After four layovers and nearly fifty hours, Tong An'an finally arrived at the company's representative office in the region.
The man who came to pick her up was a middle-aged man, over six feet tall, tall and strong, wearing glasses. He was her direct supervisor.
After introducing themselves, Tong An'an learned his name was Li Kai.
Li Kai had been working in South Africa for nearly ten years, having worked at various representative offices of Zhan's Group in many countries. He was very familiar with the area.
His wife had come from China after they got married, and their child was born there, making him almost half a local.
He drove a slightly used seven-seater minivan, a domestic Wuling Hongguang, the famous "sacred car."
Covered in dust, he helped Tong An'an load her suitcase into the car.
"Use my phone to call home and report your safety first. Get your ID ready. We'll pass by a service hall later, and I'll take you to get a local number."
Tong An'an felt a bit awkward using his phone. "No rush, I'll call later. international calls are quite expensive."
"It's fine," Li Kai said generously. "Just tell them the important things. The company has a special communication allowance, so it won't cost much."
If Tong An'an refused again, it would seem petty. She accepted, saying, "It's better to obey than to refuse," and called Jiang Jingyu.
The call was hung up after one ring. Tong An'an thought he wouldn't answer calls from unknown numbers and was about to return the phone to Li Kai when he called back.
"An'an."
Hearing his familiar, steady voice, Tong An'an's nose stung, and she almost cried.
Afraid Li Kai would see her crying, she turned her head away. "Mm."
"You've arrived?"
"Mm."
"Is this your colleague's phone picking you up?"
"Yes."
"Was the journey smooth?"
"Mm."
"Just arrived?"
"Mm."
"Still on the way?"
"Yes."
"Are you tired?"
"I'm okay."
"How do you feel about the place?"
Tong An'an glanced outside.
The sky was clear, as blue as washed silk. The land was vast and sparsely populated with few plants. The heat of Africa was not a mere rumor.
However, the vastness of the scenery had an impact on her mood. Looking into the distance, she inexplicably felt a sense of open-mindedness, joy, and impulsive drive.
Her sadness disappeared, replaced by the joy of facing a new beginning.
"It's quite good."
Jiang Jingyu could tell from her tone that her emotions had changed and felt happy that she was a little happier.
"Then be happy. Chat with your colleague first and get familiar with the environment. Eat something and rest. Tell me your new number, and I'll call you later."
"Okay."
"Don't be afraid. I'm always here. Zhan's Group will always be here. You'll be fine."
The car drove along an empty, bumpy cement road, stretching endlessly.
The hot wind blew in her ears. Li Kai told her about the history of the place. As he spoke, he noticed she was sweating.
"We have strict budgets for expenses when we're abroad, and it's quite troublesome to get gas here. So, to save fuel, we don't turn on the air conditioning. Please don't mind."
Tong An'an said it was fine. "The breeze is nice."
As they got to know each other better, Li Kai couldn't help but ask.
"You're quite young. Why did the company send you here?"
"I volunteered to come. This is my first time going abroad since I grew up. I wanted to see the world and broaden my horizons."
Li Kai chuckled. "It was similar to me back then. I joined Zhan's right after graduation. After working for two years, I got this opportunity. For the money, I gritted my teeth and came."
"My first time abroad was in a war-torn country. But surprisingly, it was quite fun. After staying for a while, I even didn't want to go back."
Being unrestrained and free, Tong An'an also deeply felt that being in such an environment was more comfortable than staying in a cubicle.
She just wondered if she would feel lonely after a long time.
They chatted all the way and finally reached the end of the road.
The vast view suddenly disappeared, and rows of streets came into sight.
The so-called streets of a big city were actually similar to the style of her small town over ten years ago.
The low buildings looked historically aged, with peeling exteriors.
The ground was a mix of cement roads and dirt, full of potholes.
With so many people coming and going, facing the sun, you could even see dust flying in waves.
The shop fronts all had signs with names she couldn't understand, and the chattering sounds people made were in a language she couldn't comprehend.
This was the first time Tong An'an had seen such a vibrant, authentic foreign scene. Before she could even be shocked, she widened her eyes, absorbing it like knowledge.
The car weaved through the crowd and stopped in front of a shop with Chinese characters on its sign.
It was a China Mobile store, partnered with Zhan's Group, appearing right before her.
The three staff members inside were all Chinese. After some polite exchanges, they processed a SIM card for Tong An'an, and she was then taken towards the representative office.
On the way, Li Kai told her that a dormitory had been prepared, but the conditions were a bit basic. She could move in and rest first, and they would tidy it up later.
The so-called dormitory was actually a rented four-story residential building, and Tong An'an was assigned a room.
The room was empty, with no bed, no chair, and no decorations. Fortunately, there was no trash, just a square cement box.
However, it had water and electricity, and a small room had been partitioned off as a bathroom. Tong An'an found it acceptable.
Li Kai proudly showed off the bathroom to her.
"Not every household has this. It's considered a high-end amenity here. Our company renovated this for employees. We even paid the landlord extra to fix the sewage system."
"People here are not very particular about hygiene. Even though they live in the city, many still use public toilets or just... you know. You need to be careful about hygiene."
Tong An'an said she understood. Li Kai made a few trips, helping her move her luggage. He was so sweaty his clothes were soaked, which made her feel very embarrassed.
Li Kai was indeed tired and didn't want to run around anymore. He asked if she could drive.
"I can drive, but I'm not very good with manual transmissions, and my skills aren't great."
"It's okay. There are fewer cars here. We can find an empty spot another day and practice more, and your skills will improve. Come to my place for dinner and rest for a bit, and in the afternoon, I'll take you out to buy daily necessities."
Tong An'an hesitated to go. Li Kai said, "Don't be so polite with me. We're like family now, and we'll have to help each other a lot in the future. I've already told my wife, and she's prepared dinner. Let's go."
They went down two floors and knocked on the door of room 201. A plump, fair-skinned woman wearing an apron, dressed simply but smiling sweetly and amiably, opened the door.
Seeing Tong An'an, she warmly invited her in.
With such a welcoming sister-in-law, Tong An'an felt much more at ease.
After dinner, she helped Li Kai's wife wash the dishes, and then they went out onto the street again.