}

When they returned to the third workshop from the central computer room, the evidence recovery team of the police station had already completed the evidence recovery in the third workshop. Lu Qiuyue was pestering the head of the recovery team about what they were arguing about. In this regard, Aaron and Ling Chong

I don't really care. Anyway, if Lu Qiuyue really has a deep relationship with this case, their next actions will definitely expose Lu Qiuyue. If they push too hard now, it will easily make this woman jump over the wall.

"Well, it's almost time to get off work. There's no rush for this case. Can we wait until everything is ready tomorrow?" Ling Chong is a person who can't work overtime and will never delay his get off work. Although overtime is common in the criminal police profession.

"Okay, Uncle Ling has plans for the evening?" Although Aaron is not as easy-going as Ling Chong, he never imposes his own standards on others.

"Yes, it depends on whether you are willing to show your favor. Let's meet at the same place at six o'clock in the evening?" The two of them chatted while taking the elevator to the company's helipad, where the light rotorcraft used by the police station to quickly deploy terminals was on it.

Stop.

"Okay, see you there." Aaron nodded and watched as Ling Chong and the mobile terminal code-named 226 he brought stood into the transport frame and fixed it.

The rotorcraft immediately took off and left, and it would take less than ten minutes to return to the headquarters of the Criminal Police Brigade. The advantage of using mobile terminals for all frontline investigations is that there is no need to consider human factors during deployment. If necessary, the mobile terminals can be dropped directly from the sky.

.

"What are you going to do next? Send you back to the bureau?" After Ling Chong was sent away, Aaron turned back to Lan 228 and asked.

"No, this unit will accompany Officer Chen to assist in the investigation until the end of this case. Returning to the headquarters is a redundant action that wastes time." Lan 228 replied with an indifferent expression.

"I'm going to have dinner with my colleagues later. Is it okay for you to wait in the car?" Aaron didn't care. Although he looked like a human and had intelligence, a machine was still a machine.

"certainly."

"Get in the car. It's time to get off work. Turn off all your sensors. I don't want to be monitored after work."

"This machine is now in low-energy operation mode." Lan 228 followed Aaron into the automatic car, and the breathing light between his eyebrows changed from blue to purple.

——Six o'clock in the afternoon·A certain street in District 17——

"Hey, Aaron." Aaron heard a familiar greeting as soon as he got off the car.

Looking back, it was Ling Chong who was in person. This two-meter-tall man in his fifties had a gray crew cut, wearing a bright red beret, a white shirt, a red tie, and a pure black suit.

He wears a beige long coat, a pair of brown sunglasses in the breast pocket of the suit, and leather shoes that are so shiny that they reflect light as if they have just been oiled. He is dressed less like a police detective and more like a leader of a private military organization. As for his appearance, it doesn't matter.

What he calls a handsome man depends on his personal aesthetic taste, but he does have a simple, resolute and unflattering face. The most eye-catching thing about his face is the long hair that stretches from his chin to behind his ears.

A lightning-shaped burn scar.

This scar can be easily eliminated with current cell activation technology. There must be some special reason why Ling Chong keeps it on his face. Aaron once asked about this matter with his father, who was familiar with Ling Chong, when he was a child.

, his father's answer to him was only silence.

"Uncle Ling, I've been waiting for a long time." After closing the car door, Aaron walked over and said hello.

"It's okay, it's okay to be late for a good meal." Ling Chong smiled and waved his hand, "We haven't had a chance to see each other for a long time, and we were thinking of this old shop that we haven't visited for a long time."

"Auntie and Xiaoxiao won't have any problem with you running out to drink with me without even going home?" Aaron said with a smile.

"Hey, you two girls know very well." Ling Chong said with a macho attitude, "A person's life is nothing but drinking, sex and wealth. If you give up all these things, even if you can live a few more years, what's the point of living?"

"This is not what a detective should say." The smile on Aaron's face turned into a bitter smile. His Uncle Ling was good at everything, but he was really good at drinking.

"I'm just an ordinary person after get off work. How come I break the law when I'm a policeman and drink?" Ling Chong rolled his eyes, "Let's go, there won't be any room in the store later."

Just like Ling Chong turned into the alley, some neon signs with poor contact on the dim alley were shining brightly. Since the wave of automated catering chains swept through Jincheng, there are still humans to directly

The street shops that are run are like extremely endangered species whose population has fallen below the threshold. No matter how hard they struggle for survival, they cannot change the fate of complete extinction.

