Chapter 156

Zhang Zheng and the others were lucky; the Battle of Tianhe did not affect the hotpot restaurant.

Although the number of customers had decreased significantly due to the aftermath of the battle, the hotpot restaurant was still holding strong.

"Welcome!"

The receptionist's voice was still pleasant, but Zhang Zheng could detect a subtle difference in it. After all, following the alien invasion during the Battle of Tianhe, no one could recover quickly.

Despite the government's desperate promotion of the Brave Legion, the people of Tianhe City, who had personally experienced the invasion, still struggled with the pain of losing loved ones. However, even though there was pain, life had to go on, and people had to think about the future. So while the service staff lacked their usual enthusiasm, their work attitude remained unchanged.

"Zhi Xin, Yan, you two can order now!"

As usual, Zhang Zheng ordered drinks and then handed the menu to Zhi Xin and Yan.

Zhi Xin took the menu from Zhang Zheng, casually ordered a few vegetables, and then handed the menu to Yan.

Yan did not order quickly; instead, she took her time with the menu and only made a few selections after some thought.

During the wait for the food, Zhang Zheng glanced around at the environment and then looked out the window. People's smiles had diminished, and it seemed everyone was living with a purpose.

Seeing this, Zhang Zheng sometimes really wanted to end the war immediately and blow up the entire Underworld system. But Zhang Zheng knew that wouldn't achieve much. With the existence of the Supergod Academy, Earth was already exposed to the gaze of various cosmic civilizations. Even if Zhang Zheng could destroy the enemies once or twice, he couldn't protect Earth forever, as it didn't align with his attitude towards life.

Don't blame Zhang Zheng for being harsh; as the saying goes, "If a person doesn't care for themselves, heaven and earth will bring their downfall."

Although Zhang Zheng was not heartless to that extent, he could not give up his own life for others.

"Zhang Zheng, you should actually tell your government that repairing the city now is pointless."

"The army of Taotie hasn't arrived yet. Instead of repairing the city, they should focus on how to strengthen Earth's defenses, even if it's just a little."

Yan, looking at the busy restoration work in Tianhe City, said with some emotion. She really couldn't understand why they were focusing on post-war reconstruction when the enemy had not yet been defeated.

"Ha ha... Yan, if Queen Kesha were here, she would make the same choice as the leaders of Earth."

Zhang Zheng only smiled at Yan's words without explaining the reason, and even brought Queen Kesha into the conversation.

"Oh, why do you say that?"

Yan, interested, propped her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her hands, looking curiously at Zhang Zheng.

"Yan, you are a warrior and don't understand how a ruler thinks."

"At this stage, even if Earth works hard, technology cannot grow explosively in a short time. Rather than that, it's better to stabilize the public's mind and give them the illusion that the disaster is over. This way, before the next war comes, there will be a period of peace."

"Otherwise, if the public's morale is unstable, there's no need for a war; the country might collapse on its own."

Zhang Zheng was not joking this time; he sat up straight and spoke very seriously.

Zhi Xin was also listening to their conversation. However, Zhi Xin did not understand the significance of Zhang Zheng's words.

So, Zhi Xin looked at Zhang Zheng with puzzled eyes, a bit hopeful for his explanation.

Zhang Zheng looked at Zhi Xin and shook his head without speaking.

"Hmph!"

This was the first time Zhi Xin had huffed at Zhang Zheng since she had been with him, and she looked very cute, her beautiful face scrunched up as she turned away and ignored Zhang Zheng.

Seeing Zhi Xin upset, Zhang Zheng reached under the table, took Zhi Xin's small hand, and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Of course, it wasn't to hurt Zhi Xin.

Yan, ignoring the small gestures between Zhang Zheng and Zhi Xin, lowered her head and fell into thought after listening to Zhang Zheng's words.

Seeing Yan's expression, Zhang Zheng did not disturb her. Instead, he pulled Zhi Xin close to him and whispered in her ear.

