A Stranger in a Foreign Land

Ma Guodong walked downstairs from the office building to the wetland park, holding a cup of Yuanyang and admiring the scenery along the way.

"Beep, beep, beep..." His Bluetooth headset rang with an incoming call and answered automatically.

"Second Brother, where the hell have you been?"

Huang Yue'e's voice came through the headset.

"I didn't sleep at all last night. I'm going to get some rest."

Ma Guodong sat down on a nearby recliner as he spoke.

"Fine, get some rest, but the three o'clock meeting this afternoon has been moved up. You need to be there by two."

"Got it."

Ma Guodong leaned back in the chair and drifted off. He was exhausted after working all night, and his body was starting to give out.

As he slept, he vaguely heard a girl beside him saying:

"Even if I'm hanging myself, you could at least let me eat first! I haven't eaten since breakfast. All right, now that you've eaten, get back and finish that report.

Sure, don't hang up. I'll tell you the number. Wait a second."

Ma Guodong opened his eyes and saw a girl eating in the chair behind him. He couldn't make out her features. She held a spoon in one hand while rummaging in her bag with the other. There was too much stuff inside, and in her hurry, she tipped everything out onto the chair. It had gaps in it, so the small items scattered all over the ground. An employee ID slid to Ma Guodong's feet. He bent down to pick it up and was about to return it when he caught a glimpse of it. It was an ID for Zhengkang Insurance. The girl was an intern named Lu Kongwen.

Lu Kongwen? Why did that name sound so familiar? He didn't recognize the girl in the photo and had never seen her before. He repeated the name to himself three times, then suddenly remembered what had happened nine years ago...

Nine years ago, Ma Guodong took part in the high school entrance exam competition in the Baishan region. His grades weren't good enough to qualify, but one of the students who was supposed to compete came down with the flu, so Ma Guodong got lucky and took their place.

The night before the exam, he couldn't sleep at the hotel, so he went for a walk in a nearby park.

By chance, he saw a white-bearded Daoist priest fall to the ground. A crowd had gathered, but no one would help him. Ma Guodong was good-hearted, and as a boy from the countryside, he didn't think twice before stepping forward to help the priest up.

He carried the priest to a pavilion nearby and helped him sit down, then checked him for injuries. When he found that the priest wasn't hurt, he turned to leave.

The priest called after him and asked:

"Ma Guodong, you're here to take an exam, aren't you? Do you want to get into high school?"

"What difference does it make if I want to? I'm not very bright, and it takes me a long time to learn things. I'm just here to make up the numbers."

Ma Guodong answered awkwardly.

"Then I have a way to make your wish come true."

"What way?"

"There is one condition."

"What condition?"

"How about becoming my apprentice?"

Ma Guodong saw that the priest was old enough to be his grandfather. He nodded, dropped to his knees, and performed the ceremony to become his disciple.

"Master, your disciple bows to you."

"Good boy. Get up! There's one more thing I need to ask of you."

"What is it?"

"Fifteen years ago, I stayed at a farmer's home. I drank too much and lost control, and a child was conceived.

When this child was born, he would face a heavenly tribulation and die young. To preserve my bloodline, when the time came for the child to be born, I secretly switched him with another baby. I placed my son with a wealthy family blessed with good fortune, so their luck could shield him from the tribulation.

That took care of the heavenly tribulation, but entering a wealthy family is like entering a deep sea. A calamity is written in his fate, and someone must take it on in his place."

"You mean you want me to do it?"

Ma Guodong wasn't stupid. He understood.

"You and he were born under the same eight characters. You share the same birth fate, but not the same fortune. He will live a life of wealth and prestige, while you will live in poverty.

If you are willing to take the calamity for him, you'll share in his good fortune. Whether you agree is up to you."

"I agree. I want to leave the countryside."

"Good. There's one more thing. The wealthy man's daughter is suffering in the countryside right now. I wronged her. Will you promise to look after her for the rest of your life?"

"You mean I should marry her, right?"

"Would that be too much to ask?"

"Not at all. As long as she's a woman, I'm not picky."

"Good. A promise from a gentleman is as good as a team of horses. Open your mouth!"

The priest took an exquisite box from his cloth bag. He opened it and took out two transparent balls. One contained a little bird, the other a bug. He shoved them into Ma Guodong's mouth, and they slid straight down into his stomach.

