The street was bustling with people, including many wearing school uniforms who were clearly not students.
With a simple profiling analysis, he quickly picked out seven or eight of them.
"What do you feel like eating?"
He turned his head and asked.
Gu Jianlin realized something might happen soon, so he should go home right after eating.
Su Youzhu thought about it seriously for a moment and said, "Anything's fine, but I want something warm."
Gu Jianlin nodded. "Let's go have some wild wontons."
The wonton stands in Peak City were a distinguishing feature of the old district.
Many years ago, back when his parents hadn't divorced, his dad often brought him downstairs to the little stand for a late-night snack—two bowls of wontons paired with a plate of grilled meat. They'd eat until after two in the morning, only to be dragged home by his mom.
Thinking about it now really brought back memories.
The wild wonton stand across the street was reasonably authentic, and there was already a decent line outside the shop. They'd have to wait at least ten minutes.
While waiting in line, Gu Jianlin noticed the girl once again wincing in pain.
He sighed. "Want me to grab a warming pad first?"
Su Youzhu paused, surprised. She said quietly, "You even know about this? Quite experienced, aren't you?"
Gu Jianlin kept a straight face. "Even elementary school kids can Google stuff these days."
He instinctively headed toward the left side of the snack street, where there was a twenty-four-hour convenience store.
But as soon as he reached the entrance, he discovered the store had closed down and undergone a change in management!
The original convenience store had disappeared for some reason, replaced by a grocery store—one so peculiar that it didn't even have a name.
Gu Jianlin was a bit stunned. That convenience store had still been there just two days ago.
The grocery store was filled with the faint scent of sandalwood, which smelled expensive. Surrounding him were old-fashioned shelves that appeared to have been used for years, even though the products themselves were brand new.
The store's interior decor was completely different from before. It had a distinct vintage vibe; the weathered walls carried a subtle sense of age, adorned with many calligraphies and paintings, some even layered with dust.
This was not at all the look of a newly opened store.
a voice greeted with a smile.
The speaker was a man in a tailored suit, his hair neatly combed back. His facial features were prominent and well-defined, and his warm, deep-set eyes gave off the impression of a British nobleman or a high-ranking figure in the business world.
He stood in front of the counter, his smile radiating a genuine warmth.
Behind the counter was an old-fashioned antique cabinet filled with all sorts of peculiar curios—there were statues of Guanyin and golden Chan Chu, pairs of jade thumb rings, blue-and-white porcelain vases, and bronze goblets.
An elderly man in a wheelchair was listening to a comedy routine on the radio while fiddling with six copper coins on the counter.
Wisps of sandalwood smoke drifted languidly through the air.
Gu Jianlin was momentarily taken aback by the scene.
Su Youzhu asked from behind him.
Gu Jianlin shook his head subtly, realizing that this grocery store was no ordinary place.
At the very least, it was wealthy.
From his brief profiling just now, the peculiar antiques had a profound historical aura about them.
They were likely genuine.
As for the two people in the store, he couldn't figure them out.
Profiling wasn't all-powerful; it relied on having enough information.
Most people in this world were far too simple—no independent thoughts, repetitive jobs and lives, mundane experiences, obvious traits. They were like résumés: everything about them was clear at a glance.
But some people were different, like a dense, ambiguous book filled with stories of love and loss.
Hard to truly understand.
Gu Jianlin had met people he couldn't read at first glance before, but the two individuals in this grocery store had an utterly unique air about them.
"Is there anything you're looking for?"
The man maintained his cordial smile.
Gu Jianlin snapped out of his thoughts and said, "Excuse me—three packs of warming pads."
The man smiled gently. "Sure, that'll be fifteen yuan. I'll grab them for you."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Gu Jianlin pulled out his phone to scan the QR code for payment, continuing to survey the store. Something still felt off.
Su Youzhu noticed his uneasy expression.
"Nothing. After dinner, let's head home early and get some rest."
Throughout, the elderly man at the counter never once lifted his head. His attention was entirely focused on the six copper coins, scrutinizing them closely.
What he was observing remained a mystery.
At that moment, the noisy sounds of commotion erupted outside on the street, accompanied by the flashing of red and blue police lights.
"Make way! Move aside!"
A chubby boy in a school uniform led the group, cursing as he went: "What rotten luck! Quit gawking, all of you, and go back to school! Looking for trouble, huh? Yeah, I'm talking to you!"
He pointed randomly into the crowd, causing a few students to lower their heads and scurry off.
Gu Jianlin frowned. He recognized the boy—he was the wealthiest second-generation rich kid at the school, infamous as a notorious bully.
He shouldn't have even been able to get into Peak City Second High School, but it was said that his family had paid an exorbitant amount to get him in.
"Damn it, if I find that bastard, he's dead! Freaks are just getting worse every day."
The chubby boy suddenly turned his head and saw something, his face twisting as if suppressing a gag reflex. "Ugh..."
He dry-heaved a couple of times before his eyes landed on the grocery store. In a rush, he came inside.
"Boss, give me a few bottles of water!"
He slapped a ten-yuan note onto the counter and headed straight for the fridge, grabbing a few bottles of drinks and chugging them down.
After gulping down three bottles in a row, he finally noticed the man and woman standing at the counter.
"Oh, isn't this Brother Lin?"
The chubby boy's eyes lit up. "Brought your girlfriend out? Damn, she's stunning!"