“Team Leader Song? Team Leader Song?”
“Oh, what’s up?”
Song Wuli snapped back to attention, looking at Chang Kaihuai, who had just handed him a drink.
“It’s still about that… Probation Defense thing.”
Chang Kaihuai’s pitiful expression made it hard to blame him for interrupting someone’s train of thought.
Old Song had no choice but to comfort him again, chatting about the defense.
Everyone had been worried that the Demon Attack might cause the company to go under.
As it turned out, they’d been overthinking it. The guys over in Operations posted a message in the company Group, saying that Què Yì’s download numbers had actually gone up instead of down. They’d made a killing off this national crisis.
The Company wouldn’t be doing Layoffs for now, and they also wouldn’t be hiring a large number of new employees anytime soon.
Chang Kaihuai and the other two could relax and prepare for their Probation Defense without worrying about being tripped up and cleared out.
Song Wuli also received official notice today that he was required to attend the defense meeting the day after tomorrow, serving as an interviewer.
It was his first time doing this kind of work, so he couldn’t help but feel nervous again. At night, he asked his Supervisor and Huang Yijun about what he needed to pay attention to.
“Can I let them go through the back door?”
Song Wuli asked an absurd Question.
“Openly, of course not. But you have discretionary power. You know what I mean, right?”
Huang Yijun smiled wickedly.
Old Song nodded. He understood.
Huang Yijun suddenly called out to him again.
“By the way, Old Song, your work hours have been really weird lately. What’s going on? Is something up?”
Song Wuli answered casually.
“Nothing.”
“Don’t lie to me. We’ve known each other for so many years. Do you think I don’t know you? Something’s clearly going on. Let me think, it started a few months ago… right around when our Master and Heavenly Father first debuted?”
“Careful with your words…”
“I’m just a guy who only knows how to work all day.”
Song Wuli’s heart tightened.
“Nothing’s going on. What could possibly be going on with me?”
Huang Yijun suddenly turned serious, putting his arm around Old Song’s shoulder.
“And what about what I mentioned last time? You work yourself to the bone making money day in and day out. Where’s your money?”
Song Wuli: “What? You want to borrow money again?”
Huang Yijun: “I’m not borrowing. I’m just curious. Where’s your money?”
Song Wuli wanted to leave, but Old Huang pulled him back.
“Stop messing around. I’ve got things to do.”
Old Song thought for a moment, then came up with an excuse.
“Think about it. Demon City hasn’t been peaceful these past few months either. It’s different from before. Haven’t you changed too these past few months?”
Huang Yijun: “I admit I’ve changed. I changed because I found the lighthouse in my Life. I found the meaning of Life. I want to devote everything I have to my Master and Heavenly Father. So what about you? What’s your problem?”
Huang Yijun poked Old Song in the chest.
Old Song tried to leave again, but Old Huang forcefully dragged him back.
“You’re not leaving until you explain yourself. I’m concerned about you as a bro. You’re not acting right at all.”
Song Wuli: “You’re one to talk? Don’t you think you’ve been acting really strange these past few months?”
Huang Yijun: “Don’t change the subject. The more you refuse to talk, the more I think something’s off with you. Old Qian, come help me. We’ve got to interrogate it out of him.”
Qian Dehao was curious too, so he and Huang Yijun exchanged a glance. They understood each other instantly.
Huang Yijun directly tripped Song Wuli, grabbed his upper body, and lifted him up.
Qian Dehao grabbed Song Wuli’s legs, forcibly spread them apart, and straddled him toward the streetlight pole by the road.
“Again?!”
Song Wuli started begging for mercy. He knew what they were about to do.
“Our three ages added together are 100 years old, and we’re still this Immaturity. Stop messing around!”
“Bro, let’s talk this out. My family still needs me to carry on the bloodline!”
“Stop it!”
Huang Yijun grabbed Old Song’s upper body, controlling him, and aimed Old Song’s crotch at the streetlight pole. Seeing that Song Wuli still wasn’t talking, he and Qian Dehao started getting serious.
