Three forty in the afternoon.
Bai Xiao had changed into his clothes in the locker room and, carrying a canvas bag on his back, quickly walked out of the martial arts hall. Coach Zhang Hongtao was already waiting at the entrance. He was dressed in casual black sportswear, holding a cellphone in his left hand and clutching a thermos that he never seemed to part with in his right. The two men made eye contact and turned to step forward.
Together they headed toward the nearby street parking.
Halfway there, Coach Zhang took out the car keys and lightly pressed them in the distance.
"Click, click." A muffled unlocking sound echoed.
As he approached the vehicle, Bai Xiao saw Coach Zhang's SUV. It was taller and more imposing than a sedan, with rugged lines. Metal struts at the bottom edge shimmered with a bright silver luster, while the body's paint was mostly a gray-green.
"Let's go, get in the car."
