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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Nineteen: Life is About Sharing Food
The waiter brought out dishes on a tray, serving them on coarse ceramic plates, introducing each dish as he placed it on the table, and finally said, "Please enjoy your meal, gentlemen."
"This place is quite interesting," Zhang Qiu said, already hungry. He picked up his chopsticks and grabbed a piece of chicken, chewing it thoughtfully. Song Weidong, seemingly anticipating Zhang Qiu's reaction, confidently asked, "So, how is it? Not bad, right?"
"Not bad at all," Zhang Qiu replied with a smile, picking up another piece for Jiang Xue. The chicken was indeed tasty, but after having eaten Grandpa Pingchuan's chicken for lunch, this felt like a world apart.
Zhang Qiu began to eat, and the others followed suit without hesitation. After climbing the mountain all afternoon, everyone was famished. For a moment, no one spoke; they were all focused on their food. Liu Fangfei initially tried to maintain her lady-like demeanor but soon realized that if she didn't eat heartily, Zhang Qiu and the others would finish everything. So she joined in with the same enthusiasm as Zhang Qiu. Watching the five of them devour their food like hungry ghosts, Song Weidong couldn't help but sigh, "Wow, how long has it been since you all had a proper meal?"
"We had lunch," Rui Rui replied while gnawing on a chicken leg.
Zhang Qiu chuckled and explained, "Life is about sharing food; everyone is just too hungry."
A large dish arrived next: the famous Iron Pot Braised Ribs from Nanlan County. In a black ceramic pot lay tender ribs mixed with vermicelli, potatoes, and eggplant, all soaked in bubbling broth. As soon as the lid was lifted, an enticing aroma filled the air. Without waiting for it to cool down, Zhang Qiu grabbed a rib and placed it on his plate. Just as he was about to take a bite, a noise at the door caught his attention.
The wooden door of the restaurant was pushed open with a loud bang against the frame. A group of tough-looking men with tattoos on their arms swaggered in and circled around the dining area, glaring at each table. The customers they focused on sat stiffly in their seats, afraid to move. The shop owner approached them with a forced smile and cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "What brings you here today, brothers?"
"None of your business; stay out of it."
The shop owner fell silent and stepped aside obediently while calmly observing these intimidating figures. Based on his years of experience, he sensed that these men were not here to cause trouble but rather to look for someone.
The group moved quickly in and out of the restaurant without doing anything or finding what they were looking for, leaving the customers bewildered. Zhang Qiu scrutinized the men thoughtfully until they left and then asked, "Do you know what those guys were here for?"
Neither Zhao Pingchuan from Nanlan County nor the well-traveled Song Weidong had any idea. Zhang Qiu stopped pondering over it; his rib had gone cold. He quickly picked it up and took a bite, exclaiming, "Delicious!"
Wang Jinghan smiled as she wiped the grease from Zhang Qiu's mouth and teased him, "Look at you! You have no manners at all; you don't look like someone who's supposed to be in charge."
Zhang Qiu laughed and replied, "Being in charge isn't about manners."
"What is that?"
"It's Sister Zhang. With Sister Zhang around, there will naturally be a leader." Zhang Qiu attempted to kiss Jiang Xue, but she waved her hand to push him away. "Your mouth is all greasy, smooth-talking!"
Just as Zhang Qiu and his group were laughing, the door of Harmony Inn was pushed open again, slamming against the wall with a loud bang. Zhang Qiu and the others turned to look, and several uniformed police officers entered in succession, wielding batons and spray cans. Zhang Qiu watched as they approached their table, feeling a sense of dread.
As expected, one of the officers walked up to Zhang Qiu's table and announced sternly, "You all are suspected of involvement in an intentional injury case. Please come with us to the station for questioning."
Jiang Xue, Liu Fangfei, and Rui Rui stared wide-eyed, while Zhao Pingchuan stood up and asked, "Officer, what have we done wrong?"
The officer waved his hand impatiently. "Isn't it obvious? You are suspected of intentional injury."
Zhang Qiu suddenly recalled the group of thugs who had entered earlier; they had come in almost simultaneously with the police. Could there be a connection between the two?
"Comrade Police, do you have identification?"
One officer pulled out his badge and waved it in front of Zhang Qiu. "See this? Now come with us."
"Officer Huang, right?" Zhang Qiu recognized the name on the badge. "There's no rush; even if you're summoning us, shouldn't there be a summons document?"
"Well, I didn't expect you to know that," Officer Huang said with a smile. "This isn't your first time being taken in, is it?"
Zhang Qiu shook his head. "No, I go often."
Officer Huang chuckled, putting away his badge. He then said seriously, "We don't have a summons document at the moment, but we have the authority to ask you to come with us. It's also your duty as citizens of the Republic. As for the summons document you requested, it will be processed for you."
