Chapter 299: Inevitably Boring

Chapter 299: Chapter 299: Inevitably Boring

Feng Ling had just said it casually and didn’t expect Ye Zheng to react.

Just then, Xu Yiming and Cao Hongyi, who were some distance away, spotted the barbecue grill and shouted, "Feng Ling! Are we having a barbecue for lunch?"

Feng Ling turned and called back, "I didn’t buy any ingredients. Let’s just find a restaurant. It’s on me!"

Cao Hongyi seemed more interested in an outdoor barbecue, saying with a smile, "We can go buy ingredients if we don’t have any. Grilling it ourselves is way more satisfying than eating in a restaurant."

Xu Yiming chimed in, "There’s a huge lake here. We could even catch some fish to grill."

’Are his fishing skills really any good?’ Feng Ling wondered.

But seeing how enthusiastic the two of them were, she didn’t want to spoil their fun. "If I had known you wanted a barbecue, I would have bought the biggest grill."

"This one’s big enough!" Cao Hongyi rubbed his hands together eagerly, got the keys to the small truck from Feng Ling, and went with Xu Yiming to buy ingredients.

After the two of them drove off, Feng Ling looked at Ye Zheng and asked curiously, "You know Bai Lu?"

"She was my student, in a way," Ye Zheng said calmly. "I was in the first batch of trained Inspectors. When the Inspection Bureau was first established, we were short on not only Inspectors, but also instructors who could train them. For a time, I was transferred to a training camp to help out. Both Bai Lu and Bai Shuang took my tactics course."

Feng Ling felt as if she could detect an almost imperceptible hint of smugness in Ye Zheng’s words.

Ye Zheng continued with an easy confidence, "Bai Lu and Bai Shuang are exceptional. Not only are their reactions swift, their teamwork is flawless. I designed a set of tactics tailored to their situation, one that allows them to coordinate with each other and unleash the full potential of their Cards."

"What if they fight solo?" Feng Ling asked.

"Fighting solo..." Ye Zheng furrowed her brow slightly. "The effect would definitely be weaker. Their Card Abilities both involve releasing intensely cold air, using the water molecules in the air to create frost. The frost, when layered by both of them, can cause an enemy’s nerve tissue to freeze and necrotize in a short amount of time. With just one person, the freezing effect would certainly be diminished."

Feng Ling thought for a moment. "Then if one of them died and the other absorbed her Card, could she wield the power of both?"

Ye Zheng shook her head. "Not necessarily. Cards aren’t a simple numbers game. You’ve absorbed a Card before, so you should know there’s some loss in the process. It’s like eating—the nutrients in food are never one hundred percent absorbed; some is always lost."

"That’s true," Feng Ling nodded thoughtfully.

A Card has a different effect when it’s the primary Card in a set, compared to when it’s a secondary Card being absorbed.

Ye Zheng added, "Besides, both of those are High-level Cards. For the Inspection Bureau, it’s more cost-effective to train two High-grade Card warriors than to have one warrior holding two High-level Cards."

She paused, looking at Feng Ling again. "Why do you ask? Did something happen to one of them?"

"Yeah, Bai Shuang is dead." Feng Ling didn’t hide it, replying directly, "They said she died in the line of duty a month ago, but I don’t recall it. I guess not every Inspector’s sacrifice makes the news."

Ye Zheng fell silent.

After a moment, she said in a low voice, "Most sacrifices go unannounced. When dealing with the public, the bad news must be outweighed by the good. My funeral, for example, might have inspired people for a short time, turning grief into strength. But if news of our deaths came every day, it would only serve to spread panic..."

"No wonder," Feng Ling said, feeling like everything suddenly clicked into place. "I was wondering why I go viral every time I do anything. Is it because you died, so now they’re using me to balance out public sentiment?"

Ye Zheng gave her a dark look. "I’m not dead yet."

Feng Ling chuckled. "Don’t be so literal. You know what I mean."

Ye Zheng smiled lightly as well. She envied Feng Ling’s easygoing nature. It seemed that in Feng Ling’s presence, all the heavy burdens of the world became as light as dust.

Ye Zheng turned her head to gaze at the calm surface of the lake, her voice tinged with a sigh. "Feng Ling, you have to live for a long, long time. The public needs to build their confidence. If you die too, rebuilding it the next time will be even more difficult."

Feng Ling bent down, picked up a flat stone, and threw it toward the lake.

The stone skipped rhythmically across the water’s surface four or five times, sending out concentric ripples.

"You think too much. I can’t be worrying about the public’s confidence; I can only deal with what’s right in front of me." Feng Ling dusted the dirt off her hands and said, "Like right now, I have to catch Xing Guang."

"That Alien Species won’t be easy to catch," Ye Zheng said. "Have you picked a spot?"

Feng Ling nodded. "Yep. Jinnan City has a lot of tunnels, and I’ve got my eye on an abandoned one that’s perfect. I’ll take you to see it later."

"Okay. Observe it for a few more days. Try not to spook it."

"Don’t worry, I won’t be reckless."

The two of them chatted by the lake for a while. Before long, Xu Yiming and Cao Hongyi returned with a truck full of ingredients.

The two men enthusiastically got the barbecue going, and Feng Ling and Huangfu Miaomiao joined in the fun, grilling alongside them.

After they finished the barbecue, cleaned up, and packed everything away, the time had unknowingly slipped into evening.

Xu Yiming and Cao Hongyi had to catch a flight back to Qingjiang City.

Feng Ling had to meet up with He Yue Ning and He Xingluo for patrol.

Ye Zheng needed to stay at Maple Leaf Lake, as her main mission was to protect Li Qing. But the nights were long and bound to be boring, so Ye Zheng took the tablet Huangfu Miaomiao had just gotten.

Huangfu Miaomiao got into the small truck, looking utterly devastated.

Feng Ling tossed her phone to her. "You can scroll through videos on my phone, it’s all the same."

"It’s not the same..." Huangfu Miaomiao closed her eyes, the very picture of heartbreak.

Feng Ling sighed, her hands on the steering wheel.

’Looks like I’ll have to buy Ye Zheng a phone, too. The household expenses are really piling up lately.’

......

...

The sun sank in the west, its orange-gold light reflecting off the glass curtain walls of the skyscrapers. For a moment, the forest of steel and concrete grew soft and warm. But as the afterglow faded, the city became jagged and cold once more.

Neon lights began to flicker on as traffic thinned.

Feng Ling drove the small truck at a steady pace, weaving through traffic. Checking the time, she dialed He Yue Ning’s number—

"Little Moon~ Little Star~ Which street are we starting our patrol from today?"

On the other end of the line, He Yue Ning’s voice was as lively as ever. "Hahaha! Xingluo, did you hear that? Feng Ling called us Little Moon and Little Star! Hahahaha..."

He Xingluo’s voice came through. "Stop laughing... Ms. Ling, Ms. Ling, we’re heading to Jinxi Road now. We just got an alert that someone on Jinxi Road reported an Alien Species sighting."

"Ms. Ling! This is our first time responding to a call in Jinnan City!" That was He Yue Ning’s voice, tinged with excitement.

He Xingluo immediately complained in a low voice, "Be more serious. The video is recording."

"Oh, oh, okay, I know..."

According to regulations, Inspectors must have their cameras on every time they are dispatched.

Feng Ling smiled and said, "I’m not too far away. I’ll head over and take a look, too."