124 The Embrace

Every level of the bunker was divided into teaching, residential, dining, and office areas. The living quarters were quite decent, providing individual rooms, each equipped with a balcony and a private bathroom. Lin Qi was assigned to one such room, where all daily necessities were already prepared, allowing him to settle in without even needing to unpack his bag. After familiarizing himself with the environment, he pulled out a book on business to read.

He hadn't been reading for long when a knock sounded at the door. Lin Qi got up to open it and found Song Qingzhu standing there.

"Lin Qi, is it really you?" Song Qingzhu’s eyes were slightly reddened, and she gazed at him with a look of infatuation.

"It is," Lin Qi nodded. As fellow members of the Tianji organization, he didn't feel there was anything to hide.

Hearing his familiar voice, tears instantly welled up in Song Qingzhu’s eyes. She stepped quickly into the room, threw herself into Lin Qi’s arms, and wrapped her arms tightly around his back.

According to Tianji’s regulations, after becoming a Black Iron member, Song Qingzhu was supposed to continue working in Haitong City for one to three years before being eligible for promotion. However, due to Lu Wanfang’s pursuit, she had been forced to flee. The Fat and Thin Envoys, who oversaw her, hadn't decided where to send her next, only telling her to hide and stay out of sight. She had spent a week in the mountains on the outskirts of Haitong City. She didn't find the hardship unbearable; simply surviving was a stroke of fortune. Reflecting on everything, she realized she owed her life to Lin Qi. During that week in the mountains, he was the one she thought of most. That man—loyal, brave, intelligent, gentle when necessary, and ruthless when required—had left a truly profound impression on her. While her feelings hadn't yet reached the level of romantic love, and she certainly wouldn't die for him, she deeply trusted and relied on him and had longed to see him again.

She knew Lin Qi had joined Tianji, but being in the same organization didn't guarantee they would meet. Furthermore, regulations dictated that new recruits undergo five years of training, so she had no idea when, if ever, she would see him again. Song Qingzhu had buried this longing deep in her heart, even preparing herself for the possibility that she might never see him again.

Therefore, when the Fat Envoy found her and asked her to return to the training center as a martial arts instructor for the junior recruits, she was ecstatic. She would finally get to see Lin Qi!

"Serve as an instructor for one year, and you will be eligible for the assessment to advance to a Silver member," the Fat Envoy had said. Song Qingzhu had nearly jumped for joy. It was a double blessing.

Currently, there were over a hundred junior members at the training center, ranging from the fifth-year class to the first-year class. In her imagination, Lin Qi would surely be in the first-year class, so she had felt a slight disappointment when the director assigned her to a fourth-year class instead. Still, as long as they were in the same bunker, there would be opportunities to meet; after all, it wasn't a large facility. With this in mind, she had walked into the classroom, and when she called out the name "Lin Qi," she was momentarily stunned. When she looked at his face, however, it was that of a stranger. But when Lin Qi flashed her a familiar, warm smile, she nearly burst into tears. She knew it was him.

In Tianji, changing one's appearance was not difficult; many people chose to alter their looks to make a clean break from their past. The organization possessed the world’s top plastic surgeons and surgical experts. Thus, as soon as the class ended, Song Qingzhu had rushed to Lin Qi's room, giving him a long-overdue and desperate hug, her excitement so intense that she wept.

However, Lin Qi was completely oblivious to her complex internal journey and emotions; he simply found the situation baffling. Why was she hugging him so tightly? Why was she crying? Was it really that exciting?

Just as Lin Qi was about to speak, Song Qingzhu choked out, "Don't say anything, just let me hold you for a while!"

Who knows how much time passed, but since she refused to let go, Lin Qi simply picked up his book and held it over her head to read. "Defensive warfare is suitable for market leaders, offensive warfare for the second-place enterprise, flanking warfare for smaller-scale companies, and guerrilla warfare for local or regional enterprises..." he muttered to himself.

It was at this moment that Ji Dongqiang and a few others arrived at Lin Qi’s door, intent on teaching him a lesson. Because the door was ajar, they immediately caught sight of the bizarre scene inside: Song Qingzhu was sobbing on Lin Qi’s shoulder, while Lin Qi held a book over her head, reading. The most bizarre scenes in the world combined could not compare to the oddity of what they were witnessing.

Regardless of the specifics, they realized that Lin Qi and Song Qingzhu must have a close relationship. No wonder this guy was so arrogant! No wonder he could skip class and hide away to read! The key was that he was being quite heartless; a beautiful instructor was crying on his shoulder, and he was actually reading—just reading! The bastard, a total bastard.

The group quietly backed away, never daring to cause trouble for Lin Qi again.