Chapter 132: Happy New Year

The snow continued to fall, growing lighter and lighter.

The sky grew darker and darker.

On the rooftop of a low building, Lin QiYe sat quietly, two black boxes beside him, like a stone statue, unmoving for a long time.

The city stretched out before him, like the endless horizon of the sea, growing more distant and dimmer as the sun dipped lower. A sliver of sunset light slanted across the skyline, casting golden edges on the jagged shapes of buildings.

The twilight glow washed over Lin QiYe, stretching his shadow long. His deep, calm gaze caught a faint reflection of the sunset, as he watched a busy household in the distance. A smile tugged at his lips, while a gentle breeze ruffled his dark hair. The scent of food seemed to linger in the air.

Time passed, and after a while, a man carrying a bag slowly approached him. He looked toward the distant home, and after a long silence, spoke softly:

"Do you regret it?"

Under the sunset, Lin QiYe shook his head slightly. "No regrets."

"You're not going back anytime soon. The more often you return, the more attention you'll draw from here," Leng Xuan said, sitting beside him.

"I know."

"Actually, even if you hadn't come today, they wouldn't have been in danger."

Lin QiYe turned his head, puzzled.

"Do you think Captain's promise to protect your family was just words?" Leng Xuan smiled faintly, pointing toward the distant low house. "The day Captain and Vice-Captain delivered materials to your home, they placed a forbidden item called 'Wei Yang' right at your doorstep. It's like a transparent paper, capable of creating a small forbidden space."

He paused briefly before continuing. "If anyone with ill intent tries to break through 'Wei Yang's' protective barrier, it activates and transports all marked creatures inside to another designated location, such as the basement of the Peace Bureau, ensuring their safety."

Lin QiYe froze, never having heard Captain Chen MuYe mention the "Wei Yang" before. He hadn't known that Aunt and Yang Jin were under the protection of a forbidden item.

"'Wei Yang'..." Lin QiYe murmured.

"Just like 'Fearless Zone', it's one of the few man-made forbidden spaces created by the Night Watchers. But it's expensive, and even among the Night Watchers, few have access to it." Leng Xuan's tone softened as if recalling something. "But for our Squad 136, most of our family members are protected by this."

Lin QiYe looked up in confusion. "Why?"

Leng Xuan glanced at him meaningfully. "Do you think... the Captain is so poor because of nothing?"

Lin QiYe's body stiffened slightly, and a sudden realization dawned upon him. He looked off into the distance in silence.

Leng Xuan patted his shoulder, shouldered his gun case, and turned to leave. His voice, carried by the breeze, reached Lin QiYe's ears.

"Let's go. You won't be having dinner with your family tonight, but the other one... will always welcome you."

Lin QiYe gave one last look in the direction of his home, where Aunt was setting fresh dishes on the wooden table, and Yang Jin sat nearby, smiling. After a moment, he smiled wryly, stood up, and walked toward the staircase.

Just then, a small, black, mangy dog appeared in front of him, trotting up and rubbing its head against his ankle.

"Little Black Mangy?" Lin QiYe bent down in surprise, gently petting its head.

Little Black Mangy licked Lin QiYe's hand and let out a satisfied burp.

"What did you eat? And you're burping too..." Lin QiYe chuckled.

He picked up Little Black Mangy, carried it to the bottom of the building, and set it on the stairs, speaking softly:

"I'm leaving now. Go home quickly. Tonight, you've got a good meal waiting..."

He rubbed the dog's belly, then stood, picking up the two black boxes. After a final glance at the closed door, he turned and walked toward the darkening sky.

His steps left a straight trail in the snow, stretching out toward the horizon...

Ding dong—!

Welcome!

As soon as Lin QiYe opened the door to the Peace Bureau, the rich aroma of food hit him. The sizzling sounds of oil and ingredients meeting in the pan were accompanied by rhythmic popping and crackling noises.

There was no sound more comforting in the world than this.

