Frankfurt is not only a transportation hub in Europe and a center of finance and technology in Germany but also a renowned tourist destination. The Goethe House, St. Paul's Church, the Old Opera House—all these landmarks imbue the city with diverse charm. The south bank of the Main River has long been famous for its lively dining and dancing spots, with cozy, eclectic inns dotting the romantic landscape of the Rhine.
Both women were well-acquainted with the city. Xiao Yawen often traveled to Berlin for business and would take the opportunity to visit Rui Xiaodan's mother in Frankfurt. Rui Xiaodan, on the other hand, had spent nine years in this former capital of the Germanic Empire.
Rui Xiaodan's mother ran the "Purple Bamboo Garden Hotel" on the south bank of the Main River. It was a modest Chinese restaurant with a small outdoor bar in front, covering more than twenty square meters. Under the parasols, some round tables were empty, while others had patrons drinking and chatting.
Rui Xiaodan parked the car in the hotel's designated spot, and her mother, Zhang Huimin, came out to greet them upon hearing the noise. Zhang Huimin, in her fifties, was a woman of both efficiency and grace. Her eyes, marked with wrinkles, bore a look of kindness mixed with a hint of loneliness.
Before even getting out of the car, Xiao Yawen greeted warmly, "Hello, Aunt Zhang!"
Zhang Huimin responded enthusiastically, "You must be tired from the journey. Come inside and rest."
Rui Xiaodan closed the car door and said to her mother, "Mom, Yawen has a flight to catch at eight tonight. She'll only stay for a few hours. Table five is empty; we'll discuss some matters there. Please bring us something to drink."
After instructing the waiter, Zhang Huimin asked Xiao Yawen, "Why travel such a long way only to stay for a short while?"
Rui Xiaodan interjected, "Mom, it's okay. She likes it that way."
Xiao Yawen added, "Aunt Zhang, I'll be back in Berlin next month. I might not have time to visit you then, so I wanted to let you know in advance. Please don't mind."
Zhang Huimin replied, "You're both busy. No need to worry about me."
Xiao Yawen freshened up in the restroom, touched up her makeup, and then joined Rui Xiaodan at table five. The table was set with two coffees, two glasses of Frankfurt's classic apple wine, and two plates of the world-famous Frankfurt sausages.
Xiao Yawen took a deep breath, savoring the aroma, and said, "Ah, such a delightful ambiance!"
Rui Xiaodan replied, "We've got food and drink. Let's start from the beginning." As she spoke, she took out a cigarette and a lighter from her bag, lit the cigarette with practiced ease, revealing a history of smoking.
Xiao Yawen asked in surprise, "When did you start smoking?"
Rui Xiaodan said, "Last year, while undercover as a hostess for over a month, I picked it up."
Xiao Yawen teased, "Didn't pick up anything else?"
Rui Xiaodan laughed, "You're so naughty."
Xiao Yawen laughed heartily before getting to the point, "The boss gave me a task to find a place far from Beijing to rent an apartment. He wants some peace and quiet without familiar faces disturbing him. I thought the ancient city would be suitable. You handle things well and can keep an eye on it."
Rui Xiaodan asked, "Peace and quiet? Is he hiding from the police or enemies?"
Xiao Yawen replied, "Coming to you is part of a political background check." She handed over a copy of an ID and a resume. "This is his information."
Rui Xiaodan glanced at the ID copy and then the resume—
Ding Yuan Ying, male, born in 1959, native of Chengdu, resident of Beijing. Enrolled at Tsinghua University in 1978, studied abroad at Humboldt University in Berlin in 1979, obtained a Master's degree in Economics in 1985, joined H.N.S International Financial Investment Company in Berlin the same year, moved to Beijing Tongda Securities Company in 1989, married in February 1990, divorced in August of the same year. Lived idly in 1991. Joined "World Economic Weekly" in Berlin as an economic development strategy researcher in March 1992, resigned in January 1994. Founded a private equity fund in Beijing in June 1994, prepared to dissolve the fund in May 1995. This person has no religious beliefs, enjoys audio equipment, owns a home in Berlin, and has permanent residency in Germany.
Rui Xiaodan asked after reading, "What does 'lived idly' mean?"
Xiao Yawen explained, "Drinking, women, a hedonistic lifestyle."
Rui Xiaodan replied indifferently, "You graduated from the Police Academy, yet you vouch for someone like this? Hedonism isn't illegal, but it's a lifestyle marked by excess."
Xiao Yawen said, "I don't need to defend him or claim he's a good person. But by your logic, as a Police Academy graduate and a criminal investigator, do you think women smoking also carries a symbol?"
Rui Xiaodan said, "That's sophistry."
Xiao Yawen laughed, "Let's call it sophistry then."
Rui Xiaodan questioned, "Is renting a house in the ancient city really that simple?"
Xiao Yawen replied, "If it were that simple, I wouldn't have come to you. I could rent a house in any city around Beijing. As I said, you handle things well and can keep an eye on it."
Rui Xiaodan asked, "What do you mean by 'handle well'? What do you mean by 'keep an eye on it'?"
Xiao Yawen pondered, "It's hard to explain when you ask so straightforwardly."
Rui Xiaodan smiled, "No rush, take your time. I understand."
Xiao Yawen said, "I initially rented a place in Tianjin but felt something was off. I realized the private equity fund was already in liquidation, meaning it was disbanding. I've been an assistant to Mr. Ding for a year. Whether it's luck or fate, I've never met anyone like him. Or rather, he's not even human..."
Rui Xiaodan interrupted with disdain, "If he's not human, what is he?"
Xiao Yawen said, "A demon or a ghost, but not a human."
Rui Xiaodan couldn't help but laugh, "Explain."
