Fatal Virus | Chapter 35 | The Hidden Menu | Novela.app

Cui Bin visibly recoiled. "No, really, I haven't. There are so many people here every day; why would I take special notice of one foreigner?" Lu Linjiang and Yang Bo exchanged a look. "If you haven't, you haven't." The two made a move to leave, but Cui Bin, who had been appearing tense and hesitant, followed them for a few steps. "Officers... comrades, wait a moment." Lu Linjiang turned back to look at him. "What is it? Something else?" "I just wanted to ask..." Cui Bin didn't even lift his head, staring instead at the tips of his own shoes. He looked somewhat like a young bride who had been oppressed by feudal society for far too long. Unfortunately, Lu Linjiang had no time for his acting. He let out a scoff. "What else could happen? He’s dead, of course." Cui Bin had prepared himself for the possibility that the man had gotten into trouble, but he hadn't expected this outcome. He froze, asking in disbelief, "Dead? He’s dead? How did he die?" Lu Linjiang looked at Cui Bin, the smile vanishing from his face. "Did you see Guzman or not?" Cui Bin gave a violent start, as if waking from a dream. He stumbled back several steps. "No, I didn't!" Then, he turned and fled as if for his life. Yang Bo immediately gave chase. Lu Linjiang remained where he stood, unhurriedly unfolding the map he had swiped from Zhao Zhijie. After orienting himself, he strolled toward the home of Cui Bin’s uncle like a casual tourist. The place was actually right behind Xile Garden, less than three hundred meters away in a straight line. Though separated by greenhouses, it wasn't far at all. Before he even reached the entrance, someone greeted him like a welcome host. "Sir, haven't eaten yet? Come to my place. We have barbecue available at this hour." Lu Linjiang walked in with his hands behind his back. Unlike Xile Garden, this establishment—Yawei Restaurant, owned by Cui Bin’s uncle—opened into a large courtyard. Several tables were set up inside, and the surrounding main rooms didn't look empty either, though there were no customers since the lunch rush had passed. The greeter told Lu Linjiang to sit wherever he liked. There was a menu on the table, which Lu flipped through casually. "Just get me some barbecue, enough for two." The waiter left happily. The barbecue stand was set up right in the courtyard. After sitting for a while, Lu Linjiang walked over as if just wandering about. "Your restaurant is quite large. Is the property your own?" The barbecue chef’s hands never stopped moving. "Everyone who opens a shop here owns their storefront. No one would rent their house to someone else these days!" "Your accent sounds local. Doesn't your own family have a shop?" The chef gave a bright smile. "This is my home. This shop belongs to my dad." "Oh." Lu Linjiang noted that he did indeed bear some resemblance to Cui Bin. He circled the area a few more times, looking up at the second floor. "Do you live upstairs?" "No," the chef replied, adding minced garlic to some scallops. "We have another house in the back. We fixed it up to live in and also run it as a guesthouse." "Not bad!" Lu Linjiang let out a heartfelt exclamation. Like a worldly businessman, he pulled out his phone in front of the young master of the grill and checked local property prices. "Well, this is much more cost-effective than living in a big city." The other man repeatedly demurred, saying "No, no," but the pride on his face was impossible to hide. "The big city is still better, after all." Lu Linjiang simply grabbed a pair of chopsticks and sat at the table closest to the grill, subtly flattering the young owner. When the scallops arrived, he took a leisurely bite. "The flavor is good! Hey, young boss, does your guesthouse have any vacancies? There are two of us, and we haven't found a place to stay yet. Might as well stay here." With business knocking at the door, the greeter, who had been sitting and playing on his phone, immediately came over. "We do, we do! Follow me." Lu Linjiang settled the bill for the barbecue first, asking them to pack it up for him later, then followed the greeter to the guesthouse. Happy to have a customer, the greeter led the way. Lu Linjiang, holding a scallop shell and eating as he walked, asked, "Is there anything else delicious around here?" "What would you like to eat? Our chef—the young boss—has excellent skills." The greeter looked to be about seventeen or eighteen, a bit of a blunt young lad. "You're a relative of the owner too, right?" The boy scratched his head. "Yeah, the boss's wife is my aunt." Lu Linjiang tossed the finished scallop shell into a trash can. "The food here all looks about the same. Is there anything special? Otherwise, no matter how good the skills are, I'll get tired of it. It's just the same things over and over." The boy scratched his head again. "Um, I'll go ask for you." Lu Linjiang leaned in close, giving the boy a nudge in the stomach with his elbow and wearing a somewhat shifty smile. "Come on, I heard there's a lot of good food here in Tuocheng, but since I arrived, I haven't seen anything special. I mean, seafood, noodles, pastries—I can eat those anywhere. Why would I travel all the way here for that?" The boy began to chuckle. "That's true. We used to have a lot of good things—things that fly in the sky, swim in the water, run on the ground. We had it all. But with the recent crackdowns, it's all gone." "It can't be completely gone, can it?" Lu Linjiang looked like he refused to give up. "Not even here?" The boy’s expression became conflicted. "That... depends. It depends." As they spoke, they arrived at a guesthouse called "Celestial Delight." A middle-aged man was sitting at the entrance playing on his phone. The boy walked up. "Uncle, Uncle, we've