Many children bring happiness, a shameless start

Lip looked at Fiona and thought she resembled Karen when she was pregnant, so he asked:

"Fiona, you're not pregnant, are you?!"

"Oh my God!" Fiona gasped, "Jimmy and I haven't been using protection these days…"

"No, I need to go to Veronica right away and get a pregnancy test!" Fiona said, panicking as she walked out the door.

"I hope it's a niece," Lip smiled as he watched Fiona leave.

The bathroom door opened, and Carl came out, wiping his chest, his breathing heavy. "Lip, I'm not pregnant! I just ate too much this morning."

Lip smiled and patted Carl on the head.

"I'm leaving now. I have something to do! Don't worry about lunch if I'm not back by noon."

Carl quickly grabbed a glass of water and ran out of the house.

As the footage became darker and more extreme, Mickey couldn't take it and ran to the bathroom to vomit.

An hour later, Ian slammed the laptop shut with a loud "pop" and joined the others.

"Ian, how are you feeling?" Lip asked.

"It's disgusting! Worse than being poked in the ass during a hardcore!" Ian groaned, his voice laced with both disgust and anger.

"Then do you still want to go to West Point and join the American military?" Lip asked calmly.

"I still want to go to West Point, but I never want to be a big-head soldier again! This is so disgusting!"

"Looks like I need to share some more stuff with you."

"Lip, no, no, no! I'm still trying to pick up the pieces of my shattered worldview, but please don't blow them all away!" Ian quickly rejected.

"Don't worry, it's just some historical and statistical data," Lip said, trying not to smile.

"Oh, that's better," Ian and Mickey nodded.

"The country of Afghanistan is actually a barren land…"

"There are no mines, no oil, so why would the United States station troops there?"

"If we look back, it's mainly because it's the hub of Asia, connecting the centers of many Asian countries. It has some geographical advantages, but that's about it."

"In fact, it wasn't the United States that first came to Afghanistan, but Russia."

"Russia?" Mickey asked, confused.

Lip nodded. "Yes, although Russia is the largest country on the planet, it doesn't have a great port to connect to the Pacific or Atlantic Oceans."

"They were obsessed with the Indian Ocean. Peter the Great said three centuries ago: Whoever can freely enter the Indian Ocean will rule the world."

"So, to secure a good port, the Russians started causing trouble in Afghanistan?"

"That's right. Back then, Britain and Russia were competing for power. To protect its most important colony, India, Britain forced Afghanistan to fight against Russia. This was the start of World War I."

"Oh my God! A small country like Afghanistan became the chessboard for the big game?" Mickey exclaimed.

"Who calls it weak? Just like how you bully the elementary school kids," Ian quipped.

Lip continued, "After WWII, during the Cold War, Afghanistan became a chessboard again, this time for the U.S. to mess with Russia."

"As the conflict between the U.S. and Russia escalated, Afghanistan's political landscape was constantly shifting. To put it bluntly, it was a struggle between the pro-Military and pro-Maoist factions, with some regimes unwilling to be manipulated."

"Political games always turn into wars."

"But neither the U.S. nor Russia expected Afghanistan to become their nightmare."

"Nightmare?" Ian and Mickey both asked, confused.

"Everyone thought that supporting a puppet regime would end the war, but no one expected a short local conflict to become a long, grueling war of attrition."

"The Afghan people are not fools. They soon realized the suffering came from the U.S. and Russia, so they formed local armed forces in the mountains to fight back."

"Afghanistan has become a famous graveyard for empires, where everyone has paid a huge price, but no one has found a solution."

"Imperial graveyard?"

"Since the U.S. invaded, over 200,000 soldiers and thousands of fighter jets have been sent, with military spending exceeding a trillion dollars. The result?"

"Over 2,000 American soldiers died, and more than 20,000 were disabled."

Ian and Mickey exchanged shocked looks.

"Lip, why is this?" Ian asked.

"Because the Afghan people are shameless enough to fight for survival and independence. Their resolve is stronger than most of us in the South Side," Lip explained patiently.

"Ian, I'm glad you've changed your perspective. Our family will need all kinds of strength as it grows."

"Especially from the military and government, where power is high."

"Lip, I have an idea."

"Ian, what is it?"

"I want Mickey to join me in military school."

"That's a bit difficult."

"Why?"

"Mickey's academic performance and physical fitness aren't big problems, but he has too many juvenile criminal records, so he probably won't pass the identity check."

"Hmm…" Ian was at a loss for words.

"Ian, thank you, but I don't think the military's for me. I still want to be the South Side bully you talked about earlier," Mickey said proudly. "Lip's right. A family needs many roles to grow strong. And for now, the fastest way to improve is through the black path."

"Mickey…"

Ian tried to persuade him, but Mickey wasn't having it.

"Mickey, you don't have to go full underworld; you can do both good and bad."

"Lip, what do you think?"

"If you're willing, you can join Ian and me in special training—both tutoring and combat shooting skills. But you have to promise me you'll at least graduate high school."

"I'm thinking of starting a security company."

"A security company?"

Ian and Mickey looked puzzled.

"I've researched security companies online. They're a mix of legal and illegal, with many retired soldiers and even gangsters. Some companies are actually fronts for mafia groups."

"In the U.S., there are so many things a security company can do. It's more convenient than the underworld, and you can legally own weapons and ammunition."

"Wow, that works?" Mickey was surprised.

"Mickey, would you want to be my first employee, security director, responsible for all future personnel?"

"I'd love to, Lip!"

Mickey and Lip high-fived.

"Like Blackwater International?"

Ian looked at Lip.

Lip nodded.

"Plus, Kevin's special Marlboro business is growing. Sooner or later, people will be jealous and conflicts will arise. That's why I'm setting up this security company now."

"Lip, your idea's good, but you and Mickey are underage!"

"Yeah, so we need someone reliable and trustworthy to handle it."

Lip smiled at Ian and Mickey. "Actually, I've already found the right person, but she just ran away."

"Fuck! Lip, you're not talking about Fiona, are you?"

Ian looked shocked.

"That's right! Who else is the eldest sister? If I don't recruit her, who will?" Lip smirked, and Ian and Mickey joined in his laughter.