Which way to go is the road?

Accompanied by Lao You, Zhang Chu boarded the train home. The little girl who had severed ties with her parents and run away from home was finally going back.

Xiang Fei couldn't help but worry about Zhang Chu, imagining all sorts of situations she might encounter after returning home.

How will Zhang Chu walk through the door after returning home? How will she face her parents? How will she resolve the past misunderstandings? Perhaps a very complicated storyline will unfold, or perhaps a simple hug will suffice. Blood ties are enough to resolve any conflict, but how she takes the first step towards reconciliation is crucial. I hope she has a safe and smooth journey.

Qian Luomei went downstairs to the front desk. Seeing that Xiang Fei, who was deep in thought, hadn't noticed her, she suddenly slammed her hand on the table, startling Xiang Fei so much that the calculator he was holding flew out of his hand.

Qian Luomei bent down to catch it, and shouted sternly, "You dare to damage internet cafe property? Be careful, or I'll dock your pay!"

"Great! Lao You and Zhang Chu are gone, and Xiangzi and Wang Haoming will be going home in a few days. If I quit too, let's see how you, the boss, manage to run this internet cafe all by yourself!" Xiang Fei said confidently.

"Who says I'm all alone? A helper will be coming over soon! Don't think the world will stop turning without you!" Qian Luomei said mysteriously.

Hearing that someone was coming, Xiang Fei, too lazy to continue this boring conversation with Qian Luomei, asked curiously, "Who's coming?"

"Mind your own business! What does it have to do with you? I'm not working for you, I don't need you to pay my salary!" Qian Luomei put down the computer and gave Xiang Fei a contemptuous look.

Xiang Fei came out from behind the bar and poured Qian Luomei a cup of hot water: "How about this, Sister Luomei, I'll exchange enemy intelligence with you, how about that?"

"What a joke! What kind of enemy information could I possibly have here? There aren't even any enemies!" Qian Luomei seemed to have seen through Xiang Fei's trick, ignored it, picked up her cup, and took a small sip of hot water.

"As for enemies, we didn't have any before, but we might not in the future! The gym across the street has closed down, Sister Luomei, you should know that, right?"

"So what if you know? If you don't want to do it anymore, just close down. What does it have to do with our internet cafe?" Qian Luomei remained stubborn, but after thinking about it carefully, she asked, "They're opening an internet cafe across the street? How did you know? Who's the owner?"

"Sister Luomei, don't get so worked up. So what if we have a competitor in the future? What's there to be afraid of? Our internet cafe has a first-mover advantage, they can't beat us!" Xiang Fei was surprised by Qian Luomei's big reaction and felt that she was making a mountain out of a molehill.

"Answer my question directly. How did you know that the other side was going to open an internet cafe? What else did you know?" Qian Luomei's tone was no longer joking; she was very serious.

Xiang Fei's joking demeanor vanished: "I recently quit gaming, so I've had a lot of free time and I've been watching all sorts of things. After the gym across the street closed, I noticed a lot of people going in and out, and then they started renovations, moving all sorts of things in and out! It wasn't until they started moving computer desks in that I realized they were opening an internet cafe!"

"What else?"

"I've also noticed that a few unfamiliar faces have been coming to our internet cafe recently. After swiping their cards to log in, they don't do anything but look around. They even avoid my gaze. I suspect they might be spies from across the street, here to gather information!"

As Xiang Fei spoke from the side, Qian Luomei listened and thought. She hadn't expected the old man's words to come true so quickly. That "Ninth Master" really wanted to use competitive means to defeat the old man, defeat her, and also destroy this "Shuiyunjian" internet cafe.

Xiang Fei stared at Qian Luomei, who was lost in thought, feeling quite puzzled. Was she really that afraid of a competitor? This was very unusual for her, given her personality.

"Sister Luomei, what's wrong? Are you alright?"

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing! You're quite observant and have a rich imagination. There were even spies coming to gather information. It's like something out of a movie! Come on, continue!" Qian Luomei deliberately adopted a teasing tone.

"Who told me to have nothing to do lately! Hehe, I also think I have a vivid imagination, but I'm in a period of confusion and boredom after suddenly quitting a game addiction, so I have to pay attention to something to pass the time! Besides, all these things happening together make me suspicious!"

Qian Luomei sat on the sofa, crossed her legs, and adopted a nonchalant attitude: "What else did you think of? Tell me all at once, I want to see just how far your imagination can go."

"The account theft incident a couple of days ago, do you think it was caused by the internet cafe across the street?" Xiang Fei mysteriously revealed his ultimate theory.

"You mean the Trojan virus they sent? The internet cafe isn't even open yet, and they're already using this method? Isn't that a bit premature?" Qian Luomei waved her hand, unwilling to believe it.

"That makes sense, so maybe I'm overthinking it? Anyway, it's always good to be cautious, but never to harm others! I need to observe them more closely!"

Qian Luomei smiled noncommittally: "Okay, continue. If you come up with any new plot ideas, remember to let me know. I don't play games as much anymore, and I like to listen to suspense stories to pass the time!"

Qian Luomei never expected that "Ninth Master" would have such "refined tastes." It seemed he was definitely going to kick her. There's a saying that it's not the thief you should fear, but the one who has his eye on you. Now that they were facing off, Qian Luomei wasn't so worried! Anyway, the old man said it was just normal business competition, and Qian Luomei didn't believe that after running her internet cafe for so many years, she would be ruined by the entry of a competitor.

Just then, the revolving door swayed, and a beautiful woman walked in. She was stylishly dressed, with a slender figure. She wore a short, dark green coat with a fur collar and over-the-knee boots, which made her legs look even slimmer. She would definitely turn heads on the street.

"Dong Lu? Why didn't you go home?" Xiang Fei asked in surprise.

Dong Lu smiled mischievously: "I'm leaving. You and Sister Luo Mei must be so lonely. I'll come keep you company!"

Qian Luomei stepped forward and hugged Dong Lu, then turned back triumphantly and said, "Didn't you ask me who my helper was? Here, it's this beautiful lady!"

Dong Lu narcissistically made a figure-eight gesture with her chin, perfectly coordinating with Qian Luomei. Then, the two of them looked at Xiang Fei's helpless expression and laughed.

"So when are you planning to go home? You can't possibly spend the whole year at 'Shuiyunjian', can you?" Xiang Fei asked as he walked over.

"Why not? I'm not eating your food or staying at your place!" Dong Lu retorted.

"That's true, but if you don't go home, then go to your own home..."

Before Xiang Fei could finish speaking, Qian Luomei pulled Dong Lu upstairs, saying, "Everyone's on holiday and gone home for the New Year. You shouldn't go back to school either. Stay in the attic! It'll be Zhang Chu's room, so I'll have some company!"

"Okay, thank you, Sister Luomei. I'll move my things over this afternoon!"

"Okay, I'll have Xiang Fei help you move your things!"

……

The two walked towards the rooftop chatting and laughing. Xiang Fei swallowed hard, swallowed back the words he hadn't finished saying, shrugged, and returned to the computer at the front desk.