However, even though Zhang Zheng wanted to avoid disturbing Yan, Yan did not think for long. The food had already started arriving at the table, leaving Yan no time to ponder further.

"Yan, you can think about this issue slowly, no need to rush."

Zhang Zheng scooped some cooked vegetables from the pot onto Yan's plate, and of course, did not forget the lovely Zhi Xin.

"Hmm."

Yan replied absentmindedly to Zhang Zheng and began eating.

Zhang Zheng didn't expect things to turn out this way and felt somewhat helpless, as Yan was overthinking.

"Yan, you don't need to think so much. You are my angel, and I will handle everything for you."

Yan was the only angel among the juniors who could think independently, which was her strength but also her sorrow. Because she understood independent thinking, Yan occasionally fell into confusion, struggling between Kesha's orders and her own judgment. Although Kesha didn't mind and was even pleased, Yan herself found it difficult when making choices, which was the most torturous part.

Just as Zhang Zheng was wondering if he should enlighten Yan, he looked up and saw a familiar figure.

"Hey, isn't that Crazy Dog? We meet again."

Zhang Zheng saw the small-time thug entering through the door and felt that he and this person were indeed fated. The last time he came here for hotpot, Crazy Dog had brought his lackeys to cause trouble but was dealt with by Zhang Zheng's people.

Unexpectedly, he ran into this person again, and it seemed that Crazy Dog had changed quite a bit. He no longer walked with the same reckless swagger as before but instead carried a hint of military demeanor in his gestures.

Hearing his old nickname, Crazy Dog wasn't surprised, as he used to be the boss of this street. However, upon seeing Zhang Zheng, Crazy Dog's demeanor changed completely.

"Boss, I've changed. I'm not mixing with that crowd anymore. Please let me off!"

Ignoring those around him, Crazy Dog hurried to Zhang Zheng's side and bowed his head in plea. The days spent in the military had felt like living in hell for him.

The soldiers, sticking to their own discipline, did not mistreat Crazy Dog's subordinates but handed them over to the police. However, Crazy Dog himself was not so lucky. He wasn't beaten or imprisoned but was subjected to grueling training because a commander disliked his walking style.

Crazy Dog, having undergone such intense training with regular troops, couldn't handle it. He even suspected Zhang Zheng had instructed the soldiers to do this. Fortunately, with the outbreak of the Battle of Tianhe, the troops had gone to the front lines, allowing Crazy Dog to be expelled from the main force.

Just as Crazy Dog had recently come out, wanting to have a meal with his former subordinates, he ran into Zhang Zheng again.

This time, Crazy Dog was quite subdued, knowing he couldn't mess with the person in front of him. So, upon hearing Zhang Zheng call him, he quickly came over to apologize and submit.

Seeing Crazy Dog immediately submitting, Zhang Zheng felt it was no longer interesting. He just wanted to have some fun and cheer Yan up, not actually bully anyone.

"Alright, alright. With aliens arriving now, if you're really a man, don't bully ordinary people. Next time, go and deal with those aliens!"

Zhang Zheng waved his hand to Crazy Dog, signaling him to leave.

"Yan, stop overthinking. From a warrior's perspective, you'll never fully understand these issues. How about after we finish eating, you try thinking from Queen Kesha's perspective? You might understand better."

Zhang Zheng wished he could slap himself for bringing up this topic during dinner.

After hearing Zhang Zheng's words, Yan thought for a while and finally smiled.

"You're right. I'm just a warrior. These matters should be left to Queen Kesha to worry about."

Yan said with a smile, her tone much lighter.

Not in the position, not to plot the politics.

Zhang Zheng was initially happy to hear Yan's words. However, thinking about the conversation with Kesha earlier in the day, he couldn't help but feel a bit guilty.

It seemed he had messed up Kesha's instructions.

Zhang Zheng quickly released his mental power to sense Kesha's location. Fortunately, it seemed Kesha was not observing him at the moment, so there was still a chance to make amends.