Extraterrestrial demons invaded; I laid the groundwork eight years in advance.

Sun Chen and Li Xiuming walked out of the courtyard and headed back the way they came.

As they passed by a wall, the yellow dog raised its head and glanced at them again before lying down again.

"Actually..." Li Xiuming hesitated for a moment, "others could come, right? Why do I have to make the trip myself?"

Sun Chen paused for a moment: "I owe him. I can't let someone else speak for me."

After hearing this, Li Xiuming fell silent.

The two walked to the car. The sun was shining brightly, and a gentle breeze blew by, casting the shadows of the plane trees along the road, swaying back and forth.

"Where to next?" Li Xiu asked.

Sun Chen thought for a moment and finally mustered up some energy.

"Since you're off today, let's go find some people to drink with."

Who is it?

  

"Li Yang".

6 PM, Shanghai Public Security Bureau.

The gray office building cast a long shadow in the setting sun, and several black official vehicles were parked in the courtyard. People leaving get off work walked out of the building one after another.

Li Yang had just walked to the roadside and was looking down at his phone when he heard the sound of an electric scooter braking behind him.

"Xiao Li, why aren't you leaving after get off work?"

Li Yang looked back and saw a middle-aged man in his forties riding a dilapidated electric bike behind him. He was wearing an old jacket, his hair was messy, and he had a warm smile on his face.

"Brother Zhou," Li Yang nodded gently, "waiting for our friend to arrive."

"I thought you didn't drive today," Zhou said cheerfully. "We don't live far apart, I can give you a ride if you need one."

"Thank you, Brother Zhou. My friend will be here soon."

Li Yang glanced at the electric scooter and casually asked, "Why do you keep riding this one? Why don't you get a new one?"

Brother Zhou smiled, a few wrinkles appearing at the corners of his eyes.

"Hey, you know about Ping An's situation. He's spent a lot of money going to the hospital over the years. This electric scooter is great to ride, and the money saved can be used to help the kids."

Li Yang nodded and did not continue the topic.

Just then, several official vehicles from the Administration drove into the compound from a distance and stopped in front of the office building. The doors opened, and several Administration members escorted a few people out.

One of the young men being held captive shouted, "I really didn't know it was illegal! My mom is waiting for me at home, can't you let me make a phone call?!"

The guards gave him a push: "Once we've investigated, we'll handle it according to the law. If it's not serious, we'll let you go back."

Brother Zhou looked at the group of people, his eyelids narrowing slightly.

Li Yang followed his gaze.

"Brother Zhou, what's wrong?"

Brother Zhou looked away and smiled, "It's nothing, just watching the fun."

He twisted the throttle, and the electric scooter glided forward: "Alright, I'm off now, let's talk another day."

"Okay, see you later." Li Yang waved his hand.

Brother Zhou rode his electric bike across the zebra crossing, slowly turned the corner, and disappeared into the twilight.

"Beep—beep beep—"

A horn sounded, and a black SUV slowly drove up and stopped in front of Li Yang.

Sun Chen and Li Xiuming got out of the car, and Sun Chen called out, "Yangzi!"

"Why did you suddenly decide to contact me today?" Li Yang asked with a smile.

"I'm on vacation today and I'm just passing by. Let's grab a bite together," Sun Chen said.

"Alright, I'm free tonight anyway." Li Yang glanced at Li Xiuming beside him, "Our little celestial master is here too."

"Hello, Brother Yang." Li Xiuming scratched his head, gave a shy smile, and greeted him.

"Let's go, don't stand at the door." Li Yang put his arm around Sun Chen's shoulder. "I happen to know a good hot pot restaurant nearby, it's on me today."

"Let's go."

After Sun Chen finished speaking, the three of them got into the car and left.

Guided by Li Yang, they arrived at a hot pot restaurant located in an alley in less than ten minutes.

The hot pot restaurant looks like it's been around for a while, but there are quite a few cars parked outside.

As soon as the three entered, they were greeted by the aroma of butter and Sichuan peppercorns, mixed with the scent of minced garlic and sesame oil, like a warm wall rushing towards them.

The shop wasn't big, with about ten tables, most of which were full. White steam rising from the pots spread across the roof and fogged the glass windows.

The three of them walked through the hot fog and sat down in a booth against the wall.

Li Yang took the menu, marked a few dishes, and looked up at Li Xiuming: "Do you Taoists have any dietary restrictions?"

