Chapter 72 - 67: Macken and Lei Ao

Chapter 72: Chapter 67: Macken and Lei Ao

For the rest of the trip back, there were no further incidents. That thing seemed to have just given up on them. Macken didn’t even cut the trip short, still returning according to the original schedule.

Ning He thought about it and figured this kind of thing was just a daily occurrence for the people of the Black Panther Company. Plus, since they never saw the thing’s true form from start to finish, being overly vigilant was indeed unnecessary.

Although a voice deep down told Ning He that something capable of making Leo track it in person was definitely not simple, she couldn’t do anything about it. It was better to just play dumb and relax a little.

Simply tossing these thoughts aside, Ning He found Macken after regaining her mobility and discussed restocking ingredients for the Ice Sculpture Festival.

"...There are only so many varieties available on the market. I’d like to ask you to help pull some strings so I can buy things like mushrooms and ketchup."

Macken didn’t refuse. He grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down an address for her.

"Go to this address and tell them I sent you. They’ll give you a good price."

Ning He took the business card and glanced at the address, suddenly surprised.

’Wasn’t this the place where I used to go to sell vegetables?’

However, they did indeed have a lot of good stuff there. With Macken’s name, they shouldn’t try to scam her, either.

"Thanks."

Ning He held the business card and was just about to head back to the car to rest when she heard Macken speak again.

"You almost ran into danger on your very first trip out. If you want to terminate our cooperation, I can understand."

Ning He paused in her steps and turned around.

"You guys have encountered even more and greater dangers, so why do you still do this business? With your abilities, even inside the city, you could live very well, couldn’t you?"

Macken smiled. "That’s a good question."

After a pause, he continued.

"I have a reason why I must do this. It isn’t a multiple-choice question."

Ning He laughed. "What a coincidence, I also have a reason why I must take risks. Boss Macken, our cooperation continues. Let’s make it bigger and stronger together!"

Ning He waved her fist in the air and walked toward the sightseeing vehicle on her crutches.

Macken watched her back as she left, then looked at Johnny, who had walked up beside him.

"Did you notice anything?"

Johnny pondered for a moment and shook his head.

"She didn’t make any other demands along the way, and her behavior has been completely normal. Also, she’s too calm. For someone leaving the city and entering the dense forest for the first time, her reaction was as bland as if she were returning to her own home."

Macken narrowed his eyes slightly.

"No matter what secrets she has, as long as they don’t conflict with us, there’s no need to ask too much. I’m guessing Leo will come knocking on our door soon; that is the real headache we need to deal with."

Johnny’s expression changed slightly, and he muttered softly, "What is he coming here for? Didn’t he draw a clear line with us a long time ago?"

Macken didn’t say anything, just patted his shoulder and went to arrange the return trip.

Along the way, Ning He received enthusiastic greetings and praises from a car full of guests. Even the usually cold Mr. Rochester gave her some of his attention.

Doctor Lister took the initiative to check her foot injury, and the little girl’s family gifted her one of the small wood carvings they had made in the afternoon.

It was a miniature soup dumpling, incredibly lifelike.

Clearly, the few dishes she had made today had completely captivated them. Her pool of loyal, high-end clients had grown once again.

Whether it was because they had so much fun skiing today or because they had enjoyed the delicious food, the atmosphere in the car remained lively until they were about to enter the city. It didn’t fall into the oppressive and dreary silence like the previous times.

Especially after asking clearly about Ning He’s plan and location for her food stall at the Ice Sculpture Festival, everyone expressed that they would definitely go and support her.

By the time Ning He returned to the shelter, it was just getting dark, and Connie and the others were also preparing to close the stall. After a quick wash, they crawled into their sleeping bags to grab some rest, as they still had to wake up early to work at the academy.

Meanwhile, Macken’s convoy returned to Seven Wolves Street. Not long after, a military pickup truck parked right at the entrance of the Black Company. Leo opened the door, jumped out, and strode straight into the company’s front doors.

In the lobby, Annie was inventorying supplies. Hearing the commotion, she looked over and her eyes suddenly widened.

"Brother Leo, why are you here?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized something. Looking as if she had made a mistake, she covered her mouth and awkwardly averted her gaze.

