37-3：A Change of Plans

Since Shen Nan first brought something over for Rui Xiaodan, the two had gradually become acquainted. They had met several times, with Shen Nan visiting Gu Feng Island and Xiaodan inviting Shen Nan out for tea. After two weeks of these interactions, they were no longer strangers. One evening, Xiaodan received a call from Shen Nan, inviting her to dinner at Yunnan Rice Noodle City. Xiaodan drove to the large restaurant and saw Shen Nan waiting at a table.

As soon as Xiaodan sat down, Shen Nan handed her two phone bill receipts and two billing statements. "I went to the telecom office to pay my bill this afternoon and took care of yours too, so you don't have to make an extra trip."

Xiaodan thought to herself: She's checking my phone records under the guise of paying my bill. Clever move. She glanced at the bills—both landline and mobile together were under 100 yuan—and handed Shen Nan a 100-yuan note. "Thank you for thinking of me, even for such a small matter."

Shen Nan took the money and casually placed it on the table. "We'll use this to pay the bill later. Consider it my treat. You've treated me the last few times, and I can't always be the freeloader."

Xiaodan smiled without comment, called a waiter, and ordered three small dishes, a bottle of beer, and two servings of rice noodles. Then she took out a pack of Duke cigarettes and lit one with her elegant, precious metal Zippo lighter. Her movements were graceful and refined, embodying the leisure of an upper-class woman.

Shen Nan admired her subconsciously, thinking: She's truly beautiful! She smiled at Xiaodan and said, "Xia Yu, I invited you out today to discuss something. I hope you'll be interested and not just humor me like with that gym membership card, which you never used."

Xiaodan asked, "What's the matter?"

Shen Nan said, "I want to go on a trip to change my mood, but going alone is too lonely, and I can't find a suitable companion. You have time, we get along well, and it would be perfect for us to travel together."

Xiaodan said, "In this hot weather, staying at home is better than going anywhere."

At that moment, the waiter brought the beer and small dishes. Shen Nan poured two glasses of beer, and they clinked glasses and took a sip, sampling the seasonal dishes before resuming their conversation.

Shen Nan said, "My hometown is in Qin Valley, Shaanxi. I visited a few times with my father as a child and only knew it as a poor place. I had no idea it also had famous sites like the Hukou Waterfall and the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor. I want to spend a few days in Shaanxi, see the Terracotta Warriors, Huaqing Pool, Hukou Waterfall, and the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor, and taste authentic lamb soup. I'd also like to visit my hometown."

Xiaodan flicked her cigarette ash. "Unlike you, I'm not free to do as I please. I can't just go wherever I want."

Shen Nan said, "Mr. Lin spoils you so much, he won't disagree with such a small request. I just want a travel companion. You can treat it as a favor to me. I'll cover all expenses."

Xiaodan said, "That makes it even less feasible. If I go, I'll pay my own way. Everyone loves to travel, but I don't want to seem overly demanding. I can't agree without asking Lin Qing first."

Shen Nan said, "That's easy. Call him now and ask."

Xiaodan said, "It's around 7 AM in New York, not a good time to call."

Shen Nan checked her watch. "It's almost 8 AM. He should be up by now."

At Shen Nan's insistence, Xiaodan took out her phone and called Lin Qing.

Lin Qing answered, "Xia Yu?"

Xiaodan said, "Yes, it's me. Sorry to disturb you so early."

Lin Qing said, "It's fine, I just got up. What's the matter?"

Xiaodan said, "A friend wants to invite me on a trip for a few days. I wanted to get your opinion."

Lin Qing said, "That sounds great. Go have some fun. Don't stay cooped up all the time."

Xiaodan said, "So I should say yes?"

Lin Qing said, "Sure, as long as you're happy. Where are you? It's so noisy."

Xiaodan said, "I'm with a friend at Yunnan Rice Noodle City. It's busy with diners right now."

Lin Qing said, "Enjoy your meal. I'll call you later."

Xiaodan said, "Okay, take care. I miss you."

After hanging up, Xiaodan put her phone back in her bag. The noise in the restaurant had made it impossible for Shen Nan to hear Lin Qing's side of the conversation. From Xiaodan's words, Shen Nan inferred that Lin Qing had agreed.

Shen Nan was delighted and raised her beer glass. "Great news! Let's drink to that!"

