The sports car eventually stopped in the heart of Peace Alley.
Before them was a relatively intact three-story building with a faded neon sign hanging above the door, the word "Restaurant" barely legible.
Among the abandoned and dilapidated buildings of the Chaos Zone, this structure was indeed respectable, yet compared to a real restaurant in the city, it still appeared aged and crude.
As soon as the car stopped, a man dressed in a suit like a manager stepped forward with a beaming smile and eagerly opened the car door. Zeng San was the first to exit, with Yue Shi and Bai Wanyang following close behind.
Entering the restaurant’s main doors, they were met with a scent that was a mix of food aromas and old carpet. Several waitresses in uniform, made of coarse fabric, stood on either side of the entrance. They bowed in unison with practiced smiles: ‑Welcome, honored guests!‑
Bypassing a large screen with peeling lacquer at the entrance, the space opened up before them. A round table covered in a clean white cloth stood in the center, piled high with dishes: a whole roasted chicken, glistening and golden-brown; steamed fish still steaming; bright green seasonal vegetables; and several plates clearly containing processed canned foods.
In this area of extreme scarcity, such a spread of food was quite an extravagance.
Zeng San gestured for them to be seated, his smile carrying a worldly kind of warmth. ‑Please, sit. Peace Alley is a small place, and our offerings are crude. I’m sure they don’t compare to the city, so I hope you two won’t mind.‑
Yue Shi’s gaze swept over the food on the table; it looked and smelled delicious, enough to stir anyone’s appetite. However, he didn’t move, his body maintaining an imperceptible posture of alert.
He didn’t trust Zeng San, especially after discovering that the man could resist the hypnosis of 【Raven's Secret Whispers】.
Zeng San seemed completely unbothered by Yue Shi’s silence. He picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of roasted chicken, and chewed it with a satisfied expression. ‑It’s been a long day; you must be hungry, right? Don’t be shy.‑
Bai Wanyang was indeed hungry. Relying on his special constitution, he watched which dishes Zeng San touched before picking from the same plates to eat.
Yue Shi, however, completely ignored the food in front of him, not even touching the utensils. He sat with his back straight, a fake smile on his face, as he flagrantly probed for information regarding Peace Alley’s personnel distribution, power structure, and resource supply.
Faced with Yue Shi’s borderline rude behavior, Zeng San displayed remarkable emotional intelligence. He didn’t ask why Yue Shi wasn’t eating, nor did he show the slightest bit of embarrassment or impatience. He simply chatted about trivial daily matters in a relaxed tone, keeping the conversation flowing and skillfully parrying Yue Shi’s questions. He ensured the atmosphere at the table never grew cold, yet he revealed not a single piece of useful information, spending the entire time offering pleasant-sounding platitudes.
‑You two are quite capable, entering Peace Alley so quietly. I only knew honored guests had arrived once the commotion at the milk tea shop reached me,‑ Zeng San said with a smile, his tone shifting slightly as he spoke casually.
Yue Shi and Bai Wanyang had walked in so boldly without being stopped or reported by any gang members, which was completely illogical. Zeng San knew the only explanation was that they had used some extraordinary means to bypass all his lookouts.
‑We were just here to handle a small matter,‑ Yue Shi brushed him off with a non-answer.
‑Then... do you two plan to stay in Peace Alley for a few days? I’d like to properly show you some hospitality,‑ Zeng San tested again.
‑No, we’ll be leaving as soon as our business is finished,‑ Yue Shi lied calmly.
Hearing this answer, a flicker of relief passed through the depths of Zeng San’s eyes, though it was quickly masked by his smile.
Beside him, Bai Wanyang was focused on the food, seemingly indifferent to the conversation.
The entire meal passed in a subtle atmosphere. The dishes were abundant, the flavors were normal, and no accidents occurred.
After finishing, Bai Wanyang wiped his mouth and was about to stand up when Yue Shi turned to a nearby waitress. ‑Could you please pack a meal for me?‑
‑Certainly, sir,‑ the waitress replied immediately, moving quickly to prepare it.
Zeng San seemed slightly surprised. ‑Oh? You two have other companions?‑
‑Yes, waiting for us outside,‑ Yue Shi answered without changing his expression.
Bai Wanyang glanced at Yue Shi in confusion, as this mission clearly only involved the two of them. But he quickly realized what was happening: Yue Shi was creating the illusion of ‑backup‑ to deter any potential malice and reduce unnecessary trouble. Although his impression of Zeng San wasn’t bad, Yue Shi’s caution was necessary.
Taking the packed food container, the two rose to take their leave.
‑We’re going now,‑ Yue Shi said to Zeng San and his subordinates.
‑Safe travels,‑ Zeng San nodded in response, his tone full of concern.
Yue Shi waved and turned to walk out. As he brushed past one of Zeng San’s trusted henchmen, his lips moved slightly, and a faint, imperceptible sound drifted into the man’s ear: ‑Where is the newly arrived transcendent in Peace Alley?‑
He was asking about Zhu Qunqing. Zhu Qunqing likely hadn’t used his real name, so he referred to him as the ‑newly arrived transcendent.‑ If Zhu Qunqing and Bai Qingyu could collude with the Bee Woman here, the local powers of Peace Alley couldn’t possibly be unaware.
The henchman’s eyes glazed over for an instant, and he subconsciously whispered back, ‑At the... church.‑
Having received his answer, Yue Shi didn’t pause for a second, walking out of the restaurant side-by-side with Bai Wanyang as if nothing had happened. The ‑newly arrived transcendent‑ might not necessarily be Zhu Qunqing, but... Yue Shi could circle back later and check for himself.
Zeng San and the others watched them leave. The residents along the way only dared to watch from a distance, with no one approaching.
The two walked all the way to the boundary of Peace Alley and found the Investigation Bureau pickup truck parked in a hidden spot.
The fog was thick enough to obscure their vision; the people from Peace Alley could no longer see them.
Yue Shi pulled open the car door but didn’t get in. He said to Bai Wanyang, ‑Drive the car away yourself. Pretend we’ve already left, then find a place to wait for me somewhere along the route we came in.‑
‑Where are you going?‑ Bai Wanyang asked with a frown.
‑Back to Peace Alley.‑ Yue Shi’s sharp gaze pierced into the depths of the fog. ‑I suspect Zeng San is hiding information. I plan to sneak back and find Zhu Qunqing’s whereabouts.‑
Bai Wanyang immediately said, ‑I’ll go with you—‑
‑No,‑ Yue Shi refused flatly, his reason direct. ‑You’re still inexperienced, and your sneaking could easily be discovered, which would only increase the risk and hold me back. It’s better if I move alone; I’ll be more flexible.‑
Most importantly, Yue Shi could turn invisible; that was his trump card.
‑Brother, do you have some personal grudge with Zhu Qunqing? You’re being so relentless. The Bureau will definitely put out a warrant for him anyway, so is it really necessary to work this hard?‑ Bai Wanyang asked, looking weary and puzzled.
‑It’s all for your sake,‑ Yue Shi said, his manipulation practiced and smooth. ‑He dared to ambush you from behind; how could I let him off so easily...‑
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