Ka. Ka ka. Ka ka.
The rhythmic sound of metal clashing echoed through the corridor of Building No. 9 for quite a while.
When the series of sounds finally stopped, Miao Ruixiang emerged carrying a steaming pot filled to the brim with fried rice. Jiang Yuan followed behind him, wiping his hands with a towel.
The others quickly made space, pulling out the bowls and chopsticks they had prepared in advance, and started dividing up the fried rice.
Tiny cubes of beef, golden yellow rice, soft but not soggy carrots, and various vegetables that were colorful but unidentifiable—all contributed to a complex and sophisticated aroma emanating from the fried rice.
"Ah, it smells amazing… Just for a bowl of fried rice like this, the trip out to Ningtai County was worth it." Li Haochen, who had traveled from Beijing by plane followed by a car ride, eagerly stepped forward to help.
