Chapter 181: An Unexpected Invitation

Unsure when exactly the Drunkard planned to move against the organization she was investigating, Lu Xin decided to head over early to discuss countermeasures. That same night, he asked Han Bing to book him a train ticket to Satellite City No. 4 departing the next morning.

The subway train climbed higher and higher eventually reaching elevated tracks dozens of meters off the ground, crossing above the city.

Rumble!

As the elevated train left the high walls of the Second Satellite City, sunlight suddenly flooded the carriage.

Lu Xin gazed out the window at a sight that lifted his spirits.

Between the massive high walls lay vast stretches of green vegetation covering dilapidated buildings.

Qinggang City’s layout was typical of the most common city structures found in the world after the Red Moon incident.

Innermost was the Qinggang Main City, the best-constructed and most modern area.

Surrounding the Main City were five satellite cities: East, South, West, North, and Watchtower. It resembled a giant hand spread flat on the ground; the distant Main City, seeming to shimmer with a silver reflection, was the palm, and the satellite cities were the fingers.

Between the satellite cities and the Main City stretched large expanses of farmland, orchards, pastures, greenhouses, along with some lakes and rivers.

Further out lay the endless wasteland.

A network of elevated railways crisscrossed between the six cities. Back when the wasteland teemed with madmen, Qinggang City relied on these elevated trains, nearly a hundred meters high, to transport goods and avoid attacks. Now, with fewer madmen, ground transport had flourished, and these elevated railways spanning the cities had become more of a distinctive feature.

Nowadays, mostly people traveling between the different cities chose this mode of transport.

After all, since it was on elevated tracks, leaving the high-wall city didn’t technically count as leaving the city proper.

On the ground however, even traveling from one satellite city to another would be logged by the system as leaving the city.

…

…

When the train stopped at the station in Satellite City No. 4, Lu Xin followed the crowd out of the carriage. He went to the last car to retrieve his motorcycle, carefully inspecting it to ensure no rough handling by the staff had caused scratches. Only then did he relax, mount it, and ride through the underground passage to the surface exit.

He had already called ahead while on the train; the Drunkard should be waiting for him here.

Lu Xin scanned the area, his gaze settling on a young girl in a school uniform waving at him.

“Hello…”

Lu Xin quickly pushed his bike over, smiling as he greeted her.

The words caught in his throat, unsure how to address her: Mr. Drunkard? Ms.? Little Sister?

“Hehe, you must be Little Soldier, right?”

Before Lu Xin could think of a suitable address, the Drunkard, her hair tied in a ponytail, looked at him with a kindly expression.

She smiled and extended her hand, saying, “We’ve met before, but it was too chaotic back then, we didn’t get a chance to chat properly…”

“Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to support my work.”

“I originally wanted to ask that Resting Tiger fellow to come, but he said he had a stomachache…”

…

“Resting Tiger…”

It took Lu Xin a moment to understand who she meant. He quickly smiled, “It’s what I should do. I’ll cooperate fully.”

The young girl before him looked pure and clean, brimming with youthful energy. However, her ‘kindly’ expression struck Lu Xin as odd. Talking to her, he subconsciously felt a generation younger…

…Mainly, a generation younger in terms of seniority.

“Hehe, good. You’ve got a good spirit, young man…”

The Drunkard gave him a thumbs-up, unscrewed her thermos cup, took a sip, and said, “Don’t just stand there stunned. Let’s go, I’ll take you to eat.”

“Oh, okay…”

Catching the scent of alcohol from the thermos, Lu Xin felt a renewed sense of awe.

He waited while the Drunkard quickly brought her vehicle over. Lu Xin’s eyes widened.

It was an open-top three-wheeled vehicle, the kind used for farming, with a cargo bed in the back, paint peeling and rust showing in many places… The Drunkard, dressed in a school uniform and sneakers, ponytail bouncing, drove this sputtering tricycle, attracting countless stares.

She pulled the brake, smiled, and slapped the cargo bed, “Hop in, young man. What are you waiting for?”

“Just toss your motorcycle up here…”

…

“Uh… maybe I could just follow behind…”

Lu Xin agreed, but finally couldn’t resist asking, “Is this really your vehicle?”

“Yep…”

The Drunkard took another sip from her thermos, “This vehicle’s great. They don’t even check for drunk driving…”

“?”

Lu Xin suddenly thought she had a point.

And so, the Drunkard rolled up her sleeves, revealing two fair arms, gripped the handlebars, and steadily led the way.

Lu Xin followed behind on his motorcycle at a snail’s pace. The tricycle didn’t seem to be burning fuel efficiently, constantly spewing black smoke. Halfway there, Lu Xin stopped to check and found his silver bumper was already blackened…

He had no choice but to follow from a greater distance.

Besides, the Drunkard drove so steadily, he felt like he could almost keep up on foot.

…

…

The Drunkard had said they were going to eat. Lu Xin hadn’t been hungry at the time, but after the slow journey following her, he was definitely hungry now.

He had assumed that even if she didn’t take him to a fancy restaurant, they’d at least go to a small place serving meat rice. After all, this was technically a work trip, eligible for reimbursement, and Han Bing had mentioned the Drunkard was quite generous.

But as he followed the Drunkard into a residential complex in the city center, Lu Xin felt rather surprised.

“This is…”

Stopping his bike, Lu Xin looked at the rows of apartment buildings around him, confused.

“This is my home…”

“Come on, let’s go upstairs to eat, then we can discuss the mission.”

The Drunkard got off, parked the tricycle, and headed upstairs with her hands behind her back.

“She’s actually taking me home to eat?”

