Yang Yi was still courteous enough to drive Xiao Ran home.
He then returned to his own home. Although it was not particularly spacious, a built-up space of more than seventy square meters could not be considered small given that this was the capital. Moreover, he was staying alone.
Looking at the familiar furnishing within the house, Yang Yi quickly subdued his sense of reluctance which had just resurfaced.
Yang Yi lay down on his bed while still wearing his current clothes. He then covered his head with a pillow.
After laying there for some time while recalling what had happened today, Yang Yi finally sat up and took out the note from his pocket.
While looking at it, Yang Yi stood up and went to the kitchen. He then turned on the stove and placed the note on top of the fire.
Yang Yi did not open the note again because he would never misremember the contents nor would he forget it.
Once the note was burned to ashes and scattered apart, Yang Yi turned off the stove without showing any emotion and took out his hand phone.
There were only five names and contact numbers within the, now burned, address book. Yang Yi could only mention that he had a matter that he needed their help with and thus decided to seek them out when he called. He did not have any other information on them. He could not even puzzle out their identity or nationality. he called.
The first name on the list was Phyllis. From the internet, Yang Yi had determined the international calling code for this person’s contact number was from the Netherlands. He had decided to make the calls starting from the first name on the list.
The call quickly went through after Yang Yi dialled the number. The dial tone only rang twice before the call was answered.
Yang Yi had expected to hear a foreign language. Instead, he heard a familiar voice.
“Why did you call so quickly? Did I or did I not tell you to call these numbers only after you had left the country? You should be a law-abiding citizen and not contact anyone while still in the country.”
The one who answered was Li Fan.
Although he had no idea how Li Fan had accomplished it, Yang Yi was sure it was very easy for Li Fan to monitor his calls and had intercepted this one to have a chat with him.
Yang Yi aggrievedly said, “I must say Uncle Li, could you not do this? It feels like I have no privacy. In the list, there are numbers from Netherlands, England, Poland, and United States. There is even one from Hong Kong. I am calling to determine where I should being going.”
Li Fan calmly answered, “You can call these numbers once you have reached England. You are not allowed to contact this number while you are still here. Yang Yi, it seems like you are still not aware what it could signify if the call actually originated from China. That is why my warning is not some idle talk.”
Yang Yi asked in distress, “Is there a need to go so far?”
“It is definitely necessary. It has been more than eleven years now, and nobody knows how they have changed. They might have been driven by profit just like your dad in the past, but now they could possibly be a spy for another country. There might or might not be any danger arising from making the call. It is your choice, and I have no right to interfere. However, I will have to put an end to this since it involves national security and there is a slight possibility of danger.”
“I understand. I am sorry. I will not make those calls again.”
With a sigh, Li Fan softly said, “I want to give you a piece of advice. When others are giving you a warning, do not get offended by the warning since there is a possibility for the discussion to end or turn hostile. It may even turn into a matter of life and death. Yang Yi, you still have not changed from thinking like a normal person. You will be entering a world without rules where the people will never give you a chance to make a second mistake nor offer you the opportunity to apologise.”
“I will remember it. Thanks for teaching me this.”
Li Fan sighed again. “You are plunging headlong into a world you do not even understand. I am really worried about your future. Yang Yi, can you not rush to make the phone call once you are abroad? You should broaden your knowledge abroad for a few years. After those few years when you have become more mature and not so reckless, only then should you slowly enter the dark side of this world. Whether it is as a spy or an intelligence broker, you are clueless as to what their world is like.”
“I will try my best Uncle Li. I do not dare to guarantee that I can do it though, as I am feeling a bit impatient.”
Once again, Li Fan answered with a sigh instead of saying anything over the phone.
“Well, you should rest early. You should think through how to move forward in the future. That is all I have to say.”
Li Fan ended the call. Staring at the hand phone which had turned silent, Yang Yi then made a call to another number.
Of course he would not call another number from the address book. This time, Yang Yi called one of his friends.
“Hello Brother Lee, I need your help... I would like to sell my car. Can you look for a buyer for me?... That is right. I want to sell it now... It is urgent... As long as they do not undercut the price too low, then sell it within the car circle. If the price is too low, I would rather sell the car myself... Ok. Thanks Brother Lee.”
After ending the call, Yang Yi threw the phone on the bed. He then took out the car keys and looked at them twice before looking at the bed and he hatefully exclaimed, “Fuck it! I am going to sleep!”
Yang Yi had really slept through the night, as if today’s events had not had a significant effect on him. If it was anyone else, they would not be able sleep at all.
Without a sturdy mindset, becoming a spy would have been a joke.
Although Yang Yi had yet to become a spy, as it was currently just a thought and goal he had set, he did have the sturdy mindset to become one.
