The train rattled north all the way, traversing numerous cities, finally pulling into the Beijing station past eight o’clock, more than an hour behind schedule, and its long blast signaled the start of Wang Qiqi and the others’ journey.

This was the longest train ride Wang Qiqi had taken since her rebirth. Last year, traveling to QD, she had taken the bus; although the space was tight and she couldn't move around, the seats were decent, and the journey wasn't this long. But the train was different; it didn't take the shortest route but wound its way around. Of course, the main difference was sleeping on the train overnight, which was a big adjustment for Wang Qiqi. “We’re finally here. Should we head to C University, or find a place to stay first?” She hadn’t bathed since yesterday and felt positively grimy.

“Find a place to stay.” Zhu Zaina dragged her luggage out of the station, hailed a cab, and gave the driver a hotel name. “We’ll stay downtown this time; it’ll be more convenient for visiting the sights.”

Originally, Zhu Lina had intended to book lodging near C University. She thought it would be easier to look at potential apartments, consider interior decoration, and survey the campus where they would spend the next four years. But after seeing the Beijing trip itinerary handed to her by Shi Man and Wang Qiqi, she scrapped her initial plan. She decided staying downtown was better; otherwise, commuting from the suburbs to tourist spots would be exhausting every day.

“Stay downtown?” “Great! Today, let’s check out some authentic local Beijing snacks nearby, recalibrate, and tomorrow we’ll head to C University to look at houses, how about that?” Wang Qiqi didn't really have many ideas about decorating or arranging the apartment. After all, it wasn’t her place; she was just a guest, so there was no need to expend so much effort. As for C University, “Should we skip visiting C University this time?”

“Why not go?” Shi Man yawned, asking, “I was planning to get a good look at the place where we’ll be staying for four years. It must have so much history and character.”

“What’s the rush? We’ll have plenty of time to explore it over the next four years.” Wang Qiqi thought that no matter how great the university was, they had four years to get to know it.

“Then why are we touring Beijing? Don't we have four years for that too?” Shi Man countered. She knew how thrilled she’d been to receive her acceptance letter from C University, yet she wasn't being very understanding of Qiqi. “How about I just take some photos outside the C University gate?”

“A quick stopover visit?” Wang Qiqi hadn't expected Shi Man to suggest something so cliché. “Fine, fine, you take your pictures. Lina and I…” Wang Qiqi was about to say something like, we won't join your antics.

“I’ll go with you,” Zhu Lina chimed in. “We can take a picture of the three of us alone at the gate, and then one group shot.”

“Yes, yes!” Shi Man clapped her hands in agreement. “Qiqi, no objecting! It’s two against one; the minority has to abide by the majority.”

Does that count? Wang Qiqi’s mouth hung open. “That’s not a group activity, is it?” She definitely wouldn’t stand under a school gate making some silly victory sign; that was just unbelievably silly. “You two take your pictures. I’ll be your photographer. I promise I’ll make you look gorgeous.”

She certainly wouldn't miss capturing their most ridiculously goofy expressions.

“No way.” Shi Man wasn't about to let Wang Qiqi off the hook with that suggestion. Although she inwardly felt that she shouldn't force Qiqi to do something she disliked, she suspected Qiqi’s objection to taking such a memorable photo had an ulterior motive, and it wasn't a good one. So, Shi Man decided she had to rope Qiqi in, no matter what. Hmph, if she wants to make fun of us later, that’s fine; I’ll have done it too.

Wang Qiqi turned her gaze to Zhu Lina, only to see Lina smiling at her. “If we’re going to act silly, we should all do it together. Otherwise, it’ll seem like you don’t want to stand with us.”

Wang Qiqi took several deep breaths. It was just a commemorative photo, after all. At worst, she wouldn’t do that ridiculously ugly pose; maybe she could manage a slightly more thoughtful expression. “Okay, no problem, but I’m only taking two shots.” Any more than that was out of the question.

“Deal,” Shi Man said, not daring to push further. “We’re here. I’m taking a shower and then getting some real rest. I feel like I’m back in the middle of the Gaokao rush.” Shi Man hadn't slept well all night, but seeing how soundly Wang Qiqi and Zhu Lina were sleeping, she didn't want to wake them. She just stared out the window, memorizing the names of every station they passed in the dead of night.

The moment the three stepped into the room, they dashed to take quick showers and immediately fell asleep. Of course, they each called home to report they had arrived safely. Wang Qiqi was no exception; her call went to her aunt’s office, where she spoke briefly with her aunt—a specific instruction Wang Damei had given her that day...

When the three woke up, it was past four in the afternoon, and they had missed both breakfast and lunch. “Up, up, time to eat!” Shi Man was the first to wake, immediately clamoring for food, which forced Wang Qiqi, who had intended to stay in bed longer, to get up too.

