Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 9: Departure

Not long after Sun Jiang withdrew, the four received new prompts.

The remaining three in the team got: [Roster] — [Team member shortage (3/4). Do you want to add members?]

What Sun Jiang received: [Roster] — [A lonely boat can never reach the shore.]

A poetic message, yet a curse-like result.

Sun Jiang disappeared.

Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, and Kuang Jinxin watched as his figure became fainter and eventually vanished, leaving the space where he had sat empty, as if he had never been there.

The air in the cave thickened, as if rapidly frozen, filled with an utter chill.

“Did he return to reality or…” Kuang Jinxin muttered, not daring to say the last word.

Returning to reality meant relief, but complete disappearance meant something else entirely—erasure. Two speculations, one a heaven, the other a hell.

A lonely boat can never reach the shore. Xu Wang recited the phrase he had just seen on Sun Jiang’s arm in his mind, his heart sinking. This didn’t seem like good news of someone returning home.

“He didn’t return to reality, but he didn’t disappear either,” Wu Sheng suddenly said.

Xu Wang instinctively disbelieved, casting a sideways glance at him. “How do you know?”

“I don’t guess like you do. I use logical reasoning.” Wu Sheng shrugged, his calm demeanor contrasting with his teammates’ worries.

“So what did your reasoning deduce?” Xu Wang rolled his eyes upwards, but strangely, the clouds in his heart dispersed quite a bit.

Wu Sheng no longer kept them in suspense. “Choose ‘add members’.”

Reluctantly, Xu Wang acted slowly, while Kuang Jinxin, listening intently, didn’t hesitate to follow suit.

Soon, both their arms displayed the same list of potential members to add:

1/23 Sun Jiang [Invite]

1/23 An Peng [Invite]

1/23 Bai Haichuan [Invite]

1/23 ……

The list had at least twenty to thirty names, all with 1/23 like theirs. Apart from Sun Jiang, who had previously been part of the team, the rest were ordered alphabetically by the first letter of their surname.

“Are so many people in the Owl?” Kuang Jinxin hadn’t expected this. “How come we haven’t met anyone? And why are they all alone without forming teams?”

Knowing Sun Jiang was still safe relieved Xu Wang, who patted Kuang Jinxin’s head with a chuckle. “Since it’s a list of potential members, of course, it would only list individuals. If there were team members, it wouldn’t be called an invitation, but poaching.”

Kuang Jinxin: “But we haven’t encountered anyone, whether they’re in a team or not?”

“Uh, those who withdraw might temporarily disappear, like Sun Jiang, and as for other teams…” Xu Wang tilted his head, then had an epiphany. “We must have just missed each other!”

Kuang Jinxin frowned slightly, as if wanting to believe but finding it hard to convince himself. “Is it really that coincidental?”

Wu Sheng couldn’t stand it and glanced at Xu Wang. “If you don’t know, just say you don’t know. Don’t lead the kid astray.”

The three ultimately didn’t invite any new members. Regarding going to Northern Shaanxi, let alone the unknown attitude of the new invitee, even the three of them hadn’t reached a consensus yet.

At five o’clock sharp, that intermittent, annoying voice sounded in their ears—

[Owl: Dear~ It’s dawn. Time to send you home.]

Three were ejected, but four gathered.

Sun Jiang appeared, looking just as surprised.

After a brief exchange of information, the three learned that after Sun Jiang disappeared, he appeared in another identical place—the same cave, the same ice waterfall—only without anyone else. Then he returned to the cave and sat there until five.

It was like the four at a mahjong table were redistributed into two tables. Each table had the same set of mahjong, but one was three short of one, the other one short of three, and each table in different rooms, invisible to each other.

Kuang Jinxin’s question of “why we never meet other teams or people” seemed also explainable with this mahjong theory—indeed everyone was in the “Owl”, perhaps even facing the same bears, the same guessing idioms, but in different rooms, independently.

This time they were welcomed back to Liuyin Park, only four or five hundred meters from the last location at Qingnianhu Park, corresponding with the location and distance of the ice waterfall and cave in the “Owl”, reaffirming Wu Sheng’s deduction about the geographical “inside-outside correspondence”.

Sun Jiang hailed a taxi, not saying a word of farewell, just smiling through the car window after sitting in, as if wanting to wave, but eventually just nodding his head.

The taxi drove off, disappearing at the end of the street, vanishing in the pre-dawn darkness.

Under the streetlight at the park entrance, three young men stood in the cool breeze, momentarily speechless.

A large leaf, lifted by the wind, smacked the back of Xu Wang’s head. On reflex, he slapped it, and the brittle leaf cracked mournfully under his palm.

Xu Wang wordlessly grabbed the dry leaf, feeling even more troubled. “Alright, let’s not stand here like idiots. Let’s go home!”

