Upon hearing Li Nian's voice, Lin Yu's first reaction was that something was wrong.
But he quickly calmed down again.
Although the face of "May May" did resemble Lin Yu's somewhat, after the slight adjustments made by the False Face, upon closer inspection, people would think "these aren't the same person."
If Li Nian really saw him, she would most likely just think something like "Are they cousins?" or something along those lines.
Plus, with the completely different clothing style and aura, she might only feel that they looked a little similar at first glance.
As long as he didn't expose himself, everything would be fine.
What he mainly needed to worry about now...
was whether Gao Shan, the captain of Order, and the others in his team would recognize these few as members of the Free Alliance.
Without making a sound, Lin Yu used the reflection on the screen of his phone, which was turned off on the table, to glance over. Four people had just entered the door.
The Master Thief Li Nian was walking at the front. The young girl, as usual, wore sunglasses and had a casual demeanor.Behind her followed a fair-skinned man dressed very fashionably, wearing an open-collared shirt paired with a trendy round-neck shirt and a silver necklace. This was none other than the Magician Qian Huan, whom they had met earlier in the dungeon.
As for the other two.
One was a slender young girl wearing a plain black long skirt and black gloves. Her long jet-black hair flowed down to her waist, and her aura was somewhat cold and sinister.
The other was a burly man about 1.9 meters tall, dressed in a black tank top and gray sweatpants, with chest muscles bulging so much that they seemed ready to burst through the tight tank top.
Although Lin Yu did not know who they were...
based on the information from Zhu Ming’s identity earlier, Lin Yu was able to recognize them.
These two should be Prisoner and Undertaker.
The Master Thief was confirmed as Second Tier, the Magician was Third Tier.
These two were also likely above Second Tier.
But their own team setup...
aside from Captain Gao Shan being Second Tier, the rest were all First Tier!
If a direct fight broke out, even if they had a slight numerical advantage, Lin Yu felt...
the Free Alliance side would definitely have an overwhelming advantage.
Although even if both sides really fought, Lin Yu had countless contingency plans to ensure he could survive unscathed.
But it would be best if such a situation never occurred.
Lin Yu could only hope that neither side would recognize each other at all.
However...
the moment the group of four from the Free Alliance entered this noodle shop and Li Nian invited them to sit down, Lin Yu noticed that Gao Shan and Lu Wei both lifted their heads.
This unusual combination, especially with a dangerous-looking burly man among them, naturally triggered the two policemen’s professional instincts to pay extra attention.
Lu Wei’s eating slowed down involuntarily, and Gao Shan even directly put down his chopsticks.
Their gazes also attracted the attention of the other team members, who all turned their heads to look as well.
The five or six people here looking over together also caused the Free Alliance group to notice.
Although Lin Yu was reluctant to see such a scene...
their eyes indeed met.
"This is really bad..."
Lin Yu sighed silently in his heart but still lowered his voice to ask Gao Shan.
"Brother Shan, what's wrong? Do those people look like players?"
"Nothing... I just feel that the burly man in black looks like a martial artist, and he has a killing aura," Gao Shan said in a low voice, "They might not be players, but I have a feeling they are not to be trifled with."
Lu Wei also nodded in agreement: "And this combination is a bit strange..."
As Lin Yu was thinking about how to explain it,
Big Bird, the Corporate Drone on the other side, swallowed the noodles in his mouth and mumbled,
"Eh, it's nothing. I know that girl with the sunglasses over there!"
"She’s also a regular at this shop... and apparently the daughter of a wealthy local family."
"That guy over there is probably her bodyguard!"
Big Bird’s interjection eased much of the remaining suspicion from Lu Wei and Gao Shan.
The Security Guard, code-named 'Jiaozhou Big Steamed Bun,' who hadn’t spoken much, finally said,
"Let’s eat first. We still have a mission."
After hearing this, Gao Shan finally made up his mind.
"Right... better not stir up any trouble."
Even if there really was a fugitive or something, it would be the responsibility of Jiangcheng police.
Moreover, in Gao Shan’s view, players who disobey the Order were far more socially dangerous than ordinary criminals.
Besides, they might not even be criminals!
So it was better to stick to Li Hua’s plan, find the designated spot, and keep watch!
The group lowered their heads to continue eating noodles.
Behind them...
the conversation of Li Nian’s group drifted faintly into Lin Yu’s ears.
"Why were those guys staring at us just now?"
The tall, muscular man in the tank top asked quietly.
Li Nian’s voice responded: "Those guys over there feel like undercover cops on a mission... Brother Zhou, you lean like Fushiguro Megumi from Jujutsu Kaisen, and Xiaoyun looks like a mix of Enma Ai and Yuuko Ichihara. It’s normal for them to take a second look."
The tank top man scratched his head: "Who’s Fushiguro Megumi?"
Qian Huan chuckled: "You wouldn’t understand such a new series... anyway, he’s a very exaggerated muscular guy, kind of like Uraume from Yu Yu Hakusho."
The tank top man said happily: "Oh, Uraume! I know him! Am I really that good?"
Xiaoyun’s voice floated softly: "Almost, but your muscles are a bit more symmetrical."
The four-person conversation further relaxed Gao Shan and the others.
Lu Wei even sighed: "So it’s just a table of two-dimensional fans, then no problem."
Soon, as the four ordered, Lin Yu and his group finished their noodles and headed out.
When Gao Shan, as the captain, and Big Bird, who fancied himself a local boss, argued over the bill, the bun from hospitable Shandong province quietly paid while everyone was distracted.
Gao Shan felt a bit embarrassed.
"Well, as captain, I should at least show some gratitude. Boss, please pack a few bottles of mineral water and Red Bull for us to drink on the way."
"May May, help me carry them. Single King, take them on the bus first."
Though he didn’t know why Gao Shan stayed behind alone, Lin Yu didn’t object.
The two stood inside the shop waiting for the boss to pack the drinks, while the other four walked out.
Gao Shan handed a cigarette to Lin Yu, who waved it off politely.
The old policeman lit his own but didn’t light it, then patted Lin Yu’s shoulder: "This is probably your first time doing a team mission, right? Don’t be too nervous."
Hearing Gao Shan’s words, Lin Yu understood a bit.
It turned out the old cop was worried he wouldn’t adapt well to team cooperation.
He guessed the others had worked with Gao Shan before, so Gao Shan stayed behind with him alone.
Lin Yu smiled: "Brother Shan, you’re joking. I’m not someone who hasn’t seen the world."
"Good then."
Gao Shan nodded.
Soon, the boss finished packing the drinks. After scanning to pay, Gao Shan led Lin Yu outside.
Passing by Li Nian’s table at the door, as expected, Li Nian glanced at Lin Yu.
Although she seemed a bit startled at first, after looking carefully, she regained her composure.
Lin Yu noticed these subtle facial expression changes clearly.
Just as he had expected...
Li Nian did not recognize him, only felt that he looked familiar at first glance.
"This disguise really worked."
Lin Yu breathed a sigh of relief.
But just as he relaxed slightly,
Gao Shan’s voice rang out again.
"Actually, I still have high hopes for you. If you perform well this time... maybe you can bypass the usual process to join officially, passing the probation before review."
"After all, that comrade Li Hua’s authority is not small."
Hearing Gao Shan’s words, Lin Yu’s scalp tingled instantly.
"This is completely over now."