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But beneath that peaceful facade, there are countless people who want to trample on freedom and tear apart peace.

They disguise themselves with a veneer of so-called nobility. In their eyes, ordinary people are not human beings, but slaves who are even less than dogs.

He took a deep breath and looked at Duanmu Bi beside him: "The house must be covered in dust by now, right?"

"Of course."

"How about we go to a street food stall for dinner tonight? It's been so long since I've eaten at a street food stall in China."

"Okay."

"Uh... it feels so good to be back." He stretched and picked up his old, worn-out suitcase, then flagged down a taxi on the side of the road.

As soon as I got in the car, the driver started chattering away: "Young man, have you ever used a ride-hailing app? I suggest you download one, it's cheap now. Don't take those private cars, they're unreliable. Take our taxis, it's cheap and reliable..."

Duanmu Ji didn't speak, but he couldn't help but want to laugh.

He still remembers the time he was ripped off by a taxi driver for 200 yuan in an unfamiliar city, even though the destination was only 10 kilometers away.

To say they are reliable is simply the most ridiculous thing in the world.

In the absence of competitors, the situation will inevitably become more corrupt, and the chaos may even be more severe than that of unlicensed taxis.

"Okay." Over the years, his edges seemed to have been smoothed out a bit. He might still have some sharpness, but he had become more rounded.

……

(two)

Li Hongran never expected that after so many years, she would run into her old classmate at a roadside food stall.

Although the two weren't very close when they were in school, and they barely recognized each other when they met again, when they realized it was him, they couldn't help but grin from ear to ear.

Although everyone said they would meet again when they parted, in reality, after many years apart, how many people actually meet again?

"Xiao Ji!" He slapped him hard on the shoulder. "You're Xiao Ji, right?"

“...It’s me.” Duanmu Ji looked at Li Hongran, who was still quite robust, with a hint of helplessness. “You’re still the same as you were back then.”

"Sigh, I'm getting old, I can't keep up anymore, my body fat percentage isn't as low as it used to be." Li Hongran patted her chest. "Haha, how are you now?"

"Me? Hmm... I'm fine." Li Hongran clearly didn't follow the news much, so she didn't know Duanmu Ji's name.

Of course, it's also possible that someone paid attention to the news but didn't notice the reporter's name.

This is normal, and he doesn't care.

“I’m a martial arts instructor now. And you? What are you doing?” He glanced at Duanmu Bi. “This is you…”

"Wife," he forced a smile, "is the woman beside you also your wife?"

"Yes, haha, we met in college." Li Hongran put his arm around the petite woman beside him. Compared to his 1.9-meter height, they looked like two different species. "It's rare to see each other, let's have a couple of drinks!"

"Okay." Duanmu Ji didn't usually drink much, but when living away from home, alcohol and cigarettes were indispensable.

Especially in war zones, both of these are hard currency.

"By the way, has Gao Yuan contacted you? He said he's already contacted most of the classmates to arrange a reunion."

"Gao Yuan? Oh, I guess I changed my number." Li Hongran glanced at her phone. "I haven't contacted my old classmates in a long time. We've all been too busy with our lives."

"My phone number is still the same as before... Gao Yuan added me to the group, let me add you and add you in too."

"Alright, we're having a class reunion. Come to think of it, it really has been ten years."

"Time flies." Duanmu Ji deeply agrees with this sentiment.

However, sometimes when I look back on the past, I feel that those days are already stories from a previous life.

……

(three)

As night fell, the lights in this food stall located at the end of the street seemed rather dim.

In the evening, the owner started a side business—setting up a barbecue grill at the entrance.

There were many green beer bottles piled on the ground, and diners came and went, but some, like Duanmu Ji and Li Hongran's table, would sit for an hour or two.

They talked about nothing more than the fun things that happened in high school.

"Ha, I thought you liked Mo Xueyao and would pursue her, but in the end you didn't do anything."

"Hmm...it's not bad to leave behind a beautiful fantasy."

"Haha, they're quite famous now. Sigh, so many years have passed, we've all gotten a bit old, but they're still so young, just like when they were students. I'm so envious."

"Ok?"

"Don't you know? That's a famous band, they've even performed abroad."

"Oh, I've been abroad these past few years... so I haven't been paying much attention to the entertainment industry."

