I started with a portal, then turned around and handed it over to the nation.

"Where to, Dr. Ye?" The driver in front asked softly, his eyes fixed ahead.

"Back to the apartment."

Ye Qing replied casually, took out her phone from her bag, and dialed Zhao Zhenguo's number.

"Beep—beep—"

After two rings, the call was connected.

"I am Zhao Zhenguo."

Ye Qing's voice became professional: "Commander, this is Ye Qing. I'm here to report on the psychological assessment and follow-up visit to Lin Mo, the core member of Tianmen."

The sound of flipping through documents on the other end of the phone stopped.

"Speak," Zhao Zhenguo's voice deepened.

"The overall situation is acceptable."

Ye Qing looked at the rapidly receding street scene outside the window and spoke calmly:

"Through this mission, his resilience has improved to some extent, and his stress response to killing and death is within a controllable range. But..."

Ye Qing changed the subject: "His psychological defense mechanism is still very weak, mainly due to two factors."

"First, he lacks personal ability. He has not received systematic military training, and when faced with danger, he will feel guilty due to his lack of ability, and he also lacks the support of a sense of collective honor."

"I suggest strengthening targeted training during the rest period."

"Yes, that's already in the plan."

Zhao Zhenguo interrupted, "Long Fei has submitted the training outline. What's the second point?"

"The second point is the anxiety caused by family factors."

"He has a strong sense of family responsibility, which is a good thing, but not in his current situation!"

"The secretive nature of Project Tianmen, coupled with the risk of sacrifice at any moment, filled him with guilt and fear towards his parents and the future."

"If this feeling cannot be eliminated, it will become a hidden danger that makes him hesitate during missions, and may even lead to distraction, which is very fatal."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

"This is indeed a big problem." Zhao Zhenguo's voice was somewhat grave as he continued:

"Lin Mo is too sentimental. This is both a strength and a weakness. But we can't let him cut off his connection with his family because of this; that would only make him break down faster."

Ye Qing looked at her reflection in the car window, a sly smile curving her lips.

"Reporting to the commander, I have resolved this issue."

"Oh? So fast? How was it resolved?"

Zhao Zhenguo was taken aback for a moment, then quickly asked, "Did you find him a scapegoat? Or did you talk to his family members about it?"

Ye Qing switched hands to hold the phone and leaned back in her chair, relaxing.

"It's not that complicated."

She said casually, "I gave myself away."

"Pfft—cough cough cough!"

A coughing fit came from the other end of the phone, as if water had sprayed out, followed by the clatter of a cup hitting the table.

"Commander? Are you alright?" Ye Qing asked, suppressing a laugh.

Several seconds passed before Zhao Zhenguo's voice came through again, his tone completely different: "You... what did you say? You offered yourself up? What do you mean?"

"Literal meaning."

Ye Qing looked at the neon lights outside the window, her tone as calm as if she were reporting the weather: "I'm his girlfriend now."

"It not only allows me to deal with his parents' pressure to get married, but also lets me use this identity to monitor his mental state at any time, and he doesn't need to hide anything from me."

"This is a win-win, no, a win-win-win solution."

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone.

A full minute passed.

Zhao Zhenguo finally let out a long breath, his voice complex:

"Ye Qing, Ye Qing... this isn't just psychological intervention, it's a physical act of charity! You're going too far for the Tianmen Project! This is a matter of life and death for you!"

"Sir, you flatter me."

Ye Qing looked at her empty ring finger and smiled faintly:

"Lin Mo may be a bit of a coward, but he's a decent person. I didn't lose out on this deal."

"Ha ha ha ha!"

A burst of hearty laughter erupted from the other end of the phone, making the receiver vibrate: "Good! What a great deal! The most unattainable flower in our base has actually been planted on Lin Mo, this... cough, this rough gem."

"Alright! As long as we can keep Lin Mo calm and ensure the Tianmen Project proceeds smoothly, I wholeheartedly support it!"

The laughter subsided, and Zhao Zhenguo's tone became relaxed, tinged with a hint of teasing:

"However, Dr. Ye, your sacrifice is indeed considerable. You made a significant contribution to stabilizing the psychological defenses of the core personnel. How about I apply for a first-class merit award for you?"

Ye Qing looked at the fleeting night view outside the window, and the smile on her face softened.

"Sir, let's forget about the first-class merit."

She whispered into the phone:

"Since the leader is so kind, then when we hold our wedding banquet, you, as the matchmaker, can't skimp on the gift money."

"Hahaha! Okay! No problem!"

Zhao Zhenguo laughed loudly:

"If you dare to do it, I dare to send it! I'll bring the entire command headquarters to back you up!"

"Alright, it's getting late, you should get some rest too. You have to visit several more places tomorrow."

"Yes, sir. Goodbye."

hang up the phone.

Ye Qing looked at the blacked-out screen and let out a long sigh of relief.

She tossed her phone back into her bag, closed her eyes, and the image of Lin Mo looking helpless in the study flashed through her mind.

"Silly boy."

She murmured softly in the darkness, "My sister is very expensive."

The study door wasn't closed properly, leaving a crack.

Lin Mo sat in the swivel chair, still holding the disposable paper cup in his hand.

The water in the cup had cooled down completely, and the ceiling light was reflected on its surface.

"So... you have a girlfriend?"

His finger hovered above the screen, wanting to open his Moments, but then stopped in mid-air.

"Squeak—" The door was pushed open.

"Mo'er! Xiao Qing is gone?"

Wang Guifen's voice came in before she even entered the room.

Lin Mo put down his phone, stood up, and walked out of the study.

In the living room, Lin Dezhu and Wang Guifen were standing in the entryway changing their shoes.

Neither of them had a bead of sweat on their foreheads, and Lin Dezhu hadn't even opened the folding fan in his hand.

"I'm gone."

Lin Mo leaned against the study doorframe, looking at his parents:

"We've only been gone for less than ten minutes. Dad, Mom, you two dance really fast! And Dad, are you quick and decisive in your chess game too?"

Lin Dezhu blushed, bent down pretending to tidy his shoelaces, and didn't reply.

Wang Guifen remained unfazed and placed the cloth bag in her hand on the shoe cabinet.

"Hey! Those old ladies didn't go today, saying they were afraid of being bitten by mosquitoes. Your dad's chess friend didn't go either, saying his grandson was being noisy."

Wang Guifen walked up to Lin Mo in three quick steps, her eyes scanning Lin Mo's face up and down:

"Don't interrupt! Let's get down to business!"

She grabbed Lin Mo's arm with such force that Lin Mo felt a little pain:

"How did it go? Huh? You two chatted in the study for ages, what did you talk about? Did she have any romantic feelings for you?"

Lin Dezhu didn't even bother to fix his shoelaces. He straightened up and craned his neck to wait for what was to come.

Lin Mo looked at her parents' expectant eyes.

"Hmm..." Lin Mo deliberately dragged out the last syllable, his gaze sweeping across the ceiling. "That..."

"Oh dear, you're driving me crazy! You're going to make me so anxious!"

Wang Guifen was so anxious that she stomped her feet and raised her hand to pat Lin Mo on the back.

Lin Mo shrank back slightly, a helpless smile playing on his lips: "It's done."

"Huh?" Wang Guifen froze, her hand hanging in mid-air.

"I said, it's done."

The air froze for three seconds.

"Snapped!"

Wang Guifen slapped her thigh hard, the crisp sound echoing in the living room.

"I knew it! I knew it!"

Wang Guifen jumped up and down, then turned around and hugged Lin Dezhu, who was still in shock, shaking her husband's shoulders vigorously.