Chapter 262

"The remaining 100,000 in performance fees will be transferred to your account tonight."

"If there's a chance in the future... I hope we can meet again!"

After saying the last sentence,

Su Mu led the program crew out of Lu Shu's home,

also marking the official and successful conclusion of the 99-day filming for the third season of 【Inspiring Youth】!

After the program crew left,

Lu Shu turned and waved to the few people at the door.

"Come in. The meal is ready."

Lu Xiaomian began inviting Lin Fan and the others to take their seats,

while Lu Shu walked into the kitchen and started bringing out plate after plate of food that had been kept warm.

"Come on, come on. Today is my birthday."

"On birthdays in the past, it was usually just my brother and me."

"This is the first time it's been so lively. Taste my brother's cooking; it's super invincibly delicious!"

Lu Xiaomian, acting like a little hostess, greeted everyone enthusiastically, clearly happy because the house was so lively.

However, Lin Fan, holding the small cake in his hand, felt a bit awkward,

because a cake made by Lu Shu himself was already on the table.

"It's fine. We can talk about the cake tomorrow. Thank you."

Lu Xiaomian cleverly defused the awkwardness.

Lu Shu smiled and patted Lu Xiaomian's head.

"Make a wish."

"Mm-hmm."

Lu Xiaomian pressed her palms together, closed her eyes, and began to make a wish devoutly.

Under the candlelight, Lu Xiaomian's birthday wish was very simple, and it was the same every year.

"Peace and safety, year after year."

"Alright! Eat the cake!"

Lu Xiaomian cheered, and Lu Shu had already placed the first cut piece of cake on her plate,

then cut a piece for everyone in turn.

Seeing the hesitant expressions on Lin Fan and Song Jun's faces, he simply said lightly,

"Eat first."

Lin Fan and Song Jun didn't say anything more either, but began to taste the food on the table.

As they ate, their eyes instantly lit up.

"Wow! It's this delicious???"

"I didn't expect your cooking skills to be this good, Lu Shu!"

"These sweet and sour ribs are absolutely amazing!!"

The two of them were people who had eaten many fine things,

but at the moment they tasted Lu Shu's food, they were completely stunned!

They were all ordinary home-cooked dishes, yet they were more delicious than any mountain delicacy they had ever eaten!

And Ling Ling Weiwei, because she knew Lu Xiaomian,

had previously been fortunate enough to taste Lu Shu's cooking, so she was not so shocked anymore,

but simply sat with her beautiful eyes shining, tasting quietly.

This time, the words Lin Fan and Song Jun had wanted to eat were temporarily suppressed by these delicious dishes.

Until they were more than half full and saw Lu Shu take drinks out of the refrigerator,

??? Request flowers???????

Song Jun finally laughed heartily and took out the gift he had placed by his feet.

"Drink some of this. It's special supply Maotai for the army, which I brought specifically!"

Lin Fan, sitting nearby, took a look,

knowing that "war" was about to begin.

Lu Shu took out one bottle of Maotai without a serial number, opened it, and poured only for Song Jun and Lin Fan,

while he himself picked up a glass of orange juice and drank it slowly.

Lu Xiaomian looked at Ling Ling Weiwei and said with a smile,

"Sister Weiwei, push me. Let's go to the balcony to get some fresh air?"

"Okay!"

Ling Ling Weiwei understood Lu Xiaomian's meaning and knew that the men were about to discuss serious matters.

So she pushed Lu Xiaomian's wheelchair out to the balcony.

At the dining table,

Lin Fan and Song Jun exchanged a glance,

gulped down two large mouthfuls of wine first,

and Lin Fan spoke straight to the point,

"Lu Shu, the purpose of our visit this time is very simple; you should have guessed it long ago."

"Song Jun represents the Dragon Country military, and I represent the Dragon Country National Security. We are both preparing to invite you to join."

"I won't say anything else; if you come to the National Security Bureau, I can guarantee you the most freedom possible—not provincial level, but national level!"

"You will directly enter the most special division of the National Security Bureau, the Eighteenth Bureau currently under preparation!"

As soon as these words were spoken,

Song Jun, standing nearby, was directly stunned for a moment.

Damn it...

Isn't the National Security Bureau limited to only seventeen bureaus?

When did they secretly start preparing an Eighteenth Bureau?

Throwing out their ultimate move right from the start, huh?

"Ahem, ahem!"

Song Jun, having arrived a step too late, had to quickly speak up.

"Staying at the National Security Bureau is actually quite boring; your personal strength would be very difficult to truly unleash."

"Better to come to our Dragon Country's military instead."

"The higher-ups have already given orders; as long as you join the military, you will immediately become part of the capital's core secret unit, starting at the rank of Major."

"You can directly choose to join Dragon Country's top-tier special forces; in fact, as long as you beat them into submission, you can even become the chief instructor of the top-tier special forces!"

A specially established Eighteenth Bureau of the National Security Bureau,

versus a core secret unit starting at the rank of Major.

Regardless of which side it was,

for an ordinary person, it might be something they could never hope to access in a lifetime.

And now, Lu Shu only needed to nod his head,

and this "iron rice bowl" would be in his hands immediately.

Yet Lu Shu asked very calmly.

"If... I choose to join neither?"

"I have no compelling reason to join either; my life with Xiao Mian is very good."

At this question,

Song Jun was stunned for a moment.

Because from the very beginning, his subconscious only considered two possibilities:

either Lu Shu would join their military, or Lu Shu would join the National Security Bureau!

After all, Dragon Country had offered such high conditions; as a powerful citizen of Dragon Country, shouldn't he join?