Xiao Yawen sipped her coffee, rotating the cup slowly, "I've met wealthy people, influential people, intellectuals, and scholars. But they all think and act within the bounds of human concerns. Ding Yuan Ying is different. His thinking is inverted, speaking and acting like a ghost. He seems to defy norms, yet there's a logic to his madness, like a demon. A monk in Berlin called him a supreme rogue."
Rui Xiaodan said, "A supreme rogue is still a rogue?"
Xiao Yawen agreed, "Indeed."
Rui Xiaodan said, "Whether he's a demon or a rogue, what do you hope to achieve by 'keeping an eye on him'?"
Xiao Yawen said, "I don't want to lose this connection. You can provide local hospitality naturally. You're not in an employer-employee relationship, so any help is out of friendship. Once I complete this task, I won't have any further contact with him. But we're friends, and your help to him would be a favor to me."
Rui Xiaodan understood, "So this person is valuable to you. You want to maintain contact with him even after the private equity fund dissolves, gradually becoming friends."
Xiao Yawen shook her head slightly, "Friends? Impossible. Just being an acquaintance or someone he recognizes is enough. We are not the same kind of people. Why would he be friends with me?"
Rui Xiaodan asked, "What's the point of just being acquaintances? You must have a reason."
Xiao Yawen said, "Knowing him is like opening a window to see different perspectives and hear different voices. It makes you think and realize things. That's enough. There might be other benefits, like opportunities or help, but I'm not sure. It may not seem important to others, but I know this person is significant."
Rui Xiaodan looked at the copy of the ID again, took a drag on her cigarette, and said with a smile, "This person has made you quite shrewd, squeezing value out of everything."
Xiao Yawen said, "But I've also squeezed myself dry. This whole process has cost me over 20,000 yuan in prepaid rent in Tianjin and travel expenses for this trip, all out of my pocket. It's like swallowing bitter medicine silently. It must seem natural; if he detects any deliberate intentions, I'd be humiliated."
Rui Xiaodan stared at Xiao Yawen for a long time, as if deciphering a code. After contemplating, she extinguished her cigarette and said, "Sophisticated."
Xiao Yawen smiled knowingly, "I know what you're thinking."
Rui Xiaodan asked, "What?"
Xiao Yawen said, "You're thinking, white-collar workers are indeed meticulous, thoughtful, and not to be underestimated. This help is actually a disguised form of flattery, even providing a bodyguard, with no room for refusal."
Rui Xiaodan laughed, "You're beyond human."
Xiao Yawen said, "You handle things with discretion, appropriately and naturally. We're friends; just do me this favor. If I had any other option, I wouldn't come to you. My biggest fear is getting entangled with you."
Rui Xiaodan asked, "Why?"
Xiao Yawen praised with a hint of jealousy, "Without you, I stand out in a crowd. With you around, I become a background. Look at your face, not like it's from mortal flesh, but carved by divine hands. Look at your figure—slim waist, long legs, high chest, full hips, and that cold elegance. Which woman wants to stand next to you?"
Rui Xiaodan laughed, "A bit crude in wording, but flattering nonetheless. I still enjoy hearing it."
Xiao Yawen said, "The date for the private equity fund's liquidation and distribution is set for June 15th in Berlin. With about a month left, finding and setting up a place is urgent."
Rui Xiaodan thought for a moment, "I haven't visited my mother for three years. I must spend my vacation here first. You know how hard it is to get leave from the criminal investigation team. I'll call Ouyang Xue and have her handle the house rental. She can contact you directly for details. I'll take care of the rest afterward."
Xiao Yawen raised her glass, "Thank you. I'll finish this drink; all my emotions are in it." She downed the drink in one go.
Rui Xiaodan raised her glass, "No need for thanks. I'll finish this one too, and we'll be even."
Xiao Yawen grabbed Rui Xiaodan's glass, "You have to drive. No drinking. Let's take some photos as a memento. We don't meet often abroad."
Rui Xiaodan raised her coffee, "I'll use coffee instead of wine. We're even."
Xiao Yawen examined Rui Xiaodan closely, paused, and said, "Xiaodan, no matter how redundant it may seem, as a friend, I must give you some advice."
Rui Xiaodan said, "Go ahead."
Xiao Yawen said, "When you find someone very special, don't develop feelings for such a person. Once you do, it's like opening the gates of hell. It will only bring torment. Such a person is intolerable to any woman. His wife divorced him after six months, saying he wasn't human. You can ignore my words, but if it happens, it's your own doing. Don't blame me for not warning you."
Rui Xiaodan said, "If you're not at ease, don't leave him with me."
Xiao Yawen said, "I knew you'd think that way, but you're wrong. There's every kind of meaning in this, except a romantic one. If I had ulterior motives, I wouldn't put him with you. That'd be throwing meat to a wolf."
Rui Xiaodan smiled at the metaphor, "Sister, off-topic."
Xiao Yawen said, "Alright, back to the topic. Let's go take photos."
Rui Xiaodan got up to get the camera from the hotel. Xiao Yawen pulled Zhang Huimin outside, and the three took joyful photos with the Purple Bamboo Garden Hotel as the backdrop, especially focusing on the duo of Rui Xiaodan and Xiao Yawen.
After the photo session, Xiao Yawen said to Zhang Huimin, "Aunt Zhang, Xiaodan and I will take a few more photos elsewhere. We'll have dinner outside. If we come back for dinner, I'll miss my flight. This is my farewell for now. I'll visit you next time."
Zhang Huimin nodded, agreeing, "Leaving before even warming the seat. What's the rush!"
Rui Xiaodan got the car, and Xiao Yawen sat comfortably in the passenger seat, waving goodbye to Zhang Huimin as they drove away. Zhang Huimin watched the car until it was out of sight, then shook her head and went back inside.