My wife and I are both time travelers.

Chapter 126 Exit

"I just got back. I heard from Brother Wen that you weren't feeling well a few days ago. How are you now?" Xu Guoqing asked Lin Ying with a forced smile.

"It's nothing serious, I'm fine now." Lin Ying replied with a forced smile, then looked at Xu Guoqing to see if there was any news about Zhou Jiye.

"Let's find somewhere to talk," Xu Guoqing said, glancing at the coffee shop before asking Lin Ying, "Are you free now?"

"Come with me." Lin Ying nodded and led Xu Guoqing and Lao Wen into the coffee shop. It was shortly after lunch, not yet afternoon tea time, so there weren't many customers in the coffee shop. Lin Ying led them directly to the back garden, found a quiet corner, and then beckoned a waiter over, asking them if they wanted coffee.

"No need, I'm not used to drinking this stuff. Please give me a glass of water."

"Me too, just a glass of water will do."

"Two glasses of water," Lin Ying said to the waiter. The waiter turned and left, returning shortly with two glasses of water. After the waiter put the water down and left, Xu Guoqing picked up the glass, took a sip, and then reached for a cigarette. Suddenly remembering what Lao Wen had said earlier that Lin Ying was pregnant, he licked his lips and put the cigarette back.

"One good news and one bad news." Xu Guoqing didn't beat around the bush and said directly, "The good news is that we have contacted the people who transported the goods to Macun. They said that Jiye was on their ship that day. Because the incident happened so suddenly, he didn't have time to disembark, so he went directly to Hong Kong after the ship set sail."

"And what's the bad news?" Lin Ying asked hurriedly.

Xu Guoqing sighed, "The bad news is that after Jiye arrived in Hong Kong, he went to the city center. According to the information from there, Hong Kong now has a special policy for people from the mainland who come here; as long as they go to the city center, they can get Hong Kong residency. Jiye didn't go through the normal channels. After he disembarked in the northeast corner of Hong Kong, the person who took him there gave him the address for obtaining residency in the city center and showed him how to get there. After that, Jiye left. As far as they know, he first took a bus to the pier for Hong Kong Island, and then took a ferry across the sea. After that, they don't know what happened."

“Don’t worry too much.” Old Wen said from the side, “The news isn’t too bad. At least it proves that Jiye has arrived safely in Hong Kong. But we don’t know why he hasn’t contacted the mainland while he’s in Hong Kong. But no matter what, he should be alright. Be patient and wait. Maybe we’ll hear from him soon.”

These words eased Lin Ying's anxiety somewhat. Just as Lao Wen and Xu Guoqing had said, the news wasn't bad. At least she knew that Zhou Jiye was indeed in Hong Kong and had arrived safely.

But Lin Ying had some doubts. Since he was already in Hong Kong, why didn't he try to come back? Even if he couldn't come back for some reason, he should at least try to let her know, right?

There's no phone at home, but there's a public phone at the entrance of the alley. Zhou Jiye knows the number. Communication is so advanced in Hong Kong; he could try to make an international call to Shanghai, leave a message to let them know he's safe. But the problem is, he hasn't received any voicemails from Zhou Jiye. Is he really alright in Hong Kong? Or has something happened to him?
For a moment, Lin Ying wondered if Zhou Jiye had been caught by the local police because he was trying to illegally cross the border. Based on her understanding of Hong Kong, if someone was caught without an ID card, they would definitely be detained. As for whether they would be imprisoned or deported, that would depend on the situation there.

Deep down, Lin Ying didn't want Zhou Jiye to be caught by the police, because either detention or deportation would be a bad outcome. According to current policy, deportation would mean being sent to a labor camp, and even if he wasn't deported, life in Hong Kong wouldn't be easy.

Judging from the current situation, this is quite possible. If Zhou Jiye were free, he should logically try to let her know he's safe. But now all we know is that he's in Hong Kong, with no word from him. Could it be that Zhou Jiye has really run into trouble? Is he either detained by the police, or unable to contact her for some other reason?

The more Lin Ying thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. But there was nothing she could do now. Xu Guoqing and the others had already done their best. It wasn't like after 1997, when it was so easy to go from the mainland to Hong Kong. Under these circumstances, it was very difficult to find out this kind of information.

“Brother Wen is right. Jiye is a lucky man. Since we know he is in Hong Kong, perhaps he is unable to contact us due to some reasons. Also, things were very chaotic when he ran away, and we cannot be sure if he has his contact list or anything. If he accidentally lost his contact list or couldn’t remember the phone number in Shanghai, he might not be able to contact us.”

"The only thing we can do now is wait patiently. I also spoke with Achang before I came back, and I also spoke with Uncle Qi in Ma Village. They promised to do their best to find out where Jiye is and to notify us as soon as they have any news."

"Thank you, Brother Qing, thank you, Brother Wen," Lin Ying said gratefully.

