Chapter 3, Meeting
The old man hurriedly stepped forward a few paces, almost leaning close to the young girl's ear and shouted, "I must have misheard, right? You’re not studying anymore? Going to travel the world with someone I’m meeting for the first time? Are you itching for trouble and need your mother to loosen you up?" That Poul pretended to be a good person, saying, "Yes, Andy, how long have you known this person? Is his identity reliable? What kind of person is he? Does he have the financial means to ensure you have a good time? Does he have any ulterior motives? You should check it out thoroughly."
Bouncing and skipping, she pulled me into the lobby on the first floor. The lobby was spacious, capable of accommodating around 100 people for a banquet, with a curved staircase, 3 meters wide, leading to the second floor. At that moment, a man in his fifties, with gray hair and beard, was coming down the stairs with a young man. Upon seeing the girl, the young man immediately approached with a smile, while the older man took a puff from his pipe, standing on the staircase, and asked, "Xinxin, you haven't been to class for two days again. Where have you been playing? Poul has been looking for you for three whole days. Hmm, who is this young man?"
The little girl desperately pulled me down onto the sofa, ignoring the awkward Poul with wide eyes, and said to the old man, "Dad, this is my boyfriend. I want to travel around the world with him." The expressions on both their faces changed completely. However, the old man looked surprised and worried, while the young man clearly exuded a sense of hostility.
I smiled gently and said, "To go to Venice, 'a cultured traveler will not visit the same place more than once,' is a saying I greatly admire. The Carnival of Venice is about to begin." The little girl forced her hazy eyes open and began to flail her arms and legs in the bed. I had no choice but to hold her hand tightly to prevent the blanket from falling to the floor.
In the evening, lying in bed at the hotel with the young girl, I asked her, "What’s wrong? You won’t even stay for the last day at home? Just like that, you’re leaving?" The young girl, half-asleep, murmured, "Except for Dad and Mom, I dislike everyone else at home. Either they are flattering or they have ulterior motives. Ugh, don’t make noise, I’m sleepy. Hmm... where are we going first?"
I ignored the old man and continued to smile as I said, "Second, whether I have any ulterior motives against the Lin family, just as Mr. Poul mentioned. I believe you can call the Swiss ××× Bank to verify the balance of this account and whether I need to get close to Andy to approach you. Third, I am a person of status and standing, and you can find the answer by verifying this account." After saying this, I handed him a gold card issued by the Swiss bank
The young girl comes from a well-off family; her father is a prominent figure in the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Toronto, and he runs his own company quite successfully, holding a high social status in the local community. Such individuals can be the most troublesome, as they are likely to see themselves as the guardians of their daughters' virtue. Yet here I am, intending to take the 17-year-old girl away from his grasp, which illustrates the difficulty of the situation. However, I find such troublesome matters enjoyable, and a mischievous smile spreads across my face.
The old man probably had no way to deal with the young girl. He turned to me and said seriously: "Young man, are you Yang Tian? Can you tell me what you do? When did you meet Xin Xin? If you don't mind, how about we go to the study and talk privately?" I stood up and smiled, saying: "No need, Uncle Lin. First, I really like Andy, so I promised to take her on a trip around the world, because I am also currently enjoying the scenery all over the world." The young girl cheered and clung to me.
After negotiating for a full 3 hours, the old man reluctantly agreed to let the young girl run away with me... However, the young girl's mother intervened halfway, crying for a full 2 hours... If it weren't for the young girl's firm determination to leave, I would have probably had to resort to using my underlings to abduct her.
The phone suddenly rang, and I answered the call. On the other end was a deep voice: "Boss, the matter has been taken care of." I replied calmly, "Good, go collect your reward from Paul." I then hung up the phone. I noticed my flight attendant approaching, gently saying, "Sir, the plane is about to take off, could you please turn off your phone?" I nodded and smiled, saying, "I apologize for the inconvenience." I then turned off my phone.
