After the meeting ended, the team leaders gathered together to continue studying the improvisational battle plan.
The operations would kick off very soon. Everyone cast aside their earlier lethargy and became very energetic. To them, their purpose in life was to complete this mission for their country.
Xu Zhenyu took out a cigarette and planned to head out for a smoke and a bit of air.
Rays from the setting sun penetrated the windows and dipped the entire room in a golden-yellow color. Having been cooped up underground for so long, Xu Zhenyu was momentarily blinded by the blazing sunlight.
From his blurred vision, he could see that Ninth Si’s physique was different from the other brawny soldiers. Ninth Si’s long, lean frame stood quietly by the side, looking as if he had merged with the dazzling sunlight and was emitting rays of light on his own.
“Can I borrow a light?” Si Yiyan asked in a mild tone.
Xu Zhenyu snorted and walked slowly over to Ninth Si. He held a cigarette between his long, slender fingers. “You only know how to pretend in front of Wen Xinya!”
He still remembered his previous visit to the Mount Li mansion. He had searched the entire living room but failed to find a single ashtray.
At that time, he thought Ninth Si didn’t smoke.
He never expected that it was only because this guy knew Wen Xinya hated men who smoked! Faker!
He had finally shown his true colors!
Si Yiyan accepted a matchstick from him and struck it gently. A flame danced at the end of the stick. “Thanks!”
Xu Zhenyu exhaled a puff of smoke as he replied, “Don’t mention it. But you can tell me what you think about my improvisational battle plan.”
Although Xu Zhenyu didn’t like Ninth Si, he never allowed personal feelings to interfere with his work.
The lives of many soldiers would be at risk during this operation, and he was willing to listen to Ninth Si’s opinions.
How could someone who managed to perform such a detailed analysis on Ghost Snake not have done his own evaluation of the improvisational plan?
“I have no objections. Your plan is very comprehensive.”
Although there were some inadequacies to the improvisational battle plan—after Ninth Si came up with his own coordinated plan, he believed that Xu Zhenyu would then be able to make the necessary improvements.
“Can I ask you a question?”
Xu Zhenyu flicked some ash off his cigarette, which landed on his boot and crumbled into bits.
“You seem to have a lot of questions.”
Si Yiyan lit his cigarette but had yet to take a puff. He let the cigarette burn, watching the pale smoke drift up into the air. He recalled that this was not the first time Xu Zhenyu asked him a question.
“I will ask whatever I want to ask. You can choose to answer or not.”
Xu Zhenyu took a deep puff of his cigarette.
Si Yiyan remained silent.
Xu Zhenyu bit down on his cigarette in vexation. “I say, how perverted are you? Wen Xinya had yet to come of age then, but you still made your move on her.”
Xu Zhenyu felt the urge to curse every time he thought of that.
He had lost so unfairly!
He had everything all planned out. Staying three years in the Northwest military camp while waiting for Wen Xinya to turn 18 years of age. He would then return to complete his mission and romance Wen Xinya, thereby completing his life’s goals.
Who knew he would meet a love rival like Ninth Si, who didn’t play according to the rules.
He had quietly slipped in to avail himself to this golden opportunity of snatching Wen Xinya’s heart.
Si Yiyan’s way of smoking was different from other men. Instead of gripping the cigarette between his index and middle fingers, he was holding it with his thumb and index finger. “In ancient times, females came of age when they reached 15 years old. They were ready to marry and bear children then.”
Si Yiyan twirled the cigarette in his hand. The wispy smoke spiraled through the air.
Even from a very young age, Si Yiyan knew that when it came to something which he liked and wanted, he would have to get it regardless of the methods used. There was no need to play fair and square.
The facts had proven his decision was the correct one.
The destinies of Xu Zhenyu and Xinya were intertwined.
The reborn Xinya only held vengeance in her heart and did not have the time to think about romance.
On top of that, she had to focus her mind on dealing with Ning Shuqian’s devious plans, Xia Ruya’s malevolent machinations, Ning Yuya’s arrogant provocations, and Wen Haowen’s ruthless cruelty so that she could stabilize her standing in the Wen Family. As a result, she had no time to consider her own personal feelings.
If not for the above two reasons, Wen Xinya might have ended up with Xu Zhenyu.
Luckily, Si Siyan had appeared at the right time and didn’t hesitate like Xu Zhenyu. He had immediately reached out and grabbed Wen Xinya’s heart for himself, while Xu Zhenyu was far away in the Northwest military camp.
Xu Zhenyu was somewhat disbelieving. “Did you really think that? Are you telling me the truth?”
Xu Zhenyu suddenly felt his question was just too silly.
He shouldn’t have raised it.
“Yup!”
He had fallen for Wen Xinya at first sight.
Age had never been a consideration for him. Even if Wen Xinya was just a little Lolita, he would not mind taking her under his wing first and slowly groom her to be his wife.
Xu Zhenyu choked as he spat out one word. “Damn…”
This guy’s way of thinking was seriously abnormal!
In this age of gender equality, he still possessed such an old-fashioned attitude. It was unbelievable.
Si Yiyan put the cigarette to his lips and took a puff. “I do not allow any hesitation, indecision or dithering in my life. No matter what the task is, I always give my best with a do-or-die mentality.”
Since that year when he gave up his stable, comfortable life and walked out of the Mo Mansion and headed toward Russia, there was no longer any room for fear or retreat in his life.
Every move he made would affect Lucifer’s fate. Every strategy he implemented would impact all the others in Lucifer. Every single command he issued bore the trust and faith of hundreds of thousands of innocent lives.
As a result, he could not afford to have any hesitation, indecision or dithering in his life!
It was the same for when he fell for Wen Xinya. He had immediately made his move without any need for any prior considerations.
Xu Zhenyu kept silent for a moment. He exhaled impatiently and stretched out one leg. “Winner takes all. I admit defeat. I am not a sore loser.”
In the past, he had felt very aggrieved as he believed he had lost unfairly.
But now he knew he had lost for a reason.
He didn’t lose to Si Yiyan, but to his own hesitations. In the end, his own dithering had caused him to miss out on Wen Xinya.
Moreover, Ninth Si was exactly like his gun. Sharp, vicious and precise. There was no way for its target to escape once the gun was aimed upon it.
Wen Xinya was his target.
At the time, Xu Zhenyu did not possess the capabilities to pit himself against Ninth Si.
