It was late at night, and the crystal glass on the wall had been removed. Cartel stood quietly in front of the window, silently watching the lights outside. No one knew what he was thinking.
The three people in the Transit String had left, but Ding Meng and Li Yu stayed behind. After an unknown amount of time, Cartel suddenly turned around and said, "I'm hungry."
Li Yu immediately stepped forward with a smile and said, "Mister Cartel, what do you want to eat? I'll go to the restaurant and buy it for you."
Cartel said, "No, I don't want to eat from the restaurant."
Ding Meng hesitated and said, "You want to eat outside?"
Cartel nodded. Li Yu said, "What do you want to eat? I'll go buy it."
Cartel shook his head again and patted Ding Meng's shoulder meaningfully, "No, let's go out and eat together. I'll treat you."
Li Yu was stunned. Mister Cartel had only gone out three times in the past 57 years. He ate, drank, and defecated in this research institute. Now, he wanted to go out.
However, Ding Meng immediately understood that Mister Cartel was thanking him in this unique way because he had only gone out three times in the past few years. He could imagine that if it wasn't something special, he would never go out. But now, he had to go out. Perhaps for him, today was an important day worth remembering.
There were places to eat late at night in Blue Pole Star City, but Cartel didn't choose to eat in the bustling South City District. Instead, he chose to eat in the Underground City.
This was a block on the 500th floor of the Underground City. It was certainly not as prosperous as the Surface City. There were rows of small three-storey houses. Many of the houses were made of wood, and they looked as if they would collapse at any time. The streets were very narrow, and even the street lamps were not crystal lights. They were dim electric lights that swayed in the wind, making the Underground City look even more dilapidated and backward.
However, this place was equally lively because it was a night market. The streets were filled with hawkers hawking their wares. The lower-class citizens who had worked for a day would often eat a bowl of hot noodles at the hawkers before returning home happily to take care of their wives and children.
To be honest, this place was far worse than the Buried City of Cypress Tree, but Ding Meng liked it here. The streets were filled with all kinds of smells. The aroma of stir-fried cabbage, the sweat of coolies, and the smell of stir-fried chili and garlic … These smells mixed together to form a very unique smell. Ding Meng could not help but take a deep breath.
Kurt patted him on the shoulder again and said with a smile, "The first day I saw you, I knew you'd be suited for this place."
Before Ding Meng could answer, Li Yu asked, "Why?"
Kurt sighed and said, "We've all been through hard times. How could I not see it? Let's go. I'll take you to a good place."
At the end of the street was a brownwood house. A simple noodle stall was set up on the first floor. There was a sign next to it that read 'Old Zheng's Eel Noodles'. Although the stall was not big, it was clean and tidy. It was a rare good stall in the Buried City.
The noodle stall was sold by a young and stocky man. He held a pair of long and thick bamboo chopsticks in his hands and deftly picked the noodles from a steaming pot.
Ding Meng had good taste. He could not help but say, "This pair of chopsticks is at least 60 years old."
Li Yu was surprised and asked, "Really?"
"Really!"
Cartel sat down at a small wooden table and murmured with a sigh, "When I first came to Blue Pole Star City, he wasn't even born yet. This stall was run by his grandfather. He picked the noodles at least twice as fast as him."
Li Yu was curious and asked, "What happened after that?"
Cartel said, "After his grandfather passed away, the stall was taken over by his father. After his father passed away eight years ago, it was his turn to run the stall."
Ding Meng was also curious. The young man looked to be around 30 years old. Presumably, his family had not been Origin Ability users for three generations. Even if his lifespan was not long, his father should not have passed away so early.
Cartel seemed to know what the two of them were thinking. He explained, "Ding Meng, you should know Sun Shiling, right?
She's a top student at Starlight University. "
Ding Meng did not just know her; he had a deep impression of her. "Isn't she that Jiang Haiyi's girlfriend?"
"She wasn't like that before!"
Cartel expressionlessly explained, "She was born in the same year as this young man. They used to live here. They were neighbors, and the relationship between their families was quite good. If it wasn't for Sun Shiling awakening her Origin Ability early, she would probably be the lady boss of this stall by now …"
Ding Meng was stunned. "Is she …"
Cartel immediately interrupted him. "Yes!"
Ding Meng said, "You know what I want to ask?"
"I know!" Cartel answered firmly.
Li Yu could also tell that Sun Shiling was most likely taken away by Ding Meng. The young man's experience might be the same as Cartel's, but she and Ding Meng did not ask further. After all, it was Mr. Cartel's sore spot. It was best not to mention it if possible.
Unexpectedly, Cartel waved his hand and said, "Eat first. I'll tell you the reason after you eat. Why did I bring you here?"
The noodle soup was quickly served. It was a bowl of noodles mixed with eel slices and fresh shrimp, sprinkled with a secret recipe of chili oil, and a layer of green onions. It emitted a rich fragrance. Such a bowl of noodles was enough to arouse anyone's appetite.
Ding Meng could not help but laugh. "I can eat 50 bowls of these noodles."
Li Yu smiled and handed him a pair of chopsticks. "Ding Meng, you have to eat more. It's rare for Mr. Cartel to treat us."
The moment the eel fried shrimp noodles entered his mouth, the delicious taste was indescribable. Ding Meng finished the bowl of noodles in no time. He even drank the soup.
