202: My name is Ban Yangming, and I am the deputy captain of the Fox Hunting Special Operations Team (Part 1)

"My name is Ban Yangming, and I am the Deputy Captain of the Fox Hunter Special Operations Team."

"Oh, my apologies, I'm used to saying that."

"Captain Gao Lingfeng has left, and I've been ordered by my superiors to take his place, so I am now the Captain."

"Though this isn't what I wanted..."

I held a pen, aimlessly scribbling and drawing in a notebook.

Until it was filled with nonsensical words, I finally slammed it shut in frustration and locked it in a drawer.

Then I left the room and went to the kitchen to make breakfast.

Only at times like these could I find a moment of peace in my heart.

Half an hour later, I carried breakfast to the living room, just as I saw my cousin, Li Zhenzhen, emerge from her best friend He Qianqian's room.

Combining that with the sounds I'd just heard, my overly lively cousin must have played some prank.

I smiled helplessly.

Speaking of which, her best friend also has the surname He.

This reminded me of my old team; there used to be a silly, naive 'brother' with the surname He.

He sacrificed himself, to protect our captain, he sacrificed himself... Oh, stop, I can't think about it anymore, or my eyes will get red again.

I quickly composed myself, looked up at Li Zhenzhen, and told her to wash up and get ready for breakfast.

Just then, He Qianqian also came out.

With a flushed face, she said to me, "Brother Yangming, thank you for the trouble."

This made my mind wander a bit again.

Ah, yes, that silly, naive brother named He, because he was so naive, he often made mistakes.

Whenever I helped him clean up, he would say something like that to me... I almost instinctively reached out to pat her hair, but I quickly realized what I was doing and quickly rested my half-raised hand on the chair beside me.

Whew, I almost made a blunder.

Fortunately, Li Zhenzhen didn't notice me.

But why was He Qianqian looking at me so strangely?

Perhaps she had guessed what I had instinctively wanted to do.

How embarrassing... After breakfast, I took the two of them to Disney.

(Watching their little expressions, wanting to play but also scared, while on those highly immersive rides, was truly amusing.)

Neon lights began to flow over the massive body of the Magic City, and I drove the car out of the parking lot.

The car windows closed, instantly cutting off the hustle and bustle of Disney Castle outside, and the chattering discussion in the back seat became a little clearer.

"Brother! Today was amazing! On TRON Lightcycle Power Run, my heart almost flew out!"

Li Zhenzhen leaned half her body into the front seat, still excited, her eyes very bright.

Her best friend, He Qianqian, also leaned over the seatback, nodding vigorously, her ponytail bobbing up and down.

"Exactly! And Pirates of the Caribbean, the special effects were so realistic, it felt like we really fell into the sea!"

I smiled and nodded, as a response.

I pressed the accelerator, and the wheels rolled over the city's smooth skin, gliding towards the Bund.

The colorful lights outside the car window flashed past rapidly, and the changing advertising light and shadow on the giant screens of the tall buildings streamed into the car, flickering on and off on my face.

The deafening laughter, screams, and music from the daytime were still buzzing in my head, like an overly noisy dream.

At this moment, only the two girls in the car were still excitedly replaying their day at the edge of the dream, their voices colliding in the small space, strangely allowing my nerves, which had been taut all day, to relax ever so slightly.

"I'm starving, I'm starving!"

Li Zhenzhen wailed, clutching her stomach.

"Cousin, where exactly is that hidden gem of a restaurant your friend mentioned?"

"You'll know when we get there."

I replied briefly, turning the steering wheel sharply, and the car deftly turned into a side road, distinctly different from the main road's clamor.

The lights instantly dimmed, and the air was filled with an old-timey smell, a mix of cooking oil and a certain damp, watery scent.

The narrow streets were crowded with various small shops, most of their signs old and the writing blurry.

The car stopped at the entrance of an alley just wide enough for a single vehicle.

"Get out, we can't drive any further inside."

I turned off the engine, then led the two of them through a series of small alleys, finally arriving at our destination—Midnight Diner.

By this time, many people were already queuing.

While waiting, an extremely dominant, incredibly complex rich aroma began to emanate from the restaurant, precisely seizing our breath.

It was an almost violent freshness, wrapped in the caramel-like sweetness of fat rendered out by high heat, with a base of soy sauce aroma, wine aroma, and a certain indescribable mellow depth.

It was like an invisible hand, unceremoniously gripping my stomach, dragging me deeper into the alley.

The queue snaked out from that small, oil-stained, blackened storefront, stretching an unknown distance down the narrow alley.

The air was thick with chatter, almost oily enough to wring out.

Li Zhenzhen and her best friend He Qianqian were stunned by the sight and the captivating aroma, gazing longingly at that door from which a fatal temptation wafted.

We were in the middle of the queue, not too far, not too close.

The waiting time stretched out, thick and long, and the murky air in the alley pressed heavily on my chest.

Every minute, every second, the aroma surging from that doorway provoked my nerves with increasing intensity.

The queue inched forward like a snail, and an hour later, we were only ten steps away from that small storefront.

At this distance, we could already see the interior of the shop.

With a curious heart, I peered inside.

It was another world in there.

The hygiene was quite good, it was just a bit cramped.

Ten large round tables were packed tightly, people squeezed against each other, elbows touching elbows.

Incandescent light bulbs hung overhead, casting a dim yellow light, diffused by the pervasive steam, everything was enveloped in a blurry and restless halo.

I didn't dislike this environment; in fact, I quite liked it.

Just then, a voice both familiar and unfamiliar came from inside the shop.

"Table for two? Squeeze in over here!"

A young waiter, wearing a clean apron, stood sideways to the shop entrance, shouting to greet the customers coming in, pointing to a newly vacated table in the corner.

Hearing this voice, my body suddenly stiffened.

I looked up, only able to see the waiter's profile.

But why was this profile so familiar?

Time at that moment was infinitely stretched and frozen.

All the surrounding sounds instantly receded, becoming a blurry, distant background noise.

My heart thumped heavily in my chest, then began to beat wildly, blood rushing to my head, only to flow back cold into my limbs and body the next second.

That profile! The line of the brow bone, the habitually slightly pursed lips, even the slight dip of the right shoulder when carrying heavy items... The familiarity etched into my bones was like an ice-cold needle, piercing sharply into my eyes.