Xu Guoqing waved his hand, feeling ashamed, and said, "No need to thank me. This is my fault. I never expected such an accident to happen. If I hadn't agreed to Jiye's suggestion to split up, at least none of this would have happened."

"Oh, right, there's something else I need to discuss with you."

"You said."

"This trip south, after deducting travel expenses, we brought a total of 30,000 yuan in payment. The first batch of goods we picked up and shipped back amounted to a little over 20,000 yuan. The remaining amount was originally intended for Jiye and Achang to pick up a second batch of goods. But then the accident happened, and the money and the goods disappeared. After we returned to Ma Village, we got Achang and Uncle Qi out of trouble. Because the incident happened in Ma Village, and Uncle Qi is a reasonable person, he gave us a replacement batch of goods. So, in terms of payment, we actually didn't lose anything this time; in fact, we gained a little something." Xu Guoqing explained to Lin Ying that Zhou Jiye's matter was Zhou Jiye's matter, and the business was the business; this had to be made clear to Lin Ying.

Judging from the current situation, they actually got back goods worth about 35,000 yuan in the form of the 30,000 yuan payment. The first batch of these goods had already arrived in Shanghai. Lao Wen came back early to deal with this matter. Now these goods have been retrieved from the warehouse and are stored in the Shikumenfang where they stored the goods.

As for Uncle Qi, in order to thank Xu Guoqing for getting him out of trouble, and because of Zhou Jiye's disappearance, he found a way to send them a batch of goods. This batch of goods was worth about 15,000 yuan, which not only made up for their losses but also more. These goods are expected to arrive in Shanghai in the next day or two.

The goods, worth a full 35,000 yuan, should yield at least a three-fold profit based on previous sales. In other words, once sold out, this batch of goods will bring in nearly 120,000 yuan, which is no small sum.

Since Zhou Jiye is not here now, Xu Guoqing, who is always particular about things, must make things clear to Lin Ying, one of the partners and especially since she is Zhou Jiye's wife.

Listening to Xu Guoqing's explanation, Lin Ying seemed lost in thought. After a moment, she forced a smile and said to them, "Brother Wen, Brother Qing, there's something I'd like to discuss with you."

“Go ahead, we’re listening,” Old Wen said quickly.

"It's like this," Lin Ying said, trying to keep her tone calm. "You can see this coffee shop as you know. It's a collaboration between me, Uncle, and the hotel. The coffee shop is currently in its trial operation phase and will officially open in a few days."

The two nodded slightly. Last time, when Lao Wen was waiting for Lin Ying at the door, Lin Ying told him about this place. Otherwise, they wouldn't have come here directly today.

Before they arrived, they were somewhat dismissive, but they were all surprised when they saw what was going on. They never expected that during their trip south to Lingnan, Lin Ying, a seemingly ordinary woman, had actually built up such a successful business empire in Shanghai.

Although the coffee shop is nominally the hotel's coffee shop, it is actually managed entirely by Lin Ying and Xie Xiangrong.

They all knew Xie Xiangrong. You should know that the shikumen house where the goods are now stored was found with Xie Xiangrong's help. They never expected that this would be accomplished in such a short time.

This coffee shop boasts an excellent location and décor, and its upscale atmosphere is immediately apparent upon arrival. It's far superior to their street stalls in Xigong; frankly, this place is significantly more sophisticated, which is truly astonishing.

They had to admit that Lin Ying's abilities were truly impressive and admirable. But what did she mean by suddenly bringing up this coffee shop?

Lin Ying continued, "Originally, my plan was to split up and do our own thing after Jiye came back. I figured I wouldn't get involved in the business at the West Palace anymore. Anyway, the three of you are enough. It's not appropriate for me, a woman, to be out in the public eye all the time."

“But now the situation has changed. Jiye went to Hong Kong and his whereabouts are unknown. The coffee shop is about to officially open, and we're busy enough during the trial operation. It will probably be even busier once it officially opens. I have very limited energy, and I won't be able to leave at all, so…”

“These are all minor matters,” Old Wen said quickly. “Don’t worry about Xigong. Aqing and I are both here. We’ll handle the sales over there. You can focus on your coffee business here and don’t worry about anything else.”

“Brother Wen is right. We’re all on the same side, no need to be polite. We’ll take care of this little thing,” Xu Guoqing said without hesitation, patting his chest.

Giving a grateful look, Lin Ying said, "Brother Wen, Brother Aqing, what I really wanted to say was that since Jiye isn't here and I can't leave, you two can continue to handle the business at Xigong. I won't get involved anymore. That's fine too. Anyway, the business has been going on for a while and it's mature. It doesn't matter if I'm here or not. Besides, I don't have time to put too much energy into this business anymore."

Upon hearing this, Xu Guoqing and Lao Wen exchanged bewildered glances, never expecting Lin Ying to have this intention.

Not getting involved? Does that mean Lin Ying is going to withdraw completely? Is that really necessary?

(End of this chapter)