164: As soon as Team Leader Zhang spoke, the barbecue stall fell silent.

*Pat. Pat.*

Shen Jue, wearing the Fire Station's slippers, poked half his head out of the dormitory door.

"Brother Li."

Li Li sat on the bench, his left hand wrapped in gauze, holding a thermometer gun in his right, and pressed it against his forehead.

*Beep.*

"36.8 degrees."

Shen Jue breathed a sigh of relief.

"I thought I'd burned myself into a low-grade fever."

"You just woke up."

Li Li tossed the thermometer gun to Han Su.

"Next."

Gu Zeyan came out from behind the door.

His hair wasn't yet flattened, but his training uniform was worn properly, with the cuffs buttoned up.

He stood in front of Li Li.

"I can participate in the afternoon training."

Li Li looked up.

"Your knees were shaking yesterday."

"It's fine."

"Just because you say it's fine doesn't mean your knees agree."

Gu Zeyan paused for half a second.

"I can control it."

Li Li aimed the thermometer gun at his forehead.

*Beep.*

"36.7 degrees."

Just as Gu Zeyan was about to speak, Li Li retracted the gun.

"Your brain isn't burning up, so why are you so determined to court disaster?"

Shen Jue immediately raised his hand.

"Brother Li, I'm not courting disaster, I'm passionate."

"You just woke up, and your blood sugar is giving you a false sense of confidence."

Ji Shen came out of the dormitory, moving his shoulders as he walked.

"Did I hear someone talking about going on a call?"

Han Su immediately stood straight.

"No call. The Fire Station has scheduled extra rest for you all today. Station Chief Chen said that since the Wutong Mountain incident was so intense yesterday, if anyone dares to push themselves today, he'll personally press them back into bed."

Shen Jue was anxious.

"But we came to this show to experience the life of a Firefighter."

Li Li pressed the gauze down again.

"Experiencing the life of a Firefighter, not reincarnating as a Firefighter."

Ji Shen laughed out loud.

Gu Zeyan glanced at Shen Jue.

Shen Jue looked back at him.

There was a strange vibe between the two of them.

It wasn't camaraderie.

It was a strange male competitive spirit.

Li Li mentally provided subtitles for them:

One wanted to prove he wasn't a dead weight.

The other wanted to prove he wasn't a "weight."

Both were quite busy.

At two in the afternoon, the alarm rang.

Han Su bolted out first.

Qin Xiaoshan still had half a banana in his mouth, swallowing it as he ran.

Zhong Ji fastened his helmet, turned around, and shouted,

"Guests are not following today!"

Shen Jue had already rushed to the garage entrance.

"I can!"

Gu Zeyan followed him.

"I can too."

Ji Shen had just put down his water cup.

"Then I can't lose either."

Li Li screwed the cap on his bottle, stood up, walked over, and grabbed Shen Jue by the back of his collar.

Shen Jue was yanked backward.

"Brother Li!"

Li Li raised his foot to block Gu Zeyan.

"Both of you, stop."

Ji Shen prepared to slip by from the side.

Li Li didn't turn around.

"Brother Ji, your champion baggage has fallen on the floor."

Ji Shen stopped and looked down at the floor.

"That move is very damaging to an athlete."

Cheng Songyan walked over quickly from the side of the vehicle.

"Li Li is right. The Fire Station has arrangements for today; you are not participating."

Shen Jue still wanted to argue.

"Captain Cheng, we went up the mountain yesterday; today is just a regular call..."

Cheng Songyan interrupted him.

"Yesterday, you relied on willpower to hold on. Today, your muscle fatigue hasn't worn off, your reactions are half a beat slow, and one emergency brake on the vehicle could send you to the hospital."

Gu Zeyan dropped his hands.

Shen Jue pursed his lips and didn't say anything more.

Ji Shen sighed.

"Alright. Then we'll wait at the Fire Station."

Li Li nodded his chin.

