Reborn in 1993, Dark Sea

"Here you go, the information you requested!"

Mai Xiaoyu placed a stack of documents in front of An Xiaohai. An Xiaohai picked them up and saw that they were the personnel information of Han Shasha's internal gathering. An Xiaohai found that the documents Mai Xiaoyu gave him were much more comprehensive and detailed than those from the Security Department.

"Where did this information come from?"

"It was provided by Senior 027. Senior 027 has a close personal relationship with a patriotic businessman from Hong Kong. She made a phone call, and the other party sent over this information. How is it? Is it what you need?"

"Yes, this information came at just the right time. Please thank Senior 027 for me."

"Alright, don't be so polite. Are you planning to go out dressed like that?"

"Yes."

"Where to?"

"Of course, I'm going to participate in the event."

"So you really are going to the event? I thought you were just trying to fool that beautiful girl yesterday!" Mai Xiaoyu said, wrinkling her nose.

Last night, when An Xiaohai was communicating with Han Shasha, his communication system was always on. This allowed He Xiaohu, who was lying in ambush nearby, to hear everything and record it directly, so An Xiaohai wouldn't have to repeat it every time.

"If you're going to act, you have to go all the way. Once you've said it, you have to do it, otherwise it's too easy to give yourself away."

Although being caught red-handed by Han Shasha wouldn't be a big deal, it's best to avoid it if possible. Once trust between people is breached, even a small crack can shatter it completely.

"You're absolutely right, but the problem is, Mr. Chen Maogan, what activities are available for you to participate in here? I have absolutely no idea!"

"It's normal that you don't know; I saw it on the bulletin board too."

"What bulletin board?"

"The bulletin board at Haixi University. Last time I went to Haixi University, I accidentally saw the announcement on the bulletin board. They invited some corporate executives to give a presentation at the school auditorium at 3 pm today."

"You're amazing! You can remember an announcement you just saw by chance, and you even managed to use it. How do you manage to store so much random stuff in your head?" Mai Xiaoyu pouted and nodded slightly as she spoke.

"I did see the announcement by chance, but I took notes on it carefully."

"Could you explain why?"

"The reason is simple: for an event like this, who do you think the professors at Haixi University would assign to coordinate?"

"Xu Zhijie!"

"By the way, this child is clearly not normal; it's time to go see him."

"I think your main purpose in visiting him is secondary; borrowing his car is what truly matters!"

"Secretary Xiaoyu, there's something I don't know if you've heard before?"

"What are you saying? If it's not something nice, then don't say it!"

It's not exactly a compliment, but it's not exactly a bad thing either; it's just a statement of fact.

Tell me about it.

"Women who are too smart are more likely to have difficulty getting married."

"..."

------

Haixi University, Auditorium

An Xiaohai led Mai Xiaoyu and Zhou Xun into the auditorium. The presentation hadn't started yet, but the auditorium was already packed with people, mostly students, with some company employees mixed in.

The venue was open to all, and no identity verification was required, creating a very relaxed atmosphere.

Mai Xiaoyu really knows how to dress. She tied her hair in a simple ponytail and wore a white flowing dress. She looked very young and pure, like a senior who had just graduated. As soon as she entered the venue, she attracted the attention of a lot of boys, making An Xiaohai touch his forehead.

Zhou Xun already looked very young and had the air of a college student. Even though his clothes were very ordinary, it was hard for him to stay inconspicuous standing next to Mai Xiaoyu, and quite a few girls stared at him curiously.

After entering the auditorium, An Xiaohai quickly distanced himself from the two people and found a seat on the far left of the hall.

Xu Zhijie was indeed busy, directing a group of people to set up the stage. His gaze would often linger on a pretty girl who was busy at work, but the girl never looked at him once.

An Xiaohai strongly sensed the change in Xu Zhijie.

Xu Zhijie was thinner than a few months ago and appeared much more composed, but he also looked much more haggard. In particular, the light that used to shine in his eyes had completely disappeared. When he stood aside waiting for his turn, his expression was so blank.

The presentations started promptly at 3 p.m., with young talents from various companies taking turns on stage to share their stories of struggle and impart their workplace experience to the college students in the audience.

An Xiaohai lost interest after listening for a few minutes. What these young executives were saying would be given a new name more than 20 years later: PUA.

Zhou Xun and Mai Xiaoyu listened with great interest and were very focused. Mai Xiaoyu would occasionally jot something down in a small notebook, and it was unclear whether she was acting or serious.

The presentation lasted for two hours and ended promptly at 5:00. The crowd dispersed, but An Xiaohai remained seated in his original spot.

Xu Zhijie finally noticed An Xiaohai, paused for a moment, and then quickly ran over.

"Brother Chen, what brings you here?! What happened to your face?!" Xu Zhijie asked in surprise when he saw the scars on An Xiaohai's face.

"There was a little accident, the injury is nothing, I'm all better now. I came here specifically to see you," An Xiaohai gently patted Xu Zhijie's shoulder. "Not bad, you've been through a lot, you're like a man who can support a family!"

An Xiaohai's words brought tears to Xu Zhijie's eyes.

"Are you done with your work?"

"That's about it. We can leave once we've tidied up the venue."

"Let them clean up. It's no big deal if you're here or not. Come with me for a walk; I have a lot to tell you."

"Well... alright!" Xu Zhijie glanced back at the venue and finally agreed.

"Take me for a walk on campus, let's go!" An Xiaohai put his arm around Xu Zhijie's shoulder and walked out, while casually glancing back. That glance caught a look in his eyes, and the owner of that look was the girl that Xu Zhijie had been looking at.

