1994: Starting with unpaid leave

Chapter 166 How Could I Not Hear It (Part 2)

After some coordination by the train police, Dong Jianguo and Li Wan were finally arranged to stay in a hard sleeper carriage in the middle of the train.

Coincidentally, they were two adjacent lower bunks.

Most of the lights in the carriage were off, leaving only a dim yellow wall lamp on the ceiling above the aisle, casting a halo similar to that of a kerosene lamp. The air was filled with a mixture of sweat, foot odor, instant noodles, and the musty smell unique to damp old cotton quilts.

The men in the next bunk were exhausted from the day, and now their snoring was deafening, rising and falling like a symphony out of tune.

Dong Jianguo stuffed his travel bag under the bed, took off his shoes, and climbed up.

Li Wan sat somewhat awkwardly on the edge of another lower bunk, looking at Dong Jianguo in the darkness by the light from the window.

"Nation-building —"

Li Wan's voice rang out in the darkness, trembling slightly.

Clearly, she was still upset about what had just happened.

"Hmm? Go to sleep, it'll still be seven or eight hours to get to the capital."

Dong Jianguo lay on his side with his back to her, his voice sounding tired.

"Hong Quan and the others—how could they say such things about you?"

Li Wan bit her lip, her voice low as if afraid of waking others, but she couldn't suppress the resentment in her heart, "You were the one who saved everyone, but he thought you were meddling, and—and he treated you like that."

Dong Jianguo opened his eyes in the darkness and sighed as he looked at the carriage wall: "There's nothing I can't understand."

Dong Jianguo's voice was calm, as if he were talking about someone else: "People like Zhao Hongquan spend their whole lives living within the rules. He believes in 'the less trouble, the better,' and 'everyone sweeps the snow from their own doorstep.' In his eyes, someone like me who breaks the rules, even violates them to solve problems, is a madman, an uncontrollable source of danger."

He paused, then turned over to face Li Wan, though they couldn't see each other's faces in the darkness.

"In his view, I not only acted unconventionally, but I also shattered his illusion of safety and peace. It would be truly strange if he didn't hate me, but instead felt I saved him."

Li Wan fell silent.

Although she was raised in a greenhouse, she wasn't stupid.

She could understand the logic in Dong Jianguo's words. What kind of person could have such a cold and detached perspective?!

"But—" Li Wan's voice softened, tinged with heartache, "You're such a good person. In Hecheng, you helped so many people, and now you're doing this for us—are you asleep?"

Before Li Wan could finish speaking, a soft but even snore came from the opposite bunk.

The snoring wasn't loud, but it possessed a strange penetrating power, instantly shattering Li Wan's long-brewing, heartfelt confession.

Li Wan was stunned.

She sat on her bunk, her fingers gripping the corner of the blanket tightly, her cheeks burning red with shame, indignation, and grievance.

She had just mustered all her courage, wanting to say those words she had kept hidden for over a decade to the man she had been longing for in this swaying train carriage.

She wanted to say, "Jianguo, I like you. I've liked you since high school. I don't care if you have money or if you're married. I only care about you as a person."

But when the words were about to come out, all that came out was a snoring sound.

"asshole----"

Li Wan gritted her teeth in the darkness and muttered a curse under her breath.

Tears welled up in her eyes, not from sadness, but from a profound sense of defeat.

This man was able to calmly subdue an armed assailant with a backhand.

But when facing himself, he was like a deserter, or rather, like a dead man.

"Go to sleep, go to sleep. You deserve to spend your whole life eating spicy strips!"

Li Wan angrily threw herself into the quilt and covered her head with it.

Unbeknownst to her, the moment she fell into a deep sleep, the snoring from the other side abruptly stopped.

Dong Jianguo opened his eyes, his gaze clear and without a trace of sleepiness.

He looked at the metal frame of the bunk above his head and listened to the deafening snoring from next door, but his heart felt like a stagnant pool.

He had actually heard Li Wan's words, "You're so wonderful." Each word was like a pebble thrown into his stagnant pool, creating a ripple.

But he could not respond.

It's not that he doesn't want to, but that he doesn't dare.

He lived a muddled life in his previous life, but in this life he has been reborn and is burdened with the responsibility of changing his family's fate.

Xiuyun, Little Orange ————

He already has enough women he longs for; it's really not appropriate to add another one.

Love for one's children?

Those are luxuries that require time, energy, and even more so, "spare money" to consume.

