It'll be soon.
Yan Heqing picked up the medicine bottle, poured out several anti-inflammatory pills, some heat-clearing pills, mixed them with a cold medicine, and swallowed them all.
The next day, after Lu Lin finished washing up and came out of the bathroom, his phone "dinged".
He changed his clothes before coming over and picking up his phone.
Upon opening it, I found a WeChat notification.
52 Hertz.
Lu Lin opened WeChat; there were no messages, only a transfer of 4350 yuan.
The transfer details were filled in as "First installment, thank you Mr. Lu".
Today, the 10th, is the first installment of Yan Heqing's series.
Chapter 36
Lu Lin replied with two words, "Received."
Then I clicked "Accept".
Lu Lin quickly made a cup of coffee and heated up a sandwich. After eating, he went to work. The roadside was covered with snow. The snow had started to melt today, and the temperature had dropped sharply. As soon as he stepped out of the building, the cold wind hit his face.
Lu Lin came out, and the driver immediately got out of the car to open the door for him, but Lu Lin did not get in. He paused slightly and felt the temperature.
After getting into the car, Lu Lin checked the temperature last night; it was a sharp drop since the beginning of winter, -20 degrees Celsius.
The image of Yan Heqing's house flashed through my mind; it only had a mini heater.
The driver quietly started the car, and Lu Lin dialed his assistant's number.
The assistant had just driven to the company parking lot when he received a call from Lu Lin and answered "yes" several times.
After hanging up the phone, he immediately made another call, gave a few instructions, parked his car, and without going to his office, took the elevator to the first floor and ran straight out of the lobby.
The meeting place was a dim sum restaurant across the street, a quiet private room suitable for conversation. The assistant waited for about ten minutes before a woman pushed the door open and came in.
The woman was the manager of Light and Shadow Coffee. After she sat down, her assistant pushed the menu over and politely said, "It's so early, please order something first, and we can talk more after you've eaten."
The shop manager ordered a few small snacks, handed them to the waitress, and she smiled and replied, "Please let me know what you need."
The assistant got straight to the point, "I have a gift for Yan Heqing at your store, but it's inconvenient for me to do it in person. I'd like to ask the store manager for help."
The store manager was somewhat surprised, " Yan Heqing has resigned."
The assistant paused for a second, then smiled again. "That makes things easier. Just make a call and say it's a New Year's gift. I'll take care of the rest. I won't let you do this for nothing. From now on, afternoon tea at the Lu Group's will be your responsibility."
The manager's eyes lit up at Lu Group's afternoon tea menu, but she didn't immediately agree. Yan Heqing had performed exceptionally well during his time at the coffee shop, and she particularly liked this kind of down-to-earth and capable young person. She politely asked, "Could you tell me what the gift is?"
The assistant answered readily, "Radiator."
The store manager paused for a moment, "Radiators? Are you referring to the radiators that warm up the room, as I understand them?"
The assistant picked up the phone, unlocked it, and handed it to the store manager. The store manager took it and saw on the screen that the order had been successfully placed, stating that it was a portable electric heater for home use, suitable for rooms up to 1520 square meters.
The store manager immediately agreed, "No problem."
--
Not long after Yan Heqing left the apartment building, his phone rang.
He still had the coffee shop manager's phone number. Seeing the incoming call, he was slightly puzzled, but answered, "Hello."
The store manager greeted him warmly, " Xiao Yan, did I disturb you?"
"No, you said."
"Here's the thing, the annual holiday is coming up soon. Our store gives out New Year's gifts every year based on sales performance. You've worked hard until the end of the year, so you're entitled to one. Give me your address, and I'll have someone deliver it to you."
Yan Heqing thought it was a small gift. He entered the subway station and said, "No need to trouble yourself, I'll pick it up myself later."
"It's a large item, it's inconvenient for you to come and pick it up," the store manager said with a smile. "It's no trouble at all, the store delivers it itself, it's really inconvenient for you to come and pick it up."
Yu Guangli was a middle-aged man following him. Yan Heqing remained calm, passed through subway security, and said to the store manager, "I'll send it to you later."
The store manager readily agreed.
After hanging up the phone, Yan Heqing went to the waiting area to wait for the subway. While waiting, he sent the store manager his address via text message and told him when he would be going home.
The store manager replied instantly, "Received! Happy New Year in advance, Xiao Yan!"
Yan Heqing replied, "Happy New Year to you too."
Just then, the subway arrived. Yan Heqing put away his phone and boarded the train, followed by the middle-aged man who was following him at a distance.
As usual, Yan Heqing found a quiet corner to stand in after getting on the bus, put on her headphones to memorize vocabulary words, and the middle-aged man pretended to be playing on his phone, taking a few pictures in Yan Heqing's direction.
Time passed slowly, and Yan Heqing stood there intently memorizing vocabulary the entire time, without moving or speaking. The middle-aged man's neck went numb, and he reported to Lu Muchi in real time, " Young Master Lu, he's been wearing headphones since he got on the subway and hasn't moved for an hour."
As soon as Lu Muchi arrived at the company, he opened the private investigator's information. The first picture was of Yan Heqing coming out of the apartment building.
The boy was wearing a dark blue mid-length coat, a red scarf, and a mask that covered the lower half of his face, making his skin appear even whiter and his face even smaller. Lu Muchi muttered to himself, "Where did he go so early?" and scrolled down further.
Seeing Yan Heqing enter the subway entrance while talking on the phone, Lu Muchi didn't react for a moment, as he had never ridden the subway before.
Scrolling down, you see Yan Heqing standing quietly in a corner of the car. Not far from him, a young man is secretly taking pictures of Yan Heqing with his phone.
Lu Muchi's face fell. Once in his office, he pulled out a chair, sat down, and sent a text message: "Get rid of that brat who was taking pictures without permission."
A while later, the private investigator replied, "They've already exited the subway."
Lu Muchi immediately asked, "Where did he go?"
A photo popped up shortly after.
On the stone wall in the photo are several large, faded characters: Rainbow Bridge Welfare Home.
Lu Muchi's brow twitched slightly. What was Yan Heqing doing back at the orphanage where he spent his childhood? Donating money? Or was he doing volunteer work? Giving back to society now that he's grown up?
Lu Muchi found it amusing. Yan Heqing herself looked miserable, yet she was still thinking of helping others, just like that woman who insisted on doing housework. What was the point of the Lu Family paying for servants? It was truly laughable.