Brother, just how powerful is our family?

"Brother, how have you been doing in Africa lately?"

She pressed the send button, and the message instantly flew halfway around the world.

The message "The other party is typing..." flashed a few times at the top of the screen, and a reply came quickly.

"I'm fine, same as always. Why aren't you asleep yet? It should be almost midnight back home by now."

Qin Yao glanced at the time, 23:47 PM, and typed back: "Summer vacation is coming soon, I'm so excited I can't sleep. Brother, you haven't been back for two years, Mom and Dad miss you terribly."

"I'm too busy with work to get away."

A brief reply, as always.

After graduating, Qin Feng went to Africa, supposedly because there were many opportunities there, but no one in his family knew exactly what he did.

Initially, my parents strongly opposed it, since the news always reported how chaotic and dangerous Africa was.

But Qin Feng was determined to go, saying that a friend had introduced him to a good job with a monthly salary of 20,000 to 30,000 yuan.

His parents couldn't persuade him otherwise, so they had no choice but to agree.

He was gone for two years, and didn't even come back for the Chinese New Year.

If it weren't for the regular monthly phone calls and video chats, and the money sent back on time, his family would really suspect that he had been kidnapped and kidnapped.

Qin Yao still remembers when her brother first went to Africa, the family was very worried. Every time they video-chatted, they would carefully look at the background behind him to make sure he was really safe.

Qin Feng would always just smile and say that he was in a safe zone, with the company providing meals and accommodation, and the environment was very good.

Indeed, the room behind him in the video looks clean and bright, with green trees and sunlight visible outside the window, unlike the dilapidated appearance of Africa that one might imagine.

Moreover, he always looked to be in good health, even more so than when he was in China.

"Brother, I have two months of summer vacation during my freshman year," Qin Yao continued typing, "I want to go to Africa to see you, is that convenient? I'm going with three roommates, and we can also do some live streaming to change things up. Outdoor adventure live streaming is pretty popular lately."

This time, the message "The other party is typing..." flashed for a longer period of time.

"You're coming to Africa? Will your parents agree?"

"I can convince them! Just tell me if it's convenient or not."

"It's convenient... but are you sure you want to come? It's not the same here as back home."

"Of course I'm sure! We've already planned everything, and I've saved up enough for the plane tickets. My roommates were really interested when they heard I was going to Africa to visit my brother, and they said we could split the accommodation costs."

Qin Yao stared at the screen, a little nervous.

She knew the request might be a bit sudden, but she really wanted to see for herself where her brother had lived for two years and know if he was doing well.

Video calls are always separated by a screen, so there are some things that can't be seen.

"Come on, I'll pick you up from the airport."

"Really?! That's great! You're the best, bro!"

"However, there are a few conditions. First, you must follow my instructions throughout the trip and not wander off. Second, your parents need to call me before you leave so I can personally explain the situation to them. Third, please send me your flight information in advance so I can pick you up from the airport."

"No problem! I'll do whatever you say!"

Qin Yao excitedly rolled around on the bed, almost bumping into the wall.

She calmed herself down and continued typing: "Brother, is it safe where you are? I saw on the news that Africa is really chaotic. What if I get kidnapped if I go there?"

"Don't worry, I'm safe here. For ordinary people, other parts of Africa are still very dangerous."

"Hehe, by the way, my second brother recently graduated, but he seems to be having a hard time finding a job. He's really stressed out. Mom said he sent out dozens of resumes and went to seven or eight interviews, but he didn't get any offers."

"Qin Yang studied computer science, so he should have an easy time finding a job."

"Who knows? Maybe his expectations are too high. He interviewed with a company in Hangzhou last week, and they only offered him 8,000 yuan, which he thought was too low. But isn't that the typical salary for recent graduates?"

"Tell him not to rush, he can find a job slowly."

"Mom and Dad are both in good health, but they miss you terribly. Dad doesn't say it, but every time you call, he's right there listening intently. And Mom, needless to say, always secretly wipes away tears after each video call."

After typing this, Qin Yao felt a little sore.

There are three children in their family. The eldest brother, Qin Feng, has always been very sensible, good at studying, and takes care of his younger siblings.

She remembers that when she was little, her parents were busy running a convenience store, and her older brother would cook for her and her second brother and help them with their homework.

Later, when his older brother was admitted to university, the family faced financial pressure, so he took on part-time jobs to earn his living expenses without ever complaining.

"Tell my parents that I will definitely go back home at the end of this year."

"Really?! That's wonderful! Mom will be so happy she won't be able to sleep!"

