It was a tiring ride of more than 12 hours on the plane, with flights from China to New York landing at JFK Airport and only a few flying to Newark Airport.

As soon as Qin Xiaolan got on the plane, she drank two glasses of orange juice, and she had a great appetite, eating a portion of chicken rice, and a short time later, another serving of beef noodles.

I glanced at her and said stupidly, "I haven't seen you eat so much at home, is the taste of the plane meal very unique?" ”

"This girl is in a good mood on a business trip, and overeating and drinking can reduce the pressure in life."

She was a little excited, patted her round belly, and looked very comfortable.

"Don't you keep saying you want to lose weight? Not afraid to come back from a business trip and become a big ball? ”

Qin Xiaolan glanced at me, and said angrily: "What you say is really yin, I can't eat and can't get fat, how about it, envy?" Also, I'm working out, not losing weight. ”

I closed my eyes, my head was a little dizzy, and I had cramps in my stomach, chest tightness and shortness of breath, loss of appetite, which was a typical airsickness.

"Hey, you're okay, your face is so bad."

Qin Xiaolan looked at me worriedly.

I laughed dryly, "It's okay, just get some sleep." ”

After a slight nap, his pale cheeks returned to blood.

The white clouds outside the cabin, like marshmallows at your fingertips, looking down at 30,000 meters in the air, the earth has become an illusory color, mountains and rivers, high-rise buildings, patchwork and mottling, I went to the bathroom, vomited darkly, and felt that the twelve hours spent in the air were even more difficult than twelve years.

When I returned to the seat, I saw Qin Xiaolan holding a game console, playing with great devotion.

"Have all the manufacturers over there been contacted?"

I fastened my seatbelt and said weakly.

Qin Xiaolan nodded and said, "Well, but they have set the bidding date for the day after tomorrow, and someone will notify us to go to the meeting to negotiate." ”

"Oh, are you familiar with that area?"

Qin Xiaolan put down the game console, glanced at me and said, "I went there a few times when I was in college, and I'll take you for a good shopping tomorrow." ”

I had a kind of unclear conjecture in my heart, and I always felt that this trip would not go as smoothly as expected, so I looked at Qin Xiaolan and said, "Where is their office?" ”

"Which area do you mean it's in?"

I nodded understandingly.

Qin Xiaolan pursed his lips and smiled: "In Lower New York, also known as Manhattan, it is the essence of New York City, and Wall Street is in its southern section, where there are many high-rise buildings, extremely prosperous, and it is the financial center of the world and the United States. ”

I became more and more confused, so I didn't ask more, I just hoped to reach it early, but I was bored in my heart.

After being confused for a long time, the lights in the cabin have been extinguished, and looking out the window, you can see the stars, and the moonlight is like water, splashing in, adding a touch of hazy beauty to the entire cabin.

The clouds are thin, the light is dim, and the waters of the Pacific Ocean are slowly surging, and the black and misty patch stretches thousands of miles away, bordering the night, and distorts into a picture of the sea and sky clouds, which is quite meaningful.

I was immersed in the dream, all the gloom and depression have disappeared, this place is as beautiful as heaven, with the company of my daughter and wife, the blessings from my family, the entrustment of relatives and friends, all of whom have arrived in this pure land, singing and dancing together, going on outings, drinking together, talking and laughing, only in this world, after going through hardships and obstacles, breaking through the shackles of human nature, breaking the shackles of moral bondage, I will vaguely remember that life is a one-way ticket that cannot be turned back.

Qin Xiaolan woke me up from my dream, I opened my eyes, saw her carrying a bag, and said with a tired face, "It's here." ”

There were taxis outside the airport to pick up and drop off passengers, Qin Xiaolan and I were sleepy, miserable, the driver sent us to the hotel, one opened a room, I fell asleep on the bed.

The Manhattan district of New York is home to the famous Statue of Liberty, the United Nations Headquarters, Times Square, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Central Park, the Fifth Avenue business district, Rockefeller Center, the Broadway theater district, and the well-known Chinatown.

Near Midtown, the West Village, also known as Greenwich Village, is a historic cultural district, even the birthplace of American art and culture, and the cradle of American jazz and same-sex love, such as the Stone Wall Bar.

Formerly the domain of the British, the British named this green village Greenwich Village, but by the end of the 19th century, the beautiful environment and low housing prices in this area gradually attracted more and more artists and writers to settle here.

Many contemporary American artists, critics, writers, poets, composers, sculptors, and actors have lived in the West Village, and if you walk all the way here, you can step on the footprints of an artist or writer at almost every step.

The old houses here are always more than 100 years old, the ivy with thick stems is full of red walls, a few pots of flowers are contented to bloom in every window, a few antique cars are quietly parked on the old and somewhat dilapidated brick road, and there are red tables and red chairs in the small bars and cafes on the street, as if there is still the soul and pride of the former artist, washing away the greasy and cheesy left by the dollar for you.

Qin Xiao and I had lunch here, she was in high spirits, and the tiredness caused by the long journey disappeared.

