Chapter 130

“How long does it take to get to DL by train?” “Twenty-six hours!”
“What about by bus?” “Sixteen hours!”
“By plane?” “Three hours!”
“Okay, let’s go by plane!” Xie Wendong snapped his fingers and said to Dong Xinlei with a smile, “I’ve never been on a plane before. I wonder what it’s like.”
Dong Xinlei replied seriously, “It feels like flying!” Xie Wendong rolled his eyes and said, “Nonsense!”
In the evening, on Central Street in City H, a pedestrian street bustling with people.
Xie Wendong walked arm in arm with Peng Ling, while Dong Xinlei wisely kept a distance behind them.
The sun was about to set, turning the clouds bright red. Peng Ling looked up and sighed sincerely, “It’s so beautiful!”
“It really is beautiful!” Xie Wendong couldn’t help but praise her as she appeared delicate under the sunset glow. Seeing him stare at her, Peng Ling blushed and said, “I was talking about the sunset. Why are you looking at me?”
Xie Wendong replied seriously, “The sunset isn’t anything special. No matter how beautiful it is, it can’t compare to your smile.”
“Huh?” Peng Ling narrowed her eyes and examined Xie Wendong carefully before pouting and saying, “Hey, little brother, why are you so sweet today? Did you just eat honey? (You didn’t talk this nicely before!)”
Xie Wendong shook his head. “I haven’t eaten honey, but I’ve eaten plenty of coptis.” Seeing Peng Ling’s eyes roll back, he added, “If you don’t believe me, you can try it yourself and see.”
“Oh? How?” “Just kiss me, and you’ll know if my mouth is sweet or bitter! Haha!”
Peng Ling blushed and looked around. Seeing that no passersby were paying attention, she felt a little relieved and said playfully, “I haven’t eaten honey, but I’ve just gotten bolder.” Her cute demeanor made Xie Wendong laugh heartily. As they joked around, they unknowingly reached the riverbank. The waves were rolling, with boats coming and going on the water’s surface, and smiles on every visitor’s face. Xie Wendong and Peng Ling sat on the embankment. Feeling the sweetness of the moment, Peng Ling gently leaned her head on his shoulder.
By now, the sky had turned dark red, and the water also took on a slight red hue, merging sky and water into one. With a beautiful woman in his arms and the stunning scenery before him, Xie Wendong felt an indescribable emotion and exclaimed, “The waves crash against the shore, stirring up piles of snow; the land and rivers are like a painting—how many heroes have been inspired by this view!”
Peng Ling raised her head and, seeing Xie Wendong’s passionate expression, couldn’t help but ask, “Wendong, what’s wrong with you today?”
“Nothing,” Xie Wendong gently stroked Peng Ling’s soft hair. After a pause, he said, “I’m going out of town the day after tomorrow to discuss business.”

“Really?!” Peng Ling’s smile vanished as she puffed out her cheeks and asked, “How long will it take?”
“I don’t know. Maybe a month, maybe a few months.”
Peng Ling didn’t ask further. She crossed her arms around her knees and silently gazed into the distance. Xie Wendong, on the other hand, leaned against her shoulder. Smelling Peng Ling’s fragrance, he couldn’t help but feel restless and whispered, “Come to my place tonight…”
The next day, Xie Wendong held another meeting to make detailed arrangements for the gang, assigning San Yan to handle all matters big and small during his absence. The meeting ended quickly thanks to Xie Wendong’s rapid series of instructions. When almost everyone had left and Dong Xinlei had sent the five members out of the room, he couldn’t help but worry, “Brother Dong, handing all the power in the gang to just one person seems a bit risky, doesn’t it?”
At that moment, San Yan, who was about to leave, turned back. He still needed Xie Wendong’s approval for a few things. Just as he was about to knock, he heard Dong Xinlei’s words and lowered his hand again.
Xie Wendong laughed and said, “What? Don’t you trust Brother Zhang, Old Lei? Don’t worry. I used to do the same thing. When I’m not around, Brother Zhang makes all the decisions! He’s not just my subordinate; he’s my friend and my brother too! After all these years, if I don’t trust him, who else can I trust?”
Dong Xinlei sighed, “I’m just afraid that some people can share hardships but not prosperity.”
“Haha!” Xie Wendong laughed heartily. “There’s no such person among my brothers. We’re all sworn brothers who would give our lives for each other!”
Outside the door, San Yan felt choked up. He took a deep breath to calm himself down, then knocked lightly before entering. “Brother Dong, there are a few more things I need you to handle…” Seeing San Yan appear suddenly, Dong Xinlei felt a bit uneasy. Only when he noticed nothing unusual about San Yan’s expression did he relax.
“It’s not as big as I thought!” Xie Wendong said as he chatted with Dong Xinlei inside the cabin. Today, he was dressed in casual clothes, less stern than usual but more cheerful. With his good mood, his eyes were always smiling, making his already youthful face even more lively. Even the flight attendant who came over to him said, “Young man, the plane is about to take off. Please fasten your seatbelt!”
Xie Wendong looked up and sighed. Are all flight attendants this pretty? He nodded deeply and said, “Yes!” But then he immediately regretted it and said, “Sis, I don’t know how to fasten it!”

