When I eagerly dialed Qu Kang's phone number, it turned out to be an invalid number. Every single number in the contact list, including Qu Songhe's, was disconnected.
My heart instantly plummeted to the bottom. Seven months had already passed, and not even a beginning had been made.
Just when there was finally a glimmer of hope, it was cut off again.
Late at night, lying in bed, I tossed and turned, unable to sleep, until I finally made up my mind.
At the home of Father Xu and Mother Xu.
Mother Xu: "What? You're going to City C? Why?"
Me: "Doesn't our family have a branch office in City C? I want to go and take a look."
Father Xu: "Isn't it good at the headquarters in City A?"
Me: "Always listening to other people's reports at headquarters doesn't give me a real sense of the specific situation. I want to go to the branch office to take a look and learn more things."
Father Xu: "That's fine too. What about Changxia?"
Me: "I'm going there for work, so Changxia shouldn't tag along."
Father Xu: "Alright, arrange it however you like."
After settling things with Father Xu and Mother Xu, I arranged a private meeting with Qin Di.
Me: "Every single phone number in the personal contact list you gave me is invalid. I plan to go directly to City C to find the company where Qu Kang works, and see if I can get some other information."
Qin Di seemed somewhat apologetic: "Is that so? I know the boss of that company. Do you need me to put in a word for you? It's easier to get things done through connections."
Me: "That's exactly why I'm looking for you today. I'll leave it in your hands, then."
Qin Di: "Alright. Once I've spoken with him, I'll send you his WeChat and mobile number."
Me: "Thanks. I'll head out first. Take your time eating, and just put it on my tab."
Just as I stood up to leave, Qin Di said calmly: "Changxia was right, you've changed. The old you didn't care about anything, and I've never seen you look so persistent before. Is that really just a business partner?"
Me: "Of course."
Qin Di: "What about Changxia?"
Me: "I'm going there on business, there's no need for her to run around everywhere with me. Besides, don't you have her covered?"
I didn't want to waste another second. After saying that, I left. Qin Di seemed to have more to say, but I didn't stay.
When I returned to Xu Zhi's place, I ran into Xu Bai, who hadn't been around for a while.
I smiled and teased: "Well, well, isn't this Xu Da? Finally let out of solitary confinement?"
Xu Da also wore a smile: "You little brat, you just love to rag on me. Mom and dad said you're going to City C?"
"Let's go inside and talk." I unlocked the door while calling out to Xu Bai.
Once inside, I headed straight for the bedroom. As I packed my luggage, I said, "Yeah, going to check out the branch office and learn a few things."
Xu Bai: "Do you need me to go with you?"
Me: "No need, why make you go out of your way?"
Xu Bai: "Didn't you lose your memory? If I don't go with you, will you be able to handle the people at the branch office?"
Me: "No problem. Haven't I been at headquarters all this time? I've seen all those branch managers during video conferences, so don't you worry. I'm not a kid anymore."
After all, I was going there to look for someone, and I didn't want too many people hanging around me, forcing me to constantly tell and cover up lies.
Xu Da gave me a look that made me feel somewhat enigmatic, but he didn't press the matter, merely telling me to look for him if anything came up.
Before boarding the plane, I also sent WeChat messages to Changxia and Liang Ze to brief them on my itinerary so people wouldn't be unable to find me.
Upon arriving in City C, the general manager of the branch office had already come to pick me up: "You've had a hard trip, President Xu. I've booked a hotel for you, so get some good rest first."
Me: "Thank you."
After checking into the hotel, I saw that both Changxia and Liang Ze had replied to my messages.
Liang Ze: Everything goes smoothly. Let me know if you need anything.
I replied: Good.
Changxia: You're just leaving like this? Didn't you say before it was a business partner in City B? How did you end up running all the way to City C?
I guessed Qin Di must have told her. I couldn't be bothered to explain too much, otherwise I'd just have to invent more lies, so I brushed her off: I mainly came to check on the branch's operations and learn some things.
Since I had told everyone I was coming to the branch to study, I still had to put on a show.
Once at the branch, General Manager Shen took me around to various departments and introduced their operations.
I just smiled and nodded, though my mind was elsewhere.
After finishing the routine tour, I said: "Old Shen, I've been around all the departments here. Starting tomorrow, I'll randomly drop in to sit with the departments, chat with the employees, and pick up a few things along the way. You don't need to accompany me; just go tend to your own work."
General Manager Shen seemed somewhat reluctant, but in the end, he nodded in agreement.
I found the tension among the branch executives rather amusing. After all, once I went through the motions as a formality, my actual plan was to head straight to the company where Qu Kang worked.
Back at the hotel, just as I reached for my room door, it felt like someone was inside.
A woman's natural sensitivity made me feel a bit scared, and just as I turned to leave, the door opened.
It was actually Xu Da!
"Big Brother, what are you doing here?" Didn't I say he didn't need to come?
"That wealthy woman from the nightclub, remember her?" Xu Da said gloomily.
Walking into the room and closing the door, I saw empty beer bottles scattered all over the table.
The air was thick with a heavy stench of alcohol, which I found thoroughly repulsive.
Me: "I have a vague memory, what about her?"
Xu Da: "She dumped me."
Me: "Isn't that a good thing? Saves you from getting locked up in confinement again."
Xu Da: "But I miss her."
Me: "Cut the deep-affection act. How many wealthy women have you hit on? You're already thirty-five, you should hurry up and find someone to marry. Wouldn't you have someone to keep you company all the time then?"
Xu Da: "What's so great about marriage? Is your marriage happy?"
I choked. Who knows if these two seasoned players Xu Zhi and Changxia were happy or not.
Looking at the drunk Xu Da, I felt rather depressed. I had originally planned to spend tonight carefully mapping out my upcoming trips.
It looked like I was going to have to play babysitter to a drunkard instead.
I called the front desk, and the hotel sent someone over to help clean up the mess.
Watching the dead-weight, completely sloshed Xu Da hogging the big bed, I called the front desk once more to ask if there were any empty rooms left.
The reply was no!
Half an hour, an hour, two hours...
I seriously couldn't take it anymore. Why was the room still smelling so foul even after the beer bottles had been cleared away?
The stench of alcohol, sweat, and food—with the air conditioning running on top of it all—was a nightmare.
I couldn't stand it any longer. I grabbed my jacket and prepared to head out to find another hotel.
Just as I opened the room door and was about to step outside, a burst of force pulled me back inside, and the door was slammed shut and locked again.
Xu Da, who had just been sprawled out on the bed, had pulled me back with astonishing speed.
"Where are you going?" His voice was deep and powerful, completely devoid of the drunken mumble from moments before.
An inexplicable sense of pressure weighed heavily on me, because Xu Da was staring straight at me, and his hand, which had just grabbed mine, didn't let go.
Was he angry because I wanted to find another place to rest and left him alone in the hotel?
"Are you sober?" I probed cautiously.
"What do you think?"
Looking into Xu Da's eyes, I could feel his anger.
Leaving a drunk person alone in the hotel indeed wasn't very kind. To diffuse the atmosphere, I blurted out: "I couldn't sleep, thought I'd take a walk around."
"At this time of night, where are you going for a walk?"
"Ha ha ha, just walking around the hotel."
Good grief, when I first met this guy, he seemed so easygoing; I never imagined his anger could be this terrifying.