“Liu Yuan, Liu Yuan, wake up.”

Liu Wei pushed Liu Yuan, waking him up.

“How is it? Did you drink too much?” Liu Wei asked.

“No… I can still drink. Fill it up. I must make sure the two bosses are happy tonight…” Liu Yuan said, his eyelids half-closed, holding up his empty glass.

“Dinner is already over,” Liu Wei reminded him.

Liu Yuan rubbed his eyes and realized that the waiters were already cleaning up.

“Liu Yuan, I just asked He Qiang to contact a driver to send the others home. How are you now? Are you still clear-headed?” Liu Wei asked.

Liu Yuan closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, saying, “I’m okay… You know, my… my alcohol tolerance is fine. I just drank too fast.”

“Okay, then. Contact the company driver, Xiao Wu, and have him take Zhao Chenguang to the airport, and then take you home. I have something to do, so I’ll leave first.”

Liu Yuan thought he had misheard and quickly asked, “Huh? Send General Zhao to the airport?”

Liu Yuan indeed had reason to suspect he had misheard. In his confusion, he had actually addressed me as General Zhao.

After Liu Wei finished speaking, he left me and Liu Yuan in the clubhouse and left. The company stipulated that an emergency board meeting had to be held to explain the situation after a large transfer of shares, even late at night, even if it was a remote meeting. Helpless, Liu Wei could only take the equity transfer document I gave him back to the company to explain the situation.

Liu Yuan even specially ordered a bowl of sobering soup to see me off.

I told him that he could have the driver take him home first and then take me to the airport.

He shook his head, insisting on taking me to the airport first. I guessed he must be full of questions about my trip to the airport, but he looked drunk and probably didn’t have the mind to ask what I was going to do there.

Half an hour later, Xiao Wu arrived at the clubhouse in the company’s Mercedes-Benz, which was dedicated to receiving VIPs.

Xiao Wu and I helped the muddled Liu Yuan into the car. Although Liu Yuan was confused, he still closed his eyes and gestured in the air in front of him with one hand: “First… send General Zhao to the airport.”

I didn’t say anything and kindly accepted Liu Yuan’s arrangement.

At 10:30 pm on a weekday, there were hardly any cars on the road. The streetlights were bright, and the road was empty. Xiao Wu, the company’s full-time driver, drove very steadily. Before long, Liu Yuan fell asleep.

Xiao Wu was a calm and reserved person. He didn’t complain at all about being called in to work overtime so late, nor did he show any signs of slackness. People from big companies are just different. Apart from the security guards at the gate, whose quality needs to be improved, I really can’t find any fault with the others.

Under the starry night, only the twinkling stars spoke in the dark and silent night sky.

I quietly looked at the night scene outside the car window. Tianjin City under the night was so quiet and lovely, like a beauty with tired eyes about to enter a dream.

Suddenly, I felt a little恍惚 (huang hu – dazed), and a palpitation in my chest – hiss – not good, a sense of unease is coming again…

…

Two hours later…

“…Tianjin Traffic Radio Music Channel, FM 73.3 MHz, it is now 0:45. Hello everyone, I am the host, Shan Ju. We are broadcasting an emergency traffic accident news report. Ten minutes ago, a serious traffic accident occurred on Songlin Road, the outer ring road west of the Huanjing Line, leading to Tianjin Airport. A Mercedes-Benz sedan collided with a box truck. The number of casualties is unknown. The road is currently closed by traffic police, and the cause of the accident is under investigation. Drivers in the vicinity, please avoid this section of the road. At the same time, Shan Ju reminds drivers that nighttime road lighting is limited, please pay attention to oncoming vehicles, drive carefully, and do not drive while fatigued.”

Eight hours later…

“Good morning, viewers, welcome to the morning news. At 0:35 this morning, a serious traffic accident occurred on Songlin Road, the outer ring road west of the Huanjing Line, leading to Tianjin Airport. A Mercedes-Benz sedan collided with a box truck. The accident resulted in the deaths of a driver and a passenger in the Mercedes-Benz at the scene, and the driver of the box truck also died at the scene. No one survived. According to an investigation by the traffic police department, the driver of the box truck was driving while fatigued and suddenly swerved into the lane of the Mercedes-Benz during driving, facing the Mercedes-Benz and colliding head-on, ultimately causing the accident. The traffic police department reminds all viewers to combine work with rest and not to drive while fatigued.”