RMM – Chapter 83 Laying Down the Law

Shi Yuechen repeatedly declined the suggestion to hold a welcome party for him.

When he left the Special Forces unit, they didn’t hold a farewell party—so what’s the point of a welcome party now? He wasn’t here on vacation. Besides, with Shi Yuechen’s calm and low-key nature, he wasn’t one for such fanfare.

Back at the house, he casually organized the things he brought. He didn’t bother unpacking much else.

The place had clearly been thoroughly cleaned before his arrival. The windows sparkled, and everything was spotless. The bedding and toiletries were all brand new.

Shi Yuechen felt quite satisfied. He had mild mysophobia and absolutely refused to use anything that had been used by others—especially personal items.

It didn’t take long for everything to be settled, mainly because he didn’t bring much.

He took out his phone, which had been off all day, powered it on, and dialed his home number. It was quickly picked up.

Shen Liang had called several times earlier in the day, but each time the phone had been off. Knowing her son was probably busy after just arriving, she didn’t persist. Still, she sat in the living room all evening, not going upstairs.

Everyone knew she was waiting for Shi Yuechen’s call and was silently concerned for him. So no one went upstairs; they just sat around chatting to pass the time.

Shen Liang picked up the phone and first asked about every little detail, only handing the phone over to Shi Yuehui once she was satisfied.

Shi Jian’an and Su Ruo didn’t take the call. One felt it wasn’t necessary—knowing he was fine was enough. The other planned to call back later, as it wasn’t convenient right now.

“Mom, I’ll head to bed first. You all should rest early too,” Su Ruo said a little awkwardly, feeling guilty about the white lie.

“Alright, alright, go on then,” Shen Liang smiled knowingly, clearly understanding the situation. “We’re heading back to our rooms too.”

So what if they knew? It wasn’t anything to be ashamed of… Su Ruo smiled shyly, comforting herself.

As soon as she reached the second floor, her phone rang cheerfully, startling her. When she saw who was calling, she raised an eyebrow—so in sync. She quickly stepped into her room to answer.

“Looks like my brother and sister-in-law are getting along better and better,” Shi Yuehui remarked, withdrawing his gaze with a soft chuckle.

“Sigh, but living in different places isn’t a long-term solution,” Shen Liang sighed, her voice tinged with disappointment.

“Enough already. Are you going to harp on about this forever? Everyone, go to bed,” Shi Jian’an interrupted, breaking the sudden quiet in the living room, clearly annoyed. The boy was already at his station—what more was there to fuss over? They were going to upset Su Ruo over nothing.

“I was just making small talk. Why are you so impatient?” Shen Liang rolled her eyes at him and huffed, “Sleep, sleep—go sleep your big fat head.”

Shi Yuehui had already slipped back to his room when the old man started glaring. He’d learned his lesson: when his mom and grandfather argued, he always ended up as collateral damage.

“Hello, Commander.” Su Ruo closed the door and answered the call. She felt a bit too eager. She hadn’t even gotten around to scolding him for sneaking off that morning. Thinking of that, she decided to act aloof and fell silent.

“What’s wrong?” Shi Yuechen immediately sensed something was off. Why was she upset again?

“Nothing. I’m just overwhelmed by your call—so moved that you remembered someone like me even existed,” Su Ruo replied with a muffled tone.

Her sarcastic jab made Shi Yuechen recall the morning and he couldn’t help but shake his head with a trace of amusement in his eyes.

“You were still asleep, so I didn’t want to wake you. After I got up, there wasn’t much to do anyway,” he explained, which was rare for him.

“Who says I had nothing to do? You think you know everything.” At least he could’ve let her see him off. Su Ruo felt a bit wronged.

Better than waking up alone in an empty bed.

“Be good. Don’t fuss.”

His voice over the phone was as calm and emotionless as ever, yet Su Ruo’s face inexplicably turned red and her heart raced.

For some reason, what he just said felt like he was coaxing her—and just like that, all her grievances vanished. She suddenly just wanted to see him.

“Hmph. So what are you doing now?”

“Just got back,” Shi Yuechen said, walking to the window and gazing up at the moon. “Everything’s good.”

What did he mean “everything’s good”? He’d just arrived—how could he have adjusted so quickly? Su Ruo mentally argued, but couldn’t stop herself from gently probing for more details.

The call didn’t last long. Even if Su Ruo wanted to talk more, she knew Shi Yuechen wasn’t the type to chit-chat endlessly on the phone. Besides, she didn’t want to take up too much of his time. If he was busy, he should rest properly.

She couldn’t deny it—the call had dispelled the stuffy feeling in her heart. Seeing it was still early, she didn’t want to sleep yet, so she stepped out onto the balcony and let her thoughts wander.