Hong Ying sat at the table, her eyes fixed on the stewed goose on the table, swallowing a few times in anticipation. Her restless hands slyly reached for the goose leg...

Smack!

Wu Xiangnan's chopsticks quickly snatched her hand away. "Wait until everyone's here."

"I just want one bite, just one!" Hong Ying stretched out a finger with a pleading look.

"No."

Hong Ying pouted, placing her chopsticks on the table and slumping her head down, looking like a dreamless salted fish.

Suddenly, her eyes caught sight of Lin QiYe walking into the room, and her face lit up.

"QiYe, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Lin QiYe shook his head. "Did you catch the archer?"

Hong Ying bit her lip, shaking her head with a bitter expression. "No, that guy ran too fast. He disappeared in the city, and I couldn't risk using the forbidden space to chase him in broad daylight... He got away..."

Lin QiYe nodded thoughtfully. "It's fine. He probably didn't have ill intentions. It's just... his identity..."

Lin QiYe had been wondering about the mysterious archer's identity. Not many people knew where his family lived, and even fewer knew about the ambush from the Scorpion team. Whoever it was, they had a lot of power.

"Is the Captain still cooking?" Wen Qimo came up from the basement, rubbing his stomach.

"He's been busy for almost two hours. With Xiao Nan helping him, I don't know how much food he plans to make... I'm starving!" Hong Ying sighed.

After a few more minutes, the kitchen finally fell silent. Chen MuYe came out holding a large bowl of fish soup, followed by Si XiaoNan, who was carrying a full load of bowls and chopsticks.

Finally, everyone gathered around the table.

A long table with eight seats, sixteen dishes.

Chen MuYe, Wu Xiangnan, Hong Ying, Wen Qimo, Lin QiYe, Si XiaoNan, Leng Xuan... and an empty seat. Originally, that spot should have been occupied by Zhao Kongcheng.

Chen MuYe slowly raised his wine glass. The amber beer reflected a faint glow under the light. His gaze swept across the table.

"In this year, old friends have passed, new ones have joined. So much has happened..."

"But we've successfully protected this city, another whole year."

As the leader of Squad 136, as a Night Watcher, I want to thank all of you on behalf of the countless lives in Nancang City."

Chen MuYe stood straight, bowed deeply to the group, and then raised his head, his eyes filled with sincerity:

"I hope that one year from now, the ones sitting here will still be us... every single one of us."

Everyone stood, raising their glasses high. They clinked together, the sound of crystal ringing out. The golden liquid swirled within, connecting everyone in the moment.

"Happy New Year!!"

Swoosh—!

Bang—!!

Firecrackers went off in the distance, and fireworks shot up from every corner of the city, bursting into the dark sky. The multicolored flames danced in the wind, eventually fading away.

"Looks like this year, it'll only be the three of us celebrating New Year's together."

Bai Li Pangpang handed a can of beer to Shen Qingzhu, who stared at the brilliant sky in a daze before returning to reality.

"Not drinking during work hours," Shen Qingzhu shook his head.

"Just a little. Even that half-priest Cao Yuan drank, and you're still being fussy?" Bai Li Pangpang grinned and pointed to the ceiling. "Besides, my bodyguards have arrived. Even if you get drunk, no one in Nancang City can hurt me."

"But..."

"This is the boss's order!"

"...Fine."

Shen Qingzhu pulled the tab on the can, and the fizzing sound filled the air. Cao Yuan stepped forward with his own beer.

In a cramped, damp love hotel, the three young men sat by the window, watching the fireworks above, clinking their beer cans together.

"Happy New Year!"

In the dim underground cavern...

A cloaked figure, An Qingyu, sat silently on a stone platform. The chessboard before him had long since disappeared, replaced by an almost-empty bottle of Sprite. The faint moonlight spilled down from the grate above, illuminating part of the cavern. In the distance, the sound of fireworks echoed, reverberating through the empty space.

An Qingyu gazed at the moonlight above, silent for a long time, before slowly raising his Sprite.

"Happy New Year."

He whispered to himself.