Chapter 4

During the May Day holiday in 2009, Hainan Island was still a popular tourist destination as it had always been.

The Ocean View Pool Villa No. 3 at Banyan Tree Sanya was exclusively rented by a domestic import and export group and was not open to the public. Its facilities and staff were specially configured, and its hardware and software standards far surpassed those of the Banyan Tree in Phuket, Thailand.

As Jian Guoan entered No. 3, he silently cursed in his heart: "Too corrupt, too condescending—"

Jian Guoan was an associate professor at a local agricultural university. Last year, he had the opportunity to stay there once while participating in the planning of a product promotion for an agricultural company. Even though he stayed in the cheapest type of pool villa for only one day, it was enough to make him feel a bit proud.

Jian Guoan had a different way of boasting to others; he did it through belittlement.

"What a villa, it's just that the sea view is a bit better, with a private beach, private garden, and private pool— but the breakfast is extremely simple, with only a few dozen items. The key is that the restaurant has a greasy smell, and you can smell it while eating breakfast!"

When he and the other three friends were led by a server to tour No. 3, he realized that the so-called king-size bed he had stayed in was actually two small beds put together! The most frustrating part was that he didn't know he had been fooled and thought it was supposed to be like that! He was furious inside, but his outward demeanor remained the refined and elegant one befitting a professor.

The entire villa had three floors, with 22 bedrooms on the second and third floors. Each room was decorated in a different style, exuding a subtle luxury.

Sun Defa, known as a city leisure gentleman, chose a room with a Chinese classical style. The furniture was all a dark purple color, complemented by carved redwood windows and pink curtains that fluttered in the breeze, which he liked.

Li Ziqiang, one of Professor Jian's friends, always referred to himself as a "bitter" mechanical processing plant owner. He directly chose the room next to Sun Defa. The room had a unique arched window and a blue-green color scheme, indicating a Mediterranean style, but Li Ziqiang didn't notice or care, which was a waste.

Professor Jian's third friend, Song Shida, a real estate entrepreneur in the clothing industry, softly laughed and said to the manager of No. 3, "I'm allergic to the smell of paint. I'll feel uncomfortable if I stay too long. Do you have any suggestions?"

The manager, a man in his thirties and also overweight, smiled and accompanied them.

The manager immediately said, "On the third floor, we have a room with pure solid wood and natural decoration. Apart from a little natural shellac, no other modern materials were used. It should be suitable. I'll show you."

The group went up to the third floor and looked at the room, which was indeed as the manager described. Song Shida was very pleased and thanked him. The manager casually said, "Among the leaders who often come here, some are also allergic to modern decoration. This is our special arrangement."

Professor Jian had not yet made up his mind and looked back at the room. The manager continued to accompany him seriously, offering suggestions from time to time. He knew from the fact that the CEO had personally called him to arrange the reception for these people that they were not ordinary.

The other three did not accompany them, but stayed on the third-floor terrace to enjoy the scenery.

It was early May, and Sanya was not too hot yet. Beyond a lush tropical forest, the three men gazed at the sea. No one paid attention to the bright red phoenix trees, even though they were blooming beautifully and seductively.

The beach was covered with white sand, and there was a wooden boardwalk about 500 meters long. A few girls with perfect figures were chasing the waves that kept rolling onto the beach. The waves, carried by the breeze, brought the scent of the sea to the three middle-aged men— and perhaps the laughter of the girls. Some boys were playing with the girls, one of whom had a clearly muscular, inverted triangular upper body, with shiny, dark skin that seemed to reflect the sunset.

Sun Defa suddenly thought back to his youth. He silently recited a poem in his heart:

I wish to be the sand beneath your feet,

Let you leave footprints on my heart,

If the sea of time erodes them,

Then let your laughter be the fixative.

