On the way back to the base.

Lu Huaizheng was still driving, with Yu Hao in the passenger seat and Shen Xiyuan in the back.

Amid the lush green wilderness, the winding and rugged mountain path resembled a meandering river. Surrounded by misty mountains on all sides, like giant waves reaching for the sky, the steep peaks stood proudly between heaven and earth, naturally exuding a majestic grandeur.

The military jeep sped along this fine, hazy mountain road. This wild terrain was where Lu Huaizheng flew his hawk, essentially his territory.

Shen Xiyuan was different. He had been pampered since childhood and was taking a long-distance trip to such a place for the first time in his life. Apart from staying on a mountain with his brother Shen Mu for a few days as a child, he had never been up such a high mountain, let alone one so steep requiring a four to five-hour drive.

Combined with Lu Huaizheng’s mystical driving skills, Shen Xiyuan felt a bit carsick. Too embarrassed to say it out loud, he simply closed his eyes to rest, only to find the dizziness growing stronger, with nausea beginning to churn in his stomach and slowly crawling up his esophagus.

Yu Hao quickly noticed something was wrong and turned around to ask: “Senior, are you feeling unwell?”

Shen Xiyuan’s face had turned pale as if brushed with a layer of white paint. He couldn’t hold back anymore and nodded slightly.

Yu Hao glanced at Lu Huaizheng, who had been silently focused on driving since they got in the car. He reacted quickly, discreetly glancing at the rearview mirror, his lips curving slightly upward as he leisurely turned the steering wheel and pulled the car over to the side.

Yu Hao helped Shen Xiyuan out of the car.

She suddenly realized the scenery looked familiar as if they had returned to where the car had broken down earlier. Looking around vigilantly, she spotted that beautiful woman sitting in a convertible sports car smoking a cigarette. The sleek lines of the car’s side were easily recognizable – it was a small Maserati, worth at least three to four million yuan.

Lu Huaizheng said this village was called Yan Luo, inhabited by the Lahu ethnic group. There were only a few households. At the entrance of the village stood a stone monument inscribed with the vermilion characters – Yan Luo.

Shen Xiyuan was crouching by the roadside, leaning against a tree and retching. Having skipped breakfast and lunch, his stomach was completely empty with nothing to throw up.

Yu Hao didn’t have any tissues and instinctively turned to ask Lu Huaizheng in the car, “Do you have any tissues?”

How could he have tissues in his car?

Lu Huaizheng turned off the engine and got out of the car. When he returned, he had a pack of tissues in his hand which he directly handed to Shen Xiyuan.

“Thank you,” said Shen Xiyuan.

Lu Huaizheng leaned against the car door and casually replied: “You’re welcome.”

Yu Hao handed the remaining half-pack of tissues back to Lu Huaizheng, who was leaning against the car door. He froze as she said: “Return these to that beautiful woman, thank her.”

Lu Huaizheng stood with his arms crossed, looking down, not understanding: “What?”

Tissues exchanged for “selling your looks” – who would want that?

Yu Hao glared at him, about to speak.

Just then, the beautiful woman had come over, carrying two bottles of water. She stood between them, smiling, and handed a bottle each to Yu Hao and Shen Xiyuan, then offered a cigarette to Lu Huaizheng.

Shen Xiyuan accepted it. Yu Hao didn’t, politely saying: “Thank you, but no need.”

The beauty raised an eyebrow but didn’t seem to mind, tossing the bottle of water into Lu Huaizheng’s car. She turned to chat with Lu Huaizheng, nodding towards Yu Hao and Shen Xiyuan: “Your friends?”

Lu Huaizheng was lowering his head, cupping his hands around the flame to light the cigarette. Hearing her question, he lifted his eyelids slightly, his hand pausing briefly before lowering again. With the cigarette between his lips, he made an affirmative sound, drew the cigarette to life, and then removed it from his lips, holding it between his fingers as he exhaled softly.

For a moment, Yu Hao felt that the unrestrained, free-spirited aspect of his personality was still there.

Just like now.

The way he leaned against the car door smoking, paired with this beautiful woman beside him – they matched perfectly.

She couldn’t help but recall the woman’s earlier wistful remark:

“It’s been a long time since you came to see me.”

There was a question she had always been reluctant to deeply consider.

During these twelve years, he must have had women, right? Chen Rui said he was a virgin, but Yu Hao had always thought it was a joke. With his flirtatious nature, Yu Hao felt certain he must have had women. This feeling was overwhelming, just like the aura emanating from the two people in front of her now.

For the second half of the mountain journey, no one spoke. Shen Xiyuan leaned dejectedly against the back seat, while the front of the car was enveloped in dead silence.

When the car drove into the military area, even before it came to a complete stop, Yu Hao was the first to open the door and get out, nearly stumbling to the ground. Lu Huaizheng slammed his door shut and immediately started reprimanding her: “Don’t you know to wait until the car stops before opening the door? Do I need to teach you this basic principle?”

Yu Hao ignored him, taking the materials from the back seat and turning to leave.

Lu Huaizheng pulled her back, completely disregarding whether Shen Xiyuan was present or not. “What are you being temperamental about? Stand properly!”

