great-warnovel Chapter 8 Arrival in Hong Kong
Chapter 8 Arrival in Hong Kong
The car's dim yellow headlights could only illuminate a few dozen meters ahead. The dirt road was uneven and full of potholes, and the car tires crunched over the gravel. Lin Zhou leaned back in the right rear seat, his elbow resting on the window sill, listening to the noise outside. The cold touch of the car door seeped through his thin clothing, a stark contrast to the warm air inside, which helped clear his muddled thoughts.
To his left sat Lou Xiao'e, and beyond that, her mother, Tan Yali. Lou Xiao'e wore a light pink cotton shirt, the sleeves rolled up to her forearms, revealing a section of her fair and slender wrists. A faint scent of soap mingled with the fresh aroma of mountain grass and trees, subtly wafting into Lin Zhou's nostrils. Tan Yali clutched a printed cloth bag tightly in her hand, occasionally reminding the driver, "Drive slowly, the road is difficult," her tone full of steadiness.
The road became increasingly rugged, with ruts carved out by large trucks on the muddy highway. Driving on it was like a small boat in a storm, swaying from side to side. Lin Zhou deliberately moved closer to the car door, trying to give the two people beside him more space. Lou Xiao'e's eyelids were drooping, and he didn't know what she was thinking.
As the car swayed, their bodies inevitably came into contact. Lou Xiao'e seemed a little uncomfortable, her hands on her knees, her fingertips intertwined, her body slightly stiff, trying to maintain a distance. However, the car's swaying was beyond her control, and her shoulder would occasionally bump into Lin Zhou's arm. Tan Yali, on the other hand, seemed completely unaware, still chatting with Lou Zhenhua about life in Hong Kong, their conversation broken and interrupted by the car's jolting.
Just then, a half-foot-deep ditch suddenly appeared on the road ahead. The driver didn't notice it at first, and by the time he saw it, it was too late to avoid it. The car tilted sharply to the right, almost flipping over.
Lin Zhou felt a tremendous inertia strike him, and his body involuntarily lurched towards the car door. At the same time, Lou Xiao'e beside him let out a short cry of surprise, lost her balance, and like a willow catkin blown by the wind, suddenly lunged at Lin Zhou, slamming him against the car door.
Before Lin Zhou could react, he felt a soft body crash into his arms. His nose was instantly enveloped in the rich scent of soapberry, and the touch in his arms was warm and soft, with a woman's unique lightness. Lou Xiao'e's cheek was pressed against his chest, her hair brushing against his neck, bringing a tingling, itchy sensation.
Lin Zhou was completely stunned, his hands frozen in mid-air, unsure whether to support or push. He could clearly feel the heartbeat of the person in his arms, rapid and strong, transmitted through the thin fabric, inexplicably resonating with his own wildly beating heart.
Lou Xiao'e was clearly flustered, her cheeks burning. She struggled to get up, but the car was still swaying, and she couldn't maintain her balance. Instead, she leaned closer to Lin Zhou. Tan Yali gasped and held her daughter's back. The driver also quickly steadied the steering wheel, and the car gradually returned to stability. But the warm, soft body in Lin Zhou's arms made his mind go blank, and even his breathing became cautious.
Fortunately, the muddy road wasn't long. Once the road became clear, the people in the car stopped chatting and leaned back in their seats to sleep.
A few hours later, the driver stopped the car and said to Lou Zhenhua, "Boss, we've arrived at the dock."
"Okay, they'll be here in half an hour." Lou Zhenhua raised his wrist and looked at his watch.
Sure enough, about twenty minutes later, a small cargo ship docked at the small pier. Several crew members disembarked, and one of the men in charge checked information with Lou Zhenhua.
After confirming that everyone was going to take the boat, they started asking people to help move their belongings. Everyone worked together and moved things quickly, finishing in no time. Lou Zhenhua then asked the driver to stay behind to deal with the car and took everyone onto the boat and left.
The cargo ship slowly sailed away from the shore, and soon the land gradually became a black line in the distance, eventually disappearing into the night. The leading man walked over and said to Lin Zhou and the others, "The cabins are divided into three classes: A, B, and C. Class A has individual berths, Class B is four people per room, and Class C is a dormitory-style room. Which one do you want?"