This poem was written for a girl. To be honest, for a science student in a chemical engineering college, it was quite good. Moreover, the girl was not particularly attractive, so you couldn't expect a beauty from a chemical engineering college. However, she lightly and dismissively said, "I don't like people from Guangdong," and returned the poem, adding a look of disdain.

Sun Defa tried to calm himself and suppress the inexplicable surge of emotion.

"Hey, I used to have a good figure too. Defa, do you remember?" Song Shida patted his large belly and sighed.

"Of course, you were on the basketball team and were the best at table tennis."

"More than twenty years have passed, and I can't do anything now. Do you still play table tennis?"

"Occasionally, but I can't play much anymore."

Li Ziqiang didn't pay attention to their reminiscence and leaned on the railing, gazing at the girls in the distance.

Sun Defa gave Song Shida a look, and Song Shida understood. Li Ziqiang's mechanical processing plant had gone bankrupt, and he had divorced his wife, so he was feeling depressed.

The two were about to find a topic to cheer him up when Li Ziqiang suddenly said without turning his head, "Do you think the sand in Sanya can be used to make optical glass?"

The two looked at each other in surprise.

Sun Defa thought for a moment and said, "Sea sand is not the best choice. The quartz sand mines in Tunchang and Lingshui in Hainan seem more suitable. There are many such mines, but I heard that the Hainan provincial government passed a development plan in January to manage them uniformly. I have a friend who does this business."

Song Shida said, "Powerful people are trying to monopolize it. We'd better stay out. We might get regulated if we're not careful."

Li Ziqiang didn't say anything and continued to look into the distance.

His mind was filled with countless thoughts, but there was no trace of sadness. His factory in a suburban industrial park in Changsha, Hunan, had been barely alive for a long time, unable to get orders, and the various taxes, especially the rising fees, had made his situation even worse. If it weren't for the fact that it was a legacy from his deceased father and the dozen or so old workers under him, as well as his passion for mechanical processing, he would have closed it long ago.

Wu Dapeng occasionally introduced him some processing jobs, but since he was in Beijing, he couldn't take much care of Li Ziqiang, so it was just a little help.

His marriage had long been devoid of affection, and whether they divorced or not made no difference. All the savings and the house went to his ex-wife, and he didn't care about fighting over property. Moreover, his daughter, who was in junior high school, was with his ex-wife. She was indifferent to their divorce and still asked both of them for money. Not hurting his daughter made him feel a bit happier, and he was always generous when giving her money.

The mechanical processing plant was his greatest love. His father had gradually expanded it from a blacksmith shop until it was passed down to him. He felt a bit guilty about it.

However, this guilt was quickly washed away by his unexpected discovery. He had a shocking secret, one that could change everything. This led to countless ideas, and he had been thinking about how to tell his friends.

Finally, Professor Jian chose a room and said with a laugh, "Even if we stay for three days, we should have a good mood, right?"

The manager led them to an independent dining room next to the living room on the first floor and arranged for the four distinguished guests. The manager smiled and said, "Our chefs at No. 3 are specially hired and are not from the Banyan Tree restaurant. They are recognized as the best in all of Sanya. Please enjoy your meal slowly. If you need anything, press the button under the table."

Soon, the four famous dishes of Hainan— Wenchang chicken, Jiaji duck, Dongshan lamb, and Heluo crab— were served, followed by several local dishes, all prepared in traditional ways but with excellent flavors. The wine was 42-degree Red Label Wuliangye. They could have had better, but during previous gatherings, they found that only this wine was acceptable to everyone.

The four men ate and drank heartily, laughing and chatting, but they all felt that Li Ziqiang seemed to have something on his mind, responding half-heartedly.

Sun Defa put down his chopsticks, picked up his ever-present folding fan, and pointed to the white-cut Jiaji duck, saying, "This is the real Jiaji duck—"

The others looked but didn't see anything special.

