novelraw Chapter 311 - 189: Beer, Roast Duck, and Senior-Junior Brothers (Part 2)
Chapter 311 - 189: Beer, Roast Duck, and Senior-Junior Brothers (Part 2)
He took a sip of beer from the bottle.
Glug glug glug...
"Tsk tsk tsk, back in the day, my junior and I would drink this brand of beer!"
Bai Mo and Big Pocket, one person, one fox, exchanged glances, both enlightened.
No wonder Old Chen thinks this roast duck, though substandard, tastes good. Turns out nostalgia is adding a filter!
Old Chen took a sip of beer, leaned closer, lowered his voice, and started talking business.
"Bai Mo... I wanted to ask about the benefits you get as an expert at the Immortal Technique Committee. Are there regular reviews or anything, how’s the freedom..."
Bai Mo was enlightened!
Old Chen invited him for dinner to help his junior inquire about future benefits?
...
Night had fallen, but the villa was brightly lit.
Seven middle-aged men were gathered around a dining table, eating roast duck and drinking beer.
This roast duck wasn’t cheap and was top-quality, golden, crisp, served with cucumber strips, sweet sauce, duck rack, and old duck soup.
Tie Ta chuckled.
"This is Da Dong’s roast duck, Da Dong West State branch, it’s not cheap!"
With that, he rolled a duck pancake and stuffed it into his mouth delightedly.
The middle-aged men all ate with smiles of satisfaction.
Only Zhang Qiren pursed his lips and shook his head.
"No... this doesn’t taste right.
"They skimped on the salt, the flavor’s too bland.
"It wasn’t roasted enough, lacks that charred fragrance.
"I know a particularly good roast duck shop in West State City, after we defect, I’ll take you there."
The middle-aged men all nodded.
"Mmm hmm."
"Good!"
"Hahaha, by then, we can openly go out and dine."
Zhang Qiren smacked his lips.
"Actually... do you guys have ties in normal society anymore?"
The middle-aged men at the table all shook their heads.
Beast Master Sun Dabao, with his arm around Six-Eared Macaque’s shoulder, grinned.
"I’ve got a few gaming buddies; we play ’Honor of Kings’ together daily. Does that count as ties?"
Everyone chuckled.
Zhang Qiren laughed too.
"I was an orphan growing up.
"Later, in school, my grades were good, teachers and classmates liked me, got close to me.
"Then later, in prison. Teachers and classmates grew distant.
"Only one senior brother brought roast duck and beer we once shared to visit me in prison.
"He told me to reform well, after finishing the sentence, come find him.
"He said he’d arrange a way out for me."
The dining table fell silent. Soon after Zhang Qiren was released, he started Strange People Studio. No news of contact with that senior brother.
Zhang Qiren grinned.
"I stood him up! After being released, I didn’t go find him.
"But soon, I’ll be able to take major achievements, defect to the Immortal Technique Committee, return to normal society.
"Soon, I’ll be able to go find him again!"
At the dining table, everyone grinned.
Zhang Qiren continued.
"Actually, this is quite messed up.
"The roast duck and beer he brought to the prison back then, I couldn’t eat or drink. Those things were not permissible, couldn’t be brought into the prison cell.
"The roast duck he brought... I’ve thought about it for years...
...
Small alley, the nameless roast duck shop.
Outside, the evening was dark and cloudy.
The glass roast duck oven radiated a pale yellow light.
Inside, Chen Wenquan downed three bottles of beer, already slightly tipsy.
"Eat! Eat up!"
Bai Mo, holding Big Pocket, one person, one fox, ate till they questioned life, questioned fox life.
"This owner is indeed sincere, very generous with the seasoning.
"Especially the salt, it’s like it costs nothing."
Bai Mo was already full, Big Pocket was already salting out.
Big Pocket decided it was best to stop eating for now. Heard foxes lose fur if they eat too salty. It looked at its fiery red fur; losing it might not look good.
Seeing them almost done eating and having gotten clarity about the expert arrangement, Chen Wenquan spoke.
"Then, I’ll take you guys back... Ah... uh... I’ve had a drink!"
Chen Wenquan froze, his face crimson, awkward beyond expression.
Bai Mo grinned.
He’d noticed early on that Old Chen was a bit kooky today, seemed like there was great news.
