I Start with a Mysterious Island

Chapter 298 - 243: So Close, and Yet It Failed

"Oh, don’t say that," Liu Jialin said, a little embarrassed. "I just brought them back to the station. The person who actually caught them was my friend."

"That may be true, but bringing them back to the station is still no small contribution," Wang Jing said with a smile. "Besides, knowing such a capable person is a testament to your own abilities!"

"I guess so!" Liu Jialin thought Wang Jing had a point. Not everyone was lucky enough to know such a capable friend.

Just then, she noticed a folder in Wang Jing’s hands and asked curiously, "Wang Jing, were you just in a strategy meeting?"

"Yes. And thanks to you, one of the three Canglan Society members we have in interrogation confessed.

Based on his intel, there’s a Canglan Society underground warehouse near the city outskirts that’s full of illegal goods.

Later tonight, I’m leading a team to raid it," Wang Jing said with a smile.

"I see! Well, I wish you a successful mission," Liu Jialin said.

The two chatted for a few more moments before parting ways.

On the way back to her office, Liu Jialin pulled her phone from her pocket and called Lin Li.

...

The sun hung high in the sky, its bright rays feeling a little hot on the skin. A few small sparrows zipped overhead, leaving a trail of crisp chirps.

It was almost lunchtime. Lin Li had just left home, carrying a large watermelon he had grown himself as he walked toward Su Yue’s house.

Suddenly, his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and saw it was a call from Liu Jialin.

’She’s probably calling to remind me about the reward money,’ he thought, a flicker of joy running through him.

"Hello?"

"Lin Li, have you had lunch yet?"

"Not yet! What about you?"

"Me neither."

"So, what’s up?"

"Well, thanks to you, I got commended by my superior today for bringing Tie Qiu Heng and the others in last night. To show my appreciation, I’d like to treat you to dinner. Are you free tonight?"

’Oh, so it’s just an invitation to dinner...’ When Lin Li heard Liu Jialin wanted to treat him to a meal instead of talking about the reward money, he felt a twinge of disappointment.

But then he remembered that Tie Qiu Heng and his men were only caught yesterday. It would take time to close the case, and issuing the reward would have to go through proper channels. ’It won’t be that fast,’ he reasoned, and the disappointment faded.

"You really don’t have to treat me to dinner. What I did yesterday was just my duty as a good citizen..." Lin Li said graciously.

"That may be true, but I got a lot of credit for this, so it wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t treat you. Please, don’t refuse," Liu Jialin insisted.

Seeing how insistent she was, Lin Li agreed. "Since you put it that way, it would be rude to refuse."

Liu Jialin then told Lin Li where they would be eating that evening before hanging up.

Lin Li put his phone away. ’Since I’m going to dinner with her tonight,’ he thought, ’it’ll be the perfect chance to give her the Spirit Burst Pill I forgot to hand over yesterday.’

...

「Happiness Garden District.」

Lin Li stood at the door of Apartment 601, Building 3, holding a large watermelon.

He reached out and rang the doorbell.

DING-DONG...

The doorbell had barely finished chiming when the door swung open from the inside.

"You’re here!" said Su Yue, her smile blooming. She was wearing a set of light, pale blue loungewear with a dark, floral-print apron tied around her waist.

Lin Li smiled and nodded, stepping inside at her welcome.

After taking off his shoes, he slipped into the house slippers Su Yue had already set out for him. He then held up the large watermelon he was carrying—one he’d grown on the Mysterious Small Island—and said, "I brought you a melon."

Su Yue’s eyes fell on the large watermelon, nestled in a red plastic bag in Lin Li’s hand, and she asked.

"This watermelon is huge! It looks really good, too. How much was it per pound...?"

"Huh? How much did I buy it for?" Lin Li hadn’t expected her to ask that. After all, he had grown it himself. Aside from the cost of the seeds, it was practically free.

"Why are you spacing out?" Su Yue asked, puzzled by his sudden pause.

"Er, it was one-twenty a pound," Lin Li said, quickly thinking up a price.

"That’s a pretty good deal. I went to the market a couple of days ago, and they were one-sixty a pound."

Su Yue nodded, not pressing further about the price. She reached for the large watermelon, but Lin Li stopped her.

"This thing’s heavy. I’ll carry it to the kitchen for you!"

"Okay," Su Yue replied with a sweet smile.

A large watermelon from the market usually weighed around eleven or twelve pounds, but this one from the Mysterious Small Island was much bigger, closer to twenty.

The Mysterious Small Island not only accelerated crop growth but also optimized their yield. Lin Li had grown accustomed to the high-quality produce it yielded.

For an ordinary person, however, seeing fruits and vegetables from the Mysterious Small Island—a whole size larger than anything sold at the market—would inevitably draw a look of surprise.