Chapter 129: Chapter 128 Can’t Find a Reason to Refuse_1
In front of Qindao University.
The two got out of the car, and by now it was almost midnight. Zhou Ning tried to figure out the location of the apartment Dr. Lu had referred to, feeling uncertain as it was on a small road winding around the north side of Qindao University. He looked over and saw Mr. He, and together they walked towards Jia Jia Gourmet Restaurant.
As soon as they entered, they saw Xia Momo standing in front of a table, seemingly just about to sit down. She looked at Zhou Ning in surprise and waved with a smile.
"Zhou Ning, what brings you here? Oh, that’s right, you’ve started working at the city bureau. Are you working overtime on the weekend?"
Zhou Ning glanced at Mr. He and quickly tugged at his sleeve before they approached.
"No overtime, that case is over. We’re just waiting to report our findings to the leaders, our busy part is done."
He Shancun nudged Zhou Ning’s shoulder and coughed slightly, and Zhou Ning hurriedly introduced them:
"This is my friend He Shancun, the former head of the emergency department at the Eighth Hospital, just transferred to the emergency department at Qindao Central Hospital. And this is Xia Momo, Mr. Xia, who currently works at Qindao University. She’s part of the software development team. Whenever we have a case, it’s their team that comes to collect data and helps with facial reconstruction work."
He Shancun and Xia Momo shook hands, and Mr. He was grinning from ear to ear.
"I’ve heard about Mr. Xia from Zhou Xiaozhou before, and I finally get to meet you today. We’re all from Qidong, so we’re practically fellow townsfolk. My work with Zhou Xiaozhou means greetings don’t come with ’call us if there’s anything’, but we can still hang out when there’s nothing on."
Xia Momo couldn’t stop laughing. Zhou Ning gestured to the waiter and looked at the table Xia Momo had chosen. It was a single seat, indicating she had come to eat alone.
"Did you come to eat by yourself? Then shall we sit together?"
Xia Momo nodded.
"Yeah, my dad went back to Qidong, and there wasn’t much to eat at home, so I just came out to grab something. I haven’t ordered yet, though."
All three sat down, and the waiter came over. Zhou Ning handed a menu to each of them. He Shancun was intent on splurging at Zhou Ning’s expense, so he didn’t hold back and ordered several dishes, while Xia Momo pushed the menu away.
"There are just three of us, four dishes are enough."
Zhou Ning took a look and added two more before sitting down. He Shancun kept shaking his head.
"Favoritism, I see. When you invite me to eat, it’s just skewers, but with Mr. Xia here, suddenly it’s luxury."
Zhou Ning rolled his eyes at him.
"Eat or leave, you can choose. By the way, when are you starting work?"
"Monday. I came over here to be worked like a horse. The emergency department at the Central Hospital barely has any doctors; otherwise, they wouldn’t have made an outsider like me the director, right?"
Zhou Ning nodded, completely understanding Mr. He’s situation. Transferring to the Central Hospital sounded good, but the work was the same.
However, at the Eighth Hospital, he certainly wouldn’t have been as busy as at the Central Hospital. Just like Zhou Ning, his role at the city bureau was to work hard. If it hadn’t been for the Xiaolong Mountain case, they probably wouldn’t have rushed to bring him and Xu Dayuan over in such a hurry.
By then, the waiter began bringing the dishes: braised yams with lamb chops, steamed largehead hairtail, prawns in white cabbage, crispy pork intestine, battered sea conch, and broccoli in garlic sauce.
Zhou Ning placed the crispy pork intestine in front of He Shancun and the fish in front of Xia Momo. Then he served a bowl of braised yams with lamb chops for each person before looking at He Shancun, who seemed a bit discontented and surprised.
"You want to drink? You drove here. What are you implying, wanting to call a driver?"
"What drink? I was just pointing out your preferential treatment."
Zhou Ning kicked him under the table and said:
"Enough talk, eat or leave. I rarely treat someone, so Mr. Xia, please don’t hold back, let’s start eating."
Xia Momo was unreserved as she used the serving spoon to dish out some fish for Zhou Ning and He Shancun. After tasting the food, He Shancun’s eyes lit up. He made affirming sounds as he pointed to the crispy pork intestine with his chopsticks:
"I didn’t expect such an authentic-tasting restaurant in front of the university. This crispy pork intestine looks simple but is actually very hard to make. I’ve tried many restaurants and they always miss the mark by a bit, but this one is really good."
Xia Momo hesitated for a moment before picking up a piece of the crispy pork intestine with her chopsticks. This action surprised Zhou Ning, as not many girls would usually enjoy it. Watching Xia Momo chew for a while, she then nodded in agreement.
"This is my first time trying it, and it’s really delicious. It doesn’t have that off-putting taste of innards. It’s slightly sweet and mildly spicy."
