Friends in high places

Surprisingly, the restaurant Sher frequented whenever she visited the city was none other than The Drunken Noodles—a well-known spot Cassian had been to a few times before. The place was especially popular among the city's law enforcement, making it a familiar sight for him.

Noticing his lack of surprise, Sher smirked. "So, I take it you've been here before?"

"Yeah," Cassian replied, glancing around. "Came here a few times with Roberts and the others."

Without further delay, he headed toward the counter and ordered a serving of cold noodles.

Coming here over time, Cassian had learned what paired best with what. The Drunken Noodles didn't serve strong spirits, as heavy alcohol didn't sit well with the dense noodle dishes. Most patrons stuck to cold noodles, while only a few ordered what the menu called warm mist noodles—a rare soupy variant.