Yu Hao was being held upright.

Just then, Sun Kai and others were preparing for training, slowly gathering around them. With a smile, he scanned the scene and asked Lu Huaizheng: “Shao Feng has been looking for you all noon, saying you haven’t taken your medicine today.” After saying this, his gaze swept over the other two, noticing they had just returned from outside. “You went out?”

Lu Huaizheng lowered his head to look at Yu Hao and gave a faint “Mm” in response.

Hearing this, Yu Hao suddenly raised her head, her alarmed eyes meeting his calm, deep black gaze.

Hasn’t taken his medicine?

His expression remained unchanged.

Seeing that this man was clearly in a scolding mood, Sun Kai didn’t dare to interfere. He waved his hand, preparing to leave with his group.

Lu Huaizheng called out to him: “Wait.”

“Huh?” Sun Kai turned back.

The sun blazed fiercely, but Lu Huaizheng’s gaze was even hotter, fixed directly on Yu Hao alone. After a while, he finally withdrew his gaze and looked at the consistently poised and dignified Shen Xiyuan standing nearby. Introducing him to Sun Kai, he said: “This is Shen Xiyuan, Yu Hao’s senior, sent by Professor Han. Take him to the room next to mine to drop off his things first. I’ll go report to headquarters later.”

Sun Kai nodded and came over to lead the way.

Unexpectedly, Shen Xiyuan, now recovered, looked directly at Yu Hao and asked: “Junior, are you coming along?”

Before Yu Hao could answer, Lu Huaizheng immediately said: “She’ll come later.”

Shen Xiyuan ignored him and waited for Yu Hao’s answer.

Yu Hao hesitated for a moment, then said: “Senior, you go ahead. I’ll come find you later.”

Shen Xiyuan smiled faintly, full of grace: “Alright.”

Sun Kai led Shen Xiyuan towards the dormitory building, while the others went for training. Only the two of them were left in the square, with the sun beating down intensely.

Yu Hao asked first: “You didn’t take your medicine today? Didn’t you say you had?”

The sun was strong in the square. Lu Huaizheng turned slightly, sheltering Yu Hao in his shadow, covering her completely before casually replying: “I’ll take it in a bit.”

Yu Hao didn’t notice these details, only seeing his casual attitude. She glared at him in exasperation, and couldn’t help but kick him hard: “Why don’t you just stop taking it altogether! End it all at once, so I don’t have to worry about you every day!”

Lu Huaizheng didn’t dodge. The heel of her high-heeled shoe forcefully and unexpectedly struck his calf. That kick was truly powerful.

He didn’t move but drew in a sharp breath, grimacing for a moment.

Normally, such a blow wouldn’t have prevented him from moving, but perhaps due to the medication these days, his physical condition wasn’t as good as before. Being kicked like that by Yu Hao, he felt a shooting pain. If he hadn’t endured it strongly, he might have cried out in pain.

By the time he looked up again, the girl had already marched off with her head held high. He leaned against the car door, smiling helplessly.

The next day.

Lu Huaizheng and Sun Kai entered the canteen after training, seeing Yu Hao and Shen Xiyuan sitting face to face eating. Sun Kai sat down at a nearby table, secretly observing Lu Huaizheng, his mind full of questions. Holding his chopsticks, he whispered in Lu Huaizheng’s ear: “So after all that, you brought back a rival in love for yourself?” At this, he gave Lu Huaizheng a thumbs up, both mocking and admiring: “In terms of magnanimity, I still admire you.”

Lu Huaizheng lowered his head expressionlessly: “No need to bother yourself with my affairs, you should worry about your own.”

Sun Kai was stunned, clicking his tongue, “What do you mean?”

Lu Huaizheng displayed his usual faint smile.

This man, when expressionless, was usually not angry; when truly angry, his face would wear this kind of bland smile, which made Sun Kai’s heart tremble: “I ran into Xu Yan Luo today. She asked me, ‘Why hasn’t Captain Sun come to see me for so long?'”

Sun Kai was frightened. “What did you tell her?”

“I said, ‘Your Captain Sun just had a big fat baby boy and is at home taking care of the child.'” Lu Huaizheng glanced at him with a cold smile.

“Damn, what’s with this Xu Yan Luo! Just because I saved her once, does she have to pledge herself to me?”

Lu Huaizheng’s gaze, however, was fixed elsewhere as he said softly: “The girl is stubborn in her beliefs. Find some time to clear things up with her.”

Sun Kai raised an eyebrow, with a righteous, martyred expression: “Fine, I’ll go tell her tomorrow. I’ll tell her everything that happened that night in detail. ‘Miss Xu the man who dug you out of the mudslide that night wasn’t me. The man who supported the roof beam for two hours wasn’t me either. I was just responsible for digging some dirt on the side. That heroic and great man is the one beside me…'”

“Sure,” Lu Huaizheng finally withdrew his gaze, giving him a cold sidelong glance. “Go ahead and say it if you want to die.”

Sun Kai clicked his tongue, no longer joking, and said sullenly: “What’s going on between you and Yu Hao these days? Don’t you feel bad seeing her coming and going with that Shen guy all the time?”

