Chapter 561: Uncertain Order in Heichao City

Han Bing’s mission to maintain order in Heichao City turned out to be far more challenging than expected.

Once the pollution was cleared, countless residents needed calming and guidance to get home.

The city, marred by the previous frenzy, desperately needed someone to restore order and repair the damage.

In short, just when Heichao City needed order the most, no one stepped forward.

Those in high positions, capable of handling such matters, had apparently been taken care of by Pollution Source under Mr. Lone Soldier’s command.

And the few who managed to shoulder Heichao City’s burden during this massive chaos—survivors who knew more than others—hid away, unwilling to show their faces amid uncertainty.

After all, they weren’t sure if stepping forward now might turn them into puppets for some strange, otherworldly force.

Before Pollution Source was dealt with, Heichao City was in disarray.

Now that the pollution is gone, the city seems to be edging toward even greater chaos.

Fortunately, many of Heichao City’s residents, already affected by insomnia, were so drained that despite feeling panic and uncertainty, all they cared about was finding somewhere to sleep.

Of course, thanks to Father’s handling of the Scarecrow incident, they all suffered serious aftereffects.

Countless people, upon waking, reported that they had all dreamed of a relentless chopping sound—like blades relentlessly hitting a board.

But the order of Heichao City still needed restoring, and with no other choice, Han Bing thought of Group Leader.

In fact, it wasn’t Han Bing who had the idea—it was Group Leader who came looking for her.

On the way to the Heichao City Central Plaza, after Red Serpent and Group Leader had parted following a series of battles and panic (Red Serpent almost forgot about him until the crisis was over), when Lu Xin and the others returned and were about to change their clothes, the door swung open to reveal Group Leader, seated with concern. Leaning on his cane, he inspected Red Serpent and asked, “You alright?”

Red Serpent, clearly bewildered, replied, “Why aren’t you leaving?”

“I prepared a late-night snack for you…”

Group Leader pointed to a pile of instant noodles and ham sausages on the table.

Red Serpent was at a loss for words, “You call this a late-night snack? Instant noodles?”

“I can’t cook…”

Group Leader explained, “And it’s not just plain instant noodles—I got all kinds of flavors…”

“Look, there’s braised style, sour cabbage, even stinky tofu flavor…”

“…”

Red Serpent was nearly moved to tears.

In the end, she, Han Bing, Gecko, and Group Leader each cradled a bowl of instant noodles with sausage and climbed into a Jeep.

Originally, they planned to give a bowl to Lu Xin, but Han Bing figured that Lu Xin might need rest more at that moment. So they prepared hot water and tore open a seasoning pack, leaving it in what had been their office, for him to mix in himself.

Of course, they didn’t expect Lu Xin to show up.

Over an hour later, an unmanned bicycle parked downstairs, and then some little creature clattered up the stairs. When it entered the room, everything was silent and everyone was gone.

That little fellow was already on the verge of tears until he spotted the bowl of instant noodles.

There was hot water beside it, the seasoning pack already opened and mixed in, a sausage on the side, and noodles in stinky tofu flavor.

In that moment, the little creature ate the noodles while crying uncontrollably.

……

……

Lu Xin stayed in his room all day before finally emerging.

It was an unusually quiet day; not even Han Bing, Gecko, or his family bothered to disturb him.

So he spent the entire day sorting through his emotions.

The moment he pushed open the hotel room door, he felt as if something in the world had shifted ever so slightly…

On closer inspection, well, not much had changed.

Still, his mood had undeniably improved. Perhaps bolstered by the Old Director’s report card, which revealed more about himself, the constant oppression and alienation finally vanished, leaving his mind clear and resolute.

Could it be because he had finally shed a tear?

But he couldn’t let anyone know—after all, he still needed to save face.

Although a good cry really helped to relieve the pressure—even for a man.

After all, wasn’t that what the song went…

“I’m the weeping lily in a vase…” No, that’s not quite it, but it doesn’t matter.

……

Stepping out, he tried to find Han Bing and the others, only to discover several rooms were empty—except for the room they’d used as a meeting hall, where a bowl of uncollected instant noodles still sat. Lu Xin then put the box into a plastic bag, tidied up some other trash, and left.

Now, he couldn’t explain why he felt such an urge to do something.

Tidying up trash might be trivial, but at least it was something, right?

He planned to catch up with Han Bing and see if there were any other tasks he could help with.

Just as he reached the elevator area, he saw a silver-haired man lying on a sofa in the public lounge beside the elevator.

Clutching a baseball bat, he was leaning back and sound asleep.

Lu Xin tilted his head and recognized him as that once-successful salesman under Group Leader. Unexpectedly, as he slept there, Lu Xin tapped him lightly. The silver-haired fellow instantly sprang to life, gripping the bat and swinging it toward Lu Xin’s face.

“Ouch…”

Lu Xin stepped back, dodging the blow, thinking, ‘He must be really cranky when he wakes up.’

“Oh, it’s you…”

Realizing it was Lu Xin, the silver-haired man sighed in relief, tossed the bat aside, and yawned.

