Warrant Officer Yu Lian felt this was truly an insult. What kind of storms hadn't he weathered? He was even more professional than those who had received professional training! No matter how much he wanted to laugh, he absolutely would not.
By the time he and Feifei drove Uncle Wei's car back to Fu Street, it was already 11:30 AM, almost lunchtime.
Feifei, who was in a great mood, and Yu Lian, who was in an even better mood, parked the car. As soon as they entered the street, they saw a young disciple from a dojo running in, shouting, "Master Fei, Brother Yu, you're finally back! Just, just now, someone caused trouble?"
Caused trouble? Yu Lian was startled and exchanged glances with Feifei.
"Caused trouble? Someone challenged the dojo?"
Since it was a flourishing era of martial arts with various schools, such incidents were, of course, quite common.
"Not us, it's Rongxia Restaurant across the street!"
Yu Lian probably guessed what was happening. Since the large corporations wanted to take over this street and the entire Old City District, they would naturally resort to any underhanded means when dealing with someone like his uncle, who had great prestige in the Old City District but was unyielding.
Expecting capital to act openly, honorably, lawfully, and compliantly was like expecting Tzeentch to be honest and trustworthy, or Slaanesh to be chaste.
"Was anyone hurt? What about Uncle and Aunt? What about everyone in the restaurant?"
"No, no one was hurt. No one at all. We were all here, how could anyone get hurt?"
The two of them relaxed slightly. After all, the Atomic Punch dojo was right next door, and everyone there was from the same hometown. How could a bloody incident truly occur? Rather, it was surprising that someone dared to cause trouble on Fu Street, right across from their dojo. She truly wanted to see such an eccentric person.
It was important to know that Atomic Punch was a genuine practical martial art, and the disciples who came for morning classes were not just enthusiasts for fitness; they all had some real skill. Even if a few dozen ordinary hooligans showed up, they wouldn't be intimidated.
"And then? Was the restaurant smashed?" Yu Lian asked again.
"No, not really..."
Yu Lian looked at the kid, who was acting helpless like a groundhog that couldn't find its hole. He really wanted to pick him up, wash his brain, and then carbon-grill him.
"Just now, that kid Zhen Qiong brought a group of people to our restaurant..."
"Zhen Qiong, who's that?" Yu Lian was a little confused.
"Yu'er doesn't know? Oh, right, you wouldn't know. Anyway, he's one of the gang leaders in this part of the Old City District. But hasn't that guy caused enough trouble for us here? How dare he show his face again?"
"But he did show his face, didn't he?" the disciple said helplessly.
"So you just let him cause trouble?"
"But he didn't cause any trouble..."
Seeing Yu Lian and Feifei stop and wait for him, the dojo disciple shivered and quickly, with the fastest speed and clearest articulation, said, "He just brought a large group of people and occupied all the seats in the restaurant. Then each of them ordered a bowl of plain congee and slowly drank it. It looked like they were planning to drink one bowl of congee for two or three hours. If they had made a move, it would have been easy for us to handle. But they just drank congee... And Master Liu also said that all visitors are guests, so he wouldn't let us make a move. When we called the police, they said they couldn't do anything. After all, they weren't breaking any laws..."
"...My goodness, although it's the first time I've heard that person's name, he truly seems like a talent!" Yu Lian exclaimed.
He now felt that the scene before him was filled with a surreal absurdity. An hour ago, he was still chatting cheerfully with Vice Admiral Wang Jingyang about the future of the transcendent realm and the Commonwealth's spiritual energy user assault force. Now, he was directly pulled back to the stark reality.
However, even in the age of the universe, this method had not become outdated. Indeed, there was only one reason why classics endured: they were simply too effective.
Fina stamped her foot: "Yu'er, don't go over there yet. I'll go find someone..."
"No, no, Master Fei, they've already been driven away."
Fina looked at the other party in silence, also feeling like she wanted to pick him up and throw him into water to wash his brain.
"Then some even tougher guys came! They were all soldiers, and they just looked especially terrifying! Those soldiers directly threw Zhen Qiong and his little brothers out one by one! Later, the police also came, and then, it seemed like some important figures arrived as well. Anyway, it was a mess..."
Yu Lian no longer expected to get any useful information from this guy.
He hurried to his doorstep, only to see that some of the onlookers had not yet completely dispersed. However, there were a few tough-looking soldiers in uniform at the entrance.
Yu Lian stepped forward, wanting to enter. One of the Captains did not specifically stop him, but merely scanned Yu Lian's face with his terminal and nodded, saying, "Warrant Officer Yu Lian?"
"That's right!"
"Please come in."
The other party's voice was quite pleasant. Yu Lian entered the house, and the first thing he saw was an old man, impeccably dressed, full of vigor, and as robust as a young man. He was sitting at a table, chatting and laughing with his uncle.
