Chapter 134: The Invitation

After wrapping the dumplings, Qiu Fengyu opened the restaurant. He pulled out a wooden sign he had prepared earlier, which read: "Today's Special: Noodles and Dumplings," and hung it in a prominent spot by the entrance.

Naturally, everyone who walked in cast a glance at the sign. Initially, nobody ordered the dumplings. However, Mondo from the police station, who had come in to buy some Chinese food, decided to order a plate of dumplings. When the steaming hot plate of dumplings and dipping sauce was placed before him, the fellow looked somewhat at a loss.

"Just dip them in the sauce and eat. You can adjust the flavor yourself. If you want some chili, just mix in that hot sauce on the table," Ryoko Yonekura instructed him on how to eat them.

Mondo gingerly picked up a dumpling with his chopsticks, dipped it into the sauce, popped it into his mouth, and took a cautious bite. Instantly, it felt as though something had exploded inside his mouth; savory juices splashed everywhere, and he hurriedly clamped his lips shut. A rich, savory aroma of beef filled his entire oral cavity, mingling with the flavors of the sauce. He tried chewing once more, and the springy texture of the beef made his teeth feel as though they were dancing to a rhythm. This sensation was simply too wonderful.

Swallowing one whole, Mondo could not help shouting aloud, "God, I have never eaten anything so delicious! Is this what dumplings taste like? My goodness... I am utterly in love with this flavor. Qiu, you really should have introduced this food earlier! How could you have kept such a wonderful thing until today?"

Prompted by Mondo's loud exclamation, many people caught the scent of the beef, and soon several customers could no longer resist and began ordering dumplings. Plates of dumplings were brought out, only to be devoured in no time. Some people even ordered a second plate. In the end, all the prepared dumplings were completely sold out. A total of thirty plates were sold, while only ten bowls of noodles found buyers.

The diners returned home quite satisfied, inadvertently spreading the fame of the dumplings along with them. The reputation soon circulated throughout the small town. Faced with this outcome, Sandra was the most triumphant. This fellow acted as ecstatic as if he were the boss himself, and smugly said to Davis and Ryoko Yonekura, "Look, just look! This is why my salary is higher than both of yours. What I do is core technical work."

Davis was left entirely speechless and did not even bother to make sarcastic remarks at Sandra. After all, what Sandra said was entirely correct, which genuinely gave one a sense of defeat. After quietly finishing the cleanup, Davis left in a dejected huff.

As for Ryoko Yonekura, she cared not a whit about what Sandra said. Anyway, she was only helping out of personal interest and might very well quit tomorrow. Since she had nothing to do at home, she treated this simply as a way to pass the time. Of course, if she could pick up Qiu Fengyu's culinary skills, it would be quite useful for her family. However, she never actually dwelled on that possibility.

Once again, Sandra was the last to leave after finishing the cleanup. The fellow did not own a house in Abilene and had been renting a storage room at a local motel. As Qiu Fengyu was leaving, he glanced at Sandra, who was still tidying up, and remarked, "Hey, AJ. If you don't mind, the attic here is habitable."

Sandra froze for a moment, then broke into a wide grin. "Boss, do you mean I can live here?"

"Yes. That's what I said. Of course... you can also pretend I said nothing at all!" Qiu Fengyu shrugged and turned to leave. He had no desire to linger over such trivial chatter.

"Thanks, Boss! You really are a good guy!" Sandra's voice chased after Qiu Fengyu, pouring into his ears. The fellow really had a booming voice. Qiu Fengyu shook his head with a smile and walked toward his own house.

He decided not to go fishing today, nor would he teach Danny how to play basketball. Instead, he got into his Mustang, intending to go for a joyride. Just as he pulled the car out, he heard the sound of a police siren. Subconsciously, Qiu Fengyu brought the car to a halt and pulled over to the side of the road.

"Hey, Qiu, long time no see!" Someone tapped on his car window. Qiu Fengyu rolled the window down, looked up, and saw Sheriff Coven, who was leaning over with a smile, looking right at him.

"Sheriff Coven... you're back? It's so good to see you!" Qiu Fengyu sat in the driver's seat and gave her a casual two-finger American military salute. "I'm treating tonight at the bar. Consider this a formal invitation from me. How about it?" Qiu Fengyu felt a pleasant surprise; to be honest, having not seen Sheriff Coven for many days, he had grown somewhat unaccustomed to her absence.

"I just came over to say hello. As for the invitation... I'll have to pass. I'm on duty tonight, and I need to make up for the time I've been away." Sheriff Coven declined Qiu Fengyu's invitation, then gave the roof of his car a light pat. "Stop speeding. You're always speeding."

With a cheeky grin, Qiu Fengyu said, "Then why don't you just pretend you didn't see me?" With that, he stepped on the accelerator, and the car sped off. This left Sheriff Coven standing there shaking her head. This guy was still the exact same, yet it was precisely this familiar feeling that made her feel both a sense of warmth and a touch of helplessness.

The car raced down the highway, and the rush of high speed was intensely exhilarating. Qiu Fengyu felt refreshed and relaxed in mind and spirit. Under such circumstances, his nerves unwound, allowing him to indulge himself fully. He loved this feeling.

