Rebirth 2010, the best

Chapter 328 Reasonable

Chapter 328 Reasonable
Inside the campsite.

"Beautiful lady, is it just the two of you?"

Hu Li, who was boiling water to make tea, glanced at the uninvited stranger, gave a polite smile, raised her left hand, and said:

"My boyfriend will be here soon."

Upon hearing this, the man who had approached her glanced at the sparkling ring on the left ring finger of the short-haired, sophisticated woman, and nodded politely.
"Sorry to bother you."

Then he turned and left.

Hu Li didn't take it seriously and fiddled with the gas stove, intending to brew a pot of tea first.

But then they heard Luo Xuewei, dressed in sportswear, say:
"I thought you would give him a cold shoulder."

"What do you mean?"

"Just like before, when I don't want to be bothered, I ignore everyone. When I'm in a good mood, I don't bother him; when I'm in a bad mood, I just tell him to get lost..."

"Nonsense, I don't have such a bad temper."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk."

Luo Xuewei looked on with a sigh:

"Yes, yes, the person who got kicked in the crotch by you in your high heels back then must feel incredibly wronged to hear this... Oh, right, how much money did you have to pay back then?"

"More than forty thousand pounds..."

Hu Li shrugged indifferently.

Clearly, this amount of money is not even a drop in the ocean.

"Your temper has really improved a lot."

Hearing her friend's words, Hu Li tilted her head and thought for a moment, then smiled and said:
"Spending so much time with Lu Yao has made me like this... Actually, I used to think I was like a walking hedgehog, but... now I realize that it's okay to talk to people nicely."

"Um……"

Luo Xuewei's gaze fell on the ring on her left hand, and she suddenly said:
"Wearing that on your ring finger can easily lead to misunderstandings."

"Let it be a misunderstanding. He's wearing a ring finger too."

"...Are you really planning to marry him?"

Hu Li, who was tearing open a tea bag, paused, looked up at her best friend, and suddenly said very seriously:

"Don't speak ill of him in front of me... I don't like hearing it."

"What kind of talk is that? Do you think I enjoy gossiping?"

Luo Xuewei was both amused and exasperated.

Hu Li shook her head:

"No, it's just... I'm definitely going to marry him, and... we've both agreed that we'll get married when my hair grows long enough to be styled into a bridal updo. Probably in another two years? So don't say anything bad about Lu Yao to me. Although he definitely has his shortcomings, I don't care. If you say bad things about him, it will definitely affect our relationship, and I'll be unhappy. You're not allowed to say anything!"

"Okay, okay~"

Luo Xuewei nodded speechlessly:

"I was planning to praise him, not say anything bad about him."

"Hey hey hey..."

Hu Li immediately beamed with joy:

"Then tell me quickly, I love hearing people praise him."

"..."

Looking at her silly expression, even with Luo Xuewei's status, she was a little speechless at this moment:
"Have you really become love-struck? What happened to your independent personality?"

What's wrong with being love-struck?

Hu Li smiled and asked in return:

"I think it's great. He's good to me, and I'm good to him."

"..."

Luo Xuewei seemed genuinely exasperated by her words, shook her head, and asked:
When is Lu Yao coming?

"I don't know, and I won't ask. It's not a good question about his job."

Aren't you curious at all?

"I'm not curious."

Looking at the flames on the gas stove, Hu Li's words were as innocent as someone in love:
"First of all, his work is confidential. The less others know, the better for him. It won't cause any trouble. Secondly, you haven't been exposed to his work... My goodness, so much code of all kinds, logic, numerical values... It looks like gibberish, so complicated. When I see his work, I can't help but wonder, how did humans even research this stuff? It's so complex... Tsk tsk. So, even if you're curious, it's useless. You simply don't understand it; the barrier to entry is too high."

"Ok."

Hearing this, Luo Xuewei didn't say much, but her gaze unconsciously fell on Hu Li's hand again.

Hu Li noticed her gaze and smiled as she reached out her hand:
"Doesn't it look good?"

"Ah."

"hey-hey……"

She lowered her head and said with a smile:

"Not only is it pretty, it's also very sweet."

"...You're still licking?"

"No, I mean, just looking at it makes me think it's so sweet. Hahahaha..."

"..."

