If It’s Wrong, Then It’s Wrong - Chapter 78
Chapter 78: The Twenty-Eighth Day
After Cheng Liu left, Ji Chaozhou couldn’t sleep. He sat by the pool in the backyard, looking at the clear water. His reflection shimmered on the surface, a lonely figure in the quiet night.
She had left so quickly, without hesitation, her plan already formed.
Ji Chaozhou had always known Cheng Liu was different, more intelligent than most.
If she were to treat him the same way, weaving an intricate web around him…
He would have already fallen into it, completely entangled.
Ji Chaozhou, looking down, stirred the water with his hand. The surface was still warm, but underneath, it was cool.
Even so, he still wanted to help her.
So, he went to the company, to the fleet’s office, searching through the files until he found a few old maps.
He knew they might not be useful, but he sent them to Cheng Liu anyway.
Back at the villa, the TV was on, news reports constantly updating on the situation in the disaster zone, but there was little new information.
Around noon, Cheng Gui came looking for Cheng Liu, naturally finding no one home.
Ji Chaozhou emerged from next door: “She’s not here.”
“Is she still at the company?” Cheng Gui asked.
Ji Chaozhou, looking at Cheng Gui, dressed formally, likely having just come from an interview: “She’s in Z Province.”
Cheng Gui, after a moment, finally understood: “She went to the disaster area?”
He immediately took out his phone and called Cheng Liu, but there was no answer.
Ji Chaozhou wasn’t surprised. Communication was unreliable in the earthquake zone after the aftershocks. Even the news reports were only covering the periphery.
“She’ll be fine,” Ji Chaozhou reassured Cheng Gui.
Cheng Gui, who had just received good news and wanted to share it with his sister, calmed down: “Yes, she’ll be fine.”
“She’ll be back in a few days,” Ji Chaozhou said, as if certain.
Cheng Gui, inexplicably believing him, assumed Cheng Liu had told him before leaving.
After Cheng Gui left, Ji Chaozhou returned to his living room, unconsciously flipping through channels, trying to find any new information about the disaster area.
Ji Mushan, having somehow learned that Cheng Liu had gone to the disaster zone, called Ji Chaozhou, likely trying to gauge his reaction.
Ji Chaozhou, his voice calm and even: “She’ll be back in a few days.”
The same words he had said to Cheng Gui.
Ji Mushan, not detecting anything unusual in his son's tone: “I’ve inquired. Apart from the earthquake zone, which is still quite dangerous, most of the surrounding areas have been evacuated. Only rescue teams are there now. Cheng Liu should be fine. She’s probably helping out at the temporary rescue point, unlikely to be in the main disaster zone.”
Their conversation was brief, both falling silent. Ji Mushan eventually hung up.
Ji Chaozhou sat alone in his living room for a long time, then suddenly stood up and went to the nearby supermarket.
Ji Chaozhou and Cheng Liu were always noticeable. The supermarket manager, having interacted with them before, immediately recognized him.
“Why are you shopping alone today?” the supermarket manager asked, looking around. “Where’s CEO Cheng?”
Cheng Liu had clearly mentioned Ji Chaozhou to him on multiple occasions, bragging about him.
The supermarket manager even felt a sense of familiarity with Ji Chaozhou.
“She’s not home,” Ji Chaozhou said, pushing his shopping cart, looking down.
“Oh, I see. I won't disturb you then,” the supermarket manager said, not wanting to intrude.
Ji Chaozhou, as if going through the motions, bought groceries, cooked, set the table, then took photos and sent them to Cheng Liu, telling her he was having dinner.
Usually, it was Cheng Liu who messaged him, but today, he had taken the initiative.
He didn’t ask about her situation in the disaster zone, as if she were simply on a business trip, returning soon.
Cheng Liu didn't reply. After forty minutes, Ji Chaozhou finally received a message from her.
In that instant, he wanted to see her, but he held back, sending a voice message instead.
Cheng Liu, after listening to Ji Chaozhou's voice message, saved it, then immediately called him back.
She wanted to video call, but the connection was unstable, so she opted for a regular call.
Hearing his voice was enough.
“I’ve arrived at the temporary rescue point,” Cheng Liu said, her voice carrying its usual cheerfulness. “The maps you gave me were very helpful. There was an aftershock, and the main roads are blocked. They’re considering taking the route we took earlier.”
Ji Chaozhou, noticing the implication in her words, his knuckles turning white as he gripped his phone, but his voice remained calm: “You experienced an aftershock?”
“It’s over now,” Cheng Liu said, walking as she spoke. “The fleet’s safe. They’re stuck at the rescue point, but they’ve also sent three trucks to help prevent mudslides.”
“Mm,” Ji Chaozhou said, his throat tightening, then, unable to hold back, “When are you coming back?” He added, “Cheng Gui came by this afternoon, asking about you.”
Cheng Liu, looking up at the darkening sky, shielding her face with her hand as the rain started again, a playful tone in her voice: “I didn't catch that last part.”
Ji Chaozhou, sitting at the dining table, his usually calm face flushed, turned his head slightly, pulling away from the phone, as if to dispel the rising heat, then, unable to resist, he leaned back towards it.
This time, he heard Cheng Liu clearly: “Chaozhou, I miss you.”
Her words, so sincere and direct, pulled at him, drawing him into the warmth of her affection.
Ji Chaozhou, his long eyelashes casting shadows on his face, his other hand covering his chest.
—His heart was beating too fast.
“Remember to eat,” Cheng Liu said, as if it were an afterthought, quickly changing the subject. “I have to go. See you in a few days.”
She hung up.
Ji Chaozhou, putting down his phone, sat there for a long time, then, his fingers gently tracing the screen, zooming in on her photo. Her eyes, dark and bright, always shining. He could almost picture her as she spoke.
He lowered his finger, touching her face on the screen, then tracing the outline of her lips, a soft whisper escaping him, “Cheng Liu…”
His voice filled with a startling tenderness, a hint of obsession.
…
Cheng Liu, having arrived at another rescue point with He Bai, joined the Shenyin and Keda teams, discussing how to modify the rescue robots to function in the mudslide-affected areas.
“Waterproofing and debris resistance are fine, but the collapsed buildings are filled with mud and debris from the landslides. We can’t create that level of protection in such a short time.”
“We have to try,” Feng Shi said, frowning. “We need a solution tonight. Every minute counts.”
“Protection aside, the main problem is system incompatibility. Shenyin and Keda use different systems. Combining them is like having two brains sharing one body,” Zou Pan said, pointing at the two robots in front of her. “Which brain will the body listen to?”
Feng Shi, after a moment’s thought: “Can we temporarily disable one system?”
Zou Pan shook her head: “Both systems have their advantages. Your system is better at navigating complex, muddy terrain, while ours is better at clearing debris and scanning for life signs.”
“Then let a third system control them,” Cheng Liu said, entering the tent.
Everyone fell silent, Zou Pan approaching her: “CEO Cheng, what do you suggest?”
Cheng Liu looked around the tent: “You focus on ensuring the robots can function in the muddy environment. I’ll build a separate system to temporarily control both. It will decide which system to activate based on the situation.”
For Cheng Liu, building a new, temporary system was faster and safer than modifying and merging the existing ones.
“That will work,” Zou Pan said, the first to agree.
“I agree as well,” the project manager said, without hesitation.
Feng Shi, a genuine smile on his face: “Alright, let’s do it.”
Only Cheng Liu could pull this off.
T/N: Hey there! There seems to have been a mishap with the navigation links in the last few chapters. I've already fixed the issue. If there are any types of mistakes in the future chapters, please let me know in the comments.
Comments
Post a Comment