Chapter 207: Restaurant

The soft chime of the doorbell rang as a blonde girl emerged from behind several shelves filled with auto parts.

She addressed the young man who had just entered, “Welcome. What can I do for you?”

“I’m looking for your boss. Is Robin here?”

“He’s in the garage working on a car. Please have a seat; I’ll let him know.” She poured him a glass of water.

“Thank you.” The young man sat down on the sofa in the reception area.

Not long after, a young American man with oil-stained hands appeared, accompanied by the blonde girl.

When Robin saw the Asian man sitting on the sofa smiling at him, he was momentarily stunned before his face lit up with joy, and he rushed toward him.

Seeing her boss about to embrace the man, the blonde girl kindly reminded, “Robin, your hands are covered in oil.”

Robin froze and quickly retracted his hands, narrowly avoiding ruining his friend’s clothes.

“When did you get here?” Robin asked excitedly.

The Asian man smiled. “I came to the States for some business and thought I’d drop by to see you.”

“Wait here for a moment. Let me wash my hands, and then we’ll grab some food.”

“Are you sure it won’t interfere with your work?”

“Not at all. Just hang tight. Mary, can you take care of things here for me?” Robin said as he hurried off to clean up.

“Got it,” Mary replied.

The Asian man smiled quietly. It had been a while since they’d last met, and Robin had matured significantly. Gone were the quirky hair dyes and outlandish clothes. He seemed more composed and grounded now. It was clear time had changed him.

Knowing his friend disliked fanfare, Robin didn’t choose a fancy restaurant. Instead, he took him to a cozy Italian eatery they’d visited together before, a place with unique charm.

With traditional Italian folk music playing in the background, they savored hearty plates of spaghetti Bolognese. Paired with a bottle of red wine, the atmosphere was relaxing and uplifting for the two young men of different nationalities and backgrounds.

“How’s business at the shop?” Lei Yin asked after taking a sip of wine.

“It’s been decent, thanks to some friends who’ve brought in customers,” Robin replied between bites.

“Have you been back to the church?”

“About once a week, sometimes two or three times if I’m helping Father with errands.”

“How’s the Father and Sister Jill?”

“The Father’s back has been bothering him lately—age catching up, I suppose. I’ve tried persuading him to reduce his outdoor preaching, but you know how stubborn he can be. As for Sister Jill and the other nuns, they’re doing well. How about you? How have you been?”

Lei Yin smiled. “I’m still alive, and that’s enough. Come, let’s toast to both of us still being here.” He raised his glass of wine.

Robin chuckled at his friend’s humor and clinked glasses with him, both downing their drinks in one go.

“By the way, does that girl Mary have a boyfriend?” Lei Yin suddenly asked.

“No, why? Are you interested in her?” Robin replied with a surprised laugh.

“Not me—you. She seems like a sweet and sincere girl. Why not consider her?”

“Honestly, I’m not in the right mindset right now.”

“Because of Sister Jill?”

Robin gave a bitter smile, not denying it. “Liking someone is easy, but forgetting them is hard. Sometimes, I feel foolish. I know it’s impossible with Sister Jill, but every time I see her, my thoughts run wild.”

“Time. Time heals everything. Take it slow—you’ve got plenty of it.”

“You’re still as preachy as ever.”

“Strange. A lot of people have said that to me before.”

Robin laughed. “It seems like not becoming a priest was a wasted opportunity for you.”

“Spare me. I’m not cut out for such serious work.”

“When are you leaving?”

“Tomorrow.”

“So soon?” Robin was startled.

“I’ve got other matters to attend to. I just stopped by to see you.”

Robin’s face fell. “It’s such a shame to say goodbye so soon after meeting again. Let me at least see you off tomorrow.”

“No need for that. What’s the point of two grown men getting so emotional? Don’t worry, after everything is settled, I’ll find time to get together with you properly. Tonight, don’t overthink it—no one goes home sober.” With that, Lei Yin raised his glass again.

Understanding his decisive personality, Robin could only relent and raised his glass in response.

The two talked late into the night, drinking bottle after bottle of wine. They didn’t leave until the restaurant had closed, by which time Robin was thoroughly drunk. Fortunately, he still lived at the original place, so Lei Yin was able to take him home from memory.

After placing him on the bed and watching the blond man, now completely drunk, Lei Yin muttered, “Hope I’ll see you again,” patted his shoulder, tucked him in, and then left, closing the door behind him.

“Master, did you find the boat?” After Lei Yin finished his bath, Lei Li asked.

“Yes, it’s a smuggling boat used for human trafficking into the U.S. But it can’t leave immediately. The snakeheads want to keep a low profile, and the boat needs some repairs and supplies, so we’ll have to wait until next week to set sail.”

“So, we’ll be here for a week?”

“Unless something unexpected happens, yes. How’s your leg injury?”

“It’s fine now.” His leg had healed after the days spent escaping from Atlanta to Boston.

“That’s good. What about Chang’an?”

“He went out to buy food.”

Lei Yin nodded. He trusted Chang’an’s caution and wasn’t worried about him being recognized.

Everything seemed settled.

But as Lei Li thought more about losing their headquarters they had worked so hard to build, frustration began to brew. Finally, he couldn’t hold it back and slammed his fist on the table. “Master, I really can’t accept this. Are we really just going to let those bastards have their way?”

Lei Yin glanced at him with a sideways look. “So what do you want to do?”

“I…” Lei Li was momentarily at a loss for words. He knew who their enemies were and how hard it had been to get this far. Yet, the deep-seated anger in him was difficult to shake.

Seeing Lei Li’s gloomy face, Lei Yin suddenly showed a glint of amusement in his eyes.

“Really upset, huh?” he asked lightly.

Lei Li looked up at him and nodded firmly.

“Are you afraid of dying?” Lei Yin’s smile deepened in an odd way.

“If you’re in the underworld, and you’re afraid of dying, then what are you even doing here?” Lei Li shouted.

“Maybe you really will die, who knows.”

“Master, what are you planning?” Lei Li finally noticed that his master’s demeanor had changed.

“What’s the saying? Train your troops for a thousand days to use them in one moment. The Black Dragon has nurtured those people for so long; it’s about time they do something. Honestly, being chased like rats for so long has made me pissed off too. When did I ever act like a coward? If someone dares to provoke us, we won’t play around—we’ll play big. But you need to be clear: playing this game could end in having nothing left, or living a life constantly on the run. Now, with you in charge of the Black Dragon, it’s up to you whether to play or not.”

Lei Li stared at his master’s eyes, which seemed to peer into an abyss, and he felt as though two faint flames were rising from the depths. He had seen that look fifteen years ago, and he remembered it clearly.

Others found him strange because of his unconventional methods, which made many in the dark world think of him as peculiar. But only he knew it was all a result of his master’s subtle influence. Only he knew that his master was the real odd one. A contradiction, his master always kept a low profile and avoided attention, but at times, or in certain situations, he would do the unimaginable.

Clenching his fist tightly, Lei Li suddenly punched the table, smashing one corner into splinters.

“Damn it, even if I die, I want a grand burial, and I want those bastards to go with me. Let’s do this!” Lei Li shouted as he stood up.

The noise from the room startled three members of the dark group outside, who burst in, guns drawn, to see what was happening.

They quickly froze in place when they saw the two men, old and young, laughing maniacally like madmen.

The three members exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of what was going on between their master and Lei Li.