What do you mean by saying that the corpses I sew are all ominous creatures?

I turned my head and called out to Li Qing, who was idly fiddling with his phone next to me, "Li Qing, let's go."

Li Qing put his phone back in his pocket, stretched, yawned, and replied:

"Alright, after all this fuss, I'm starving. Let's hurry back to the old street and get a bowl of beef noodles."

Li Qing and I walked side by side toward the heavy door of the underground command center.

However, just as I reached the doorway, before my foot had even crossed the boundary line, Li Qing suddenly stopped as if she had remembered something important.

He slapped his forehead and muttered something under his breath:

"Oh dear, look at my memory! When we're out and about, we can't be rude."

I stopped in my tracks, somewhat surprised, and turned to look at him.

After muttering to himself, the guy quickly turned back.

He jogged back to the office area where we had been sitting, and carefully picked up the two disposable paper cups we had used to drink water.

Then, he bent down and carefully threw the paper cup into the nearby recycling bin.

After tidying everything up, Li Qing straightened up and was about to turn around and walk back.

I stood there, shook my head, and then looked at him with a bit of amusement.

I was already used to Li Qing's occasional eccentricities, so I didn't urge him on.

Right now, I'm just standing at the gate, patiently waiting in place.

At this moment, Lu Yan, who was standing behind the desk, put down the pen in her hand.

She looked at Li Qing, who had returned, raised her head, and said a few words to him.

Judging from his expression, he seemed to be asking about something.

Because they were more than ten meters apart, and because of the low hum of the instruments running inside the command center, the details of their conversation were not clearly audible.

I didn't try to eavesdrop on their conversation.

There should still be a sense of propriety between people.

The conversation between the two was brief, lasting only a few breaths.

After saying that, Li Qing chuckled, waved his hand, and turned around to walk back towards the main entrance with a pigeon-toed gait.

Behind him, at the desk, Lu Yan lowered her head slightly, gently resting her chin on one hand, lost in deep thought.

Her gaze wandered across the tactical map in front of her, as if she were plotting something.

When Li Qing walked to my side, I looked up at the somewhat lonely figure deep in the hall.

It's hard to believe that she's a young woman who carries the heavy responsibility of ensuring the safety and well-being of the entire Jiangcheng.

They not only had to deal with cunning and shrewd powerful families, but also with a complex web of undercurrents from all sides.

A slight thought stirred within me, and I softly called her name:

"Lu Yan".

The sound spread throughout the spacious hall.

Hearing the sound, Lu Yan was pulled from her reverie and subconsciously looked up.

Her eyes fell on me, her expression questioning, "What's wrong?"

I stood in the dim light at the entrance, looking into her eyes, and said with unusual seriousness:

"If you need any help, remember to call me anytime."

It consists of just a dozen or so simple words, without any unnecessary embellishment or empty boasting.

But for those of us who have been through thick and thin together, the weight of these simple words is far greater than any promise.

Lu Yan looked at me, a rare gentle smile appearing on her face.

She didn't stand on ceremony; she simply nodded slightly at me and said, "Yes, don't worry."

"I'm gone."

I waved to her, stopped lingering, and turned to walk out of the underground command center with Li Qing.

The heavy explosion-proof pneumatic door made a soft "hiss" sound behind us as it slowly closed and locked, completely isolating the tense and oppressive working atmosphere inside the command center.

Li Qing and I took the elevator up.

The only sound in the elevator shaft was the faint creaking of the mechanical cables. Li Qing leaned against the wall of the elevator car, chewing gum that he had somehow produced, and closed his eyes to rest.

A short while later, the elevator stopped on the first floor with a "ding".

Stepping out of the elevator and through the brightly lit office building lobby, the night breeze blew in through the open glass doors.

The early autumn night breeze in Jiangcheng was exceptionally cool, and the wind blowing on my face instantly made me feel much more refreshed.

Li Qing and I walked down the wide bluestone steps in front of the building. Just as we reached the main entrance, we suddenly heard hurried footsteps behind us, accompanied by a low shout:

"Consultant Chen! Consultant Chen, please wait a moment!"

I paused, and Li Qing and I turned around at the same time.

A young man wearing a black special police uniform from the Folklore Bureau and a name tag around his neck was seen jogging up from the side passage of the building.

The young man was panting slightly, with a few beads of sweat on his forehead, but his demeanor was exceptionally respectful and polite.

He stopped two steps in front of us, then held my car keys out with both hands and steadily handed them to me.

"Hello, Consultant Chen."

The young staff member took a breath and reported to his supervisor with a very serious expression.

"Captain Fang is currently on urgent official business and cannot leave."

He specifically instructed me to stand guard at the door and return the car keys to you intact.

The other team asked me to tell you that the three people in the vehicle have been safely handed over.

All personal belongings have been sent to the technical department for non-destructive retrieval, so please rest assured.

I reached out and took the car keys, smiled and nodded at him, responding politely:

"Okay, I understand. Please thank Master Fang for me."

You've all worked hard too, having to work overtime so late at night.

"It's no trouble at all! It's all part of my duty! Well then, Consultant Chen and Consultant Li, please take care and be safe!"

The young man quickly and politely waved his hand, then took another step back and watched us leave.

I twirled the car key halfway around on my index finger, stuffed it into my pocket, and winked at Li Qing beside me:

"Let's go, Li Qing, let's go back."

Li Qing, with his hands in his shorts pockets, swayed along beside me, chuckling and joking:

"Look at this, this is the prestige of our General Administration's specially appointed A-level consultant."

You even have to ask someone to return your car keys to you.

Old Chen, following you around has really made my back feel stronger.

"Stop talking nonsense. Who's driving the car, you or me?"

As I walked along the parking lot walkway, I gave him a disgruntled look.

"I absolutely have to drive! How can I let our great advisor Chen be the driver? I need to save my life for midnight snacks."

Li Qing, with a grin, snatched the keys from my hand one by one.