"Waiting is fine, but don't go on livestreams to play the victim. The mountain fire just passed yesterday, and public sentiment is still high. Any 'I want to go' from you now could turn into an outrageous trending topic about Firefighters not letting celebrities save people."

Shen Jue immediately reached into his pocket.

"I didn't post anything!"

Gu Zeyan silently locked his phone screen.

Li Li saw it.

Good.

Customer Service Rep Gu has shown obvious improvement today.

After the fire truck left the Fire Station, the guests were finally pressed back into the rest area.

He Manzhou lay on the sofa, pressing an ice pack to her calf.

"If anyone asks me to move again, I'll put on a performance of a retired athlete retiring a second time on the spot."

Qi Wanyin sat by the window, holding warm water.

"I'm only doing one thing today."

Su Nianzhi hugged a cushion.

"What?"

"Staying alive."

Su Nianzhi nodded.

"Seconded."

Jiang Shiyu leaned against the back of his chair, scrolling through his phone.

"That video of Wutong Mountain is still trending. The one of Li Li riding the motorcycle has over a hundred million views."

Shen Jue immediately climbed up.

"Which one? Let me see."

Li Li pressed him back down.

"No watching. You'll get all fired up again after watching it."

"I just want to learn."

"Last time you said you wanted to learn, three minutes later you asked me if you could practice with a chainsaw."

Shen Jue was righteous.

"All men would have a bit of a yearning for a chainsaw, right?"

Ji Shen raised his hand.

"Don't include all men. I only have a yearning for a ping-pong paddle."

The lounge finally quieted down.

In the evening, the firefighting team returned.

As soon as Han Su entered the door, he collapsed into a chair.

"People trapped in an elevator. The first thing the old lady said when she came out was asking if we'd eaten."

Qin Xiaoshan held up the plastic bag in his hand.

"She even stuffed some steamed buns inside."

Zhong Ji took one from the bag.

"Didn't you say you were bringing them for everyone?"

Qin Xiaoshan protected the bag.

"I am a part of everyone."

Li Li glanced at the time.

It was nine in the evening, and everyone should have been returning to their rooms.

However, Cheng Songyan had changed into casual clothes and came out of the office doorway, clapping his hands.

"Stop lying around. I'm treating everyone to a late-night snack tonight."

Shen Jue was revived in a second.

"Barbecue?"

"Barbecue."

He Manzhou sat up.

"I just said that whoever asks me to move, I'll retire."

Ji Shen asked her.

"So, are you going or not?"

He Manzhou stood up.

"Retired athletes need to replenish protein too."

Qi Wanyin put down her cup.

"I'm going. Today's exhaustion needs to be signed off by carbohydrates."

Su Nianzhi was halfway through touching up her makeup, but when she heard the word "barbecue," she closed her powder compact directly.

"I'm going too."

Gu Zeyan stood up and smoothed out his shirt hem.

Jiang Shiyu looked at him.

"You're even 'on the clock' for barbecue?"

Gu Zeyan paused for a moment and let the hem go.

"It's a habit."

"You really should break that habit."

Li Li followed behind the group as they walked out of the Fire Station.

The night streets were still hot.

Cheng Songyan walked in the very front; they didn't take a vehicle, and he led them into a small alley.

Shen Jue started asking after five minutes of walking.

"Captain Cheng, how much longer?"

"Almost there."

After walking for another five minutes, Shen Jue continued.

"Captain Cheng, is this 'almost there' the Cantonese version of 'almost there,' or the Northern version?"

Qin Xiaoshan chimed in from behind.

"Say less, save some energy to eat later."

Ten-plus minutes later, Cheng Songyan stopped in front of a small barbecue shop.

The shop wasn't big.

A few folding tables were set up at the entrance.

A man was standing by the grill, flipping skewers with his right hand; his left arm's movements were not very agile.

The proprietress brought out a basin of oysters from inside.

"You're here? Songyan, the usual spot?"

Cheng Songyan nodded.