"When they graduated, they released a cat-themed album and it became a hit, haha."

“Everyone has their own life,” Duanmu Ji said with a smile and a nod.

Those things we were once so persistent about, we no longer strive for as time goes by. Even if there are some regrets, when we talk about them again, we just smile faintly.

Are you still in contact with An Ruosu?

"Ah, Susu, I haven't contacted him much since graduating from high school. I think he went to the provincial capital. Sigh, right after graduation, I couldn't even find him to play basketball. From that time on, I felt... after graduation, all the feelings faded away."

Duanmu Ji rubbed his temples, took a big gulp of beer, and looked strange.

He hesitated several times before opening his mouth, but said nothing.

Just then, a crisp sound came from next door.

Turning around, I saw a man with a face full of scars and a bright red five-finger mark on his face.

Before the people at their table could even understand what was happening, the situation on the other side deteriorated rapidly.

The group of thugs surrounded the woman, who retorted sharply, her voice so shrill it could shatter eardrums.

But soon, due to the size difference, she was slapped to the ground in just one round, and then the situation developed in an instant beyond the imagination of the onlookers.

That man showed no mercy even when facing women.

He kicked her in the stomach.

Duanmu Ji finally realized what was happening and was about to rush forward, but Li Hongran grabbed him.

Despite her large size, Li Hongran looked extremely nervous: "Xiao Ji, don't go!"

"Why? When someone is being bullied, you should stand up for them. What's wrong with you?"

"...You saved someone, but they might not thank you. They might even blame you for meddling. You're injured, so you'll have to pay for your own medical expenses. You even hit someone...they might ask you for compensation."

"Why don't you trust the law? We were just doing a good deed!"

Duanmu Ji roared, the fire in his heart already ignited.

"Bang!" The man smashed a beer bottle down, hitting the woman lying on the ground and causing her head to bleed profusely.

"let go!"

There are five of them!

"Li Hongran, you weren't like this before, were you? You used to be someone who would stand up for what's right, didn't you? Where is your sense of justice?"

"...The sense of justice in my heart has long been worn down. Do you think I haven't encountered the things I'm talking about? The law, haha, you talking to me about the law, I find it laughable."

The female companion next to him finally couldn't help but step forward to stop the man, but was also pushed to the ground.

Seeing that he couldn't break free from Li Hongran's strong grip, Duanmu Ji shouted angrily, "Stop!!! What kind of hero bullies a woman?!"

"You brat, if you don't want to die, don't meddle in other people's business!"

Duanmu Ji finally broke free from Li Hongran and rushed forward.

Li Hongran quickly followed, her large, muscular body making her somewhat intimidating.

But the other party immediately grabbed a watermelon knife, causing the bystanders who wanted to help to break the situation to take several steps back.

Duanmu Ji didn't care about any of that. He had seen even more ruthless people in the war zone, people who even carried guns. If he was always afraid of this and that, he would only die a more miserable death.

Unfortunately, after returning to China, I no longer had a gun with me...

Time began to flow extremely slowly at this moment, and the expressions on everyone's faces were so clear.

Then, something broke the deathly silence.

A group of heavily armed police officers rushed out from around the corner, pointing their guns at the men who were committing violence.

"Don't move!" the lead policeman shouted angrily. "Drug enforcement officers!"

Upon hearing the words "drug bust," the men immediately went berserk again, attempting to break through an opening.

This was the first time Li Hongran had ever seen someone fire a gun in the city.

"Bang!" A bullet was fired, and a string of bright red blood splattered from the man's thigh.

The others panicked immediately, realizing that he wasn't a drug dealer, but just an ordinary drug user.

"Hands behind your head, lie face down on the ground, and don't move!"

Li Hongran shuddered at the sight of the bullet. His wife had already snuggled into his arms, while Duanmu Ji and his sister remained calm.

He had seen far worse hell on earth in war-torn regions, so this was nothing to him.

……

(four)

It was late at night by the time the statement was taken.

When she came out, Li Hongran hadn't gone far. She just squatted down, took out a cigarette case, and handed one to Duanmu Ji.

"Good cigarettes."

"Haha, it's just a regular Liquor."

"I could only afford cheap cigarettes there."

As Duanmu Ji spoke, he put a cigarette in his mouth, lit it with a lighter, and took a deep drag.

"Uh... today was really thrilling."