has a thriving entertainment industry. I also happened to get two days of leave to go shopping. I wanted to ask what kind of small gift you might like..."

A small gift? Song Jia’s smile bloomed brighter than ever before. The few classmates standing beside her stared at her in astonishment. How could the young Miss Song, who usually declared things 'I'm not satisfied' or 'I am satisfied' at the drop of a hat, be like this today? Even winning the lottery probably wouldn't elicit such a brilliant smile.

Song Jia was happy, genuinely happy. For someone with Qin Fen’s personality, the fact that he still thought of buying gifts for people while out on a mission meant that person held an important place in his heart.

On a mission? Song Jia suddenly paused. How long had Qin Fen been in the military? He was a standard, absolute rookie; how could he be sent on a mission?

Though slightly worried and curious, Song Jia felt immensely proud. Participating in a mission as a rookie—Qin Fen truly lived up to the person she had taken a liking to...

A warmth spread across her cheeks. Song Jia didn't ask Qin Fen what kind of mission it was. Such things were usually classified, and she didn't want to cause him trouble due to her meddling.

"Where are you in Hanzhou now?" Song Jia changed the subject.

"Seoul," Qin Fen answered truthfully and simply. Song Jia likely knew more about popular items in Seoul, so her suggestions would be best.

"Seoul? You're in Seoul?" Song Jia's tone rose again. "Are you on leave right now?"

"Yes." Qin Fen was slightly confused. What was so surprising about being in Seoul?

"I'm in Seoul too!"

Song Jia's reply stunned Qin Fen. Hadn't she gone to school? Why was she in Seoul today? Today wasn't Sunday, it was Saturday! School wasn't out.

"Not only am I in Seoul, but Inzaro Ta and Qiang Zi are here in Seoul too," Song Jia happily looked up at the sky. "Where are you? I’m coming over to find you now."

Qin Fen smiled. Song Jia's personality hadn't changed at all; there was no need to ask if meeting was convenient. She proceeded with what she wanted to do in a decisive manner.

"I'm with a friend," Qin Fen said. "I'll probably have to bring him along."

"Oh?" Song Jia replied, "Then bring him too. By the way, is it a boy or a girl?"

Asking about gender? Qin Fen didn't know whether to feel proud or what. According to Lin Liqiang's teachings, if a woman heard a man was with someone else and didn't bother to ask the gender, it meant she didn't value the man highly. Conversely! It meant she valued him greatly!

Despite coming from different backgrounds, Song Jia was still a young woman. Even a clever young woman would become complex on this issue. Unless she had no interest in that man.

"A man," Qin Fen still answered...

"Alright then! Give me your location!"

"Lotte World Hotel..."

"The one on Jamsil Road?" Song Jia’s voice was noticeably more excited.

Qin Fen sensed her excitement and instinctively asked, "You're at that one too?"

"Yes! State your location!"

Song Jia's response made Qin Fen think of a saying: Fate brings people together from a thousand miles away.

"The main entrance..."

"Wait there!"

The call disconnected. Qin Fen stared dumbly at his phone. He hadn't even asked his question yet. It made sense for Lin Liqiang, a wanderer, to be roaming around everywhere. But Old Yin—he clearly wouldn't just run off to Seoul, Hanzhou for no reason. How were they all here?

Xue Tian, who had retreated ten meters away since the call started, returned to Qin Fen’s side. "Done? Where to now?"

Qin Fen smiled. With Xue Tian's skills, he would have had a chance to overhear the call, especially since it wasn't encrypted. This question was very candid, showing he afforded due respect to privacy.

"Wait a moment. A friend happens to be nearby too."

"Really? What a coincidence," Xue Tian said with a gossipy look. "Boy or girl? Lin Jia?"

"Who is Lin Jia?" Song Jia’s smile instantly turned vigilant the moment she stepped out.

"A female soldier," Qin Fen replied calmly. "I think she's Air Force."

His calm expression and guiltless eyes quickly diminished Song Jia's vigilance. She looked at Xue Tian. "You must be the friend Qin Fen mentioned?"

Xue Tian puffed out his chest, his posture instantly straightening, a surge of masculine vitality emanating from him. "That's right! Beautiful lady, I am Qin Fen's friend."

While answering Song Jia, Xue Tian’s gaze didn't linger on her for long. He was observing the expressions of the people behind her.

The few girls who exuded an air of delicate nobility looked mostly surprised. The person who made Song Jia rush out to meet in such a frenzy looked merely ordinary. If one had to point out a feature, it was a hard rigidity emanating from him, like stone, the complete opposite of the soft, pretty-boy idols currently in vogue.

The few boys who followed all looked at Qin Fen with hostility, basically thinking, On what grounds do you warrant Song Jia meeting you in such a hurry?

Three practitioners of New Martial Arts, two of Ancient Martial Arts, all showing some proficiency. Not bad! Not bad! Xue Tian quickly deduced the potential martial paths of the five boys based on their gait and stance as they walked.

"Why is Qiang Zi in Seoul? How did Old Yin end up here too?" Qin Fen fired off the questions he hadn't managed to ask during the call.

"You ask them right away when you meet them, and not even ask how I am doing..."