18: Crossing Shanhaiguan

Night had fallen. On the beach in Gangcheng, a slender figure sat alone, letting the sea breeze brush against him. The only sound in his ears was the low, rhythmic echo of waves lapping against the sand, as if the entire world had fallen into silence.

Jiang Yuan sat on a small folding chair on the beach, with a few bottles of iced Harbin Beer casually placed beside him. He held a cigarette with a glowing red cherry between his fingertips, his gaze fixed on the expanse of the ocean, which was as black as ink.

This was the first time in his life he had seen the ocean with his own eyes. Unexpectedly, he felt no fear or unease; instead, his heart was filled with an unprecedented sense of joy.

Even though the ocean at night was boundless, unfathomably deep, and silent, save for the rhythmic sound of the waves—a scene that could easily inspire awe or even fear—Jiang Yuan found himself fond of this vast and somewhat mysterious feeling.

"Yo, Brother Jiang, why are you sitting here drinking alone?"

Just then, the figures of the two brothers, Zhao Xin and Li Yu, suddenly appeared not far away. They were carrying a large bag of unidentifiable food. Zhao Xin spoke up first to greet him, while Li Yu, cradling a pack of beer, walked quickly to Jiang Yuan's side.

"Zhao Xin, Li Yu, how did you guys find me?"

Jiang Yuan turned around, a hint of surprise on his face. He hadn't told these two that he was coming to the beach.

"We were planning to ask you to join us for a drink, Brother Jiang, but there was no response when we knocked on your door. Then we realized you'd snuck off here to drink by yourself," Zhao Xin explained with a smile, his tone tinged with the smugness of someone who had uncovered a "secret."

"So, the two of us ordered some takeout, brought some beer and snacks, and figured we'd all liven things up together!"

He took the items out of the bag, placed them on the small table next to Jiang Yuan, and then deftly pulled out two folding stools. The three of them sat down, forming a circle.

The two brothers were staying in the same detached villa as Jiang Yuan, so it was easy for them to notice he wasn't in his room.

The beach was quiet at this moment, with no other tourists around, making it the perfect spot for the three of them to gather.

Zhao Xin had bought a pile of duck snacks as a side dish for the drinks—duck heads, necks, webs, wings... there was a wide variety, and the aroma was intoxicating. It was the dream combination for any drinker.

Jiang Yuan picked up a duck head and took a bite. The sweet and spicy flavor instantly stimulated his taste buds, and he couldn't help but praise it. He really loved this taste.

"Come on, cheers!"

Jiang Yuan raised his beer bottle, signaling to the two of them with a smile.

He had never had any real friends growing up and had always lived in silence on his own. Although he was not exactly antisocial, he was not particularly outgoing or lively either, so he envied Zhao Xin's natural "social butterfly" trait—the ability to easily hit it off with anyone.

"Brother Jiang, you said that was just your private bank consultant, not your girlfriend. In that case, I have an older sister..."

After a few gulps of beer, Zhao Xin's courage grew. He leaned in close to Jiang Yuan, lowered his voice, and began to "promote" his sister.

"In your dreams! How old is your sister anyway!"

Hearing Zhao Xin's "sales pitch," Li Yu immediately interrupted him, his tone filled with disdain.

"Brother Jiang, I have a younger sister... she just turned eighteen this year and is currently studying abroad in Japan. What do you think..."

Li Yu was not to be outdone. He also leaned in close to Jiang Yuan, whispering even more quietly with a sly glint in his eyes.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan's face darkened. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. What were these two trying to do? Why were they both starting to set him up with their sisters?

The two of them bantered back and forth beside him, bickering playfully. One wanted Jiang Yuan to be his brother-in-law, and the other wanted him to be his sister's husband. It was quite an amusing scene.

"Hmm, I'll give it some serious thought."

Jiang Yuan responded with a smile, playing along with the joke, but then his tone turned somewhat somber. "It's a pity I don't have any sisters to introduce to you guys. I'm just an orphan—no parents, no family, no relatives..."

