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Chapter Ninety-Seven: Who’s tracking who

Xiang Kun and Zi Cheng went to a convenience store to buy some snacks and then returned to the hotel. They saw an elevator door just about to close, so they hurried over to press the open button.

However, when they walked into the elevator and saw the two girls inside, both parties were simultaneously stunned.

The girls in the elevator were none other than Zhang Qian and Yang Jie, who they had engaged in a long conversation with at the bar previously, but had not exchanged contact information.

Only when the elevator door slowly closed did Xiang Kun break the silence inside: “What a coincidence! Are you guys also staying in this hotel?”

Zhang Qian’s gaze moved suspiciously between the two men’s faces for a while before she nodded and said, “Yeah, and you guys too?” She remembered that during their conversation at the bar, Liu Chuang had mentioned that he just arrived in the city today and was just passing through to see friends, leaving tomorrow. Could it be that he also happened to be staying at this hotel?

Zi Cheng was about to press the button for his floor after the elevator doors closed but realized that the light for his floor was already on. It appeared that the two girls were staying on the same floor as him.

The elevator once again became quiet. They soon arrived at the 16th floor where they were staying. After the elevator door opened, Xiang Kun and Zi Cheng very “gentlemanly” allowed the girls to exit first. They didn’t leave the elevator until the girls had disappeared around the corner.

However, the girls’ room was only four doors away from Zi Cheng’s. As Xiang Kun and Zi Cheng walked past, their room door just closed.

“Are those two guys secretly following us?” After closing the door, Yang Jie peered through the peephole to catch a glimpse of the fat chap and the bald guy who were passing by.

But then she expressed her doubts, “That shouldn’t be right though. They left before us, and we didn’t see their car on the road. It’s probably just a coincidence. Or perhaps, did they know about your hotel stay in advance and set up all this?”

Zhang Qian thought for a moment, shook her head, and said, “They seemed quite surprised when they saw us in the elevator just now; it doesn’t look like they were pretending. Also… what’s the point of staying in the same hotel? Surely they can’t knock on our door in the middle of the night?”

On the other side, after opening his room door, Zi Cheng couldn’t help but turn to Xiang Kun and grumble, “What’s going on? They wouldn’t be following us, would they?” He didn’t seem excited about running into the beauties; rather, he felt quite apprehensive, even slightly creeped out.

Xiang Kun frowned and said, “Probably not. Didn’t Zhang Qian mention that she just returned from the United Kingdom a few days ago? Staying in a hotel is normal. Perhaps they’ve stayed in this hotel for several days already. Judging from their expressions just now, I guess they’re wondering if we are stalkers.” In passing by Zhang Qian’s room, Xiang Kun deliberately listened to their conversation and was pretty confident that it was merely a coincidence.

Zi Cheng didn’t discuss this matter any further. The two of them each grabbed a bottle of mineral water and sat down to chat by the room’s floor-to-ceiling windows.

“Hey? You seem to have only drunk water since dinner, either mineral water or soda. I remember in college, you loved to drink iced tea and Pulse.” Zi Cheng asked curiously.

Xiang Kun shook his head, “After I started working, I basically stopped drinking all of that. Too much sugar. Now I drink black coffee or tea and occasionally Red Bull for a boost.”

Zi Cheng sighed and said, “We’ve all changed a lot.”

Xiang Kun shared some of his work experiences over the past few years, and Zi Cheng shared about his studies and startup life in America.

At dinner earlier, Zi Cheng only briefly mentioned his startup experience without going into detail. At the bar, while chatting with the girls, he spoke about his startup journey with some exaggerated rhetoric and interesting anecdotes, ignoring the finer details and why he decided to sell his company and return to China.

Now, with only Xiang Kun present, he seemed to have opened a floodgate of words, eagerly sharing various aspects of his life abroad.

“People often say the longer you stay abroad, the more patriotic you become. I didn’t believe it until a few years ago when I and a bunch of overseas students were watching the Olympics’ live broadcast. Believe it or not, all of us, robust grown men, were singing the national anthem along with the TV until we had tears streaming down our faces,” he said.

“Before going abroad, I always thought America was great, the haven for technology, and Silicon Valley was the cradle of high-tech enterprises, and angel investors were genuinely like angels…”

“Ah, I was too naive. I wish I could go back in time and start all over again. I swear it would be totally different!”

“Ah Tu… beware of those playing with capital, they are horrible…”

It was not until four in the morning that Zi Cheng, snoring loudly, collapsed on the sofa. Before, Xiang Kun thought that despite living abroad for many years, studying and starting a business, this chubby guy hadn’t changed much. He was still cheerful and always smiling.

But after hearing Zi Cheng unload a lot of pent-up frustrations, Xiang Kun realized that these years had also been hard for him. He had experienced many difficulties and hardships running his own business in America and did not take a single penny from his family. From assembling a team to seeking investment, he did it all himself, and indeed, grew a lot. Although he eventually could not continue for various reasons and had to return home to take up his family’s arrangement, he seemed relaxed when talking about it at dinner. But deep down, there was clearly a lot of frustration.

Xiang Kun fetched a blanket and covered Zi Cheng, then stood by the french window, looking at the outside world at its darkest before the dawn, sighing silently.

Everyone’s life is not easy…

Since Xiang Kun did not need to sleep, he used his phone to browse through some downloaded PDF books. By eight o’clock, Chang Bin came to look for them.

He woke up the drowsy Zi Cheng, had breakfast together, then sent him off to the airport.

While leaving the hotel, they did not encounter Zhang Qian and Yang Jie again.

“I think I’ll be traveling a lot in the future. I’ll come to see you guys when I have the chance! Feel free to call me and come to hang out with me whenever you’re free. Our hot springs are top-notch!” Zi Cheng told his buddies before entering the departure hall.

“Don’t worry. Now that you’re back in the country, we’ll surely take advantage of your hospitality!” Chang Bin said with a laugh.

On their way back from the airport, Chang Bin, still looking ahead, spoke slowly, “I thought about the return home thing you mentioned at dinner yesterday. Given your personality, making this decision must have taken a lot of thought. It would be pointless for me to dissuade you. However, I do feel it’s a bit of a waste to give up everything you’ve worked for these years. Technology progresses so quickly that in just a few years, who knows if your skills would still be relevant? Anyway, think carefully about it and let us know if you need any help.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t hesitate to ask,” Xiang Kun replied with a smile.

After returning to their building, coming out of the elevator, Xiang Kun noticed a large cardboard box at his doorstep with a plastic bag hanging on the doorknob.

He picked up the bag with a puzzled look, and found a box of lollipops and a letter inside. The letter contained a colored pencil drawing depicting two figures, a bald-headed man and a shorter little girl. Despite the simple and crude lines, their characteristics were clear enough to know that the drawing was of him and Little Fat Girl Liu Shiling.

These gifts were obviously left by Liu Shiling for him.

Xiang Kun opened the box and found it contained an almost brand new rice cooker. He recognized it instantly, it was from Liu Shiling’s house.

Suddenly, Xiang Kun sensed the “Coin 1”, realizing that it was no longer in the city. Judging by the distance, it was probably already out of the province.

He looked back at the tightly shut door of Apartment 706 and sighed quietly.

The previous incident must have spread around the neighborhood. Shiling’s Mom probably moved away fearing that it would affect Liu Shiling, and the apartment was probably going to be sold..