Eight in the morning.
Xiao Hei wore an apron in the kitchen making breakfast, looking quite the househusband.
"Da-da..." The sound of footsteps came from the stairs, and Julian, with a big belly, came down from the second floor.
Xiao Hei quickly walked over to support his wife, "Hey, baby, didn't I tell you, always hold the handrail when you're coming down the stairs."
Julian laughed, "Detective Chief Marcus, I'm not so old that I can't walk. I'm just pregnant, no need to be so nervous."
Xiao Hei helped Julian to the dining table, "Sit for a while, breakfast will be ready soon."
"Actually, you don't need to get up early to make breakfast, I can make it myself."
Xiao Hei glanced at Julian's big belly, "No, I don't think that's a good idea."
Julian picked up the milk bottle and poured herself a glass, "You will be a good father."
"And a good husband." Xiao Hei flipped the fried eggs with a spatula, "My mom might drop by later, let her know what you want to eat."
"Even though I'm pregnant, I'm not weak, there's really no need for this."
Xiao Hei said, "I told her, but she's still worried.
She had a miscarriage before; otherwise, I might have a brother or sister, who knows.
Don't tell her I said that."
Julian took out her phone and said while scrolling, "Did Luke buy you drinks last night?"
"Yes, that guy went to New York and got a fake identity as a Fobuluer this time.
What a jerk, he didn't even discuss it with me."
Julian said, "Maybe he has some inconveniences."
"What angers me the most is that I'm the last one to know..." Xiao Hei complained, "We used to be partners who shared everything."
"You didn't go to work yesterday, so it's normal you're the last to know, isn't it?" Julian didn't think it was a big deal, "Hey, honey, you're being too sensitive lately.
I'm just giving birth, nothing big, every woman goes through it, relax a bit."
"Have I been that tense recently?"
"Yes, you should try taking a deep breath; if you get off work early today, let's do yoga together, it might help you."
"No, I don't want to do pregnancy yoga."
"It's not pregnancy yoga; it's for easing prenatal anxiety. It should help you too, just do it as keeping me company."
"OK, breakfast is ready." Xiao Hei placed fried eggs, bacon, and toast on a plate.
Julian, who was browsing on the phone, frowned, "Hey, honey, I just saw a terrifying video."
"Then don't watch it; it's not good for prenatal education."
"I think you should come over and look." Julian turned the volume up on the phone.
Xiao Hei walked to the table, put down the plates, and looked at Julian's phone. In the video was a man wearing a skull mask sitting in a car with an AR-15 beside him, speaking in a low yet slightly naive voice, "Hey, I've arrived."
He pointed the camera outside, "See that supermarket? That's my target. Those inside the supermarket better leave immediately; I'm ready to start a massacre."
The skull mask man put on a helmet, opened the driver's door, and made a sign of the cross, "Pray to God for me."
Xiao Hei raised an eyebrow, "Is this bastard joking or a prank?"
Quickly, Xiao Hei got his answer.
"Bang, bang, bang..."
In the video, the skull mask man opened fire directly, and a black woman at the supermarket entrance fell immediately, followed by another round of gunfire, taking down two more people.
"Fuck!" Xiao Hei couldn't help but curse, "That bastard's for real!
Baby, I have to go, promise me you won't keep watching, OK?"
"I promise, watch out on the road." Julian stood up, kissing Xiao Hei's cheek.
"I forgot that video account; I need to take another look." Xiao Hei took Julian's phone, took another glance, then closed the video app, kissing Julian's forehead, "Baby, take care of yourself."
"You be careful too."
Xiao Hei pulled out his phone, opened the app, and continued watching the live stream, "Bang, bang, bang..." More gunfire sounded.
As Xiao Hei walked out, he swore, "What a lunatic."
He got in the car and sped towards the detective bureau.
The gunman had already injured at least four or five people in the blink of an eye, this was definitely not a minor case.
Near Palisades Community, Demon Mask House restaurant.
Just from the restaurant's name, one might be puzzled, not seeming like a proper noodle shop, but upon seeing the green sign and the blue-and-white porcelain bowls, Luke knew he'd come to the right place. The most update n0vels are published on novel(ꜰ)ire.net
This was a beef noodle restaurant.
Open for business in the morning, the owner was probably Chinese.
Luke ordered a bowl of No. 3 thin noodles; the kitchen was open-style, one could see the noodle master from the dining table, and a foreigner was taking pictures with a phone.
An Asian man in a white chef's coat scooped the noodles, added soup, layered it with large pieces of beef, a few thin slices of white radish, and you could help yourself to the condiments.
Luke added cilantro, chopped green onions, a large spoon of chili, half a spoon of vinegar, and ordered an extra plate of cold appetizers.
Having a bowl of noodles in the morning made him feel refreshed from head to toe.
This counted as a benefit of living in a Chinese community, being able to often eat Chinese cuisine.
Halfway through eating, Luke received a call on Xiao Hei's phone, asking him to watch a live streaming app.