Chapter 95: An Unexpected Encounter

Zhu Daodong, walking on the streets of Shanghai, was unaware that Chen Shuli had already sealed all the loopholes for him. After coming out of Xinhua Bookstore, he was holding seven or eight books about finance. Thinking about the fact that he would be leaving tomorrow, he had originally planned to buy some gifts for his family during this trip to Shanghai. However, after arriving, he got sidetracked by Li Yang's mention of stock subscription certificates, which delayed his plans.

The most famous shopping areas in Shanghai are undoubtedly Nanjing West Road and Huaihai Road. After leaving Xinhua Bookstore, Zhu Daodong took a taxi to Nanjing West Road. Despite the early evening lights, Shanghai's Nanjing Road was bustling with people, as if the entire city had gathered there.

Whenever he arrived in a new place, Zhu Daodong always liked to turn up his hearing to catch the local flavor from the conversations around him. His first visit to Dacun Village had made him feel the village's poverty, while here, he was experiencing Shanghai's prosperity.

"Shanghai has really changed a lot!"

Suddenly, Zhu Daodong heard a heavy sigh. The person seemed to be speaking from personal experience, and it appeared they were revisiting a familiar place. Zhu Daodong couldn't help but focus his hearing on this person. Since he had never been to Shanghai before, this person's knowledge of the past could provide a useful comparison.

"More than just Shanghai, Qingdao has changed even more," a middle-aged woman's voice chimed in from nearby.

"I've been away from the mainland for over twenty years. This time, I feel everything is changing rapidly. Everywhere, buildings are being constructed and roads are being built. Your lives have improved a lot, and no one dies of hunger anymore."

"Brother, I don't know about other places, but in Qingdao, such things no longer happen. Do you still think it's the difficult times?"

"Yes, everyone's life has improved. This time, I didn't bring much, but I'll buy something for Mom and Dad at the mall ahead."

"Brother, you've been away for over twenty years. Mom will be overjoyed just to see you; she won't care about what you buy," the younger sister said.

"Since we're in Shanghai, we should buy something. Little sister, what do you like? Tell me."

"Brother, are you really that naive? Your identity can't be publicized. It's better to come and go quietly," the younger sister sighed, her voice suddenly softening as she leaned close to her brother's ear. But for Zhu Daodong, the volume was no problem.

Zhu Daodong had only intended to hear how this brother evaluated Shanghai, but unexpectedly, he overheard his secret. This person had left the mainland over twenty years ago and had an identity that couldn't be revealed. Who was he? During the special period over twenty years ago, many people with "stains" on their records chose to flee abroad. Now, with the reform and opening up, these people, missing their families, returned as foreigners, which wasn't a big deal. Why did he still have to be so secretive?

"Ah..." The brother sighed deeply, his expression filled with sorrow. "Let's go back to the hotel. We'll return to Qingdao tomorrow."

Zhu Daodong wanted to know more about this brother's identity, but when he heard they were heading back to the hotel, he decided not to listen further. There was a mall ahead, and he was about to enter it. At that moment, a person squeezed through the crowd behind him, moving like a swimmer, pushing through the people and saying, "Excuse me, excuse me," in a pleasant voice, like a beautiful girl.

Zhu Daodong wanted to make way for the beautiful woman behind him, but the crowd was too dense. When he tried to move aside, he accidentally bumped into the lady who was right behind him. Unfortunately, he lost his balance and stepped on her delicate foot.

"Sorry," Zhu Daodong turned around to see a woman with arched eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, red lips, and a slender figure, her oval face exquisitely beautiful, looking at him with a mix of anger and charm.

"What's wrong with you? I clearly told you to move. I bet you did it on purpose!" The beautiful woman had clear, bright eyes, but her words were as sharp as a chili pepper.

"I really didn't mean to. I was trying to make way for you, but I ended up making things worse," Zhu Daodong said, feeling embarrassed.

"Hmph, I've seen people like you before. Hypocritical!" The chili pepper girl was sharp-tongued and didn't let up even when she had the upper hand.

Seeing such an unreasonable person despite her outstanding appearance, Zhu Daodong's initial good impression of her quickly faded. He said coolly, "What do you want? How about you step on my foot too, and we'll call it even?"

"If I step on your foot, you might say I intentionally hurt you," the chili pepper girl mocked. "I have something to do today. Don't let me see you again!"

"I don't think we'll meet again," Zhu Daodong snorted. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his foot, as if someone had stabbed him with the tip of an umbrella. He hissed and drew in a sharp breath. The books in his bag fell out as he dropped it.

"I only used three-tenths of my strength," the chili pepper girl said softly as she passed by him.

Now Zhu Daodong understood why she was worried about him accusing her of intentional harm. With her high heels, if she had used just a bit more force, he would have broken his foot.

Zhu Daodong had never been treated so rudely, especially by such a delicate girl! He picked up his books and slowly followed her, curious to see what she was up to before she "let him off."

With his excellent hearing, Zhu Daodong had a good memory. He had already memorized the chili pepper girl's voice and breathing pattern. Finding her in the crowd was easy.

The chili pepper girl was small and agile, moving through the crowd much faster than Zhu Daodong. His foot still hurt, and he limped as he walked. If not for his focused hearing, he would have lost her after just ten meters.

To be safe, Zhu Daodong turned up his hearing to the maximum, capturing all sounds within a hundred meters. Of course, his main focus was on the chili pepper girl.

After chasing her for several hundred meters, Zhu Daodong was almost at the end of Nanjing West Road. There, he heard a familiar voice again—it was the brother who had been away from the mainland for over twenty years. He hailed a taxi and said, "To Wanbao Grand Hotel."

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