"Three lashes to shatter the rebellious soul, Mom, I am a scholar."
Gang life?
What gang life?
Accompanied by the crackling sound of the Ivy branch waving in the air, right now, there was only one sentence left in my mind—Study. Hard. And. Make. Progress. Every. Day!
Amidst the sound of all the other little brats kneeling at lightspeed and repenting with tears and mucus running down their faces, Andrew couldn't help but reveal a gaze full of regret.
The new Energy Drink and the Ivy branch in his hand were ultimately not given out a second time.
In the end, the number of people who dared to be as hard-headed as Milin, successfully triggering the hidden condition and unlocking the Boss's Second Phase, remained only him alone.
Wait until everything ended.
When leaving, the parents, leading their now submissive and obedient little brats, began to shake Andrew's hand with profuse thanks. They insisted on paying for the wooden sticks that had just broken, as well as for this new iron rod.
Then, they wanted to take away the iron rod that had become somewhat handy to use.
Meanwhile, the group of kids who had just been beaten stood to the side, clutching their explosively whipped butts, not daring to lift their heads even once.
In their eyes, Andrew—who would smile while fanning the flames for their parents and handing over new weapons, all while taking photos, and finally even bringing out such terrifying items—was exactly like a devil!
No, the man who would do these things is a demon!
The stubbornness they had shown earlier, where they remained unconvinced even after being collectively laid out by Ellen, had long since been thrown one hundred and eight thousand miles away.
As for the parents' gratitude and Dennies, Andrew also chose to return the favor.
Under the terrified gazes of the little brats, he printed out a copy of all the photos he had just taken. He gave every parent a 'feedback image' of their own child's user experience as a free gift.
The good thing is, in the future, they can use this to threaten them. If they dare to be naughty again...
Then, in addition to physical pain, this dark history will also spread from their parents' hands, transforming into mental torture.
At that time, I'm afraid every single one of them will have to learn what 'pain' truly means.
At that moment.
The little brats who had just entered their rebellious phase once again recalled the terror of being dominated by adults, as well as the shadow of having their dark history held in someone else's hands.
And then, their rebellious phase, which had just begun, ended without hesitation.
As for Milin, the only one who received the additional combo meal.
Andrew not only returned three photos but also, amidst Milin's broken gaze that seemed to say 'Please be a human being', directly gave that Ivy branch to his mother as a gift.
He even specifically reminded her that if it broke or couldn't be found, she could come back anytime; he had plenty more here.
It wasn't until the crowd completely dispersed that a satisfied Andrew refreshedly said goodbye to Zhu Yuan and Qingyi.
Watching the two get into the car, Andrew couldn't help but remind them again:
"When you find clues about those guys later, don't forget to call me along. Just questioning them earlier made me angry enough; I'm already prepared to make them fly."
Hearing Andrew's words, Zhu Yuan subconsciously covered the audio recording position of her body cam with her finger first.
Subsequently, she gave Andrew a slightly helpless, light roll of her eyes before correcting him as a reminder:
"What torture or not torture? We already said it was a friendly exchange between citizens. Don't worry, once the interrogation results are out, I will synchronize them to you at the first opportunity."
"At that time, we'll just let you join the operation with the status of extra-departmental personnel."
Regarding Zhu Yuan's arrangement, Andrew immediately gave a mock police salute and teased:
"No problem, I will obey all of Captain Zhu Yuan's arrangements!"
As long as he could join, Andrew had no objections.
As for status and things like that, it was all hollow; being able to beat people up to vent the anger in his heart was the truth.
"I am not your Captain."
Regarding Andrew's teasing words, although a trace of rosiness involuntarily appeared on Zhu Yuan's face, due to the inertia of maintaining her state from before, generally speaking, Zhu Yuan still strove to maintain her working mode and did not break character.
But just then.
Qingyi suddenly poked her head over from the passenger seat, revealing a smile that was kind yet carried a mischievous smirk, and said:
"However, looking at it this way, this seems to be the first time Little Zhu Yuan has acted together with the Store Manager! Does this count as a date?"
"Da... Date?! Senior, what nonsense are you talking about again!"
A date or something... For Zhu Yuan, who had been single since birth until now, just hearing the word was a bit too stimulating.
The working state she was barely maintaining instantly broke completely. A shy blush immediately climbed up her entire cheek, making her face look just like a fully ripe tomato.
While rosy, it also looked incredibly juicy.
Andrew instantly picked up the conversation and said:
"That's true. In that case, I definitely have to dress up properly when the time comes, and strive to leave a good impression on Zhu Yuan."
"Andrew, don't cooperate with Senior Qingyi to mess around! You're making fighting criminals sound like a field trip!"
Facing the teasing from the two, knowing full well she couldn't handle it, Zhu Yuan immediately changed the subject:
"Speaking of which, I've never seen what you look like when you make a move, Store Manager! Later on, I definitely have to witness it properly!"
