The sun was setting in the west, and the afterglow of the sunset enveloped the entire Binhai City, as if draping the whole city in a layer of rosy gauze.
A taxi stopped on a relatively quiet, tree-lined street, and two tall n in their forties got out.
One of them looked up and saw an antiquely styled sign that read "Yu Family Private Kitchen"!
He pulled the person next to him, pointed at the sign, and asked, "Mingqing, is the place where your little friend is treating us to a al this restaurant?"
The person being pulled was none other than Kong Mingqing, a forr neighbor of Lin Jie and a detective in Binhai City.
He took out his phone, checked a text ssage, and confird, "Yes, that's it, Room 205! Qin Fang, let's go in!"
The man called Qin Fang pulled Kong Mingqing aside and said, "This little friend of yours, is he the one you described who has no elder family mbers, only a twin sister, and sold his house a few months ago to have a major surgery?"
"Yes, I wasn't lying to you! Qin Fang, you can't be doubting my words, can you?" Kong Mingqing chuckled softly!
Qin Fang frowned and said, "Mingqing, it's not that I don't believe you!"
"You have no idea; this private kitchen has quite a reputation. If you don't book a room a week in advance, you won't get a seat."
"I've been busy over the National Day holidays, and it was only this afternoon that I had ti to decide to have a al with you. That little friend of yours, being able to book a room here right away, is impressive."
Kong Mingqing was also taken aback and said, "This seemingly unremarkable small restaurant is quite famous?"
He reassured, "Qin Fang, you don't have to worry about other matters. This al is just to thank you for waiving those traffic violations. Should anything else co up to trouble you, feel free to refuse; I assure you on this point."
Qin Fang's expression relaxed sowhat as he followed Kong Mingqing into this private kitchen. Under the guidance of a waiter, they arrived at Room 205.
Upon pushing the door open, Qin Fang saw a handso young man seated at the head of the table.
And he was the only person in the entire room.
Kong Mingqing loudly introduced, "Lin Jie, let introduce to you, this is my high school classmate Qin Fang, the captain of the traffic police team. Your traffic violation records and the issue with your driver's license were resolved thanks to his help."
At this mont, Lin Jie had already stood up, took a few steps forward with a welcoming hand, and said with a smile, "Captain Qin, thank you for your help. Otherwise, I really wouldn't know what to do!"
Qin Fang shook Lin Jie's hand briefly and politely said, "It's considered an ergency situation on your part, and I handled it according to regulations, so it's not an exception."
After these words, he took a seat at the guest of honor position, observing this seemingly just out of adolescence Lin Jie, full of curiosity.
To resolve those traffic violation records without implicating others and bearing responsibility, Qin Fang had painstakingly pulled up the relevant surveillance videos for review.
After watching a few videos, Qin Fang was greatly astonished.
At such high speed, amidst the congested traffic, that MINI car maneuvered like a fish swimming through the deep sea, navigating with extre precision yet narrowly avoiding all other cars, not even a minor scrape.
The driving skills were extraordinary, calling him a professional racer wouldn't be an understatent!
But the handso, friendly young man in front of him didn't match the wild, unrestrained, and highly skilled image he had in mind of an audacious driver.
"Lin Jie, why didn't you bring Miaomiao along?" Kong Mingqing asked.
Lin Jie explained, "She still needs so ti for a quiet recovery, and her hair hasn't fully grown back. You understand, she doesn't really want to go out!"
Kong Mingqing chuckled, expressing his understanding.
Lin Jie looked at Qin Fang and asked, "Captain Qin, do you have any dietary restrictions?"
Lin Jie gathered so preferences and tastes from the two and conveyed their orders to the waiter via intercom, instructing them to start serving.
Kong Mingqing picked up a wet towel to wipe his hands, casually saying, "Lin Jie, getting a room here without booking a week in advance is impossible. Do you have so inside connections?"
Lin Jie honestly didn't know that the rooms here were so in demand; he had booked the room through Luo Shanshan.
He once read an article saying that to live comfortably in this society, one needs to make selective and pragmatic friendships.
For the average person, their circle of friends should include at least one doctor, one lawyer, one minor official, one policeman, one teacher, and one thug.
Setting other friends aside, Lin Jie found that having a police friend does indeed reduce a lot of life's hassles.
He also understood that friendships need to be nurtured.
Although he had done favors for Kong Mingqing's family before, if he only took without giving, even the greatest kindness would fade.
