mesbooks Chapter 152 Spying on the Enemy
Chapter 152 Spying on the Enemy
The head and nostrils sniffed the air frantically, and the strong, bone-melting aroma of loach in the room made its eyes light up instantly.
Who else could have come in but Kobayashi?
Xiao Lin had obviously finished eating the bland, mass-produced noodles next door, and was drawn in by the strong, spicy aroma emanating from Chen Feng's stall, so he followed the scent and jogged in.
He clearly hadn't expected that "Human Fireworks" wouldn't have a long queue today because of the diversion of people outside. As he stepped across the wooden threshold, he bumped into Gao Zhiqiang, who was sitting at a square table by the window, and their eyes met. His gaze was exactly like that of someone watching a wonderful monkey show.
The air fell subtly still for a moment.
Gao Zhiqiang sat on the bench, half a piece of purple garlic still between his chopsticks, looking at him with a sidelong glance and a playful smile.
"Xiao Lin, the night before last you were patting your chest at Old Liu's place, saying 'Anyone who goes to another's house is a dog,' and this morning you were the one sneaking off to deliver money to the capitalist next door in the dark. Tell me, doesn't that count as betraying us?!"
Lin Xiaoyu and Yuanyuan, along with a dozen or so die-hard fans, all stopped eating and stared at Xiaolin with their bright eyes.
Xiaolin stood in the dim light of the fluorescent lamp, awkwardly rubbing his hands on his jeans.
He never expected Gao Zhiqiang to be sitting here. Moreover, from what the other person said, he knew that his ugly behavior of eating noodles next door, where he was greedy for cheap food and his mouth was dripping with oil, had been seen clearly by this newly met dining companion.
However, this guy is also a very shameless person. After years of wandering the world, his specialty is taking advantage of others.
He awkwardly touched his slightly reddened nose, took a step forward, and instantly a shameless smile spread across his face as he strode toward Gao Zhiqiang's square table, looking every bit like a triumphant hero.
"Ahem... Well, Zhiqiang, what kind of question is that? How can you call it betrayal when it's so early in the morning?!"
Xiao Lin grabbed an empty wooden chair next to him, plopped down without any regard for appearances, nimbly snatched the bottled water in front of Gao Zhiqiang with one hand, gulped down a large mouthful, and then, facing his die-hard fans, stubbornly stuck out his neck and began to shout shamelessly, spitting as he spoke:
"Brothers and sisters, please don't misunderstand me, Lin!!"
Just now... just now, when I saw those thirteen stores operating so strangely, with everyone wearing walkie-talkies, I was really worried for Brother Chen and Mengmeng!
I risked my life for the greater good of our "human world," rushing alone into the huge French windows of that "ultimate flavor space" to spy on the enemy and gather business intelligence for everyone!
"Gathering intelligence?!"
Upon hearing these four words, Gao Zhiqiang's eyelids twitched violently twice, and he almost spat the rice in his mouth directly onto Xiao Lin's fat face.
He glanced sideways at the guy who had been calling him brother the night before last:
"Kobayashi, you've really made quite a stir by spying on the enemy."
I just saw you swinging your chopsticks so fast they were practically blurry. Is this your spying method?!
"That's right! How can we get firsthand information if we don't actually eat it?!"
Xiao Lin slapped his thigh and spoke with such righteous indignation that his clear voice even caught the attention of Chen Feng, who was tossing a wok in the kitchen.
"Let me tell you, I, Lin, have truly opened the eyes of all the foodies in the south of the city today!!"
Those thirteen chain restaurants outside made a big show of it, with bright alloy signs, but the food inside... tsk tsk, compared to Brother Chen's amazing cooking on the stove, it's not even as good as manure!!
That braised pork noodle soup was utterly lifeless, filled with the stale taste of industrially-made, complex broth; it lacked any of the soul or warmth of a true street food!
"The moment I discovered the truth, and thought about our vow from the night before last, I didn't hesitate for a second longer. I immediately abandoned the darkness and came back to support Brother Chen's new dishes!!"
As Xiaolin spoke, his eyes were fixed on the glossy, oily, and amber-colored stewed loach in the large blue-and-white porcelain plate in front of him, his drool almost soaking his collar.
"Pfft... Hahahaha!!"
The shop, which had been quiet for a moment, was suddenly filled with bursts of laughter that completely blew the roof off.
"My goodness, Lin, your skin is probably three inches thicker than that giant black iron wok that Brother Chen's kitchen has been using for ten years!!"
"Hahaha, you even used a 1000 yuan prepaid card to spy on the enemy! You're truly a lone hero among our die-hard fans!!"
A dozen or so young people and old neighbors laughed heartily, completely disregarding their image. The atmosphere, which had been somewhat dull and oppressive due to the influx of foreign capital, was transformed into a lively and vibrant scene by their witty banter.
Gao Zhiqiang watched as Xiao Lin, in his comical state, slapped himself in the face and begged for forgiveness with a grin, all for the sake of a good meal.
For some reason, the fishbone stuck in his throat, called "Resentment," miraculously melted away.
In this concrete jungle, cut apart by filthy money and towering buildings, everyone bleeds and sweats every day, living like a speechless beast.
Kobayashi's fickleness and penchant for taking advantage are simply part of his petty bourgeois freedom.
Since the money is his own and his stomach is his own, what he eats is his own decision.
Demanding that someone never change their original intentions for their entire life is the most irrational thing to do.
"Alright, alright, stop patting yourself on the back and get the hell out there to pay."
Gao Zhiqiang chuckled irritably, then kicked the empty space on the inside of the bench outwards with a large foot, thus putting a perfectly satisfactory end to his grievances.
He patted Xiaolin on the shoulder, looked at Xiaomengmeng sitting properly on a high wooden stool not far away, and said loudly:
"Boss Mengmeng is watching over there. It's thirty-six yuan a serving."
"Hurry up and scan the code to pay! Xingruo, give this traitor who went in to 'spy on the enemy' a serving of Long Street Red Pepper Braised Loach too, so he can properly wash his contaminated tongue!!"
"Alright!! Brother Qiang is so generous!! I'll go deliver the money to the little princess right now!!"
Xiao Lin felt like he had been granted a pardon, his face beaming with smiles, and he dashed off towards the cashier.
Meanwhile, following the domineering and spicy aroma of meat that wafted and spread along the long alley, more and more individual diners who had just eaten their boring meal at Su Ang's restaurant and were starting to wake up were also beginning to approach "Human Fireworks" with change and their phones in their hands.