Looking at his aunt, she was preparing tea behind the counter. But looking at the rest of the staff in the restaurant, he finally found them huddled together in a corner of the hall, like a group of pathetic, helpless small animals, almost trembling as they clung to each other.
The old man heard Yu Lian's footsteps, turned his head, and smiled: "It's really lively here, young Yu Lian."
"Because our restaurant's business is too good, our guests are just overly enthusiastic!" Yu Lian said with a smile, saluting the old man: "I'm sorry you had to see a less friendly side of my hometown, Mr. Paris."
The visitor was none other than Admiral Nom Paris, the former Commander of the Outer Rim Fleet, who had already retired and returned to Earth.
Yu Lian truly hadn't expected that after he casually mentioned it, the old man would actually come himself.
"No need to apologize, it's these things that give a place its vitality! I'm really looking forward to the grand meal you mentioned!" He smiled and nodded, then said to his uncle, "However, Mr. Liu, is there a slightly quieter environment here? If I stay in the main hall, it will also affect the other guests."
"Understood, Marshal, you are a refined person..." His uncle smiled and stood up: "Then, let's go to the large private room on the third floor!"
"The guest decides." Paris... the Marshal also stood up, completely without the air of a great figure: "Honestly, just now while chatting, merely smelling the aroma from the restaurant made my stomach growl!"
Oh, he's been promoted again? You know, in the last life, because of the defeat at the Star Gate, you could never get promoted to Marshal.
So, this promotion is the final word on the Xiwei Star System campaign. Didn't I hear that many politicians were very annoyed by this incident?
As Yu Lian pondered this, he saw the old man wink at him. Just as he was about to follow him upstairs, his uncle pulled him aside.
"So, you brat, what exactly is going on?"
"Ah, well, when I was fighting before, I met this old... Marshal, and we got along quite well."
"Wait, you were fighting?"
"That's not the point!" Although I know you're too lazy to read any current events news, isn't being so out of touch a bad thing?
"Anyway, he's also a guest, at most a guest with some status. Just treat him according to the VIP standard."
"But he's a Marshal, after all." His uncle showed a distressed expression. Seeing his aunt pull Fina, who had just entered, behind the bar, and his apprentices, kitchen assistants, and waiters all trembling and barely daring to breathe, he cursed under his breath, "You're all useless."
"Now you're scared? I just saw you chatting and laughing with him, not showing any timidity at all."
"That's natural. I make a living with my skills, I don't steal or rob, I pay taxes legally and vote legally. Who is nobler than whom?" His uncle pouted.
That's right, your maternal grandfather was the kind of person who could throw a spiritual energy user out of the restaurant. You certainly have a family tradition.
"It's just that chatting is one thing, and eating is another. Such important figures are very picky, and don't they all want to eat those flashy so-called 'imperial court dishes' from the Empire? If they find it not to their liking and go around spreading nonsense, it will always bring shame to our ancestors."
"Don't worry, just prepare your signature dishes as usual!" Yu Lian patted his uncle's shoulder, and to ease his tension, added: "Yes, that old man considers himself a gourmet. He's definitely not one of those glamorous harlots who are obsessed with the Empire's flashy court dishes! Just treat him like those old gourmands who come to challenge the restaurant!"
"Gourmet? Ha?" As soon as these words were spoken, Mr. Liu Dachang visibly regained his spirits, rubbed his hands together, and declared with high morale: "Our Rongxia Restaurant has been open for eighty-eight generations, we've hosted countless gourmands, and dealt with countless challengers! We love nothing more than a discerning guest who considers himself a gourmet."
His uncle strode towards the kitchen with an overbearing gait, as if ready to charge into battle at any moment, kicking and punching his disciples and kitchen assistants to get them moving.
Yu Lian knew that once his uncle went all out, preparing a banquet of eight cold dishes, ten hot dishes, and four desserts would only take half an hour. So, he waited for this grand meal with full confidence and anticipation.
He then went up to the third floor, completely ignoring the people already guarding the third-floor entrance, and walked directly into the room. Before he could even shamelessly sit down, he heard him say, "Yang Xiyi just orchestrated the annihilation of their separatist rebel main force on Lumina Star. However, their leader, Takas, still escaped. What do you think of this matter?"
...Why are the elders I've met recently more and more erratic?
And what does that have to do with me?
"Also, reports from the New World state that Colonel Elinore Bonaparte led her Fourth Security Fleet out of the Starport, saying she was going to eradicate the Black Hat Pirates, and has temporarily lost contact. What do you think of that?"
Yu Lian was about to say something, but then he saw Feifei enter the room carrying a tea tray, and he immediately let out a chuckle that only Yu Lian seemed to hear.
Old man, I kindly invited you to eat, why are you trying to harm me!