Regarding the traffic violation incident before, he had told Kong Mingqing that after Lin Miao recovered, he would treat them to a al.
So, two or three days prior, he actively contacted Kong Mingqing to reschedule the al.
When the dinner guests and ti were confird today, Luo Shanshan happened to be by his side when he called. Lin Jie thought of the private kitchen they had previously dined at, and asked her to help book a room.
Lin Jie recalled and explained to Kong Mingqing, "The owner of the clinic I work at, Dr. Luo, seems to have a good relationship with the owner here. I booked the room through her."
Kong Mingqing understood and responded with an "Oh!"
Just then, the waiters began serving dishes, and the three of them started eating and drinking together.
Kong Mingqing and Qin Fang drank white liquor, while Lin Jie couldn't handle white liquor, so it was just the two of them drinking together!
The three of them talked casually about light topics, eating and drinking, with quite a pleasant atmosphere.
However, after a phone call outside, Qin Fang returned with a visibly upset expression.
Kong Mingqing clinked another glass with Qin Fang and asked, "What happened, leaving you so worried? Tell us, maybe I can help."
Qin Fang sighed and said, "It's nothing major, just that my wife just complained about ."
"Sigh... my father-in-law has a tumor in his stomach, and he needs surgery. I went to great lengths to get him into the University Affiliated Hospital."
"Even the surgeon has been arranged; isn't that already good?"
He poured himself a glass of wine and downed it in one go, with a bitter smile, "But my mother-in-law isn't satisfied, complaining that the surgeon isn't the chief surgeon, insisting I find a chief surgeon to operate."
"Mingqing, you know what level and stature a chief surgeon at the University Affiliated Hospital holds, right? Even the city bureau heads and city leaders speak to them with utmost deference."
"I'm just a small traffic police captain. The deputy chief surgeon was soone I managed to invite with a lot of favors. Asking to replace him with a chief surgeon, isn't that just making things hard for ?"
"My wife keeps saying I'm incompetent! This life is unbearable!"
Kong Mingqing laughed heartily, gloating, "Who told you, kid, to insist on choosing such a pretty wife back then! Now you're facing the consequences!"
He then turned to Lin Jie, advising, "Lin Jie, rember, when finding a girlfriend, find soone kind-hearted and understanding, it doesn't matter if she's pretty."
"Marriage is a lifeti matter. No matter how pretty, after three to five years, it's all the sa."
Lin Jie nodded as if taught, thought for a mont, and then said to Qin Fang, "I know a doctor at the Affiliated Hospital, who's also a professor at the dical College. His na is Chen Shi. I wonder if he ets your requirents?"
"Chen Shi... that Professor Chen Shi?"
Qin Fang's eyes lit up with excitent and he said, "He's a PhD supervisor at the dical College, an honorary director of general surgery at the Affiliated Hospital, enjoys the treatnt of a deputy dean, and is a leading expert in general surgery. Do you really know him?"
"Indeed, it's him. It seems he ets your requirents!"
Lin Jie took out his phone, and using speaker mode, dialed Professor Chen Shi's number.
The phone rang for a long ti, and just when Lin Jie thought this show-off attempt was about to fail, it finally got answered.
"Brat, I'm doing an experint right now, if you have sothing to say, say it quickly." An impatient voice of Chen Shi ca through the phone.
Lin Jie, trying not to overdo it, quickly said, "Professor Chen, I have a friend's father at your hospital who has a stomach tumor that needs surgery."
"As you know, a favor for a favor, perhaps you could help out by doing the surgery!"
There was a pause on the other end before Chen Shi's voice ca back, "This Thursday night, I can add a surgery. Have the patient's family bring the dical records to my office at the hospital tomorrow morning."
"That's it, if there's nothing else, I'm hanging up."
Listening to the dial tone, Qin Fang excitedly exclaid, "This is truly Professor Chen Shi, it's really him! I've heard his voice in the hospital before, I wouldn't mistake it!"
His eyes glead as he looked at Lin Jie, exclaiming, "Lin Jie, you've really helped out a great deal!"
"This glass... this glass..."
The excited Qin Fang placed his small glass aside, grabbed the teacup, and was about to pour so wine as a gesture, but was quickly stopped by Kong Mingqing and Lin Jie.
At the end of the gathering, Qin Fang insisted on footing the bill.
Kong Mingqing, supporting a tipsy Qin Fang, watched Lin Jie leave in a taxi, and couldn't help but reflect, "That Lin Jie kid really has beco quite a figure!"
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