"Teacher Chen, want to call a designated driver?"
Chen Wenquan took out his phone and checked the time.
"Uh... never mind, you go ahead, I’ll have a couple more bottles!"
...
Bai Mo and Big Pocket, exchanged pleasantries for a bit, then left the roast duck shop, heading into the vast night.
Chen Wenquan was drinking a beer alone when he saw Professor Zhang, Wu Qingyun, and Chairman Chen Shu entering the roast duck restaurant!
Chairman Chen Shu was all smiles.
"Teacher Chen, you’re here early!"
A dozen Immortal Technique Committee members followed Chairman Chen Shu into the restaurant, some disguised as chefs, others hiding in corners or going to distant vantage points.
Chen Wenquan was momentarily stunned, then smiled.
"Professor Zhang, Chairman Chen, Wu Qingyun, please have a seat!
"You all arrived so early.
"Let’s wait together."
Chen Wenquan and Zhang Qiren had agreed to defect at this roast duck restaurant tonight at ten!
Chen Wenquan checked his watch, it was already seven forty. Two hours and twenty minutes until ten, and until his junior brother arrives.
...
The breakfast time on Fox Mountain had passed.
Bai Mo sat behind the table in the Bronze Hall, eating a bowl of soy milk pudding left over from the cafeteria.
Slurp...
The tender pudding slipped into his mouth.
"So delicious, much better than that overly salty roast duck."
By now, Bai Mo had realized the roast duck was unsellable, salted heavily to preserve it, making it even less sellable. It was a vicious cycle!
While holding the copper bowl and eating pudding, Bai Mo’s vision turned to Zhang Qiren.
"Is our investment in Fox Mountain going to pay off?"
...
The night sky over West State City suddenly changed color.
Clouds gathered, a cool wind rose, and heavy rain fell.
Crash...
The sound of rain connected the earth and sky, blurring the night.
In the roast duck restaurant, Chen Wenquan looked at the heavy rain outside and frowned.
"This... shouldn’t affect the defection, right..."
...
In the villa’s luxuriously decorated bedroom.
Sun Dabao was holding his phone, playing intensely.
"Attack! Attack! Flash in and use the ultimate!"
Beside him, Six Ears was also holding his phone, coordinating with Sun Dabao.
"Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!"
They flashed into the enemy’s formation!
But the ultimate move... couldn’t be used and got focused and killed instantly.
Six Ears drooped his ears, looking very aggrieved.
In the game’s voice channel, curses immediately erupted.
"Damn elementary schoolers, can’t you play right?"
Someone dared to curse Six Ears?
Sun Dabao immediately retorted.
"Shut up, you’re the elementary schooler!
"Your damn mother..."
Amidst the heated exchange, the crystal exploded, and the game ended.
Sun Dabao and Six Ears lay on the bed, shoulder to shoulder, a man and a monkey, both looking frustrated.
"Losing wasn’t really our fault.
"Those losers had terrible skills. Dammit, three skills per character, and they couldn’t even manage that!"
Suddenly, Sun Dabao, on a whim, uttered a thought.
"You know, aren’t we like game characters?
"The real world is a game; we are the characters, and Ancient Immortals control us from behind.
"Hehehe, doesn’t it seem quite like that?"
Six Ears turned his head to look at Sun Dabao, giving him a strange look... it really did feel like a game, and they did feel like game characters. But Six Ears didn’t understand why, as a ’character’, Sun Dabao could still laugh.
...
In the villa’s largest room.
Under the table lamp, Zhang Qiren was hunched over, calculating.
"Faster!
"The last step is almost here!
"Once it’s done, I’ll go find my senior brother at the roast duck restaurant!"
Swish, swish, swish...
His pen moved rapidly, writing line after line on the draft paper.
Suddenly, he stopped writing. Frowning, he rubbed his head.
"This... this is just too difficult..."
But this portion involved too much knowledge about arrays, and he couldn’t ask for help, forcing him to diligently push through!
Rumble...
Thunder rumbled outside the window.
The rain was getting heavier and heavier.
Zhang Qiren looked up and suddenly noticed, the color of the rain seemed off?
He stood up and turned off the room lights.
Then he looked out the floor-to-ceiling window at the densely woven rain in the night.
Crash...
The sound of rain was violent.
But the rain was blood-red?