"Are Macken and the others back?" Leo asked.

Annie nodded. Seeing him head straight for the backyard, she couldn’t help but chase after him a couple of steps.

"B-Brother Leo, you guys... you aren’t going to fight, are you?"

Leo stopped in his tracks, turned his head, and his sharp gaze softened slightly.

"Don’t worry, I’m not here to cause trouble."

Macken was checking the condition of the vehicles with his subordinates. Leo’s arrival made everyone involuntarily stop what they were doing, exchanging varied looks with one another.

"You’re here. Let’s talk inside."

Macken handed his tools to a man next to him and walked toward Leo. The two entered a private reception room one after the other.

"You should know why I’m here," Leo said, cutting straight to the chase the moment he sat down.

"It showed up." Macken used an affirmative tone. "So, you want me to temporarily suspend all operations?"

Leo nodded. "If possible, I hope you won’t take any risks. Of course, this is my personal advice; the government hasn’t issued any restriction orders. After all, no matter what we do, it won’t affect its growth process."

Macken pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and lit one.

His ordinary-looking face became somewhat blurred in the curling smoke.

"How long is left?"

"Less than half a year."

The room fell silent for a moment.

Finally, Macken stubbed out his cigarette.

"I’ll narrow our range of operations, but suspending all business is impossible. I have so many people under me who need to eat; we can’t just do nothing."

Seeming to have anticipated this answer, Leo reacted calmly. He pulled his military communication device from his waist, turned it on, tapped it a few times, and projected a map onto the opposite wall.

"In that case, here are a few relatively safe places in the outer zones. Within these areas, you shouldn’t encounter it again."

Macken stood up, his eyes firmly locked onto the map on the wall. A moment later, he nodded.

"Thank you."

Leo put away his communicator, stood up, and took a couple of steps toward the door.

"Don’t thank me. I just don’t want any meaningless casualties before that moment arrives. My stance hasn’t changed. If you insist on carrying out that plan, I will still stop you."

"One more thing," Leo said, remembering something and turning back around. "That girl surnamed Ning, there’s no need to drag her into this. She’s just an ordinary person."

Macken put away his gentle demeanor, a mocking smile curling at the corner of his lips.

"Leo, after all these years, you still like meddling in other people’s business. How do you know she wasn’t the one who initiated joining us? Respect other people’s choices. Whether they live or die, it has nothing to do with you. Until you can do that, no matter how much others treat you like a hero, you will forever only be a Lieutenant Colonel."

Leo’s expression stiffened, but he didn’t say anything more and strode away.

As soon as he left, Johnny slipped into the room.

"Boss, how did it go? What did he say?"

"Nothing much. Notify the brothers to gather; I have some things to explain."

That night, the Black Panther Company was brightly lit, busy until midnight. By the time they lay down to rest, Ning He’s trio had already arrived at the academy cafeteria.

Since Ning He wasn’t around yesterday, Connie and Ah Huai still had some flour left over even after giving it their all. They just so happened to make more today, using it all up.

Sugar cakes had been selling especially well these past few days. Many instructors, professors, and teachers from the academy made special trips to buy over a dozen pieces to take back to their families. Therefore, Ning He used all the extra flour to make sugar cakes, leaving the deep fryer running constantly.

In contrast, the Level 1 stall next door had noticeably reduced their daily inventory. Although they sold out around the same time as Ning He and the others, their sales volume had already fallen far behind. Ning He could sometimes feel the unfriendly glares cast her way, and even Connie had noticed.

However, the academy cafeteria had extremely strict food safety requirements. Staff members were strictly forbidden from bringing any ingredients in or out, and the kitchens were equipped with surveillance cameras. Because of this, Ning He wasn’t worried about the other party trying any underhanded tricks. At most, they would toss out a few sarcastic remarks when they bumped into each other—a painless annoyance that wasn’t worth taking to heart at all.

In fact, the other party didn’t even dare to be sarcastic to her face. Setting aside the fact that Ning He wasn’t a pushover, Connie’s fiery temper alone meant that when she got angry, even Ning He had to steer clear of her.

After finishing up the work at the cafeteria, Ning He rushed over to Black Stone Lane.