Shen Heng did not respond immediately.
He walked to the window and looked at the scenery outside.
In the south, it's rare to see fallen leaves in winter; most leaves remain green.
"Captain, it's been years since you've been home for New Year's Eve."
Wang Hai seemed to understand Shen Heng's meaning.
He glanced at Shen Heng, then looked out the window as well.
After a long silence, he slowly and deeply said:
"It's been about five years."
"Five years? Little Bell is only six years old this year, right?" Shen Heng turned to look at Wang Hai.
"Hmm," Wang Hai replied in a deep voice.
"So, from the Little Bell can remember, you haven't spent a single complete New Year's Eve with her?" Shen Heng said calmly.
Wang Hai did not reply, but simply stared silently out the window.
After a long while, he slowly withdrew his gaze and said:
Everyone has things they need to do.
"I know everyone has things they need to do, but..."
Shen Heng stared at Wang Hai.
"I believe that what you need to do more than fulfill the duties of a captain is to fulfill the duties of a father."
"That child is very well-behaved and wouldn't ask for these things," Wang Hai said in a low voice.
" Little Bell is a very good girl and wouldn't ask for these things, but just because she doesn't say it doesn't mean she doesn't want them." Shen Heng looked at Wang Hai.
"Captain, do you know what touched me the most during all these days I was taking care of Little Bell?"
Wang Hai paused for a moment before asking, "What?"
"It was when Little Bell was lying in bed, getting ready to sleep, that she opened her eyes wide and looked at me, asking in a soft, sweet voice, 'When is Daddy coming home?'"
The sound seemed to possess a magical power, silencing the office.
There was silence inside for a long time.
After a long while, Wang Hai turned to look out the window.
"This is only valid for New Year's Eve, and will not be repeated!"
A smile appeared on Shen Heng's lips; he knew it was done.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be going now. I'll come over early on New Year's Eve to take over from Le Gu Nan."
"Captain, you should just stay home and enjoy the New Year!"
With that, Shen Heng prepared to walk outside.
However, a voice suddenly came from behind.
"Besides."
"Hmm? What's wrong?" Shen Heng paused slightly.
"If there's nothing else, don't use your ability on me. Even though it's just an influence, I can still sense it."
Shen Heng was slightly taken aback, then chuckled and said, "Understood!"
After saying that, he turned and left without lingering.
Inside the room, Wang Hai watched Shen Heng's departing figure, and a smile couldn't help but appear on his face.
"This guy, is he starting to meddle in my affairs now?"
Wang Hai shook his head and looked out the window.
His gaze was unfocused, and the smile on his face gradually faded...
The cold winter wind howled over Linhai City.
Time slowly passed until afternoon.
The entrance to the Supervision Bureau.
Old Li sat in a rocking chair, leisurely basking in the Sun.
At some point, a short-haired girl with a Chinese rural dog appeared beside him.
" Old Li, I'm taking Dahuang out for a walk. I'll be back in a bit," Le Gu Nan said softly.
Although he was able to cultivate, his wisdom also increased significantly.
But Dahuang still retains many of the dog's habits, such as liking to go out and play, and liking to rub against people.
Upon hearing Le Gu Nan's voice, Old Li opened his eyes and sat up slightly from his rocking chair.
A kind smile spread across his face.
"Yes, go! Go!"
As he spoke, he raised his hand and stroked Dahuang's head twice.
" Dahuang, be a good boy, okay?"
"Yes, I know." Dahuang nodded obediently.
It's not mischievous in front of everyone.
At least, with its original owners, Old Li and Le Gu Nan, it was very well-behaved.
Old Li watched the man and dog leave, then lay back down in his rocking chair.
He felt somewhat pleased, yet couldn't help feeling a little worried.
The good thing is, it's really comfortable to keep living like this.
But the worry is, how long can this kind of life last?
He wasn't worried about himself, but about Shen Heng and the others.
After all, no matter how good the country is, it's hard to send a man in his sixties or seventies to the battlefield.
Unless one day, weapons and equipment that can be used by the elderly are developed.
The sun shone on his body.
Old Li sat in his rocking chair, swaying contentedly.
At one point, the sunlight was suddenly blocked a little.
"Are you back?"
Old Li opened his eyes, but instead of Le Gu Nan, he saw two girls.
One of them had her hair tied in a low ponytail, her face was somewhat aloof, and a few strands of hair fell on either side of her cheeks.
The other one had her hair tied in a high ponytail, her almond-shaped eyes held a hint of a smile, and her sleeves were rolled up to reveal a faded lucky rope on her wrist.
"Hello, Grandpa!" The girl with a high ponytail greeted him with a smile.
"Hello! You're students who have returned from the Martial Arts Academy, right?" Old Li smiled and stood up from his rocking chair.
He wasn't just sitting here Sun today; waiting for this group of people was also one of his tasks.
"Yes, that's right." Shen Shuning nodded, her ponytail gently brushing against the back of her neck.
"We are from the Northern Martial Arts Academy. The academy told us that we need to register with the Supervision Bureau when we return from vacation."
"Alright, then come in with me." Old Li gestured inside, then led the way.
The two followed them inside.
After entering the hall, Xiao Bai'er looked around curiously.
" Shuning, this is the Supervision Bureau of Linhai City. This is my first time here!" Xiao Bai'er said in a low voice.
Shen Shuning nodded slightly, her gaze calmly observing the scene in the hall.
The lobby has a gray and white color scheme, and apart from a reception desk at the front, there is nothing else; it's very simple.
"By the way, Grandpa, are you also a member of our Linhai Supervision Bureau?" Xiao Bai'er asked curiously.
"Yes, but I'm just a logistics member, not comparable to those combat members," Old Li said with a smile.
"I see!" Xiao Bai'er nodded in realization. "And what about the other members of our Linhai Supervision Bureau?"
" Bai'er!!"
A cold, clear voice rang out.
Xiao Bai'er was taken aback, then smiled sheepishly:
"Uh, sorry, just pretend I didn't ask!"
Old Li shook his head and chuckled softly:
"There's too much I can't tell you, but I can tell you that our Linhai Supervision Bureau is actually quite powerful."
"Oh? Is that so?!" Xiao Bai'er exclaimed in surprise. "Does that mean our Linhai is safe?"
"The theory class taught us that we can't detect the location of the Calamity Beast yet, and we can only rely on the public to report them. So, for ordinary people, there's no truly safe situation," Shen Shuning said clearly.
"Yes!" Old Li nodded with a smile, "The appearance of Calamity Beast is unpredictable, so how can we say it's safe? We can only say that the vast majority of incidents can be handled effectively."
"Oh, I see!" Xiao Bai'er nodded as if she understood.
"As for you two, this is the first time I've received a call from the Northern Martial Arts Academy. How's your academy?" Old Li turned to the two of them with a smile.
"Uh..." Xiao Bai'er looked up and recalled.
"It's very big, very remote, and has a lot of houses..."