The market meeting of the regional department ended on Friday, and the next morning they got up before six o'clock and gathered a minibus to go to Petra, more than 200 kilometers away.

The car drove along the shores of the Dead Sea, full of confidence in the future, and the mood was as bright as the sun shining into the rift valley.

Several leaders sat in the front, talking and laughing, at first talking about the past of going south and north, and then talking about yellow jokes. The most energetic ones are the old bell and the old cow.

Qian Dan and Zeng Zijian sat in the back row, Zeng Zijian echoed the leaders from time to time, and Qian Dan listened with interest.

The so-called phase is born from the heart, and the situation is born from the heart, he listened to the Sultan's old bell tell jokes, and felt that he didn't expect that the fierce old bell also had a temperament that had nothing to do with work; He listened to Lao Niu, who treated him as an internal ghost, told a joke, and felt that Lao Niu was really a sanctimonious pervert.

After more than three hours, they arrived in Petra.

Petra is an unfamiliar name to Chandan, but I've seen it a long time ago, and it was here that the young Harrison Ford played "Raiders of the Lost Ark".

I watched the movie almost twenty years ago, and the plot has long been blurred in my memory, but this autumn I met the hidden gem of the movie.

In the 6th century B.C., the mysterious Nabataeans carved rock here and began to trade between East and West, making it a dazzling and prosperous place.

The prosperity of Ancient Petra attracted the envy of the Roman Empire, which led to a series of wars. Finally, around the 1st century AD, Petra was conquered by the Roman army, and the Nabataeans disappeared overnight, and their legends were never heard of in the world again.

Later, in the war between the East and the West, Petra served as a province of the Arab Empire and a crusader knight fortress, until it gradually disappeared in the forgotten time after the rise of the Red Sea shipping, and it was Alexander on the Mediterranean side of Egypt who replaced it.

The 19th-century English poet William Bagan once wrote a poem about the glory days of this red stone town: "I am struck only by the land of the East, where the rose-red walls bear witness to the whole history." ”

They walked into the rose-colored stone town from the "SIQ Canyon", the canyon winds for more than 1,200 meters, the widest part is more than 10 meters, and the narrowest point is only two or three meters.

They walked slowly, searching the roadside for the bits and pieces left by the long years, such as the mottled and broken stone carvings, such as the canal that brought water into the city.

Walking to the end of the canyon, it suddenly opened up in front of you, and a "tall building" that seemed to be embedded in the opposite cliff jumped into view, and when you looked closely, it was a building directly carved out of the cliff.

Qian Dan felt that he was sparse, and only thought from the six Romanesque doorposts and the remaining reliefs that it should be the masterpiece of the ancient Romans, but he didn't know whether it was a temple, a palace, or something else. I saw that it was majestic and magnificent, the details were delicate and exquisite, and the reddish-brown color of the rock was blurred in the slanting sun, making people think that they had accidentally strayed into the mythical fantasy world.

Walking and walking, the team dispersed, and Qian Dan and Zeng Zijian walked together.

Delve into the hinterland of Petra, walk in the red ancient city market, pass the remains of houses carved into the mountain wall, pass by an ancient Roman amphitheater, and come to a "mansion", which is a tall and majestic three-story grotto. Zeng Zijian, who had done his homework in advance, introduced to Qian Dan that this was the mausoleum of the kings of Petra.

The two of them visited layer by layer, and when they reached the third floor of the grotto, they were looking back to overlook the gravel road that winded towards the back of the mountain, when Qian Dan's mobile phone rang.

As soon as the phone was connected, Qin Xin on the other end cried like a child, and her newly bought "Sony Ai K750" mobile phone was stolen by pickpockets. Qian Dan comforted softly, while looking at the vicissitudes of the red city, his heart was full of concern, regretting that he could only feel distressed from afar.

Zeng Zijian waited for him to finish the call and asked, "What's wrong?" ”

Qian Dan said: "Qin Xin squeezed the bus to Huaqiangbei, and his mobile phone was stolen. ”

"It's sad to cry!"

