Chapter 6 Going Abroad

Chapter 6: Going Abroad

A week later, Lin Wei brought the ID card.

Shen Qingci took the small card.

"Boss Shen, all the information has been entered into the system," Lin Wei said, standing to the side. "This 'Shen Qing' identity is now completely legal, with a complete education and work history that can withstand routine checks."

Shen Qingci looked at the two characters 'Shen Qing' on the card, his fingers tracing its edge.

Shen Qingci had been dead for ten years.

Shen Qing was twenty-seven years old, born today.

Strangely, a sense of disconnection washed over him.

It was as if Shen Qingci had truly been completely buried beneath that black marble slab in Xishan Cemetery.

And now, standing here was a stranger, whose only link to the past was memory.

He gently placed the card on the table.

"Lin Wei," he spoke, his voice quiet. "Perhaps I need you to help me guard this secret."

Lin Wei immediately nodded. "Boss Shen, rest assured. This matter ends with me. No third person will know."

Shen Qingci glanced at her, said nothing, and made his way slowly to the window, leaning on his cane.

The afternoon sun slanted in, washing the room in a warm, golden light.

The street below bustled with traffic and hurried pedestrians. The city went on, day after day, year after year, never stopping for anything.

"What are you planning to do next?" Lin Wei asked softly.

Shen Qingci was silent for a moment.

"Going abroad," he said, his tone flat.

Lin Wei was stunned.

"Go... going abroad?"

"Yes."

"But..."

Shen Qingci turned around, his back to the light, his entire figure shrouded in shadow, his face unreadable.

"It's enough that you're here," he said. "If I ever need you, I'll contact you."

Lin Wei opened her mouth, but ultimately made no sound. She looked at the figure by the window.

She just thought ten years was such a long time. She had a family, responsibilities, ties she couldn't sever.

And Shen Qingci... he was still twenty-seven, alone, with no attachments.

Lin Wei felt her nose sting, and she quickly lowered her head.

"Boss Shen," she asked, her voice thick, "when do you plan to leave? I... I'll book your flight. Where to?"

Shen Qingci walked back to the desk, his eyes scanning the stack of financial magazines on the table.

The cover of the top one still featured Lu Lin's impassive face.

"Northern Europe."

"I'll register the company today. I'll leave the day after tomorrow."

His tone was flat, so flat it seemed as if everything should be this way.

The day after tomorrow.

Too fast.

Lin Wei pressed her lips together, a tumult of emotions welling up inside her, but she finally nodded. "Alright, Boss Shen. I'll make the arrangements for you right away."

Shen Qingci gave a noncommittal "Hmm," not saying another word, as was his habit.

Lin Wei pulled a bank card from her bag and handed it over. "Boss Shen, there's five hundred thousand yuan in here. Expenses will add up quickly when you first arrive abroad. Take it for emergencies."

Shen Qingci glanced at it but didn't take it.

"No need."

"Please take it." Lin Wei was uncharacteristically firm, her eyes reddening again. "I know you're capable, but abroad is different from here. The language, the environment, the people... It will definitely be difficult at first. It's not much money, just... just consider it a token of my gratitude."

Shen Qingci looked at her silently, his deep brown eyes showing no emotion.

Lin Wei stubbornly held out the card, her fingers trembling slightly.

They stood like that for a good ten seconds before Shen Qingci finally reached out and took the card.

"Thank you," he said. "I'll repay you later."

"No need to repay." Lin Wei shook her head, tears finally spilling over. "Boss Shen, I owe you so much... five hundred thousand is far from enough. Back then, if it weren't for you..."

"Lin Wei." Shen Qingci interrupted her, his tone still flat. "That's in the past."

He didn't want to hear words of gratitude, nor did he feel he had done anything particularly special back then.

Lin Wei wiped her tears, forcing herself to calm down.

Shen Qingci sat down on the sofa, his cane leaning against his leg.

He picked up the cold coffee on the table, took a sip, then looked at Lin Wei.