What could he do if he felt bad?

He was the one who had brought the man back himself. Even if he was jealous and angry, he had to endure it. His relationship with Yu Hao was already uncertain, and he had no right to demand that they not associate with each other.

From beginning to end in this matter, he had never blamed anyone. After that day, when the leader called, he was also severely reprimanded for how someone could have exploited this gap. During daily training, it was emphasized over and over to prevent being ambushed. That day, he had truly lost his mind.

He didn’t blame anyone but himself.

Sun Kai half-jokingly suggested: “How about we tie him up and beat him to make you feel better?”

Though knowing it was a joke, Lu Huaizheng couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “What’s wrong with you? Don’t forget your own identity. Besides, could Shen Xiyuan’s physique withstand even a few blows from you?”

Sun Kai strongly agreed with this.

The two on the other side had already stood up.

The two were saying something, Yu Hao smiled a bit, and Shen Xiyuan habitually stroked her hair before they walked “intimately” out of the canteen.

After the two had walked some distance.

A thunderous sound erupted from the entrance of the canteen, a crash that concealed immense anger.

“Bang!”

Someone had kicked over a row of chairs.

…

There was just over half a week left of the training period in Yunnan.

Shen Xiyuan had originally said he would leave on the third day, but upon hearing that Yu Hao and her group would also be returning soon, he decided to stay for two more days, conveniently avoiding the need to transfer during the journey. This matter required Lu Huaizheng’s approval. Instructor Tang went to consult with Lu Huaizheng, who was leading a group of people at the border doing final work.

Upon hearing that Shen Xiyuan would leave a few days later, he narrowed his eyes, his gaze falling on the misty mountain scenery ahead. With his hand on his waist, he snorted: “He certainly doesn’t treat himself like an outsider.”

Instructor Tang said: “Your leader has also called. Shen Xiyuan is a full professor after all, and since this trip is official business, we should help out if we can. He got so sick coming up here, he probably has some psychological shadow about going back down.”

Lu Huaizheng: “What does Yu Hao say?”

“She’s the one who came to ask.”

“Fine, then let it be as she wishes.” Lu Huaizheng turned his head to look elsewhere without showing any emotion.

The last two days were customarily reserved for practical combat exercises, requiring them to set up tents and stay on the border.

Only Instructor Tang, a few sentries, two psychologists, and the later-arrived Shen Xiyuan remained at the base.

That afternoon, Shen Xiyuan was writing a research report in the dormitory, while Yu Hao and Zhao Dailin were having a video conference with Professor Han from Beijing, discussing Lu Huaizheng’s psychological treatment from two years ago.

Professor Han has reviewed all of Di Yanni’s papers published in domestic and international journals over the past few years. The content was bold, the rhetoric indeed ahead of its time. All of her research projects were indeed among the most controversial in the field of psychology in recent years.

Among them, the most famous was the Stanford Prison Experiment.

This experiment, completed in 1971, has been quite controversial in the history of psychology.

They used coins to randomly assign Stanford Prison Experiment volunteers as guards or prisoners, and in this observation, they found that any “guard” would abuse prisoners under specific circumstances, even though they were all psychologically very healthy, normal college students in their daily lives. Zimbardo explained it as – “certain specific situations will inevitably turn good people bad,” while a considerable number of psychologists believed that when Zimbardo conducted this experiment, he encouraged the experimenters and led the prison guards in their abusive behavior toward the prisoners.

This experiment is referred to as a dark area in the history of psychology, and generally, no one dares to touch it.

In a report earlier this year, Di Yanni seemed to have brought this experiment out for comparison again, even using data and was reportedly planning to gather several physically and mentally healthy college students to revalidate this experiment.

Due to the controversial nature of the topic, this matter quickly gained a lot of attention on Weibo, and there was even a group of Di Yanni’s “loyal fans” who were always willing to defend Di Yanni’s bold science.

This was the most astounding part of the whole issue so far.

Di Yanni’s Weibo follower count had exceeded one million.

Zhao Dailin indignantly said: “Di Yanni is now arguing that human nature is inherently evil! You know, once this view is confirmed by her, think about how much malice will come from this world!”

Professor Han nodded, “Let’s put this matter aside for now. Let’s organize her experimental reports from the past few years as soon as possible. I contacted Professor Marcy Eddie a few days ago. He still admires Di Yanni but might be more cautious in his rhetoric. This matter isn’t that difficult, so don’t panic. Yu Hao, how is Lu Huaizheng’s physical condition recently?”

She hadn’t seen him for several days, only knowing from Shao Feng that he was taking his medication on schedule.

“Should be fine, I guess?”

Zhao Dailin was organizing materials, putting them in a folder, and casually mentioned: “I heard they’re going for a combat exercise later, and will have to set up tents for two nights. You didn’t know? By the time they come back, we should also be about ready to return.”

“How do you know?” Yu Hao was surprised.

Zhao Dailin muttered: “Sun Kai told me.” She frowned suspiciously, looking down at her watch: “They should be departing about now, right? I just saw them gathering.”