Although the sky is gray-blue, when you walk on the streets of the Chicago River, your eyes are filled with the warm yellow light of sodium lamps, and there are also cold-toned light beams of LEDs. When you look up, you can see the towers surrounded by blue and white lights standing in the building.
It is like a large-scale work of art. The seamless compatibility of cold and warm colors proves that the construction of the CBD area can still show a sense of high-end and beauty even without colorful neon lights.
The time now can only be considered evening, and the streets are still bustling with people and traffic.
Although Chicago is known as the Sin City, in fact most of the accident-prone areas every year are limited to remote neighborhoods, subway stations and laneways. In the truly economically prosperous CBD area, people are still coming and going even at 11 or 12 p.m.
The possibility of violent bloodshed is not high.
On the long riverside scenic road, Lin Nian tugged on the collar of his sweatshirt, letting the river breeze blowing from the sparkling Chicago River on the left get into his clothes. The orange-gold river water flowed down the river, and the iron bridge on the river
It was raised up to allow many lighted cruise ships that patrol the river at night to pass slowly.
Lin Nian put his hands into his trouser pockets. The temperature in Chicago at night was no longer as scorching as it was during the day, but in such a noisy and bustling city, even the occasional wind was full of steaming warmth, making people's minds wander.
The nostrils are dilated and I can't help but take a few more breaths. It's part of the glitz and glamor of the big city at night.
In the end, they chose to walk. Maybe it was a coincidence. The Hyatt Hotel and the pizza shop Su Xiaoqiang booked were not far away. It was only about 1.5 miles. Taking into account the traffic problems during the evening rush hour, it was estimated that it would cost fifteen miles.
Minutes go up. On the contrary, walking will be more convenient and the effect of traveling will be better. Just walk south along the Chicago River outside the Hyatt Regency Hotel and you can get there.
According to Su Xiaoqiang's plan for tonight's activities, after eating pizza, they can walk directly east along the street and soon reach the Green Park near Lake Michigan, where the Art Institute of Chicago and the famous Millennium Park are located.
and the Crown Fountain. The silver pea where the protagonist in the science fiction movie "Source Code" was released in the first half of the year, that is, the "Cloud Gate" where the protagonist finally stopped, is in that area.
Lin Nian had no objections to this plan, or he was tolerant of many of Su Xiaoqiang's requests. In this way, he gradually brought the originally reserved and restrained girl back to her original state over the course of a whole school year.
That little goddess who is always in high spirits, lively and indulgent.
As for whether she would get into trouble occasionally, Lin Nian never worried about these issues. Although Su Xiaoqiang was happy, she handled some interpersonal relationships and local affairs much better than Lin Nian.
With the advantage of cultivated emotional intelligence, you can know whether to advance or retreat at many times.
This can be seen from the time when she was managing the close relationship between herself and Lin Nian in high school. Even if she lost some wisdom due to love, she and Lin Nian have always been in a relatively safe and safe relationship.
Distance and handling of interpersonal relationships are both excellent.
During the summer vacation when he returned to Binhai City after the first academic year, apart from the "daily routine" prescribed by the college, Su Xiaoqiang spent most of his time dealing with the affairs of Su's father's local company in Binhai City.
Recently, I heard that the country had received rumors in advance that the country might re-pave the "Silk Road" and prepare to launch a national economic strategy. The Su Group's strategic direction has gradually turned to cooperation with the Third World, that is, vigorously deepening peace and cooperation with the Third World.
Mining transactions between developing countries use rare earth and molybdenum resources, which account for the largest proportion of enterprises, to complement bauxite, iron, potash and other minerals.
During the summer vacation, at a family banquet where Lin Nian was present, Su's father drank too much and boasted to Lin Nian that their people had discovered a nearly 10-million-ton mineral deposit in Turkey in the Black Sea Basin.
As an Asian mining company, he is deepening cooperation with Turkish officials through the green channel laid for the "Silk Road" and trying to get the mining rights. At the same time, he is contacting the Laurent family in Europe to request mining technology.
Support, although it is unlikely that he will directly eat the entire mine in the end, but as long as this thing can be done and he gets a share of the pie, then his title as the boss of the largest mine in Asia will be confirmed.
In fact, Lin Nian never thought that Su Huaquan was so capable. Perhaps Elizabeth Laurent, who had promised to support the mining industry, also did not expect it, but it is true that this middle-aged man single-handedly deepened the relationship between a school board member and
Lin Nian’s connection (the Laurent family tacitly acknowledged that Su Huaquan’s future career was laid for Lin Nian in advance).