"From a young age, the ducks are raised in cages and fed freshwater shrimp, fish, or earthworms. Around 70 days old, they start to be force-fed, which is called 'force-feeding.' The feed is a mixture of rice, rice bran, and soybean meal, fed three times a day. After about 20 days of force-feeding, the fat seeps into the muscles, making the meat tender and fragrant. At this point, the duck's beak and feet turn white. This is how the 'authentic Jiaji duck' is raised. Look at its beak and feet."

Li Ziqiang grabbed the duck's head and indeed saw that the beak was naturally white.

"Damn, I thought it was just a color change!"

As the wine flowed, the atmosphere grew warmer, and Li Ziqiang, who had the highest alcohol tolerance, became more interested.

"I discovered a wormhole—"

Li Ziqiang slowly took a sip of the 42-degree Wuliangye and casually told his three friends.

"Li Zi, what did you say? Impulse?" Professor Jian, who had been distracted, didn't hear clearly and quickly asked. Li Ziqiang didn't answer but picked up a piece of Qiao Bridge rib and slowly chewed it.

Song Shida and Sun Defa laughed.

Song Shida said, "Jianren, Li Zi said he discovered a wormhole."

Sun Defa saw that Professor Jian was still a bit confused and explained, "It's the thing used in time-travel novels, a powerful tool for changing history."

Professor Jian smiled, understanding, and said a bit awkwardly, "Time travel, very popular. Time travel happens every year, this year it's at my place!"

Sun Defa slapped the table and immediately raised his glass, saying, "Spoken like a true poet! For this, my good brothers, let's finish our glasses!"

Seeing the three of them raise their glasses with smiling faces, Li Ziqiang said thoughtfully, "It seems you don't believe me—"

"Believe, believe! Finish this glass, and we'll believe even more!" Song Shida almost shouted.

The four clinked their glasses and finished them.

These four men, no, five, including one who would arrive the next day, were good friends who had been tested by time and events.

They came from different cities but were brought together by fate to the capital. Originally, they were from five different universities, and in the vastness of the capital, they might never have met. But by chance, they met on the sports field and became good friends. However, their initial assignments were not very good.

Of course, there were always lucky ones, and Wu Dapeng, who would arrive the next day, was one of them. This "big bird" had bright feathers, a tall and robust figure, and a loud voice. Somehow, he managed to hook up with the daughter of a ministerial-level official, transforming from a small city in Northeast China to a staff member of a national power department. Within a few years, he was promoted to a section-level leader, which was a significant position in a ministerial-level agency, envied by many.

However, he soon resigned and joined the economic tide sparked by the "Southern Tour" speech, becoming a front man for a medium-sized power group. From reselling scarce goods to stock trading to real estate speculation, he succeeded all the way, eventually becoming the CEO of an import and export group, not too famous but not too obscure.

He wrote his rise to fame into an inspirational book, filled with motivational quotes to encourage young people to believe that with personal effort, they could succeed.

"Better than those power children who openly rob, right?"

Faced with his old friends' teasing, Wu Dapeng defended himself, "In China, every successful man has a power behind him. Don't laugh at me."

The five of them had not lost contact since graduation. Many people, burdened by life and work, might have lost their youthful friendships, but these five continued to write letters, make phone calls, and even chat and video call, keeping up with the times.

Moreover, they would gather every three to five years, starting with an AA system and later with Wu Dapeng footing the entire bill— the other four couldn't outdo him. Wu Dapeng said, "With all the nonsense and lies, the only thing left is this friendship. Are you still going to argue with me?"

In public, they might be serious professors, successful entrepreneurs, or well-known figures, but when the five of them were together without outsiders, they called each other by nicknames, reminisced about the past, cursed the ugliness and injustice of society, and enjoyed themselves like young people.

This gathering was to celebrate their 20th anniversary since graduation, making it even more important. They had already communicated and planned in advance. The location was chosen from Phuket, Thailand, a small island in Palawan, Philippines, and Sanya. In the end, except for Wu Dapeng, the other four chose Sanya, reasoning that the scenery in Sanya and Southeast Asia was