The water boiled while the two friends chatted and laughed.

The tea is brewing.

Hu Li seemed extremely comfortable, leaning back in her chair and enjoying the slightly hot and refreshing atmosphere of a Shanghai afternoon in April.

until……

She received a call from Lu Yao:
"Hey, baby, are you done with your work?"

Luo Xuewei's attention instantly became focused.

"We're at Campsite 17... Yes, yes, turn left..."

A few minutes later, Luo Xuewei saw Lu Yao and Chen Xiaoqun.

She subconsciously squinted her eyes.

Lu Yao naturally saw Luo Xuewei as well.

A somewhat unnatural look appeared on his face.

The female spy chief saw everything, but didn't care.

She didn't care how Lu Yao reacted now.

All she wanted to know was whether he had gotten his hands on it.

As a result, Lu Yao grew closer and closer to Lu Yao.

Actually, he was a little flustered at that moment.

To be honest, he had considered giving the other party a fake item... but as soon as the idea came to him, he, as an industry insider, rejected it.

In fact, verifying a chip model is quite simple.

Firstly, this model had already undergone countless simulation experiments during its research phase, and the simulation results are contained within the data. Any expert in this field can tell the difference between true and false with just a glance.

They couldn't even fake it.

Therefore, if you use a fake, the other party will definitely see through it, and once they do... things will spiral out of control. This is something no one wants to see.

He can only pray now that Zheng Xiaofan's plan will work.

"Hello, hello."

Hu Li smiled and waved, then began to pour tea for the two of them.

"Are you done?"

"Ah."

Lu Yao responded, glanced at Luo Xuewei who had been staring at him, and said:

"All my efforts were in vain."

"...?"

"what?"

Luo Xuewei and Hu Li were both taken aback.

But Lu Yao shook his head:

"Never mind, I'm too lazy to talk about it. I bought some fruit..."

"Didn't we buy it this morning?"

"There's not enough food for four people. Vesna, shall we go take a shower?"

Upon hearing Lu Yao's words, Luo Xuewei nodded directly:
"it is good."

Where is the sink for washing things?

"There's water in the RV over there too."

"No, that's recycled water... There's no way a car wash would add tap water to our tanks."

"Oh~"

Hu Li suddenly realized.

Upon reflection, it seems that this is indeed the case.

So I didn't say much more.

Chen Xiaoqun was to "follow" him.

Even when acting, he has to be natural.

But then Lu Yao looked around and asked Hu Li:

"What about the meat?"

"It's still in the refrigerator."

"...Brother Chen, could you help me cut up the meat? We bought steaks, could you cut them into slices so we can grill them?"

"Okay. Then don't go too far." Chen Xiaoqun instructed, and Lu Yao nodded with a smile:
"The tap is right over there."

Thus, in Luo Xuewei's eyes, she and Lu Yao were finally able to be alone together.

The two carried the fruit they wanted to wash toward the sink.

At first, no one spoke. It wasn't until they were about twenty or thirty meters away from the RV, and Luo Xuewei still hadn't spoken, that Lu Yao said:

"It wasn't taken out."

"..."

She paused, her expression turning somewhat cold.

"Ugh……"

Lu Yao suddenly let out a long sigh.

Then he continued walking forward on his own.

After getting to the tap, he glanced at the other person.

The female spy chief's gaze was cold.

He was like a piece of meat on a chopping board.

"You ignored what I said?"

"...Are you sure you want to talk to me like that?"

Lu Yao countered with a question.

"Oh?"

Suddenly, Luo Xuewei laughed:

"What? Feeling confident now?"

"No, but your attitude is unbearable. I don't owe you anything, so don't talk to me like that. If you're asking for a favor, you should have the right attitude. What kind of airs are you putting on? Do you think you're some kind of grandpa?"

"..."

Perhaps Lu Yao's reaction was somewhat beyond her expectations.

Even though he hadn't gotten anything, his defiant demeanor... left Luo Xuewei momentarily speechless.

But then Lu Yao said:
"Hold!"

He seemed genuinely angry, but he didn't look at Luo Xuewei.