Li Xiuming quickly shook his head: "No, no, I eat everything."

Li Yang smiled and ordered two plates of fatty beef and a serving of tripe.

While waiting for the food, he leaned back in his chair and asked, "Why aren't you staying on the mountain? Did you come down to run some errands or just for a stroll?"

Li Xiuming rubbed his hands together: "I've been on the mountain for too long, so I wanted to go down for a walk. It just so happens that Brother Chen is off these few days, so I came out with him for a stroll. I'll have to go back in a few days."

"I see. Feel free to contact me anytime if you need anything in Shanghai," Li Yang said.

Li Xiuming nodded shyly, "Thank you, Brother Yang."

The dishes were served quickly, filling the table to the brim. In the center, a pot of red oil was bubbling and boiling, with chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns floating on the surface of the soup. The steam and aroma enveloped our faces.

Li Yang ordered a beer, opened it and handed one bottle to Sun Chen, and another to Li Xiuming.

"Come on, let's drink to our last battle together," Li Yang said.

The three raised their glasses and clinked them together.

Li Xiuming's drinking movements were a bit clumsy; he choked on his first sip, coughed twice, and his face turned red.

"First time drinking it?" Li Yang asked.

"Hmm, I've never had this on the mountain before." Li Xiuming put down his cup. "My master won't let me drink it, and I don't have the money to buy it."

"Take your time, no rush. How old are you? Your master doesn't even allow you to drink alcohol."

Li Xiuming paused for a moment: "I am nineteen years old this year. My master passed away three years ago, and I have been living alone for the past few years."

There was a moment of silence. The vegetables in the pot were cooked. Li Yang picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks and put it into Li Xiuming's bowl, urging him to start eating.

The three of them clinked glasses again. Sun Chen remained mostly silent, and Li Yang, seeing him drinking alone, didn't ask him anything, but simply refilled his glass from time to time.

After a few rounds of drinks, Sun Chen became more talkative.

"...You know what?" He put the cup on the table, staring at the bubbling red oil in the pot, "My biggest wish used to be to lie down and relax."

"Find a decent job, marry a wife who doesn't mind that I'm poor, avoid the cutthroat competition, and not have to worry about anyone. Just live a peaceful and stable life."

Li Yang didn't speak, listening quietly. Li Xiuming sat down next to Sun Chen and put down his chopsticks.

"Then monsters appeared. That day, I was chased by a monster in the warehouse for a long time. I finally managed to trap it, but then a few more appeared. I thought I was going to die. It was the people of Dawn who saved me."

He paused for a moment, then picked up the cup and took a big gulp.

"From that time on, maybe I didn't want to run anymore, or maybe my heart hadn't completely cooled down, but I started thinking—what if I were the protagonist in a novel? Cultivating, becoming stronger, dominating everything, becoming an immortal or a god, isn't that how it's written in novels and TV shows?"

He put the cup back on the table and gave a wry smile.

"Later I realized that I wasn't the main character. I was still the one waiting to be rescued, and I couldn't protect anything."

He lowered his head, staring at the cup in his hand, and said nothing more.

Li Xiuming looked at him without saying a word, but silently picked up his cup and took a sip.

Li Yang was silent for a moment, then said, "You're right, sometimes we really can't protect anything."

Sun Chen raised his head.

"I thought the same thing when my master died," Li Yang said calmly. "He collapsed right in front of me, and I was kneeling on the ground, unable to grab onto anything."

"Later I slowly came to understand that some people fall before dawn, but it is the sparks they ignited that illuminate the darkness before dawn."

"Meng Xing has fallen, but the spark he ignited still burns. You must live on in his place and wait until dawn."

The steam from the hot pot rises up, appearing like a thin veil under the warm yellow light.

Sun Chen lowered his head and, after a long while, picked up his wine glass and raised it towards Li Yang.

Li Yang also picked up his cup, and Li Xiu followed suit. The three cups clinked together, making a crisp sound.

"If you need anything in the future, feel free to contact me anytime," Li Yang said. "I can't do much, but I can still find a place to have a few drinks."

Sun Chen twitched the corner of his mouth, said nothing, but also stopped drinking in silence.

Li Xiuming, standing to the side, was drinking heavily from the spiciness of the hot pot, his face visibly flushed red.

The night outside the window was thick with darkness, and the steam rising from the pot turned into condensation on the glass, blurring the light into a hazy glow.

The everyday life of ordinary people is nothing more than this.