Lü Yi

In the early morning, the first pale rays of sunlight pierced through the unfamiliar gap in the curtains, striking Lin Feng's eyelids precisely. He frowned, somewhat reluctantly pulling himself out of sleep.

My head aches, as if someone has been gently tapping my temples with a blunt object all night.

This feeling was terrible. On the one hand, he had just moved into the apartment provided by Lawyer Zhou, and the unfamiliar environment, the firmness of the mattress, the air circulation in the room, and even the faint white noise from the distant overpass outside the window all made it impossible for him to fully relax, resulting in a significant drop in sleep quality.

On the other hand, he could also thank his upstairs neighbors. Last night, whether it was a family sports meet or some kind of mysterious jumping ritual, the "thump thump thump" sound kept going on until midnight, making his already restless nerves even more agitated.

The biological clock, forcibly ingrained in the detention center with a precision as sharp as Switzerland watch, disregards all this and still wakes him up at fixed times. The clash between deep sleep deprivation and the forced activation of his body results in this unpleasant drowsiness and dull pain.

Lin Feng sat up, rubbed his throbbing temples, and took a deep breath. The air still held the faint smell of building materials and dust, unique to new houses. He walked barefoot to the bathroom, turned on the tap, and splashed his face with the icy water. The biting coolness temporarily dispelled some of the drowsiness, and the mirror reflected a slightly tired but still calm face.

Oh well, since we're here, we might as well make the best of it.

He walked to the spacious floor-to-ceiling window in the living room, watching the street below gradually awaken. He hadn't used his daily quota of assassin summoning slots yet. With a thought, his consciousness sank into that profound system space.

"Call."

The cold, mechanical voice arrived as expected. "Ding! Summoning successful! Acquired assassin: Lü Yi."

Information floods into my mind:

Name: Lü Yi (following the surname of the orphanage director)

Identity: Orphan, food delivery worker

Status: Bipolar disorder (previously hospitalized, now stable, and has switched to home-based medication and regular check-ups)

Activity area: This city

Abilities: Proficient in driving electric vehicles, extremely familiar with city routes, exceptionally efficient when in a good mood, but... requires attention when in a bad mood. Loyalty: 100%.

A mental Patient? A food delivery driver? Lin Feng raised an eyebrow; this combination was interesting. He knew a little about bipolar disorder, commonly known as manic-depressive illness, where emotions oscillate between two extremes: depression and mania. The system indicated "stable condition," meaning it was currently under control.

He established a connection with his new partner through consciousness, sensing that the other party was currently in a state of... unusual activity and excitement. Lin Feng thought for a moment and mentally agreed on a small, relatively clean-looking restaurant not far from his residence as the meeting place.

An hour later, Lin Feng met Lü Yi in a booth by the window in the restaurant.

Surprisingly, Lü Yi was quite good-looking. He was nearly 1.85 meters tall, with a broad frame and a robust build. He was wearing a faded blue uniform from a food delivery platform, but it couldn't hide his vibrant energy.

His hair was shaved into a short buzz cut, his features were strong yet delicate, and he had a smile in his eyes. He was the kind of person who would stand out in a crowd. Judging from his appearance alone, it was impossible to associate him with a "mentally Patient".

"Boss!" When Lü Yi saw Lin Feng, his eyes lit up, and he strode over, his voice loud and clear, filled with undisguised enthusiasm. He sat down naturally opposite Lin Feng, his smile so bright it was almost blinding.

Lin Feng nodded slightly. "Lü Yi?"

"Yes, yes, that's me, Lü Yi, Yu in 'extra'... oops, I mean double-mouthed Lü, Yi in 'one, two, three'!" He spoke quickly, with a touch of familiarity. "Boss, you've chosen a great spot. I often deliver to this restaurant. Their boiled fish fillets are amazing! They use live fish, not frozen ones! And the chili is so fragrant!"

Lin Feng ordered a few dishes, and the two chatted as they ate. Lü Yi did most of the talking, from interesting stories about delivering food all over the country to her intimate knowledge of every corner of the city, and occasionally her "unique" insights into the international situation.

His thoughts jumped around, but his logical chain could still barely remain coherent in his excited state, and he was unusually talkative. If Lin Feng didn't know beforehand, he would really think he was just an ordinary, sunny, outgoing, and somewhat talkative young man.

The meal wasn't too dull.

After finishing their meal, Lin Feng waved to the waiter to call for the bill. Lü Yi, however, grabbed his hand with considerable force, her face displaying a "I've got this covered" attitude. "Boss! This meal is on me! You go outside and have a smoke and rest for a bit, I'll come find you after I settle the bill!"

Lin Feng glanced at him, seeing his clear eyes and resolute attitude, and didn't insist any further. He nodded, got up, and walked out of the restaurant first, standing on the sidewalk in front of the entrance, watching the cars come and go.

