Date (First Part)

Receiving the text message, everyone in the club immediately secretly went into action.

In the infirmary, the frowning Uncle Long finished drawing up a list of dietary restrictions and handed it to s.h.i.+ Jin. You can eat out, but he cant touch these foods and alcohol is absolutely forbidden, understood?

Understood, understood, Ill remember. Nodding like a chicken pecking rice, s.h.i.+ Jin took the list, gave it a glance, and put it into his s.h.i.+rt pocket. Is there anything else to pay attention to?

After thinking for a moment, the doctor added, You cant play too late, sleep is very important.

Noted. s.h.i.+ Jin continued to nod, then asked, Can I go now?

Uncle Longs wrinkled eyebrows twitched. Knowing that the teenager was in a hurry, he stopped admonis.h.i.+ng, turned around, and took out the medicine to prevent heatstroke and medicine for motion sickness out of the drawer. Putting them in his hand, he said, Its hot todayremember not to spend too much time outdoors, Jun-shao might not be able to stand it. And have fun.

s.h.i.+ Jin gave him a wide, almost too-dazzling smile and packed the medicines. Thank you, Uncle Long, then Im going now.

Go, go. The old doctor waved his hand in disgust and walked towards the inner room.

Seeing this, s.h.i.+ Jin turned around and rushed outside, itching to get on with it.

Uncle Long looked back as he heard the footsteps, only catching sight of s.h.i.+ Jins back as the young man disappeared through the door. His frown relaxed and a faint smile appeared on his face. A date, huh Ah, to be young again.

When s.h.i.+ Jin returned to the dining room, Lian Jun just took his last sip of soup.

Hurrying over to grab the handles of the wheelchair, he said, Okay, lets go, Gua Two has driven the car out.

Whats the hurry? Lian Jun was amused by his appearance, like a primary school student looking forward to a holiday trip. Leaning back as the young man quickly pushed the wheelchair, he asked, Are you so happy to take revenge against Rong Zhouzhong?

Yes! s.h.i.+ Jin didnt hide his mood at all. Wis.h.i.+ng he could speed up to a run, he said, Rong Zhouzhong is in serious need of a beatingI cant wait to push the centipede pillow into his face.

Lian Juns mouth twitched slightly. Influenced by s.h.i.+ Jins enthusiasm, he suddenly started looking forward to it too.

As the car left the club, s.h.i.+ Jin reported the address of the restaurant where Rong Zhouzhongs birthday dinner was taking place to Gua Two, then took out his tablet and leaned close to Lian Jun. Do you want to play? he asked.

Yes, the other man replied, also taking out the tablet, completely unaware of the little conspiracy between his subordinates and his lover.

The sound effect of mahjong played. About half an hour later, s.h.i.+ Jins cell phone rang. He took it out and frowned. Its my eldest brother. Please help me finish the game, Jun-shao, Ill take the call.

Lian Jun, who also saw the incoming call alert, nodded and took his tablet.

s.h.i.+ Jin moved over to the car door and answered the phone.

{Everything is ready.} Gua Ones voice, deliberately kept low, came from the speaker.

s.h.i.+ Jins eyes lit up, but he immediately put on an unhappy look. Wasnt the party supposed to be in the afternoon? Im already on my way Oh whatever. Forget it, Im not going anymore. Then he hung up.

Lian Jun heard his words and turned to look at him. Whats wrong?

Scowling, s.h.i.+ Jin replied, Rong Zhouzhong got delayed, the party got changed to the evening. We went out for nothing.

Seeing the teenagers disappointed and unhappy face, Lian Jun thought about his earlier excitement and his heart tightened. Leaning over to take his hand, he soothed, Dont be upset, its only pushed back a few hours, isnt it? We didnt go out for nothinghow about I accompany you to play in the meantime?

Yes, he took the bait!

s.h.i.+ Jin shouted happily in his mind, but outwardly, he was still listless. He shook his head, saying, No, its almost time for your nap. Since we have nothing to do this afternoon, theres no point missing itlets just go back to the club.

Lian Juns heart ached even more. Determined to cheer s.h.i.+ Jin up, he turned to look through the window and asked Gua Two, Are there any Annihilation-owned industries around here?

Gua Two pretended to think for a moment. Yes, theres a shopping mall and a hotel with a restaurant ahead, and an indoor swimming pool a little behind us. Where do you want to go, Jun-shao?