Suddenly, a dark shadow darted out onto the road ahead, accompanied by a sudden, explosive roar of an engine. A motorcycle abruptly cut onto the highway, giving Qiu Fengyu a nasty shock. Yet his hand and foot coordination was swift: he slammed on the brakes, pulled the handbrake, and the car instantly drifted, sketching half a circle on the asphalt before coming to a complete stop.

The friction between the tires and the road emitted a pungent, burning odor. He parked the car properly and then leaped out. The motorcycle was parked right in the middle of the road, and facing him was a rider wearing a helmet and skin-tight leather gear, yet possessing a slender and delicate figure.

"Damn it, are you trying to get me killed?" Qiu Fengyu shouted angrily at her.

"Aren't you still alive?" The motorcycle rider actually managed to let out a laugh, looking rather pleased with herself. "I was merely testing your reaction time. Not bad, I'll give you a five out of five. You're comparable to those professional race car drivers." The person removed her helmet and placed it on the motorcycle's fuel tank.

"Cynthia—" Qiu Fengyu could not help slapping his own forehead.

"This is just a small payback. We are far from even. I'll be keeping an eye on you; I'll be around the neighborhood lately, and I'll find another chance!" Cynthia laughed triumphantly, then formed one hand into the shape of a pistol, aimed it at Qiu Fengyu, mimicking the action of firing, and blew across her fingertips.

"What the hell—" Qiu Fengyu cursed, turned around, and got back into the car. Encountering this girl, he really didn't want to bicker with her. This was entirely the stubborn behavior of a young girl playing temper, completely devoid of any meaning.

"Hey, just leaving like that?" Cynthia yelled at Qiu Fengyu. "You're such a stingy guy. But... I have to admit, your driving skills are really quite good. That drift just now is something even average professional drivers would find hard to execute with such composure and flair."

Qiu Fengyu climbed into the driver's seat, stretched his hand out over the roof of the car, and flipped her the middle finger. He had zero interest in humoring this crazy girl. He started the car and drove away, leaving the girl far behind in the dust.

Peering through the rearview mirror and noticing that the girl was not following him, Qiu Fengyu finally heaved a sigh of relief. To be honest, he disliked dealing with such self-righteous young women.

Having lost all appetite for street racing, Qiu Fengyu drove back and parked the car in the garage. Before he even had a chance to step out, his cell phone rang. Picking it up, he saw it was a call from茜 (Rachael). After a brief moment of hesitation, he answered.

"Hey, Qiu, it's Rachael!" A pleasant voice came through the receiver.

"I know, I have your number saved." Qiu Fengyu couldn't be bothered with pleasantries. "Go ahead, I'm listening."

"Well, tomorrow you'll receive an invitation card that I mailed from Los Angeles," Rachael's voice chimed from the other end. "It's an invitation to the premiere of my movie, *Diana the Heroine*, Part Two. I'll be waiting for you in Los Angeles, so give me a call when you arrive!" She sounded utterly certain that Qiu Fengyu would attend.

Qiu Fengyu pondered for a moment, figuring that participating in such an event would add another unique experience to his life. To be frank, once life settled down into tranquility, he enjoyed experiencing different living environments, provided he had a home base to return to. Just like his current home in Abilene—although quite new, it signified that he finally had roots.

"Alright, I'll arrive on time. By the way... do I need a date?" Qiu Fengyu asked without the slightest trace of embarrassment. "You know, I don't have a girlfriend, and I have no idea who to invite, so will I be going alone? Also... do I need to walk the red carpet?"

"Of course, if you want to," Rachael's laughter drifted over. She was finally able to pin Qiu Fengyu down on this matter; this guy was completely clueless about these sorts of things.

However, this was tied to Qiu Fengyu's background. Either he was brawling in war-torn environments, driving desperately for his life, or burrowing like a gopher through caves and mud; how could he possibly have experienced such peaceful and grand ceremonies? This was precisely why Qiu Fengyu wanted to go and experience it.

"Very well, I'll go alone!"

"No way, I've already picked out a date for you. I guarantee you'll be satisfied!" Rachael laughed crisply on the other end.

Qiu Fengyu was stunned for a moment, then immediately caught on. "You mean April? Well, she's an option. But... are you certain she'll agree to go with me? I mean, won't the paparazzi spin up some gossip about me and her?"

"Leave that to me; you don't need to worry about it. She's at least a moderately well-known screenwriter in Hollywood and won't drag down your reputation. Besides, compared to her, you're the one who is truly a nobody. Rest assured, it won't land you in any trouble," Rachael said with a smile. "If you were going with me, on the other hand, that would be a different story."

"I agree!" Qiu Fengyu immediately consented.

"All right then, see you in Los Angeles, Qiu." Rachael quickly hung up the phone.

Qiu Fengyu pushed open the car door, stepped out of the garage, walked into the living room, and sat blankly on the sofa. To think he was actually going to attend the movie premiere of a major celebrity—the world was truly wondrous. Having only been in America for a few months, he had already accumulated a series of rather extraordinary experiences.

Los Angeles, the red carpet premiere, here I come. *(To be continued.)*