“How did you end up here?”

Not aware of the current work arrangements, Lu Xin was curious when he saw him.

“I’m waiting for you,” he replied.

The silver-haired man stretched and said, “Group Leader took the brothers out to beat up some folks on the streets. With the city in chaos these days—rioters refusing to come home, looters running amok, and even people casting sidelong glances on the road—they’ve been getting beaten up left and right. I wanted to join, but they wouldn’t have me. So they left me here to protect you.”

“Protect… me?”

Lu Xin examined the baseball bat in his hand.

“That’s right,” the silver-haired man confirmed.

He boasted, “Before I took this job, the husband of Missy even asked if I was afraid of dying…”

“This is a solid chance to boost my status before Group Leader. How could I possibly admit fear?”

“…”

“Oh, thanks a lot…”

Lu Xin suddenly understood, smiled appreciatively, and patted him on the shoulder.

“It’s nothing,” he said.

The silver-haired man continued nonchalantly, “They all look down on me because I haven’t made it big yet.”

“Relax, once my business takes off, they’ll all be calling me Big Brother,” Lu Xin replied.

“…”

Thinking about his own career, Lu Xin felt a sudden urge to completely crush his own dreams.

Yet he had to admit, in terms of work ethic, he secretly resonated with the silver-haired man.

After this break, Lu Xin felt, well, surprisingly motivated!

……

“What did they have you waiting for me for?”

At Lu Xin’s inquiry, the silver-haired man suddenly slapped his forehead, fumbled around for a moment, and pulled out a folded piece of paper. “Group Leader’s adoptive daughter told me not to disturb you. She said to wait outside until you woke up, remind you to take a shower, change your clothes, and then have a good meal. She even cautioned you to avoid dishes with Black Grass ingredients…”

“Tsk tsk, dishes with Black Grass are so expensive…”

“After eating, we’re to meet up at the Second City Administration Hall,” he added.

“…”

“Adoptive daughter?”

Lu Xin was taken aback—since when did Group Leader have an adoptive daughter?

Was it Red Serpent?

No, Red Serpent is his biological daughter.

“Exactly…”

The silver-haired man looked at Lu Xin in astonishment and said, “Miss Han is a good friend of Group Leader’s eldest daughter—so of course she’s his adoptive daughter. I’m just saying, buddy, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Since you’re the sweetheart of the eldest daughter, how are you so close with her best friend? That adoptive daughter even handed me a note on how to take care of you. Isn’t that a bit much?”

“Love should be faithful, you know,” Lu Xin replied.

“Especially for folks like us who make our living off others…”

“…”

Lu Xin’s head hurt from the barrage of talk on adoptive daughters and lovers—it was all hopelessly tangled.

But he finally realized that Group Leader’s adoptive daughter was Han Bing. Looking back at that note, it was unmistakably her style; no one else would pay such attention to detail.

“Some people just can’t compare,” he mused.

“I’ve already showered and changed…”

After a moment’s consideration, Lu Xin said, “Then let’s grab a bite. What local specialties do we have here?”

“Local specialties?”

The silver-haired man laughed, “Heichao City has plenty—stinky tofu braised with flesh buds, and even salty beer…”

Lu Xin’s stomach rumbled. However, the idea completely upended his sense of taste.

“How can stinky tofu be braised with noodles?”

“And how can beer be salty?”

“…”

The silver-haired man, upon hearing Boss’s disapproval, retorted, “Are you looking down on us Heichao City folks?”

Lu Xin fell silent, thinking that one shouldn’t be too blunt, and murmured, “Maybe just a bit…”

“Hey buddy, with that kind of honesty, your career’s bound to be rough,” his companion teased.

“Actually, not too bad. I’ve been promoted pretty fast at the company—doing well in both my jobs…”

“Tsk tsk, who would’ve thought you’re so modest? Not only in love but even at work…”

“…”

As they walked into the hotel lobby, the Front Desk Girl—now dressed in a crisp professional outfit—was busy taming her messy hair and staring blankly at a pile of invoices on the desk, murmuring about how the bills had suddenly ballooned.

It seemed she had finally gotten some rest; her state of mind was much improved.

And her temper had softened too.

“Hand them over. If you’re skipping meals, I’ll take you to meet up with the others at Second City,” she said.

“I heard they’re really making a scene over there…”

The silver-haired man dutifully took the trash bag from Lu Xin, casually tossed it onto the hotel steps, and then signaled for a ride.

Lu Xin gave him a strange look, “You just threw it there?”

“Yeah,” he responded.

The silver-haired man remarked, “I’m in the underworld—there’s no such thing as not tossing stuff properly.”

Before he could finish, a furious shout came from behind the counter: “Bastard, where do you think you’re throwing that?”

It turned out the Front Desk Girl’s temper hadn’t improved after all.

Panicking, the silver-haired man grabbed Lu Xin and jumped onto a red, iron-bodied tricycle, waving his hand, “Let’s get out of here, quickly!”