He continued, "I just kept saying:"

"I went there at noon. You really know how to pick your days. It's a holiday, the office is deserted, and they're strictly enforcing security regulations. I couldn't even get into the research lab. Do you think this is a research phase? That I can go whenever I want? The model is already finished, and I went there during the holiday, and they wouldn't let me in! Don't you guys have any common sense?"

"..."

In Luo Xuewei's silence, the sound of Lu Yao scrubbing the apples was so loud it made one's teeth ache.

He cursed as he rubbed the cloth.

For no apparent reason, a sense of unease welled up within him.

"They're still keeping me online 24 hours... and they're even threatening me now..."

He cursed while rubbing the cloth.

Finally, he tossed the apple into the basket and looked up at Luo Xuewei:
"Want the model? Wait. I'll give it to you after Qingming Festival. But... this is the last time. Delete the video. From now on... nothing will happen between us. You go your way, I'll go mine. This is the last time. We don't need to contact each other anymore. Deal?"

"..."

Luo Xuewei remained silent.

He just stared at Lu Yao's face.

They didn't miss a single expression.

Lu Yao was initially angry, but after being stared at for a few seconds, his anger gradually turned into a hint of panic.

Panic quickly spread through his eyes, and then he lowered his head.

"Whether you agree or not is useless. When they asked me to go earlier, the security guard wouldn't let me, and I even wrote my name on the registration list... Who knows... how this will be handled after Qingming Festival... Anyway, these are my conditions. Whether you agree or not... at worst, I'll call the police and report you. If I die, you won't live either! If you dare to threaten me again, just try it!"

At this point, his expression turned fierce again.

She raised her head again and looked at Luo Xuewei.

Having taken in his expression from beginning to end, Luo Xuewei didn't hold his insults against him. Instead, she stared intently into his eyes and asked seriously:
"Didn't get it?"

"no!"

Lu Yao answered first, then curled his lip and said:

"Believe it or not. You don't need to give me any 24-hour rule. If you're so capable, go steal it yourself. Aren't you 007? Aren't you all-powerful? Go do it yourself. If you want it from me, then wait until after Qingming Festival."

His every reaction was clearly observed.

This reaction...

It's true.

Luo Xuewei is not a novice; on the contrary, she has a rich resume.

She understands how to profile different personality types and how they might react at different stages of a task.

Lu Yao's current reaction to her is a typical characteristic of an impulsive personality.

There's a saying in their line of work: don't look at what others say, but look at what they do.

Language is a magical thing; its expressive power can whitewash all that is dirty and unbearable.

But actions cannot be faked.

Young and concerned about saving face.

This immense psychological pressure can make him impulsive and irritable.

Very normal.

And this psychological activity was also clearly expressed through the other party's language.

However, his actions contradicted his words.

Even if he didn't get it, he had already made a choice within the "24 hours" he was given.

Actions speak louder than words.

And... most importantly, it's very reasonable.

Therefore, after all of Lu Yao's reactions met her internal standards of judgment, she had no intention of provoking the other party further.

There's no need for that anymore.

He has already agreed, so it's just a matter of time.

Moreover, this period of time will not be long.

So she said directly:

"I promise you, this is our first and last collaboration. I will find you at noon the day after tomorrow. After I get the items, our collaboration will be successfully completed. I promise you I will not disturb your life again."

"...?"

Lu Yao's expression froze.

It seems a bit unexpected.

But then a strange expression appeared on his face.

Seemingly puzzled as to why the other party was so easy to talk to, he subconsciously asked in return:
"Really?"

"of course it's true."

Seeing his expression, Luo Xuewei felt even more at ease.

Without showing any anger from being scolded earlier, she simply nodded:

"Don't forget, Lu Yao. You'll always be Natalia's lover. We were just talking about you... She wants to marry you and live with you. I wouldn't hurt my best friend's future husband, and besides... we'll be together for a long time, won't we?"

"..."

Lu Yao's expression became even more puzzling.

It seems like I want to complain, but also like I'm pleasantly surprised...

A complex mix of emotions accumulated on his face.

But in the end, it all turned into a single movement.

He lowered his head and silently continued washing the fruit.

After washing the fruit, Lu Yao walked quickly as they headed back.

It seemed that they had unconsciously quickened their pace.

Luo Xuewei glanced at his profile... it was a sign that the pressure had been relieved.

"..."

Silently, a smile appeared on her lips.

Voila.