"Holy shit!"
Liu Ziming jumped up excitedly: "Teacher Wang, when did you..."
"While you were shouting like an idiot."
Xie Xi had already stood up.
Su Zhan silently rose to his feet, his gaze locked on the tightly closed door to the back kitchen.
Everyone quickly assumed combat readiness.
Their previous despondency.
Their previous frustration at being unable to act without proper authorization.
Instantly vanished at this moment.
"I know, I know!"
Liu Ziming excitedly rubbed his hands together: "Frontal assault, right?"
"No."
Wang Mingyuan adjusted his glasses: "You're responsible for keeping watch at the entrance."
"What?!" Liu Ziming's face immediately fell.
"Move out."
At Wang Mingyuan's command, everyone instantly entered combat mode.
Xu Hao's figure flashed, his dagger already pressed against the neck of the bar counter staff: "Don't move, cooperate with the investigation."
Simultaneously, Feng Jue's Startling Swan Sword materialized in his hand.
Patrons panicked and tried to stand up.
But they were intimidated by Xie Xi's fierce glare: "Everyone remain in your seats, Aberrant Purge Division conducting official business."
"Why won't you let me leave!"
Someone complained loudly.
Xie Xi was about to issue a threat but stopped herself, sighing instead and saying: "Please cooperate with official procedures. Those who refuse to cooperate will be detained for obstruction of justice."
The room immediately fell silent.
Xie Xi's eyes lit up at the sight.
Teacher Wang's method really worked—this way of speaking was much better than her previous approach.
Liu Ziming reluctantly guarded the main entrance, muttering: "Why do I have to play doorman..."
But his movements showed no hesitation, spiritual energy already gathering in his palm, ready to respond to any emergency.
Back kitchen direction.
Wang Mingyuan and Su Zhan rushed into the back kitchen.
Li Ya was standing by the storage room door organizing shelves.
Hearing the door burst open, she calmly turned around, her face still wearing that gentle, proper smile.
"Gentlemen."
Li Ya smoothed the stray hairs at her temples: "This is the employee area, may I ask what this is about?"
Wang Mingyuan displayed the search warrant: "Aberrant Purge Division routine inspection, please cooperate."
"Of course."
Li Ya nodded slightly, voluntarily stepping aside: "Would you like me to guide you? Both the storage room and cold storage are available for inspection."
Su Zhan frowned slightly.
He saw Li Ya standing calmly to the side, hands folded in front of her, completely playing the role of a cooperative citizen assisting with the investigation.
Too cooperative.
As if she had nothing to fear.
Wang Mingyuan scanned the kitchen: "Please open the storage room."
"No problem."
Li Ya took keys from her apron pocket and opened the storage room door: "This mainly stores coffee beans and ingredients, we take inventory weekly."
The storage room was neatly stacked with various supplies, nothing unusual.
Su Zhan carefully examined the walls and floor but found no traces of hidden doors or mechanisms.
"Would you like to see the cold storage?"
Li Ya proactively suggested: "It's right behind here."
The inspection continued for about twenty minutes, with Li Ya cooperating throughout, answering every question.
When Wang Mingyuan requested to review surveillance footage, she immediately pulled up records from the past month.
When asked about supply channels, she promptly provided complete supplier lists.
"Thank you for your cooperation."
Wang Mingyuan finally said, his tone somewhat softened.
Li Ya gave a slight bow: "It's my duty. We operate legally and have nothing to fear from inspections."
Exiting the back kitchen.
Su Zhan glanced back.
Li Ya was instructing a server on shelf organization, her expression focused and peaceful, as if the surprise inspection had been just a minor interruption.
"Teacher, what should we do now?"
Su Zhan was completely baffled.
It seemed their opponent had been prepared and wasn't afraid of inspection.
Everything was ready.
They couldn't even find any hidden doors.
"No need to worry."
Wang Mingyuan shook his arms, pure white spiritual energy spreading from his body like mist.
In moments, it filled the entire café.
Su Zhan's eyes focused.
He had never understood before, or rather wasn't certain, what exactly Wang Mingyuan's Life Soul was?
But since he had seen him take action several times,
It had always been attacks derived from this white spiritual energy.
Like during the plane crash, it was this white spiritual energy that formed a protective shield saving everyone.
Like during the Mist incident, Wang Mingyuan's attacks were also formed from this white spiritual energy.
So, most likely, Wang Mingyuan's Life Soul was this white spiritual energy itself.
Capable of both offense and defense.
And even now.
Acting as eyes, investigating every corner of the café.
Everything detectable and undetectable would be revealed under these watchful eyes.
"What, what is this?"
A female customer fearfully covered her mouth and nose.
"No need for alarm."
Xie Xi's cool voice rang out, "This is pure spiritual energy, beneficial to ordinary people's health."
The customers hesitantly lowered their hands.
One brave person took a deep breath and suddenly widened their eyes: "It's true! I feel like my breathing is smoother!"
As soon as the words fell.
The café echoed with successive deep breathing sounds.
Several people even spread their arms, embracing the spiritual energy nourishment like bathing in sunlight.
Li Ya stood behind the counter, her elegant brows slightly furrowed: "What are you doing?"
"Routine inspection."
Wang Mingyuan stood with closed eyes, white spiritual energy flowing around him: "Checking for any overlooked areas."
Li Ya's expression remained normal: "As you wish."
The spiritual energy seeped into every crevice like flowing water.
Cracks in corners, seams in flooring, ventilation openings in ceilings.
Suddenly, a wisp of spiritual energy moved at the baseboard in the storage room corner.
There was an almost invisible hairline crack there, thinner than a strand of hair.
The spiritual energy slipped through the crack, discovering an ingenious mechanism inside the wall.
A movable brick stone, behind which hid a palm-sized hidden compartment.
The compartment connected to a narrow downward passage.
The spiritual energy spread along the passage, revealing a approximately fifty-square-meter hidden room about ten meters underground beneath the café.
The room's walls were lined with special shielding material.
More importantly...
This hidden room resembled a slaughterhouse, but what was being slaughtered wasn't pigs, cows, or sheep, but...
But rather a dining establishment for Aberrants.
As for what was on the menu, it went without saying.
The white spiritual energy slowly retracted into his body.
Wang Mingyuan abruptly opened his eyes, his gaze suddenly sharp as he looked at Li Ya: "Miss Li, care to explain the hidden room ten meters underground?"
Su Zhan's heart leaped with joy.
They had found the flaw after all.
Li Ya forced composure: "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't know?"
Wang Mingyuan smiled: "Later, when we're at your dining establishment, you won't be able to deny it."