After dropping Xiao Ran off, Yang Yi still maintained a gentlemanly demeanor.
Returning to his own home, although not particularly large, the more than seventy square meters was considered quite spacious in the capital, especially for someone living alone.
Looking at the familiar furnishings in his room, Yang Yi's reluctance just began to surface before he pressed it back down.
Dressed, Yang Yi lay straight on the bed, then he used a pillow to cover his head.
After lying there for quite some time, reflecting on the events of the day, Yang Yi finally sat up and took out the note from his pocket.
After spacing out for a moment, Yang Yi got up, went to the kitchen, turned on the stove, and placed the note on the fire.
Yang Yi didn't open the note, because he would never mistake its contents, nor would he forget them.
Watching the note turn into ashes, and the ashes being lifted and scattered by the flames, Yang Yi expressionlessly turned off the fire and took out his phone.
In the contacts list, there were only five names and numbers, along with the phrase, "Yang Yi can contact them if he needs anything"—nothing more, no nationalities, nor any indication of these people's identities.
The first name was Felice; after checking on his computer, Yang Yi confirmed that the phone number had the international code for the Netherlands. Then, he decided to start by calling the first number on the list.
Yang Yi dialed the number and it was quickly connected. After two rings, the call was answered.
But it wasn't the foreign language Yang Yi had been anticipating—instead, it was a familiar voice.
"Why are you calling so soon? Didn't I tell you?" the voice chided. "You should call these numbers once you're out of the country. While you're still in the country, just be honest and don't contact anyone."
The person on the line was Li Fan.
Though Yang Yi didn't know how Li Fan had managed it, monitoring and intercepting his calls, and casually having a chat with him, was far too simple for Li Fan.
Yang Yi said with some indignation, "Uncle Li, can you not do this? It feels like I have no privacy at all. I have to at least make some calls to figure out the situation, right? These numbers include ones from the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Poland, United States, and one from Hong Kong. I need to make some calls to decide where to go."
Li Fan spoke calmly, "You can make those calls once you're in the United Kingdom, but here, it's not acceptable. Yang Yi, perhaps you haven't realized what it means for a call to be made from Huaxia. So my warning is not just for the sake of saying it."
"Is it that serious?" Yang Yi asked, troubled.
"Absolutely, it is," Li Fan asserted. "Eleven years have passed, and nobody knows what those people have become. In the past, they might have worked just for money like your father, but now they could have become spies for some country. Contacting them could be either safe or dangerous; this is the path you've chosen, and I can't interfere. But when it comes to national security, even the slightest possibility must be eliminated."
"Alright, I get it. Sorry, Uncle Li, I won't make any more calls out," Yang Yi apologized.
Li Fan sighed softly. "I want to give you some advice. When someone gives you a warning, and you don't want to immediately break ties or become hostile with them, or even come to life and death terms, then it's best not to break their warning even once. Yang Yi, you still haven't transitioned from the mindset of an ordinary person. In the world you're trying to enter, there are no family teachings, people won't give you a second chance to make mistakes, nor will they give you an opportunity to apologize."
"I'll remember that, thank you for teaching me this," Yang Yi said.
Li Fan sighed again, "You're plunging headlong into a world you completely don't understand. I'm really worried about your future, Yang Yi. After going out there, could you please not be in a hurry to make calls? Stay overseas for a few years, wait a few years, until you're not so raw, until you've matured a bit, then you can slowly start dealing with the dark side of this world—be it spies or information peddlers, you don't understand their world at all."
"I'll try, Uncle Li," Yang Yi said, "I can't guarantee I'll be able to do it. I'm really in a hurry."
Li Fan let out another long sigh, having to preface each remark with a sigh throughout the call.
"Alright, get some rest early and think carefully about how you want to proceed. That's all for now."
Li Fan hung up the phone, and Yang Yi stared at his own phone, lost in thought for a while before dialing another number.
Of course, it wasn't to call anyone from the contact list; this time Yang Yi was calling a friend of his.
"Hello, Brother Li, can you do me a favor? I want to sell my car. Could you help me find a buyer? Yes, I want to sell it now, I'm quite in a hurry. As long as the price isn't too low, sell it to those car enthusiasts. If they push the price too low, I'll just sell it to a dealership. Alright, thanks, Brother Li."
After hanging up, Yang Yi tossed his phone onto the bed and took out his car key, staring at it for a moment before also tossing it onto the bed. Then, he muttered resentfully, "Damn it! Time to sleep!"
Yang Yi truly had a good night's sleep. The day's events would likely have caused insomnia in anyone else, but he seemed completely unaffected.
Without robust mental fortitude, what's the use in being a spy anyway?
