"It was definitely police, right?"

"I heard the same thing. It was definitely 'police'."

"Could it be politics?"

"If it was politics, Zhang Zhuoyuan wouldn't have reacted that way."

The two fell silent for a moment, then spoke in unison, "This Shi Jin's problem is too big/has a problem."

They both paused for a few seconds, then Meng Qing spoke first and asked, "Do you have any ideas?"

"According to the information we currently have," Qi Yun replied, "the person who entered at this time could be the young master of Ruihang, the younger brother of Colonel Xiang, the employer or relative of Fei Yujing. He holds too many chips and can bring too much benefit to Lian Jun. From our standpoint, his appearance is not good."

Meng Qing said, "We must first determine what kind of school Shi Jin is attending. At this critical moment, it is not suitable to deepen our relationship with the authorities."

Qi Yun pondered and asked, "Old Meng, do you think Shi Jin deliberately revealed this information to divert our attention to him and ignore Lian Jun? Is there any other hidden information about Lian Jun not attending the conference this year?"

"Such as?"

"Such as Lian Jun didn't skip the meeting because he didn't want to come, but because he couldn't. Lian Jun's health has never been good, and maybe his illness is real and even a bit serious. Shi Jin intentionally used this as a smokescreen to cover up his own situation."

Meng Qing frowned and said, "I also thought about this possibility, but regardless of whether it's a smokescreen or not, the things Shi Jin revealed are all true. With Shi Jin's background, even if Lian Jun really had an accident, the strength of the organization wouldn't weaken in a short period of time. If Shi Jin is really a person within the system, then without Lian Jun, the organization may even be officially accepted and become stronger. From this perspective, it's more advantageous for us if Lian Jun didn't have an accident than if he did."

Qi Yun remained silent, pondering with furrowed brows. "Zhang Zhuoyuan's attitude towards Shi Jin is also very suspicious, too protective. I am now more worried about a possibility."

"What possibility?"

"Suppose Shi Jin is an official planted by the government next to Lian Jun, with the aim of infiltrating and destroying from within. And the government has already succeeded in infiltrating, and now they are trying to test the waters to change the dynasty with Annihilation. "

Qi Yun understood his meaning, his expression sank, and said: "It does seem like something the government would do to infiltrate and undermine from within, but would Lian Jun be so foolish as to fall for a young man?"

"Heroes are vulnerable to the beauty of women, and Lian Jun is still young." Meng Qing pondered for a few seconds and said, "Speculating endlessly is of no use. Let's wait and see what happens. I will contact Lu Shan and see if she can get any more information from Shi Jin."

Qi Yun answered with a sound and hung up the phone, looking through the window in the direction of the officials' ship, frowning in thought.

......

In the afternoon, when the meeting began, Shi Jin used the materials as a cushion and slept on the conference table.

Lu Shan, who was ordered by Meng Qing to sound out Shi Jin: "..."

Meng Qing, who was preparing to observe the relationship between Shi Jin and Zhang Zhuoyuan: "..."

Qi Yun, who was preparing to find an opportunity to chat with Shi Jin and sound him out: "..."

Shi Jin slept for the whole afternoon without moving a muscle, like a corpse, until Zhang Zhuoyuan announced the end of the meeting and he suddenly sat up, picked up the materials, and was the first to leave the conference room.

The other leaders looked at him with faces as if they had just eaten shit. Qi Yun stood up and hurried over to ask Shi Jin out for a meal and gather some intelligence. But just as he approached, Xiang Aoting came over to greet Shi Jin and said, "I have already asked my old comrade from the police academy. Students who miss training due to missions can still earn credits and graduate without any problems. Don't worry."

Shi Jin breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "That's good. I thought I had to make up for the credits. It's a pity that I missed the first training in college."

Xiang Aoting comforted him, "It's okay. There will be other opportunities in the future."

The two brothers continued to chat as they walked away, while Qi Yun stood still, digesting Xiang Aoting's words. He furrowed his brows slightly and then turned and left.

......

As they turned the corner, Shi Jin's smile faded and he asked, "Are you sure Qi Yun heard us?"

Nodding, Xiang Aoting furrowed his brow and asked, "Why did you intentionally reveal your school information? It could affect your safety."

"It's okay, I won't have any problems. The most important thing now is to help Annihilation and Lian Jun buy some time," Shi Jin replied, moving his stiff neck after lying down for the afternoon. "By leaking the news that I'm studying at the police academy, those people will probably think more... Oh, by the way, where are Seond Brother and the others? Why aren't they on the deck?"

"They're waiting for you in the dining room," Xiang Aoting answered, looking at his tired face and reaching out to pat his head.

......

Qi Yun had indeed overthought the situation, and even more than Shi Jin's plan. After returning to the ship, he immediately contacted his three other allies to exchange information.

"Mission and police academy, I'm sure I heard those two words. A police academy student suddenly becomes Lian Jun's partner, and Lian Jun even gave him a large sum of assets to marry him. He even promoted him to deputy leader and let him attend meetings. Do you believe this story?"

