"Oh, Dr. Huang, what a coincidence to run into you here!" Dickinson walked over with a cheerful smile.
"Yes, what a coincidence!" Huang Liang said. "I'm just out for a stroll. I've been in Vancouver for so many days, and I haven't had a proper look around yet! Are you here to fish?"
"Oh, yes." Dickinson brandished her fishing rod. "This is a great fishing spot. Many of my old friends like to fish here. Old William used to come here too, but he always had several bodyguards with him, looking menacing, which scared all the fish away! Hahahaha..."
His hearty laughter echoed in the morning light, making him look nothing like a Madman professor who implanted a chip in his neck, but rather like a leisurely retired old man.
This made Huang Liang suspicious. In his mind, professors like Dickinson were devoted to scientific research and would never have time to go fishing. Could it be that he came here specifically to meet him? Otherwise, it was too much of a coincidence.
Could Dickinson be the second leader? This speculation seems more plausible than Martha's. Dickinson's identity, age, and status all fit the organization's infiltration goals, and Huang Liang was introduced to the Wolf Manor by him and Professor Mei. Treating Old Wolf and getting close to the Wolf Family were the organization's original purposes in sending him to North America. Dickinson was clearly better able to track Mei Yiqiu's whereabouts Martha, and could cleverly use Mei Yiqiu to bring Huang Liang to Canada. Mei Yiqiu's relationship with the Wolf Family was extraordinary, so although it was a roundabout way, it did indeed gain the Wolf Family's trust.
Furthermore, if Martha is the second leader, and given that she is already by William Wolf's side and one of the Old Wolf's most trusted confidantes, what need would there be for Huang Liang to approach the Wolf Family?
The only thing that puzzled Huang Liang was Mei Yiqiu's trust in Dickinson. Logically, Dickinson should have verified the Thought Matrix Cipher. If Dickinson was the second leader, how did he get Lester Signature? If he didn't get Lester Signature, then Mei Yiqiu's identity also became questionable. But Mei Yiqiu's relationship with Qingmu...?
Huang Liang pondered the meaning behind Dickinson's words, wondering how to test the waters. At that moment, Martha was still holding Huang Liang's hand. Dickinson, of course, saw her too and smiled:
"Ah, isn't this Miss Martha from the William family? What brings you all here...?"
Martha said, "We're going to the rose garden to pick roses."
"You guys?" Dickinson was slightly surprised. "Ah—I see, young people really have rich emotions!" She winked at Huang Liang and secretly gave him a thumbs up. "You're really something!"
Huang Liang was completely bewildered. Martha blushed, released Huang Liang's hand, and explained, "It's not what you think, Professor Dickinson. I was going to pick some roses for Mr. Wolf. He likes the smell of roses in Stanley Park. I just happened to run into Dr. Huang."
"What a coincidence?" Dickinson's wrinkled face revealed a sly look.
"It's just such a coincidence," Huang Liang interjected, "Just like how I met you, it was such a coincidence too."
Dickinson laughed heartily, "Yes, yes, the beauty of this world is all made up of coincidences. Without so many coincidences, even life couldn't have come into being! But..." He looked at Huang Liang, then at Martha, "Some things aren't coincidences. For example, why are the roses in Stanley Park especially fragrant? Why are these flowers with sharp little thorns a favorite among lovers? Why, when your lover kneels before you with roses, do you smell only pollen molecules spreading in the air, yet your brain releases a large amount of dopamine, making you feel as excited as if you've smoked marijuana... These questions can't be explained by science!"
Huang Liang and Martha exchanged bewildered glances, wondering why Dickinson would say such a thing.
"So, Professor, why is that?" Martha asked innocently.
Dickinson paused, then shook his head and said, "Oh, I'm just an old man who came to fish, how would I know! Alright, I'm going fishing now, you all go pick roses."
He shouldered his fishing rod and walked away, finding a spot on the beach to sit down. He muttered to himself, "I wonder if my luck will be good today." Then he turned back and called out, "After you've finished enjoying your romantic time in the rose garden, come over! I'll treat you to fish! The whitebait from English Bay is the most delicious fish you can catch in Canada!"
Martha glanced at Huang Liang, her face suddenly turning red again. She said, "Dr. Huang... Rose Garden is still quite a distance away. If you're going to the city center, then... you don't need to, you don't need to come with me..."
Huang Liang was becoming increasingly confused. The agreed time had passed, and the second leader was probably one of these two people. Of course, it was also possible that he didn't show up because he saw someone with him. In any case, the time had passed, so he hadn't broken his promise.
He pushed his bicycle out from under the tree and said to Martha, "Get on, I'll take you there."
"Huh? You... why are you taking me?" Martha asked in surprise.
In Vancouver, you can't carry passengers on a bicycle, and this bicycle doesn't have a back seat, so it's impossible to carry anyone.
Huang Liang pointed to the upper crossbar of the front frame and said, "You sit here."
He figured that if Martha were the second leader, she would definitely refuse.
Martha hesitated for a moment, seemingly curious about this new way of riding, then looked up and said, "Then you'd better ride carefully and don't fall!"
Her quick agreement surprised Huang Liang. So, he rode his bicycle, with Martha on the back, slowly and unsteadily making his way through Stanley Park in the beautiful morning light. His arms were wrapped around Martha's body, gripping the handlebars tightly. Martha carried a basket in one hand and held onto Huang Liang's arm with the other, enjoying the romance of the morning with a mixture of nervousness and joy.
Passersby looked at them in surprise, but most responded with friendly smiles. Occasionally, young people riding in the same way whistled at them, while some elderly people warned them that riding like that was very dangerous.
Riding a bike in the park isn't really dangerous, but the paths are narrow and the woods are dense, making turns fraught with peril. Martha screamed one moment and burst into laughter the next. The wind tousled her hair like gentle waves on the distant sea; sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting shimmering light on her face.
Huang Liang was very close to her, close enough to see the faint freckles on her profile and the sides of her nose, which seemed to leap with life as she smiled. He could smell her scent, a faint fragrance like wildflowers in the countryside.
He remembered when he was a child, Uncle Yu would ride his bicycle with him and his sister on the back, his sister sitting sideways in front. Uncle Yu was young and strong back then. Later Uncle Yu went to the city and got his own bicycle. His sister still liked to sit in front, with her brother holding her as they sped along the country roads.
Back then, he often smelled a special fragrance on his sister, mixed with the scent of wildflowers by the roadside, which smelled particularly pleasant.
Martha turned her head and saw Huang Liang staring at her face, his expression blank and infatuated. She felt the morning sun starting to heat up, making her face feel a little hot.
"Huang, what are you thinking about?" she asked, raising her slightly flushed face.
"Huh? Oh, no, it's nothing..."
"Hey, watch out!"
"Ah..."
Without noticing, the car wheel went over a stone while turning and almost hit a roadside trash can. Huang Liang quickly steered to avoid it, but the car veered onto the lawn, and the two of them tumbled onto the soft grass.
Ahead, there was a vast expanse of blooming roses.