“Who cares how old we are? Are you going to talk or not?! If you don’t, we’ll use torture!”
Women passing by covered their eyes, not daring to look, while men passing by laughed.
Old Song’s junk was getting a bit sore from being rammed. He couldn’t take this “torture” anymore and howled, “I’ll talk, I’ll talk! My money went into investments. I bought gold. I lost it!”
Huang Yijun: “Really?”
Song Wuli: “Really.”
Huang Yijun and Qian Dehao couldn’t tell if he was Acting.
Old Song’s Acting skills from months of dedicated study weren’t for nothing. He was already at the level of a below-average drama academy student.
After escaping from his bros’ clutches, they chatted and laughed as they headed back to the Company for overtime.
But today he still had to leave early. There was something he needed to do.
It was to go work part-time at No. 8 Milk Tea Shop again. He arrived at 20:00.
When he met the Store Manager again, the Store Manager was moved to tears.
After the hairdresser incident, the City had been destroyed, industry had been ruined, and everyone felt like they’d been through hardship.
Many people tended to go to places that made them feel safe. No. 8 Milk Tea Shop was one such place.
Zhou Pangzi and the Partner who had lost his family came here almost every day. They always looked forward to that petite figure.
The image of the Silver-haired Girl standing on her tiptoes at the counter making Milk Tea was firmly imprinted in everyone’s minds.
And that perfect COS appearance made the survivors feel a sense of security, as if the real Yin Lin were here.
When Yao Ruoning appeared at the counter again, the small Milk Tea Shop erupted with enthusiastic applause and cheers.
The Old Customer who had proposed the COS plan was also there. Taking advantage of the lively Atmosphere, he suddenly egged on the Store Manager, hoping for a discount.
The Store Manager actually gave one. With a grand wave of his hand, everything for dine-in was half price.
The Atmosphere was built up. Someone turned off the Light, not to save diesel for the generator, but to light candles and start a candlelight celebration.
People started singing, drinking, and gradually let loose.
It wasn’t for Yao Ruoning that they sang. It was that Yao Ruoning’s arrival ignited everyone’s emotions, so they displayed their true feelings.
The recent Power Outage, food shortages, and the impact of so many victims had made many people suppress their bad emotions.
In this moment, they were released again.
A few young people even stepped onto their seats, a Mobile Phone in their left hand playing music, a Milk Tea in their right hand as a microphone, loudly singing sentimental songs.
Many people also gathered outside the Milk Tea Shop. Everyone was using this opportunity to release their emotions.
Some were wiping their tears and crying.
Yao Ruoning didn’t know why they were crying. She didn’t investigate.
The Store Manager couldn’t help but explain. While making lemonade, he told Silver Lin in the noisy environment.
Many people here had lost loved ones. It wasn’t that customers happened to have incidents at the Milk Tea Shop. Rather, people whose families had trouble chose to come to the Milk Tea Shop to comfort each other’s wounds.
They treated Yao Ruoning as half a Silver Lin, subconsciously feeling that coming here would grant them Silver Lin’s protection, that it was safe here.
Some people simply wanted to thank Silver Lin but had no channel to communicate with her, so they chose to come here to thank Yao Ruoning.
As if burning incense and worshipping Buddha, treating Yao Ruoning as Silver Lin’s substitute.
The Partner who had lost his family timidly walked over, holding a small wreath in his hands. White petals, with a very neat appearance.
They were the not-so-common Lily of the Valley.
“Sister, I saw… you were coming tonight. I made this today. I wanted to give it to Magical Girl Silver Lin, but I couldn’t find her. Can I give it to you?”
Saying it like that was actually a bit impolite, treating someone as a substitute.
Yao Ruoning nodded, bent down slightly, and let the Partner place the white Lily of the Valley wreath on her silver-haired head.
She suddenly noticed that the Partner’s hands had many scrapes and marks. Perhaps they were from picking flowers or making the wreath?