He hasn't even fully paved the way for his wife Xiuyun and daughter Xiaojuzi's future yet, so how can he be qualified to accept another woman's true feelings?

Therefore, he could only pretend to be oblivious to Li Wan's feelings.

Dong Jianguo silently closed his eyes.

This time, he didn't snore; he just lay quietly, letting the rhythm of the train sway his body.

Li Wan slept until 9:30 in the morning.

When I opened my eyes, we would be arriving in the capital in half an hour.

"Huh? Why didn't you wake me up sooner?!"

"What are you afraid of? You're already on the bus, how could you be late?"

Dong Jianguo smiled, not taking the matter to heart at all.

-

Soon, the train, like a weary old ox, came to a stop at the platform of Beijing Station, panting heavily.

As soon as he got out of the car, the warm and humid air made Dong Jianguo feel a little uncomfortable.

Although my soul has even lingered in the deepest, warmer, and more humid cities.

But his body is still the same one that was born and raised in Heilongjiang Province.

Once you leave the three northeastern provinces, everywhere feels warm and humid.

The air carried the distinctive dryness and dusty smell of Beijing.

Several trains arrived at the station at the same time, and the platform was packed with passengers traveling from all directions.

The crowding was several times greater than before boarding at Hecheng Station.

Dong Jianguo, carrying his canvas bag, was the first to jump off the train.

Li Wan followed behind, clutching her suitcase tightly, her eyes glancing at Dong Jianguo's back every now and then.

I was afraid of getting lost in the crowd.

The two remained silent until they exited the station.

"Jianguo, I need to report to the Industry and Commerce Bureau. Someone from my unit will pick me up."

Li Wan stood on the steps at the station exit, looking at Dong Jianguo, "And you? Where is that young entrepreneur training program?"

"Oh, it's called the 'Young Entrepreneurs Training Center,' and it's in Haidian District."

Dong Jianguo took out the address slip that Director Wan had given him and glanced at it. "I need to take a taxi there."

"Then you—be careful on the road." Li Wan bit her lip, but ultimately didn't say anything to stop her.

"Yeah, you too. Let me know when you get there. You still remember my pager number, right?"

Li Wan nodded: "Yes, I can't forget it—"

Dong Jianguo smiled and waved goodbye to Li Wan before leaving without looking back.

He walked to the roadside and waved down a yellow minivan.

Watching the minivan speed away, Li Wan stood there for a long time until the exhaust fumes dissipated before dragging her suitcase and turning to leave.

The Beijing Young Entrepreneurs Training Center is located deep in a quiet hutong in the HD district.

-

This place was originally the residence of a wealthy merchant during the Republic of China era. Later, it was nationalized and converted into a guesthouse.

With its red walls and gray tiles, and two old locust trees in the courtyard, the house exudes a tranquil and elegant charm.

After completing the check-in procedures, Dong Jianguo received the key to room 204 on the second floor.

As I pushed open the door, a musty smell of old wood wafted out.

This is a standard double room with two single beds and an old-fashioned five-drawer chest sandwiched between them.

The window faces the old locust tree in the yard, and sunlight shines through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

There were already people inside the house.

A young man wearing a plaid shirt and with a toothpick in his mouth was sitting on the bed by the window, fiddling with a large, black, brick-like object in his hand.

That's a "big brother" mobile phone.

"Oh, new here?"

When Dong Jianguo pushed the door open and came in, the young man looked up.

He sported the then-popular Aaron Kwok-style center-parted haircut, wore a pair of large sunglasses on his nose, and a shiny digital watch on his wrist.

"Hmm." Dong Jianguo put down his bag and nodded politely.

The young man threw his mobile phone onto the bed with a thud. "My name is Chen Zhiyong, from Shenzhen, Guangdong. I run a small business."

"Dong Jianguo, Heilongjiang Hecheng."

"Hecheng? I know that place." Chen Zhiyong grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, and then surprisingly began to sing: "Have you ever heard of a girl who once came across that little river? Have you ever heard of a girl who left behind a song after walking across this reed slope? —"

Sigh, what are the rest of the lyrics?

Although he forgot the lyrics halfway through the song, it didn't dampen Chen Zhiyong's enthusiasm: "Isn't this song about a girl from Heicheng?!"

"expert!"

Dong Jianguo gave him a thumbs up.

Chen Zhiyong extended his hand directly to shake hands with Dong Jianguo: "I work in electronic communications. Here, this is it."

He pointed to the "big brother" on the bed.