Although Andrew frequently called the police saying he had caught a criminal or a wanted fugitive before, there had never been a situation where the battle wasn't over by the time she arrived at the scene after Andrew called.
Although due to the magnitude of the crime, every person Andrew caught always had injuries corresponding to the severity level.
But let alone the battle not being over...
All along, there had never even been a person who successfully escaped.
Although Andrew always said he simply possessed 'natural born strength,' over time, Zhu Yuan believed it less and less.
This also made Zhu Yuan even more curious about this aspect.
After all, to be able to achieve this level, without exception, proved that Andrew's strength should be extremely powerful, yet she had never witnessed it with her own eyes.
However, regarding Zhu Yuan's curiosity, Andrew could only say somewhat helplessly:
"Fighting people or whatever... regarding those previous incidents, I really just have natural born strength. Just don't be disappointed when the time comes."
Wait until the two completely left; Sixth Street under the setting sun once again returned to tranquility.
Ellen, who had been standing silently to the side the whole time, stared blankly at the backs of parents in the distance taking their limping children home.
An undetectable trace of envy involuntarily flowed out from her eyes.
The setting sun on the horizon had gradually approached the ground, turning the orange-red radiance into a sky full of red gauze and curtains, enveloping everyone's heads.
The crowds getting off work had gradually begun to flood into the streets from the station.
Only compared to the lifelessness of the morning, now they all involuntarily revealed smiles from the bottom of their hearts because they were off work.
Checking the time and realizing it was now the point to eat, Andrew looked down at Ellen, who hadn't spoken the entire time, and said:
"Fighting just now must have consumed a lot of energy, right? Come on, I'll go make you something delicious!"
"As for the agreed time limit for the commission, since it was due to force majeure, let's just directly extend it by one day."
But as Andrew took just two steps forward, he realized something was wrong. Although the street was noisy, the expected response and footsteps did not appear behind him.
Turning his head back, Andrew discovered this.
Ellen was still standing blankly in place, gazing entranced at something in the distance and hadn't followed.
The subtle emotion was keenly discovered by Andrew. Following her line of sight, Andrew also saw what Ellen had been gazing at.
For a moment, Andrew was a little silent.
The kind of thing Ellen was gazing at... was not something that could be filled by material things. At least, Andrew didn't have any suitable solution.
What he could do was only stand by the side and accompany her silently.
Fortunately, years of life had long accustomed Ellen to her current state. She quickly suppressed that trace of envy back to the bottom of her heart.
Having come back to her senses because of Andrew's voice, she returned to her normal state.
Turning her head, a composed Ellen looked at Andrew with some suspicion and asked:
"Is what you said before about providing meals actually true? Can a blacksmith shop owner like you really cook well? It won't be some kind of dark cuisine, right?"
Not exposing the matters of the young girl's heart, Andrew just rubbed Ellen's head and immediately retorted:
"What kind of talk is that? What kind of talk is this?!"
Andrew immediately said self-righteously:
"Don't you know the old saying: 'A blacksmith who doesn't want to be a chef isn't a good hunter'?! Whatever you want to eat, just say it!"
"For the sake of you winning the fight just now and giving me face, you can pick whatever you want to eat! Watch me make it all for you!"
What is this and what is that?
Is there any correlation between the three things the Store Manager mentioned?
Hearing the last sentence, Ellen looked at Andrew with some confusion and said:
"Why does my winning a fight give you face, Store Manager? And isn't fighting something teachers always say shouldn't be advocated?"
As a result, Andrew, who was asked, spoke up with absolute righteousness instead:
"Being bullied by someone, of course, you have to hit back; how does that count as fighting! Besides, my shop's employee fought one against a dozen and still crushed them; how does this not give me face?"
"But Store Manager... am I not just working a part-time job in your shop for a few days?"
Regarding Ellen's rhetorical question, Andrew said very self-righteously:
"Even a few days means you are my employee!"
After speaking, Andrew said very firmly:
"Since you are my employee, then you are under my protection. Later on, if you encounter this kind of guy running over to trouble you, just find me."
Saying that, Andrew clenched his fist fiercely and said ruthlessly:
"I guarantee I'll squeeze the shit out of them!"
Seeing how Andrew made those people fly just now, Ellen didn't doubt whether Andrew could do it...
But this way of speaking was really very similar to the way that group of people imitated in school before.
Is this person really reliable?
However, seeing how he chatted happily with the Public Security officers just now, probably, should be, possibly... he's okay?
Grrr—
Before Ellen could continue to struggle with this, the aftereffect of the vigorous activity during the fight just now—hunger—began to launch a violent backlash, acting up rapidly.
It was mealtime itself, and junior high students are at the age of growing bodies, plus the vigorous exercise just now.
