Nantian Fengyu wrinkled her nose in disgust. "The air quality here is terrible," she said. "It's much worse than any mortal realm I've seen."
Zhang Yu frowned. "Strange, there's no spiritual energy here. Technically, any star should possess the ability to generate it. Yet, this Earth doesn't even have a trace."
She scanned the entire world with her spiritual sense but found nothing out of the ordinary. She wondered how such a barren world could create a heaven-defying figure like Yun Lintian.
Meanwhile, Long Qingxuan and Yun Yi weren't particularly interested in understanding the world. They just wanted to see Yun Lintian's hometown.
Yun Lintian took a deep breath to compose himself. He glanced at China, and his figure instantly appeared above Hangzhou City.
The city hadn't changed much since his departure. It was still bustling with activity.
Long Qingxuan, rarely one to ask questions, inquired, "Is this your hometown?"
"Yes," Yun Lintian replied, a hint of emotion in his voice. "I was born and raised here."
Nantian Fengyu, curious about the city that shaped Yun Lintian, said, "Let's go down."
Yun Lintian, perhaps eager to see Lei Hao, completely forgot to conceal his presence as he quietly landed in a remote alley.
The moment he stepped out, his appearance immediately drew the attention of everyone around him.
"Look! That young man is so handsome!" someone exclaimed from the crowd.
"Is there a cosplay event today?"
"Hey, look at the women with him. They're stunning!"
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtMore and more people started pulling out their mobile phones to take pictures of Yun Lintian's group.
Zhang Yu frowned slightly, ready to use her power to shield them from sight, but Yun Lintian stopped her.
"It's fine. They mean no harm," Yun Lintian said nonchalantly. He wasn't particularly concerned about the attention, after all, he could erase their memories with ease.
At this moment, a beautiful woman holding a GoPro camera approached Yun Lintian's group. "Excuse me, everyone. Can I interview you?"
Yun Lintian looked at her and replied gently, "Sorry, we're running late."
"Oh, sorry," the woman said, not pressing further.
Ignoring the crowd, Yun Lintian quickly headed to the old street where his fried rice store was located. Earlier, he used his spiritual sense to find the store still operating, with Lei Hao inside.
"What are those things they're holding?" Nantian Fengyu asked curiously, gesturing towards the smartphones in people's hands.
Yun Lintian explained with a smile, "Those are mobile phones. They function similarly to transmission jades but with the added ability to display images."
"Wow, can I get one?" Nantian Fengyu exclaimed with surprise.
"Of course," Yun Lintian chuckled. "I'll buy you one later."
They continued to weave through the crowd until they arrived on the old street.
Looking at the desolate fried rice store from afar, Yun Lintian's heart surged with emotion.
Just as he was about to step forward, Yun Lintian noticed a group of people entering the store. Their posture suggested they were soldiers.
Inside the store, Lei Hao sat in his wheelchair, meticulously peeling garlic cloves. When Yun Lintian died a year ago, Lei Hao lost his will to live. However, upon learning of Yun Lintian's aspirations, Lei Hao, determined not to disappoint him, made a conscious effort to continue living.
With Xu Longfeng's help, Lei Hao chose to return here and maintain the fried rice business. His goal was to make it the number one fried rice in the world, fulfilling a shared joke between him and Yun Lintian.
The group of soldiers entered the store, but Lei Hao didn't even turn around before speaking. "Leave."
A large man named Bu Fan chuckled. "What are you going to do if we don't leave? Kick us out? ... Oops, my bad. I forgot you're unable to walk."
The men behind him heartily laughed at this remark.
In the face of their ridicule, Lei Hao remained remarkably calm. Clearly, this wasn't their first encounter.
In the distance, Yun Lintian nodded his head in approval. "It seems you've matured, Ah'Hao."
Previously, Lei Hao would have undoubtedly become enraged and attempted to fight back."Who is he?" Nantian Fengyu inquired curiously.
"My brother," Yun Lintian replied gently.
"Are you going to intervene?" Zhang Yu questioned.
"Let's observe for now," Yun Lintian said. "I want to understand something."
Before leaving, he had exchanged information regarding Project Eve with Xu Longfeng in exchange for Lei Hao's protection. Yet, Lei Hao was being bullied by a group of thugs. Evidently, Xu Longfeng hadn't kept his promise.
Yun Lintian scanned the surroundings and spotted two men observing Lei Hao from afar, who clearly had no intention of intervening. These individuals must be Xu Longfeng's subordinates.
"Do we need to intervene and assist him?" a young man among them asked hesitantly.
A middle-aged man beside him lit a cigarette and replied, "Is this your first time here?"
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"Yes," the young man responded. "My superior instructed me to protect the target's life."
The middle-aged man exhaled a puff of smoke and said, "Don't worry, they won't dare to kill him. Our only responsibility is ensuring his survival."
"Why?" The young man couldn't grasp the situation.
"It's not our place to interfere. Just keep an eye on him," the middle-aged man said impatiently.
Upon hearing their conversation, Yun Lintian's eyes grew cold as he muttered. "Xu Longfeng... I always thought you were a man of honor. It turned out that I was blind."
Seeing Lei Hao remain silent, Bu Fan glanced at his subordinates.
Bang! Bang!
Immediately, the group of soldiers began vandalizing the store by smashing furniture.
Bu Fan looked at the signboard and chuckled. "Number one fried rice in the world? How ambitious you are."
As he spoke, Bu Fan immediately kicked the signboard.
Bang!
Lei Hao's hands froze. He slowly placed the garlic down and gripped the small knife tightly.
"What? Don't tell me you plan to fight us with that tiny knife?" Bu Fan sneered.
The man he faced was the legendary Quick Shot Lei Hao, a name that resonated throughout the mercenary world. Bu Fan often encountered his name during missions.
Disappointment initially filled Bu Fan when he learned of Lei Hao's disability, which gradually morphed into loathing. When Zhu Ding instructed him to monitor Lei Hao, Bu Fan readily accepted the mission.
Lei Hao's expression hardened. He slowly turned his wheelchair around, preparing to fight.
Suddenly, a familiar male voice echoed, "I thought you had grown up, Ah'Hao. It's just a signboard. You don't have to be angry. I can write it again."