"The boy is named Mei Shinan, and the girl is named Lu Kongwen. Don't force anything. When fate brings you together, you'll meet naturally..."

As the priest spoke, he vanished. Ma Guodong rubbed his eyes and thought that it had been a strange dream. A cool breeze blew past. He stood up, straightened his clothes, and headed back to the hotel.

When he reached the edge of a small grove, he heard someone shout:

"Mei Shinan, today's the day you die!"

Mei Shinan? Ma Guodong instinctively rushed into the grove. He saw a burly man with a watermelon knife chasing a boy. It was obvious the boy was Mei Shinan. With nowhere left to run, Mei Shinan was in mortal danger. At the last moment, Ma Guodong stepped between him and the knife. The blade pierced his stomach. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Ma Guodong kicked the brute away. A group of girls rushed over and beat the fallen man.

One girl pressed a handkerchief to Ma Guodong's wound and smiled.

"What's your name? Thank you for saving our young master. We'll take you to the hospital!"

"I'm Ma Guodong. I'm fine..."

Ma Guodong had never spoken to a goddess from this close before. Overcome with excitement, he fainted and collapsed into the girl's arms.

"Linglong..."

Mei Shinan looked at the clothes the watermelon knife had slashed through. It had cut down to the last layer of underwear. Without this guy taking the blow, he would probably have been done for. Seeing him faint in the girl's arms, Mei Shinan cried out.

A police car and an ambulance arrived just then. The brute, who was barely conscious, was taken away by the police, while Ma Guodong was sent to the hospital for treatment and bandaging...

The next day, outside the exam hall, Ma Guodong held his admission ticket and searched everywhere for his seat. After leaving the hospital, he had returned to the hotel, but his teachers and classmates had already gone to the exam hall to get ready.

There was still plenty of time, so he had reviewed his textbooks once more before grabbing his study materials and hurrying to the exam hall.

"Ma Guodong, you're taking the exam too?"

A girl's voice called out.

Ma Guodong turned around. It was the goddess from the night before, along with Mei Shinan and a group of girls.

"Yeah. I can't find my seat number."

Ma Guodong answered awkwardly.

"Let me see. It's on the second floor. How could you find it on the first floor? You're so clueless. Come on, I'll help you upstairs. Does it still hurt?"

The goddess smiled.

"No need. If you help me, I'm afraid I'll faint. I'll go up by myself."

Ma Guodong turned and ran as soon as he finished speaking. A chorus of giggles followed him.

"That guy's interesting. I like him. After the exam, find his records and arrange for him to study at the Business College."

Mei Shinan said with a smile.

"Your Highness, he's just a poor kid."

"But he saved my life. I would have died last night otherwise."

Mei Shinan smiled and led Yu Linglong away by the hand...

After three days of exams, Ma Guodong answered every question with ease. When he was leaving Baishan, he wanted to return the handkerchief to the goddess, but he couldn't find them anywhere in the exam hall. With no other choice, he got on the bus back to school.

A week later, the exam results came out. Ma Guodong had scored full marks in all seven subjects and taken first place in the Baishan region.

Ma Guodong was overjoyed, but his teachers and classmates refused to believe it. They all said he must have cheated.

After school, a car pulled up at Ma Guodong's home. A man got out and told Ma Guodong's parents that Shinan Business College had made an exception to admit him. His tuition would be waived, and he would receive a monthly living allowance of three thousand yuan.

When Ma Guodong's parents heard about this incredible opportunity, they packed his clothes and had the man take him away that very night.

As soon as he arrived at the Business College, Ma Guodong became Mei Shinan's sidekick. That way, he could study and play with the goddess every day.

Little by little, he forgot about Lu Kongwen. Looking at her employee ID now, he felt a pang of guilt, as if he had let the priest down.

"Mom, what's up? I'll definitely come home for New Year. Grandma's sick and wants to see her granddaughter's husband? Wushuang is bringing her boyfriend home? Then I'll bring mine too, so Grandma can meet him. All right, bye!"

After hanging up, Lu Kongwen muttered to herself, "I'm so busy every day I barely have time to eat. How would I have time to find a boyfriend?"

"Hey, Xiaoxue, can I borrow a boyfriend to take home for New Year?

Yeah, Mom says Grandma wants to meet him, and Wushuang is bringing her boyfriend home for New Year too.

I'm sure Mom's the one who wants to see him. My aunt must have been bragging to her. Mom cares about saving face.