People who know these secrets say that Su Xiaoqiang has a good life, and that a person's left and right hands only hold power and strength in his life, and money is power. In this regard, Su Xiaoqiang does have a good father who dares to fight. I'm afraid that within a year, she will
With the additional title of 'Su Family's Daughter', even in a mixed race world, when enough money and power are accumulated to produce a qualitative change, they will receive the same amount of respect.
As for power, Lin Nian, who has been standing behind Su Xiaoqiang, is the perfect representative. The forces of Hilbert Jean Angers have been tied up with the interest groups behind this girl, regardless of each other.
This also gave Su Xiaoqiang at Kassel College the nickname "2nd Princess Austin", which means "Jaen", the talented woman who wrote "Pride and Prejudice" and is known as the originator of Mary Sue dramas.
The writer probably feels that everything Su Xiaoqiang gets now is so beautiful that it makes people envious and jealous.
It's a very classic "Anne Hathaway effect", but nothing too extreme happened. From time to time in the Night Watch forum, someone would try to bitch "Princess Austin" and beat her bones hard.
Try to snatch the non-existent diamond crown on her head.
Su Xiaoqiang never responded to these slightly malicious posts, and she never expressed disgust for the title of "2nd Austin Princess"... because she found that among her roommates in the same dormitory, the student named Chen Motong
My sister is the "1st Princess Austin" - who told the red-haired witch to take over "Prince Gattuso" when she came to Kassel?
The pearl comes first. Whenever Su Xiaoqiang is ridiculed by the nickname "2nd Austin Princess", she will humbly retaliate with the words Chen Motong taught her: Everything I do now is just a poor imitation of senior Nono.
This collusive Austin Alliance really left others with no choice but to stop the rumors. After all, most of the girls at Cassel Academy are not in bad condition. This does not mean that they have more choices and therefore give up easily.
But it is precisely because their conditions are so great, their excellent bloodlines and cutting-edge education give them extreme self-confidence, so they have always been good girls who never give up.
Under the policy of the Chinese Academy, everyone in the academy has more or less mastered some idioms, and what is certain is that those girls have the same idiom in their idiom vocabulary, which is polished and polished every day, gaining momentum.
Ready to go.
This idiom is called: The future is long.
Lin Nian raised his head and glanced in front of him. Su Xiaoqiang was playing with the new girl named Xia Mi. The girl was indeed made of sugar and spices. When mixed together, some sparks and warmth were produced and they turned into a lump.
divide each other.
The two of them should have completely played together before they knew each other for more than a day. This may be due to the fact that Su Xiaoqiang has some elements of social terror in it, or the girl named Xia Mi was so sweet when she saw Su Xiaoqiang.
The sweet "Senior Sister" really touched the heart of the little goddess, and she immediately waved her hand and said: This junior sister, I am hot!
Judging from their current close relationship, Lin Nian feels that once the seven-day stay in Chicago is over, he will have to be a seat in the Lion Heart Club when he returns to the college. Today, the confrontation between the Lion Heart Club and the Student Union is getting stronger and stronger.
, the Lion Heart Club recruits one more student who is very likely to be rated 'A' in the 3E exam, which has to be said to have put another powerful weight on the scale.
Having found a new student with 'A' level potential so easily, should I try to ask Chu Zihang to put the little goddess into the new recruitment department of this year's Lion Heart Club?
Lin Nian, who was blowing the river breeze, looked at the backs of the two girls. One of them was wearing a summer skirt, the other was wearing hot pants and a white T-shirt with one shoulder exposed. Their arms were pressed together like a pair of best friends who had known each other for many years.
The shadows cast by the halo are so beautiful, attracting many pedestrians on the roadside.
A fashionable street photographer also offered to take a photo of them on the Chicago River, and they did not refuse, showing off their smiling faces without any pretense under the flash.
Lin Nian stood not far away and looked at them until one of them seemed to notice and turned to look towards him.
The girl named Xia Mi was looking at him. Under the river breeze and the warm orange sodium lamp, she raised her hand to stop the hair that had been blown by the wind at the tip of her nose. There was a straight golden river above her head, and her eyes were slightly brown.
It reflects the entire Chicago evening.
A very beautiful girl.
This was the first time that Lin Nian took a closer look at her face. After learning about the existence of such a girl from Su Xiaoqiang's phone call in the morning, it was only now that he "met" this girl named Xia Mi for the first time.
girl.
Should we call them a family? Lin Nian stopped and turned to look at the boy who had been following him and tugging at the tail of his sweatshirt... and sighed inexplicably.