A blonde woman in her thirties sat down on the left side, separated by an aisle. I approached her with a smile and gently asked, "Hello, is it comfortable working at MI6?" The woman was taken aback, quickly stood up, and hurried off the plane. The young girl looked at me with curiosity and said, "What are you talking about? That foreign girl was scared out of her wits?" I replied with a sly smile, "Her boss owes me money, and I was asking her when she plans to pay me back." The young girl looked incredulous and said, "You can run into someone who owes you money on a plane? Are you a loan shark?" I chuckled and said, "My company will definitely give you a thrilling experience."
The little girl puffed up her cheeks, stood up, and shouted at Poul: "You have no business meddling in the affairs of the Lin family; who do you think you are to me?" Then, sulking, she said to the old man: "Whether you agree or not, I will leave tomorrow. I have made up my mind to go out and have fun with Yang Tian."
The old man on the stairs gave a bitter smile, slowly walked down, and said: "How can you say that, Poul? You were speeding ahead, and he was behind you, worried about your safety, and ended up crashing into a police car. If it weren't for his father bailing him out, he might have had to stay in for six months. By the way, who is this young man?" Looking at the little girl and my unusually close interaction, the old man scrutinized me from head to toe. The young man, Poul, seemed to have just noticed my presence, extending his hand with a forced smile. By the way, who is this young man?" Looking at the little girl and my unusually close interaction, the old man scrutinized me from head to toe. The young man, Poul, seemed to have just noticed my presence, extending his hand with a forced smile. I couldn't help but admire this kid's ability to feign ignorance; clearly, the little girl had been hugging me for over two minutes, and he was only now looking at me properly.
The airplane soared into the sky, heading towards Rome
The old man sat down and gestured for us to take our seats. He then asked, "But, Xinxin is not yet 17 years old; her age might be too young. Moreover, her studies..." I confidently assured him, "I will not bully her. As for her studies, Xinxin can choose anything she likes to learn at any time."
Unfortunately, a sudden autumn rain fell at midnight, and when I woke up in the morning, the sky was overcast. Looking around at the maple trees, they appeared listless, like elderly individuals who had indulged excessively. The blood-red maple leaves were haphazardly stuck to the damp ground, creating an uncomfortable sight. The little girl seemed oblivious to it all, but I felt quite uneasy. Ideally, the sky would be bright with autumn sunshine, and a refreshing golden breeze would carry the fluttering maple leaves, setting a pleasant mood for negotiations with the little girl's father. However, this was not the case; there was no need for any reductions, as my mood had already darkened by half.
The little girl's home is a large three-story house, and the backyard features an 18-hole standard golf course. The little girl proudly stated, "In Canada, there are fewer people and more land, so such a yard is considered standard. I have a few ponies, and whenever I have free time, I ride them in the backyard." Having wealth is indeed different; it leaves the golf course turf uneven, which is a hassle for the gardeners. However, the young lady certainly would not care about such matters.
The old man moved quickly, rushing up the stairs, and within 2 minutes, he came rushing back down. He said in surprise, "Indeed, you must truly like Xinxin to make such a request." Poul exclaimed, "Uncle, how can you say that?" The old man snorted, "The amount on this card can buy out all the assets of my company multiplied by 5." Poul's face turned ashen, and he fell silent. He said in surprise, "Indeed, you must truly like Xinxin to make such a request." Poul exclaimed, "Uncle, how can you say that?" The old man snorted, "The amount on this card can buy out all the assets of my company multiplied by 5." Poul's face turned ashen, and he fell silent.
Poul rushed over, grinning as he asked, "Andy, long time no see? Where have you been playing?" The little girl rolled her eyes, leaned against me, wrapped her arms around my waist, and dryly said, "Long time no see? I remember a week ago you chased after me for two hours wanting to treat me to a meal, and then your car crashed into a police car... Didn't they sentence you to two years?"
Early the next morning, we rushed to the airport for the direct flight to Rome, followed by a transfer to Venice. The young girl impatiently dismissed the relatives and friends who came to see us off with a few words, pulling me straight to the entrance. Once we boarded the plane, she suddenly slapped her forehead and exclaimed, "Oh no, I forgot to ask them to take good care of my sports car. By the time we return, its performance will definitely be compromised." I chuckled softly, pulled her into her seat, and said, "It's alright, when you want to race, you can just buy a new one." The young girl beamed with joy.