Lin Zhou had already heard about the rules regarding ship tickets from Lou Zhenhua. Lou Zhenhua took out a cloth bag containing one large yellow croaker and five small yellow croakers, and handed it to the leading man, saying, "One Class A cabin and one Class B cabin, please." The man took the bag, weighed it in his hand, and immediately smiled, "No problem, I'll take you to your rooms right away. Class A and Class B cabins are on the second floor, with better views and quieter conditions."
Following the crew up to the second-floor cabin, Lin Zhou found that the first-class cabin was indeed much better than he had imagined. Each room was about seven or eight square meters, with two single beds and a small bedside table next to each bed. Although the windows were small, they offered a view of the sea. Tan Yali looked at the room and said with satisfaction, "This is much better than I expected. At least I can get a good night's sleep." Lou Xiao'e walked to the window, looking at the dark sea outside, seemingly lost in thought. Lin Zhou, Lou Zhenhua, and the two bodyguards went into the adjacent second-class cabin.
These past few days, Lin Zhou has been taking out books he collected from the factory warehouse to read and pass the time. Lou Zhenhua also borrowed a few books from Lin Zhou to read. At first, when Lou Xiao'e came to see her father, she was somewhat distant from him.
Lin Zhou didn't want to provoke her, but life on the ship was so boring that he would occasionally chat with Lou Xiao'e. Once, Lou Xiao'e complained that life on the ship was too dull, and Lin Zhou casually told her a few internet jokes from later generations. Unexpectedly, Lou Xiao'e burst out laughing immediately after hearing them, her eyes curving into crescents, and her attitude towards Lin Zhou became much warmer.
From then on, Lou Xiao'e pestered Lin Zhou every day. Lin Zhou had no choice but to find topics to talk about with her, from foreign literature to poetry. He remembered a few obscure poems he had memorized in an extracurricular book during his school days, and casually recited a few lines. Lou Xiao'e's eyes immediately lit up, and she pressed him to tell her who wrote them, and even asked him to recite a few more. Lin Zhou simply told her all the poems he remembered, and also told her stories from foreign novels, such as the independent woman in *Jane Eyre* and the family legend in *One Hundred Years of Solitude*.
Lou Xiao'e listened intently, her greatest anticipation each day being chatting with Lin Zhou. Sometimes, when Lin Zhou wanted to rest in his room, she would sit by the door waiting until he opened it. Seeing the undisguised adoration in Lou Xiao'e's eyes, Lin Zhou felt incredibly regretful. He knew perfectly well he didn't like Lou Xiao'e's type, so why had he been so talkative, telling jokes and discussing literature? He just couldn't resist showing off in front of a woman. Now, he'd attracted her attention, and he couldn't shake her off.
And so, amidst Lou Xiao'e's entanglement and Lin Zhou's inner turmoil, seven days passed in a flash. On the morning of the seventh day, Lin Zhou was awakened by a commotion. He went to the window and looked out; in the distance, he could already see rows of high-rise buildings on the sea, sunlight reflecting off their glass curtain walls with dazzling brilliance. A crew member's voice rang out in the corridor: "Ladies and gentlemen, we're almost at Hong Kong! Get ready to pack; we'll be docked soon!"
Lin Zhou felt a surge of excitement; he had finally arrived in Hong Kong. He turned to pack his luggage, and just as he finished putting his things in his bag, Lou Xiao'e's voice came from the doorway: "Lin Zhou, are you ready? My mom said we'll disembark together soon and stay at our house." Lin Zhou took a deep breath, opened the door, and looked at Lou Xiao'e's expectant face. He smiled helplessly: "Okay, I'll stay at your house after we disembark, and I'll have your dad help me get a Hong Kong ID card."
As they spoke, the cargo ship slowly entered the port of Hong Kong, and the scenery on the shore became clearer and clearer. Ships came and went in an endless stream, the docks were full of busy people, the tall buildings in the distance were spectacular, and cars flowed endlessly on the roads.