"Did you hear that?"

Zeng Zijian was always too lazy to answer obvious questions, he said: "Our family's poems are rigid on the outside and soft on the inside, pungent on the surface, but in fact they don't have much opinion, they all listen to me." Your Qin Xin is soft on the outside and rigid on the inside, gentle on the outside, and coquettish with you, but in fact, he is quite assertive, and he has been dragging on not getting married if he doesn't get married. You have to be careful! ”

Qian Dan agreed: "Well, she is quite idealistic in her bones. She thinks that marriage is a lifelong thing, and I don't know if the sense of security I give is not enough? I'm also a person who wants to live my life! Is she afraid that she won't be able to do it forever? ”

Zeng Zijian pointed to the ruined ancient city at his feet with his chin and said: "For this world, we all come to live to be a hundred years old at most, and we are all here on a business trip and passing by in a hurry; The ancient city of Petra can be regarded as being sent to Earth to reside, but it will still disappear in the end; The Dead Sea and Mount Nebo are the true masters of the earth. Where in this world are there so many forevers? The only constant is change. ”

Qian Dan glanced at Zeng Zijian with a man's eyes appreciating a man. The two of them continued to indulge in the scenery in front of them, each thinking about it.

Qian Dan stayed in Jordan with Lao Han for an extra week, where they met with local employees, participated in project analysis meetings of subsidiaries, and visited customers in Jordan.

The Shenzhou-6 return capsule successfully landed in Inner Mongolia, and on the day China completed its first "multi-person multi-day" space flight, they sat in the customer's conference room and waited to visit the customer's CEO.

While waiting, Lao Han said to Qian Dan: "Why are you wearing a dark shirt?" It's not good, dark shirts tend to look unmotivated. Why don't you prepare a pair of dress shoes? It's best to tie your shoes, and it's better to be formal when you meet a customer executive for the first time. Didn't you buy a piece of 'Breitling' in Saudi Arabia? Why do you still wear this sports watch with this plastic strap to meet customers? Foreigners pay more attention to reciprocity. ”

Qian Dan was furious when he asked, Lao Han looked like a powerful man, he was informal, decisive in decision-making when discussing business, and became particularly meticulous and particular when it came to customer communication. Qian Dan was ashamed of himself and decided to learn from the leader.

He has always felt that one of the things that attracts him to "Weizhong" is that he can always meet all kinds of interesting people here, and too many people have a side that he can learn from.

On the new weekend, Chandan returned to Egypt again, to the center of his circle in the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa.

He was in a hurry to settle his grievances, so he started to call on the way back to the dormitory from the airport, and insisted that his colleagues in information security management wait for him downstairs in the dormitory and check his personal computer as soon as possible.

He pushed open the door of the dormitory and was surprised to find that the temperament of the living room was different, the curtains were drawn, the lights were turned off, and a candlestick appeared on the dining table, and a few candles were burned.

The two sofas were side by side, Lin Han and a few girls sat on the sofa, a bottle of red wine and a few cans of "SAKARA" beer were placed on the coffee table, one wall was empty, a projector was placed on the ground, a computer, and a pair of small speakers, and the white wall projected "Shrek" that I don't know how many parts it was.

The whole room swept away the dull temperament of the science and engineering men's dormitory, and became cheerful and warm.

When Lin Han saw Qian Dan, he hurriedly said: "Oh, this week is so busy, it's finally the weekend, I make soup and invite the beauties to come over for dinner, plus the home theater." ”

As soon as the words fell, he saw the information security colleague who was following Qian Dan, and said a little nervously: "Oh, don't you come to the dormitory to check information security?" Let's watch the film together? This is my own personal computer. Projector,I'm going to have a meeting early tomorrow morning.,Saturday I'm afraid I won't be able to get the projection.,I'm going to borrow it first.,Put it in the office for fear of losing it.,Take it back to the dormitory.,Use it.,It's okay? ”

A colleague from information security said enviously and hatefully: "Your dormitory is so lively!" The beauties are coming. ”

Qian Dan was also a little envious: "For the first time, I have been in Cairo for a few months, and it is the first time that a girl has come. ”

He had something on his mind, and hurriedly took his colleague from information security into his room.