That Wushuang, honestly, what am I supposed to do?

What? Rent one? Is that okay? Someone professional, with a sense of ethics? Fine, send me the number and I'll ask. Bye!"

"Hello, is this the matchmaking agency? I heard you rent out boyfriends for people to take home for New Year.

How much?

Five hundred a day, or ten thousand for the month?

That's so expensive! I only make four thousand a month. I'll think about it. Thanks!"

Ma Guodong's eyes lit up as an idea came to him. He patted Lu Kongwen on the shoulder. She turned around and smiled apologetically.

"This is my employee ID. Thanks!"

"No problem. I overheard you saying you want to rent a boyfriend to take home for New Year."

"You heard that? I don't have a choice. That's just how it is in the countryside."

"How about renting me? Just feed me and I won't charge you."

"Are you serious? Are you after something?"

"My family's from the countryside too. The main thing is, I'm high up in the family hierarchy. Every New Year, I have to give out five or six thousand yuan in red envelopes. Add in all the New Year visits and card games, and I end up spending ten or twenty thousand in a year.

We work hard for our money. It doesn't grow on trees. If I spend New Year at your place, I'll save more than twenty thousand, and I'll get food and lodging too. What a deal.

I mean no harm. Here's my business card with my contact information. Think it over, then give me a call."

"All right, thanks!"

Lu Kongwen glanced at the business card and suddenly started coughing. Ma Guodong hurriedly handed her his Yuanyang. She took a few sips, and the coughing stopped.

"What is this drink? It tastes good."

"Yuanyang."

"Yuanyang?"

"Our crown princess came up with it. It's half milk tea and half coffee, mixed together. That's Yuanyang.

Here's a membership card for the Shinan Group cafeteria. Keep it. If you want some, use the card to buy it. All right, bye. I have a meeting."

Ma Guodong smiled, stood up, and turned toward the Shinan Group building.

Lu Kongwen put the membership card and business card in her wallet and called out:

"Wait."

Ma Guodong stopped and looked back.

"Could we take a photo together? My mom messaged me asking to see one."

Lu Kongwen asked awkwardly, blushing.

"Sure, of course. Let's take a few."

Ma Guodong smiled and pulled out his phone. The two of them took several photos together around the park, striking different poses.

Suddenly, Huang Yue'e's voice came through Ma Guodong's headset:

"The meeting's started. Get back here, now."

Ma Guodong saw that Huang Yue'e's call was still connected and hurriedly hung up, then smiled apologetically.

"I have to get to a meeting. Call me. Bye!"

"I have to get back to eating too. Talk later, thanks!"

After exchanging polite goodbyes, they hurried off in opposite directions.

Ma Guodong, drenched in sweat, pushed open the meeting room door. It was already packed. He said awkwardly:

"Chairman, directors, CEO, and department heads, I'm sorry I'm late."

"It's fine. You're young, after all. You can't just work all the time; you need a life too. We don't want to turn you into a workaholic. I'm relieved you're dating. I always thought you liked my Shinan and weren't interested in women."

After Mei Zhonghao finished speaking, the whole room burst into laughter. Ma Guodong blushed and wiped the sweat from his forehead, then glanced at Huang Yue'e.

"Well, let's begin our year-end review. Guodong, go ahead."

Yu Linglong said with a smile.

"Don't rush him. Let Guodong have some water and rest first. Let's look at the report. He stayed up all night putting this together. Take a look."

Mei Shinan said with a smile.

"This year-end review is really just about summing up each department's gains and losses over the past year and drawing up next year's plans.

Guodong's report is already very detailed. It gets straight to the point about rewards, punishments, gains, and losses. It's packed with substance and doesn't waste a word.

It sharply criticizes the misconduct of some department heads, and we should learn from those lessons. It also highlights the courage, decisiveness, and vision shown by some department heads, which is worth learning from."

Hong Zhenchang said with a smile.

"Exactly. The Group's development plan for next year is also very detailed. Everyone should go over it when you get back and get ready for tonight's banquet."

Lin Yizhen said with a smile.

Ma Guodong stared at the two vice chairmen in astonishment, then swallowed the words he had been about to say.

"All right, let's leave it there. Meeting adjourned!"

Mei Zhonghao looked at Ma Guodong helplessly too.

Hong Zhenchang and Lin Yizhen stood up with smiles, picked up the report, and walked out.

In the blink of an eye, Ma Guodong was the only one left in the meeting room.