"Tianchen Group," he suddenly spoke. "What happened to it after I died?"

Lin Wei was taken aback for a moment, then fell into recollection.

The room grew quiet, only the faint sound of traffic from outside the window.

"After you died," Lin Wei said slowly, "Tianchen Group fell into chaos."

She paused, gathering her thoughts. "The board members immediately tried to seize power. Several major shareholders clamored to split the company. Partners demanded contract terminations. Banks came to collect on loans. I... couldn't hold it back at the time."

Shen Qingci listened quietly, his finger tapping lightly on his cane.

"The chaos lasted about half a year," Lin Wei continued, her voice dropping lower. "The stock price fell by sixty percent. Half of the core executives left. A lot of business was lost. Later... later, the Lu Group stepped in."

Shen Qingci stopped tapping his cane.

"Lu Lin?" he asked.

"The Lu Group," Lin Wei corrected. "Although Lu Lin was already part of the Lu family by then, his grandfather was still in charge. The Lu Group proposed an acquisition, and the terms were... relatively fair. The board members were eager to extricate themselves, so they agreed."

She looked up at Shen Qingci. "Now Tianchen is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Lu Group. It retains the name 'Tianchen Group,' and most of its operations are still running. The employees who stayed on... well, most of them kept their positions."

Shen Qingci fell silent for a moment. "What about Lu Lin?"

Lin Wei hesitated. "During the acquisition, Lu Lin... objected."

Shen Qingci looked up. "Oh?"

"I heard," Lin Wei lowered her voice, "that he caused a scene in the Lu family at the time, saying Tianchen belonged to... you. But he was only seventeen then, and he hadn't been in the Lu family for long. His words didn't carry much weight. In the end, his grandfather made the final decision."

The room fell quiet again.

Shen Qingci picked up his coffee, slowly finished the last sip, set down the cup, and stood up.

"Understood," he said. "Go ahead and book the tickets first. I'll handle the company registration myself."

Lin Wei nodded, got up, and walked to the door.

As her hand grasped the doorknob, she couldn't help but glance back.

Shen Qingci had already returned to the desk and opened his laptop.

The cold light from the screen illuminated his face, outlining a focused and calm profile.

He lowered his gaze slightly, his fingers typing rapidly on the keyboard, as if the conversation just now—about the past, about death, about Tianchen Group—was truly nothing more than a fleeting cloud.

Lin Wei gently closed the door.

The hallway outside was quiet. She leaned against the wall and took a deep breath.

Ten years.

Mr. Shen was back, and now he was leaving again.

And she... could only stand here, watching.

---

Shen Qingci worked on the computer for an hour.

When he had all the materials ready and clicked to submit, he paused.

He had entered "Silence Capital" as the new company's name.

He stared at the two words for a few seconds, then pressed the confirmation key.

The screen jumped to the payment page. He entered the information for his newly issued bank card.

Transaction successful.

Shen Qingci leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

Item by item, tasks formed a clear, orderly list in his mind.

He opened his eyes, started a new document, and began drafting the business plan for the new company.

His fingers moved swiftly across the keyboard, his thoughts clear and fluid.

Until...

A news notification popped up in the lower right corner of the screen:

"Lu Lin, Chairman of Lu Group, Discharged from Hospital, Returns Directly to Company, Declines Interviews"

Shen Qingci's fingers froze mid-air.

He stared at the headline for two seconds, then shifted his gaze and continued typing.

Outside the window, the sky gradually darkened.

The city lights flickered on one by one, like an inverted galaxy.

Shen Qingci typed the final sentence, saved the document, and closed the laptop.

He stood up and walked to the window, looking out at the city where he had lived for twenty-seven years.

The day after tomorrow, he would leave.

Ten years. One cycle.

Shen Qingci died. Shen Qing lived.

Shen Qingci raised his hand, his fingertips lightly pressing against the cold glass.

Then he turned, leaned on his cane, and walked toward the bedroom.