"Sister-in-law, there are many people tonight, sorry for the trouble."

The boss put the skewers into an iron tray and looked up.

"What trouble? I'm happy you guys came."

Cheng Songyan didn't sit down immediately.

He walked to the side of the grill.

"Captain, do you need help?"

The boss tapped the grill grate with tongs.

"You help? Last time you grilled chicken wings, the outside was charred while the inside was still bloody. You're fine at firefighting, but don't hurt people with barbecue."

The proprietress smiled and pushed Cheng Songyan.

"Go take your people and sit down. Don't block me from collecting money."

Only then did Cheng Songyan turn around to arrange for everyone to be seated.

Li Li stood at the entrance, looking at the boss's profile.

Familiar. Very familiar.

He replayed the scene of the fire at the apartment complex opposite the Fire Station that day.

The elevator entrance. The hallway. The person who wanted to follow them upstairs to help.

It matched.

Li Li walked to the side of the grill.

"Thanks for the apartment fire last time."

The boss's hand, which was flipping skewers, paused.

He looked up.

"I didn't really help. You handled it yourself."

Li Li smiled.

"You were willing to go upstairs at the time; that already counts as helping."

The boss flipped a bunch of lamb skewers.

"You also don't look like a Firefighter guest at all."

"How so?"

"Opening doors, cutting power, watching smoke patterns—your movements were all correct."

The boss paused.

"Only an old pro does it like that."

Li Li raised his internal guard level by a notch.

This person's observation was detailed.

It wasn't the observation of an ordinary barbecue shop owner.

He spoke very flatly.

"I did odd jobs before."

The boss handed him the grilled skewers.

"You don't need to explain. You're a big internet celebrity; how could I not know you?"

Li Li took the plate.

"Don't mention the word 'internet celebrity'; it ruins the flavor of the barbecue."

The boss smiled.

"Take it, first plate."

Li Li carried the plate back to the table.

Shen Jue was already sitting on a plastic stool, his hands pressing on the edge of the table.

"Brother Li, do you know the boss?"

"Met once."

Gu Zeyan unwrapped disposable chopsticks and handed them to Su Nianzhi, who was sitting next to him.

Su Nianzhi took them.

"Thank you."

Jiang Shiyu's teeth ached just watching.

"You two need idol drama cinematography just to eat barbecue?"

Gu Zeyan tossed the chopstick wrapper into the trash can.

"It's a habit."

"You really should break that habit."

After the skewers were served, the atmosphere quickly heated up.

Cheng Songyan went to the counter to get drinks.

"Boss, give me a crate of beer."

The boss's movements paused for half a second.

The proprietress also looked up from behind the cash register.

Li Li caught it.

Very short. But it was there.

The boss moved the beer out of the freezer.

"Drink less."

Cheng Songyan smiled.

"Not on duty today. Just a little."

The boss didn't urge him further and moved the beer over.

Li Li sat in the outer position and didn't touch the beer bottles.

Cheng Songyan opened a bottle and stood up.

"First, a toast to everyone."

Shen Jue immediately stood up too.

"Captain Cheng, don't be so formal."

Cheng Songyan raised the bottle opening slightly.

"Yesterday at Wutong Mountain, without you, the transport line wouldn't have held up. You are guests, but you didn't treat yourselves like tourists."

He Manzhou picked up her cup.

"Captain Cheng, hearing you say that makes me feel a bit embarrassed."

Qi Wanyin also raised her cup.

"Yesterday, everyone just did what they could."

Cheng Songyan shook his head.

"There is a big difference between being able to do something and daring to do it."

He raised the beer to his chest.

"On behalf of the Pengcheng Fire Department, thank you."

After speaking, he tilted his head back and downed the whole bottle.

Shen Jue was put on the spot immediately.

"Damn, Captain Cheng, you're using your ultimate move."

Ji Shen picked up a beer bottle.

"Let's go. Athletes can't be cowards, even though I've already retired."

