Shen Wuyou also heard the shout, his eyes deepened, and he moved sideways to shield Huo Rou behind him without a trace.
On the other side, Zhao Wen led his brothers and rushed out of the private room.
If you knew them, you'd say they were old acquaintances meeting.
If you didn't know, you'd think bandits were robbing the place, judging by their fierce demeanor and wide, staring eyes.
The diners in the main hall were also startled by the imposing presence of the group, their chopsticks hovering, hesitant to move.
The hotpot restaurant, which should have been boisterous, suddenly fell silent.
Shen Wuyou recognized the faces of the approaching group and breathed a sigh of relief. He turned to Huo Rou, "Who?"
"From Fenghuo," Huo Rou's eyes held a hint of nostalgia as she stepped out from behind Shen Wuyou, looking at the group.
She took the initiative to greet them, "Long time no see."
Except for Zhao Wen, the other burly men stood at attention with tears in their eyes, saluting with the most standard military salute, "Captain Huo!"
The sound was deafening, and diners in the hall could hear the clatter of dropped chopsticks.
"Shall we go inside?" Huo Rou raised an eyebrow, clearly intending to catch up with them.
In the end, the restaurant provided them with the largest private room, which could finally accommodate them.
Facing a group of incredibly excited muscular men, Xia Qingxue swallowed hard, "A Rou, what's going on? What happened to them?"
Qin Ningyi recognized a few familiar faces. When he first joined Fenghuo, these men, as seniors, had mentored him for a while, constantly telling him stories about their former captain.
How they dominated in military drills, how they fought ten against one on missions, how they remained calm in the face of danger and went back for rescues…
He had heard so much that that person had become his goal for a time.
He remembered that when those men spoke of that captain, they had the same expression as they did now.
That captain, they all called him "Captain Huo."
"Little beauty, are you Captain Huo's friend?" a man with tanned skin and a row of white teeth asked her from nearby.
"Best friend!" Xia Qingxue corrected him.
The man's eyes lit up, "Captain Huo's best friend? Then how good are your skills? Shall we find a time to spar?"
Xia Qingxue shrunk back, "A Rou, who are these people you know…"
They always wanted to spar with someone? What a strange hobby.
"Xiao Bing, don't scare her. After so many years, haven't you changed this habit of sparring yet?" Huo Rou asked with a hint of amusement.
"Ah, Captain Huo, it's just that seeing you again has reignited old feelings. I'm very well-behaved outside, you can ask Old Zhao, he knows."
Xiao Bing waved his hand and then noticed Qin Ningyi beside Huo Rou. He said "Yo" and asked with a hint of playfulness, "Little Squad Leader is here too?"
"Little Squad Leader?" Huo Rou looked at Qin Ningyi, what was going on?
"Captain Huo, why don't you tell your story first?" Qin Ningyi, his casual attitude gone, requested to hear Huo Rou's story.
Xiao Bing, who had brought up the topic, exclaimed, "You two came together, why didn't you coordinate?"
"Yes, Captain Huo, didn't you know? Young Master Qin was the little squad leader of Class 1 in Fenghuo's Second Team." Li Bowen, usually honest and steady, said this, but judging by the order of introduction, Huo Rou still came first.
Zhao Wen had never heard of this either, "Young Master Qin was also in Fenghuo? I had no idea."
"I led for a few years, and then I came back to take over the family business. Brother Xiao, what's with your tone?" Qin Ningyi, with a rare smile, cherished the deep camaraderie of shared struggles with his comrades.
"Ah, it's just that when old acquaintances meet, sparks fly. It looks like you've brought our Captain Huo home."
"When did you get married? Why didn't your Brother Xiao receive an invitation?" Xiao Bing's words were unintentional, but they struck a chord.
An An looked up at Huo Rou and Qin Ningyi suspiciously. He had always thought it was enough for his parents to live together. Now it seemed a wedding was missing?
Qin Ningyi hesitated. He thought about the old man's attitude towards the Jiang family and hadn't figured out a complete solution.
He hadn't discovered the extent of Huo Rou's entanglement with the Jiang family early on, but the old man, who had been watching the Jiang family closely, might have.
He was already planning this matter, and it couldn't be rushed.
Li Bowen, sensing the change in atmosphere, quickly tried to smooth things over, "Young Master Qin, it's like this, you joined Fenghuo after Captain Huo left, so you didn't meet Captain Huo at Fenghuo."
"I never knew you were in the Fenghuo Special Forces," Huo Rou said, looking at Qin Ningyi with great interest.
This was a direction she had never considered, so she had never investigated it.
Who would have thought that a young and famous CEO would have served in the military?
Li Bowen continued, "Then, when Young Master Qin joined Fenghuo, Old Zhao and the others were all dispatched to different locations. We who remained to shine and make a contribution got to know Young Master Qin."
Distracted by Li Bowen, Xiao Bing forgot his previous question and joined the conversation, "Captain Huo, you don't know, Young Master Qin's monstrous reaction time and hand-to-hand combat skills are really on par with yours!"
"It wasn't long before he was promoted to little squad leader, and then he rose rapidly, at the same pace as you."
He sighed at this point, "It's just a shame…"
"There's nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone has something they need to bear," Qin Ningyi interrupted him, raising his glass, "It's good that we can meet again."
"Indeed. It's fate." Xiao Bing clinked glasses with him and drank it down.
"Tell me about your Captain Huo?" Qin Ningyi asked, taking advantage of the momentum.
Xiao Bing smiled meaningfully, "There are too many stories about Captain Huo. Let Captain Huo tell you herself. Hearing it from the person involved is a different experience."
"What stories could there be? You guys just demonize me to scare others."
She had only gone to Fenghuo to expend her energy out of a deep-seated obsession. If she had done anything memorable, it was because she didn't want to let the name Fenghuo down.
This was the last thing that connected her to her father. The same number, the same position.
Her father had also been the best captain of Fenghuo.
Unfortunately, not many people remembered him now.
The meal felt like returning to life in the military, speaking freely and without hesitation.
The military was truly a magical place.
Even Qin Ningyi, who was usually somewhat aloof, was different when facing his former comrades.
An An received a pile of gifts, while Huo Rou and Qin Ningyi were laden with bottles of alcohol.
The two former captains of Fenghuo were both seemingly able to drink endlessly, at least in the eyes of others.
When they left, Huo Rou's steps were still steady, her eyes clear as she saw Zhao Wen and the others off.