Assistant Architect

Assistant Architect by Xi He Qing Ling

Chapter 156: Osaka Part II

Afterpurchasing tickets at the airport, the group from Borderless rode the subway totheir accommodation. The subway they were riding on was similar as compared tothe one in Haicheng. While walking outside to get to the subway entrance, some thoughtthere was a difference in the air quality between the two countries. In an attemptto make a distinction for themselves, some members of the group started todeeply inhale. Someone spoke up and joked: "Don't breathe so deeply. There is alot of radiation in Japan."

Everyone: "……"

The tsunami that hit Japan in 2011caused an explosion at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant that resultedin the leakage of radioactive materials into the surroundings. This caused acollapse of tourism for a long time and there was a rumor that Japan's nuclearradiation index exceeded the standard. Was the statistic fake news or not?

After listening to their colleagues' opinion,they subconsciously held their breath. Radiation and breathing don't mix. Shit,nothing ever comes for free. The guy who was spreading disinformation wasscolded by his peers. Along the way, the lively group of people chatted andlaughed cheerfully.

Since Lu Qiao wasn't happy with TaoFei's antics on the plane, he kept a distance between them. As a result, TaoFei hung out with Gu Yu and Zhang Siyi like a third wheel.

Zhang Siyi looked at him and squinted:"Why don't you go with Lu Qiao?"

Tao Fei pulled on his ear: "Didn't yousay that the guy was very easy to get along with? I thought I was beingpatient, but it seems like he has a bad temper and angers easily. Without acommon topic, I don't know what to say to him."

Since Zhang Siyi knew Lu Qiao for manymonths through work without any issues, he found Tao Fei statement puzzling.Looking back on his previous interactions, he remembered Lu Qiao fight with thetaxi cab driver. Lu Qiao wasn't so gentle and good-natured as he appeared.

"He doesn't like being bullied orbeing lied to. Did you say something to offend him?" Zhang Siyi asked him.

Tao Fei rolled his eyes: "Eh? Iasked him if it was the first time he was on a plane. He glared at me like Iowed him five million. Was that so bad?"

Zhang Siyi's face twitched: "Youdidn't have to be so blunt. His family situation isn't very good. Wouldn't prodding his sore points hurt hisself-respect?"

"It's not my problem that hisfamily is poor." Tao Fei said unemotionally. "Hey, forget it. Let him go."

Zhang Siyi: "……"

It was more crowded inside the subwaycar. With the sudden rush of people getting onto the car at the subway stop, LuQiao was pushed into Gu Yu's back.

"Aah! Boss, I'm sorry. I'm sorry……"

Expressionless Gu Yu turned his head andflatly stated: "It's all right."

Exiting the subway, the group walkedto hotel and paired up according to their room assignments. In order to givepeople enough time to find their rooms and unpack their luggage, Gu Yu informedeveryone to meet in the lobby in fifteen minutes.

Lu Qiao took the initiative to findZhang Siyi and his mood improved when he found him happily chatting with othercolleagues. Overhearing Zhang Siyi conversation with Gu Yu at the airport, heasked: "Aunt Four, you've been to France?"

Zhang Siyi replied while smiling:"Well, when I graduated, I went to Europe with my classmate for a monthand as a result I almost couldn't find a job when I came home to China."

"How much does it cost to travelin Europe for a month?" Lu Qiao envied him.

Zhang Siyi: "It tookseventy-eighty thousand. It's a little higher in the Nordic areas, but WesternEurope is similar to the UK."

Lu Qiao gasped. Seventy-eightythousand was about a year's annual salary! "Did your parents give you themoney?"

Zhang Siyi plainly answered him:"It was the remainder of my living expenses." Thinking a moment, ZhangSiyi realized that wasn't really accurate: "Well, in fact, I guess it was. Myliving expenses were also provided by my parents. Ha-ha. At that time, I had noidea how hard it is to make money. Now that I am on my own, I understand."

Becoming more and more jealous Lu Qiaoasked: "How much did you spend abroad in total in the past few years?"

Zhang Siyi: "Little over amillion." (T/N: 1MYuan = ~130K Euro, ~145K USD)

"It costs that much money totravel abroad?" Lu Qiao joked: "Are you sure your Dad isn't a corruptofficial?"

In an instant, Zhang Siyi turned cold.He was surprised at Lu Qiao's rudeness. This joke is not funny.

Even if his father is an official, heonly had a salary. The Zhang family is not rich. With the help of his grandfather'sinheritance and a few decades of investments and savings, the assets of theZhang family were invested in order to pay for Zhang Siyi's education.