Gu Zeyan glanced at Li Li and also picked up a bottle.

Su Nianzhi finished her small cup.

He Manzhou's cup was empty, and she slapped the table.

"Bring another skewer of kidneys."

Jiang Shiyu reminded her.

"A female celebrity eating kidneys?"

He Manzhou glanced at him.

"It's reasonable for a retired athlete to eat anything."

There was laughter at the table for a while.

Li Li only drank half a bottle.

He wasn't planning on drinking much.

That thread involving Yossi was still hanging.

With uncertainty about how many people were watching him, staying sober was a low-cost amulet.

Rule number one of adult survival literature: don't surrender your alcohol tolerance to the atmosphere.

Cheng Songyan picked up a second bottle.

This time, he aimed it at Li Li.

"This bottle is for you."

Li Li raised his bottle slightly.

"Captain Cheng, don't do one bottle after another; I still want to have a liver tomorrow."

Cheng Songyan didn't smile.

"You won't be staying at the Fire Station anymore."

The table went quiet for a moment.

The skewer in Shen Jue's hand stopped in mid-air.

"What?"

Ji Shen looked at Li Li.

"Going to that new variety show? Busy Roommates?"

Jiang Shiyu nodded.

"The twenty-four-hour livestream variety show on TikTok, right?"

Gu Zeyan knew about this and didn't interject.

Su Nianzhi had heard about it from her manager long ago and lowered her head to drink water.

Shen Jue was completely dumbfounded.

"Wait, Brother Li, where are you going? You're not staying with us at the Fire Department anymore?"

Li Li put down the half-bottle of beer.

"I'll return to the villa at night. I'll come to the Fire Station as usual during the day."

Shen Jue froze for two seconds, then his whole face lit up.

"The one with Sister Jiang?"

"Yes."

Shen Jue slammed the table abruptly.

"Then can I watch the livestream?"

Ji Shen reminded him.

"You're still on another show."

Shen Jue was righteous.

"Watching a brother show on the same platform counts as learning advanced experience."

Gu Zeyan lowered his head and opened a bottle of beer, saying nothing.

Jiang Shiyu leaned in close to him.

"Did you break?"

Gu Zeyan placed the bottle cap on the edge of the table.

"No."

"You'd better be."

Cheng Songyan raised his bottle.

"This bottle is for Li Li. Thank you for your hard work riding the motorcycle up and down the mountain yesterday."

Li Li also stood up.

"The ones who worked hard were the Firefighters on the mountain and everyone who came to help. I just made a few trips first."

Cheng Songyan shook his head.

"The first trip is the hardest."

As these words fell, the boss's action of flipping skewers by the grill paused again.

Li Li scanned over.

The boss quickly continued grilling.

After the second bottle was finished, everyone thought it was over.

Shen Jue was already prepared to sit down and eat chicken wings.

"Finally, I can eat, right? I was drinking so much earlier that my stomach started introducing itself."

However, Cheng Songyan picked up a third bottle.

This time, he didn't look at the guests.

He turned around and faced the boss by the grill.

The bill in the proprietress's hand stopped.

The boss put the skewers on a plate without looking up.

Cheng Songyan walked over two steps.

The plastic stool made a scraping sound on the ground.

He stood in front of the grill, the bottle of beer in his hand unopened.

"Captain."

Only then did the boss look up.

"Go sit back down and eat."

Cheng Songyan didn't move.

He pried open the bottle cap with an opener.

Foam gushed out from the bottle mouth, dripping down the back of his hand.

Shen Jue slowly put down the chicken wing.

Ji Shen sat up straight.

Qi Wanyin placed her cup on the table.

Gu Zeyan also stopped his chopsticks.

Li Li looked at the boss's left arm, which wasn't very agile.

Cheng Songyan raised the beer bottle, standing very straight.

His eyes were red, and he was struggling to keep the tears from falling.

"I'm sorry, Captain."

His Adam's apple bobbed.

"I still didn't manage to do it."