In any case, the Mayans' influence had already begun to seep into the human world. They were one step away from the total destruction of Earth. If they didn't want to reveal themselves, finding them was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Lazy Kid thought for a moment, then cursed angrily, "It's all that damned Hongkeng's fault. If he hadn't tipped them off, we would've already caught one or two by now. We wouldn't be stuck like this."
Xiao Rui said calmly, "He didn't do it on purpose. That woman is indeed quite cunning."
Jing Wen shot Lazy Kid a glare and said, "The Mayans have always been elusive. Even if Hongkeng hadn't stirred things up, are you sure you could've caught one on your own?"
Lazy Kid fell silent. Lao Lu stubbed out his cigarette and spoke slowly, "This isn't something we can rush. The higher-ups seem to be aware of that too, or they wouldn't have recalled so many people. Although having more people doesn't necessarily mean we'll catch a Mayan, it does show one thing: the Mayans have become increasingly active in the human world lately, especially in ST." Lao Lu emphasized the word "ST" as he glanced around at the others.
Lao Ba nodded in agreement. "Lao Lu is right. We can't rush this. If we act too hastily and tip them off like Hongkeng did, we'll only end up with nothing to show for it."
Jing Wen sighed, "Hongkeng's actions were indeed reckless, and Zhong Guan's punishment was justified. But knowing Hongkeng's personality, there's no way he'll just sit back and do nothing. When the time comes, it won't be as simple as 'ending up with nothing.'"
Lao Lu thought for a moment before asking, "Xiao Rui, is it true that Hongkeng and the boss's relationship has gotten worse?"
Xiao Rui glanced at Lao Lu and nodded silently.
"Actually, there's a reason Zhong Guan has been so hard on Hongkeng..." Jing Wen said with a bitter smile. "You all know why. Zhong Guan wasn't always like this. If it hadn't been for what happened…"
Lao Ba interrupted, "Let's not bring that up again. Sure, we know the story, but Hongkeng doesn't. He doesn't understand Zhong Guan's intentions. In fact, she cares more about him than anyone else."
Jing Wen nodded. "I think he'll understand eventually. While the punishment may not change much, hopefully, it will smooth some of his rough edges. Otherwise, he might've been sitting here with us today."
Everyone agreed, and soon, the food was served. Wen Ning, who had been silent until now, was the first to pick up her chopsticks and start eating. The others followed suit, quickly digging into the hot dishes. They were all starving.
Meanwhile, out on the street, Ling Xuan and Bang Zhi were still wandering aimlessly. They had been walking for quite some time, and both were starting to feel tired as they looked at the busy crowd around them.
"Hey, sis, we've been walking for ages. Where exactly are we headed? You've gotta have a destination in mind, right?" Bang Zhi grumbled, rubbing his stomach in frustration.
Ling Xuan glanced around again. They had been walking for about half an hour, but she still hadn't figured out where to go.
"Maybe I should just call him and ask him to come," she thought to herself, but quickly dismissed the idea. "I promised I'd surprise him. How can I give up so easily?"
Noticing the conflicted expression on her face, Bang Zhi asked curiously, "What's up with you, sis? Why do you look so troubled?"
Ling Xuan blushed and stammered, "It's nothing… really, nothing, Brother Bang Zhi... You said you were hungry, right? Let's just find a place to sit down and eat."
"Sounds good!" Bang Zhi instantly agreed, raising both hands in approval. A broad, goofy grin spread across his face.
They continued walking down the street until they came across a restaurant that looked decent enough. The two of them went inside.
"This twice-cooked pork is really good..." Lao Ba chewed the meat with relish, a satisfied look on his face, already contemplating whether to order another plate.
"Lao Ba, Lao Ba, look, that girl over there is gorgeous..." Lanhai suddenly slapped Lao Ba on the shoulder, signaling him to look towards the door.
"Heh... too bad she's already spoken for. No matter what schemes you've got, it won't work..." Wen Ning smirked, his tone laced with sarcasm.
"Tch..." Lanhai shot him a glare and glanced at the door again. "Based on my many years of experience, there's no way that tall guy beside her is her man. Just look at his outfit—it's obvious. What do you think, Xiaorui?" He nudged Xiaorui.
Xiaorui had been quietly eating his meal, not letting his eyes wander like the others. Though he had heard the conversation, it was only now that he looked up. The moment his eyes swept past the door, he froze.
"What's wrong, Xiaorui?" Lao Lu noticed something was off and asked.
"Huh..." A gust of wind seemed to sweep through, and in the blink of an eye, Xiaorui was standing in front of Bang Zhi and Ling Xuan. He stared at Ling Xuan in disbelief. "Youqin-jie, how... how are you here? Am I seeing things?"
Ling Xuan knew Xiaorui, because of me. But they weren't that close—just a few brief encounters here and there. Yet at this moment, Xiaorui's appearance was a huge relief for her. Seeing that it was indeed Xiaorui, she smiled brightly. "Xiaorui... it's you. Thank goodness, I finally found you."
"Xiaorui, your friend?" The others gathered around, and Jingwen was the first to speak.
Xiaorui nodded and turned to the group. "She's the one Hongkeng was talking about..."
The group was shocked, and Lanhai exaggeratedly exclaimed, "Wait, wait, you're saying the person you guys went to GZ to find was her?"