At the same time, Lu Mingfei, who was standing next to Chu Zihang after the shooting, pointed at his nose and seemed to want to take a photo, but the photographer politely said that it was 30 US dollars per photo and no bargaining was allowed. He was in trouble.
After Ming Fei gave a gray nose, the photographer turned to look at Lin Nian, his eyes lit up, and he ran over quickly.
"Can I take a photo of you two? It's free, but I hope you can keep a negative to promote your work."
Lin Nian turned his head, glanced at the photographer, and then at Xia Wang behind him. The boy was still turning his head to look at the glittering Chicago River. The night view of the bustling city seemed to be even more attractive to him than during the day.
Those blue eyes had been wide open since leaving the Hyatt Regency Hotel, as if they wanted to put every shining light in the city into them.
"No need." Lin Nian said. He has never been interested in taking photos. The awareness of anti-reconnaissance during the training of the execution department led him to avoid any behavior that might be photographed during field missions. When he saw the camera in the corner, he wanted to grab a gun.
Take that shot.
"You can take a photo! Brother, you are very photogenic!" A lively voice came from the front. From behind the photographer, Lin Nian saw Xia Mi jumping over with his hands behind his back.
"No, you should shoot with your brother more than me." Lin Nian said lightly, taking a step sideways, and the boy holding the tail of his clothes was revealed from behind.
"I don't need it, I just took the photo." Xia Mi stood in front of Lin Nian and looked at this senior brother, his eyes filled with the halo of the lights.
"But you haven't taken pictures with him." Lin Nian ignored the pretty girl's lively eyes and spoke in a very flat tone. Maybe even he himself didn't notice a trace of emotion in that flat tone.
"Go over and take a photo with your sister." Lin Nian gently held Xia Wang's back with his right hand, brought him to Xia Mi's side, and then walked forward without waiting for Xia Mi to say anything.
When he was about to leave, he felt resistance on his clothes. When he looked back, it was Xia Wang who was holding him, as if he didn't want him to leave.
"Okay... Xia Wang, don't bother senior brother." Xia Mi gently untied Xia Wang's hand from Lin Nian's. He seemed to have noticed something and glanced at Lin Nian apologetically.
But Xiawang didn't let go.
"Be obedient." Lin Nian looked at Xia Wang and said softly.
The hand holding his clothes loosened.
Lin Nian wanted to say something else, but in the end he just shook his head and walked away without saying anything. After a while, the photographer's voice came from behind asking the two people to adjust their posture and position.
Chu Zihang, who was standing by a tree not far away, watched Lin Nian approaching and asked in a moderate voice, "What's wrong?"
"What's wrong?"
Chu Zihang didn't say anything, but turned his attention to Xia Mi, who was taking photos with Xia Wang in his arms. The meaning was self-evident.
Chu Zihang realized that Lin Nian was already slightly dissatisfied with Xia Mi, a new student, even before they met him. As for the reason... it could only be because of Xia Wang.
But Lin Nian still said, "It's just a small matter."
Regarding the fact that Xia Mi was not optimistic about Xia Wang, Lin Nian felt a little disconnected in his heart, but he never showed it.
Some things are so small in themselves that it seems unnecessary to say them, but if you don't say them, the connection will always be there and deep-rooted.
"I'll have a few words with her later," Chu Zihang said.
"No, it's just a new student. Please keep an eye on that child. He's quite worried." Lin Nian waved his hand and walked forward to find Su Xiaoqiang in front of him.
Chu Zihang stood under the tree and looked at the two siblings taking pictures not far away. Before the white light of the SLR camera flashed, there was only a faint black outline of the girl with her back to the golden river.
Before the photographer took the photo, Xia Mi suddenly raised his right hand high, straightening every line of the black outline. Every line was so moving. The raised arm was like a swan's neck, blending into the
into the golden river flowing behind.
Suddenly, the cicadas chirped from the tree overhead. It was a rare thing to hear cicadas chirping at night. Once it started, it was out of control. Cicadas from one end of the street to the other began to chirp.
The photographer pressed the shutter and exposed the flash, illuminating the figures of the brother and sister, but Chu Zihang did not continue to look at it. He walked forward when the cicadas were chirping. Maybe even he didn't notice himself.
His pace was a little faster than usual, as if if he didn't move, something would catch up with him from behind.
－－－－－－Digression－－－－－
ps: I recommend a book, a work by a former SF boss, "Death Once, I Will Be Invincible", a new book called Seedlings, the level of which is at least guaranteed.