Ellen's stomach uncooperatively let out a huge growling sound that resounded through the small alley, interrupting the conversation between the two.
In an instant.
Ellen, who had always maintained an attitude of 'whatever' and didn't have much emotion, immediately covered her uncooperative stomach with a mix of shame, annoyance, and panic.
Because of this abrupt noise, a shy blush involuntarily rose on her face.
"Ahem."
Seeing this, afraid that Ellen would get anxious, Andrew didn't expose her. Instead, he cleared his throat and played dumb, pretending not to have heard anything, and directly glossed over the noise just now:
"So don't worry about so much, tell me what you love to eat, and I'll make it for you!"
Because of the noise from her stomach just now, in order to prevent her stomach from growling again, and also feeling a strong sense of hunger, Ellen hesitated for a moment.
Although the way he said it was very improper, and she didn't know if what the Store Manager said was true or not.
But since the Store Manager said so...
Then trust him once?
Thinking of this, Ellen stopped struggling and whispered:
"I want... to eat something cold."
However, to prevent the awkwardness of Andrew not knowing how to make what she said, she still chose to state a very broad range.
"Something cold?"
Eating something cold in this weather... will there be any problem for a little girl's body?
However, Andrew, who originally had the idea of diverting the young girl's attention, still did not voice any objection.
After all, Ellen was a Thiren, and her physical fitness was inherently very strong, not to mention the weather now wasn't too cold.
So eating a cold meal occasionally shouldn't be a big deal.
As for what to eat...
Thinking of the large pot of beef braised to ensure Belle would have a bite to eat and wouldn't starve to death while he was busy these past two days, as well as the various semi-finished noodles in the refrigerator.
Andrew already had some ideas in his heart.
Clapping his hands, Andrew said decisively:
"In that case, let's eat Cold Noodles."
"Cold Noodles?"
A completely unheard-of thing; is it really delicious?
However, as the soup bowl with several ice cubes floating in it was placed in front of Ellen.
The emerald green of the cucumber, the bright red of the tomato, paired with the sliced braised beef and spicy cabbage (kimchi).
One bite down, the icy soup base, apart from making the flavor refreshing, also made the freshly boiled noodles incomparably chewy.
Although the soup base of the noodles was sweet and sour, it simply couldn't cover up the fresh, savory richness belonging to the beef broth.
The rich meat fragrance, under the reconciliation of the sweet and sour taste, had long since seen its greasiness vanish without a trace, leaving only the mellowness belonging to the fat in the beef broth.
The apple slices soaked in it not only brought a fruity fragrance to the soup base but also gave a new life to the monotonous sweetness brought by the original white sugar.
It became lively and clear-sweet.
And the sour and spicy taste of the spicy cabbage paired with the sweet and sour soup base was yet another unique flavor.
At least with Ellen's experience, she temporarily couldn't find a flavor more unique than this bowl of noodles.
At the same time, Andrew also additionally mixed some sliced beef, tripe, and other braised items to make 'Sliced Beef and Ox Tongue in Chili Sauce'.
The spicy and fragrant taste made Ellen unable to stop her chopsticks.
It wasn't until Ellen finally realized that what she had eaten had already far exceeded her usual intake that she reluctantly put down her chopsticks.
"No... no good, if I eat anymore, my weight is going to go up..."
Looking at the delicacies on the table with incomparable regret, Ellen subconsciously hugged her tail, her face full of unwillingness.
Subsequently, she began to regret that she shouldn't have eaten so much at noon today.
Looking at Ellen's remorseful appearance, which was like a different person compared to her skeptical attitude at the beginning, Andrew said with some laughter:
"Don't be too sad. For the few days of completing the commission, I'm providing meals. Can't you just eat again tomorrow?"
But after these words were spoken, Ellen became even more melancholy.
"But... the time to complete the commission... is only just... these two days..."
However, as if she thought of something, Ellen's eyes lit up and she proposed:
"Store Manager, how about I don't want the additional Dennies for the condition? Let's work on this job for a few more days, how about it?"
For a moment, Andrew didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"How is it appropriate to openly say you want to slack off right in front of me, the commission issuer?"
Looking at the melancholy Ellen, Andrew still spoke up to comfort her:
"Alright, alright, don't be down. Later on, as long as there are commissions of this type, I'll contact you to do them, okay? At that time, I'll provide all the meals!"
After hearing Andrew's guarantee, Ellen's melancholy mood eased a lot.
Although the number of times was unknown and certainly wouldn't be too many, at least it wasn't hopeless, right?
However, just as dinner was finished and Andrew was cleaning up the tableware and the table, the door of the workshop was knocked on once again.
Subsequently, Soldier 11's voice came from outside:
"Commander, are you there? I want to find you to synchronize information regarding the meeting with Master tomorrow. Do you have time now?"
____
New Story: Danmachi: But I am a God, time to make a family!
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