"Boss, we have a single table. Things are still the same." He opened the sliding door and walked into the narrow shop. Several half-old men and the shop owner who was already an old man were drinking and chatting at the bar. Ling Chong greeted the boss familiarly.

Hello.

"Oh, just find a place to sit." The boss squinted for a long time before he recognized Ling Chong, and nodded to let them do as they pleased.

"Huh, this is the most peaceful place. Those unmanned chain stores always taste a bit off." Ling Chong let out a long sigh as he threw himself on the ragged sofa.

"I remember someone was still trying to persuade me to accept the progress of the times during the day?" Aaron teased him casually.

"Work is work, entertainment is entertainment, how can it be the same?" Ling Chong plausibly defended himself.

"Your entertainment is other people's work." Aaron would not follow Ling Chong's words just because he was his elder. "Okay, I don't want to argue with you about this. This argument will be endless. Why call me a special person?"

What happened? Is it something wrong with the case?"

"Relax, there's nothing else in your mind except the case?" Ling Chong's face was full of helplessness, "I just haven't seen you for a long time and wanted to talk to you. I went to see you recently.

Father doesn’t have one?”

"...I went to see him once two months ago." It was within the expected range that the other party would ask. Of course, Aaron himself didn't really want to start this topic.

"Is it getting better?" Ling Chong knew that Aaron didn't like this topic, but as an old friend and elder, he still had to say some things even if they were annoying.

"Still the same as before, his consciousness is completely immersed in the closed world virtualized by the auxiliary brain. The monitoring doctor said that like most victims, his personality may have been rewritten many times. Now he may have experienced various kinds of things over and over again.

With all kinds of false lives, it’s hard to say how much memory of the real world is left. The doctor told me that if he tried to forcibly remove the auxiliary brain from his brain, he would directly commit suicide like several previous victims.

." Aaron's answer had no tone and was simply stating the facts.

"Alas, even a strong man like Brother Chen can't keep himself." Ling Chong sighed deeply after hearing this, "When we catch that bastard who made the dream, we will take him to the place he made.

Put it in the stuff and let him know how it tastes!"

"Let's wait until we can catch him. It's been twelve years, and we haven't even figured out whether he is a human or a ghost." Aaron's voice showed strong frustration, "The same goes for this case. At first glance, it seems to be related to the Dream Maker.

There is a connection, but if you analyze it carefully, it might just be an insurance fraud case."

"Your brat, your draft beer, and the main course will have to wait. Let's deal with the side dishes first." The two of them were immersed in the gloomy atmosphere, and the boss over there tremblingly brought the food and wine to the table.

lay down.

"Ha, I personally don't hate automation, but if anyone dares to automate this cup of soju, I will fight to the death." Ling Chong picked up the privately brewed soju, which was 70 to 80 degrees, and took a sip, with a look on Ling Chong's face.

He said with an emotional expression as if he had just come back to life.

"You go and fight with my son." The boss said to him abruptly.

"...Huh?" Ling Chong was in a daze, not understanding what the boss was talking about.

"With my body and bones, I can't work for a few days anyway. My son has his own career and is unwilling to take over my shift. So when I can't work anymore, I plan to turn this shop into an automated canteen. That kind of place should be

Don’t sell Shao Bar? It can’t pass the health standards of the Health Bureau.” The boss sighed and explained.

Ling Chong stared at his boss dumbfounded and couldn't say even a word. In fact, he knew very well that this day would come sooner or later. He had experienced similar separations countless times, but he got used to it every time.

Not coming.

"The people who will come here are all regular customers who have been here for more than ten years. My old man has been making small profits but quick sales over the years, so he has never given any discounts. Today, for the first time, all drinks are free. Everyone, open up and drink.

." A carefree smile appeared on the boss's wrinkled face, but loneliness was written on his back.

"..." The store, which had a pretty good atmosphere at first, became silent after he said this, and everyone had expressions on their faces as if they were attending a funeral banquet.

"What are you doing, what are you doing?" Ling Chong came to his senses after the initial dullness, "Why do you think free wine is not good to drink? I like it anyway, I'm here to start.

Here’s a toast to our boss who has been with us for decades and wishes him a safe retirement and a long life!”

"Here's to the boss!" Aaron also raised his beer glass.
Chapter completed!