After some consideration, Lian Jun said, To the mall.

Yes, sir, Gua Two acknowledged, turning the steering wheel.

s.h.i.+ Jin immediately pretended to try to stop his lover. There are too many people in the mall, its not safe. Or lets just go to the hotel? You can take a nap there.

Its okay, lets go to the mall cinema and watch a movie. Ill have the screening room cleared, it will be completely safe, Lian Jun appeased s.h.i.+ Jin, then spoke Gua Twos name.

Gua Two immediately acknowledged and called Gua Nine.

Gua Nine answered the phone in seconds and acted out a play with Gua Two.

As s.h.i.+ Jin listened to their conversation, he pretended to slowly adjust his mood. After the two arranged the security of the mall and cinema, he looked sideways at Lian Jun and asked, This counts as a date, doesnt it? I mean, were going to watch a movie together

Lian Jun froze. Seeing the expectation and joy in the younger mans eyes, his heart softened. He nodded, saying, I guess Next time, Ill take you to a proper date.

Okay, then Im waiting. s.h.i.+ Jin grinned wide and squeezed Lian Juns hand, then turned to look at the bustling city scenery outside the window, revealing a slightly cunning smile.

Everything is going just as planned. Perfect.

If youre seeing this notice, youre reading this chapter on pirate site the original translator of Death Progress Bar is Betwixted Translations.

They soon arrived at the mall. Under the remote arrangement of Gua Nine, the staff waited at the parking lot entrance. As soon as the car appeared, they greeted them and guided them into the private parking area with a separate elevator, which the party took to the cinema on the fifth floor.

Our people have the cinema lobby covered. You can move freely, Jun-shao, its safe, the person in charge of the shopping mall rushed to report.

Lian Jun nodded, satisfied with the shopping mall staffs quick reaction. After sending the man away, he looked at s.h.i.+ Jin and asked, Do you want to watch a movie now or would you rather go somewhere else first?

No, lets watch a movie, s.h.i.+ Jin replied, grabbing the wheelchair handle bars. Not giving him a chance to speak, he happily rushed through the bustling crowd, heading for the ticket counter.

Gua Two trailed behind them, glancing at the organization members in disguise scattered through the crowd, pretending to be ordinary people. Suppressing a smirk, he hastened his steps and nonchalantly caught up with s.h.i.+ Jin and Lian Jun.

It was the weekend, so the cinema was quite crowded. s.h.i.+ Jin excitedly pushed Lian Jun towards the ticket counter and found the shortest line to line up. Pointing to the popular movie recommendations, he asked, Which one do you want to see? Lets get the couple seats.

The teenagers sudden actions took Lian Jun by surprise and it took him a moment to react. He glanced at the people around them, a frown instinctively appearing on his face. Dont run like that next time, its dangerous.

Isnt it okay? That person just now said we can move freely, s.h.i.+ Jin answered. Thumping his chest, he added, And even if something happens, I will protect you.

Lian Jun wanted to say that with all the safety arrangements, they shouldnt let down their guard. But, seeing s.h.i.+ Jins face full of excitement and joy, he couldnt bear to rain on his parade. Suppressing his discomfort, he gave Gua Two a glance over his shoulder.

Gua Two immediately put on an earnest I understand, I will watch out for trouble expression. In fact, he was quite relaxed as all the arrangements had been taken care of long ago and today, only a small number of people present on the fifth floor were ordinary peoplemost of them were the Annihilation members. As such, security certainly wasnt a problem.

Lian Jun, who thought Gua Two was vigilant and on guard, turned back and looked around again. As his discomfort faded, it was gradually replaced by a feeling of novelty.

He grew up surrounded by protection personnel, living a life far apart from ordinary people. For him, mingling with a crowd like now, choosing a movie and queueing up to buy tickets, was nothing short of a fantasy.

It was noisy and chaotic, and all the people around them were strangers. Everything just screamed of lack of safety, but as he breathed in the scent of popcorn filling the air and listened to s.h.i.+ Jin introducing the movies with relish, he suddenly felt completely at ease.

It was as if his life had finally stabilized, and it gave him a surprising sense of security.