"I'm sorry. It's all my fault!"

Back in Mei Zhonghao's office, Ma Guodong knelt on the floor as he spoke.

"What does this have to do with you? You were only repeating what you heard. You're the one who got caught in the middle, kid. They don't want me disciplining their cronies. They don't want us opening branch offices in the eight cities of Meizhou. What has any of that got to do with you? Don't take it to heart. Get ready for tonight's banquet. The company's mid- and senior-level managers will all be there. It's a chance for them to win people over."

Mei Zhonghao said helplessly:

"You're still young, and I'm not as strong as I used to be. I still have to rely on them for a lot of things, so we have to put up with it when we can."

"Dad, we'll do our best."

Mei Shinan stood up and said.

"Effort alone won't give you experience. You have to go out there and see things for yourself. But you can't leave. You need to stay at headquarters and keep an eye on them. So Guodong will have to do the running around for you. Sorry to put this on you."

Mei Zhonghao said with a smile.

"Master, I'm a servant of the Mei family. It's my duty to help you and the young master with your burdens."

Ma Guodong replied.

"You silly boy, get up! Those two old foxes are using this as an excuse to give the young master a warning. Get up!

Tell us about your girlfriend. What does she look like? I heard you took a photo together. Let me see."

Yu Linglong said with a smile.

"She's not my girlfriend yet. We just chatted."

Ma Guodong stood up and said, blushing.

"Stop talking and let me see."

Yu Linglong walked over, snatched his phone, opened the album, and exclaimed:

"She's gorgeous! Mom, Dad, take a look. She looks a little like Xiaolin."

Ma Guodong thought, Don't start. If they find out what's really going on, it'll be a disaster.

"Now that you mention it, she really does look a little alike. She just looks a bit country. She's from a rural family, right?"

Wei Jialing said with a smile.

"Guodong, treat her well. Don't bully her."

Mei Zhonghao said with a smile:

"When will you bring her home for dinner?"

"Well, I don't know her very well yet. Let's take it slowly. There's no rush."

Ma Guodong answered awkwardly.

"Beep..."

A WeChat message came in. Yu Linglong opened it and said:

"Lu Kongwen sent you a friend request. I accepted it.

She sent a message. 'My mother wants to meet you. What do you think?'

You two skipped dating and went straight to meeting the parents. Is arranged marriage still a thing in the countryside?

Then reply, 'I'm afraid your aunt won't like me, and I'll embarrass you.'

Just tell me if you're going or not.

I'm going. Of course I'm going. That gives me a fifty percent chance. If I don't go, it's zero.

All right, thanks!

What do your parents like?

Anything that's free. All right, I have a meeting. Bye!"

"Guodong, meeting the parents for the first time is important. Their first impression will make or break it. I'll prepare the gifts for you, and we'll get you a car too. That old one of yours is in such bad shape, it's embarrassing. We'll take care of it. Shinan, what do you think?"

Yu Linglong asked with a smile.

"How about this? We'll transfer to Guodong the car my uncle bought for me. We'll prepare a carton of cigarettes, a carton of baijiu, a carton of red wine, and some bird's nest, ginseng, and other health supplements.

He's part of the Mei family, after all. We can't let him show up with nothing."

Mei Shinan said with a smile.

"Is that really necessary? I can handle it myself. Those things are too expensive."

Ma Guodong said.

"Quiet. It's rare for you to find a woman you like. We have to help you win her over. Winning over her parents first is crucial. We should also prepare some red envelopes. She must have kids in her family, so we ought to bring New Year's money for them too."

Mei Shinan said with a smile.

Ma Guodong wondered what they were up to.

"Knock, knock..."

Marilyn knocked and came in.

"Chairman, the branch presidents from out of town have arrived. Chairman Hong would like you to join him."

"Why didn't they come here?"

"Chairman Hong stopped them by the elevators and said he had some new Que She tea for them to try."

"All right."

Mei Zhonghao stood up, took Wei Jialing by the hand, and headed out. Mei Shinan and Yu Linglong followed. Ma Guodong picked up his phone and brought up the rear on their right, opening Lu Kongwen's Moments.

Lu Kongwen had posted a photo of the two of them together, saying she was taking her boyfriend home for New Year this year.

Ma Guodong smiled and posted a nine-photo collage with the caption: 'Going to my girlfriend's home for New Year this year...'

Premise: Stay true to your original aspirations