Hello, Arknights

Chapter 269 The Rat King Visits

Lin Yuxia had actually thought about how to face Bai Ge and had prepared five opening dialogues, but when she saw a room full of people she had never expected, she was stunned.

Of course she was sure that she had not gone to the wrong place, but even if all the staff of Penguin Logistics returned, there wouldn't be so many people, right?

And...why does this scene feel familiar?

"Miss Lin?" The only one present who barely recognized her was Mostima. She placed the dishes on the table and nodded to her. She remembered that she was the daughter of the underground emperor of Longmen. She had met her at the last dinner that Ling Dengxian had in the same living room of Longmen, but they didn't communicate much.

Fengpipe only knew her code name, and although they had talked and met, they couldn't be said to know each other very well.

"Routine work, some regulations need to be confirmed, as well as a community work questionnaire." Lin Yuxia didn't see the figure. It was obviously nothing, but the failure of the planned conversation made her feel a little uneasy. Because she cared too much, anxiety followed.

"Is anyone here?" Ling poked his head out of the kitchen. He was stunned for a moment when their eyes met. He looked away for a moment and smiled again: "Ms. Lin, long time no see. Have you eaten?"

"...Well, it's still a while before I get off work." Lin Yuxia's voice was a little lighter. She had originally planned to start the conversation, but when the accident happened, her defense line was shaky.

Of course, it’s also possible that things weren’t perfect from the beginning.

"Then let's eat together later. It's time for dinner."

"No, I have something else to do." Lin Yuxia calmed down quickly. She saw the Rupert girl busying herself silently behind him.

Texas did not look back. Just as Ling Dengxian had thought, the portion of the meal was huge and no negligence was allowed.

"It's okay, more people means more pairs of chopsticks." Ling Dengxian smiled, and his intention was not perfunctory.

"You still have work to do. You must have a job if you come to Longmen now, right? Please be understanding." Lin Yuxia took the opportunity to say goodbye.

"Work. The doctor is here. I'll do the negotiation, right?" Ling Dengxian waved his hand.

Huang came closer and said, "Doctor, you are here to deliver the document and keepsake. The mission is still yours."

"Really?"

"Really." Huang's eyes were sincere.

"..." Lin Yuxia wanted to leave quietly, but she failed.

"More people means more pairs of chopsticks. Yes, more people means more pairs of chopsticks." An old voice sounded from behind Lin Yuxia, and nodded at him with a smile, "Do you mind giving me an extra pair of chopsticks?"

"Mr. Lin?" Because of the close contact with Lin Yuxia in the hospital, Ling Dengxian felt a little guilty for a moment, "Of course, of course..."

"Dad..." Lin Yuxia was a little overwhelmed by her father's sudden intervention. She never expected her father to appear here at this time.

"It's okay, I'm here to look for Bai Ge. If you're busy, you can go back first. Stay for a while after you're done. I'll come to you later if I have something to ask." The Rat King spoke slowly and did not make things difficult for her.

"Okay..." After hesitating for a moment, Lin Yuxia turned and left, and hurriedly disappeared into the corridor.

The Rat King turned around and found that a purple-haired film girl had actually brought him a set of bowls and chopsticks.

"Ahem, I'm just being polite. My old lady at home has cooked, and I'll be criticized if I don't go back to eat... But I really have something to ask Bai Ge." The Rat King motioned for him to step aside and talk.

"Texas." Ling Dengxian was silent for a moment before speaking out. The latter nodded. The process in the kitchen had reached the last step and she could handle it.

"Go out for a while and be patient." Ling Dengxian deliberately glared at a big cat, then followed old man Zarak out of the room.

The old man with the cane was not walking slowly, but he was able to take in the scenery along the way, which was very different from his memory. Before he left, this place was called a slum, with dark streets, tattered awnings, and clogged gutters. It was lifeless on sunny days and dead silent on rainy days. Every shabby room and place at the end of the alley where one could hide from the rain might be home to an infected person.

When he left, flames were burning everywhere. The blood of the infected and non-infected mixed together and flowed everywhere. Corpses were burning and were pressed down by the ensuing rain. The survivors cried in fear like small animals that had survived a disaster. Those who had lost their loved ones knelt in the sewage and wailed. The whole place was filled with wailing.

He didn't know whether he had done well enough, and finally chose to rush to another disaster. He really couldn't remain indifferent.

And now that he has come back again, the name of this place has become New City District.

The street is still dark, but when sunny weather like today comes again, it can reflect bright light. The street was rebuilt after being broken. A renovation contract was tentatively signed with a medium-sized building materials company of REM Billiton. They were responsible for the repair of a main street. The new city district offered to give 5% of the total commercial income of the block to the company every year for the next five years. If there are new construction projects that the new city district is unable to undertake, they will be notified first. The Carters merchants who chose this gamble calmed down when they saw the amount of the commission shown in the financial statements in the first quarter.