“How about we eat nearby today, and then wander through the surrounding hutongs?” Wang Qiqi had noticed quite a few siheyuan courtyard alleys nearby. She wondered how long those old houses would last, but it would be nice to take some pictures for posterity.

Wandering hutongs? Shi Man looked at Wang Qiqi in surprise. “What’s so interesting about those rundown houses?” They weren’t famous historical sites.

“The hutongs are representative of Beijing,” Wang Qiqi explained. She knew many people didn’t care for them and wouldn't include the hutongs as a must-see tourist spot in Beijing. Most people rushed in, hit a few famous landmarks briefly, snapped a photo, and rushed off to the next stop. But the siheyuan required time to truly appreciate, time that group tours couldn't afford their visitors.

Shi Man thought about trekking through hutongs in this scorching heat and decided against it. “I’m not interested. I’d rather stay in the hotel.”

“Me too,” Zhu Lina agreed. She had so much material to study. If she truly had spare time for siheyuan, she’d rather stay in an air-conditioned restaurant reviewing documents. The thought of her future involving this kind of continuous, long-term work made her weary.

Wang Qiqi understood what they meant, though she hadn’t expected them to suddenly fall in love with touring siheyuan. “I meant just walking around the nearby courtyards. Remember, the best food is hidden among the common people. Some local delicacies aren't found in famous spots. Big names don't always mean better quality. Conversely, the snacks bought frequently by local residents are often the most delicious.”

The mention of food finally piqued Shi Man’s interest. “That’s true. Remember that time we went to Shencheng? We ate so much good food, but I actually thought the best flavors came from the tiny shops in the small lanes.”

“Alright, are you two planning to find a place to eat nearby or just go straight for street snacks?” Zhu Lina deferred the decision to the other two. She had realized Shi Man’s biggest hurdle was food, and Wang Qiqi knew that point could easily sway her opinion. “For me, eating local delicacies sounds good.”

“Great, let’s start searching for good food around here,” Shi Man decided. “If we don’t find anything tasty, and we go back to the hotel hungry, we can find a place for a big dinner, how about that?”

Wang Qiqi’s priority was seeing the siheyuan and snapping some photos. “Deal, I’ll bring my camera.” Unfortunately, she only had a point-and-shoot now, no digital camera. Otherwise, bringing extra memory cards and a couple of extra batteries would be enough to shoot all day, and the best part was the light weight.

Shi Man’s focus was on finding the shop entrance in the hutong with the biggest crowd, naturally prioritizing food stalls. Wang Qiqi photographed many siheyuan she found particularly noteworthy, while Zhu Lina kept thinking about the material in her documents along the way. The three walked with three different mindsets: Qiqi and Shi Man were somewhat enjoying this so-called adventure, while Zhu Lina maintained an expression suggesting she was encountering trouble or in a bad mood.

Wang Qiqi finished a roll of film. While changing the roll, she noticed Zhu Lina’s expression wasn’t great. “Still worrying about your documents?”

Zhu Lina sighed. “Yes, I’m finding just researching the interpersonal dynamics enough to give me a headache.” Zhu Lina had initially wondered why her father had only given her profiles of senior or middle management within the company. She thought he wanted her to integrate better into the company structure. But after hearing Qiqi’s words yesterday, Zhu Lina suspected her old man had his reasons for giving her these introductions. Thinking this, Zhu Lina re-read the materials carefully and realized it wasn't as simple as she first thought. For instance, even her own relatives were divided into several factions.

“Where there are people, there is conflict,” Wang Qiqi could only say. “Relationships won't become less complicated just because you wish them to be simple. We’re on vacation now; you shouldn't spend too much time and energy on complex politics.” Wang Qiqi had initially assumed Zhu Lina was looking at work-related documents, not realizing her parents had tasked her with understanding the company's personnel structure first. “But if you manage to figure it out, it could save you a lot of effort later. Still, I think if you focus too much energy on internal friction, it might be better to consider how to expand the company.” But in China, internal struggles seemed favored; didn't the Great Man himself say that struggling against others was endlessly entertaining?

“Once I have control, I’ll fire every single one of those so-called relatives who are only looking out for their own pockets,” Zhu Lina thought. She didn't believe she had the ability to balance these various factions; thus, the best solution was to kick them out. “I’ll let them know whose company this really is. I actually think my mother’s suggestion to sell the company is pretty good.”

Wang Qiqi was speechless. She hadn't expected Zhu Lina to choose such a drastic measure, even if it was effective. “Your relatives will riot.”

“Let them,” Zhu Lina thought. She wanted them to know she wouldn't tolerate them the way her parents had. “Of course, only after I catch them red-handed.”