Sunday came and passed with happiness floating around the air. Xueyan spent the day with her daughter, mother and sister.
The day broke as the sun shone brightly in the clear light blue sky. Bai Xueyan hurried to catch the first bus. The contract was that she had a free apartment in the Eastern wing of The Tourist Garden International Hotel but she wanted to be sure! When everything is confirmed then she would pack her belongings alongside her daughter's during the weekend and move there! She got to the thirty storey-building and looked up.
At the last floor the name hung and written boldly in Chinese letters. The sun burned her eyes and mist followed. She finally got a job.
***
It was Monday morning at The Tourist Garden International Hotel and all the new staff was assembled in the hall. All the female dressed in a plain white shirt and black skirt while the male were dressed in the same plain white shirt with black pants.
Xueyan stood at the second line with her name tag on her left chest side and TGIH boldly embroidered with black tread on her right chest side.
"Welcome to The Tourist Garden International Hotel. There's no strict law guiding the employees but I have a thing or two to clear you on." The female manager said with her head held up high and her posture straight. "This is the Xing International Hotel. It's all over Asia and some other European countries, ranked the number two best hotel from Asia but number one in the whole of China.
We have more than thousands of employees all over. We only have one goal which is to make our customers happy and be rewarded. This is a first class hotel and they are a lot of special elites and citizens that walk in and out everyday. Do not get ahead of yourself and try to curry favours from the rich. This is a hotel for vacation, lodging and site seeing not a brothel. Desist from the act of seducing the rich here because we don't entertain pot bellied men.
There's a 24/7 camera installed on you, your every move is being watched. If you aren't assigned to the presidential suites make sure not be seen there. The apartments are now available and you can move in your luggage." The woman looked around and using the twelve inch stick in her hand she pointed at the first person.
"You're Chinese but answering an English name, are you a Catholic?"
"Yes," the girl answered. "I'm Anna Ming."
"Bai Xueyan."
"Qing Jia."
"Liu Chen."
"Mei Han."
The woman pointed at them all, about fifty of them memorizing half of their names, "I'm Fu Liya... The female manager here, you can come to me when you come across men with bad intentions and as for the male you are to report directly to Mr Ben Chan, the male manager. I have more experience and expect you all to be careful... Stay away from troubles. Don't get on the bad side of a customer and expect to be pardoned."
"Now we've come to the end of today's meeting and you can all disperse.
If you haven't moved your belongings yet, do so tomorrow!
Do you have any question? Regarding all I have said?"
"No!!!" They all answered in unison.
The woman turned and walked away.
***
Mei Han walked up to Bai Xueyan and nudged the latter by the shoulder. Xueyan smiled exposing her beautiful well carved set of teeth.
"We meet again." She stuck out her hand for a handshake but Mei Han hugged her and said, "We will be seeing each other often and I will be calling you my elder sister... Let's get along."
"... Ok." Xueyan who was stunned answered. As the both of them came out of the hall a man clad in all black brushed pass them.
They didn't bother to check who it was and continued on their journey.
***
The man clad in black walked not too far away and pulled the mask he was wearing. He stood in a corner of the hallway and looked at the two women. He narrowed his eyes at them and took out his phone. On the phone was the map of a building and another was the inside of the building.
The screen was into two parts as a green dot moved slowly in the map. He nodded and went inside his room. In the room he dialed a number and it connected immediately,
"Hello," the crisp voice at the other end came through.
"I have a tail on her, now." The man clad in black said.
"Good news... Cover your tracks properly!"
"Yes sir!" Beep. Beep. Beep. The three beep sound announced the end of the call.
Meanwhile Bai Xueyan had just gotten her cleaning materials and went straight to look for her assigned floor.
*****
At city B, the sun shone brightly in the room and the young man on the bed stirred, covering his head with the duvet, a phone nearby his rang. He ignored it but it rang again and again. He sat up with his eyes closed and his face squeezed.
He felt around for the ringing phone. "Yes..." His lazy voice came through.
"BAI SHIHUAN!!! The voice at the other end made him jolt from his reverie, his shut eyes opened quickly, as he wasn't able to adjust to the sun coming from the window he shut it close again.
"What tha... Did your mother have your brain as her breakfast this morning? Or you just lost your balls? Why the hell are you yelling?"
"Shihuan... Haven't you seen the news yet? We made it! We made it!! We made it to the finals!!!" Shihuan took the phone out to look at the caller. "Lu Yunyi... How come you are the one notifying me and not our coach?" He didn't believe this his fool of a friend.
"Fool! He has been trying to reach you since day break but it seems you blacklisted his number and so I took it upon myself to give you the grand news!!! Get ready and come over, we are at the basketball court and you're the only one missing..."
"Shihuan... Be quick." Wan Heng snatched the phone from Yunyi and said. "Even the media is here... Our handsome faces will be all over the newspaper article and on every headline, don't be so unfortunate!!!"
"YESSSSSS!" Zou Xi added.
"The press are here for real and a lot of beautiful girls gat us surrounded." Shui Lan chimed in.
He was doubtful at first when Lu Yunyi spoke up but hearing all the remaining three friends speak up he knew they weren't joking with such news. Thus he got up, he was at the bathroom door when he heard a knock at his door.
"Shihuan... Don't tell me you're still sleeping... Shihuan... It's past ten o'clock and I think you need to turn on the TV or at least the radio." His father's voice came through.
"I'm up dad and I will be out in matter of minutes."
"Cool, cool." He didn't take long in the shower and rushed out dressed in track suit.
Father Bai turned to look at the young man and frowned. "Maybe you didn't hear me, I think your team made it to the finals. Go dress properly and don't look too odd!" The man said.
Shihuan inspected himself and went back in to change.