"When I was in college, when I first came here, I didn't think there was anything out of the ordinary, but when it came to scenery and culture, of course I still liked China."

She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, her expression was comfortable and comfortable, and her face was sweet and moving.

"Of course, you may not feel anything in China, I have seen a speech before, saying that once the Chinese go abroad, they are particularly patriotic, science and technology are advancing, the times are changing, and now there are countless people who go abroad to see the world, but everyone should have a sense of family and country, no matter where you go, there is a strong motherland to support you, this is an indescribable self-confidence."

Qin Xiaolan said with a smile: "I really didn't see it, you still have a sense of family and country." ”

I gave her a blank look and walked forward.

New York, a bustling metropolis, is home to American monopolies, banks, insurance companies, industrial and trading companies, transportation companies, and world-famous stock exchanges.

The 100-2-storey Empire State Building, the world's tallest building at the time, the World Trade Center has 110 floors, 411 meters high, consisting of five buildings, in addition, the Chrysler Building is also more than 300 meters high, one of the tallest buildings in New York, located on Wall Street in the southern district of Manhattan, only 500 meters long, dark and narrow, six of the top ten banks in the United States are located here, regarded as a symbol of the American financial empire.

In the afternoon, Qin Xiaolan and I went to Nanjie Haixiang, where the most prominent impression was that the urban area and the sea rely on each other, and rivers, canals, and bays converge between the districts from all directions.

South Street Haixiang, walk to the top floor of Pier 17 shopping mall, where there are mainly Chinese and Western food courts, there are some flavored side dishes, seafood and wine, Japanese sushi, coffee and desserts, to choose what to eat, it takes a long time to pick and choose.

This place is very spacious and bright, the drink shop in the middle, the layout is full of tropical style, reminiscent of the scene of Penang, Malaysia, lying on the comfortable wooden deck chairs, watching the boats of all sizes shuttling through the East River, although there is no charming beach here, but there is a beautiful and prosperous harbor, at this moment, all the troubles are gone, time is like frozen, and all you can see in front of you is the blue sky and the sea.

Qin Xiaolan and I walked to the upper city, and we could vaguely see the mansion, the huge house was magnificent, the front hall was brilliantly lit, and the black man who pulled the door was wearing meticulous uniforms, delicate and elegant, and I couldn't see the people who lived in it, but I really felt that the value of the owner of the house inside must be astronomical.

Walking further up, into the black quarter, the houses you see are windowless, and most of the people you see are unemployed, wandering on the streets, and the stories you hear are also murders, single mothers, drug addicts, and so on.

Qin Xiaolan told me that there is a classic American song and dance movie "West Side Story", which is about the prototype of the confrontation between two groups of teenagers in this area, a modern version of "Romeo and Juliet", and in 1961, "Dream of West Side" won the Oscar for Best Cinematography.

I didn't dare to be interested in the cultural stories here, and I thought to myself that I should buy some gifts for my daughter and wife when I was away from home, so I looked at Qin Xiaolan and said, "Where is there a shopping mall here?" ”

Qin Xiaolan smiled and said, "It's everywhere, you want to bring gifts to your family, right?" ”

I nodded: "Well, take me to a store." ”

We took a taxi to a shopping mall, and when I saw the sign engraved with Bergdorf Goodman, I pursed my lips and admitted that I was only a shallow learner, and I had no ink on my chest, since I didn't even know the signboard, I felt a little annoyed in my heart, if I had studied hard, I would not have entered such an embarrassing situation today.

But time has passed, the world is hot and cold, why don't I want to study quietly, that flying disaster, taking the most precious eight years of my life, fate played a harmless joke on me, even if I regret it, I can't do it again.

Qin Xiaolan told me that this mall is called Bergdorf Goodman Boutique, which has children's toys, household groceries, clothing, shoes and socks, backpacks, etc., and is the most famous shopping mall in New York.

I snorted, walked in, and stopped in front of a women's leather bag shop, which deals in a variety of brands of bags, Qin Xiaolan came over, negotiated with the store, and asked me: "What style and color do you like, you can choose by yourself." ”

I looked left and right, all kinds of leather bags were placed in the display case, some hung on the wall, all kinds of things, overwhelmed, after a moment, I pointed to a pink satchel and said, "What brand is that?" ”

Qin Xiaolan narrowed his eyes and said: "It's coach, you have a good eye, this is a very well-known brand in the United States, and the price is not very high." ”

"Okay, then buy one."

The two of us went to a few more baby stores, bought a few sets of clothes for Kiki and Miao Miao, and walked out of the mall.

Qin Xiaolan is a shopaholic, but this time she is very restrained, I asked her, "Why didn't you buy anything?" ”

She said disapprovingly: "In fact, in the United States, many of them are made in China. ”

I didn't understand, just looked at her in a daze.