As they drank, the waiter brought over their bridge rice noodles. The table was quickly filled with the spread. Yunnan bridge rice noodles consist of a bowl of hot soup, various thinly sliced meats, and fresh vegetables. A layer of hot oil on the soup keeps it warm. Meats include sea cucumber, stomach lining, squid, and fresh chicken, while vegetables range from pea shoots to garlic sprouts and bean sprouts. The process involves briefly cooking the meat in the hot soup, followed by the vegetables and noodles, with seasonings like salt, MSG, pepper, and chili oil added to taste.

The two women busily prepared and enjoyed their meal.

Midway through dinner, Shen Nan casually remarked, "Xia Yu, your phone bill is quite low."

Xiaodan said, "Who would I call?"

Shen Nan said, "If you're bored, call me. I'll chat with you."

Xiaodan said, "If you keep me company, won't it affect your business?"

Shen Nan asked with concern, "Xia Yu, is this how you plan to live from now on?"

Xiaodan set down her chopsticks, wiped her lips with a napkin, and smiled bitterly. "How could that be? I'm already 28, not as fresh as I used to be. This game only allows for blossoming, not withering."

...

That evening, at Shen Nan's suggestion and with Lin Qing's permission, Xiaodan and Shen Nan finalized their plans for a trip to Shaanxi over dinner. They discussed the itinerary, budget, and even details like umbrellas, plastic spoons, and medications. They decided on three days of preparation before flying to their first destination—Xi'an.

When Xiaodan returned to the villa at 9 PM, the first thing she did was contact her command center via computer to report this new development.

She typed: "Is this the boss?"

The reply came: "This is the boss. I've been waiting for you, knowing there was an update."

Xiaodan: "The Shaanxi trip is set for three days from now. Lin Qing's approval aligns with the command center's intentions, right? Also, today Shen Nan used the pretext of paying my phone bill to check my call records."

Boss: "1. Lin Qing's approval is indeed the command center's directive. 2. Your identity setup can withstand investigation. 3. Shen Nan wouldn't dare to investigate you hastily, as it would expose herself. She can only check you if she's confident of her own safety. 4. What's your assessment of Shen Nan's trip to Shaanxi?"

Xiaodan: "Based on the situation here, I have two points: 1. Yan'an and Qin Valley are Wu Chengxiang and Shen Nan's hometowns. Shen Nan's trip to Shaanxi is unlikely to be purely for tourism. It's likely part of Wu Chengxiang's plan, intended to give the impression of retrieving embezzled funds while observing and testing the situation. 2. Shen Nan is unaware of and not involved in the hiding or retrieval of the funds. Wu Chengxiang is protecting her but also doesn't fully trust her. Therefore, I believe monitoring Shen Nan is unnecessary. There must be a third eye on Shen Nan, or Wu Chengxiang's plan would be pointless."

Boss: "Correct. Here's some information you need to know: Wu Chengxiang's agent has informed Lin Qing that Wu, to prevent a double-cross during the transfer of funds, has made a deal with Guangzhou's underworld, offering 1 million yuan for Xia Yu's head, thus pressuring Lin Qing."

Xiaodan: "Haha, my head is worth that much?"

Boss: "The assassin has already arrived in Xi'an and will be ahead of you at every step, observing and staying concealed. Wu Chengxiang has three objectives in having Shen Nan take you along: 1. To establish the trip's legitimacy, masking its true purpose. 2. To test the waters—if Shaanxi is safe, there will be activity in Guangzhou. If they detect surveillance in Shaanxi, operations in Guangzhou and New York will halt immediately. 3. To prevent a double-cross during the fund transfer, using you as a hostage."

Xiaodan: "Understood."

Boss: "Zeng Hua and Huang Wenxian from your team will drive to Xi'an overnight. Yan'an is Wu Chengxiang's hometown, and during his tenure as bank president, he did favors for his hometown. We don't fully understand Wu Chengxiang's social connections in Yan'an. To ensure confidentiality, the Shaanxi police have assigned three detectives from Qin Valley to assist you, as they are familiar with the local situation."

Xiaodan: "Understood."

Boss: "Your safety depends not only on your team but also on the actions of other teams. Be particularly cautious. If necessary, someone will deliver a weapon to you."

Xiaodan: "Understood."

Boss: "Familiar with Xi'an?"

Xiaodan: "I've been there once as a tourist and once on a mission. I told Shen Nan I haven't been there to avoid making the travel excuse suspicious."

Boss: "So, pay extra attention to details. Be very careful."