"Yes, there are some things I should talk to my family about."

Qin Yao blinked as she read the sentence.

Some things? What things?

She wanted to ask, but then she thought that her brother was probably referring to his work situation in Africa. After all, it had been two years, and the family knew nothing about him except that he "worked in an import and export company".

"Brother, what kind of work do you do in Africa? You're being so secretive."

"I'll tell you when we meet. Anyway, your brother is doing well now, so don't worry."

As always, she avoided the question. Qin Yao pursed her lips, but didn't press the matter further.

My older brother has always had his own ideas, and he will speak up when he wants to.

"By the way, the two thousand yuan you give me and my second brother every month, we've saved it all. Mom and Dad haven't spent much of the ten thousand either, they said they're saving it for your wedding."

"Let them spend it, don't try to save. My income is pretty good."

That's more than just good.

Qin Yao thought to herself, "Someone who has only graduated for two years can send 12,000 yuan home every month while living in Africa. This income level is considered very high even in China."

But she never heard her brother complain about how hard his work was. Every time they video chatted, he was full of energy and dressed well, so he seemed to be doing quite well.

"Hey bro, do you have a girlfriend? An African girl or a Chinese girl?"

"..."

"Hehe, just gossiping a bit. Mom's really worried. Last time she told me to be careful in Africa and not to bring back a foreign daughter-in-law because she's afraid we won't be able to communicate."

"...You're worrying too much. I have my own plans for personal matters."

"Okay, okay, I won't ask anymore. By the way, we're leaving around early July, I'll let you know the exact date once it's set. How easy is it to get a visa?"

"Send me your passport information, and I'll process your e-visa for you. It's very convenient."

"Wow, bro, you've got some connections now? You can even get visas sorted out?"

"I've been here a while and gotten to know some people."

Qin Yao nodded, not thinking much of it.

My brother is always reliable; if he says he can do it, he definitely can.

"It's settled then! I'll start my live stream right away. I promised my fans I'd sing a new song I learned today."

"Live streaming so late? Take a break."

"Okay, it'll only take an hour. You should get some sleep too, bro. In Africa... oh, it should be afternoon there, right?"

"Okay, 3 PM. Go do your live stream, and remember to send me your identification information."

"Okay! See you later, bro!"

Goodbye, take care.

Qin Yao exited the chat interface, a smile still on her face. She opened Douyin (TikTok) to check her follower count—12.3. Not many, but not bad among student streamers.

She mainly sings songs, talks about university life, and occasionally shares beauty tips. She earns two to three thousand yuan a month, which is enough for her spending money.

She had already planned this trip to Africa: a series of special live streams—an African adventure! Seeing wild animals! Visiting her brother's life in Africa!

Just thinking about it is exciting, and my fan base will definitely grow.

Lin Xiaoxiao, her roommate on the lower bunk, peeked out sleepily: "Yaoyao, aren't you asleep yet? Who are you chatting with so excitedly?"

"My brother! He agreed to let me go to Africa to see him!" Qin Yao lowered her voice, but couldn't hide her excitement.

"Really? That's amazing!" Lin Xiaoxiao snapped out of her daze. "When are we leaving? What about the visa? Have we booked the tickets?"

"In early July, my brother said he would help us get visas. He also booked our plane tickets."

"What does your brother do in Africa? How does he have so many connections?"

Qin Yao paused for a moment, then said, "He said he'd tell us when we meet. Anyway, my brother has always been very capable, and if he says he can handle it, he definitely can."

"Is your brother handsome?" Another roommate, Zhang Yue, also woke up and joined the conversation.

"Of course he's handsome! He's 1.85 meters tall, has a great physique, and was on the college basketball team," Qin Yao said proudly. "But don't even think about it, my brother has very high standards."

"Tch, we were just asking," Zhang Yue laughed. "But seriously, is it safe to go to Africa? My parents would definitely be worried if they knew I was going there."

"My brother said it's very safe there, and we just need to follow his instructions," Qin Yao said confidently. "Besides, there are four of us together, what are we afraid of?"

"That's true, four people can look out for each other. So, it's settled, shall we go together?"

"Of course! Two months of summer vacation, staying at home is so boring. Going to Africa would be so cool, I could even do a live stream, maybe I could become a top outdoor adventure streamer!"

The three girls chuckled softly and began excitedly discussing what luggage to bring, what clothes to wear, and how to tell their families.

As Qin Yao participated in the discussion, she kept thinking about her brother's last words—"There are some things I should tell the family."