Chapter Thirty-Eight: An Unexpected Delight

Su Yongming looked at Director Cao, and his gaze grew even more resolute at those words. He glanced at Zhou Yi and Fatty, then offered them a smile.

"Take care of things at home as quickly as you can. If your mother is willing to come to Jinan with you, don't worry about housing—I'll take care of it. Now that you're in your senior year, your studies shouldn't be so demanding. Both of you can come work part-time at my company.

As for the cervical collar we discussed earlier, and any other ideas you might have, just go ahead without hesitation. Here, I don't care about degrees or experience—only ability matters. Once you design and manufacture one, we'll settle accounts. We'll sign the contracts when you return. As for the design fee, you name your price. Say whatever you want—how does that sound?"

Fatty blinked his small eyes and looked at Zhou Yi. This was practically a windfall—at least money was no longer a concern. If they were going to design, there must be computers available, and it would be convenient to look things up.

Zhou Yi, naturally, understood what Fatty was implying. But what about his gravely ill mother—how was he supposed to handle that?

"I’ll think it over and go home first. If everything’s alright, I’ll come back as soon as possible. After all, I’m interested in both my studies and this opportunity!"

Su Yongming slapped his thigh and laughed.

"Good! Do you need me to send a car for you?"

Fatty quickly waved his hand. If someone were to send them, wouldn’t that give them away immediately?

"We’ve already bought our tickets. It’s very close, just an hour away. I’m going back with Zhou Yi to help out and see how things are."

Su Yongming glanced at his watch, not wanting to waste any more time.

"Alright, I won’t hold you up. I still have to thank you. Come, I’ll call a taxi for you!"

Director Cao shot Su Yongming a look.

"Using me and tossing me aside, are you? Still, get the cervical collar done quickly. Half the emergency cases are car accidents, especially in this freezing weather. I want to conduct a clinical trial in our hospital, so leave me that back door!"

Su Yongming’s smile was so broad it nearly split his face.

He already had a buyer lined up. This was almost too convenient. The plan was absolutely feasible.

"Alright, I’ll go send off Zhou Yi and the others first!"

Zhou Yi gave Director Cao a slight bow, then he and Fatty followed Su Yongming out of the office. Zhou Yi glanced at the emergency ward, recalling that the old man and the male driver had both been taken away by ambulance—perhaps they were still here.

"There was a driver who helped save your father. Is he also hospitalized here?"

Su Yongming nodded.

"He and my father are both in orthopedics. He was the one who told me about you, so I asked Director Cao. He gave me your book, and I found your name and number in it. But the perpetrator is acting arrogantly—just now they came and demanded we be discharged."

Fatty, ever the gossip, leaned in to look at Su Yongming.

Given Su Yongming’s status as a well-known figure in the hospital, the other party’s brazenness clearly indicated even greater backing.

"I heard Zhou Yi say the other side claimed her father was Li Yugang. But who is Li Yugang?"

Su Yongming sighed and lowered his voice a bit.

"You’re not locals, so you wouldn’t know. Li Yugang is the deputy mayor in charge of culture, education, and health. I haven’t had much contact with him, but I know who he is."

Zhou Yi glanced at Su Yongming, sensing he hadn’t said everything. This person clearly didn’t have a good reputation, or Su Yongming wouldn’t have reacted this way. But as the deputy mayor overseeing local culture, education, and health, he was essentially a direct superior.

"I'm sure the police will handle it properly. By the way, I think I saw someone taking photos at the time, though I didn’t see who it was. You might want to look into it—that could serve as the best evidence."

Su Yongming’s face lit up with delight at Zhou Yi’s words.

"Oh, I'll check into that! I was just worrying about it earlier!"

As they spoke, they reached the entrance. A taxi was already waiting. Su Yongming tried to pay, but Zhou Yi stopped him.

"Really, there’s no need. You should go look after your father, Mr. Su. I’ll call you as soon as I can!"

Su Yongming nodded and waved them off.

