Chase Game

"This is roasted corn my dad made, it's delicious..."

"And these lamb skewers, although not exactly authentic, are really delicious!"

"You all should try some, eat more..."

Zhou Huai moved back and forth between the kitchen and the dining table, perhaps to express her gratitude for Ling Yi and the others' help; she appeared exceptionally enthusiastic and happy.

However, almost every time she left, she would give Liu Hao a gentle smile.

The two of them might not have realized anything, but others could see it clearly.

However, no one dared to ask too many questions in front of Zhou Huai.

After a little over an hour, everyone had eaten and drunk their fill.

In fact, those meals that take several hours to finish are not really about food, but about interpersonal relationships and social interactions.

Unlike Ling Yi and his group, apart from Li Qingping who drank a little wine, the others didn't drink much of this stuff and didn't maintain any social connections.

So while filling their stomachs, they chatted casually and finished eating quickly.

Li Qingping finished the last sip of wine, stretched, and felt incredibly refreshed.

"Alright, now that we've eaten and drunk our fill, it's time to get down to business."

Liu Hao turned to him, puzzled, and asked, "Captain, do we have any other missions?"

"Just a little side job."

Side jobs?

Liu Hao was somewhat surprised, as the association did not allow its members to take on private jobs.

Before he could voice his doubts, Li Qingping asked Du Hengbo:

"How's it going? Have you located those brats yet?"

"Found it, but it's a bit out of the way, and we're not sure if it's 'Phoenix Flame's' lair."

Du Hengbo took a sip of iced tea and answered with a spicy kick.

Li Qingping stood up, a toothpick dangling from his mouth, and muttered:

"Whether it is or not, let's go and take a look first. If it isn't, then take him back for further questioning."

Liu Hao then understood that the goal was to "cut the weeds and eliminate the roots"!

Ling Yi and Zhang Qiang had already left the table and were standing at the shop entrance enjoying the breeze, so they naturally heard Li Qingping's words.

Zhang Qiang whispered to Ling Yi, "I thought there was no way to deal with this kind of thing..."

Ling Yi flicked the toothpick in her hand. The tiny stick spun a few times in the air before falling to the ground and rolling into the sewer next to her.

"There are no issues concerning ordinary people that we can't address; it's just a matter of whether we want to or not."

Besides, didn't you hear that this group has an organization behind them called "Phoenix Flame"?

Even after Ling Yi finished speaking, Zhang Qiang still didn't understand.

"What's wrong with 'Phoenix Flame'? I think he's pretty cool!"

"Handsome my foot! Think about it again."

Zhang Qiang's clever mind kicked in, and after thinking for a long time, he uttered another sentence that made Ling Yi want to vomit blood:

"Uh...is it because it's too melodramatic?"

Ling Yixin realized that she had overestimated Zhang Qiang's intelligence again.

"...This is clearly the beginning of an organized and premeditated criminal gang or cult, you idiot!"

Ling Yi originally thought Zhang Qiang would be ashamed of his intelligence, but unexpectedly he exclaimed excitedly:

"Holy crap, that sounds even cooler!"

"..."

Ling Yi sighed, rubbing his forehead.

Qiangzi, you weren't like this before.

Ever since you met Wang Xiangyu, you've changed as if some kind of magical switch has been flipped.

Wang Xiangyu, give me back my son!

"Boss, can you calculate the total?"

It was agreed that Li Qingping would pay, and without needing anyone to remind him, he took the initiative to ask.

However, Uncle Zhou put down his work and quickly said:

"Oh dear, you've all been so helpful today, it's only right that I treat you to a meal, there's no need for you to pay..."

"Heh, boss, you know who I am. If you don't accept it, aren't you putting me in a difficult position?"

Honest people are most afraid of trouble, especially the trouble they cause to others.

Li Qingping disliked the kind of polite back-and-forth passing the buck, so his words precisely hit Uncle Zhou's weak spot.

Sure enough, Uncle Zhou hesitated for a while, but finally compromised:

"Well... then let's go with the cost price..."

Uncle Zhou gave a number, and Li Qingping didn't say much, but added two hundred when he scanned the code to pay.

Without giving Uncle Zhou a chance to say more, Li Qingping paid the money and then called his team members to leave.

Before leaving, I told him, "Boss, you can run your shop with peace of mind. We'll handle those guys."

"Okay...okay..."

Uncle Zhou, leaning on his cane, saw them to the door, with Zhou Huai standing beside him.

Although he verbally agreed, the anxiety in his eyes was hard to shake off.

After leaving Lao Zhou's barbecue stall, the group headed back to the parking area to digest their food.

Li Qingping walked at the front, followed by Ling Yi and Zhang Qiang, then Tang Yuebai, and finally Liu Hao and Du Hengbo.

Li Qingping, hands behind his back and without turning his head, said loudly, "Ritian, have you taken a fancy to Miss Zhou Huai?"

Everyone silently pricked up their ears and gave the captain a thumbs up.

Liu Hao eventually couldn't withstand the questioning and could only recount the whole story.

It turns out that he and Zhou Huai were classmates and members of the same club. Because they had similar personalities and interests, they often chatted.

Upon learning that Zhou Huai's family owned a barbecue stall, Liu Hao frequently came to patronize their business.

I got to know Uncle Zhou quite well after a while.

However, when it comes to whether he likes it or not, Liu Hao hesitates and can't give a definite answer.

Everyone was naturally aware of this.

As luck would have it, they entered the night market, and in the crowd, no one dared to speak up, so Liu Hao escaped unscathed.

"Let's join the team."

[Player Du Hengbo invites you to join the team. Accept/Decline]

After joining the team, a map appeared in front of everyone, with green route markers on it.

Li Qingping had previously contacted the association, which would coordinate with the authorities to jointly crack down on the crime.

However, there is no task rating.

Generally speaking, the association will not interfere in real-world matters unless it involves players.

However, as the saying goes, some things are only as heavy as they seem when you weigh them; you might as well just turn a blind eye and let it go.

However, what Li Qingping and the others did not expect was that three other groups were also heading to their destination.

One of them was Wang Yun's group of five, who were complaining the whole way.

"Ugh, this task is so troublesome, and it has to be done at night."

Before Wang Yun could speak, Zhou Jie sarcastically remarked:

"Hehe, who can argue with that? We might be busy all night again."

Wang Yun bent his index finger, tapped on the carriage window, gazed out, and said intently:

"Alright, let's all keep quiet and finish the investigation quickly so we can find out if there's any follow-up."

The other two groups were Meng Dong and Shen Nianqing!

Meng Dong wore a headlamp and held several envelopes and a faded, simple map in his hand.

He sometimes turned left, sometimes right, but always in the same direction as Ling Yi and the others.

Shen Nianqing was the one who came closest to the destination, with Sancai Tuanzi and Matuan by her side.

The tricolor dumpling sniffed, then tilted its head back excitedly and said:

"My lord, I think I can already smell the aura of literary talent!"

Shen Nianqing nodded and chuckled:

"Hmm, it shouldn't be far. Let's search carefully."