Blue Sky Bar
The thumping music, dancing crowd, and dazzling lights made every cell in the body tremble along with the beat.
Wang Tian sat in a corner, swaying back and forth to the rhythm.
He had nothing to do tonight, so he’d gone out for a stroll. He happened to spot this newly opened bar. It had been a long time since he’d been to one, so he went in to reminisce.
Back when they’d finish a mission, he and his teammates—young men brimming with energy—would head to a bar or casino and party all night, easing the tension the battlefield had left them with.
But after returning to the country, his life had been rather peaceful, so it had also been a long time since he’d last gone out.
“Hey, handsome, want to have a drink together?” A stylishly dressed little girl came over and raised an eyebrow at him. In Wang Tian’s eyes, it was questionable whether she was even old enough to be there.
“Focus on your studies. Don’t pick up useless habits,” Wang Tian said flatly. He had little interest in girls like her.
“What a weirdo.” The girl rolled her eyes at him and went straight over to another man sitting alone.
Wang Tian didn’t mind. He simply continued drinking by himself. He was only there to reminisce about the past; he wasn’t interested in anything else.
Perhaps the air of someone forged on the battlefield made him stand out.
Wang Tian wasn’t especially handsome, but paired with his dangerous aura, he still managed to attract one wave after another of girls looking for a thrill.
He was getting a little annoyed, so he drained the last of his drink, took out his wallet, left some money under the glass along with a small tip, and got up to leave.
Once outside, he went to a secondhand phone market and bought several old models that could only make and receive calls. Then he found a few SIM card vendors and bought several cards before heading home.
He tossed the phone National Security had given him into the bedroom, went up to the rooftop, took out one of his new phones, and made a call.
He had checked his watch; it only had a tracking function. As for the house, he inspected it every day.
After a few rings, Zhang Wen’s voice came through.
“Who’s this?”
“Your dad,” Wang Tian said with a laugh.
“Holy shit, Brother Tian? How have you been?” Zhang Wen asked excitedly.
“Pretty good. Life’s just a little dull, and I’m not quite used to it yet. How about you?” Wang Tian asked with a smile.
“I’m doing all right. After you left, the Lion King transferred me to one of the organization’s aboveboard companies to work as a junior manager. The pay’s great, and best of all, I can spend weekends fishing with Lily or take her on road trips.”
It sounded like Zhang Wen was enjoying life a lot more than he was.
“So, did you and Lily have the wedding?”
“We did, after I transferred. The Lion King even gave me a brand-new vintage Ford,” Zhang Wen said, sounding excited.
Unlike the others on the team, who liked all kinds of military equipment, he was fond of vintage cars.
“All right, as long as you’re doing well. I won’t contact the Lion King, so find a chance to pass along my regards. I’m hanging up—the call charges are killing me.” With that, Wang Tian ended the call.
The cards he’d bought each came with a few dozen yuan of prepaid credit, but international calls like this couldn’t last more than a few minutes. He’d only called to let his friend know he was still alive.
He took out the SIM card, snapped it in half, and tossed it into the sink to be washed away. Then he gazed at the moon outside, lost in thought.
The next day, he invited Qian Yang over, and the two of them drank and chatted.
“Your wife’s being pretty generous this time. She didn’t stop you,” Wang Tian said, clinking glasses with him before teasing him.
“Of course. She doesn’t forbid me from drinking altogether; she just keeps an eye on how much I have. Besides, I came over to drink with you.” Qian Yang took a sip of beer and a bite of smashed cucumber, then spoke contentedly.
“I wanted to ask you something,” Wang Tian said, setting down his glass and taking a bite of food.
“Go ahead. What is it?”
“I’m planning to open a bar. Could you ask around and see if there’s a suitable location?”
“A bar? That’s a pretty big investment,” Qian Yang said, surprised.
“I have the money. I earned quite a bit overseas over the years. I’m just not familiar with this area yet, so I don’t know where a good location might be.”
“I’ll ask around. I’ve never done this either, so I’ll have to check with some old friends.” Qian Yang rubbed his bald head and thought it over.
“There’s no rush. Take your time asking around, and let me know if you hear of anything.” Wang Tian waved a hand.
“All right, I’ll ask around when I get home tonight. Come on, let’s drink.”
“But what made you think of opening a bar?” Qian Yang asked curiously.
“Nothing in particular. I used to go to them all the time overseas, so since I don’t know what else to do, I figured I’d go with what I know best.” Wang Tian shrugged.
Their little get-together ended after about two hours. Neither of them was the type to drink themselves silly, and more importantly, Qian Yang’s wife was at home. If Wang Tian had to carry him back, he’d probably get beaten.
After Qian Yang left, Wang Tian tidied up the coffee table, lit a cigarette, and smoked it slowly.
He had spent a long time thinking before deciding to open a bar. After all, bars and casinos were the only things he knew well. A casino was out of the question—he didn’t want to get involved in that—so a bar was his only choice.
Besides, he wasn’t planning to open some rowdy place. He just wanted somewhere with a peaceful atmosphere, where people could listen to soothing music and chat comfortably with a few friends.
He did still have quite a bit of money. Aside from the funds he couldn’t touch on the books, he’d also accumulated several secret accounts during his more than ten years working for the organization. Converted to Huaxia yuan, he had several hundred million.
Thinking of this, he called Yang Tian. He needed to give her a heads-up about it.
Yang Tian didn’t say much after hearing him out. She just said they would help take care of the paperwork when the time came. After all, Wang Tian wanted to live a quiet life, and they were happy to let him.
“Now all that’s left is to wait for news from Qian Yang.” He stubbed out his cigarette and prepared to go back to his room for a nap. Although the two of them had kept their drinking under control, he was feeling a little groggy.
As soon as he lay down, he closed his eyes and fell asleep without even having time to think about anything else.
That was how much his vigilance had eased since returning to the country. Otherwise, whenever he and his teammates rested, at least one of them would stay alert—even at the base.
By the time he opened his eyes, it was already completely dark. He shook his head, which ached from sleeping too much, got up, and poured himself a glass of water. After draining it in one go, he finally felt much better.
“The beer back home really packs a punch,” Wang Tian muttered. Then he quickly made himself a bowl of noodles, appeasing his protesting stomach.
He picked up his phone and checked it. No one had tried to reach him, so he sat on the sofa to watch some TV. He was wide awake now and wouldn’t be able to fall asleep again anytime soon.