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Chapter 221 Mysterious Team Member

"Mom, grandpa, uncle."

Fang Cheng walked over quickly with a bright smile, pulled out a chair and sat down.

Li Biyun turned around and said with concern in her eyes:
"Chengcheng, you went out to exercise so early, are you tired? Why do you look thinner?"

"Come, Mom got you your favorite beef buns. Eat more. Don't be hungry."

As he spoke, he pushed the plate full of food in front of Fang Cheng, and raised his hand to help his son carefully tidy up his messy hair after taking a bath.

Li Zhenhua put down the porridge bowl in his hand and looked at his grandson with a smile. He was wearing loose clothes and his figure was still not thin.

"Young people are full of energy, so they should exercise more. Ah Cheng looks different now, and he must be more popular with girls than before."

Listening to everyone discussing Fang Cheng's recent changes, Li Dingjian also raised his head from behind the newspaper and made a few jokes:

"Ah Cheng, besides exercise, the most important thing to keep fit is eating. The three meals a day in this hotel are all included in the room fee. I know you have a big appetite, so eat as much as possible and help your uncle make up for the cost."

Fang Cheng smiled and responded a few times, his eyes sweeping over the various sumptuous foods filling the dining table.

There is soft and glutinous cucumber porridge, which is eaten with steamed buns, shrimp dumplings, vegetable pancakes, and ham. There is also a fruit plate cut into small pieces as an after-meal dessert.

Then he unceremoniously picked up a big meat bun and took a big bite.

The hot juice overflows instantly, and the rich meaty aroma fills the mouth, making people extremely satisfied.

Seeing Fang Cheng eating voraciously, his mother patted him on the back and said softly:
"Eat slowly and don't choke. No one is going to snatch it from you."

His tone seemed accusatory, but his eyes were full of love.

Li Zhenhua and Li Dingjian were also watching from the side, with smiles on their faces.

In the hotel restaurant, the seating arrangement is warm and elegant, with music and green plants dotted around.

The family sat together, eating and chatting, enjoying the rare holiday time.

Li Zhenhua recalled his experience of visiting Dongdu when he was young. Those ordinary past events became vivid and interesting in his mouth, causing everyone to laugh.

Li Dingjian was not to be outdone. He took a sip of coffee, cleared his throat, and spoke excitedly about some of the strange people and things he had encountered during his travels.

There are stories about people living in seclusion in the mountains, looking young and beautiful but actually being old ladies hundreds of years old, songs coming from the foggy sea, and reflections of palaces that look like mirages.

It's really eye-opening, but I don't know if I'm bragging.

Fang Cheng listened quietly, swallowing food in big gulps, and occasionally interjecting a few words.

Amidst the laughter and conversation, a slightly harsh ring suddenly rang out, breaking the pleasant atmosphere of the family dinner.

Fang Cheng's eyes narrowed slightly. His cell phone was left in the bag in the room. It must be his uncle's cell phone ringing.

Li Dingjian quickly put down the coffee cup and took out a brand new black mobile phone from the leather handbag he was carrying.

After a few brief exchanges, his eyes became slightly serious.

Then he hung up the phone and looked at everyone with an apologetic look on his face:
"A friend called me and said he had something very important to discuss with me."

He turned to look at Fang Cheng and said:
"Ah Cheng, after breakfast, can you take your mom and grandpa to Lingquan Temple for a visit? I really can't leave here."

Fang Cheng sat up straight and replied with a smile:
"Uncle, do you think I'm still a child? I'm a grown-up, I can definitely take good care of mom and grandpa."

Hearing this, Li Dingjian smiled with satisfaction, stood up and patted Fang Cheng on the shoulder:

"Haha, then I'm relieved. Have fun. Lingquan Temple is said to be very popular and the scenery is nice. When I come back in the afternoon, we can go on a boat trip on the lake together."

After saying that, he drank the coffee on the table in one gulp and stuffed a shrimp dumpling into his mouth.

Then he continued to make a phone call and walked quickly towards the restaurant entrance.

Looking at his uncle's hurried back, Fang Cheng's heart moved slightly.

From the conversation on the phone just now, it seemed that it was my uncle's business partner who wanted to go out for a gathering. The tone was serious and contained a hint of urging.

My uncle seemed reluctant and it was obvious that the relationship between the two sides was not that harmonious.

Fang Cheng retracted his gaze and turned to look at his mother and grandfather, continuing to play the role of a good son and a good grandson.

As for other things, just put them aside for now.

