However, the streets of Shanghai are bustling after all. Chen Xiao, who had been at sea for many days and had been holed up in a small town for quite some time, couldn't help but be a little lost in the sights. As he was walking, he carelessly crossed the street and forgot to look left and right.
Squeak!
With a screech of brakes, a black Passat came to a stop in front of Chen Xiao, the front bumper less than ten centimeters from his legs!
As soon as the car door opened, a driver with a spiky hairstyle stuck his head out, his face full of anger, and shouted at Chen Xiao, "You bastard! Can't you watch where you're going?!"
Judging by his lung capacity, his spittle was practically flying onto Chen Xiao's face. Chen Xiao wasn't angry at being scolded. Once he regained his composure, he actually had a very good temper—if he were still in that devilish state from a few days ago, he probably would have leveled the whole street by now.
The respectable driver had no idea that the person he was spitting at could have pulverized him with a single breath just a few days ago. He didn't realize that he had unwittingly done something even an S-class powerhouse wouldn't dare to do, and he continued to curse and swear.
Just then, the back door of the car was suddenly pushed open, and an old man with a full head of silver hair emerged. Upon seeing the old man, the driver's arrogance instantly turned to respect, and he bowed at a ninety-degree angle: "Ah, Mr. Wu, what brings you out? How could a country bumpkin seeking suicide disturb you..."
Unexpectedly, the old man called Old Wu walked out, stood there, his eyes wide open, staring intently at Chen Xiao. His face quickly turned red, and he almost suffered a brain hemorrhage on the spot. Suddenly, he took two steps forward, shoved the driver in front of him aside, rushed to Chen Xiao, his lips trembling for a long time, and grabbed Chen Xiao's wrists tightly with both hands—the sight startled even Chen Xiao himself!
"My benefactor!!!!"
Suddenly, the old man shouted and grabbed Chen Xiao, about to kneel down on the spot.
Chapter 253 [What is your honorable surname, Miss?]
The car drove into the dormitory area of Shanghai XX University. The dormitory area of this higher education institution has an excellent environment, with several rows of European-style buildings, only four or five stories high. The roads are decorated with lush plane trees. The two rows of red French-style villas at the innermost part are specially provided for the high-ranking retired professors of the university to live in, while the two rows of buildings at the outer part are the dormitories for some of the younger faculty members of the university, as well as some graduate student dormitories.
Chen Xiao sat in the back seat of the car, curiously looking at the scenery outside the window, while the old man Wu next to him kept staring at Chen Xiao, as if afraid that he would suddenly disappear.
The driver in front, however, focused solely on driving and didn't dare utter a single unnecessary word. He had cursed Chen Xiao a couple of times earlier and was now feeling guilty. The old Mr. Wu sitting in the back of his car was no ordinary person; he was a renowned scholar at the university. Although he had retired, the university's senior leaders treated him with utmost respect, and the driver himself was too busy trying to curry favor with him.
Today was truly unlucky. I never expected to run into a country bumpkin on the street who turned out to be an acquaintance of Old Wu… and it seems they're quite close. Just now on the street, Old Wu, with his status, almost knelt down to this young man.
I cursed at him a couple of times. If he holds a grudge, he might say something that could jeopardize my job.
Thinking of this, the driver glanced guiltily at the young man through the rearview mirror, but Chen Xiao was completely oblivious, simply looking out the window with great interest.
His expression was delighted because he had finally found a clue to his identity!
The elderly man next to me recognized me!
This Mr. Wu was one of the elderly couple who met Chen Xiao during the Victoria shipwreck. They were stranded on a small deserted island for several days in a small lifeboat. Although Chen Xiao was seriously injured, he defeated the thugs. Otherwise, they would have been buried on that island long ago.
What's more, even earlier, if Chen Xiao hadn't intervened, that boatload of elderly, women, and children wouldn't have even been able to board that lifeboat. They would have been kicked overboard long ago.
So, by that logic, Chen Xiao is definitely everyone's savior!
This Mr. Wu is a retired professor and scholar. Although he is not a high-ranking official and has no money, he is a highly educated intellectual. He is quite respected and well-connected in academic circles. When he boarded the Victoria, it was a publicly funded trip for retired scholars like him, a kind of retirement benefit provided by the university.
Otherwise, where would an ordinary elderly couple find the financial means to travel on a luxury cruise ship like the Victoria?
After the shipwreck, the elderly couple returned to China with the help of the embassy. Fortunately, they were both optimistic and cheerful people. For ordinary people, such a terrible experience would likely leave them with psychological trauma even if they survived. However, after returning, the couple kept thinking about the young man who had saved the lives of everyone on the ship, but they couldn't find Chen Xiao anywhere. Everyone had witnessed Chen Xiao being snatched away by the sea god!
Putting everything else aside, the miraculous encounters on the island completely overturned the beliefs of the elderly Mr. and Mrs. Wu, who had been atheists all their lives.