He gave s.h.i.+ Jin, who was clearly at home in their current environment, a sideways glance. He had wanted to say that they didnt actually have to queue up to buy tickets or pick a movie because the cinema had a private screening hall and they could go there directly and choose any movie they liked. But, all of a sudden he didnt want to say it. His expression relaxing, he took his cue from the couple standing in line in front of them and asked, Which one do you think will be good?

s.h.i.+ Jin stopped talking, thought for a moment, and replied, This is our first date, so how about a love movie?

Smiling, Lian Jun said, Sure.

The line moved forward quickly, and soon more people queued up behind them. Not only was Lian Juns appearance outstanding, he also sat in the wheelchair, and there was very good-looking s.h.i.+ Jin standing next to himit didnt take long for them to draw everyones attention.

A young girl spoke to s.h.i.+ Jin, asking for his contact information. Lian Jun unconsciously tensed and his eyebrows wrinkled slightly, but s.h.i.+ Jin put a hand on his shoulder as if inadvertently and replied with a smile, Im sorry, this isnt my brother, hes my boyfriend. I cant give you my contact information because he will be jealous.

His frown smoothing, Lian Jun looked up at s.h.i.+ Jin by his side and took his hand. Its our turn, he said.

Waking up, s.h.i.+ Jin nodded in response, waved goodbye to the girl, and pushed Lian Jun to the ticket counter.

Behind them, the girl exclaimed in disappointment, but with a hint of strange excitement mixed in. Lian Jun heard it, and the corners of his mouth curled up.

As s.h.i.+ Jin stopped by the counter, he suddenly leaned down. Next time we go out, Im going to make you wear a mask, he whispered in Lian Juns ear, then straightened. Smiling at the girl selling tickets, he chose a movie and began to pick seats.

Lian Jun blinked. He couldnt see the top of the ticket counter from his position, so instead of trying, he pulled s.h.i.+ Jins hanging hand, asking, Why?

That girl was talking to me, but she was clearly looking at you, you know? Tsk, you attract bees and b.u.t.terflies wherever you go, s.h.i.+ Jin accused with a mock frown. He took a picture of the seating arrangement with his phone and crouched down to show it to him. Where do you want to sit?

When Lian Jun saw him taking care of himself like this, his smile dimmed a little. If only he could stand next to s.h.i.+ Jin like a normal person, they could choose seats together and

Pick a seat, s.h.i.+ Jin urged him, then stretched out his hand. And cough up the moneyyou made me jealous, so youre punished by paying for the tickets.

Lian Jun came back to himself. Seeing the teenagers pretend anger, he smiled again and pointed to the seats in the back, then touched his pocket. Finding it empty, his expression stiffened for a second. Gua Two, he said, glancing behind.

Gua Two, the invisible attendant, resignedly took out his wallet and handed it over.

Lian Jun took it and opened the cash pocket. How much?

Suppressing a smile, s.h.i.+ Jin pulled the wallet out of his hand and threw it back to Gua Two. Its fine if you didnt bring money, but this is our date, dont make Gua Two pay for it. Do you have a payment app, the kind with your card tied to it? he asked, motioning towards Lian Juns phone.

Lian Jun shook his head. When he wanted to buy something, he just gave a commandhe never paid for anything personally. He had cards, a lot of them, but something like a payment app?

Okay, then Ill pay now and youll give a red envelope later. s.h.i.+ Jin took out his phone and bought the tickets, then pushed Lian Juns wheelchair to the side. After helping him install the payment app on his phone and tying one of his cards to it, he sent himself a small red envelope.

Lian Jun let him do whatever he wanted. Seeing the amount of the red envelope, he asked, Is this much really enough?

Yes. Letting him see the balance of his account on his phone, s.h.i.+ Jin opened the envelope and explained, The red envelope is 200 yuan and the movie tickets cost 130 yuan, so theres still 70 yuan to spend. Ill get us popcorn and drinks.

Lian Jun looked at the phone screen and couldnt help but pinch s.h.i.+ Jins face.

What a low-maintenance loverit only took 200 yuan for him to be satisfied.

After buying popcorn and drinks, s.h.i.+ Jin asked Lian Jun to hold them and, smirking, snapped a picture with his phone, saying it was to commemorate their first date.

Lian Jun took a look at the tub of popcorn in his lap and gave s.h.i.+ Jin a faint smile.

Romantic movies were all fine and good, but they obviously didnt really suit Lian Jun, the big-shot underworld boss, nor were they s.h.i.+ Jins, the mahjong lover, cup of tea.