On the second day, Yang Yi did not contact Xiao Ran.
Xiao Ran had given him both her current phone number and her U.S. number. She even told him how to contact her online. It was obvious she would like to maintain the relationship long term. However, Yang Yi had placed Xiao Ran together with his familiar life as part of his past.
He was settling all his debts and collecting all the monies owed. Since he was going abroad, there were also things he needed to prepare and purchase before leaving.
Yang Yi did not have any cash right now or, to be more accurate, he did not have much. Otherwise, he would not have become a TNC driver to earn money. Now that he would need to buy a lot of things, where was he going to get the money?
Yang Yi ended up eyeing his credit cards.
Although the credit cards limits were not extraordinarily high, even the lowest had a fifty thousand RMB limit. Moreover, Yang Yi had a few different credit cards due to the address he had provided when he applied for the cards.
Yang Yi first used his credit card to give his wardrobe a complete makeover by buying suits, matching shirts, pants, and neck ties. Although the clothes were not custom tailored, it was still a luxury brand and he had made numerous tries to find the most fitting sizes.
After selecting all the clothing from the store, Yang Yi thought for a while before taking out the credit card issued by the bank he disliked the most and swiped for forty-six thousand RMB.
Thinking about it, he would be going abroad, never to return. Moreover, his identity would also be erased. If that was the case, why should Yang Yi worry about paying off the cards?
What was there to worry about if he can get away with it? Probably saints and those who were timid would not commit such fraud, but Yang Yi, above all, was not a person of noble character. In fact, he did it fearlessly because the loss of a couple of thousand would not cause the bank to go bankrupt.
Since clothing had been bought, he would have to buy some shoes as well. Yang Yi was in a renowned. high-end shopping mall, and he just had to buy leather shoes from a luxury brand.
Yang Yi felt that the clothing he bought was still relatively inexpensive, given that the combined credit limit on his credit cards added up to hundreds of thousands of RMB. Originally he still had some reservation, but now it was all gone. He would swipe for even more expensive items.
Yang Yi had set his eyes on a pair of shoes priced at twenty thousand RMB. Though he had set his eyes on this luxury brand, he was still undecided on whether he should swipe for it.
After trying out the shoes for a while and deciding to have them packaged, Yang Yi realised there was some issue when he went to check out.
“I am sorry mister. There is some problem with your card,” the cashier said apologetically.
“Exceeded the limit? It can not be. This card should be fine,” Yang Yi said, handing her a different card.
“I am sorry. This card could not be used either.”
While Yang Yi stood there, stunned, his phone started ringing.
Li Fan unhurriedly said, “I must say, Yang Yi, could you let me have my peace of mind? Are you planning to swipe all six credit cards that you own? Regardless of your intentions, you will not have any more opportunities as I have stopped all the cards.”
Yang Yi was shocked. So, he had to tell the cashier the truth that his cards had been canceled and apologize before turning around to quickly leave the store under the puzzled look of the cashier and sales assistant.
“I must say, Uncle Li, you did not say I could not do this. Is there a need for you to cut off my only option so quickly?”
Yang Yi was quite resentful. He had just thought of a good idea for how to buy the things he needed and it was quickly interrupted by Li Fan.
Li Fan leisurely replied, “I had not thought of this. That is why I will not hold you to what you have managed to swipe. I will terminate the hand phone service last. You will also not need to worry about any outstanding amount owed to the bank. I will settle it for you.”
Yang Yi was dumbfounded and quickly said, “Your reaction a bit too fast is it not? How am I going to buy the rest of the stuff? I will not have any cash to take abroad either, will I? Uncle Li, why not leave me with one card? Uncle Li? Hello?”
The call had been terminated.
Yang Yi was crestfallen and there was nothing he could do about it. However, he quickly lightened up since he had managed to upgrade his wardrobe with the new clothing. He had still gotten something out of it. Sadly, his good mood was completely gone the moment he reached home.
As Yang Yi was surfing the internet, he discovered the QQ account (an instant messaging service) he had used for many years had suddenly disappeared. The account number had completely disappeared and it looked like it had never existed before. Yang Yi was truly frustrated.
Beside Yang Yi’s QQ account, his forum ID, his online shopping account along with its history, and his gaming accounts were all gone. All the accounts that he could think of had been erased. Even those accounts he had long forgotten had also disappeared.
Moreover, he found that even his hand phone had not managed to escape the same fate when he next opened it.
The external appearance notwithstanding, the hand phone was clean as if it had just been newly bought. Even the account to order take-out had been erased. Making phone calls and sending text messages were the only function that remained.
Yang Yi finally understood how a person who was totally exposed felt like. He then cried in sorrow.
“Fuck! was there a need to be so ruthless!?”