At sea, they saw Chen Xiao being kidnapped by the flying woman, and then they lost contact with him. The other passengers on the ship who had suffered the same fate dispersed after reaching Japan. Zhang Xiaotao was taken away by the Japanese, Yan Hua left on her own, and the others on the ship made contact with people from their respective countries at the rescue point.
The elderly couple eventually returned to China, but how could they forget that bizarre experience?!
Every time I think about it in the quiet of the night, it's incredibly moving! Especially Chen Xiao... that young man, I hope God will bless good people.
As luck would have it, today Professor Wu was invited to attend some academic seminar, and the college specially arranged a car to pick him up. On the way, he bumped into Chen Xiao!
When the old man first saw Chen Xiao, he almost thought he was seeing things. After all, he had witnessed Chen Xiao fall into the sea and be snatched away by that flying woman. He thought Chen Xiao was probably doomed, but unexpectedly, they met!
After taking a closer look and confirming that he hadn't mistaken the person, the old man was so overjoyed that he almost fainted on the spot.
However, after regaining his senses, the old man immediately realized a problem: the affairs of "extraordinary people" like Chen Xiao could not be discussed casually. Although he had a lot to say, he kept his mouth shut, after all, there was a driver from the academy with him.
So, after getting Chen Xiao into the car, the old man didn't say much, just kept staring at Chen Xiao the whole way.
Finally, the car arrived at the doorstep. It seems that Mr. Wu's status at the school is indeed quite high. His family lives in a small villa with two floors and a yard of more than 30 square meters. His treatment is quite good.
After the old man saw the driver off, he grabbed Chen Xiao's hand and pulled her inside. Before they even stepped inside, he excitedly shouted, "Old woman! Come and see who I found!!!"
The old man, his face glowing, turned and pulled Chen Xiao inside, not even bothering to change his shoes. But he froze as soon as he entered the living room on the first floor.
Are there guests at home?
On the living room sofa, two young women sat awkwardly with polite smiles, looking somewhat nervous. Two cups of tea sat untouched in front of them. As soon as Old Wu entered, the two women immediately stood up and bowed respectfully in greeting.
As soon as they straightened up, they suddenly saw Chen Xiao standing behind Old Wu, his hands behind his back, a calm and leisurely smile on his face, like an emperor on an incognito visit. The two girls were stunned. The one on the left, whose eyes were slightly larger, couldn't help but exclaim, "Ah, it's you!"
Chen Xiao glanced at it and couldn't help but smile.
What a coincidence, we know each other!
If Chen Xiao had lost his memory, how could he possibly know anyone? But by sheer coincidence, the two girls sitting in Old Wu's living room were the same two passengers he had met on the train. The two girls had stared at Chen Xiao infatuatedly all night long. It wasn't until Chen Xiao's eating manners became so awful that they gave up their attempt to flirt with the handsome guy.
Humans often have this kind of psychology: like Chen Xiao, after losing his memory, he feels an extraordinary sense of familiarity with anyone or anything he already knows. He doesn't recognize anyone now; the only acquaintances he knows, besides the group of smugglers, are the two girls he shared an overnight train ride with. Regardless, encountering people he knows is always a pleasant thing for Chen Xiao, whose memory is a complete blank, so his smile is very friendly.
Seeing the guests at his home and noticing the two girls' reserved demeanor, Old Wu guessed they were probably students seeking favors. Although retired, he had spent his life at the academy, with countless students; even the current dean treated him with utmost respect. These two girls likely wanted to stay at the university and were trying to pull strings. He himself was retired, but his wife still managed some affairs, and the current dean of academic affairs was one of his former students, with a father-son relationship. A word from him was probably more effective than a hundred thousand or twenty thousand yuan from someone else.
The old man was used to this kind of thing. Although he was a little impatient, he knew that school was part of society, and these kinds of things were unavoidable. Besides, these students were pitiful; in today's society, making a living isn't easy for anyone.
The old man was preoccupied with something today, so he was inevitably a little impatient. He glanced at the two bags of gifts on the side of the coffee table, which were nothing more than cigarettes, alcohol, and fruit, and his face darkened. He gave a curt greeting, leaving the two girls standing there, and then turned around and called out twice to the inside.
Soon, Grandma Wu came out, still wearing an apron. She wiped her hands as she came out, frowning, "What's wrong? Why are you so anxious and upset as soon as you get back today?"
As soon as she stepped out, she saw Chen Xiao smiling broadly. The old lady froze, standing there for a full few seconds, almost gasping in surprise. Her face flushed, her eyes gleaming with excitement. Just as she was about to shout something, Old Wu coughed loudly beside her, reminding her that there was an outsider in the house. The old lady then understood, quickly suppressing the gasp that was about to escape her throat. Instead, she rushed forward and grabbed Chen Xiao's hand, trembling with emotion: "You, you... how did you get here?!"
Chen Xiao looked at the old lady in front of him somewhat embarrassed, letting her hold his hand. Her enthusiasm and excitement made Chen Xiao a little flustered, but he was also very happy. He was even more certain of one thing: this elderly couple knew him! Since they knew him, they must know who he was! He could finally find his identity!