Luke hung the transparent umbrella on the hook on the doorpost, then sat down in front of the stage, his hands on his knees, "I didn't ask you last time, what is Mr. Heike's title at the high table?"
The bald chef's face straightened: "Zero."
Luke nodded: "Nice to meet you, Zero."
Baldhead Zero bowed his head again: "Nice to meet you, Night Demon."
Luke laughed, "No, please call me John."
Zero didn't mind.
Many people in this line of work have quirks.
It’s not that he is a freak who kills his entire family immediately without being called by his title.
He nodded: "What do you want to eat today?"
Luke: "Tonkotsu ramen is fine."
Zero: "Please wait."
Luke casually took out an old silver lighter, then a metal cigarette case, opened it and took out a cigarette: "Can I?"
Ling smiled and said, "As you wish."
If it were anyone else, he certainly wouldn't allow it.
But... people with ability will always be treated preferentially.
Besides, he might be the only chef in the world who can make Night Demon return specifically to eat ramen again.
More than a year ago, this "honor" might not have meant much.
Because at that time, Zero didn't think he was worse than Night Demon.
In the killer business, killing ordinary people is something that everyone can do, there is nothing to brag about.
Only by killing professionals can one truly prove his status.
And peers are the most professional professionals.
The mutual aid society’s killer names are generally considered by the industry to have started out as “quasi-legends”.
Sloan is an extremely mysterious one among the legendary killers - he can live in the killer business until he is seventy years old and still suppress a large number of famous killers under his command, which is even rarer than a legendary killer.
But even such a top killer organization, 18 number one killers plus their leader Sloan were blocked in their lair by the Night Devil and were all killed overnight, along with a hundred fully armed ordinary killers.
This matter gradually spread.
The Night Stalker also changed from a "suspected" legendary killer to a "suspected" killer god beyond the legendary level.
Secondly, in the past two years, superheroes and various villain monsters have made their debut and appeared in front of people all over the world.
In the killer business, the one who is generally recognized as being able to fight against these extraordinary beings is the Night Demon.
Because everyone suspected that Night Devil was also a supernatural being.
What could Zero ask for in the face of such a person
If the other party asks him politely "Is it okay?", he can only say "Please feel free".
Luke flipped open the lid of the lighter, lit the cigarette, took a puff, and then placed it on the edge of the table, letting it burn slowly.
Gusts of wind blew in from outside, the red dot of the cigarette butt flickered, and bits of ash fell with the wind.
Zero was concentrating on making ramen.
This was the most serious work he had done in several years.
But even so, the piping hot ramen was served in less than ten minutes.
Luke flicked the cigarette butt with only the filter left on the table and it flew into the puddle outside the door, and the last bit of red light went out in an instant.
Picking up the chopsticks, he slowly ate the bowl of noodles.
Just like eating other foods, he didn't seem to be in a hurry, but he finished it in two minutes and even drank up all the noodle soup.
Putting down the bowl, Luke nodded: "This is the best food I've had in Tokyo."
Zero's eyes showed joy: "Thank you for the compliment, sir."
Luke took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his mouth: "Zero, for the sake of this bowl of noodles, I will ask you one last question."
Ling's expression became serious: "Please go ahead."
Luke put the handkerchief back into his windbreaker pocket and asked softly, "If I told you to never kill anyone from now on and focus on being a promising cook, would you accept that?"
Zero was silent.
He stared at the knife on the chopping board for a long time before he let out a long breath: "I accept. But, I hope you can fight me officially once, please!"
Luke's lips curled up slightly: "You will die."
Ling bowed calmly: "Please give me this opportunity, please."
Luke: “Time and place.”
Zero: "Now, here."
Luke raised an eyebrow: "Are you sure?"
Zero also laughed: "Sure."
As he spoke, he took a kitchen knife in both hands and placed it on the table in front of Luke: "This is your weapon, okay?"
Luke's eyes fell on the kitchen knife, and after a moment he nodded: "Okay."
Zero held out his left hand and gestured, "Please."
Luke raised his eyes: "You first! Otherwise you won't have a chance to pick up that knife."
Zero's right hand moved slightly, and next to it was the small knife he used to cut fish.
Compared to the 25-centimeter-long kitchen knife in front of Luke, this knife looked old and worn, and was only about 15 centimeters long.
Using human body size as an analogy, Luke's is an adult model, while Zero's is an elementary school student model.
But for a professional master, suitability and familiarity are the most powerful weapons.
Ling's eyes flickered, and he whispered, "Thank you."
The field fell into silence, and three seconds later, his right hand suddenly became blurred.
The old knife that was picked up left a faint gray trail under the light and cut towards Luke's neck.
A flash of cold light appeared.
At this time, Zero's knife passed across Luke's neck.
The gray blade was less than one centimeter away from the neck, but this was the limit of Zero's attack range.
If he wanted to go further, his movements would be deformed, and the deformation would slow him down, and the slowed-down knife would have no chance of hitting Luke.
Zero chose to continue with this nearly perfect sword strike until his arm returned to his side.
He lowered his eyes and looked at the kitchen knife given to Luke on the table again, and smiled bitterly: "How much effort did you put in?"
Luke tilted his head and thought for a moment: "Half."
"Only half of it." Ling sighed calmly, "Thank you for your advice. I am very grateful."
Luke nodded slightly: "Say yo la la, Ling-kun."
A smile appeared on Zero's face, "Sayo la la, John-san."
As he spoke, he suddenly fell onto the table.
A dull red color flowed out from his neck and spread across the clean kitchen counter.
Luke took out the cigarette box again, lit it, took a puff, and blew out a smoke ring.
He doesn't smoke in this life, but he did in his previous life.
Looking at the smoke rings rising up, he placed the cigarette on the edge of the table in front of Ling: "Have a safe journey to the underworld!"
After saying that, he stood up, picked up the transparent umbrella hanging by the doorpost, and slowly walked into the crimson rain mist outside the door.
There was no more sound in the food stall, only gusts of wind carrying moisture blew in, making the cigarette in front of Ling Guang's head flicker.
Suddenly, a slightly stronger wind blew in.
The half-burned cigarette rolled along the edge of the table and fell to the ground.
A foot stepped in at this moment, crushing it under the sole of the shoe in an instant, and a drunken voice sounded: "Heike-san, here we go again. Um, are you sleeping, Heike-san, ah~~~"