Chapter 44

At the small stall, Xiao Bing and Su Xiaoxiao sat down. The boss placed the menu on the small table, and Xiao Bing pushed it to Su Xiaoxiao, smiling, "Xiaoxiao, you take a look."

Su Xiaoxiao didn't hesitate, picked up a pen, and started marking the menu. Xiao Bing noticed the boss looking at him with reverence and said, "Boss, you remember me?"

"Yes... yes," the boss, a man in his forties, replied, looking at Xiao Bing with awe, "Last time, little brother, you were really mighty, heroic, invincible, brave, and fearless, with a crowd of beautiful women around you..."

"Enough, enough," Xiao Bing said, unable to hold back a laugh, "What are you talking about? Your words are getting more and more off the mark!"

Su Xiaoxiao almost laughed, but she lowered her head, pretending to focus on the menu, trying hard not to laugh.

Xiao Bing said helplessly, "Why are you flattering me like this? I'm not some thug. Last time, those guys started it. By the way, have those guys shown up these past few days?"

"No!" The big man scratched his head and smiled foolishly, "They haven't appeared since that night. They used to collect protection money on this street regularly, but I haven't seen any of them these past few days. They must be scared."

"Scared?" Xiao Bing asked, "Do they live around here?"

"Probably, because they used to eat and drink around here every night. I guess they live not far from here."

"That's strange. Even if they're scared, they wouldn't all hide and not show up."

At this moment, Su Xiaoxiao handed the barbecue order to Xiao Bing and said, "Take a look if there's anything you want to add."

"No need," Xiao Bing smiled, "How many bottles of beer?"

Su Xiaoxiao held up one finger, "A case."

Xiao Bing was a bit surprised, "You can drink that much?"

"I can't drink," Su Xiaoxiao smiled, but there was a hint of sadness in her smile, "That's why I need to drink more."

"You want to get drunk?"

"Occasionally getting drunk, don't you think it's a happy thing?"

Xiao Bing laughed, a hearty laugh, "Alright, a case of beer. Today, I'll drink with you."

Xiao Bing understood Su Xiaoxiao's feelings. She wanted to use this drink to release all the suppression and委屈 she had been feeling recently. It was a good thing, just like when Xiao Bei cried alone in the bathroom that day.

The boss agreed and brought the beer first, then went to start grilling the skewers.

Su Xiaoxiao opened two bottles of beer, handed one to Xiao Bing, and took one for herself. She poured the beer into a glass and raised it, "Thank you for coming to drink with me. Cheers!"

Xiao Bing, who had always considered Su Peiya his close friend, watched Su Xiaoxiao and smiled, "Aren't you afraid I might do something while you're drunk?"

"I hate you," Su Xiaoxiao continued pouring the beer, but she kept talking, "But I know you're not that kind of person."

"Your words surprise me. I thought you saw me as a heinous criminal."

"That's not true," Su Xiaoxiao said seriously, "If I really thought that, wouldn't I be doubting my sister's judgment? She likes you, right?"

Xiao Bing looked at Su Xiaoxiao, somewhat surprised.

Su Xiaoxiao said, "Don't look at me like that. She could teach you the family's secret skills and entrust me to you before she died, which already proves her feelings for you. I know my sister, so I know you're the man she likes. Can you tell me about your story with her?"

There wasn't much of a story to tell. Xiao Bing had always considered Su Peiya his close friend. She was fiery and outgoing but also very considerate. Among all the women around Xiao Bing, only Su Peiya could understand what he wanted to say, do, or what was troubling him just from a look or a gesture. They had faced life and death together countless times, and they could trust each other with their lives, a trust that came from the heart.

Su Peiya often talked to Xiao Bing about her family, and Xiao Bing would only confide in her. She even taught him the family's secret skills. When Xiao Bing decided to retire, she ignored everyone's advice and left Longya with him, shocking everyone, including Xiao Bing himself.

