A two-hour drive, for office workers in big cities, is not a long journey. Mo Xixi, who struck up a conversation with Xia You, is a lively person. Her face is small, and the most noticeable feature is her chatty mouth that hasn’t stopped since she got on the bus. From the mont Xia You sat next to her, Mo Xixi began to engage in ceaseless chatter. After over an hour, Xia You was asked questions until she was parched and weary.
From her alma mater to where she lived, the number of family mbers, almost all information was coaxed out by Mo Xixi.
As the wheels rolled along the military road, those who were really asleep and pretending to sleep on the bus, after more than an hour’s journey, also knew about Xia You’s background. Truly, both won had no filters. So who no longer wished to hear won prattle about dostic matters looked out the window.
Before arriving in Bazhou City, the only person who kept listening to Mo Xixi and Xia You’s conversation was the driver in the front row who had been driving all along.
"I’m ho," said Xia You lightly as she stepped off the bus, watching the camouflaged "fire truck" disappear on the other side of the dedicated lane.
Her expressions should have been just right. In the previous conversation, half of what Xia You said was true and half was false, including her illness and her identity as an overseas Chinese from Italy. Her alma mater and such matters were all true and could not be concealed, so she simply laid them out.
That should be enough for them to get to know her, a negligible new soldier in their eyes. Whether it was to Mo Xixi or to the others on the bus with various distractions.
Her steps were no longer light. Just by taking the shuttle bus, Xia You found that Rand was a complex place. Although according to the logistics departnt, she was now just an ordinary office soldier at the outskirts of Rand Military District, the core of Rand had nothing to do with her.
One step at a ti, at least she had successfully taken the first step. With these thoughts, Xia You walked towards the dimly lit Bazhou City, planning to give her mother and Maggie a surprise.
The shuttle bus continued to travel towards another city adjacent to Bazhou City. Along the way, the military woman nad Mo Xixi also got off the bus. There was almost no one left on the bus.
Lu Xun, slumped in the last row with his hands spread out, had just flipped down a newspaper when the driver in front asked in a deep voice, "Lieutenant Colonel Lu, if this continues, my bus will beco your private shuttle." Lu Xun would take this shuttle bus ho at this ti every evening.
Soon, he was the only one left on the bus.
Lu Xun shrugged his shoulders as the bus stopped in front of a European-style villa. A lamp was still lit in front of the villa, and under it a figure was waiting.
"Xiao Ling, why have you co out by yourself again," Lu Xun quickly stepped off the bus and walked towards the shadow.
"Brother Xun, you always co back so late," the shadow moved forward a few steps, a wheelchair rolled towards Lu Xun. Seated in the wheelchair was a woman with an endearing young lady’s appearance, around her twenties, with long hair. Apart from her legs, the woman’s body was as delicately crafted as a porcelain doll.
"Xiao Ling, I have sothing to discuss with Lu Xun. Have your mom push you inside first," the male military officer’s voice ca from above the villa, a middle-aged man in military uniform spoke from the second-floor balcony. A middle-aged matron ca out from inside the villa and, with displeasure on her face, pushed Xiao Ling inside.
Over eight o’clock on Qianze Street, the air was alive with bustling voices and throngs of people. The scent of various snacks and the glow of the over one-hundred-watt incandescent lights made the whole street even more lively.
Xia You weaved through the crowd past various stalls. She had wanted to call Xia Yun to let her know in advance, but looking at her phone, which had been out of use for two months, it was obviously dead. Besides, at this ti her sister’s restaurant was at its busiest, she thought better not to add to the chaos.
After greeting a few neighbors and buying so seasonal fruits, and confirming that the police hadn’t co to harass them again in the past few days, Xia You felt relieved and headed to the restaurant.
Her mother, Xia Yun, owned a small restaurant specializing in Italian-style pasta, smoked snacks, and teas, with about twenty-odd tables and only three or four employees. At tis like this, they were seriously understaffed, but tonight, as soon as Xia You walked in, she could tell sothing unusual was going on.
The restaurant was nearly empty, with only three occupied tables. One table held a young couple who had just sat down and were about to order when they heard the diners at the other two tables clamoring, "Be careful eating here. I heard the owner’s son is a thug. Who knows what they might add to the noodles, maybe even poppy shells or morphine." Upon hearing this, the young couple dared not wait any longer, hastily getting up before they had even settled in.
"Wait," Xia You stopped the young couple, opening up the nu, "This seafood pasta is only thirty-nine yuan, and the kitchen is right across. You can see everything being prepared. Are you going to trust what they said?" The couple turned to look at the neatly arranged kitchen, and Xia Yun’s worried face, which didn’t resemble the description given by the people at the other two tables at all.
"Maybe we should just try it," the female custor hesitated. She had long heard that this restaurant was good value for money. To have co inside and then leave would be such a letdown.
"What, you don’t trust the police now?" Cai Hai, a familiar face at the scene who relished in confrontation, and a First-level Police Officer, walked over biting on a toothpick. He flashed his police badge in front of the young couple.
Cai Hai was notorious for being petty. After losing face at this small restaurant last ti, he had been eager to dismantle the place and consu Xia You’s flesh and bones. Unable to bring out police cars in full force, he would bring three or four police officers to the restaurant each evening to eat and drink without paying and scare away the custors.
The situation had been going on like this for over a month, causing many regular and new custors to flee. If this continued, the small restaurant would no longer be able to stay open.
"You guys are going too far," Xia You glared at Cai Hai’s face with indignation.
A wave of heat surged through her veins, fueling her body, and she unclenched her fists.
Cai Hai had learned his lesson this ti. He protected his gun first. The toothpick he spat out sprinkled a few droplets of saliva on Xia You’s face. She grabbed an Italian steel fork in her hand.
An icy chill shot up from the soles of his feet, causing Cai Hai to shiver. The toothpick was nailed broken onto the wooden table. A steel fork in Xia You’s hand punctured four thin holes, almost half a foot into the wood. The tail end of the fork, twisted out, barely compared to the ferocity in Xia You’s eyes.
It was the gaze of one who could break a man at the waist, tearing and swallowing wild beasts.
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