The sun is shining outside the window, the breeze is gentle, and the splashing water from the fountain not far away is sparkling.

Such beautiful scenery is undoubtedly the best weather for sightseeing.

....................................

Jiangdong District.

The sunlight was blocked by clouds and tall buildings, casting shadows on the streets.

Li Dingjian sat in the back seat of a taxi, holding his cell phone tightly in his hand, his brows slightly furrowed.

The light from the screen illuminated his slightly solemn face, and displayed on it was the detailed address of the team gathering.

Shortly after the text message arrived, the car stopped at the entrance of a narrow alley.

After paying the money, Li Dingjian reached out and pulled his collar, put on the fisherman's hat he bought on the way, and deliberately lowered the brim of the hat. Then he walked out of the car slowly.

The alley looked old and deserted. Looking up, there were few passers-by.

Most of the shops along the street have their doors tightly closed, and some even have their shutters pulled down, giving off a sense of desolation, as if it is an area that is about to be demolished.

Li Dingjian walked quickly along the alley, looking at the house numbers on both sides of the street from time to time.

It was quiet all around, with dark green moss covering the walls. Only the sound of car engines coming from the nearby highway broke the silence.

It makes people feel as if this place is a secret corner hidden deep in the bustling modern city.

After turning several corners, an inconspicuous iron gate appeared in front of me.

The door was covered in rust, and if it weren't for the electronic lock that flashed a faint red light in the corner, the house would almost blend in with the shabby surroundings.

Li Dingjian walked forward, took a deep breath, closed his eyes slightly, and concentrated.

In a moment, a circle of light waves invisible to the naked eye appeared at his fingertips.

This is his unique ability of "sensing pulses", which allows him to produce a subtle resonance with electronic devices, thereby sensing their internal structure and coding rules.

After a moment, Li Dingjian moved his fingers slightly and tapped quickly on the electronic lock.

With a "beep", the iron door slowly opened, making a teeth-grinding creaking sound.

The light inside the door was dim, and the smell of damp and mold mixed with the smell of motor oil hit me in the face.

It looked like a closed processing workshop, with many materials and machine tools still left around.

The door to the office area in front was closed, and faint voices could be heard.

Li Dingjian then walked over and just as he was about to knock on the door, he heard a rough voice coming from behind the door:

"Crow, why are you taking so long? Come in quickly. We're waiting for you."

Li Dingjian was slightly startled, then raised his mouth and deliberately raised his voice to reply:
"Da Hammer, what's wrong with your throat today? Did you drink too much last night and choke on it?"

There was a brief silence behind the door, followed by a string of silvery bell-like laughter.

Soon, the wooden door was opened, and a young woman appeared with a smile on her face.

She had a pretty face, her eyes were rolling around, and she looked very smart. She said with a smile:
"Crow, you are really smart. You saw through me so quickly."

Apparently, the person who had just imitated the strong man's voice to such an effect that it was almost indistinguishable from the real thing was her.

At this time, the real person being imitated, a strong man named "Big Hammer", walked up from behind the woman.

He was a big and strong man, at least 1.9 meters tall. He stood there like a wall, with his muscular arms bulging with strength, making his T-shirt tight.

Although there was a hint of anger on his face, his eyes were filled with doting. He feigned anger towards the young woman and said:

"Bai Ling, you just love to play tricks on me. You always use my voice as a target. You can't just imitate my rough voice. Aren't you afraid of damaging your voice?"

Having said that, there was a simple smile on his face, and it was obvious that he was not really angry about Bailing's little joke.

"You guys always do this every time you meet. I'm almost immune to it."

Li Dingjian shrugged helplessly with a smile on his face.

We all know that this is a little joke among team members to build tacit understanding, and it is often used to liven up the atmosphere and relieve tension before action.

Then he raised his eyes and looked at the other two people in the room.

A middle-aged man with dark skin, thin build and wearing camouflage clothes was sitting in the corner, concentrating on sharpening a dagger.

He seemed rather taciturn, without even raising his head, but the dagger was flashing coldly under the dim light, revealing his reserved and sharp character.

This is the guy nicknamed "Monkey" in the team. He is responsible for intelligence reconnaissance, sniper assassination and has extraordinary strength.

On the other side of the table sat a well-mannered man wearing glasses.

Judging from his appearance, he is not very old, but his hair is a little gray, and time seems to have left its marks on him prematurely.

At this moment, he was looking down and carefully flipping through a stack of documents in his hand, his brows furrowed, as if he was thinking about some key information.

