5: A closer contact

Li Qinghe naturally didn't stand on ceremony, thoroughly enjoying the feel of her shiny black braid.

It made the slightly shy girl's cheeks flush as red as two apples.

"A Ling, we've seen the room. Let's go have lunch first, then I'll take you back to the factory."

Li Qinghe naturally took Nguyen Thi Linh's hand and walked out.

The seemingly brash action wasn't rejected; only the girl behind him still had a deep blush of shyness on her face.

Li Qinghe led the girl downstairs. Next to the rented room was a narrow street lined with restaurants and cafes, interspersed with quite a few barbershops and Vietnamese baguette shops.

"What do you like to eat, A Ling?" With her soft little hand in his, Li Qinghe was a bit reluctant to let go.

He wasn't a virgin who had never seen a woman; having dated three girlfriends in college, he had both theory and practice, but this type of girl was truly a first for him.

"You choose, Big Brother, I'm not picky."

Held by Li Qinghe's strong hand, Nguyen Thi Linh was a little dizzy, but she still politely answered his question.

She didn't know why things had suddenly become this way, nor why she hadn't refused.

She just felt, from the bottom of her heart, that she shouldn't refuse, and obediently let Li Qinghe lead her into this lively street.

Both sides of the street were packed with motorcycles. Most customers walked, weaving through the various shops. Occasionally, a car that had mistakenly entered the street would move with difficulty.

Looking at the various restaurants, Li Qinghe knew he wouldn't get an answer from Nguyen Thi Linh, because the girl he held by his side also had a bewildered look in her eyes.

Since Nguyen Thi Linh wasn't picky, Li Qinghe directly led her into a self-service barbecue restaurant.

At the owner's recommendation, he ordered a barbecue platter combo enough for two people.

Soon after, the owner brought all the barbecue tools and food.

A round iron plate with charcoal underneath was the main tool for grilling.

The meat was yellow beef and pork, a full basin's worth, plus a plate of shrimp, a plate of fried spring rolls, a basin of green vegetables, a bowl of small green lemons, two dishes of Vietnamese soul dipping sauce, and a dish of chili sauce.

Li Qinghe didn't order beer, because there were penalties for drunk driving here, and he still had to take Nguyen Thi Linh back to the factory later. Not drinking while driving was a responsible attitude towards himself and others.

Once Nguyen Thi Linh moved in, there would be plenty of opportunities to drink.

Most shops in Vietnam had small tables and chairs, so sitting on them almost always meant hunching over.

The other customers at other tables in the shop were all in the same posture.

"Big Brother, leave the grilling to me."

Nguyen Thi Linh, who had been very shy just now, actively started to get busy after sitting down and asking the owner how to operate it.

Nguyen Thi Linh brushed a layer of butter on the grill, neatly arranged the meat on the iron plate with chopsticks, and soon a rich aroma of meat, accompanied by a wisp of smoke, filled the air around the grill.

Nguyen Thi Linh skillfully grilled the meat and vegetables, showing an extremely virtuous side.

Just from her grilling actions, it seemed she must have done a lot of housework at home.

The grilled meat and vegetables were constantly placed in Li Qinghe's bowl. A slight smile appeared on Nguyen Thi Linh's face, as if she found her value in grilling.

"A Ling, you should eat quickly too."

Li Qinghe divided a good amount of meat and vegetables from his own bowl into Nguyen Thi Linh's bowl.

"Big Brother, I don't eat much."

"You need to eat enough to have energy to work. A Ling still has to work this afternoon, so you must eat a little more."

The two of them sat around the grill, slowly eating and chatting.

Nguyen Thi Linh occasionally flipped the large shrimp on the grill. These palm-sized shrimp quickly sizzled and bubbled under the butter's heat.

Perhaps doing something made her feel more relaxed; her conversation with Li Qinghe also gained some of the liveliness typical of a girl her age.

Li Qinghe subtly inquired about Nguyen Thi Linh's past and preferences.

Because he was going to work with her, he hoped to learn as much as possible about this beautiful girl.

Spending money was a small matter, but being disgusted in the end would be a very unpleasant experience.

So Li Qinghe smiled and talked about many things with this beautiful foreign girl, who was four years younger than him.

The first essential element for smooth communication is a common language.

The second is the necessity of a connection.