Jiang Yuan had been joking in the first half of the sentence, but the second half revealed the loneliness buried deep in his heart, and the atmosphere grew heavy.

"Brother Jiang..."

Hearing these words, the playfulness on Zhao Xin and Li Yu's faces instantly vanished, replaced by a touch of guilt and heartache.

"It's fine, that was all a long time ago. I've already moved past it."

Jiang Yuan drank another bottle of beer and gave a carefree smile, dissipating the heaviness in the air.

The crate of beer was quickly polished off by the three of them, but feeling like it wasn't enough, they ordered another one via delivery.

It wasn't until the second crate was finished that the three of them, satisfied, cleaned up the trash and went back inside to rest.

Because they had to hit the road again tomorrow, they didn't dare stay up too late.

In truth, these were reasons for Zhao Xin and Li Yu to get to sleep early, but for Jiang Yuan, it wasn't really an issue. After all, his physique had been enhanced by the system—it wasn't as simple as 1+1=2; he was far stronger than the average person, so even if he only slept for three or four hours a day, he could maintain abundant energy.

The next morning, Zhao Xin and Li Yu boarded Jiang Yuan's brabus g900 early, having entrusted their own AMG C63 to a shipping company to be transported back.

Driving the whole way themselves would have been too exhausting, but the main reason was perhaps that they preferred to sit in Jiang Yuan's multi-million level luxury car for the entire journey, experiencing the ultimate comfort and prestige.

The brabus g900 drove smoothly along the coastline. Jiang Yuan personally crossed the historic Shanhai Pass, witnessing the majestic spectacle of the Great Wall winding its way into the sea, and even saw the place where Qin Shi Huang once sought immortality by the ocean.

These were places he had previously only seen as text and pictures in textbooks, but now, he was seeing them with his own eyes and experiencing them in person, feeling the weight of history and the breathtaking craftsmanship of nature.

Watching videos on a phone a thousand times over could never compare to the reality and impact of visiting in person; the feeling was completely different. Jiang Yuan was now experiencing this profound realization firsthand.

Once they got on the highway, Jiang Yuan did the driving for the entire day, enjoying the pleasure of driving and the scenery along the way. Before he knew it, night had fallen again, and they had just arrived at their destination for the night.

It was the Park Hyatt Hotel, located in the Wanda Resort within the Fukulun Lake Scenic Area.

Guided respectfully by the doorman, the brabus g900 drove into the Park Hyatt Hotel area.

There were only a few cars parked inside the hotel grounds, making it seem very quiet and sparsely populated. There were hardly any tourists in the lobby, but the interior decor was extremely grand and the details were sophisticated; it looked much more upscale than a standard five-star hotel.

The overall style was dominated by wood and stone. It didn't feel too dark or heavy; instead, through clever lighting design, it looked very warm and comfortable, full of natural texture.

"Hello, Mr. Jiang."

Seeing Jiang Yuan walk over, the receptionist immediately stood up with a polite and professional smile. At the same time, her gaze caught Jiang Yuan's exceptionally handsome features, and a flicker of subtle surprise flashed in her eyes.

"You have booked a three-day, two-night stay in a detached villa, which includes an outdoor heated hot spring, a package ticket for the Changbai Mountain scenic area, and buffet breakfast vouchers..."

She described the benefits included with his stay in detail.

"Miss, could you please get us checked in first? Sitting in a car all day has exhausted me!"

Zhao Xin was a bit impatient; he couldn't wait to get some proper rest.

"Certainly, please wait a moment."

From his accent, the receptionist realized that Zhao Xin was actually a local. This gave her a bit more insight into their background, and she felt a bit more at ease—after all, locals were often easier to communicate with and serve.

"Sir, here is your room card. Please, this way."

The receptionist handed the room card to Jiang Yuan with both hands.

"Sir, please follow me."

Seeing Jiang Yuan take the room card, the doorman immediately turned around and guided the three of them to board a sightseeing cart to head to the villa area.