The new urban area caught up with the opportunity. After weighing the compensation of Syracuse, the court took away the materials needed to build the mobile city, and the rest of the materials were left to Longmen. In addition, due to the losses caused by the riots, Wei Yanwu also applied to the court for a sum of money for the repair and construction of the new urban area after careful consideration.

Originally, Longmen, which has a relatively independent economy, would not have this link. However, Longmen can still withstand this blow. After all, it is one of the top three cities in the country in terms of annual tax payments.

But he also understood that this was an opportunity. The materials needed to build a quarter of a mobile city were already a huge fortune. Even if the most precious part was taken away, the remaining part would still be an unimaginable windfall.

The highly anticipated new urban district project naturally received a considerable amount of resources. Of course, this was a scale based on strict calculations by Wei Yanwu and others. It was not a stumbling block, as too many resources would have "overwhelmed" the newly started urban district.

"I invited you out for two reasons. First, I want you to take a closer look at the changes here."

"What do you think? Ling Dengxian, these drastic changes do have little to do with you on the surface, but... they were all earned with your blood and fire that day." The old man's hunched back seemed to be much straighter than he remembered. Ling Dengxian said nothing. He didn't know how to express himself. The Rat King didn't mind and continued to lead him forward. The two of them strolled on the well-organized streets and were naturally seen by many people. The Rat King did not attract much attention. It must be said that as a former underground emperor, he handled his identity very low-key. On the contrary, Ling Dengxian, because of his relatively active performance and the fact that he was a newcomer to Penguin Logistics, many people actually had some impression of him to some extent——

A boy who looks like Agor and a budding Zalak girl. Those who are attentive may find Luper who sometimes follows quietly.

Although it was for work, there was no other vitality in the downtown area except for a few brave children.

even--

"There are now quite a few bookstores opened in the new city area. However, in addition to the old promotional books, there are also new newspapers and periodicals sold in chains." The Rat King took him past the "Chao San Mu Si Bookstore", became interested, went into the store, and picked up a newspaper.

"Now the conditions are met. Longmen New City District also has serialized novels." He smiled and handed the current issue of the newspaper to Ling Dengxian.

"That's really surprising. What's the subject matter?" Ling Dengxian was also very curious. After searching, he found the article "The Sobbing Sea Breeze" in the novel section.

“The Zarak girl never thought that she would have a partner, and the Agor boy who came from the legendary sea with white flames in his arms was bored. When she came to find him, he was sitting on the rooftop counting the vehicles under the building.

" 'Are you meeting me?' When the Zalak girl suddenly appeared, he was surprised and put away the half-eaten tea egg.

"'Are you still eating?!' The daughter of the underworld asked. The boy swallowed the tea egg in his mouth and said, 'I'm here to find a job. If there is any recruitment notice, I will come here to wait for news.'"

"'Let's go, let's get to work.' " The girl threw the token to him, marking the beginning of their adventure..."

Before finishing reading it, Ling Dengxian had a very strange feeling. Anyone who knows the inside story knows who the prototype is... Who wrote it?

Then he could also feel that the warmth in Lin Gerui's eyes faded away, and gradually revealed a cold meaning.

"Just now I was talking to you as a senior. Now... let's talk about the second thing, which is my role as a father."

not good.

Ling Dengxian's senses were like being injected with a needle, and he heard the sound of "sand".

How much sand can there be in a bookstore? This is something he had never thought about before, but now he probably has an answer.

Just when he was about to accept the beating, the Rat King lost his temper, sighed with mixed feelings, and shook his head: "Forget it, I see your attitude. I am a traditional person, but I am old after all. I shouldn't meddle in the affairs of young people like you. There are many young people who are unfaithful..."

"But, when Yuxia came back that day, she cried for a long time..."

"I was just thinking, I've seen you before, and I know you... What was it about you that made my good daughter like you... Wei Yanwu stopped me from causing any trouble for you at that time."

"But as a father, it's still very... difficult for me to translate this one."

Dull, quicksand, ready to explode.

"Mr. Lin... please give me some advice." With a myriad of thoughts in his mind, Ling Dengxian put himself in his father's shoes and thought about how he would feel if he were in his father's position. He then understood that if he didn't try his best, the Rat King would only get angrier, and the Rat King didn't need him to hold back.

Standing on the long street, he found that the Rat King had already prepared this "stage".

Coming from the increasingly prosperous neighborhood over there, apart from the bookstore, there are few businesses operating normally here.

"You have to give an explanation, young man." The wind and sand gradually rose, and the Rat King narrowed his eyes slightly. White flames were faintly visible in the sand.

"I am not good at speaking, so I am all ears to what Master Lin has to say." Ling Dengxian unsheathed his Nie-Swallowing Sword and concentrated on feeling the flow of the technique.