Rebirth of a Mercenary: The Ace Mercenary Forced to Be the Beloved of the Group

The next morning, Bai Ye was already awake, sitting on the edge of the bed, wearing a T-shirt that was two sizes too big, with a few strands of hair sticking up.

He heard a knock and looked up. Scorpion pushed the door open and came in, carrying a set of clean old clothes—dark gray trousers and a black short-sleeved shirt, neatly folded.

"Change into these clothes." Scorpion placed the clothes at the foot of the bed. "Viper wants to see you. Once you're in the inner circle, you won't need to wear those tattered clothes anymore."

Bai Ye stood up and changed his clothes. The size was still a bit too big, but it fit better than yesterday's. He stretched his shoulders, rolled up the cuffs twice to reveal his wrists, and followed Scorpion out of the room.

The viper stood by the window on the side of the room, with its back to the door, and only turned around when it heard footsteps.

"Lin Mo," he called out, his tone light and cheerful, as if greeting someone who had just returned from an exam. "You did very well yesterday. Your performance was even more efficient than I expected. Those stabs were clean and swift. Although you managed to control yourself a bit at the end, for your first time fighting in public, this performance has exceeded my expectations. From today onwards, you're in the inner circle."

He pointed to something on the coffee table: a small tin box, its lid open, revealing a pinch of white powder inside. Next to it were a piece of aluminum foil, a straw, and a lighter. The powder shimmered subtly in the morning light; the particles were fine, uniform, and flattened.

"However, there's one hurdle you must overcome to enter the inner circle." Viper's tone was unhurried, as if he were introducing an onboarding process, or guiding a novice apprentice through the process. "You need to prove you're on my side. Prove you're willing to share things with me. Once you've done that, you'll no longer be a newcomer—you'll be one of my people."

Bai Ye's body stiffened for a moment.

"Big brother..." His voice was tense, as if he hesitated, unsure how to begin, "I've never touched anything like this before... I don't know how..."

Viper chuckled. "If you don't know how, you'll learn. Everyone starts from the first time. Everyone here went through this stage when they entered the inner circle. Old Cat will teach you."

Cat Bro walked over from the corner of the room. He placed the lighter and tinfoil on the coffee table with practiced ease, as if he had done it countless times before. Then he looked up at Bai Ye, slightly raising his chin: "Watch."

He flattened the aluminum foil, pinched a small amount of powder with his fingertips and sprinkled it in the center. He heated the foil from below with a lighter, the flame licking at the back of the foil. The powder began to melt and smoke in the heat. Pale white smoke rose from the surface of the foil, carrying a slightly astringent smell characteristic of chemicals.

He picked up the straw, lowered his head to the rising smoke, and took a drag. The movement was smooth and natural, as if he had done it thousands of times before.

A few seconds later, he straightened up, exhaled a puff of white mist, his eyes narrowed slightly, his pupils dilated and then contracted for a moment, before returning to his expressionless state.

"Your turn." Cat Brother handed the straw to Bai Ye.

Bai Ye looked at the straw that was handed to him, then glanced at the remaining powder on the tin foil that hadn't completely burned out. He raised his fingers and took the straw.

He squatted down in front of the coffee table and imitated Cat Brother's actions—flattening the tin foil, sprinkling a little powder on it with his fingertips, picking up a lighter, and lighting the flame under the tin foil.

His movements carried a deliberate slowness and hesitation, as if he were buying himself time to prepare mentally.

The powder began to melt and smoke in the heat. White smoke rose from the foil, carrying a slightly astringent chemical smell that entered his nostrils and irritated his trachea. He lowered his head, brought the straw to the rising smoke, held his breath, and took a drag.

When he took the first bite, it felt like something burned his throat. His trachea constricted reflexively, and he coughed violently.

He coughed so hard he bent over, and had to brace himself on his knees to keep from squatting down.

Viper stood up, walked over to him, and squatted down. He reached out, his long, slender fingers pinching Bai Ye's chin, lifting his lowered face so he would look at him.

Bai Ye coughed until her face was red, with tears still clinging to the corners of her eyes. Her lips were slightly parted from coughing, and her breathing was rapid and shallow.

"It's like this the first time." Viper's voice wasn't loud, but rather patient, like he was coaxing a child. "Your trachea isn't used to it. Your throat will feel uncomfortable, your head will spin, and you'll feel nauseous. But you'll get through this. Come on, let's do it again. When you experience that feeling, you'll know how good it is. Don't be afraid, I'm watching you, nothing will happen."

He released Bai Ye's chin, patted his cheek lightly, as if encouraging a child who had just fallen. Then he stood up, took two steps back, leaned back against the windowsill, crossed his arms, and waited.

Bai Ye squatted on the ground, his hands still supporting his knees. His breathing gradually calmed down a bit, but the aftereffects of his cough still lingered in his throat, like a small thorn stuck deep in his trachea, impossible to clear no matter how hard he coughed.

He looked down at the straw on the coffee table and the remaining powder on the foil, remained silent for a few seconds, then reached out and picked up the straw again.

The second bite.

The smoke lingered in his lungs for a few seconds, and then he began to feel the change—first his eyes burned, then his cheeks, and then a warm, slow, relaxing sensation, like his body sinking down.

His shoulders slumped slightly, his fingers loosened from a tight grip, and his pupils dilated slightly, as if the focus had shifted half a degree. He leaned forward a little before regaining his balance, and his eyes became slightly reddish and moist.

Viper watched his changing expression: "How is it? Are you starting to feel it? Is it better than before? The first time is uncomfortable, but it will feel great after that. You'll like it."

Bai Ye looked up at him. His gaze was slower than usual, and his pupils were less focused, as if something invisible was pressing between his brain and his senses.

He opened his mouth, but after a long while, he finally managed to utter a sound: "...Hmm..."

Viper tilted his head with satisfaction at Scorpion, who was standing in the corner of the room, his tone relaxed yet confident: "Take him to the inner circle's quarters and give him a day to adjust. Starting tomorrow, have him learn all the work from you—the storeroom, the routes, the accounts, teach him everything. This child will be useful in the future."

Scorpion emerged from the corner, walked to Bai Ye's side, bent down, put a hand on his shoulder, and helped him up from the ground.

Bai Ye's legs felt a little weak, and his knees bent slightly when he stood up. Scorpion's fingers tightened slightly on his shoulder to help him regain his balance.

"Walk."