He just asked for white and white, and without looking at it, he signed a privacy-related agreement that voluntarily checked his personal computer.

After checking the computer, the colleague of information security did not find anything special, nor did he say how to punish him, but only explained that the company's principle is to separate "punishment" and "punishment", and he is only responsible for "punishment", investigate the situation clearly, and the leaders will decide how to "punish".

Qian Dan sent him away, came to the living room, and was about to sit down next to Lin Han, when he found that the balcony door was hidden, and Lao Xie's figure was on the balcony, so he took a can of beer and went to the balcony.

When I walked to the door of the balcony, I saw two chairs on the balcony, Lao Xie was sitting on one, and Yan Lili was sitting on the corner of the balcony and the other was sitting on the other, and the two were whispering.

In the past few months, as soon as he was free, Lao Xie took Yan Lili to eat in the east and go shopping in the west, accompanied her to the Maadi Club to swim, and invited an Egyptian to be a coach to learn tennis.

Qian Dan greeted: "I came in in a hurry just now, but I didn't find that there were still people on the balcony, it's really lively today!" ”

Yan Lili was much more cheerful than before, and said: "Xie Guolin said that you have a Sichuan chef in your dormitory, and a Guangdong God of Food has lived in. ”

Qian Dan joked to them: "Why don't you two watch a movie inside?" What are you talking about quietly here? ”

"Cartoons, I don't like to watch them", Lao Xie then announced: "I have decided, I will not return to China first, I will go to Northwest Africa to continue to struggle!" ”

Lao Xie said that when Lao Han communicated with him about the adjustment of his position, he gave two suggestions, one was to go back to Shenzhen and continue to make software products, and the other was to stay in North Africa and the Middle East, leave the product service department and go to Northwest Africa to find a subsidiary to work hard. At first, Lao Xie always planned to return to China, but he never completely rejected another option in his heart.

Qian Dan was surprised: "Why did you suddenly change your mind?" I didn't hear from Lao Han in Jordan! ”

"I just decided today that I will go to work tomorrow to communicate with the leader."

Qian Dan took the beer can and touched it with Lao Xie, and said, "Go to Northwest Africa?" Go back to Chad, where you were shot to the head? And Mali, Gambia, these are the hardest countries, and there is malaria, you be careful. ”

"Northwest Africa and Tunisia and Morocco are the most beautiful countries, okay? You need to come and support more! Lao Xie took a sip of wine, picked up his old red cotton guitar leaning against the wall, plucked it twice, and just sang a few words:

Gently, I will leave you

Wipe away tears from the corners of your eyes

Slowly in the long nights, in the days to come

Don't weep for me, my dear

The babbling chanting of the mosque began again, and the sound grew louder and louder.

Qian Dan said: "Why every time you play the guitar, the chanting begins?" Do you start a few lines in every song and can't play it at all? Deliberately timed? ”

Lao Xie put down his guitar and said coquettishly: "There is a bird in the world that has no feet, it is born and flies non-stop, and when it is tired of flying, it sleeps in the wind." I'm that kind of birdman. ”

Qian Dan glared at that honest face: "You are really a door-hearted horseworm, very sullen." ”

Yan Lili also drank some wine, revealing the expression of a little fan girl: "Don't doubt Xie Guolin's talent, when he was in the 'Southern Post', he was a freshly dressed angry horse guitar, known as Xie Guolin, not the forest of the woods, it is Alan Tam's Lin, and he is a combination of Leslie Cheung and Alan Tam." Later, he learned to play the guitar, and he was often possessed by Qi Qin, a wolf from the southwest. ”