“It’s okay, let me help you!” The kind-hearted flight attendant fastened Xie Wendong’s seat belt, while the latter showed a smug smile at Dong Xinlei, who was so surprised his eyes seemed about to pop out. Dong Xinlei thought to himself, “Good heavens, is this still the usual Dong Ge?”
Xie Wendong seemed to read his thoughts. After the flight attendant left, he whispered, “We’re here on vacation. There’s no need to be stressed. Taking it easy is good for health!” Even so, this version of Xie Wendong still made Dong Xinlei feel uncomfortable. He nodded mechanically, unable to say anything.
The airplane is truly a fast mode of transportation. One could be in City H in the morning and arrive in DL, thousands of miles away, just like a time and space shift. Xie Wendong sighed sincerely, thinking, “If I get the chance, I must have my own plane!”
DL, the coastal city, with Zhou Shuizi International Airport.
After leaving the airport, Xie Wendong stretched his limbs and let out a long sigh. Looking around at the scenery, he shook his head and said, “It’s not as bustling as I imagined!”
Dong Xinlei had been to DL many times and knew more than Xie Wendong. He laughed and said, “This is a remote place, similar to the suburbs back home. The real bustling area is in the city center—Zhongshan District. Is Dong Ge interested in checking it out?”
It was Xie Wendong’s first time traveling far, and he became very excited. He said with a laugh, “There’s nothing interesting about tall buildings. Wouldn’t it be a shame not to see the sea in a coastal city?”
“See the sea?” Dong Xinlei looked at himself with a grimace and said, “Dong Ge isn’t planning to go with me, is he?!”
“Smart!” Xie Wendong snapped his fingers and took out his phone, saying, “Last time, when Xiao Mei and Xiao Yu came to City H to see me, things were terrible. I had to deal with both of them and Peng Ling, so I could only let them leave in a hurry. If I don’t make it up to them this time, it will cause trouble later.” After thinking for a moment, Xie Wendong put away his phone and walked toward a taxi parked by the road. Turning around, he said, “Let’s go straight to Xiao Yu’s school. Giving her a surprise is much better than just calling, right?”
“Sigh!” Dong Xinlei sighed, feeling deeply, “What other animal could be more exhausted than a man?”
Xie Wendong laughed heartily, then continued Dong Xinlei’s thought, “But no other animal can be happier than a man either!” “Hmm, that makes sense!”
DL wasn’t a very large city, far smaller compared to City H. Moreover, the entire city seemed to be built on a hill, with many steep roads in the urban area.

Xie Wendong chatted with the driver while looking at the scenery outside the window, asking about DL’s main scenic spots. There were some places even Dong Xinlei wasn’t very familiar with; although he had been there several times, he had always passed by in a hurry. Not to mention traveling there, he rarely stayed for more than two days at a time. Before they knew it, the taxi had arrived at the entrance of DL Foreign Language School. Students were coming and going in groups, dressed in a wide variety of outfits. No matter when, college students were always at the forefront of fashion and new trends, representing the latest styles. Thus, in old China, it was the college students who first embraced communist ideas, and during the 1989 protests, they were also at the forefront.

Xie Wendong had heard Gao Huiyu talk about her class, so he decided to ask around. He saw a young man in his early twenties, tall and sturdy-looking, dressed like a student, standing by the school gate. He walked over and said, “Classmate, I’m sorry to take up your time, but do you know where Class 2 of the English Department is?”

The man glanced up and down at Xie Wendong, guessing he must also be a student since he wasn’t much older. He replied, “I do know, but I’m waiting for someone and don’t have time to show you. Sorry!” Then he turned away, refusing to look at Xie Wendong again.

Xie Wendong smiled and said, “Just tell me how to get there.”

The man sighed, thinking it would be troublesome, then turned back with a smile and said, “Okay, listen carefully. Go in from here, turn left, walk fifty meters, turn right. Keep going until you see a pavilion, then turn left again… (omitted 100 words) Finally, turn right again, walk twenty meters, and you’ll see a white building. Classmate, did you remember?”

Xie Wendong nodded and repeated exactly what the man had said, then asked, “Am I correct?”

“Wow!” The man was shocked, thinking this guy’s IQ must be over 120. He took another look at Xie Wendong and said, “You’re pretty smart! That’s right, follow those directions and you’ll find it.”

Just as Xie Wendong was about to thank him, Dong Xinlei stepped forward with a dark expression and said, “Kid, don’t try to trick us later, or else… hehe!” Dong Xinlei grinned, showing two white teeth. The man was quite tall, but he had to look up to meet Dong Xinlei’s gaze. After glancing at him, he quickly lowered his head, his shoulders trembling slightly. Dong Xinlei snorted and said, “Remember, it’s best not to trick us! Otherwise, I’ll beat you so badly that even your mom won’t recognize you!”

Xie Wendong felt somewhat embarrassed. The person had kindly given him advice, only to incur Lao Lei’s harsh words, scaring him to the point of trembling. Feeling guilty, he stepped forward and patted the man’s shoulder, saying, “I’m truly sorry, classmate. My friend is a bit rough…”
Before Xie Wendong could finish speaking, the man shook his shoulder to shake off his hand, grabbed a trash can nearby, and with a burst of strength, lifted it high above his head. Both Xie Wendong and Dong Xinlei were stunned, thinking to themselves how incredible his strength was—that trash can weighed at least a hundred pounds, yet he lifted it effortlessly with one hand, showing astonishing explosive power. The man raised his head, looking at the two astonished men, and finally fixed his gaze on Dong Xinlei. Gritting his teeth, he said, “Damn it! If I weren’t here today, I’d beat you so badly even bears wouldn’t dare eat you!”