Commander Lu was both amused and exasperated. “Xiao Chen, stop beating around the bush.”
“Alright, I’ll open them and show you.”
With that, the large crates were promptly unlocked.
When Commander Lu and the Lin father and son saw what was inside, they were utterly stunned.
“This… this is…” Lin Chushi was so shocked he stepped forward for a closer look.
Guns, ammunition, and so many gold bars.
Were these left behind when the R-country army retreated?
Commander Lu also stepped forward to examine the contents and spotted the letter.
“Xiao Chen, Zexi, it seems you’ve accomplished more than just one meritorious deed this time.”
“In fact, it’s a tremendous contribution.”
“Do you realize the value of these things goes far beyond what meets the eye?”
“The significance is immense.”
“Your luck is truly remarkable. Zexi, your family’s dogs are really something else.” Commander Lu couldn’t help but give a thumbs-up.
Earlier, when Chen Han mentioned that the bombs buried by the drug cartel had all been sniffed out by Zexi’s dogs, Commander Lu had already thought it was a shame the dogs weren’t serving as military K-9s.
And now, the dogs had even managed to detect bombs hidden underwater, leading Chen Han and Sheng Zexi to these crates.
It was clear-these dogs had to become military K-9s! And they had to be rewarded!
“Xiao Chen, Zexi, just wait for the commendation from higher-ups. You might even receive a First-Class Merit,” Commander Lu praised.
Meanwhile, the Lin father and son were seething with envy.
Originally, Chen Han and Sheng Zexi capturing the drug cartel had already cost them face and credibility, even resulting in Lin Chushi receiving a demerit.
But now, Chen Han and Sheng Zexi had dredged up military supplies and gold bars left behind by the R-country army from the seabed.
The significance and merit of this discovery were not lost on them.
Why did such achievements always fall into the hands of the people they despised the most?
Why couldn’t it be them?
Even sharing a fraction of the credit would have been something.
Especially since the Lin family had been entrenched on Huansha Island for years—shouldn’t they have been the ones to make this discovery?
Of course, what the Lin father and son saw went even deeper.
Particularly for Lin Chushi.
As he stared at the military supplies and gold bars…
If he had found these privately, without anyone else knowing, he wouldn’t have been foolish enough to hand them over.
Keeping these resources for the Lin family’s development would have been far more valuable than any First-Class Merit.
That’s right—had Lin Chushi found these first, his immediate thought would have been to claim them for himself.
But alas…
These items had lain at the bottom of Huansha Island’s waters for years, yet it was Sheng Zexi—someone who had only arrived on the island less than six months ago—who stumbled upon them.
Their luck was simply infuriating.
In the end, the crates and the drug cartel members were handed over to Commander Lu for processing.
Naturally, he would also report the matter to higher authorities.
Of course, there would be some routine inquiries into Chen Han, Sheng Zexi, and the others involved.
Standard procedure.
As for Sheng Zexi, he could finally return home—with Amber and her pups in tow.
Amber and her little ones had worked hard for a long time and were now exhausted.
As for merits and rewards, he wasn’t overly concerned.
He was in a hurry to get back, worried that Ningning would be anxious.
Sure enough, from a distance, he could see that while the other houses in the residential compound were dark, his own home was still brightly lit.
Sheng Zexi’s heart warmed at the sight.
Was Ningning waiting for him to come home?
Without realizing it, he quickened his pace.
Sure enough, just as he was about to reach the courtyard gate—
The gate suddenly swung open, and the slender figure of a woman appeared in the doorway.
“You’re back?” Gu Jianing’s face lit up with joy when she saw the man outside.
“I just heard footsteps—they sounded like yours, so I…”
Before she could finish, Sheng Zexi strode forward and pulled her into his arms.
Amber and her pups: Aiyaya, the master and mistress are being lovey-dovey again.
Amber shot a glance at her curious pups and quickly herded them inside, leaving the couple to their moment.
Gu Jianing noticed Amber first.
“Amber, I’ve prepared food for all of you. Don’t forget to eat.”
Amber barked in acknowledgment.
In no time, she and the pups had vanished.
Meanwhile, Sheng Zexi buried his face in the crook of his wife’s neck, breathing in the faint fragrance of her hair. A sense of peace, deeper than ever before, settled over him. “I’m home, sweetheart.”
“Come inside. I’ve heated water for your bath.”
“And you must be hungry after working all night. Go wash up, and I’ll make you a bowl of noodles.” Gu Jianing had everything arranged.
“Alright, I’ll go shower first.”
“Mm.”
“Wait.”
Just as Gu Jianing turned toward the kitchen, Sheng Zexi caught her hand. Under her puzzled gaze, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
Gu Jianing bit back a smile. This man…
“Alright, go on.”
“Mm.” She turned toward the kitchen, unaware of the tender, adoring gaze that followed her under the silvery moonlight.
Sheng Zexi headed off to bathe.
The shower refreshed him instantly.
He was particular about cleanliness—if possible, he preferred to shower daily.
Unless, of course, a mission left him no choice.
By the time he finished, Gu Jianing was just about to bring out the freshly cooked noodles.
“Let me.”
The bowl was filled to the brim, topped with a perfectly fried egg. Steam rose invitingly, but Sheng Zexi took it from her, worried she might burn herself.
At the small table in the living room, the couple sat facing each other.
Sheng Zexi asked, “Where are the kids? Asleep?”
“Mm, both of them. They insisted on waiting up for you, but you know how easily children get sleepy. They dozed off in the living room, so I carried them to bed.” Gu Jianing spoke softly.
Before she could say more, Sheng Zexi lifted a bite of noodles to her lips.
Gu Jianing paused, then smiled and accepted the offering.
It was his habit—always giving her the first taste of whatever he ate.
A ritual that had long become second nature.
After she took the first bite, Sheng Zexi dug in eagerly.
After a night of work and no dinner, he was starving.
“Slow down, don’t rush,” Gu Jianing fretted, afraid he’d scald himself.
Sheng Zexi shook his head, signaling he’d be careful.
“Sweetheart, your noodles are delicious.”
Gu Jianing laughed.
She couldn’t cook much else—whenever Sheng Zexi was home, he handled the meals.
Her specialty was noodles.
Maybe because she made them so often, but they’d turned out pretty good lately.
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