"We call this a mobile phone where I'm from," and it might be less common in your northern region. But these days, it's a status symbol!

Before Dong Jianguo could answer, Chen Zhiyong started calculating on his fingers: "From Shuifeng to Shenzhen, and then from Shenzhen to all parts of the country. The price difference, hehe, as long as the channels are open, you'll be laughing all the way to the bank!"

Dong Jianguo frowned slightly: "Shuifeng? You're involved in smuggling?!"

"hiss!"

Chen Zhiyong looked at Dong Jianguo in surprise: "Wait, buddy, you even know this?!"

"Thunder in the sky, abundant water and land on the ground."

This place has convenient water transportation, complex terrain, and is close to Hong Kong.

A single modified large aircraft can haul a lot of smuggled goods.

But this kind of business—is ultimately like dancing on a tightrope—

How could a businessman like that get recommended to attend a meeting?!

Could it be that Chen Zhiyong has a very powerful background?!

On the other side, Chen Zhiyong, seeing Dong Jianguo speak with a strong Northeastern accent but offer insightful opinions, couldn't help but feel more admiration: "Brother, what do you do for a living?"

"I'm here to learn from the leaders because I'm running a food factory," Dong Jianguo said honestly.

"A food factory?" Chen Zhiyong chuckled upon hearing this. "Running a real business? That's hard-earned money."

In the eyes of a "scalper" like him who buys and sells electronic products, manufacturing is the most cumbersome way to make a living.

It requires factory buildings, workers, and raw materials; it carries high risks and has a slow return on investment.

"It's good to work hard, it makes me feel at ease," Dong Jianguo replied casually, and began to tidy his bed.

Seeing Dong Jianguo's taciturn demeanor, Chen Zhiyong found it somewhat boring, so he picked up his mobile phone and went to the window to make a call.

"Hey, Fang, I've arrived in Beijing! This place is awful, the sandstorm is terrible—I haven't eaten yet, don't worry, if it's good I'll bring you next time~"

After hanging up the cell phone, Chen Zhiyong saw that Dong Jianguo had finished making the bed: "Dude, let's go out for dinner!"

"Huh? What are we eating?"

"Soybean juice! This stuff is famous, and since I've come all this way, I absolutely have to try it!"

Dong Jianguo was taken aback when he heard this.

Humans are strange; they always want to try those weird flavors they could never get used to in their entire lives.

"You go ahead, I'll just eat what I brought with me."

As he spoke, he pulled a bag of spicy strips out of his suitcase.

As soon as I tore open the packaging, a rich, sweet and spicy aroma filled the room.

"Hey? What are you eating? It smells so good!" Chen Zhiyong came over after finishing his phone call, drawn by the aroma.

"Want to try some spicy strips made in our own factory?" Dong Jianguo handed over one.

Chen Zhiyong took it with some skepticism, put it in his mouth and chewed it a couple of times.

"Wow! This flavor is pungent!"

Chen Zhiyong gasped for breath from the spiciness, but then the flavor, a blend of sweetness and spices, exploded in his mouth.

"Hey bro! You know what, this thing is really cool!" Chen Zhiyong's eyes lit up. "Is this thing expensive to make?"

""

"Not high," Dong Jianguo said.

"So how much do you sell it for per bag?"

"Two cents — suggested retail price five cents."

"Two cents?" Chen Zhiyong's eyes darted around. "Brother, you're not quick-witted enough! If this stuff were sold near the schools in the south with my connections, it would sell like hotcakes!"

Chen Zhiyong instantly calculated the cost in his mind. He had seen too many snacks like this in Shenzhen, but Dong Jianguo's "Crane's Taste" had a more unique and impactful flavor.

"This stuff is selling like hotcakes in primary and secondary schools in Northeast China right now," Dong Jianguo said while chewing on a spicy snack. "But I want to make more than just spicy snacks."

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhiyong immediately became interested.

He stared into Dong Jianguo's eyes: "Oh? What do you want to do?" Chen Zhiyong asked curiously.

Dong Jianguo gazed at the old locust tree outside the window, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

"What I want is for the name 'Hezhiwei' to become a brand that, like the mobile phone you're holding, instantly conveys a sense of quality and excellence, right here in Beijing and even throughout the country."

Chen Zhiyong was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Brother, you've got quite the ambition! Alright, I, Chen Zhiyong, like to be friends with ambitious people!"

Dong Jianguo smiled and nodded.

The situation in the capital seems to be more interesting than he imagined.