Starforce Warriors-Chapter 336: Sound Of Happiness

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“It’s nothing serious.”

Chen Fei waved his hand and said, "Just leave the dumplings here. You should hurry back and spend time with your family."

Li Xiaofei took out the steaming hot dumplings and set up the dipping plates. He said, “I’ve also brought vinegar and mashed garlic. Eat quickly, or the dumplings will get cold soon... By the way, where’s Grandpa Qin? I haven’t seen him.”

“Old Qin went home. He won’t be back until after the New Year,” Chen Fei replied.

He had originally been in a bad mood. But now that the dumplings and condiments were before him, his appetite suddenly kicked in, and he couldn’t help but swallow. Suddenly, he really wanted to eat!

Li Xiaofei was surprised. "Grandpa Qin has a family? I thought he was single."

“He has a younger sister. She moved to Lanfu Base City after getting married a few years ago,” Chen Fei rubbed his face and sat down, quickly devouring several dumplings before continuing, “I heard she recently had a child. She called him multiple times, asking him to go to Lanfu Base City for New Year’s. The school's resources have been pretty good this year, and Old Qin saved up some money. So, he bought a ticket on the last flight of the holidays to visit his niece.”

Li Xiaofei commented, “That’s great! The New Year is a time for family reunions. Principal, what about your family?”

Chen Fei dipped a dumpling in vinegar and ate a few more before saying casually, “Sixteen years ago, Ning City fell during the Sea Beast Invasion. My parents, sister, and brother-in-law all perished in that battle. Now, as your teacher, I am truly alone. I can eat my fill and not worry about anyone else.”

Li Xiaofei’s heart trembled. He hadn’t expected that the seemingly carefree Old Chen had such a painful past.

Quickly, he changed the topic and said, “You’re not getting any younger. Why not find someone? You can even contribute to the nation’s population growth.”

Chen Fei chuckled and said, "As the principal, I’ve spent all these years drifting through a sea of flowers without a single leaf sticking to me. There have been plenty of women, but not many I’d want to settle down with. After all these years, I just haven’t met the right one."

Li Xiaofei laughed and teased, "What kind do you like? Heh, heh. I’m now the leader of the Martial Alliance in the city, with tens of thousands of followers under me. I can play matchmaker for you."

"Get out of here!" Chen Fei said, half annoyed, half amused. "Is that appropriate? A student playing matchmaker for their teacher?"

Li Xiaofei grinned and replied, "It’s not like it’s a student-teacher romance, so what’s there to worry about?"

Chen Fei finished off the two portions of dumplings and said, "Alright, go home and be with your family. It’s the New Year. What are you doing hanging around the school?"

Li Xiaofei glanced around at the quiet office and suggested, "Why don’t you come celebrate the New Year with me at Cloudy Sky Gang? There’s a big party tonight, and it’ll be lively."

Chen Fei waved his hand and said, "Nah, I’ve gotten used to it over the years. I’m more comfortable spending the New Year at school, looking at the classrooms and the spacious playground. It puts me at ease."

"Alright then," Li Xiaofei said as he stood up to leave.

When he arrived at the school gate, he turned to look back. In the midst of the wind and snow, Red Flag High School was silent and cold. The only lights in the building that were still on were in the principal’s office. That solitary figure was now standing by the window. He looked like a lonely watchman gazing out at the sea of lights beyond the window.

Some eager people had already started lighting New Year’s Eve fireworks. One by one, the brilliant bursts shot into the sky, illuminating the desolate but enchanting night. The dreamlike fireworks in the sky only accentuated the solitude of the man with peach blossom eyes, standing alone by the window of the only lit office in the entire building. At this moment, his loneliness seemed even more profound.

Li Xiaofei couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off about Old Chen tonight. He called Yang Cheng, the head steward of the Cloudy Sky Gang.

“Help me look into Principal Chen Fei,” Li Xiaofei said. “See if anything unusual has happened lately.”

After hanging up, Li Xiaofei thought for a moment and made another call, this time to Xiao Hongye. He began with New Year’s greetings and then brought up Chen Fei, asking if there had been any new policies from the Education Department.

“I haven’t heard of anything changing,” Xiao Hongye replied. “Isn’t Chen the Bandit doing great right now? Red Flag High School is rising like a dark horse. Their student intake and resources have skyrocketed. At this rate, they might win the league championship in the next few years, and even the Northwest Administrative Region would likely reward him.”

“I hope I’m just being paranoid,” Li Xiaofei said. “Please keep an eye out for me, Sister Xiao.”

“You little rascal, you care so much about that bandit, but what about me?” Xiao Hongye teased him. “I’m still your agent, and I’ve helped you make at least tens of millions in the past few months, haven’t I?”

Li Xiaofei laughed, “Sister, you have so many brothers looking out for you. You won’t miss my concern.”

Xiao Hongye snorted and said, “What if I only care about my stinky little brother’s concern?”

“Please, Sister, don’t say that. My back’s been aching lately,” Li Xiaofei replied, half-jokingly.

"Ugh," Xiao Hongye scoffed before hanging up the phone.

Li Xiaofei rode his heavily modified motorcycle through the heavy snowfall. Every time he mounted the bike, memories of the young lady would flood his mind. This bike was a parting gift from her before she left. Whenever he rode it, it felt as though she was still there, sitting behind him, gently pressing herself to his back. Her long black hair would fly beside his face, as if carried by the wind.

It had been almost two months since they parted. Yet, he still hadn’t been able to get in touch with Tan Qingying. Li Xiaofei was deeply worried. He had no idea how she was doing, whether she was faring well or if she was happy, in that deep, vast mansion so distant from the world.

He couldn't even begin to imagine how heartbroken and despairing she must have been after learning about Tan Zhenwei’s fall. And he, of all people, couldn’t be by her side.

The night wind was biting cold. In the sky, fireworks continued to burst into brilliant displays. The beautiful sparks, though dazzling, vanished in an instant. Now that the recent turmoil had finally settled, Liuhe Base City had entered a relatively calm period. The citizens could enjoy a peaceful New Year at last.

Soon, he arrived back at the Guang'an neighborhood in the slum. For many of the poor, this Lunar New Year was undoubtedly the happiest they had ever experienced in their lives. There was plenty of food and drink. No one had to suffer from the cold or go hungry.

In the past, if a family could gather together, disease-free and disaster-free, and enjoy a simple meal of cheap synthetic nutrition porridge, it was considered the greatest blessing during the New Year. But today, every household had vegetables and meat on their tables, and the meals had become far more abundant. All of this was thanks to the president.

In fact, many homes had already placed the president's longevity plaque on their altars. No one knew when this trend started, but it had long since spread throughout the slums.

When Li Xiaofei returned home, Little Aunt, Li Jie, and Zhong Ling had already prepared a New Year’s Eve dinner. They were waiting for him. As he took out the gifts he had prepared for the three of them, Li Xiaofei sat down at the table.

“Happy New Year!” he said, smiling at the three women in front of him.

This was the first New Year he had experienced since crossing into this world, and Li Xiaofei didn’t feel lonely. He had fully integrated himself into this world. The three women in front of him were now his family.

“Happy New Year!”

“Cheers!”

“Next year, on this same day, we’ll still be together!”

Little Aunt, Li Jie, and Zhong Ling said one after the other. The sound of their glasses clinking together was the sound of happiness.