Yang Yi was still courteous enough to drive Xiao Ran home.
He then returned to his own home. Although it was not particularly spacious, a built-up space of more than seventy square meters could not be considered small given that this was the capital. Moreover, he was staying alone.
Looking at the familiar furnishing within the house, Yang Yi quickly subdued his sense of reluctance which had just resurfaced.
Yang Yi lay down on his bed while still wearing his current clothes. He then covered his head with a pillow.
After laying there for some time while recalling what had happened today, Yang Yi finally sat up and took out the note from his pocket.
While looking at it, Yang Yi stood up and went to the kitchen. He then turned on the stove and placed the note on top of the fire.
Yang Yi did not open the note again because he would never misremember the contents nor would he forget it.
Once the note was burned to ashes and scattered apart, Yang Yi turned off the stove without showing any emotion and took out his hand phone.
There were only five names and contact numbers within the, now burned, address book. Yang Yi could only mention that he had a matter that he needed their help with and thus decided to seek them out when he called. He did not have any other information on them. He could not even puzzle out their identity or nationality. he called.
The first name on the list was Phyllis. From the internet, Yang Yi had determined the international calling code for this person’s contact number was from the Netherlands. He had decided to make the calls starting from the first name on the list.
The call quickly went through after Yang Yi dialled the number. The dial tone only rang twice before the call was answered.
Yang Yi had expected to hear a foreign language. Instead, he heard a familiar voice.
“Why did you call so quickly? Did I or did I not tell you to call these numbers only after you had left the country? You should be a law-abiding citizen and not contact anyone while still in the country.”
The one who answered was Li Fan.
Although he had no idea how Li Fan had accomplished it, Yang Yi was sure it was very easy for Li Fan to monitor his calls and had intercepted this one to have a chat with him.
Yang Yi aggrievedly said, “I must say Uncle Li, could you not do this? It feels like I have no privacy. In the list, there are numbers from Netherlands, England, Poland, and United States. There is even one from Hong Kong. I am calling to determine where I should being going.”
Li Fan calmly answered, “You can call these numbers once you have reached England. You are not allowed to contact this number while you are still here. Yang Yi, it seems like you are still not aware what it could signify if the call actually originated from China. That is why my warning is not some idle talk.”
Yang Yi asked in distress, “Is there a need to go so far?”
“It is definitely necessary. It has been more than eleven years now, and nobody knows how they have changed. They might have been driven by profit just like your dad in the past, but now they could possibly be a spy for another country. There might or might not be any danger arising from making the call. It is your choice, and I have no right to interfere. However, I will have to put an end to this since it involves national security and there is a slight possibility of danger.”
“I understand. I am sorry. I will not make those calls again.”
With a sigh, Li Fan softly said, “I want to give you a piece of advice. When others are giving you a warning, do not get offended by the warning since there is a possibility for the discussion to end or turn hostile. It may even turn into a matter of life and death. Yang Yi, you still have not changed from thinking like a normal person. You will be entering a world without rules where the people will never give you a chance to make a second mistake nor offer you the opportunity to apologise.”
“I will remember it. Thanks for teaching me this.”
Li Fan sighed again. “You are plunging headlong into a world you do not even understand. I am really worried about your future. Yang Yi, can you not rush to make the phone call once you are abroad? You should broaden your knowledge abroad for a few years. After those few years when you have become more mature and not so reckless, only then should you slowly enter the dark side of this world. Whether it is as a spy or an intelligence broker, you are clueless as to what their world is like.”
“I will try my best Uncle Li. I do not dare to guarantee that I can do it though, as I am feeling a bit impatient.”
Once again, Li Fan answered with a sigh instead of saying anything over the phone.
“Well, you should rest early. You should think through how to move forward in the future. That is all I have to say.”
Li Fan ended the call. Staring at the hand phone which had turned silent, Yang Yi then made a call to another number.
Of course he would not call another number from the address book. This time, Yang Yi called one of his friends.
“Hello Brother Lee, I need your help... I would like to sell my car. Can you look for a buyer for me?... That is right. I want to sell it now... It is urgent... As long as they do not undercut the price too low, then sell it within the car circle. If the price is too low, I would rather sell the car myself... Ok. Thanks Brother Lee.”
After ending the call, Yang Yi threw the phone on the bed. He then took out the car keys and looked at them twice before looking at the bed and he hatefully exclaimed, “Fuck it! I am going to sleep!”
Yang Yi had really slept through the night, as if today’s events had not had a significant effect on him. If it was anyone else, they would not be able sleep at all.
Without a sturdy mindset, becoming a spy would have been a joke.
Although Yang Yi had yet to become a spy, as it was currently just a thought and goal he had set, he did have the sturdy mindset to become one.