Now, Li Qinghe and Nguyen Thi Linh had both communication elements in place.

During their conversation, he learned that Nguyen Thi Linh had actually been accepted into university, but due to her family's financial situation, she wanted to create better living conditions for her younger siblings and chose to work in Hanoi.

Li Qinghe didn't thump his chest and say things like, "I'll cover your university tuition."

He simply praised Nguyen Thi Linh's sacrifice and dedication, and at the same time, told her that she would soon be able to earn tuition for her younger siblings and improve her family's life.

This made Nguyen Thi Linh feel that this tall foreign man seemed to understand her very well, and his words made her feel much more secure, because what Li Qinghe described was exactly what she had imagined.

Thinking of her mother and younger siblings' smiling faces, she felt even more closeness towards Li Qinghe in her heart.

Through Li Qinghe's sharing, she also learned some things about him, including that he came to Hanoi, Vietnam, right after graduating from university.

However, Li Qinghe did not tell Nguyen Thi Linh about his family situation; he only told her that she wouldn't have to worry about money in the future.

It's said that in this world, enough money can solve 99% of problems, whether practical or psychological. His 'not short on money' attitude was exactly what Nguyen Thi Linh urgently needed.

The two deepened their understanding of each other through their conversation.

By the end of the meal, their relationship was much closer than when they first entered the restaurant, because all the shrimp Li Qinghe ate were peeled by Nguyen Thi Linh. This kind of pampered life made Li Qinghe feel extremely comfortable.

The meal cost a total of 520,000 vietnamese dong, which is about 150 dragon country currency, a relatively good value for money.

When Li Qinghe dropped Nguyen Thi Linh back at the factory, he could feel half of her body pressed against his back. This physical action indicated Nguyen Thi Linh's psychological acceptance of him, even a hint of closeness.

Li Qinghe first took Nguyen Thi Linh to the rented room to get a set of clothes. She didn't want to take so many to the factory, leaving the rest there, as she would be moving in three days anyway.

Nguyen Thi Linh hesitated for a moment among a pile of shopping bags, then picked up one bag.

Li Qinghe didn't pay attention to which piece of clothing she took.

"Big Brother, can I have an electric fan?"

After Nguyen Thi Linh had chosen her clothes, she carefully made a request. Judging by her demeanor, if Li Qinghe had hesitated even a little, she would have immediately given up the idea.

"No problem, I'll go buy one tomorrow." Li Qinghe agreed without hesitation.

An electric fan wouldn't cost much, and creating a comfortable environment for his first employee was very necessary.

Receiving such a firm reply from Li Qinghe, Nguyen Thi Linh's eyes brightened considerably.

She lowered her head slightly, making a somewhat shy request for Li Qinghe to take her back to the factory.

Sitting on the motorcycle again, Li Qinghe once again felt the soft half of her body, gentle yet with a hint of elasticity—the most beautiful youth of a young girl.

Half an hour later, Li Qinghe waved goodbye to the reluctant Nguyen Thi Linh at the factory gate, agreeing to pick her up there in three days.

On the way back, Li Qinghe filled up 100,000 vietnamese dong worth of gasoline at a gas station.

Vietnamese people have a reason to like riding motorcycles; a little gas can take them a long way.

There are many small vendors along the roads in Vietnam who sell gasoline bottle by bottle, carried in mineral water bottles.

But Li Qinghe habitually refueled at a gas station.

Because many Chinese bloggers in Vietnam had told him that cheap things are not good, and that the gasoline from these small vendors was mixed with who knows how many other things, running out of fuel quickly.

Having sorted out the first employee and bought a large amount of equipment,

Li Qinghe had less than 7 million dong left of all his assets, but he wasn't worried at all, because his account had gained more followers again.

Currently, the number of followers in the backend was 5573, meaning the number of followers had increased by 335 from morning until now. By midnight, he could earn another half a W.

After dropping Nguyen Thi Linh back at the factory, Li Qinghe had nothing else to do. He temporarily didn't want to film anything; his plan for tomorrow was to find a gym and shoot a fitness video.

Because the increase of several hundred followers today proved that pleasing fans' minds and bodies with beautiful things was an encouraging endeavor.

Since he had already pleased his new fans in the morning, Li Qinghe decided to use his less than 7 million dong to please himself.

With nothing to do, he went to listen to music at a brothel.