Scarlet Descent

With everyone present, they all filled their cups with alcohol and began lunch.

Following his usual habits from the training camp, even though Wei Wei didn't mind drinking a little alcohol, he definitely wouldn't drink it during the day. Otherwise, it would affect the afternoon tasks and training, and he might be hung from the fan and beaten by the instructor.

However, Captain Ouyang was very enthusiastic, and the others all seemed accustomed to it, so he let them pour for him. After all, it was the leader's request**;** how could he not comply?

Although Wei Wei had joined as a newcomer, everyone ate quite casually, neither overly enthusiastic nor distant, especially Captain Ouyang, who ate while praising Zhu Zai's cooking skills and even told a few crude jokes to liven up the atmosphere.

It wasn't until Sister Lucky glared at him that he hurriedly restrained himself, quickly changing the topic:

"Why did you come back a bit late today?"

"There was a case at the guard office; I went along to investigate. There weren't many clues; I'll have to go back and keep an eye on it this afternoon."

Sister Lucky answered casually, then asked curiously: "By the way, hasn't Feifei come?"

"Feifei?"

The others were slightly stunned, saying: "What, is this young lady coming for lunch too?"

"We talked on the phone this morning; she said she was coming back."

Sister Lucky said, taking out her phone, but when she dialed, it showed no answer. No one found it strange. In the current period of great civilization recession, coupled with mysterious forces scattered throughout the wilderness, the maintenance of many facilities has been greatly affected. Even though the Will Barrier Project and the formation of super city circles have alleviated some troubles, damage to information base stations and the inability to repair them in time are still common. Phone signal failures, especially of wireless mobile phones, are very common occurrences.

Everyone just raised their chopsticks and smiled: "This young lady might be too engrossed in shopping at the mall and have forgotten about the time?"

"Didn't she say yesterday that she was taking leave to go back and take care of her elderly family members?"

"..."

"They're talking about that intern now, right?"

Wei Wei thought silently to himself, but somehow their tone sounded odd. Seeing that the intern wasn't coming, they weren't worried about any accidents; instead, they seemed somewhat relieved?

"By the way, Little Wei."

Seeing that the phone call couldn't get through, they stopped waiting, clinked glasses, drank, and started eating.

The bearded Uncle Gun , noticing his curiosity, lowered his voice and smiled:

"You and I get along well, I won't hide it from you. I've already told you about our small team's seven great reimbursement techniques."

"Now, I have to tell you about our team's three great taboos..."

"Ah?"

Wei Wei didn't expect this small place to have taboos**;** he hurriedly put down his chopsticks and listened attentively.

"The first taboo."

Uncle Gun said seriously: "The underwear Sister Lucky picks for you, you must wear it. Don't secretly change it because you think it's ugly."

Wei Wei was somewhat stunned: "Why?"

"Don't ask yet, just remember it."

Uncle Gun picked up some meat with his chopsticks and put it in Wei Wei's bowl, saying: "Trust uncle, you'll know the benefits once you wear it."

"Alright..."

Wei Wei was a bit helpless, asking: "What are the other two great taboos?"

Uncle Gun lowered his voice even more: "Second, never listen to the captain's words, and don't casually go out with him."

"...Especially when he says he's treating!"

"..."

Wei Wei was surprised—was there such a team?

"Then the third..."

"The third is that intern called Ye Feifei—you should stay away from her in daily life..."

"..."

Just as Wei Wei was pricking up his ears to listen humbly, Sister Lucky suddenly turned her head, cast a glance at the two of them with a charming smile, and said, "What are you two whispering about? Let me hear too, okay?"

Uncle Gun immediately became cowardly, grinning as he reached with his chopsticks to pick up some food: "Let's eat, let's eat."

...

...

Having stayed in the training camp for three years, Wei Wei had already gotten used to the food there, or rather, had grown tired of it. In terms of food quality and health, the food in this small base was certainly far inferior to that of the training camp. But in terms of taste, it undoubtedly had more of a human touch. Especially that pot of unidentified meat, which Brother Zhu Zai had stewed until it was soft, fragrant, and smooth, and cut into large pieces. As soon as it entered the mouth, it was full of meat fragrance, with sauce overflowing. Although it wasn't anything expensive, it gave a wonderful experience of both luxury and richness, making one feel comfortable and grounded.

The few small dishes he usually pickled were also crisp, refreshing, and sweet. And the plate of intestines that Brother Zhu Zai stir-fried with his ladle made Wei Wei realize a truth... Forget about those flashy dishes**;** quick-frying is the true way for fatty intestines.

Of course, as a newcomer, he also paid attention to his image and didn't indulge too much. He picked up a few pieces of each dish with his chopsticks, cleaned out two bowls of rice, and didn't miss a single toast to the captain and senior colleagues. The team members all had an excellent impression of this young and somewhat shy youth, praising him endlessly.

