During the lunch break, the police station was filled with a warm and cozy atmosphere.
Many officers were finally receiving understanding from their families, something they had often been denied due to their demanding jobs.
However, the warmth didn't last long. A phone call reporting a crime shattered the peaceful moment.
The police station received yet another case.
The caller had spotted a completely skeletal corpse inside the bridge pier.
"What? A corpse? Another homicide?"
Upon hearing the news, Han Fei frowned, then let out a deep sigh of relief, putting down the lovingly made bento box his daughter had prepared for him.
The bad news was that the police station had just received a new case, meaning they would be busy again.
The good news was that he finally didn’t have to force himself to eat this unbearably salty bento.
Although the bento was filled with his daughter’s love, it was just too salty. Despite Han Fei’s best efforts, he had only managed to eat a small portion.
It was truly hard to swallow!
Han Fei grabbed the water cup on the table, took a big gulp to rinse his mouth, wiped his lips, and then looked at his wife and daughter.
"I don’t have time to finish the bento. There’s a new case, so I have to get back to work."
"Alright, go ahead," Han Fei’s wife said. "I’ll take care of our daughter."
Han Fei then affectionately patted his daughter’s head.
"I’ll try to come home early tonight and bring you something delicious."
"Okay!" Han Fei’s daughter nodded vigorously, then closed the lid of the bento box on the table and said with a smile, "Then, Dad, Mom and I will take this bento home, and you can finish it when you get back tonight."
Finish it tonight?! No way! Eating the whole thing would probably kill him with all that salt! Han Fei quickly took the bento box back from his daughter’s hands.
"No, no, I’m not full yet. I’ll take this with me and eat it on the way."
"Dad, do you really like the bento I made?"
"Of course I do! It’s delicious. You’re so talented, my dear," Han Fei said, lying through his teeth.
"That’s great! Then I’ll make it for you often, okay?"
Han Fei: "???"
"Sure, but I can’t let you do all the work. How about this: every time you make me a bento, I’ll reward you with a workbook. Deal?"
...
On the way to the crime scene.
"Captain Han, is that the bento your wife made for you?" Chen Ke asked, eyeing the bento box Han Fei was holding.
"No," Han Fei shook his head. "My daughter made it."
"Your daughter made it? That’s so sweet! I wish I had a daughter who could make me a bento like that."
Hearing this, Han Fei forced a smile and silently chuckled to himself. Then he said, "Want to try it? I’ve only eaten half, and the other half is untouched."
Having been through the ordeal himself, he wanted to share the misery.
"I can’t, I’m driving," Chen Ke replied.
Seeing that Chen Ke wasn’t falling for it, Han Fei turned his attention to Xu Mo, who was sitting beside him, and opened the bento box.
"Captain Xu, I can’t finish this. Do you want it? I haven’t touched this half."
Xu Mo, who was still a bit hungry, took the bento without hesitation and picked up a fried egg with his fingers, taking a bite.
"Mmm… delicious! Captain Han, you’re so lucky. Your daughter is so young, yet she’s already such a great cook!"
Delicious? Shouldn’t it be super salty? Han Fei was confused.
There were two fried eggs in the bento. He had already eaten one, and it was so salty it nearly brought tears to his eyes. He had struggled to swallow it.
But judging from Xu Mo’s expression, the egg he was eating didn’t seem salty at all!
Could it be that only the half he ate was oversalted, and the other half was fine? If that were the case, he wouldn’t want to let Xu Mo eat the rest, since it was his beloved daughter’s homemade bento.
Out of curiosity, Han Fei picked up a large piece of meat from the bento and stuffed it into his mouth.
Almost immediately, his face twisted from the saltiness.
The familiar taste overwhelmed his taste buds. This half was just as salty!
Han Fei’s eyes watered from the salt, and he caught Xu Mo trying to hold back his laughter.
Dammit… he got played! Xu Mo, that sly fox!
Han Fei had wanted to prank Xu Mo, but instead, he ended up being the one pranked.
Feeling increasingly annoyed, Han Fei decided to involve Chen Ke and Li Chen, who were sitting in the front seats.
"Here, you two should have some too. You’ll need the energy to work." With that, he shoved the bento box into Li Chen’s lap.
"Thanks, Captain Han."
Completely unaware, Li Chen picked up a piece of meat from the bento and popped it into his mouth.
The moment it touched his tongue, Li Chen’s face contorted in shock. He turned to look at Han Fei and Xu Mo in the backseat.
Both of them were sitting there with straight faces, looking at him seriously. "What’s wrong? Doesn’t it taste good?"
For a moment, Li Chen even wondered if there was something wrong with his taste buds.
If Captain Han and Captain Xu didn’t find it salty, why did it taste so salty to him?
Curious, he reached into the bento box again and picked up another piece of meat, putting it in his mouth.
This piece was even saltier than the last!
Poor Li Chen still couldn’t figure out what was going on.
He was genuinely starting to question: Is there something wrong with my taste buds?
While waiting at a red light, he grabbed another piece of meat from the bento and held it out to Chen Ke. "Here, try this."
Chen Ke instinctively opened his mouth and ate the meat. After glancing at Han Fei and Xu Mo in the rearview mirror, he smacked his lips a couple of times.
"Hmm… you know what? It’s actually pretty good."
Now Li Chen was completely baffled.
Pretty good? Isn’t it salty? Did no one else find this bento salty? Is there really something wrong with my taste buds?
Li Chen started to panic. To confirm, he took another piece of meat from the bento and ate it.
Yes, it was salty—extremely salty!
Li Chen looked at Chen Ke in confusion, then turned to Han Fei and Xu Mo in the backseat.
"Don’t you think this bento is a bit salty?"
As soon as he asked, all three of them shook their heads.
"Not at all, it’s fine."
"Salty? I think it’s just right."
"Salty? It tastes great to me."
Seeing their reactions, Li Chen gulped nervously.
Oh no, something’s wrong with my taste buds!
He even started thinking about taking time off to see a doctor. After all, losing your sense of taste is a big deal. If he didn’t get it treated soon, he might never enjoy food again.
Li Chen immediately turned around and said to Han Fei in all seriousness,
"Captain Han, after we wrap up this case, I’d like to take some time off. I think there’s something wrong with my tongue. I need to see a doctor."
The next second.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA, Captain Han, Captain Xu, I’m sorry, I just couldn’t hold it in anymore. This guy… he thinks there’s something wrong with his tongue! HAHAHAHAHA!" Chen Ke, who was driving, burst out laughing.
Li Chen: "???"