Seeing Lin Feng leave, Lü Yi called the waiter to settle the bill. The waiter handed Lü Yi the receipt, which Lü Yi placed on the table without even looking at it. He then took out his phone and pulled up the payment code. Just as the waiter was about to scan the code, Lü Yi suddenly pointed behind him.

"Look, a flying saucer!!!"

The waiter looked behind him blankly, while Lü Yi seized the opportunity and dashed out like a wild horse.

Lin Feng waited for a few minutes but didn't see Lü Yi come out. Instead, he heard a small commotion coming from inside the restaurant, mixed with a few exclamations and the clanging of pots and pans falling.

Lin Feng frowned slightly, turned around, and walked back.

Upon entering the restaurant, a comical scene unfolded. Lü Yi was surrounded in a booth by the restaurant owner, two waiters, and a burly chef wielding a wok. A few scallions and a bunch of cilantro were scattered on the floor, and a spice jar lay askew near the kitchen entrance, clearly the source of the earlier noise.

The owner, a middle-aged man in his forties wearing an apron, stood with his hands on his hips, looking at Lü Yi with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. "What do you mean, customer? You finished your meal and didn't pay, then suddenly rushed into our kitchen like you were being chased by a dog? You almost knocked our head chef over!"

Lü Yi sat upright in his chair, but made an extremely exaggerated expression on his face. He widened his eyes, covered his chest with his hand, and said in a deliberately low, strange-sounding Mandarin:

"What?! My goodness... you little Japan devils! What you're saying... I... can't understand! My... China... I only know a little bit!"

As he spoke, he extended his right hand, pinching his thumb and forefinger together, making a gesture that would instantly enrage the South Korea neighbor next door.

The owner and the waiter next to him were stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but burst out laughing. This acting was so convincing!

The boss suppressed a laugh, stepped forward, patted Lü Yi on the shoulder, and spoke with a hint of mockery:

"Oh, it's you, sir! My apologies! But sir, there's an old China saying, 'Wei Junjie is a man of Western affairs.' Now, sir, you have two choices."

He held up two fingers. "First, you immediately pay for the meal and compensate us for the damage to our kitchen. Second, we'll call the police and have them come and have a proper talk with you, sir."

Lü Yi continued his performance, tilting his head and frowning, as if trying to understand his boss's words, before continuing in his broken "Japanese accent": "Well... boss, just name a price!"

The boss chuckled and counted on his fingers, "The meal cost 197. You rushed into the kitchen, knocked things over, and scared our employees. The compensation for emotional distress plus the cost of damaged materials is 260. I'll round it down for you," he waved his hand, "So, I'll just charge you 500! A good deal, sir?"

Upon hearing this, Lü Yi's expression became even more exaggerated, as if she had heard some shocking news. She suddenly jumped up from her chair, spreading her hands. "What?! Boss! Your conscience... is utterly wicked! How can you... round up to the nearest zero?! Did your PE teacher teach you math?"

The shop owner was amused, his wrinkles crinkling into a wide grin. "Stop talking nonsense! Do you think we've been wasting our whole lunch break with you?! Racing and learning foreign languages! Hurry up, five hundred, or I'll really call the police!"

Seeing that the boss was about to take out his phone, and Lü Yi was still yelling "Yamete yamete" incoherently, Lin Feng sighed helplessly and stepped forward.

"Boss, I'm sorry, my friend..." Lin Feng didn't know how to explain for a moment, so he could only stop the boss, "How much is it? I'll pay."

The shopkeeper glanced at Lin Feng, whose demeanor had become noticeably more composed, then at Lü Yi, who was still making faces, and shook his head. "Alright, finally someone who understands. The total is 457, give me 450."

Lin Feng readily scanned the QR code and paid.

After receiving the money, the boss's expression softened, and he said to Lin Feng, "Buddy, your friend... is quite interesting. Keep an eye on him in the future." With that, he led the waiter and chef, who were trying not to laugh, back home.

Lin Feng glanced at Lü Yi, who had instantly returned to normal and was even grinning at him, said nothing, and simply turned and walked away.

Lü Yi quickly got up and scurried over to Lin Feng, whispering, "Boss, I actually calculated it. Normally, this meal would cost me over a dozen deliveries... I just wanted to save the organization some money..."

Lin Feng didn't stop walking, glancing at him expressionlessly.

"This will not happen again."

Lü Yi immediately stood at attention and gave an awkward salute. "Hello! Boss!"

Sunlight streamed down on the two men, casting long shadows. Lin Feng looked at the tall, burly, and quick-witted new assassin beside him and suddenly realized that things were unlikely to be peaceful from now on. However, this unexpected "liveliness"... perhaps wasn't all bad?