Yan Xiaoxi laughed, "So many of you, are you suggesting we go back to a matriarchal society?"

Everyone burst into laughter at his words, and then the topic faded away.

After dinner, there was still some time before eight o’clock, and a group of men gathered around Yan Xiaoxi and Shu Ran, chatting.

Upon hearing that Shu Ran was the mother of former Special Forces Captain Qin and Lieutenant Qin, everyone was amazed and started to gossip eagerly.

"Are Captain Qin and Lieutenant Qin really biological brothers?"

"They don’t look alike at all."

"For example, their skin tones—one is bronze, and the other is so pale it doesn’t tan."

"Lieutenant Qin must be the biological one, right?"

"Yes, yes, Lieutenant Qin looks a lot like Mrs. Qin. Was Captain Qin adopted?"

...

Shu Ran, "..."

She was completely taken aback that a group of men could gossip like this; she could barely handle it.

Thinking of the temper of the second kid, in front of him, how do I even look like a mother? Such a low status—

"Indeed, Captain Qin was adopted; he’s not biological."

Yan Xiaoxi listened on the side, seeing Aunt Shu’s expression, he knew she was joking.

But honestly, Mr. Qin and Lawyer Qin really don’t look alike, not just in their appearances, but even their personalities are completely different. One hides a dagger behind a smile, the other is as cold as ice...

However, it seems we’re getting off-topic. Weren’t we supposed to be discussing the Mayor?

Yan Xiaoxi gently coughed, "So, what about the former Warhawk Team leader?"

Mentioning the former Warhawk Team leader, the conversation picked up again.

"Are you talking about Leader Dong or Leader Huo?"

Yan Xiaoxi was stunned for a moment, realizing there were two leaders.

But since they were here for the Mayor’s feature, "Leader Huo..."

Hearing this, Shu Ran quickly chimed in from the side, "We’re talking about Leader Dong."

Mentioning Leader Dong, everyone recently heard that he was still alive and now goes by the name Jin Bo, serving as the Mayor in Hong Kong city.

The topic livened up once more.

"Leader Dong, to be honest, is a bit mysterious."

"Yes, it feels like no one really knows him, but he’s certainly impressive; otherwise, how could he be the leader, right?"

"Speaking of which, seven years ago, when the aircraft incident happened, it’s unknown how Leader Dong survived."

...

Yan Xiaoxi listened from the side, and upon hearing about the aircraft incident, his chest suddenly tightened for some unknown reason.

"Why did it happen?"

"There was a malfunction with the aircraft. It’s said that none of the Special Forces members on board survived, and when it exploded, a red mushroom cloud rose over the entire live-fire exercise site..."

Listening to this, Yan Xiaoxi was quite moved, not expecting him to have such experiences.

The conversation hadn’t ended when it soon reached eight o’clock, the bugle sounded, marking the start of military training.

They also joined in.

Yan Xiaoxi silenced his phone, placed it in the phone storage area, and participated in individual drill movements with Shu Ran.

They initially thought it would be simple, but when training started, they realized they were wrong.

The instructor looked at the crowd from the front, seeing the new members joining, he spoke gravely, "The training of standardized drill movements in subdivisions is one of the common subject training components. It aims to correct military posture, maintain a well-presented military appearance, develop the habit of uniformity, command obedience, and strict discipline, and to foster a rapid, accurate, and coordinated style, laying a good foundation for mastering technical and tactical movements."

Yan Xiaoxi stood below, hearing this, and couldn’t help but feel a sense of solemnity and sacredness.

It’s a feeling you only get in the military.

Moreover, thinking of the word ’sacred,’ the image of an old man’s imaginary figure in a military uniform flashed through his mind!