Although the flight itself had not been very long, factoring in the time they had spent waiting at the airport beforehand, it was already evening by the time they arrived at Naha International Airport.
Han Lu had arranged for a local guide to meet them near the airport exit. They did not do anything else on their first night, instead booking two rooms at the Hyatt Hotel, a twenty-minute drive from the airport. Early the next morning, before going diving, Han Lu made good on her earlier promise and accompanied Zhang Heng to a nearby mall to buy some changes of clothes and daily necessities.
When Zhang Heng emerged from the fitting room in board shorts and a T-shirt, Han Lu's eyes lit up. "That outfit looks great. You're no less impressive than the models in those ads outside."
"Really? But we've already bought two sets. Let's skip this one," Zhang Heng said.
"No, no, no. I like this one. Listen to me." Han Lu had already taken out her credit card. "Yonaguni Island is at the westernmost edge of Japan. There aren't any big malls on the island, so we need to stock up on a few more outfits, right?"
Her last question was directed at the local guide beside them.
He was a rather handsome young man of mixed Chinese and Japanese descent. His smile was especially sunny, carrying the very essence of summer, which was why his service fees had always remained high. Ordinary local guides generally charged between 1,000 and 1,500 Japanese yen per hour, while his rate was twice that—4,000 Japanese yen an hour—yet his services remained in short supply.
However, when he had gone to pick them up and greeted Han Lu with his signature sunny smile, he found her frowning. Han Lu had