Today, finding himself with some free time and nothing particular to do, Chou Ping readily agreed to something.
After hanging up the phone, he discovered an unread text message on his phone, sent by Kailin.
It turned out she wasn't available because she urgently returned to the company to handle an investment matter. Chou Ping promptly transferred fifty thousand US dollars directly to her.
For her, this was not a small sum and required careful consideration.
Moreover, Chou Ping was Kailin's first client since she started her business.
Despite their shared intimate experiences and deep understanding of each other's strengths and weaknesses, she maintained a clear separation between business and personal matters.
Therefore, even on a Sunday, she hurriedly returned to the company to address the issue.
After reading the text message, Chou Ping couldn't help but find it amusing.
He had originally planned to engage in some "morning exercises" with Kailin after waking up, but it seemed that plan had gone down the drain.
As for the fifty thousand entrusted to Kailin, Chou Ping quickly pushed it to the back of his mind. After all, everything would reset after midnight tonight, and the so-called entrusted matter would vanish.
Getting up, freshening up, dressing neatly, and in high spirits, Chou Ping walked out of the hotel and hailed a taxi.
The meeting place with Mike was a family restaurant located in the Chinatown on Main Street.
Although Mike was a true-blue American, his love for Chinese culture, especially delicious Chinese cuisine, was one of the reasons he and Chou Ping became good friends.
Mike's Sichuan restaurant had authentic flavors, and the average cost per person was around twenty dollars. During their college days, Chou Ping often came here with Mike to enjoy some Chinese food.
Upon entering the restaurant, a handsome Caucasian guy sitting by the window waved and shouted towards Chou Ping. Smiling in response, Chou Ping walked over.
Mike had very fair skin, a characteristic of Caucasians, but his face was clean without a single freckle. His natural blond hair was cut short, and his well-defined features gave him an attractive appearance. In addition, Mike had more authentic black pupils than East Asians, making them look deep and striking on his fair face. According to Mike, he had one-eighth Chinese ancestry, though its authenticity was hard to verify. Regardless, he enjoyed interacting with Chinese people and had a genuine love for Chinese culture.
"Hey, buddy, we've been waiting for you for a good five minutes. You're the most unpunctual Chinese person I've ever met!" Mike exaggeratedly extended five fingers, teasing Chou Ping.
Rolling his eyes, Chou Ping shook Mike's hand. "In your eyes, am I the only Chinese person in the world?"
"No, no, no. Besides you, there's another Chinese person today!" Mike pointed to the black-haired white girl next to him – his girlfriend, Selena. Her hair was dyed black for Mike's love of Chinese culture.
Selena greeted, "Chou, besides you, there is indeed another Chinese person today, and she's a beautiful lady!"
Nodding thoughtfully, Chou Ping acknowledged. Mike had mentioned introducing a pretty girl to him but hadn't mentioned that she was also from China.
The restaurant had a rectangular table where Mike and his girlfriend Selena naturally sat together. Meanwhile, Chou Ping took a seat opposite them.
As soon as he sat down, a petite girl with a ponytail approached. She wore a pure white short-sleeved shirt on the upper body and denim shorts on the lower body, exuding a lively and youthful vibe.
"My heart will go on and on..." Suddenly, Chou Ping recalled this song in his mind. Looking at this beautiful and cute girl, he felt his heart beating a bit faster.
Could this be the feeling of love?
Despite having no shortage of women in recent days, most of them being well-endowed foreign women, encountering such a delicate and lovely Asian girl was indeed a rarity for Chou Ping.
Sighing inwardly, Chou Ping resolved to visit Chinatown next time. He couldn't neglect the beautiful women of China.
Oh, and he also needed to bring glory to his country – perhaps play around with some island country AV actresses and make them kneel at his feet singing "Conquest."
"Hi, Selena, Mike, sorry to keep you waiting," said Chou Ping with a very standard American accent, making even himself feel inferior. This crisp and pleasant voice would probably sound good even in an argument.
Is this girl the beauty that Mike wanted to introduce to him?
Chou Ping looked at Mike with gratitude.
Despite being friends for almost five years, Chou Ping had never seen Mike so helpful before. In the past, if there were beautiful women, this guy would pounce on them like a horny dog.
Combined with his innate advantages over Chou Ping in terms of status and appearance, Chou Ping basically had no chance.
"It's okay, Luo, this is Chou, my university classmate and good buddy," Mike introduced, gesturing towards Chou Ping.
The girl looked at Chou Ping and smiled slightly, "Luo Mengting."
"Hello, I'm Chou Ping. Your name sounds nice."
"Thank you."
In a brief exchange of two sentences, the other party spoke only five words in total. Yet, Chou Ping felt as if his heart were melting.
Could this be the feeling of love? He wondered if it was her natural coldness or disdain towards him, but Chou Ping could sense a hint of indifference in her attitude.
Chou Ping's lips curled up slightly. So what if she's cold? So what if she looks down on me? I have unlimited time to reset, even if there are only twelve hours left, I'll definitely capture your heart!
"Luo, she studies music and plays the piano very well. I feel that in China, besides Lang Lang, she plays the best," Mike exaggerated, pointing with his fingers.
Luo Mengting modestly said, "Mike, I still need to study. I'm not that outstanding."
Chou Ping, on the other hand, earnestly stated, "Actually, I also like music."
Luo Mengting raised an eyebrow, and for the first time, those eyes that seemed to speak looked at Chou Ping directly.
"What kind of works do you usually like to listen to?"
Uh... Chou Ping felt a bit awkward. He had just casually mentioned it and didn't expect the other party to inquire further.
"The East is red, and also 'Learning to Meow'..."
Pfft!
Luo Mengting couldn't help but laugh, "You're quite humorous."
Meanwhile, Mike and Selena exchanged glances, puzzled.
"Hey, Chou, these names sound interesting. They must be masterpieces from your country, right?" Mike teased.
Chou Ping was speechless. Mike's unexpected remark made him even more embarrassed.
At this moment, Chou Ping secretly decided that after the next reset, he must find a piano teacher to learn properly. After all, compared to others, his forty-eight hours were infinite. With a little effort, he could surely make Luo Mengting take notice.
Just then, a waiter pushed a trolley over, laden with seven or eight dishes. His arrival eased Chou Ping's embarrassment.