“Let’s go to my place” was shortened to just “let’s go home.” Though he said it unintentionally, it gave the listeners a sense of “going to their own home.” It was odd but quite wonderful, like a warm breeze in the chilly dawn.

Back in Xu Wang’s living room—the same sofa, the same chair.

As soon as Kuang Jinxin sat down, he shouted out decisively, “Xu Ge, I’ve decided. I’m going to Shaanxi with you!”

Xu Wang nearly fell off his chair, and he saw that Wu Sheng’s expression wasn’t much better than his own. Even the usually decisive Wu Sheng confirmed once more, “Are you sure?”

Kuang Jinxin looked steadily at Wu Sheng, nodding vigorously. “I’m sure. I can’t focus on my internship, not with this hanging over my head. No, with this matter unresolved, I can’t settle down to do anything.”

Wu Sheng was unmoved. “What about your internship assessment?”

Xu Wang silently applauded his classmate in his heart.

Being hot-headed was a patent of the young, but as adults, they should at least not add fuel to the fire if they couldn’t be positive role models. Otherwise, no matter whose child they misled, it would be a sin.

Kuang Jinxin clearly didn’t expect Wu Sheng to be so thorough. He stood there dumbfounded for a long time before scratching his head sheepishly. “Don’t worry about the internship assessment. Actually… well… let me tell you the truth. The owner of this teahouse is a distant relative of mine. According to family hierarchy, he should even call me ‘uncle’.”

This unexpected “relationship” stunned both Wu Sheng and Xu Wang.

“Actually, I am going to help out at home after graduation and won’t need to look for a job. Our school doesn’t strictly require every graduate to have an internship assessment. But in my senior year, while others were looking for jobs or preparing for postgraduate studies, I didn’t want to idle away every day. So, when I called home, I casually mentioned wanting to find a part-time job to experience life. The next day, my second uncle and younger aunt found me an internship…”

The shame of “taking the back door” made Kuang Jinxin’s voice and head lower.

Xu Wang was more concerned about something else. He said he called “home”, but the ones who responded were his “second uncle and younger aunt”…

“Xu Ge.” Kuang Jinxin’s voice suddenly rose, interrupting Xu Wang’s thoughts. He lifted his head with the naivety and determination of youth and repeated his decision. “I’ll go with you!”

“Okay.” This time, Wu Sheng didn’t hesitate.

After recruiting Kuang Jinxin, Wu Sheng naturally turned his attention to Xu Wang. “What about you?”

Xu Wang turned his face away, looking at the stars outside the window.

Wu Sheng stood up and walked around the tea table to where he was looking up, using his height advantage to block his view. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Xu Wang had no choice but to look up at the other’s handsome face, speaking slowly and solemnly like a sage. “I am pondering.”

Wu Sheng choked on his frustration. “What’s there to think about? You don’t need an internship assessment, and you have no family to drag along.”

Xu Wang retorted with irritation, “So a single dog doesn’t deserve respect?”

“What does respect have to do with it?” Wu Sheng couldn’t understand Xu Wang’s thought process. “Being single means fewer attachments. We’re both the same. It’s like the saying, ‘A single dog with no house, no car, ready to go at a shout.’”

Xu Wang: “…Does everyone in America speak Chinese?”

Wu Sheng: “Huh?”

Xu Wang: “Otherwise, where do you get all these witty words!!!”

“Presumptuous” was the second major flaw of Wu Sheng, besides “showing off”. Many classmates had been tormented by him. His personality, to put it nicely, was “I think we should all think this way,” or plainly, “How can you not think like me? That’s strange.”

Although it turned out most of the time Wu Sheng’s ideas weren’t wrong and were even the best solution, his overly simplistic and brute force rational thinking really made people want to smack him.

If only he could put himself in others’ shoes and speak more pleasantly!

As the moon set and the sun rose, the sky outside the window gradually brightened.

Kuang Jinxin looked at the “presumptuous” Wu Sheng and then at Xu Wang, who was “deep in thought”, and felt it was better to be a spectator.

Xu Wang was no longer concerned about Classmate Kuang. Any decision was the result of weighing various factors, and he was now fully focused on calculating the score of each factor in his mind.

To go or not to go?

Work accounts for 5 points.

Safety accounts for 3 points.

Cost (money) accounts for 1 point.

Wu Sheng…

Xu Wang stole a glance at him.

91 points.

Fuck me!

Xu Wang had made up his mind but couldn’t show weakness. “I’ll try to ask for leave,” he said to Wu Sheng with a raised eyebrow, adding, “Don’t get your hopes up.”

Wu Sheng looked dissatisfied. “It’s just a lack of determination. If you can’t get leave, then quit… Hey, watch the kicking!”

The discussion of whether to go or not ended with “His Majesty being kicked.”

The fruit knife that vanished was eventually found on the ground beside Xu Wang’s bed.