"Alright then, you don’t have to call only when you’re coming back. If you encounter any problems, contact me anytime. I’ll do my best to help. If you need help finding a place, let me know in advance—I have empty apartments in the city that just need a bit of tidying."

They said their farewells. The car merged into the flow of traffic. The driver turned and asked, "Where to?"

Fatty quickly leaned forward.

"To a shopping mall, please—one that sells electronics, preferably with all the major brands and quality guaranteed!"

"Alright, let’s head straight to First Department Store. That’s the most comprehensive place around."

Neither of them objected, since they weren’t familiar with the area. With ten thousand yuan in their pockets, Fatty felt confident, humming tunes all the way—gone was the melancholy from the school gate earlier.

At the mall, they made straight for the third floor to look at electronics. When they reached the Nokia counter, they went right in. The prices made them click their tongues—5,800 yuan!

Zhou Yi remembered that the Nokia 9210 had launched at about six hundred US dollars, which at the 2000 exchange rate of 8.2 was less than 4,800 yuan. Why was there an extra thousand here?

But the sales assistant clearly didn’t want to sell to them. They looked like students—not exactly the clientele for such expensive products. Fatty, annoyed, nudged Zhou Yi.

"Let’s just buy it and be done. No more fussing!"

With the new phone in hand, Zhou Yi immediately swapped in his SIM card. Of course, he got Fatty a card as well—the old phone now belonged to him.

In a quiet corner, Zhou Yi powered on the new phone. The screen was small, the keys tiny, its response sluggish, and the display nowhere near the standard of future 5G smartphones. Still, it was the most advanced device available, so it would have to do.

Logging into his email, he saw one unread message. Zhou Yi glanced at Fatty, who nervously licked his lips.

"Hurry, open it—maybe it’s our mission target info."

Zhou Yi opened the email. The sender was a single letter: S. A photo loaded slowly—not a graduation photo this time, but an ID photo, much clearer than before, with distinct features. There was also a string of information.

Cheng Zhi, male, 23, from Xinxiang, Henan province. Family are farmers. No bad habits. Three-time recipient of a scholarship fund. Computer Science graduate, Class of 2000, Shandong University.

When Zhou Yi paused in surprise, Fatty quickly leaned over to read, flipping back and forth, but there was nothing more.

Fatty narrowed his small eyes, looking annoyed.

"Is this Su fellow messing with us? Didn’t he say he’d give us detailed info? How are we supposed to find this guy? If he’s trying to avoid being tracked, he won’t be using the name Cheng Zhi. The photo isn’t clear. No background info or related documents. Where do we even start? And even if we find someone, how do we know it’s really him?"

Zhou Yi pressed his lips together. Fatty’s words were harsh, but they were all valid concerns. Complaining wouldn’t help. If they wanted to protect Fatty’s freedom, they had to bite the bullet and start searching.

"Complaining doesn’t solve anything. Looking at it another way, maybe this person has also hidden his identity, so there isn’t much information to find. If he’s deliberately changed things, there’s no trace at all."

Fatty paused.

His anger faded by half. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully and nodded.

"That makes sense. If he’s hiding, we really won’t be able to find any info. Anything on the surface is probably obsolete. No way he’d go back home, and no way he’d contact people from school. So where do we even begin?"

Zhou Yi narrowed his eyes.

If his family were farmers, they couldn’t offer support. For someone to awaken and stand out, he must have certain abilities and means. A Computer Science major who only learned hardware applications—his awakening was likely linked to some discovery.

"I think we should try to learn about him indirectly—from classmates or teachers, for example, who might know his habits or financial situation. As for his motives, they’re usually the same: money, power, or identity.

Sofia sent us to this world—maybe it’s like the 2015 timeline, with endless loops and cycles. So-called awakening is about perceiving all this, discovering certain patterns, like your air-raid shelter, and making use of them. But he might be even more capable of disrupting the order of this world."

Fatty nodded.

"That’s probably it. Alright, there’s no point overthinking it—we don’t have much time to waste. Should we try to find his classmates?"