Chapter 11: Of Course... We’re Poor!

“Hehe, my electronic pet is angry. If I don’t chat with it soon, it’s going to explode,” the voice echoed in my mind like a sonic bomb.

Chen Min instantly grew curious about Mo Qianxun’s electronic pet. Could it be some kind of digital companion?

When Chen Min picked up Mo Qianxun’s phone, she saw in the center of the black screen a little figure puffed up with anger.

“Here, your electronic pet!” Chen Min handed the phone back to Mo Qianxun.

Mo Qianxun placed the phone face-up on her belly, so 008 could at least bask in the sun with them.

After about ten minutes of quiet, Mo Qianxun opened her eyes and gazed at the deep blue sky. “It’s been such a long time since I looked up at the sky so peacefully.”

Chen Min raised her head to the sky. “Yeah, we train until midnight every day. There’s hardly any time to just calmly admire the stars.”

“You’re all elite soldiers, right? Still, you have to train so intensely?”

“What do you expect? Daily workouts are essential. Sometimes we have missions, and after completing them, we get only one day off to rest before focusing on targeted training to address our weaknesses discovered during the mission.” Chen Min shivered as if recalling something and fell silent.

“What’s on your mind that scared you so much?” Mo Qianxun asked, intrigued by Chen Min’s expression.

Chen Min said nothing. There was no way she would share her embarrassing past with anyone!

“Chen Min used to be terrified of snakes. Once during a mission in a primeval forest—you know how those places are, full of snakes, insects, and rodents—she was nearly scared to death by a small snake. After the mission, her team leader launched a specialized training program targeting her fear of snakes. The whole training ground echoed with her screams for days,” Lu Tao said, laughing as he recounted the story.

“We could tell just by the noise from the neighboring training ground when their leader was handling the snakes again. You can’t imagine how terrible those screams were...” Lu Tao hadn’t finished before Chen Min nudged him sharply.

Catching Chen Min’s warning glare, Lu Tao fell silent.

Well, everything that needed to be said had been said. The rest was for Mo Qianxun to understand on her own.

Mo Qianxun’s eyes changed instantly. “Oh~ So Instructor Chen is afraid of snakes!”

“Everyone has something they fear. I refuse to believe you don’t,” Chen Min squinted at Mo Qianxun. “Come on, tell me what you’re afraid of, and we’ll tailor a training program just for you.”

Mo Qianxun: …This is it!

“I—I've been tough since childhood. There’s nothing I fear. Ridiculous,” Mo Qianxun huffed proudly.

But 008, which had been silent until now, finally spoke up: [I know, I know what she fears.]

“008!” Mo Qianxun reached for her phone to warn 008 to stop talking, but Chen Min snatched it away.

“Your electronic pet is honest. Come on, little cutie, tell big sis what she fears most.”

A spark flashed in 008’s eyes, and before Chen Min could react, it said: [Host’s greatest fear, of course, is… being poor! Hahahahaha!]

Mo Qianxun: …

Chen Min was at a loss for words.

Mo Qianxun just lay back flat. “Exactly, my biggest fear is poverty. If you want to design a targeted training for that, you’d probably have to throw money at me until I’m cured!”

“Fine, I’ll head to the bank later for a thousand coins to fulfill your wish,” Chen Min rolled her eyes.

Lu Tao glanced at Chen Min and said, “There’s another way to overcome the fear of poverty. As the saying goes, once you get used to it, you won’t fear it anymore. If you live in poverty long enough, you just get used to it.”

Mo Qianxun stared at Lu Tao in horror. “Instructor Lu, are you a demon?”

“The best way to conquer fear is to face it head-on!”

Mo Qianxun sat up straight and declared seriously, “Fear? That’s a joke. Even in poverty, I will rely on my own hands and feet to claw my way out, step by step.”

Lu Tao nodded approvingly and patted Mo Qianxun’s head. “Good. With determination like that, I’m sure you’ll get through the obstacle and weight training today. Keep it up.”

Mo Qianxun looked to Chen Min, who nodded in agreement.

Taking back her phone, Mo Qianxun stared at 008 on the screen, feeling both helpless and resigned. She had made a mistake—if she had known this kind of brutal training was ahead, she might as well have wished for lightning to strike her.

008 looked at Mo Qianxun with sympathy. “Host, hang in there! It’s all on you now if you want to make the year-end performance list.”

When the break ended, Mo Qianxun began her grueling training session, though, considering she had to deliver food early the next morning, she didn’t push herself too hard.

Inside Zhao Jianguo’s office, his secretary stood across from him, holding a report she had just handed over.

“General, according to the investigation, the two have not had direct contact. However, when we interviewed Anxin’s friends, a girl named Zhao Lin said she saw Mo Qianxun once in the cafeteria with Anxin. Anxin’s demeanor seemed off—there was suspicion and fear on her face.”

“What is she afraid of?”

“When we spoke to neighbors around the An family, a rumor surfaced. Anxin doesn’t resemble the other members of the An family, especially as she’s grown older—she doesn’t look like the couple at all. They suspect Anxin might not be their daughter.”

Zhao Jianguo paused for two seconds while flipping through the report. “Continue.”

“When our team talked to the An family’s servant, they confirmed that Anxin increasingly doesn’t resemble An Junjie and his wife. Instead, she looks more like a close friend of Mrs. An, who treats Anxin with unconditional kindness and support.”

Zhao Jianguo put down the report and looked at his assistant. “What’s the status of the An couple?”

“They seem to have noticed something’s wrong and have started their own secret investigation.”

Zhao Jianguo nodded. “Stir things up a bit. Find out if Anxin is really the An couple’s daughter. Also, let them know what Anxin has been up to. Even if Qianxun isn’t their daughter, we must help her seek justice.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Take the investigation results to Qianxun later. If she agrees, arrange a secret paternity test without letting the An family know. If the An couple insists on protecting Anxin, tell Qianxun she’s smart enough to decide whether to go back.”

The secretary nodded. “Understood.”

“Go now.”