Lu Xin was surprised, but seeing the Drunkard had already entered the building, he quickly locked his bike, checked it over, and hurried to catch up.

…

…

“Wu Gege, you’re back?”

The residential complex looked impressive and clean, the hallways livelier than other places. It was the weekend, around mealtime, and many people were coming and going. While waiting for the elevator, he saw neighbors warmly greeting each other. A kind-faced old woman smiled at the Drunkard, calling her Gege, then glanced curiously at Lu Xin with a smile, asking, “Is this young man your friend?”

“He’s my colleague. Grandma Wang, did you buy something tasty again?”

The Drunkard’s reply was clear and crisp, sounding like a curious and adorable young girl.

Although the tone fit her appearance, Lu Xin distinctly felt she was putting on a youthful act…

“Aiyo, you have such a sharp nose! I bought some small yellow croakers…”

The kind old woman lifted the lid of her basket to show the Drunkard, smiling, “Wait till I fry them, I’ll bring some over to your place!”

“I want some too…”

A nearby couple, holding hands, joined in the banter. The man raised his hand, “My wife loves Grandma Wang’s fried yellow croakers.”

“You know I like them, so why don’t you ever buy them for me?”

The girl beside him shot him a playful look, then smilingly took out a box of cherries from her bag and handed it to the old woman, “Grandma Wang, we’ve enjoyed your delicious cooking so many times, we feel embarrassed. Please take this fruit back for your grandson…”

“Aiyo, I can’t possibly accept this, it’s too expensive…”

“What’s expensive about it? It can’t compare to your delicious yellow croakers…”

…

Amidst the polite refusals, the elevator doors opened. A slightly plump woman pushing an old man in a wheelchair came out, smiling warmly and politely as she greeted the neighbors, “Auntie Wang, Little Sun, and Gege, you’re all back?”

The group of neighbors stepped aside, “Sister Liu, taking your father-in-law out for a walk again?”

Once inside the elevator, the discussion continued, “Sister Liu is really something. Her husband died working transport out of town, and her father-in-law broke his leg. But not only did she not send him back home, she’s taking care of him. In times like these, good people like her are rare…”

…

…

Lu Xin stood among them, listening quietly. He felt that the Drunkard’s neighbors were actually quite nice.

It’s good to have neighbors like these looking out for each other in daily life.

It was a pity his own old apartment building was mostly deserted.

…

…

“Dad, Mom, I’m back.”

The Drunkard’s home was quite spacious, looking to be around 140 to 150 square meters.

The decor was classical and substantial, filled with delicate potted plants and books, giving off a very scholarly vibe.

As soon as they entered, a middle-aged man and woman hurried over to greet them.

They both looked to be in their late forties. The man wore glasses, and the woman wore a blue, home-style cheongsam, appearing quite elegant. From the photos in the living room showing them with students, Lu Xin guessed they were teachers.

“Oh my, quickly, sit down, sit down…”

The Drunkard’s parents looked at Lu Xin, who had entered with her, their faces showing pleasant surprise as they sized him up with particular warmth.

“Gege finally made a friend?”

…

“This is my colleague. Keep him company while I go cook.”

The Drunkard addressed Lu Xin, “Young man, don’t be shy. Peel an apple.”

Saying this, she grabbed an apron and went into the kitchen.

“Okay, okay…”

Faced with the family’s enthusiasm, Lu Xin had no choice but to sit on the sofa, flanked by the Drunkard’s parents. They looked him over, appearing exceptionally happy, secretly exchanging glances that seemed to carry a sense of relief.

“Such a nice young man…”

The Drunkard’s mother observed Lu Xin caringly, “What’s your name? How old are you?”

“Uh, I’m twenty-three. My name is…”

Lu Xin hesitated, unsure whether he should reveal his real name. According to their protocols, they were supposed to use codenames.

In fact, he didn’t even know the Drunkard’s real name, though the neighbor had called her Wu Gege.

And technically, he shouldn’t even be meeting the Drunkard’s family…

…The Drunkard bringing him home for a meal was itself quite out of line with the usual habits of Ability Users.

“Twenty-three, that’s good, that’s very good…”

The Drunkard’s father didn’t press Lu Xin, just nodded and smiled repeatedly. “Our Gege, she’s already eighteen. Don’t mind her slightly odd temper; she’s actually a very good person. We originally planned for her to go to university after high school, but she wasn’t very interested, so we let her be. Now, we’re mostly concerned about her… significant life events. You two… how far have things progressed?”

“Pfft—”

Lu Xin nearly spat out his tea. He suddenly realized the Drunkard’s parents must have misunderstood something.

“What are you thinking?”

Just then, the Drunkard poked her head out of the kitchen, frowning deeply. “This is my colleague, Little Soldier. He’s here to help me with work. This is only the second time we’ve met… Seriously, you two, you’re not exactly young anymore, can’t your thinking be a bit more elevated?”

“Why do you waste your time thinking about these things all day? Wouldn’t it be better to focus your energy on your careers?”

…

“Well…”

The Drunkard’s parents suddenly looked quite awkward.

After a moment, the Drunkard’s mother pushed the fruit plate towards Lu Xin awkwardly, “Help yourself. I’ll go help her cook…”

Lu Xin and the Drunkard’s father sat in the living room, staring blankly at each other.

Soon, the Drunkard’s exasperated voice came from the kitchen, “Little Wang… oh, no… Mom…”

“You’re a grown woman, yet still so clumsy! Is that any way to scale a fish?”

“You need to hold the knife sideways and scrape… What’s wrong?”

“Getting upset just because I corrected you? Honestly, you young people these days… I really don’t know what goes on in your heads.”

“And you call yourself a university professor? How can you possibly teach those children acting like this?”