The driver, seeing that the few people intercepting them were no longer in sight, quickly pulled down his sleeve, a hint of disgust in his eyes.
"Do you mind if I smoke?"
Li Haochen smiled and shook his head.
The driver opened the car window and lit a cigarette. After only two puffs, he flicked it out, his eyes filled with sadness. "I was once one of them. I did a lot of robberies, smuggling, extortion, and so on. Fortunately, I never took anyone's life. Precisely because I was a gang member, I naturally accumulated enemies. My parents and wife were retaliated against by my enemies..."
As he spoke, the driver became emotional and choked back a sob for a moment.
"Fortunately, my wife left me a pair of lovely children. It's because of them that I repented and have finally left that life. I still dislike them, but this mark hasn't been removed because it helps avoid a lot of trouble."
"There's a saying in our hometown: a prodigal son's return is worth more than gold. You will be happy. However, I still suggest you have this mark removed. That way, you will be a completely new you."
"A new me?"
The driver touched his arm and murmured to himself. After a moment, his gaze firmed, and he smiled, "Thank you. Starting today, I will be a new me."
Li Haochen smiled and said nothing, leaning back in his seat and dozing off. Perhaps he was too tired, as he fell asleep in no time.
"Sir, we've arrived at the airport!"
The driver's call woke Li Haochen. He rubbed his eyes and checked his watch. Over an hour had passed, and he had slept so long in the car. His alertness was so low, it was inexcusable. He felt a chill run down his spine thinking about it.
"Okay, thank you!"
Li Haochen walked to the trunk but found his backpack rummaged through and in a mess, leaving him speechless. When he saw his empty wallet, his mouth twitched. It was definitely that guy with the gun who had taken it. However, his identification and passport were still there, which gave him some relief. He considered it a loss to ward off disaster.
But... he had no money to pay for the taxi. Li Haochen searched through all the pockets of his backpack. What to do without cash? He couldn't use WeChat or Alipay. Was he going to be a fare dodger?
As he hesitated, the driver also got out. Seeing the disheveled backpack, he immediately knew what had happened. He had done such things himself back in the day.
"Mr. Li, has your wallet been rifled through?"
"Uh, yes... Wait for me for a moment. I'll go to the ATM inside the airport to get you the money."
The driver shook his head and smiled, "No need, Mr. Li. I should be the one thanking you. I'm going to give myself a new start."
Li Haochen didn't stand on ceremony. Not having money to pay was indeed troublesome. Going in and out again might make him miss his flight.
"Well... thank you so much." Li Haochen tidied his belongings, walked a few steps, then returned and said, "I have a small supermarket in Hawaii. If you don't mind a low income, I can arrange something."
The driver hadn't expected Li Haochen to invite him, but California was his root, and he had family here. Leaving was impossible. However, he was very grateful to Li Haochen, "Thank you, Mr. Li. I'll give you a reply after I've thought it through."
"Alright, I'll be going now. Come visit China if you have the chance. Goodbye!"
After saying goodbye to the black driver, Li Haochen shouldered his bag and hobbled into the airport. He was happy to be going home. Unknowingly, he had spent nearly twenty days in this country. His gains were immense. Setting aside the mountain of gold bars, the harvest of king crabs, abalone, lobsters, and the like was enough to excite him for quite some time. These were his foundations. Although their value was far less than the gold bars, it would be different in a few years.
He successfully bought a ticket, and the stone in his heart finally fell. He still had to wait for two hours, which was fine. He decided to grab something to eat. The fruit tart he had earlier was delicious, but it was too little. He was hungry now.
There wasn't much good food at the airports in this country. Most of it was baked goods, burgers, and pizza. Li Haochen was not picky anymore. He chose a beef burger and a cup of cappuccino. The two together only cost 25 dollars, which was relatively economical for this place.
Li Haochen found an empty seat and ate while waiting. Two hours passed in the blink of an eye. At this moment, the broadcast announced that it was time to board.
"Going home!"
Li Haochen smiled contentedly, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and walked towards the boarding gate. After successfully passing through security and boarding the plane in a dedicated vehicle, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. He was safe now.
This time, Li Haochen bought a first-class ticket. With billions in income, why should he be stingy with himself? If it weren't for fearing being too high-profile, he would have chartered a private jet to take him home.
"I need to get a big toy sometime."
Sitting on the plane, Li Haochen's mind was filled with thoughts of a Gulfstream. He would definitely return to this country. He hadn't even cleared all the abalone and king crabs yet. Billions upon billions of dollars in value – how could he let them go? Especially the abalone, which was currently under embargo. Once the ban was lifted, it would be too late for him.
As he gazed out the window, pondering how to exploit this country again, a fragrance as fresh and elegant as orchids wafted into Li Haochen's nostrils. It was so pleasant that he couldn't help but take a deep sniff.
Turning around, he saw a stunningly beautiful Caucasian woman sitting next to him. Her hands were like young ginger shoots, her skin like congealed fat, her neck like the stem of a gourd, and her teeth like melon seeds. She was so pleasing to the eye that Li Haochen couldn't help but look at her a few more times.
At this moment, the woman suddenly turned her head, and her eyes met Li Haochen's. It felt like being caught peeking. Li Haochen's cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and he nodded awkwardly at the woman.
The woman didn't think Li Haochen was impolite. She extended her jade-like hand and smiled charmingly, "Hello!"
Li Haochen was stunned. Her Mandarin was even more accurate than his, and it sounded so pleasant that he felt his ears were pregnant. Even many announcers couldn't compare.
"Hello, your Chinese is very standard."
Li Haochen gently shook her hand and then let go. He was from a land of etiquette and couldn't disgrace his country's image. If she had initiated their cultural kissing etiquette, he wouldn't have minded going international.
"Interesting man."
The woman was quite confident in her beauty. She hadn't expected Li Haochen to be so composed. Observing his actions, it didn't seem like he was deliberately trying to be indifferent, which made her a little curious.