"Brother Zhang, you're 33 this year, right?"
"Thirty-five."
"You're still young, haven't you thought about finding another wife?"
"To eat plain noodles with me?"
"Don't you have some savings? After buying a house, you can consider it."
"We'll see then. Boyu needs money for high school and university," Zhang Fucheng said with a self-deprecating smile.
He Li nodded. Indeed, university cost a lot. He suddenly paused. University cost money?
He himself... oh, he was recommended. After careful consideration, he chose Binjiang University because of the full scholarship.
He Li clicked his tongue, momentarily speechless. University cost money. This was a completely new and unknown territory.
After finishing the dumplings, He Li also drank the cola. Actually, dumplings and cola weren't a good pairing, because dumplings are best paired with... a sister-in-law.
Unfortunately, Zhang Fucheng was an old bachelor.
"If you have the means, you should still find a wife. Boyu will be attending high school, and Binjiang No. 1 High School requires boarding. He might go to another city for university, so will you be living alone?"
He Li chatted about everyday life. He hesitated and said, "Brother Zhang, I'll say it again, if the money isn't enough, I can lend it to you. I believe you have the ability to repay it. Even if you can't, you can repay me after Boyu starts working."
Zhang Boyu, who was playing with his phone and drinking cola, suddenly froze. He looked at He Li in disbelief and said,
"My dad borrowed money from you to find me a stepmother, and then I have to pay it back. Brother Li, you're something else!"
"Tch..." He Li pouted at Zhang Boyu and said, "It's adult business, kids shouldn't interfere."
Zhang Boyu rolled his eyes, stood up, and patted Zhang Fucheng's shoulder.
"Dad, borrow money from him, and I'll repay it for you later. Find me a stepmother who's not married. I don't want a sibling who's not related by blood.
Otherwise, when you're both bedridden, I'll take care of you, and her children will take care of her. How awkward would that be?"
After saying that,
Zhang Boyu sighed deeply, and with an air of maturity, patted Zhang Fucheng's shoulder again, as if saying, "Old Zhang, don't make me worry too much."
He walked away, having shown off, and returned to his room.
He Li pursed his lips, gathered his thoughts, and chuckled, "Brother Zhang, you really have a filial and good son."
"Heh... heh... you flatter me, you flatter me." Zhang Fucheng was also extremely embarrassed.
What's there to flatter? He's already thinking about the day you're bedridden. That's extreme filial piety.
He Li wiped his mouth and got up to leave. Xiao Lan would probably be back soon.
"Brother Zhang, I'm leaving. Next time I come for noodles, remember to get some garlic."
"Okay, got it."
He Li returned home. Xiao Lan wasn't back yet, but he wasn't worried. After all, Xiao Lan was a divine envoy, albeit a dog.
However,
What truly puzzled He Li was that he thought Zhang Fucheng invited him over for dumplings because of the dead body in the elevator earlier.
But unexpectedly, they didn't mention it at all. They just ate dumplings and chatted. He had to admit, the psychological resilience of this father and son was incredible.
No,
They probably didn't know it was a dead body, which was why they weren't scared. And their behavior, in his eyes, was just... a freeloader who wanted something for nothing?
Tsk tsk tsk...
He Li withdrew his thoughts. What a mess this was.
After some internal grumbling, He Li sat back on the sofa and assembled the shotgun. He loaded thirty shells into the shell chain, five into the chamber, and four on the gun itself, for a total of thirty-nine shells.
He placed the grenade launcher and five grenades on the table. He then took out a handgun and two full magazines from another drawer.
"You really like using guns."
He Li nodded and said to Li Qin, "Guns are the most effortless and simplest way to fight. However, I also practice with swords, spears, and polearms, including heavy cold weapons."
Li Qin smiled, "It seems you don't really like my Gravity Halberd."
"No, I like it very much, but I don't like using it for thrusting. I prefer to use it for slashing and smashing."
Li Qin added resentfully, "And also throwing it like a javelin and then just letting it go, waiting for it to return on its own."
"Alright, Uncle Li, I didn't mean to. Sometimes the target is so far away, I can't help it."
Li Qin spread his hands and said no more.
A moment later, Xiao Lan jumped in through the bedroom window and trotted to He Li's legs, affectionately rubbing against him.
He Li nodded, patted Xiao Lan's head, slung his gun over his shoulder, and took all his equipment. After some thought, he sent a message to Sister Jiang, who was on duty.
"Sister Jiang, track my signal. I've found a demon."
"What! Okay, I'll lock onto your signal immediately and notify the captain and the others to follow you."
"Yes, let the captain come. This demon is very powerful. Brother Fei and Sister Xue might be in danger."
"Okay, got it."
At this moment, He Li's heart hardened. That female corpse didn't appear early or late. No one else had any trouble going up and down the stairs, but just as he returned, it stood in the elevator and was then taken away by a short figure right under his nose.
If he didn't believe it was a trap to lure him somewhere, he wouldn't believe himself.
What kind of entity would set a trap specifically for him?
The answer was obvious: a god, or a divine envoy.
Going there alone was too dangerous. He needed some assurance, and that assurance was Susan.
He Li took Xiao Lan and left. Led by Xiao Lan, he drove towards the location.
...
"Are you sure you want to provoke him?"
"What else?"
Yang Wenyou stood up from the sofa, holding a cat, and looked down at the brightly lit Binjiang City.
"Fenita's mission for you is to investigate He Li, to monitor his every move, not to provoke him and anger him."
Yang Wenyou suddenly turned and stared at the man who spoke, saying coldly, "I warn you, do not speak the name of the god directly."
"As a divine envoy, one must share the burdens of the god, otherwise, our existence is meaningless. Didn't Shenshu Chen also risk serious injury to beat Shen Fu Morin half to death for He Li?"
The man said, "That's their internal affair. Betrayers should die, not be left half-dead."
Yang Wenyou laughed, "You're right. If the god hadn't appeared and saved Morin, Chen Du would have killed him. But it doesn't matter. Disloyal dogs are not to be trusted."
"I've met He Li. He's very ordinary, very weak. I am fully capable of killing him and eliminating this opponent for my god."
The man was silent. He looked at Yang Wenyou and said, "Why drag me into this? My mission is not to kill gods."
"Because our masters are in a cooperative relationship, so their dogs should also be in a cooperative relationship, shouldn't they?" Yang Wenyou said with a smile.
The man narrowed his eyes, revealing a dangerous glint. He said in a deep voice, "Gods do not need companions, only servants and enemies."
Yang Wenyou shook his head, "Not companions. The cooperation between gods will break the moment He Li dies. Moreover, the cooperation between gods is out of necessity."
Yang Wenyou frowned and after a moment of silence, said, "Tigers are solitary creatures. There is only one tiger in a forest, but tigers also gather sometimes."
"When?" the man asked.
Yang Wenyou looked at the man and said seriously, "When facing a dragon."
Yang Wenyou's trembling eyes betrayed his heart. He was silent for a long time before continuing,
"The thirteen gods have been killing each other for tens of thousands of years, or even longer. No one knows what they are fighting for, or what the victor of the God War will gain.
The defeated gods die, then reincarnate, and a new round of killing begins. They all want to be the victor.
But,
There can only be one victor."
"Do you know? The god we follow is not the most powerful among the thirteen gods. Just as there are weak and strong in animal populations, and weak and strong among humans,
It's the same for gods.
They can only unite, first kill the powerful ones, then kill the weak ones, and then use schemes and strength to defeat their former allies and become the final victor."
Yang Wenyou smiled and said, "Unfortunately, He Li is that powerful god. If he doesn't die, we will all die."
...