Thinking about it, there didn't seem to be much to say, but once he started, it felt like there was no end. Gradually, Su Xiaoxiao got a bit drunk. Her cheeks were red, and her eyes were hazy. She looked at Xiao Bing and suddenly laughed. Xiao Bing felt a pang in his heart, gently patted her back, and softly said, "I'll take you home. You've had too much."

"I haven't had too much," Su Xiaoxiao pushed away Xiao Bing's arm. Even sitting, she swayed. "Xiao Bing, you know, you're actually a good person. I can see that, but I can't help but hate you..."

Xiao Bing's expression darkened, and he took a big gulp of beer, drinking directly from the bottle. "I know."

"My family's conditions weren't good when I was young. My parents focused on making money. My father grew up in a wealthy family, and they ran a noodle shop famous for its pulled noodles. But the shop was destroyed by a severe fire, and everything was lost. Our family fell into poverty."

"So when my father married my mother, they started from scratch. He had no money, but his dream was to fulfill the old man's wish and reopen the noodle shop. He had the skills but no capital. My mother worked hard with him to achieve that dream. My sister and I were very independent from a young age, trying not to be a burden. When I was young, my sister cooked for us, picked me up from school when it rained, tutored me when my grades dropped, and treated my injuries when I got hurt..."

Su Xiaoxiao's eyes were red, and tears were about to fall. "My sister means so much to me... but she's gone..."

The usually cold and distant Su Xiaoxiao laid her head on the table and sobbed.

Xiao Bing sighed softly, watching Su Xiaoxiao quietly. Then he suddenly stood up and did something unexpected. He slowly sat next to her, very close, and gently held her in his arms. Su Xiaoxiao lay in Xiao Bing's arms, sobbing.

As she cried, Su Xiaoxiao felt a chill all over her body and mumbled, "I... I want to sleep."

Xiao Bing touched Su Xiaoxiao's head and was surprised, "Xiaoxiao, you have a fever. I'll take you to the doctor."

He took out some money and placed it on the table, shouting, "Boss, the bill!"

Then he picked up Su Xiaoxiao and walked away. Su Xiaoxiao squirmed in his arms, her face very red, perhaps from the alcohol or the fever. She opened her eyes with difficulty, looking at Xiao Bing dazedly, "Not to the hospital... take me home."

"Okay!" Xiao Bing carried her and looked for a taxi. The area was quite remote, and there were few vehicles. As they waited, Xiao Bing suddenly felt a chill on his back. He quickly curled up and rolled on the ground with Su Xiaoxiao. Several cold flashes of light passed where Xiao Bing had just been standing, a flurry of knife blades!

At the same time, in a remote area of Jiangcheng, several men in black dug a large deep pit. The few people who had had conflicts with Xiao Bing and Ye Tianming were tied up and standing outside the pit. Their mouths were gagged, and their eyes were full of terror. After the pit was dug, one of the men in black walked to a black car, and the window was rolled down from inside. In the moonlight, a faint shadow could be seen in the car.

The man in black bent down and said respectfully, "The pit is ready, master. What should we do with these people?"

The voice from inside the car was calm and low, with a chilling aura, but the order sounded trivial, "Bury them."

"Yes."

The man in black turned and walked towards the tied-up Zhang Laowu and the others. They shook their heads frantically, their eyes almost bulging out. The man in black coldly ordered, "Push them in!"

The men in black pushed Zhang Laowu and the others into the pit one by one. Then they quickly and skillfully started burying them. At first, Zhang Laowu and the others struggled and twisted in pain, making muffled sounds through the rags in their mouths, tears, snot, and even urine streaming down their faces. They didn't want to die. Even though they were thugs and had done many bad things, they were still human, and every human has a will to live. They wanted to live!

But they were tied up too tightly, and no matter how they struggled, they couldn't break free. Gradually, they were buried, and they lost the strength to struggle. Gradually, only their heads were left above the ground. Gradually, they disappeared completely, buried in the soil.

On a dark and windy night, these few lives that had been missing for a few days vanished completely from the world.

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End of the page.