"I don't believe it," Yuan Peng replied.

Lu Shan and Meng Qing remained silent.

"Perhaps Old Meng's morning speculation is correct. Shi Jin is a pawn inserted by the government to control Lian Jun and ultimately, the rebellion. Did you notice that Shi Jin only brought Number Two on board this time? Lian Jun's most trusted confidant, Number One, never appeared. I think Lian Jun may have been placed under house arrest by the government," Qi Yun shared his thoughts.

Lu Shan retorted, "If Shi Jin is really a pawn of the authorities, then why would he display all this information to us in such a high-profile manner? If he and the authorities have a conspiracy, shouldn't they keep this information hidden? Qi Yun, Meng Qing, you're overthinking it. I believe Shi Jin is telling the truth. He's not an official, just someone who happens to have connections with them and happened to attend police academy, with a few capable relatives.

"I lean towards the theory that Shi Jin is a red herring planted by Lian Jun. Perhaps Lian Jun is on his deathbed and wants to scare us into thinking we're onto something, so he's using Shi Jin as a distraction. We should focus on catching them off guard and not worry about Shi Jin."

"Lu Shan, don't overthink and act impulsively. You've been too agitated lately," Meng Qing scolded her gently. "But what you said makes sense. Shi Jin's behavior has been too flashy, not like the officials' style."

Suddenly, Yuan Peng spoke up, "Why bother guessing? Just kill him."

"What?" Lu Shan was the first to speak, realizing her tone was too agitated. She quickly covered up, "Have you forgotten how I was targeted by the officials? Are you crazy?"

"Don't be afraid, as long as the authorities don't know it's us, it'll be fine," said Yuan Peng nonchalantly, with a hint of coldness. "No matter which side he sits on, he will inevitably affect the situation. Whether he helps Lian Jun or the authorities, the end result will be the same - Annihilation and the authorities will be tied together. At that time, who will be able to touch Annihilation, and what will be our fate? Instead of wasting time guessing, if Shi Jin really becomes a pawn of the authorities, or successfully helps Lian Jun deceive them, it's better to just kill him, eliminate all possibilities, and also find out the truth."

Qi Yun and Meng Qing didn't say anything, but it was clear that they were also thinking along the same lines. Lu Shan's heart sank, but she put on an angry face and sneered, "Kill him? Easy to say, but who will take the risk? I think it's you guys who are not calm, being played around by a little kid, how embarrassing!"

Meng Qing couldn't stand her words anymore and her voice became a little deeper as she said, "Lu Shan, although Yuan Peng's suggestion is a bit radical, it is indeed the best solution for now. Shi Jin's background is too strong, no matter which side he helps, he cannot be left alive."

Qi Yun also spoke up, saying, "The best opportunity will be after the meeting ends."

As they had made up their minds, Lu Shan's anger boiled inside her, but she kept a straight face and sarcastically remarked, "You guys are crazy. I've already said that attacking Annihilation now is the best option...but fine, if you want to go kill, then go ahead. I only ask one thing: don't end up not killing anyone and instead expose the four of us. I don't want to give the authorities a second excuse to come after me!"

"Relax," Yuan Peng spoke up again, relishing in the power he held over Lu Shan. "Killing is what I do best."

......

Shi Jin noticed that his progress bar had jumped up, all the way to 600.

Xiao Si was terrified and asked, "Jin Jin, what does this mean? Are those bad guys targeting you?"

"It should be, after all, I am so valuable." Shi Jin looked at his progress bar with no emotion in his heart. "Let's wait for Lu Shan's message first."

A few minutes later, Lu Shan called.

"You naughty boy, you played too big." Lu Shan scolded as soon as she opened her mouth, speaking quickly. "As soon as the news of you going to the police academy came out, Qi Yun and Meng Qing started to speculate endlessly. They even concluded that you were an official planted by the government to control Lian Jun and manipulate the situation in the underworld through you. Your plan was very successful. They don't care about Lian Jun anymore and are focused on getting you. Is this what you wanted?"

Shi Jin replied, "That's good."

"That's good?" Lu Shan asked. "I thought Lian Jun was already daring enough, but you have even more courage. They've decided to find a chance to attack you after the meeting ends. Yuan Peng took the initiative to take on this task, and no matter what, they don't want to let you, this risky variable, return safely to Lian Jun's side. Do you still think this is good?"

"Don't worry, everything will be fine. I anticipated that things would develop this way, so I've already had Number One prepare for it in advance," Shi Jin reassured her. "Aunt Lu, you need to cooperate with them a bit more and not arouse their suspicions. Take care of yourself."

"You..." Lu Shan was slightly relieved when she heard that Number One was already prepared, but still frowned. "Then you need to be careful too. If there's a problem, let me know and keep in touch."

Shi Jin responded with a sound and hung up the phone, looking at his progress bar and clenching his fist. All eyes were now on him. If he could evade this attack and find a way to strike back at the enemy, he could at least buy some breathing room for Young Master Jun during this trip.

Perfect. The real battle was about to begin.

He released his grip and dialed the number for Number One.