An Xiaohai's lips curled up slightly, and he exerted a little force with his arm, unconsciously pushing Xu Zhijie to quicken his pace.

"Brother Chen, what happened to the injury on your face? It looks scary! What accident happened?"

"Oh, this was an accident that happened at sea..."

An Xiaohai told Han Shasha the same story again, and Xu Zhijie breathed a sigh of relief after listening.

"Zhijie, I've heard about what happened in your family. What exactly happened?"

"I also want to know what happened!" Xu Zhijie sighed deeply.

"A few days ago, my mother went to Haizhou City to discuss business with someone. I even went to see her off. As it turned out, she happened to be there when the bombing occurred at Haizhou Railway Station. Then my mother disappeared. Nobody knows where she went or how she is now. The two bodyguards who were with her also disappeared without a trace."

These past few days, my dad and I have been going to the police station every day, but the police station doesn't know what's going on either. They just say they are communicating with the Haizhou police as much as possible, and that the Haizhou police are already investigating. They told us to wait for news at home.

My dad and I asked many friends, but no one could find out anything. It's so worrying!

"I see..." An Xiaohai bit his lip. "That is indeed quite strange. Well, if you don't mind, I can try to inquire for you. I know a few people in Haizhou City."

"Really? That's wonderful! How could I possibly object? I'd beg for this! Thank you, Brother Chen!" Xu Zhijie's eyes lit up, and that glint in his eyes finally returned.

An Xiaohai felt a pang of pain in his heart: "You... and your mother have such a good relationship."

"Of course, my mother has always been very good to me since I was little. I remember once I had a high fever, and my mother stayed by my side the whole time, without closing her eyes for three days straight..."

When Ding Ping was mentioned, Xu Zhijie immediately started talking non-stop. An Xiaohai didn't interrupt him; at this moment, Xu Zhijie really needed to vent his emotions.

Xu Zhijie talked for almost half an hour before finally ending the topic of Ding Ping: "Brother Chen, do you know where my older brother went?"

It was clear that Xu Zhijie hesitated for a long time before finally asking the question.

"What, you don't know where Tianyou went?"

"I don't know!" Xu Zhijie shook his head: "My older brother hasn't come back for a long time. I asked my dad, and he told me not to worry about him, saying that he might never come back."

Where did my older brother go? Could something have happened to him?

"Something has indeed happened. I shouldn't have told you this, but please don't tell anyone if you find out."

"Don't worry, I definitely won't tell anyone."

"Tianyou called me a while ago. He got into big trouble in Thailand and has to hide for a while. He can't go home and can't attract the enemy."

Don't worry, he'll be fine. He'll probably come back once this storm passes.

You promised me you wouldn't tell anyone about this, not even your dad.

"Can't I even tell my dad?"

"Yes, he actually knew about it, but he didn't tell you, did he? He didn't tell you to protect you, so why make him worry?"

"That's true. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone, not even my dad. It's good that my brother is alright," Xu Zhijie breathed a sigh of relief. "Does my brother need money? He always needed money before and would borrow from me. Now that he's hiding outside, he must really need money."

"Don't worry, I've already given it to him, quite a lot, it'll definitely be enough."

"That's good! How much money did Brother Chen give my brother? I can pay you back."

"No need. As the saying goes, every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt its debtor. This guy owes me money, so let him pay it back himself. Even if he needs your help, he'll have to ask you personally, right? Ha!"

"Haha, that's true, thank you, Brother Chen. I'm much relieved to know you're alright... If only you hadn't gotten into trouble..."

"What's wrong? Is there some other trouble you're facing? You can tell me, and I might be able to help."

"This... Brother Chen can't help me..." Xu Zhijie lowered his head.

"Is it about the girl in the blue dress?" An Xiaohai asked with a smile.

"Brother Chen, how did you know?!" Xu Zhijie's mouth dropped open.

"The teacher who told me this is Teacher Deng, who seems to think the whole world owes her tens of thousands of yuan."

I just arrived in Nancheng a few days ago and forgot you were still on holiday, so I came to the school to look for you, only to be caught red-handed by her. I had no choice but to lie and say I was your cousin, and managed to get some information from her.

"Ah! I was wondering when I had a cousin named Xu Zhimo! It was you! Brother Chen, you're too... too..."

"That's too bad, isn't it? Haha, it's good for a man to be a little bad sometimes!"

"Haha! That's great. If you really were my cousin, that would be wonderful..."

"You miss your older brother, right? You want him to back you up so you can continue being with that girl, right? But I'm a little confused. Your mother is so good to you, how could she treat the girl you like that?"

"Well... my mom is really good to me, but she's also quite controlling, so... I can't do anything about it. I really don't know what to do."

Actually, Xiao Chun didn't seduce me at all. It was me who had a crush on her from beginning to end. She was always so cold to me.

"My mom... is sometimes really too domineering, sigh!" Xu Zhijie sighed softly.

"I think that girl named Xiaochun has feelings for you. She's cold towards you, probably because she's afraid she won't be able to hold onto the relationship."

"Really?"

"Really, believe me, I have a good eye for people, she's a nice young lady."

"I know, but unfortunately... sigh!"

"Alright, stop being so downcast. If two people truly love each other, they can overcome any obstacle. If they can't, then their love isn't deep enough."

Take your time, you're all still young.

By the way, I heard you have an older sister, right? Why don't you ask her for help?

"You mean Zhenzhen? She can't help me."

"Oh? Why is that?" An Xiaohai asked with a smile.