The girl on the other side of the aisle was already crying. She burrowed into her boyfriends arms and sobbed in a low voice while her boyfriend held her close and tenderly wiped her tears.

Lian Jun looked away, turning his gaze to s.h.i.+ Jin, fast asleep next to him, feeling both helpless and funny. Taking example from the boy, he raised the armrest between the seats and hugged s.h.i.+ Jin, letting him lean on him. He even covered the younger mans ear with his hand so the noise wouldnt bother him.

Gua Two, sitting in the row behind, glanced at their hugging silhouette and munched unenthusiastically at his popcorn, feeling the world was cold and lonely.

After the movie ended, s.h.i.+ Jin stretched out, exclaiming, Ah, what a touching movie.

Really? Did you watch more than ten minutes of it? Lian Jun exposed him ruthlessly, then took a look at the time. Where should we go now?

Sheepish, s.h.i.+ Jin rubbed his face with his hands to recover his spirit. After thinking for a moment, he said, Lets go to the arcade.

Arcade? This confused Lian Jun.

Yes, the game arcade. s.h.i.+ Jin nodded and shook his phone. The popcorn and drinks cost only about 40 yuan. We still have more than 20 yuan to spend, so why dont we go and play games? Im quite good at catching plus.h.i.+es.

Just at that moment, a couple happened to pa.s.s them by, the girl hugging several plush toys and happily kissing the boy.

Lian Jun saw them out of the corner of his eye and his expression slowly turned serious. I think I should be good at it too, he said.

s.h.i.+ Jin, who also watched the couple as, hummed with a smile at his words. Is that so? Then lets competethe loser must obey the winner unconditionally for the whole day today. Are you up for it?

Lian Jun met his eyes and reached to shake his hand. We have a deal.

Today, victory will be mine. Smiling smugly, as if he had already won, s.h.i.+ Jin pushed Lian Jun in the direction of the video arcade.

Gua Two sauntered behind them, his lips curled in a disdainful smileYoure too naive, kid.

Lian Jun suddenly looked back at him, motioning towards the arcade.

Gua Two put on a serious expression in a split of a second. Making an OK gesture, he took out his phone, ostensibly to deal with the security arrangements when in fact he called Gua Three and said, Their next stop: the game arcade. Take care of the claw machine, make sure that s.h.i.+ Jin can win.

{No problem,} Gua Three replied, an audible smile in his voice. The background noise on his side of the call was no longer the incomprehensible language of L country, but familiar Chinese. {Ill make the arrangements right away.}

When they arrived at the video arcade, s.h.i.+ Jin went to buy the tokens. Handing half of them to Lian Jun, he said, I dont think we have enough tokens, we should get more. Hmm can you count cards?

Lian Jun followed his gaze to a card game machine where you could get a payout if you won. Rubbing the tokens in his hand, he nodded. I think I can.

Okay, then lets earn some coins first. s.h.i.+ Jin pushed Lian Jun to the card game machine and threw two tokens in.

Half an hour later, the two, each holding a small basket of tokens, came to the part of the arcade housing the claw machines, and each chose one.

Ready? s.h.i.+ Jin asked.

Lian Jun put his hand on the joystick and nodded. Ready.

The sound effects resounded, accompanied by a camera shutter sound.

Gua Two, who leaned against the corner not far away, lowered the camera in his hand, grumbling, What make up for lost childhood plan, can you be more childish But despite his muttering, a smile unconsciously appeared on his face. As he looked at Lian Jun, absorbed in playing, his heart filled with gratification.

Ordinary peoples life was really very good.

Eight, nine I have nine, what about you? s.h.i.+ Jin counted the plush toys tied along a string, then looked at Lian Jun.

Lian Jun, expressionless, said, This game is rigged against the player.

Tsk-tsk-tsk, its just that your skills are not good enough. s.h.i.+ Jin leaned forward to count the dolls on his lovers lap, then said with a hint of smugness, I won, you only got fourtoday, you have to listen to my every order.

Lian Jun raised a hand and knocked on the teenagers forehead. Dont get carried away.

s.h.i.+ Jin grabbed his hand and, not caring they were in public, planted a kiss on his lips. Let me seal my victory first. Its getting lateshould we go for dinner?