There was no need to feel so wronged. Wasn’t this what being a military spouse was like? And honestly, she had it way better than most. She could shop and make some pocket money, and whenever she wanted to visit him, she could treat it like a vacation and a family visit rolled into one.

Anything hard-won should be cherished.

With that thought, her heart felt lighter. It was no big deal—just being a military wife. She could handle it just fine.

After hanging up, Shi Yuechen stood still for a long time, gazing at the dark blue sky and the curved moon. Though not a full moon, its bright and clear light poured down like a veil of mist over the earth—hazy and dreamlike, yet inexplicably lonely.

The next morning, Shi Yuechen got up early as usual. Just after finishing his wash-up, there was a knock on the door.

It was that same young soldier from yesterday, Feng Libing, grinning brightly. Upon seeing Shi Yuechen, he called out loudly, “Commander Shi!”

“Just call me Captain Shi. I’m here to lead a team for field training,” Shi Yuechen calmly corrected.

“Yes! Captain Shi!”

Feng Libing was actually quite puzzled—there were so many places across the country, why come to a remote backwater like this for training?

But Political Commissar He had repeatedly warned them not to ask unnecessary questions. Besides, with how cold and aloof Captain Shi was, he didn’t dare get chatty even if he was curious.

“The Colonel asked me to take you to the training ground. You haven’t been yet, and it’s not easy to find without a guide. Oh, and your training site isn’t the same as ours—it’s quite far. It was set up just a few months ago. I don’t know why we can’t all train together. There’s plenty of space,” Feng Libing rambled, scratching his head.

Eventually, he was mostly talking to himself. He really couldn’t understand—why go through all the trouble to set up a separate training area for just thirty-something people? Wouldn’t it be simpler to just train together?

Still, he’d seen the new training site and was utterly envious. Everything there was brand new and high-end—nothing like what they were used to. It even had its own shooting range. The size and standards far surpassed their usual training grounds.

What shocked the few who had managed to sneak a peek was not just the quality, but the sheer quantity and variety of equipment. It was more than surprising—it was overwhelming. And that was just the outdoor gear. They hadn’t even seen the indoor facilities, which were strictly off-limits.

Thirty-something people with all that equipment—wasn’t it a bit too extravagant? Commissar He had even instructed them to stop wandering over there. The group had its own training methods, specially sent here from above, and they were not to be disturbed.

Makes sense though. Judging by their demeanor, these weren’t ordinary soldiers. Clearly, there was a reason for them to be here. As lower ranks, they just needed to follow orders.

Shi Yuechen nodded, ignoring Feng Libing’s continued muttering and daydreaming. He turned back into the room to grab his things. When he came out and saw the young man still leaning against the wall, deep in thought, his brow lifted slightly.

“Let’s go,” he said, snapping Feng Libing out of it.

“Huh? Oh! Yes, sir!” Feng Libing responded quickly, embarrassed. Why did he keep making a fool of himself in front of Captain Shi?

To him, Captain Shi was young and high-ranking—a rare combination. Plus, his mysterious arrival only made him more admirable and intriguing. Naturally, Feng Libing wanted to make a good impression.

When Shi Yuechen arrived at the distant training site, several people were already there—presumably team members.

“Captain Shi, I’ll take my leave now. I’ll let you get to work,” Feng Libing said tactfully, stopping outside the training ground. He didn’t dare enter, afraid of being thrown out in embarrassment.

Shi Yuechen stepped onto the field and took a slow, thorough look around. Satisfied, he nodded. Not bad—everything seemed well-equipped.

The few people inside visibly stiffened at his approach, their eyes flashing with something unreadable before they stood at attention.

“Where are the others?”

Shi Yuechen wasn’t naive. This handful of people clearly meant to test him—to throw him a gauntlet.

“Reporting to the captain—I don’t know!” one voice suddenly rang out, blunt and not particularly respectful, skipping even the proper format.

Shi Yuechen didn’t scold him. He cast a cold glance toward the speaker—a major, who, upon being looked at, immediately averted his eyes with an expression of disdain.

“I’ll ask again. Where are the others?” Shi Yuechen wasn’t someone who lacked tolerance, but neither was he one to retreat. He withdrew his gaze and asked again in a low voice.

This Special Operations team had 33 members of varying ranks and specialties. Without exception, each one had been a standout in their original units. Being selected for this task force had filled them with pride. Nationwide, only a few had made the cut, and many were now riding high on that glory.

Now with a captain parachuted in from above, of course there was resentment. They were all hardened fighters who’d clawed their way up—who was Shi Yuechen to lead them? Big name or not, fame doesn’t win battles. Hopefully, he wouldn’t drag them down.

Seeing their behavior, Shi Yuechen let out a cold chuckle. With attitudes like this, they were still far from ready. And these were the ones expected to carry out missions?

His expression grew even colder as he strode forward, his gaze like ice. The few men on the field couldn’t help but shiver. What was he planning to do?