He Shancun propped his elbow on the table and tossed another piece into his mouth. After swallowing, he said leisurely:
"This is a famous dish from Ludong Province, it is said that during the Qing dynasty, there was a renowned restaurant in Ludong City called Jiu Hua Building that invented this ’Nine-Twist Intestines’ dish. The ingredients are plentiful, and the flavor is uniquely well-known far and wide. The name implies that even nine twists of the elixir of immortality can’t compare to a bite of this."
Zhou Ning held back his laughter; Mr. He’s boasting was incurable.
However, when it comes to food, he could compete with Mr. Zhao. Yet, their styles were completely different—one would eat anything that came his way, and the other ate with cultural refinement and historical anecdotes.
After finishing their meal, He Shancun burped indelicately and looked at Xia Momo.
"Mr. Xia, to be honest with you, we came to Qindao University actually to help Zhou Xiaozhou scout out the place. He couldn’t find what the apartment looked like, so that’s why we came here to eat."
Xia Momo had a realization and stood up, putting down her teacup.
"Now that we’re done eating, let me take you there. I’m living there now, too. I remember the house that Doctor Lu mentioned is in building number seven in front of ours."
He Shancun slapped his thigh and burst into laughter.
"Hurry, take me to see it. I’m even thinking of mooching a stay there once I sell my house in Qidong. There will be a gap of time before I buy a new one here."
Zhou Ning gave him a glance.
"Don’t you have a dormitory?"
He Shancun widened his eyes and tilted his chin toward the window.
"I’m telling you, you’ve got a handle in my hands. I’ll just come over to stay for a day occasionally. You wouldn’t chase me out, would you? Be careful, or I’ll tell everything to Mr. Xia."
Zhou Ning raised his hands; he truly did not wish for Xia Momo to know about his past, especially the visit to the psychological clinic that morning. It wasn’t just about the hassle of having to explain, but also the risk of more people finding out.
"Quit threatening me, let’s hurry and take Mr. Xia to check it out. I wonder if we need to buy anything extra."
The three of them got into the car. With He Shancun around, there was no awkwardness— they chatted and laughed on their way to the north gate of the university. They didn’t have to travel far along the uphill path before they arrived at Wanghai Garden. Next to it was the staff dormitory building, with the campus in front and a mountain view behind. Both the location and the environment were quite nice.
After parking the car, the three of them got out, and Zhou Ning quickly handed the keys to Xia Momo.
Under Xia Momo’s lead, they went to Unit 301 in Building 7. The door had a fingerprint lock, though it could be opened with a key as well. As the main door swung open, Zhou Ning was stunned.
Is this an apartment?
It was more upscale than his family’s home by not just a little bit. All furniture was in place, with the natural wood color giving off an IKEA vibe. There was a sofa, bed, wardrobe, desk, liquor cabinet, various appliances, and even the bathroom was fully equipped.
After a tour, He Shancun clicked his tongue continuously.
"This is too much; it makes me want to go to university and do research. The decoration is new; the furniture is new; even the home appliances are new. Look, the protective film on the appliances hasn’t even been removed. Zhou Xiaozhou, you’re really getting special treatment."
Zhou Ning was also somewhat surprised. He expected the conditions to be good, but seeing them firsthand made him realize they exceeded his expectations. Clearly, there was careful consideration put into the arrangement, and Qindao University had put in effort as well, even with all the furniture being the type he liked.
With this in mind, Zhou Ning called Doctor Lu, who was now Vice Dean Lu.
"Doctor Lu, I have just seen the assigned housing, and the conditions are a bit too good."
"Hahaha, Comrade Zhou Xiaozhou, as long as you are satisfied, it’s just a residence. It’s only to help make your research and work go more smoothly in the future. The house was originally renovated for a foreign expert, but it wasn’t furnished.
Don’t overthink it, and regarding that video image processing you mentioned, we have already made improvements here. Whenever you’re free, let’s sit down and have a chat. Besides, we want to establish a lab.
After all, your position in Qidong was a bit inconvenient, and here at the city bureau, you can cooperate more closely with them. We’ve already discussed it, and the lab will be located at your technical office, with Doctor Liu, Mr. Qu, and Mr. Xia responsible for the lab’s operations.
As for your work, it will definitely not be affected. Our initial data for the trial will be based on your work content. If you need skull reconstruction, video portrait restoration, or computer animation simulations, our lab will be responsible for supporting. What do you think?"
Zhou Ning paused. For him, this offer was just too good to be true. There was no need for him to worry, and he’d be working with a lab team—it was like having a leveling partner to fight monsters with, leaving him no reason to refuse.
"I have no objections. Does the city bureau agree to this arrangement?"
"Rest assured, Mr. Hu approached us about it, so of course, he’s very willing. However, your forensic teaching and research office will be used by us afterward. Alright, you should hurry up and move in. We’re completing the equipment setup next Monday."
With that, Doctor Lu hung up the phone. Zhou Ning looked at his phone, seemingly without any excuse to refuse, while He Shancun beside him looked envious. As for Xia Momo, she spread her hands.
"Don’t look at me; I don’t know anything!"