She shook her head helplessly and said: "To put it simply, there are a lot of commodities here, all of which are produced in our country, foreigners change their labels, just say that they are made, and the price has risen a lot, it is very cost-effective, the domestic goods are complete, there are many types, there is no need to go shopping spree here, carrying large bags and small bags of domestic goods, and returning them by sea in the ocean, how worthless it is." ”

I smiled and said, "That's right, you're hungry, let's eat." ”

At a Japanese restaurant, we sat across from each other, with a variety of sashimi and Japanese sushi on the table, and I was not used to this kind of food, which was fishy and hard to swallow, and on the other hand, I had a heavy taste, and the food here seemed to be very light.

I wiped my mouth, looked at Qin Xiaolan and said, "Xiaolan, tomorrow's bidding materials are ready, right?" ”

"Well, don't worry."

She muttered that after a long day of shopping, we were both very tired, and after dinner, we went back to the hotel and went to bed early.

The next morning, I put on a dark blue suit, my shoes were shiny, I put on a tie, my hair was clean and stylish, I took the materials needed for the bidding, and took a taxi with Qin Xiaolan to this clothing company.

It took about 40 minutes for the taxi to stop at the southwest corner of Manhattan, which is located in the southwest corner of Manhattan.

Walking into the building, there is a welcome bar, a blonde beauty sitting in front of the computer, seeing me and Qin Xiaolan coming, she said hello very warmly, Qin Xiaolan explained to her about coming, she made a phone call, let us go to the seventeenth floor to wait.

I took the elevator upstairs and received us by a Chinese-American, a middle-aged man in his forties, wearing a pair of highly myopic glasses, somewhat bald, wearing a black suit, not tall, with a clear face, walking bumpy, and very distinctive.

I finally broke the language barrier, looked at the man and said, "Hello, we're here to bid." ”

The man was a little surprised, he shrugged his shoulders and said, "I thought..."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

He said in Chinese: "I thought the bidding was over, the company had already determined the cooperation object, and you were one step late." ”

My scalp was numb, and this sentence was like a thunderbolt from the sky, completely crushing the life-saving straw in my heart, and the bad premonition coiled in my mind finally appeared, and it turned out that the problem was here.

I frowned and said, "What do you mean?" Before leaving, didn't we all make an appointment? ”

"That's right, but yesterday there was also a Chinese clothing company, which came to confirm a cooperation project with us, and the conditions offered were very attractive, we run the company, who would not be happy with the money, right?"

He grinned, showing a row of scorched teeth, and I looked a little sick to my stomach, so I shouted in a low voice: "You are treacherous, and I can give you the benefits he gives you." ”

Qin Xiaolan pushed me and said: "There must be someone in the middle, all the information of this clothing supplier is only known to our company's insiders, since Boss Feng introduced this source of goods to you, there must be no reason to take it back." ”

I gasped for breath, my body tensed, and I glared at the man and said, "What does the person who signed the contract with you look like?" What is his company called? ”

"I'm sorry, this is the client's privacy, and I have the right to keep it confidential for him."

He spread his hands, saying that he couldn't help.

I became more and more uncontrollable, and yelled: "What bullshit privacy, they just gave you a high bribe, I fucking crossed the ocean, flew half the world to come here, not to listen to you here to protect privacy." ”

Qin Xiaolan dragged me and said, "You calm down." ”

"How can I be calm, the company has developed to this day, I begged my grandfather to tell my grandmother, and finally found this source of goods, but I was plotted by villains everywhere, how can I explain when I go back?"

I roared, grabbed the man by the collar, and said angrily, "Say, what's that man's name?" Say yes. ”

Two tall security guards ran up to me, and with a little force, they pinned me to the ground, unable to move.

The man dusted off his clothes and said coldly: "If you don't have that luck, don't spill here, we are suppliers, and there is no reason to buy and sell strongly." ”

I broke free and cursed, but to no avail, Qin Xiaolan was so frightened that his face was bloodless, and his delicate cheeks became extremely distorted.

The two of us were kicked out of the building, wandering down the street in despair, and several young people stepped on skateboards, giggling and passing by, alarming the stray dog next to the garbage can, the dog was so dirty that it seemed that with every step, you could see the dirt under its paw prints.

"Capitalism of all evils."

I cursed in my heart, and gritted my teeth and said, "If I let me know who did it, I won't make him feel better." ”

Qin Xiaolan glanced at me and said indignantly: "The matter has come to this, what do you still want to do, the top priority is to think about what to do in the future." ”

"What can I do, continue to look for sources, I don't have much to do with New York."

There was a can on the road, and I kicked it and smashed it on the windshield of a private car, only to hear the anti-theft sound instantaneously, which was extremely noisy.

"Hey, you stop it, it's not going to help you lose your temper here."

Qin Xiaolan said angrily, and it could be seen that she was also very bored.

The car's siren stopped, and a middle-aged woman walked over, pinching a can, looking at me warily.

I giggled, Qin Xiaolan pinched me and said, "Hurry up, don't be embarrassed here." ”

Back to the hotel, I fell asleep, no appetite, like a big drum in my heart, near the evening, I woke up, sat at the head of the bed and thought for a moment, suddenly thought of an idea, knocked on Qin Xiaolan's door, and walked in with some excitement.