As the meal was coming to an end, Captain Ouyang said: "Little Wei, after this meal, we're family. I've already handled your paperwork. We're a small place with not many complicated things. You can prepare and come here to help out."

Wei Wei obediently replied: "Okay, Captain, what do I need to prepare?"

"Game consoles, magazines, snacks, pets; if nothing else, buy some yarn to knit sweaters like Xiao Lin..."

"Huh?"

"...Otherwise, how will you pass the time?"

"Oh!"

On his first day of reporting, Wei Wei felt he had already fallen in love with this place. Seeing Wei Wei obediently agree without objection, Captain Ouyang also let out a long sigh of relief inwardly.

"He's a good lad!"

To be honest, when he first heard that he came from a professional training camp, he was really worried that another workaholic would come who wouldn't get along with everyone. Who likes strivers?

His expression became even more pleasant as he said to Wei Wei:

"By the way, how do you plan to arrange your living situation? Should we tidy up a room for you here or..."

"..."

"No need, I plan to rent a house to live in."

Wei Wei smiled and shook his head, saying: "It's not far from here, but I might need the captain to put in a good word for me."

"Oh, oh."

Captain Ouyang said readily: "No problem, the team will pay for it. Where do you want to rent?"

Wei Wei carefully recalled and smiled: "Apartment 7, Block 15, Room 302."

"Apartment 7, Block 15..."

Captain Ouyang subconsciously repeated, suddenly realizing something, his expression becoming slightly horrified.

Wei Wei nodded gently and frankly to the captain, smiling: "Yes, that's the place. If it's inconvenient for the team, I can pay for it myself. It's just that the situation there is a bit special, so the captain might need to talk to the administrative office."

As he spoke, he looked at the time and said: "It's still early, I have time to go and tidy up."

Captain Ouyang was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "Alright."

...

...

Captain Ouyang was very efficient this time—so efficient that the team members were somewhat surprised. After confirming that Wei Wei indeed wanted to live in this place, he immediately made a phone call to the administrative office of Scrap Iron City. Soon after, a rental contract was sent to their small security office. Wei Wei, after helping to clean up the dishes and confirming that there was nothing he needed to stay and handle in the afternoon, prepared to go back and tidy up the house first.

He took all the procedural documents and the contract, got into his jeep parked at the door of the security office, and drove towards the house he had deliberately taken a deep look at when entering the city. Along the way, the smile on his face slowly disappeared.

The jeep stopped downstairs. Wei Wei, who wasn't full, bought a jianbing (Chinese crepe) from a small stall, eating it while going upstairs. He couldn't help but recall the scene from three years ago when he walked up these stairs. He stood at the door for a while, slowly finishing the last piece of crisp pancake. Then he wiped his hands and slowly inserted the key sent by the administrative office into the keyhole.

Click.

With a soft sound, the door opened. A peculiar musty smell rushed out, seemingly containing some strange odors. In Wei Wei's mind, the smiling face of a beautiful woman wearing a red apron appeared, memories and reality overlapping. The woman's stunning beauty and later ferocity had left a deep impression on him.

He slowly walked into the room, looking at the dust-covered furniture in this dark old house. The layout deeply engraved in his mind began to flicker, activating scene after scene of memories in his brain. The already dead plants, the dried-up fish tank with only fish bones left inside, the distorted human shapes drawn with chalk on the floor, and the splattered bloodstains on the wall that had been specially circled and now appeared black... A part of his brain seemed to be throbbing.

Wei Wei stood silently in the room for a long time, then slowly paced around the house. Living room, dining room, bathroom, bedroom, balcony... Apart from the memorable large round table, he didn't find anything noteworthy for the time being. Wei Wei was mentally prepared for not being able to find new clues. After all, it had been so long...

After walking around, he sat down on the dust-covered sofa in this room, quietly looking at the ceiling. For a very, very long time.

...

...

At the same time, after sending Wei Wei off with a smile, Captain Ouyang's expression suddenly changed slightly. He turned and entered the small archive room of the security office. After rummaging through piles of old files that were almost moldy, he finally got a thin folder. Then he pulled out the pages from the folder, scanned the contents a few times, and let out a low breath.

"Is it him?"

At some point, the graceful figure in a cheongsam appeared outside the archive room, asking softly. Her gaze, borrowing the glaring and pale afternoon sunlight, saw an old newspaper in the captain's hand under the shadow of the archive room. On the newspaper was a pale-faced youth, covered in blood, staring helplessly at the camera.

"Wasn't he supposed to be dead?"

"..."

After a moment of silence, the woman in the cheongsam asked: "What does his file say?"

"Confidential."

Captain Ouyang smiled bitterly, saying: "Except for some words that look like nonsense, everything else is confidential."

Jianbing (煎饼): A popular Chinese street food, similar to a crepe or pancake, often filled with various ingredients.