CHAPTER 100: CHAPTER 70: RETURN (6.4K)_2

Go downstairs to buy some groceries and return some missed calls.

In the afternoon, cook some dishes and have a meal.

In the evening, bask in the early summer sunshine on the balcony.

Zhang Feng felt pretty good.

But not long after, Boss He suddenly called.

Zhang Feng thought for a moment and answered,

"What’s up?"

"Brother Zhang!" Boss He laughed heartily, "I heard from Captain Wang that you went back these past few days?"

"Just say what you want." Zhang Feng said directly, "I have to go to the task force later."

"It’s still about my sister." Boss He brought up the matter again and added, "Captain Wang also asked me to tell you that the mental health specialist he found has arrived in Jun Mountain. Can you find some time? Relieve some of your mental burdens?"

...

Three days later.

Sunday.

At the entrance of a park in the Eastern Province.

Zhang Feng gazed at the girl, and the girl gazed back at Zhang Feng.

Compared to seeing a psychologist,

Zhang Feng chose to check on the progress of the cases in the Eastern Province and take a look at the girl.

Does this also mean experiencing a different kind of dating life?

Thinking of this, Zhang Feng recalled how the empress mother had arranged several meetups for him, but he always left after one meeting.

But this time, he had to accompany her to walk around the park.

Then,

The two wandered around the park in silence.

Zhang Feng didn’t speak because he didn’t know what to say, nor did he want to.

The girl was a bit shy, a little embarrassed, and she didn’t know why.

Even though the first time she met Zhang Feng it wasn’t this overwhelming, but thinking about it further, especially with her elder brother constantly saying, ’Coach Zhang is a very capable person’, made the feeling grow stronger.

’A grandmaster in his thirties?’ The girl secretly observed Zhang Feng’s profile. Although she didn’t fully understand the concept of martial arts, she knew Zhang Feng was the most skilled expert in the world.

Just like that, she quietly observed Zhang Feng, too shy to speak.

Zhang Feng thought since he was already here and had nothing to say, he’d recall past knowledge points.

In the days following,

Because Zhang Feng always answered questions with ’okay, fine, mm-hmm, whatever’,

The girl initially found Zhang Feng a bit dull, and her feelings of freshness and admiration quickly faded.

She felt Zhang Feng probably wasn’t interested in her.

Matters of the heart shouldn’t be forced because then the feeling and nature change.

After spending a few days with the girl, Zhang Feng digested and absorbed another 5 grams.

Practicing techniques can be forced, and that’s a good thing.

...

Two days later.

Because there was no call from the long-awaited guest,

Zhang Feng returned to work, dismissing these thoughts.

But on the afternoon of the sixth day,

Inside a small factory of the task force in Jun Mountain,

Beep beep—

Zhang Feng’s phone rang.

Answering it, "Hello?"

A voice came from the other side, aged and mature,

"Friend."

It was the long-awaited guest.

"You finally called." Zhang Feng pretended to stroll, walking out of the factory, "I thought your junior had thrown away my number."

"Not at all." The guest admitted honestly, "During the fourth extraction last time, your task force was too quick, and all the vital routes were blocked.

We hadn’t evacuated yet, so we hid on the south side of the mountain in Hu City, where there was no signal.

Now we just came down from the mountain, charged the phone a bit, and called you."

"South side of the mountain?" Zhang Feng thought about the map around Hu City, "I hadn’t really considered searching that area because it’s quite vast, and even if I did, I wouldn’t necessarily find you."

"Haha!" The guest laughed heartily, then spoke like an old friend, "The book you gave this humble monk, I’ve studied it for a long time."

The guest expressed gratitude and then sighed, "But my life force has waned, and I cannot practice, disappointing your kind intentions."

"The power technique indeed relies heavily on physical capabilities," Zhang Feng deeply agreed, "After forty, it becomes unsustainable."

"Exactly." The guest said and then asked, "I wonder if my method resonates with you?"

"I’ve already mastered it." Zhang Feng didn’t hide it and said, "Guest, can we speak plainly? Don’t mix classical and modern; you’ve got me doing it too."

"Hahaha..." Hearing this, the guest burst into laughter and only stopped after a few moments, "Zhang Feng, I expected you to say many things and ask me many questions.

But I truly didn’t expect you to say this.

Do these little details matter?"

"I don’t know either." Zhang Feng wasn’t sure why, but chatting with the guest felt like talking to a friend, very relaxed, "But I just felt like saying it.

Because I’ve seen your secret technique, and you’ve seen mine.

Although we’ve never met, this is our first conversation,

But for some reason, it feels like we’ve known each other for a long time."

"Learning as friends." The guest unexpectedly uttered this phrase and started telling a story,

"Many years ago, I once slept in an old ruined temple in the wilderness.

That day I was practicing martial arts, had some insights, and feared I might forget them, so I went to the backyard, lifted a brick, and carved on the back.

Two years later, I passed by again and found someone had discovered the brick and responded to my insights.

That day, I was quite intrigued and added a few more words.

Six months later, when I returned, he had also added some insights."

The guest’s tone became reminiscent,

"This back and forth, over ten years passed, and our insights filled the back of that ruined temple’s brick.

A year later,

In a small town five hundred li west of the temple,

I was wandering in the town, and met someone about my age.

For some reason, I recognized at a glance, he was the one who responded to my insights.