On the second day, Yang Yi did not contact Xiao Ran.
Xiao Ran had given him both her current phone number and her U.S. number. She even told him how to contact her online. It was obvious she would like to maintain the relationship long term. However, Yang Yi had placed Xiao Ran together with his familiar life as part of his past.
He was settling all his debts and collecting all the monies owed. Since he was going abroad, there were also things he needed to prepare and purchase before leaving.
Yang Yi did not have any cash right now or, to be more accurate, he did not have much. Otherwise, he would not have become a TNC driver to earn money. Now that he would need to buy a lot of things, where was he going to get the money?
Yang Yi ended up eyeing his credit cards.
Although the credit cards limits were not extraordinarily high, even the lowest had a fifty thousand RMB limit. Moreover, Yang Yi had a few different credit cards due to the address he had provided when he applied for the cards.
Yang Yi first used his credit card to give his wardrobe a complete makeover by buying suits, matching shirts, pants, and neck ties. Although the clothes were not custom tailored, it was still a luxury brand and he had made numerous tries to find the most fitting sizes.
After selecting all the clothing from the store, Yang Yi thought for a while before taking out the credit card issued by the bank he disliked the most and swiped for forty-six thousand RMB.
Thinking about it, he would be going abroad, never to return. Moreover, his identity would also be erased. If that was the case, why should Yang Yi worry about paying off the cards?
What was there to worry about if he can get away with it? Probably saints and those who were timid would not commit such fraud, but Yang Yi, above all, was not a person of noble character. In fact, he did it fearlessly because the loss of a couple of thousand would not cause the bank to go bankrupt.
Since clothing had been bought, he would have to buy some shoes as well. Yang Yi was in a renowned. high-end shopping mall, and he just had to buy leather shoes from a luxury brand.
Yang Yi felt that the clothing he bought was still relatively inexpensive, given that the combined credit limit on his credit cards added up to hundreds of thousands of RMB. Originally he still had some reservation, but now it was all gone. He would swipe for even more expensive items.
Yang Yi had set his eyes on a pair of shoes priced at twenty thousand RMB. Though he had set his eyes on this luxury brand, he was still undecided on whether he should swipe for it.
After trying out the shoes for a while and deciding to have them packaged, Yang Yi realised there was some issue when he went to check out.
“I am sorry mister. There is some problem with your card,” the cashier said apologetically.
“Exceeded the limit? It can not be. This card should be fine,” Yang Yi said, handing her a different card.
“I am sorry. This card could not be used either.”
While Yang Yi stood there, stunned, his phone started ringing.
Li Fan unhurriedly said, “I must say, Yang Yi, could you let me have my peace of mind? Are you planning to swipe all six credit cards that you own? Regardless of your intentions, you will not have any more opportunities as I have stopped all the cards.”
Yang Yi was shocked. So, he had to tell the cashier the truth that his cards had been canceled and apologize before turning around to quickly leave the store under the puzzled look of the cashier and sales assistant.
“I must say, Uncle Li, you did not say I could not do this. Is there a need for you to cut off my only option so quickly?”
Yang Yi was quite resentful. He had just thought of a good idea for how to buy the things he needed and it was quickly interrupted by Li Fan.
Li Fan leisurely replied, “I had not thought of this. That is why I will not hold you to what you have managed to swipe. I will terminate the hand phone service last. You will also not need to worry about any outstanding amount owed to the bank. I will settle it for you.”
Yang Yi was dumbfounded and quickly said, “Your reaction a bit too fast is it not? How am I going to buy the rest of the stuff? I will not have any cash to take abroad either, will I? Uncle Li, why not leave me with one card? Uncle Li? Hello?”
The call had been terminated.
Yang Yi was crestfallen and there was nothing he could do about it. However, he quickly lightened up since he had managed to upgrade his wardrobe with the new clothing. He had still gotten something out of it. Sadly, his good mood was completely gone the moment he reached home.
As Yang Yi was surfing the internet, he discovered the QQ account (an instant messaging service) he had used for many years had suddenly disappeared. The account number had completely disappeared and it looked like it had never existed before. Yang Yi was truly frustrated.
Beside Yang Yi’s QQ account, his forum ID, his online shopping account along with its history, and his gaming accounts were all gone. All the accounts that he could think of had been erased. Even those accounts he had long forgotten had also disappeared.
Moreover, he found that even his hand phone had not managed to escape the same fate when he next opened it.
The external appearance notwithstanding, the hand phone was clean as if it had just been newly bought. Even the account to order take-out had been erased. Making phone calls and sending text messages were the only function that remained.
Yang Yi finally understood how a person who was totally exposed felt like. He then cried in sorrow.
“Fuck! was there a need to be so ruthless!?”