However, Zhang Siyi knew domestically,there were many people that believed in the sentiment: There is no such thingas a uncorrupt official.

Taking a breath, he calmly explained: "No.My mother originally had an apartment. At that time, the housing market was verygood so they sold it to pay for my education in the UK."

Lu Qiao: "Oh."

Zhang Siyi didn't like the awkward atmosphere,so he changed the topic: "The temperature in Osaka seems to be hotter thanHaicheng. When the sun sets, do you think we will need a jacket? I don't knowif we are coming back to the hotel after dinner."

Lu Qiao quickly went through hissuitcase: "Hmm."

AsZhang Siyi opened his luggage, a burst of fragrance permeated the air.

Lu Qiao was surprised again. Where has hesmelled this odor before? His olfactory senses were very sensitive. Thinkingback carefully, where was he…. When he was pushed into Gu Yu during the subwayride, Lu Qiao smelled the same fragrance.

Inorder to confirm his guess, when Zhang Siyi went to the toilet, Lu Qiao pickedup his shirt hanging on the bed and sniffed it. It really was… and it wasn'tjust pure detergent. There was also a unique woody fragrance mixed in.

Immediately,Lu Qiao thought of the scene he witnessed on the plane. Since Zhang Siyi wassitting relatively close with Gu Yu, would his fragrance transfer onto ZhangSiyi? Mulling it over, Lu Qiao ultimately decided that the origin of the smellcouldn't have been from light contact because the odor was much more intense.

Maybethey just use the same detergent and cologne? Lu Qiao thought…… Hey, thesebig boys, with perfume, tsk.

AfterZhang Siyi came out of the restroom, he tied his lightweight jacket around hiswaist and walked downstairs with Lu Qiao.

Wearingsunglasses, Gu Yu was waiting for them downstairs expressionless. The moment hesaw Zhang Siyi, a wide smile appeared. Zhang Siyi smiled happily in return.

LuQiao felt like he had been poisoned and couldn't stop himself from watchingthem intently.

Atnearly three in the afternoon, the first stop on the itinerary was the famousUmeda Sky Building. ** Built in 1993, the tower was the tallest building in thearea of Osaka and had the best vantage point to see the city. It is said to bea sacred place for couples to show affection.

Sinceeveryone decided they would rather visit the Umeda building at sunset, thegroup walked around the neighborhood for some time and happened upon a street linedwith food stalls. Some people in the group felt that the meal on the plane was sufficientenough and thus were hungry at this time. The enticing smell of food made theirhunger deepen.

Inparticular, Tao Fei was most eager to eat because he didn't have his meal onthe plane. Both of his eyes glazed over at the site of the deliciousfoodstuffs: "Brother! Let us eat something or we are going to starve to death!"

SinceGu Yu knew Tao Fei didn't eat on the plane, he quipped: "Who was the one that causedhis own starvation?"

TaoFei touched his stomach: "But this is where the delicious food is!"

Sincethe company also paid for their meals, Gu Yu had to maintain a respectable budget.Hearing Tao Fei, people in the group nodded and increasingly stated their interestin having something to eat. Soon, everyone surrounded Gu Yu and collectivelybegged: "Boss, Pleeeeeease!"

GuYu checked the time. Although it wasn't dinner time, it wasn't so far off.Feeling helpless against the crowd, he relented: "You guys pick it out. Thisis not dinner so eat less."

Thecrowd cheered: "Yeah!

Surveyingthe food stalls, many female colleagues ogled over the stall that was selling octopusballs. They were golden, round and juicy with more fat than usual. There wereeight of them to a box and they were twice as big as the ones sold back home. Eventhough they were very enticing, the main reason the women wanted to purchasethem was because the balls were sold in sets of eight. It was the perfectamount to split between two people and thus in-line with their company's couples'game.

Sincethere were many other people lined up to buy food at the same stall, it tooktwenty minutes to place the order for everyone.

Aseach received their box of octopus, the members of the group paired off and satdown to eat. Since the pairing were all male and female and because they wereall wearing the company's shirt, to an outsider, the group appeared to be somesort of tour for honeymooners. With that line of thought, the group exuded asweet aura and many people passing by looked at them enviously.

Eventhough they knew it was all fake, the group's happiness increased without themrealizing it. This was exactly what they wanted to achieve!

However, there are two non-standard same-sex couples in the mix…… It's an awkward situation.

T/N: Umeda Sky Building: http://cdn.star2.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/8A1BBA40E81E4D81B353F491F7C75291.jpg