These plump, white buns were as silly as Su Li.
’There’s no hot soup or hot meal, but we would never let ourselves starve. Only she...’
’But it’s an adorable kind of silly.’
Wu Sheng picked up a bun and took a huge bite, then handed the large bag of buns to Wa Wa Lian.
"Here, eat them while they’re hot. When the vehicles stop, pass them out to the others."
Wa Wa Lian’s entire face was glowing. He swallowed hard.
"So, our sister-in-law really brought these for us? She chased us down in her car just to give us buns?!"
Wa Wa Lian’s face was full of amazement.
From the very first time they met, Su Li had boldly stolen the boss’s first kiss. Wa Wa Lian knew then that Su Li was someone amazing.
After that, and especially during the incident with Ge Ba, Wa Wa Lian became even more certain.
Now... Su Li surprised him more and more.
That simple, rustic cow-herding girl from their first meeting could now drive—and in a car she had bought herself.
And she had chased them down in it just to give them buns, all because she was afraid they’d be hungry.
’This means... she cares about the Boss, and by extension, she cares about us too.’
Wa Wa Lian was both amazed and touched. He took a huge bite of the bun. The bun was warm, and his heart felt warm too.
"Our sister-in-law is the best! Boss, these buns are delicious."
’Our sister-in-law has always been amazing, but through it all, she’s also always been this good-hearted.’
’Heh heh, the Boss is great, and our sister-in-law is great. This is perfect.’
The few up front who got to eat first chimed in with praise as they munched away. "Yeah, our sister-in-law is the best."
"Boss, you’re so lucky."
"Boss, thank our sister-in-law for us."
Listening to all the praise, Wu Sheng felt a warmth spread through his heart; it was even better than being praised himself.
"Mhm, I’ll pass it on."
He finished his bun in two or three bites and then looked at the food container.
Even though he should eat it while it was hot, he couldn’t quite bring himself to.
’It’s so nice like this, all warm.’
The four vehicles finally came to a stop on the tarmac. The buns Su Li had delivered still had a little warmth left in them.
Although she had bought out all the buns, when they were distributed, everyone only got one.
It was really just enough to tide them over.
But even that little snack made everyone very happy.
When they heard the buns were from their boss’s fiancée, these colleagues—most of whom had been with Wu Sheng for at least three or four years—were just as happy to eat them as Wa Wa Lian’s group.
Those who hadn’t seen Su Li chase them down to deliver the buns came over to ask about what had happened.
The originally somber atmosphere lightened considerably because of a single bun and Su Li, their future sister-in-law.
A flicker of a smile crossed Wu Sheng’s eyes as he watched, but he didn’t stop them.
They had timed their arrival perfectly. After they arrived, ate a bun, and exchanged a few words, it was time to board.
"Stay in contact on the way. There’s a tough battle waiting for us when we get there. Don’t overthink things during the journey. Conserving your energy is the most important thing."
They were taking a helicopter to Wucheng.
The noise inside the helicopter was deafening, but Wu Sheng’s expression was perfectly calm.
This deployment was a bit unexpected for him, because it had echoes of Li Kai Xuan.
But regardless, Wu Sheng had volunteered for it.
It had already been raining in Wucheng for two consecutive days, with frequent downpours. Flooding was now inevitable.
But according to information from the meteorological bureau, this flooding... was only the beginning. Other disasters were likely to follow.
Wucheng’s terrain was unique. Mudslides and landslides could happen at any moment; it was only a matter of minutes.
If the rain continued like this, the casualties and losses in the densely populated Wucheng would be immeasurable.
After deliberations, the higher-ups decided to have them move in ahead of schedule.
Wu Sheng was assigned to the mission. His orders were to fly over as quickly as possible, assess the situation, provide real-time feedback, and make the most sound judgments.
Once Wu Sheng arrived, he would have to survey the entire situation in Wucheng and react immediately: determining which areas were most dangerous, which needed immediate rescue, and which required evacuation first.
Whether it was rescue or evacuation, both were massive undertakings that required careful judgment. Wu Sheng was experienced and had always performed exceptionally well.
Wu Sheng was no stranger to being appointed to a crisis; his decisiveness and capability were beyond doubt.
And so, in the end, this disaster prevention and relief mission fell on Wu Sheng’s shoulders.
Wu Sheng was bringing his best subordinates to coordinate with other rescue teams, hoping to minimize the damage and losses.
Wu Sheng looked out the window, the food container from Su Li in his hands.
He still hadn’t eaten the meal inside, and after all this time, it was starting to get cold.
Wu Sheng felt the last of its warmth before opening the container and starting to eat in big mouthfuls.
Wa Wa Lian watched and thought, ’He’s finally willing to eat it,’ but he didn’t say a word.
At a time like this, Wu Sheng needed peace and quiet. Knowing Wu Sheng’s habits, Wa Wa Lian remained silent.
Although the fried rice was cold and the flavor was somewhat affected, Wu Sheng felt it was the best egg-fried rice he had ever eaten.
He pictured Su Li making the fried rice for him and recalled her nagging reminders. He ate one mouthful after another, chewing each one thoroughly. He ate with large, deliberate bites until the fried rice was gone.
Wu Sheng finished the entire container of egg-fried rice, eating it so clean that not a single grain of rice was left.
When he was done, he closed the container and put it away in his bag.
After that, Wu Sheng closed his eyes to rest and conserve his energy.
In all his years on the job, Wu Sheng had been on countless assignments and gone through endless training. All that training was for days exactly like this one.
He had traveled by air to provinces all over Huaguo. While he couldn’t say he’d been to every single corner of the country, it wasn’t far from the truth. He had been to most places.
He had the map of the entire country memorized, and he still had a clear mental picture of the topographical maps of certain places he had visited before.
Wu Sheng had been to Wucheng once a few years ago. In his mind, he pictured the city’s complete layout and terrain.
After some thought, Wu Sheng took out a notebook and, in the dimming light, wrote a few lines before handing it to Wa Wa Lian.
"When we get to Wucheng, follow this route."
Which places to go to first, which could wait—these were all judgments made after careful and comprehensive consideration.
Wa Wa Lian took it. "Right."
He would carry out the orders without a shred of doubt. He had always firmly believed that the Boss’s judgment was never wrong.
The aircraft flew toward its destination. For most of the journey, Wu Sheng kept his eyes closed to rest, but his mind was racing.
When he occasionally opened his eyes, the sharp glint within them was impossible to ignore.
During this time, the only moment Wu Sheng’s focus wavered was when he thought of Li Xian.
After Wu Sheng received the mission, Li Xian had met with him once.
As director and subordinate, of course.
Li Xian had spoken only of official matters, laying out the key points of the mission. Wu Sheng listened carefully and took note of everything.
The meeting was very brief, lasting only five minutes.
If it weren’t for the quiet "Be safe" that Li Xian had murmured as Wu Sheng was leaving, no one would have noticed the worry and hope in his heart.
As Wu Sheng recalled that "Be safe," an unreadable emotion flickered in his eyes.