Even though Yang Yi wasn't a spy yet—simply harboring the idea or aiming for it—his mental toughness was indeed substantial enough.
The next day, Yang Yi did not contact Xiao Ran.
Although Xiao Ran had left her phone number with him, even including her United States number and online contact methods, it was clear she wanted to keep in touch for the long term, but for Yang Yi, Xiao Ran had become part of the past along with his familiar life.
The debts that needed to be settled had to be cleared, the money that needed to be claimed had to be claimed, and then there was leaving the country, with some preparations to be made and purchases to be done.
Yang Yi didn't have money at hand, not much money anyway, otherwise, he wouldn't have resorted to drive a ride-hail to earn money. Now he wanted to buy a lot of things but didn't have the money, so what was he to do?
Yang Yi had set his sights on his credit cards.
The credit limits weren't particularly high, but the lowest was fifty thousand yuan, and Yang Yi had several credit cards. With that house under his name, getting credit cards was like child's play.
So, Yang Yi first used a credit card to deck himself out in a new outfit, a suit, shirt, and tie; although not tailor-made, they were from a luxury brand, and he tried on many to find the best fit.
After buying a whole outfit in the same store, Yang Yi pondered a bit, picked a card issued by the bank he found most annoying, and swiped for forty-six thousand.
Think about it, he was about to leave the country, and he would never come back, his identity would even be erased, so did Yang Yi really need to worry about how to pay back the credit card debt?
Obviously, there was no need to consider it, right? He could, of course, spend to his heart's content, right? Saints and the faint-hearted might not take advantage of such an opportunity, but first of all, Yang Yi was not a saint with high moral standards, and he had quite the nerve. Plus, he figured the banks wouldn't go bankrupt over a mere tens of thousands of yuan, so he just went ahead and did it.
Having bought clothes, naturally, he also needed shoes, and Yang Yi found himself in a shopping center famous for its expensive goods, where turning around he could buy a pair of shoes equally known for their hefty price tags.
Yang Yi felt that spending just forty-six thousand on his outfit seemed a bit cheap to him. His credit cards amounted to hundreds of thousands of yuan. Before, he was afraid to overspend because he was worried about repaying, but now, why should he be afraid? He could go for something pricier.
As a result, Yang Yi set his sights on a pair of shoes worth over twenty thousand. His aspiration went that far, and he couldn't think of more expensive luxury brands, even with a spendthrift mentality.
But, after trying on shoes for half a day, when it came to packing them up and paying, Yang Yi discovered there seemed to be a bit of a problem.
"I'm sorry, sir, there is a problem with this card."
"Ran out of money? That can't be right. Here, try this card."
"I'm sorry, sir, this card can't be used either."
Yang Yi was taken aback, and just then, his phone rang.
Li Fan's voice was relaxed as he said, "Hey Yang Yi, can you spare me the worry? Are you planning to max out all six of your credit cards before you leave? Whether that's your plan or not, you don't have the chance now because I've stopped all your cards."
Yang Yi felt quite incredulous and gave a very candid apology to the cashier before turning around and walking away. His pace quickening with each step, he rapidly fled the boutique amid the puzzled looks of the cashier and salespeople.
"Come on, Uncle Li, you never said I couldn't do this. Cutting off my path so cleanly like that..."
Yang Yi was quite resentful, his easy money-making scheme had just been severed by Li Fan.
Li Fan maintained his leisurely demeanor, "I really didn't think of that, so I won't let you return the stuff you've already bought. I'll stop your phone last, and as for things like your household registration and bank accounts, don't worry about those; I will handle it for you."
Yang Yi was stunned and asked urgently, "Isn't this a bit too fast? You're cancelling everything now? I can't possibly leave the country with just cash, can I? Uncle Li, at least leave me one card, won't you? Uncle Li, hello?..."
The phone had already hung up.
Yang Yi was noticeably disheartened with nothing to do, but his excitement soon returned; at least his new wardrobe was some consolation. However, as soon as he got home, his good mood completely vanished.
Going online, he found that his Q account, which he had been using for many, many years, had suddenly disappeared, gone without a trace, as if it had never existed, and Yang Yi was really getting anxious.
It wasn't just the Q account, but forum accounts, e-commerce accounts, and records, even his game accounts had vanished. Everything Yang Yi could think of had been wiped clean, even forgotten forum accounts for which he had lost the password a long time ago.
And it didn't stop there. Upon checking his phone, Yang Yi discovered even his mobile phone had not been spared.
The phone was as clean as when he bought it, not in the exterior sense but the interior, not a single app account, not even for food delivery; all that was left were calling and messaging functions.
Now, Yang Yi truly felt what it was like to be invisible and let out a lament.
"Damn it! Does it have to be this drastic?!"