got business. Two people." The owner stood up and led Lu Linjiang inside while asking, "Sir, don't you have any luggage?" Lu Linjiang patted the bag on his shoulder. "Right here. I'm not a woman; why would I lug a suitcase around for a trip?" "True enough." The owner opened a standard twin room for Lu Linjiang. "One night's deposit, one night's rent. If you stay with us, you get two free pastries when you eat at Yawei Restaurant." He handed the key to the greeter. "Xiao Mao, take the guest up." Lu Linjiang followed Xiao Mao to the room. Before the boy left, Lu stuffed the remaining half-pack of cigarettes from his pocket into the boy's hand. "Hey, don't forget what I asked you. Ask around for me, or I'll have come here for nothing." Xiao Mao took the cigarettes, his eyes crinkling into slits as he smiled. "Sure thing, I'll go ask for you." As soon as the boy left, the smile on Lu Linjiang's face vanished without a trace. He looked around the room; it was clean enough, but it lacked a private bathroom. He opened the window and looked out from the three-story building. Most of the surrounding residential buildings were of similar height, so the view wasn't particularly open. In the courtyard below, a doghouse had been built in a corner, where a black local dog lay lazily at the entrance. A moment later, Xiao Mao walked out of the house, followed by the sluggish shop owner. The two were whispering something. As he reached the main gate, Xiao Mao suddenly looked back and happened to see Lu Linjiang leaning against the window. Lu Linjiang flashed a smile and waved at him. The owner also turned his head, looked at Lu Linjiang for a few seconds, and then gave a polite nod. Yang Bo ran over a short while later, collapsing onto the bed. "That Cui Bin guy is too hard to catch!" He pulled open the takeout box on the table, grabbed a can of beer, and downed half of it in one breath. "Ah, refreshing!" "What's the situation?" "That kid is like a rabbit. I chased him for a good while. At first, he ran wherever there were no people, but then his brain suddenly clicked and he dove straight into the crowds." Yang Bo took a large gulp of water. "Damn it, people thought Cui Bin had stolen my wallet. I was so scared I had to quickly say I'd mistaken him for someone else—just a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding." Lu Linjiang laughed. "He's actually quite clever." He checked the time. "We'll talk more tomorrow. Looks like we're staying the night. I'll call Wang Qi first." Lu Linjiang called Wang Qi and explained his plan. Wang Qi had no objections; this matter couldn't be rushed. The two rested in the room for a while. Seeing the sky begin to darken, Lu Linjiang and Yang Bo headed straight for Yawei Restaurant. Cui Bin’s uncle wasn't there. When Lu Linjiang and Yang Bo entered the restaurant, there were quite a few customers. Xiao Mao ran over from a distance, greeting them warmly. "Brother! You're here. You're a bit late!" "Took a nap this afternoon to recharge." Lu Linjiang followed Xiao Mao inside. "By the way, how's that thing I asked you to handle?" Xiao Mao winked at him. "Don't you worry!" Lu Linjiang’s heart stirred, but his face remained impassive. "Are you sure? Don't try to fool me with some pork or beef powder, or I'll flip the table!" Xiao Mao’s smile was incredibly sly. "Rest assured, we do business with total sincerity. How could we use fakes to fool you?" Lu Linjiang laughed loudly and patted Xiao Mao on the shoulder, slipping him a fifty-yuan note. "If it's good, there'll be another tip later!" Xiao Mao left, beaming with joy. Yang Bo silently gave Lu Linjiang a thumbs-up. Lu Linjiang sat down and opened the window slightly. Outside was a small back courtyard enclosed by a wall, where some chickens, ducks, and geese were being raised. A moment later, a man who looked like a chef came around the corner carrying a black bag. He looked very serious. Lu Linjiang quietly pulled his head back in. "Old Lu, what do you think they're going to serve us?" "I don't know." Lu Linjiang gestured toward the window. "As long as they don't try to cheat us, everything is fine." Xiao Mao soon brought out several plates of pastries and a bowl of soup. Looking at the decent-looking food, Lu Linjiang said, "Don't bring any more of this; it'll just take up space." Xiao Mao chuckled. "No, no, this is just an appetizer. Otherwise, if the greasy stuff comes out all at once, it'll be overwhelming. We simmer this soup for several hours every day. Try it; it won't disappoint you." Lu Linjiang took a sip with a look of feigned disdain. "Chicken, fish maw, sea cucumber... what is this, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall?" Xiao Mao let out an exclamation. "The guest is an expert! This is my family's 'Buddha Crashes into the Wall.' My cousin modified it. Good, right?" Yang Bo nearly spat out his soup. "It's good! Your family's skills are great, but your bragging is even bigger!" Xiao Mao was so proud he looked like he might fly. "Gentlemen, the good stuff will be out in a moment. Just you wait!" Just as Lu Linjiang was about to speak, his phone rang. It was actually Jiang Cheng! He hurriedly answered, and Jiang Cheng’s lowered voice came through. "Guo Junyi’s situation... it isn't quite right." Lu Linjiang hadn't even recovered from the excitement of Jiang Cheng calling him of his own accord when Jiang Cheng dropped a bombshell. "What do you mean?" "He invited me to dinner tonight, but I noticed he has a low-grade fever." Jiang Cheng spoke hesitantly. "The test results said he was fine twice, but now he suddenly has a fever. It can't be ruled out as a stress response from his body after being highly tense, but until the third result comes out, I'm worried it might be related to his previous infection." ---