By then, Kuang Jinxin had already left, and Wu Sheng was in the living room checking new coordinates on his laptop. Xu Wang went to his bedroom to change into a business suit. While tying his tie, he inadvertently looked down and saw it right there.

Wu Sheng, who was finally allowed into the bedroom, took the fruit knife, played with it for a while, and deduced, “Maybe it wasn’t dropped. If you’re sure you put it in your pocket, it’s likely that the ‘Owl’ doesn’t allow carrying lethal weapons.”

Xu Wang didn’t say anything, tacitly agreeing with his deduction.

The issue of the knife was put to rest. Xu Wang looked down at his half-tied tie, then up at Wu Sheng, and gestured with his chin towards the door, clearly indicating something.

Wu Sheng quietly watched him for a while and then really turned to leave.

Xu Wang was surprised at his obedience today, but just as the bedroom door was left with no one, a head peeked out again. “You look good in a suit.”

Xu Wang was stunned, and after a long while, he replied stupidly, “Oh.”

It wasn’t until he was on the subway that Xu Wang fully came to his senses, letting out a long howl in his heart—why flirt if you’re not planning to marry!

Arriving at the company, the “Northern Shaanxi Travel Plan” naturally came up—

“Taking leave again?” The manager’s face clouded over. “Why do you have so many issues every day?”

Xu Wang looked down and demure, trying to appear as agreeable as possible.

The manager was frustrated and was about to vent when he saw the number of days on the leave request. His face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot, and he yelled through the office door to the sales hall. “A week?! You might as well quit—”

Xu Wang calmly looked up and nodded smoothly. “Okay, I’ll resign. Please settle this month’s salary.”

The manager was stunned, obviously not expecting Xu Wang to be so decisive.

Xu Wang went straight to the finance department to get his pay.

But to his surprise, after a phone call, the finance department only left him with 1,900 yuan.

Xu Wang held back his anger and reminded them, “I just sold a large apartment a few days ago.”

“If you resign, you have to give a month’s notice. If you quit immediately, no commission bonus will be settled. Your basic salary is three thousand, minus the absences and the social security the company has already paid for you. That’s all.” The financial officer was adamant. Clearly she was instructed over the phone.

Xu Wang looked at her steadily for a long while, then suddenly laughed, his voice becoming incredibly gentle. “I’ve changed my mind. I won’t resign.”

The employees, who had been whispering among themselves, sensing something unusual, were surprised to see Xu Wang come out of the finance room empty-handed and, instead of leaving, stand in the hall as if it was a normal day at work.

A few minutes later, the manager’s office door was urgently knocked on. “Manager, you need to come out and see this!”

In the lobby, Xu Wang, dressed in a suit, was explaining apartment layouts to a customer—

“You’ve got a great eye for choosing this one. We just changed the layout of a three-bedroom apartment into four with two living rooms. It’s a bit cramped, but you’ll get used to it, and it’s really practical. Look at this living room. The sun absolutely won’t get in, so there’s no worries about the summer heat or the setting sun. It’s guaranteed to stay cool…”

He was all smiles; his voice was loud and clear, exuding an aura that demanded attention. Even the customers with other property consultants found it hard not to be drawn in, listening intently whether they meant to or not.

“Greenery? Don’t worry about that. The area around this complex is all wasteland. The nearest bus stop is a half-hour walk away. You can plant whatever you like and enjoy the bountiful harvest. As for amenities? They’ll definitely be there, I assure you. It might just take three, five, or eight years to develop…”

“Xu Wang,” the manager, who came out to see what was happening, said with controlled anger. “Come, with, me, inside.”

The sliding door closed, and the blinds were drawn.

Without mincing words, the manager delivered the ultimatum. “You’re fired.”

Xu Wang nodded, agreeable and willing to negotiate. “I won’t take a penny that isn’t mine, but I won’t leave a penny that is mine. Settle it, and I’ll leave.”

The manager sneered. “Either you leave on your own, or I’ll have security throw you out.”

“Okay.” Xu Wang smiled back with a very warm and gentle kind of smile. “If you throw me out, I’ll go to the labor bureau and file a complaint. Unjustified dismissal violates the Labor Law. And let me remind you, when an employee sues a company, it’s not about who’s right but who makes more noise. After I file my complaint tomorrow, I’ll hang a banner in front of your sales office the day after. Do you think ‘Give Back My Hard-Earned Money’ sounds good, or ‘Unscrupulous Developer Cuts Corners, Homeowners Have Nowhere to Turn for Justice’ sounds better?”

The manager was so angry that his cheeks trembled. His face turned the color of liver, but he couldn’t utter another word.

In the brisk late autumn air, the sun was shining brightly.

Xu Wang, with 29,000 in cash, found the nearest ATM and deposited it all. Stepping out of the ATM booth, Xu Wang stretched his arms in a big yawn, as if bidding farewell to a weary past and welcoming the unknown tomorrow.

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