"Don't panic; we'll just go," Zhang Qiu turned back to reassure everyone. Jiang Xue held onto Liu Fangfei and Rui Rui's hands, helping Zhang Qiu comfort the two girls in their group: "Don't be afraid; we're together."
Rui Rui looked at Jiang Xue's slender profile and determined gaze and suddenly understood why Zhang Qiu loved her. Gathering her courage, Rui Rui took a step forward.
"Wait!"
Officer Huang stopped and looked at Zhang Qiu, asking, "What else do you want to do?"
Zhang Qiu pointed at the table cluttered with dishes and said, "We haven't settled the bill yet. If we just leave like this, won't Boss lose out?"
"Fine, you settle the bill. I warn you, don't try to pull any tricks in front of me." Officer Huang warned Zhang Qiu. Before the operation, the higher-ups had already briefed him on the suspect's information. This kid named Zhang Qiu could knock someone twice his size into the hospital.
Zhang Qiu spread his hands in frustration, "Officer Huang, I have no money."
"No money? Then how did you eat? Are you trying to mess with me? Take him away!"
Without further ado, Officer Huang's police officers immediately rushed forward to restrain Zhang Qiu and escorted him out. Zhang Qiu shouted to the Shop Owner, "Boss, make sure to calculate the bill correctly. When I get out, I'll pay you back every penny."
The Shop Owner wiped the sweat from his forehead, unsure of what to do. He could no longer maintain his composure; it was the first time such a scene had occurred in his shop. Who were these students causing such a commotion?
The police escorted Zhang Qiu out of Harmony Inn. Outside, a Police Iveco and a white Santana were parked by the roadside. Officer Huang got into the Santana surrounded by his officers, while Zhang Qiu and others were pushed into the Iveco, where two police officers sat upright guarding the door.
The sirens blared as the Santana and Iveco drove out of the ancient city. Zhang Qiu chuckled silently; he never expected that enjoying the night view of the ancient city would happen from a police car in Nanlan County. Outside the window, numerous tourists jostled each other while holding various glowing toys. Through the tinted glass, it seemed like a sea of lights.
Zhao Pingchuan asked, "Brother Qiu, what are you laughing at?"
"Silence!" The police officer sitting by the door issued a warning.
"I'm just laughing at how I'm enjoying the night view with such treatment."
Zhang Qiu's words eased everyone's tension; it was unclear whether it was genuinely funny or just a way to bolster his own courage. Laughter erupted inside the vehicle.
The guarding police officer kept admonishing them, leaning forward with his hand resting on his waist to prevent any sudden dangerous actions from them.
Zhang Qiu and the others laughed for a while before falling silent. The police officer by the door resumed his posture as the police car drove out of the ancient city, speeding down the asphalt road outside.
Outside Harmony Inn, a man dressed in a black vest emerged from the night and took out his phone, saying, "Boss, they have already been taken away by the police."
Dozens of kilometers away, inside Blue Demon Entertainment City, a man with Backcombed Hair leaned back on the soft sofa in a private room and said, "Good, very good. Menge, although you messed up before, it's fortunate that you were clever. Good, good."
The man repeated "good" twice. He had just secured a big deal and sent his capable subordinates to handle it. One moment they were reporting that the mission was completed successfully, and the next moment they called to say things had gone wrong. Fortunately, Menge had been cautious; realizing they couldn't win, he left with his injured brothers and even managed to take a covert photo of a meddlesome young man.
He immediately ordered Menge to take the photo and search for the person around the ancient city. Meanwhile, he urgently contacted his collaborator Li to inform him of the situation. Li quickly mobilized his resources in the legitimate world; Officer Huang from Nanlan County Ancient City District Police Station immediately led a team to arrest the young man suspected of intentional injury. Although there were some setbacks, everything was proceeding according to plan. As long as Ming was taken care of, one million would be within reach.
Two police cars sped along the city ring road, missing several turns leading into the urban area. They did not intend to return to the police station; Officer Huang was well aware that their purpose was not interrogation but rather to facilitate pressure on Li. He had received a substantial payoff and directly ordered them to drive to a suburban detention center, locking up the person for a night. Once everything was settled, they could easily find an excuse to release him.
At Nanlan County Ancient City Guesthouse, this place had been temporarily designated for land bidding. At this moment, the combined wealth of those residing in the building was staggering. In a suite on the second floor, a well-dressed man anxiously paced back and forth, muttering repeatedly, "How could this happen? How could this happen..."
Half an hour earlier, a phone call came to his room. Before he could speak, a strange and cold voice echoed: "Mr. Song, if you don't want anything to happen to your son, I think you know what you should do."
The man was about to ask something when the call abruptly ended. Remembering his son's earlier call, he immediately redialed. Unfortunately, no one answered. The man slumped onto the sofa and sighed, "Son, you told me to be careful, but why aren't you being careful yourself..."
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