Qian Dan said in disbelief: "I used to be Brad Pitt's body, how did he become disabled and become like this?" ”

Lao Xie sighed, and his face turned into a flower again: "Isn't it to enrich people's communication and life, after entering the company, I have been tortured like this, is it easy for me?" Come, let me listen to Xie Guolin. ”

Lao Xie plucked the guitar vigorously and sang loudly, and his voice finally overshadowed the babbling chanting:

Say goodbye, say goodbye

But his mind is extremely confused

The mood is too chaotic, the feelings are too chaotic

It seems that the depression in his heart has not been broken

Say goodbye, the dream is far away

But the feeling of boredom slowly precipitated

How many strings of old things, how many old dreams

Change the nostalgia of the fool in the bottom of my heart

After singing, Lin Han shouted inside: "Lao Xie, sing well!" Your Cantonese is pretty standard! ”

Qian Dan still wanted to find out, and asked: "You have already received the 150,000 settling-in allowance for three years of residence overseas, right?" Still reluctant to go? ”

Lao Xie glanced at him: "You are a little promising, right?" Come out and figure 150,000? ”

Qian Dan said: "That's what the boss said, we are subjectively for individuals, for families, objectively for the company, for the country, and heroes don't ask about motives." You won't leave, and your wife won't clean you up? ”

"Get out!" Lao Xie still explained seriously: "I discussed it with my wife, and she supports making more money to go home." You're right, subjectively for the individual, for the family, I haven't earned enough money, I have the pressure to repay the loan after buying a house, and the cost of raising a baby in China is getting higher and higher. I got a settlement allowance of 150,000 yuan, and I still have overseas hardship subsidies to continue to earn. ”

Lao Xie stood up and carefully leaned the baby guitar against the wall: "Pee." ”

He staggered back to the house.

Yan Lili looked at him gently on his back and said to Qian Dan: "Xie Guolin is actually very idealistic, what does he think he will do when he returns to China?" Punching in every day, bored in the offices of the headquarters that can't open the windows and don't see the day? He is casual in his bones. ”

Qian Dan said: "Being willing to come here is somewhat idealistic, right?" We are all realistic idealists, ideal realists. ”

Yan Lili added distressedly: "Lao Han asked him to get out of class, he admitted it, you take over him, he thinks it's quite appropriate." But he still minded being fired from class, and he didn't want to end up like this in North Africa and the Middle East. ”

Another reason for Lao Xie to stay was that he neither told Qian Dan nor told Yan Lili. During the day that day, Xiaoling cleaned him up again. The reason is very simple, he called back and chatted with his parents for half an hour before asking them to give the phone to Xiaoling, Xiaoling asked him: "Isn't it important that my wife is not as important as my parents?" ”

Lao Xie is not good at reading women's hearts, and Xiaoling has made a fuss from time to time since the two of them decided to get married. When the two of them are together every day, Lao Xie will always be serious about reasoning, but he can't be reasonable every time.

"Rake his ears", he subconsciously felt that the distance more or less made him avoid these contradictions that were not contradictions.

After he peed out, the movie in the living room had been played, and several girls were about to go back, and they were asking Yan Lili to go together, and Yan Lili followed them to leave.

Lao Xie was full of wine, sat down on the dining table, and shook his body: "The two of them drink the mountain flowers, cup after cup, I am drunk and sleepy, and the Ming Dynasty intends to hold the qin." ”

Qian Dan was convinced: "I've seen the door heart horse fork worm, but I have never seen you so stuffy to the extreme!" Saucy to the extreme! ”

Lin Han reminded loudly in disappointment: "Old Xie, drink too much!" It's autumn, the flowers are in full bloom, and your mountain flowers have been defeated. ”

"Yo, why are we all so cultured?"

"No, no, I don't dare to be coquettish with Mr. Xie. I heard that Sister Fei has a song called 'Open to Tu Li', and I specially went to check it to find out what Tu Yu is? ”