Seeing s.h.i.+ Jins face so close, Lian Jun pursed his lips, then put his arms around his neck and retaliated with a kiss of his own. Okay, where do you want to eat? Ill let someone get a table for us.

They both forgot they didnt actually go there for a date, but to spend time waiting for Rong Zhouzhongs birthday dinner.

s.h.i.+ Jin straightened, but as he was about to trick Lian Jun into going to the next place on the date plan, his phone rang. After taking it out, he saw that the caller was Rong Zhouzhong and his buoyant mood suddenly plummeted. With a glance at Lian Jun, he picked up.

{Where are you?} his third brothers magnetic voice came from the speaker.

s.h.i.+ Jin leaned slightly away and replied, Out. Whats the matter?

{The dinner is at six and its already past five, so Im just making sure where you are,} Rong Zhouzhong explained. Abruptly, his tone of voice changed and he said darkly, {Im warning you, s.h.i.+ Jinsince you promised to come, dont try to stand me up. If you dare to, see if I dont sic my fans on you.}

Both s.h.i.+ Jins eyebrows and heart jumped, and he silently complainedRong Zhouzhong didnt have to be so vicious, did he? After a moment of consideration, he said, Am I that kind of person? Just wait, Ill be here on time, along with your present. He hung up and turned to Lian Jun.

Who was calling? the other man asked.

My third brother. He just solemnly apologized to me and urged me to attend his birthday party, s.h.i.+ Jin replied. Crouching down so Lian Jun didnt have to look up at him, he said reluctantly, It seems you dont need to make arrangements for dinner.

Lian Juns mood, which soared the whole afternoon, fell a little, returning to a more normal level. Digging out some of his usual rationality, he appeased, Its fine, let me take you out for dinner next time.

His heart soft, s.h.i.+ Jin kissed him again.

More than half an hour later, Gua Two stopped the car in front of Kins.h.i.+p Restaurant.

s.h.i.+ Jin, who got out first, saw a familiar figure waiting at the door and called out, Fourth Brother.

Xiang Aoting looked over at once. Seeing s.h.i.+ Jin, the expression on his face lightened. Promptly stepping forward, he said, You came. Are you hungry? Lets go inside. Eldest Brother and Third Brother have already arrived, Second Brother and Fifth Brother should be here soon.

Wait, Fei Yujing is coming? When did he return to the country?

Though surprised, s.h.i.+ Jin put off his questions for later. Wait a moment, I brought my boyfriend, let me help him get out of the car, he said to Xiang Aoting, then went around to the other side of the car, opened the door, pulled out the wheelchair, and helped Lian Jun move into it.

h.e.l.lo. After settling in the wheelchair, Lian Jun politely nodded to Xiang Aoting in a greeting.

When Xiang Aoting saw Lian Jun, the smile on his face disappeared, replaced by a frown. However, he didnt comment, only nodded in response. Gesturing towards the entrance, he said, Come in, please. Third Brother booked the whole restaurant, so you can rest a.s.sured there will be no outsiders here today.

s.h.i.+ Jin was quite satisfied with the arrangements. He took the gift prepared for Rong Zhouzhong from the trunk of the car and asked Lian Jun to hold it, then took the handles of the wheelchair and followed Xiang Aoting into the restaurant.

Since he didnt have a gift box, just an ordinary shopping bag, his brother could see the pillow stuffed inside at a glance. Whats this? he asked, curious.

Third Brothers birthday present, s.h.i.+ Jin answered honestly.

Xiang Aoting froze for a second, then an expression of amus.e.m.e.nt mixed with helplessness appeared on his face. Arent you almost a college student? Why are you still so childish? You know that Third Brother Never mind, do you really plan to go to a police academy? Which one?

s.h.i.+ Jin spoke the name of the school and not a word more.

Xiang Aoting didnt take it to heart. After thinking for a moment, he said, That school is very good. Several of my comrades-in-arms went to work there after they retired, Ill ask them to watch after you. Police school starts earlier than other universities, so remember not to let go of your exercises during summer or you might not be able to keep up during the military training.

s.h.i.+ Jin said he understood and thanked him politely, still refusing to say more than absolutely necessary.

Noticing his coldness towards him, Xiang Aoting sighed in his heart. Since the door to the private room was already visible, he stopped talking and stepped forward to open it so s.h.i.+ Jin and Lian Jun could enter.