The young man happily served him three bowls of noodles. "Little brother, take your time. There's no rush."
Li Yu was also full of praise. "I didn't expect the underground city's night market to have such delicious food. Oh right, how much is a bowl of noodles?"
Cartel picked at the noodles slowly. "Eight star coins a bowl."
"No way?"
Li Yu was shocked. "Only eight star coins. If it was in the Jindi Food Plaza, it would be at least 100 star coins a bowl."
Cartel said, "It was cheaper in the past. It was only three star coins a bowl."
Ding Meng was also curious. "How can it be so cheap?"
This kind of cheap was definitely relative. No matter how cheap it was, it could not be compared to the nutrient solution. However, to the people who lived here, this was really a delicacy.
Cartel slowly put down his chopsticks and let out a long sigh. His voice was filled with nostalgia. "When I first came to Starlight University, the dormitory wasn't free, so I rented a room here. At that time, I was injected with nutrient solutions every day. My biggest wish at that time was to save money and come here to eat a bowl of noodles. I would only feel satisfied if I could eat noodles from this place …"
Ding Meng might not be able to understand this feeling, but Li Yu could. For a poor student who studied in a foreign land, they worked hard and worked hard. Sometimes, the only thing that supported them was a small bowl of noodles. It was because this was the only consolation in those poor years.
Many years later, no matter if you were still poor or successful, you would never be able to taste the feeling of the past, nor would you be able to find the taste in your memory. Some things could only be stored in your memory forever.
Cartel continued, "Later on, I found out that this kind of noodles could be sold for seven star coins a bowl. However, the boss insisted on selling it for three star coins because he knew that everyone was living a hard life. Everyone wanted to save money to live on the surface. Therefore, he would rather make less money and help everyone save money..."
Li Yu looked at the young man who was busy at the stove. "Is it his grandfather?"
Cartel nodded. "After I came here more often and got familiar with the boss, his grandfather would always give me a big bowl of noodles every time he cooked for me. There were also a lot of shrimps and eels in it. He was afraid that I would be malnourished."
Li Yu's eyes flashed. "He is a good boss."
Cartel said, "I heard that the boss was very poor when he first immigrated here. It was the neighbors who helped him put together this stall."
Li Yu said, "I understand. He is repaying the people in this area."
Cartel's gaze also landed on the stove. "It was only when Sun Shiling awakened her origin ability and was accepted by Starlight University that the young man began to take over his father's cooking. Their family had also saved enough money and was preparing to move to the surface. They also rented a small shop in the southern part of the city and planned to operate on the surface..."
Li Yu said, "But they didn't move up. They are still here."
Cartel said, "At that time, the young man and Sun Shiling's marriage was also on the agenda. However, you should know that the Sun family already looked down on this family at that time."
There was no need to even think about this. They were both from a poor family. At this time, a golden phoenix flew out of their family and got together with a genius student from Starlight University. How could they still look down on a noodle seller?
Cartel said expressionlessly, "The young man was definitely not satisfied. He and his father went to ask for an explanation. The two families quarreled, and the Sun family kicked him out without hesitation. Jiang Haiyi was also present at that time..."
He didn't finish speaking, but Li Yu could already imagine that the young man and his father must have been severely humiliated.
"That's still considered light."
Cartel's expression became ugly. "They spent all their savings on the small shop they rented. However, it just so happened that they were cheated by someone at that time. There were problems with the shop's procedures, and their money went down the drain. As far as I know, not only the shop, but the entire center also belongs to the Jiang family..."
Now, Li Yu understood. The Jiang family must have secretly dealt with this family.
Ding Meng's expression also became cold. "Jiang Haiyi did it?"
"He didn't need to do anything for such a despicable thing."
Cartel coldly replied, "There is no evidence that it was done by the Jiang family. However, half of their family's savings were gone just like that. After they came back, their father was so angry that he fell ill. As they didn't have the money to treat him in time, he passed away ten days later..."
Ding Meng suddenly put down his chopsticks. The originally delicious eel noodles had become bitter and astringent in his mouth. He couldn't eat anymore.
"So he came back down here to continue running the noodle shop?" Ding Meng's expression also became expressionless.
Cartel sighed and said, "Nine out of ten things in life don't go your way. No one can do anything about it."
Li Yu also sighed. "I think that it's normal for Sun Shiling to like Jiang Haiyi. After all, the young man is too different from her."
"It's normal." Ding Meng's eyes flashed with coldness. "However, should the father and son be bullied by others?
Should they be dumped?
Should they be cheated?
Should no one stand up for them? "
Li Yu couldn't understand the thoughts of an iron-willed man. Hence, Cartel continued, "To put it bluntly, I grew up eating his noodles, and so did Sun Shiling's family. This is why I had to make an agreement with the higher-ups previously."
Ding Meng finally understood. The young man's experience was too similar to the old man's. The old man didn't have the ability to fight. Furthermore, he had been oppressed for so many years. If he wanted Ding Meng to take revenge for this family, it was also equivalent to taking revenge for himself.
Ding Meng took the initiative to say, "Mr. Cartel, did you already make an agreement with Miss Ling?
If I lose to Jiang Haiyi, you will continue to stay here. "