The Strange - Flavor Noodle Shop was an alternative eatery on the high - end and bustling Never - Night Street. All the noodles in this shop were priced at two and a half coins each, regardless of the type. Usually, people with some money on hand would look down on such a low - class place to eat. However, the noodles here were so delicious, with novel cooking methods and unique flavors that it still attracted a large number of customers.

  Murin Tristan didn't care about the place being high - end or low - end, especially since he didn't have much money. He threw a crumpled two - and - a - half - coin bill onto the counter and said feebly, "Lao Huang, bring me a bowl of beef noodles. Make sure the bowl is big, there's plenty of meat, the scallions are fresh, the soup is thick, and add a lot of chili."

  When the boss saw Murin Tristan, a smile spread across his face. "You really have a lot of demands!" Rarely would a boss talk to a customer in such a tone, but it wasn't strange. Murin Tristan and the boss were very familiar with each other. Ever since Murin Tristan's first year at university in Shangjing and his first visit to Never - Night Street, he had always come to the Strange - Flavor Noodle Shop to eat.

  The boss was called Lao Huang. Murin Tristan didn't know his real name. Since everyone else called him that, he followed suit without delving too deep. Lao Huang looked like a serious and gentle middle - aged man. He wore a pair of thick glasses and resembled a literati more than a restaurant owner. There was always a kind smile on his face that made people feel as warm as coming home. However, Murin Tristan knew that this guy was definitely of the same kind as him. Whenever a beautiful female customer entered or left the store, his eyes would quickly scan their chests and buttocks in a split - second, and then he would retract his gaze as if nothing had happened, with the smile still on his face.

  His skillful cover - up couldn't deceive Murin Tristan, who was extremely sensitive to lecherous vibes, even more so than a dog. Since his first day at the Strange - Flavor Noodle Shop, Murin Tristan had seen through his true nature but never exposed it. Lao Huang seemed to understand that Murin Tristan saw through his false front, and the two had an unspoken understanding. Perhaps because of this delicate relationship or because they were like - minded, they were especially close. When they had time, they would even grab a bottle of beer and chat about topics that could easily excite men.

  Murin Tristan was surprised to find that there were not many customers in Lao Huang's shop today, but he didn't ask. After all, it wasn't something an owner would like to talk about.

  Lao Huang didn't seem unhappy about the poor business. While cooking the noodles, he casually asked, "Kid, went to 'appreciate the scenery' again?"

  "Appreciating the scenery" was a code word for strolling on Never - Night Street to admire beautiful women, a term only understood by lechers like Lao Huang and Murin Tristan, who had reached a "professional" level.

  "Yeah, I'm starving. Hurry up, Lao Huang!"

  "Okay, coming right up!"

  Before long, Lao Huang brought out a bowl of steaming beef noodles that smelled delicious. There were a few strands of green scallions and purplish - brown beef slices floating on it, which looked very appealing. Besides the great taste, Lao Huang's noodles also had an attractive color and aroma, which was one of the reasons why his shop was so popular.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  At the moment, Murin Tristan didn't have the time to appreciate it. Filling his stomach was the top priority. He picked up his chopsticks and started wolfing down the noodles. After taking a big bite of the smooth noodles and feeling a bit full, Murin Tristan raised his head, let out a long sigh, and said with a satisfied expression, "Lao Huang, after eating your beef noodles, the beef in other places doesn't even seem like it comes from a cow."

  The smile on Lao Huang's face grew wider. Many people came to the shop to eat noodles and praised the food, but only Murin Tristan could flatter him so comfortably. It made him feel great, and Murin Tristan always came up with new ways to compliment him. Lao Huang couldn't help but grin and laugh heartily, "Kid, I think your flattery skills are almost as good as my noodles."

  "Woof!" Murin Tristan, who was enjoying his meal, was startled by the sudden bark.

  He looked down and saw a scruffy, dirty little white dog that had somehow come to his side. The dog was wagging its tail, clearly hungry.

  Murin Tristan stretched out his right foot as if to kick it. "Scram! I can barely get enough to eat myself."

  The little dog moved aside a bit but still didn't give up. It continued to wag its tail and look at Murin Tristan.

  Feeling sorry for it, Murin Tristan sighed and reluctantly picked out some noodles from his bowl and threw them on the ground. "That's all I can give you."

  The little dog approached the noodles on the ground, sniffed twice, but then walked away and continued to look up at Murin Tristan.

  Murin Tristan was almost furious. He pointed at the dog and cursed, "You ungrateful mutt! I'm still eating, and you're being picky?" After scolding for a couple of sentences, he softened his heart and threw a few pieces of beef.

  The little dog swallowed the beef almost without chewing. It was clearly starving. After eating, it immediately barked at Murin Tristan again.

  Murin Tristan hardened his heart and ignored it. But after a while, his compassion got the better of him, and he picked out a few more pieces of beef for the dog. Fortunately, Lao Huang had put a lot of meat in the bowl. Otherwise, other customers would have finished it already.

  As he kept throwing pieces of meat, when Murin Tristan wanted to eat a piece himself, he found that there was only noodles and vegetables left in the bowl. Angry, he gulped down the remaining noodles and soup in one go. At this time, he realized that he was the only one left in the store. When he walked out of the store, he was even more surprised. Never - Night Street, which was always bustling, had become deserted. There were only a few people on the street, and they were all in a hurry. Many stores had closed, and those that hadn't were pulling down their shutters. It was unheard - of for the stores on Never - Night Street, which probably had never been locked since they opened, to close collectively.

  The air was extremely stuffy, making it almost hard to breathe. Occasionally, there were a few dull thunderclaps. The sky was pitch - black, and thick black clouds were rolling towards the city sky, as if it was a bad omen before the appearance of demons. The neon lights seemed much dimmer.

  Murin Tristan took a deep breath and muttered to himself, "What on earth is going on?"

  Lao Huang said in surprise from the store, "Didn't you know? The announcements on the streets and buses have been playing several times. There's an emergency weather forecast. There will be a sudden heavy thunderstorm tonight, accompanied by strong winds of level six..."

  When Murin Tristan stared at beautiful women, he could be incredibly focused. He probably wouldn't notice a mere announcement, not even if the mountains collapsed or the world was ending. But now he was shocked and exclaimed, "Damn it! Why didn't you tell me earlier?" He rushed towards the bus stop in a hurry. It was really a headache. He didn't even have enough money to take a taxi.

  Lao Huang continued, "I heard that this rainstorm will last until tomorrow morning. Don't go out during this time, or it will be dangerous. You won't be able to make it back. Why don't you stay at my place for the night... Hey, where'd he go?" Murin Tristan had already run off somewhere.