Power and Wealth

3rd October, Dong Xuebing was discharged from the hospital. It was the third day of the National Day holidays.

State Security is different from the rest of the government agencies. Other than National Day, the staffs had to work on Oct 2nd and 3rd in shifts. Everyone had to return to work on 4th Oct. Today was Dong Xuebing could rest before he returns to work. He returned home with Qu Yunxuan and saw his small one-bedroom apartment. He got the familiar feeling as he sat on his couch.

Aunt Xuan helped him keep all his belongs: “Hehe…… The home still feel the best?”

Dong Xuebing replied. “Of course. I am almost going bonkers at the hospital. It was so boring!”

“Ok. I had escorted you safely back home, and I should go. I still must work overtime during the holidays.” Qu Yunxuan helped Dong Xuebing pour a cup of hot tea and pinched his cheeks playfully: “Sister Luan is not returning back to Beijing for the holidays? Then you stay at home alone. If you need anything, just send me a message. Don’t go out by yourself and wait at home for me. Bye.”

“Ok. Bye.”

Clicked. The door closes.

Dong Xuebing had fully recovered from his injuries. He got up and wanted to cook a bowl of egg tomato soup. But after the soup was cooked, he discovered he had run out of vinegar. He finished his soup and took the empty bottle to the supermarket nearby. While walking to the supermarket, he thought back on how Aunt Xuan took care of him the past few days, and he smiled.

Was there anyone else that’s as virtuous as Aunt Xuan in this world?

Was there anyone else that’s as pretty as Aunt Xuan in this world?

No.

There’s no one else as virtuous and pretty as her.

Dong Xuebing was still letting his imaginations run wild when he saw a stunning beauty appearing in his sights. He was shocked. He looked at that slim figure. The woman was standing under a tree using her phone. Her hair was tied into a bun and was wearing a suit. Her eyes were a crescent shape with long lashes and had a small face which was beautiful beyond words.

There’s really someone as pretty as Aunt Xuan.

Dong Xuebing took in a deep breath. He was a normal man and likes to look at pretty women. He pretended to be waiting for someone and kept stealing glances at that woman. The woman should be about slightly older than him. She looked mature, and her movements were graceful.

Many passers-by also notice this beautiful woman and all of them were looking at her.

Dong Xuebing noticed a skinny man walked past that woman and stopped behind her. He seems to be looking at the woman carefully.

This graceful woman ignored everyone’s looks and continued to smile and talks on the phone: “Old Zhou, it is not that I am not helping you…… It is beyond my ability to help…… Yes…… You can ask Xiao An. He is close to Minister Zhao. Ok?” After talking on the phone for a while, she hung up and kept the phone into her opened handbag. She turned and walked away in her back heels.

Dong Xuebing took his eyes off her and start walking back towards his home.

Sigh…… All he could do was to look at the woman from far. He knew he was not good enough for this type of women.

After taking two steps, Dong Xuebing heard a sweet woman’s voice: “Eh? Where is my wallet?” Dong Xuebing turned around and saw the woman searching her handbag. She then looked around on the ground.

A kind old lady went up to her and asked: “You can’t find your wallet? Did you drop it somewhere?”

The woman frowned: “I should not have dropped it. It was still in my bag 2 minutes ago when I was on the phone.”

“Oh, then your wallet should be stolen.”

2 minutes ago?

Dong Xuebing paused. He remembered that skinny man standing very close to her when she was on the phone just now. He stopped beside her for about 2 seconds. Damn! That was a pickpocket?

BACK!

……

Time returns back to 1 minute ago.

The woman was still on the phone under the tree.

“Old Zhou, it is not that I am not helping you…… It is beyond my ability to help…… Yes…… You can ask Xiao An. He is close to Minister Zhao. Ok?” The woman was smiling as she talks on the phone. 2 meters from her, the skinny man walked away from her quickly with his hands covering his stomach.

Dong Xuebing put down his bottle of vinegar on the floor and ran over.

The bystanders were looking at him as he tried to make as little noise as he ran. When he was closer to the skinny man, he pounced onto him. “Stop!”

The skinny man fell onto the floor and shouted: “What are you doing?”

“What am I doing? You should know what I am doing. Where is the wallet?” Dong Xuebing got into a tussle with that man.

The skinny man was very confident of his pickpocketing skills. He thought no one would know he had taken that woman’s wallet. But this man exposed him and was very sure that he had stolen the wallet. The skinny man was shocked and frightened. He quickly broke off Dong Xuebing’s grip and threw a leather wallet on the floor before running away.

Dong Xuebing saw that man had left the wallet behind and did not give chase. That skinny man might have accomplices around, and Dong Xuebing might be ambushed or stabbed if he gave chase.

That beautiful woman looked at Dong Xuebing puzzledly. She still does not understand why this young man got into a fight with that skinny man. But when she saw the wallet in Dong Xuebing’s hand, she was stunned. She immediately hangs up the phone and checks her handbag.

Dong Xuebing got up from the floor and walked over to pass the wallet back to that pretty woman. “That man had stolen your wallet.”

“Oh……” The woman took the wallet from Dong Xuebing and shook his hand. “I was on the phone and did not notice it. Thank you. Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine.” Dong Xuebing shook her hand. His heart had skipped a beat.

The woman looks prettier closer. It’s hard to find words to describe her beauty.

After some pleasantries, the woman’s handphone rang again. She thanked Dong Xuebing again. “I still have something to attend to. Give me your number, and I will treat you to dinner some other day.” From her tone, this woman seems like a leader at her workplace. The way she speaks was commanding.

Dong Xuebing had wanted to reject her offer, but he could not resist her charms. He told her his mobile number.

The woman took out a notebook and jotted down his number. “Ok. I will contact you another day. Bye.”

Dong Xuebing was still in a daze as he looked at that woman walked away.

Sigh…… Whoever that marries her must be blessed by all his ancestors.