Hearing the noise, he slowly raised his head, looked through the lens at Li Dingjian, and said:
"You're thirty minutes late."

Upon hearing this, Li Dingjian walked straight forward, pulled over a chair and sat down, saying carelessly:

"Why are you calling me here so impatiently? I'm on vacation with my family."

As he spoke, he crossed his legs and folded his arms across his chest, his face full of impatience, but there was a hint of helplessness in his eyes.

Because the man in front of him was the leader of the entire team, and he was the one who had called him at an inopportune time and urged him to come to the party.

Every time I saw him, he was always wearing a gray windbreaker, with his hair neatly combed back, and the eyes behind his glasses were as precise and sharp as a scalpel.

Just like a rigorous and old-fashioned scholar, team members respectfully call him "Professor".

And Li Dingjian himself, code-named "Crow", plus Sledgehammer, Bailing, Monkey, and Professor.

There are five people in total, forming this "mysterious gang of thieves" that caused chaos in the Dongdu underworld some time ago and made all the forces uneasy.

"Crow, everyone knows that you want to spend more time with your family, but you also understand the current situation. We don't have much time to waste."

The professor was not angry at Li Dingjian's attitude. He just frowned slightly and explained in a calm tone.

Li Dingjian took out a pack of Hongtashan cigarettes from his pocket. The flame of the lighter flickered. He took a deep puff of cigarette, exhaled a cloud of smoke slowly, and then said:

“I really don’t plan to do it this time.”

Everyone was stunned when they heard this, and the air in the room seemed to freeze in an instant.

Dachui's face, which originally had a silly smile on it, froze in an instant, his mouth slightly opened, as if he wanted to say something but choked back.

The smile in Bailing's eyes faded, replaced by a hint of worry. She bit her lip subconsciously, her eyes shifting back and forth between Li Dingjian and the professor.

The monkey stopped sharpening the dagger, raised his head, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and watched the incident silently.

The professor gently pushed up his glasses, his eyes behind the lenses were calm and deep, as if he could see through Li Dingjian's thoughts:
"Do you have a problem with us? Do you think we dragged you into danger?"

Upon hearing this, Li Dingjian shook his head and denied it:
"I never thought about it that way. On the contrary, I am very grateful that you guys can look down on a useless person like me and choose to let me join this team and participate in the operation together."

He paused for a moment, then looked at the team leader in front of him with sincerity and gratitude:
"Especially Professor, I am very grateful that you still remember me after more than ten years. You came back to find me and gave me a chance to prove myself again, so that I can regain my dignity as a human being."

"But there are some things that I still find hard to face..."

At this point, Li Dingjian's fingers holding the cigarette trembled slightly, and the ashes fell.

"After we finished the last job, we had some accidents and had no choice but to split up and run away. But those guys were like sharks that smelled blood and wouldn't let go."

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, but as soon as he opened his mouth, his words trembled uncontrollably:

"We were on the fishing boat at the time. Dachui was right next to me. He used his body, which was as strong as a hill, to block me and shouted at me to run."

"But at that time, bullets were fired at us like crazy. Even if we jumped into the sea, the surrounding water was still splashed with foam and blood, splashing all over me..."

Li Dingjian's eyes gradually became empty, as if he was once again in the scene of gunfire and hail of bullets.

The fingers holding the cigarette tightened subconsciously, and the knuckles turned white due to the force. The cigarette that was deformed by his grip seemed to be a life-saving straw.

"A bullet whizzed past my ear. The sharp whistling sound made my eardrum hurt."

"At that moment, I was completely stunned. All I could think about was why I was here, what was I doing, and if I died here, what would happen to my family?"

At this moment, Li Dingjian could no longer suppress his emotions. He raised his head abruptly and pounded the table hard, causing the water cup on the table to shake a few times.

The veins on his neck bulged, and he almost roared:

"Fuck, besides me, who else in this world would care about my dad, my sister, and my nephew, so I swear to survive and take good care of them!"

Everyone's eyes were focused on Li Dingjian.

For a moment, the room seemed to have been muted and fell into silence.

Only Li Dingjian's own heavy breathing sounded particularly clear.

After a moment, he seemed to have exhausted all his strength and slowly sat down. His chest was still heaving violently, but his expression had gradually calmed down.

"I want to quit."

Li Dingjian looked at every team member in the room with a firm gaze, and spoke word by word:
"Besides, I think you should quit too!"

(End of this chapter)