Chapter 54: Finding a Home for the Heart

In Brazil, March marks the end of summer. For a day of shopping, Florence traded her professional attire for the vibrant, casual outfit she wore when Zhang Hainuo first met her: a short white shirt that accentuated her figure, her towering peaks forever the center of attention; the space between the shirt and the waistband of her pants served as proof of her athletic physique, seemingly subtle but evoking vastly different thoughts in different people—either endless admiration or immense frustration. As for the beige knee-length shorts and white sneakers, though they didn't accentuate her legs like high heels, Florence's perfectly proportioned legs already had ample appeal.

A 20-year-old girl had little resistance to the variety of goods and colorful clothes on the streets. Zhang Hainuo, Schneider, and the two metallurgical experts, Elton and Matthew, strolled leisurely behind, watching Florence dart from one shop to another like a little rabbit. Elton and Matthew, both in their fifties, were seemingly immune to girls like Florence, at least on the surface, while Schneider needed no explanation. It was Zhang Hainuo who felt a strange discomfort, vehemently rejecting any woman other than Anna, yet feeling an inexplicable sensation when Florence's lively figure appeared in his sight.

Was this the feeling of mutual liking between men and women?

Zhang Hainuo could assert confidently that "it wasn't," because he had never entertained the thought of liking another woman besides Anna. Anna's beauty, kindness, liveliness, every smile and frown, were incomparable!

Was it because he saw traces of Anna in Florence?

For now, Zhang Hainuo could only consider this as an answer. Florence's hair color was quite similar to Anna's, and their heights were comparable, except Anna always wore skirts in Zhang Hainuo's impression—either knee-length white nurse dresses or longer ladylike skirts. However, when she sat down, Zhang Hainuo could still catch a glimpse of her fair and delicate legs under the skirt. Although this was a part of her "beauty," he had never felt any "itchiness" because all the feelings were so natural.

In terms of architectural modernity, Rio de Janeiro's streets lagged behind New York by a whole era. There were hardly any buildings over 10 stories tall, and the cobblestone streets outnumbered the main roads. Yet, the various shops seemed prosperous, and the faces here were diverse—white-skinned Europeans, black-skinned Africans, and some with yellow skin, clearly from West or Southeast Asia. Those Eastern faces made Zhang Hainuo feel a sense of familiarity, but when he heard them speak "konichiwa," a disdainful expression immediately appeared on his face.

"Mr. Link, can you wait here for a moment? I'll try on this outfit!"

As they walked along, Florence suddenly poked her head out of a shop. After spending time together, she had gradually figured out Zhang Hainuo's temperament and knew he would display a gentlemanly demeanor in such matters.

Zhang Hainuo shrugged at the two experts. Women, with their enthusiasm for shopping, were no less than men's enthusiasm for war and football.

Well, since they had to wait, they might as well browse the shop—aside from women's clothes, there were also various gold and silver accessories. However, the women's accessories of this era seemed far less dazzling than those of the future. Of course, this referred to the accessories affordable to the masses; if one spoke of genuine jewelry, the various jewelry stores in New York would undoubtedly dazzle you with first-class goods.

"Does it look good?"

When Zhang Hainuo turned his head, he was suddenly dazzled. Florence was now wearing a light blue floral sleeveless dress, the hem just reaching her ankles, leaving only a pair of smooth and slender feet exposed, with a V-neck on top. In terms of openness, it was clearly not as revealing as the fashionable women Zhang Hainuo had seen in New York during the summer, but worn by Florence, it exuded a full sense of elegance. What's more, this dress was very similar in style to the one Anna wore during her leisure time.

Seeing Zhang Hainuo's stunned expression, Florence's eyes lacked the disdain she had shown at their first meeting. Instead, she proudly twirled the hem of the dress, turned half around, and struck a pose in front of the mirror, admiring herself.

"Hmm, looks very nice! If you buy this dress, I'll give you a pair of high heels, deal?"

The reason Zhang Hainuo said this was that he knew Florence rarely wore high heels. Even when she accompanied Zhang Hainuo to business meetings as a translator, she only wore a pair of black flat leather shoes. Fortunately, she had the normal height of European women, so even without high heels, standing next to Zhang Hainuo and the two experts wouldn't make her seem too short.

Somewhat unexpectedly, Florence pursed her lips and put her hands on her waist. "Deal! You promised! I'll buy this dress!"

An hour later, due to not being used to the new high-heeled shoes, Florence clumsily twisted her left foot. Zhang Hainuo had originally teased her, but he hadn't expected this stubborn girl, just like himself, to refuse to give in. In the end, they had no choice but to find an outdoor café by the roadside. Zhang Hainuo took the initiative to take off her shoes and gently massage her injured ankle.

"Ah..."

Though Florence gritted her teeth and didn't cry out in pain, when Zhang Hainuo looked up, he saw the furrowed brow from the pain.

"Ah, didn't I tell you not to force it? Fortunately, it's not too serious. When we get back, use alternating hot and cold water to compress it, okay?" Zhang Hainuo said in a mildly reproachful tone.

Florence didn't speak, just looked down at Zhang Hainuo's back and shoulders from top to bottom, her eyes softer than usual.

After massaging for about three or four minutes, Zhang Hainuo asked, "Does it still hurt now?"

Florence hesitated for a moment. "Um, not so much now."

"Then it should be fine. After finishing our coffee, let's hire a car directly back to the hotel!"

Zhang Hainuo gently helped Florence put on her shoes, then straightened up and stretched his slightly stiff neck and waist.

At this moment, Schneider and the two metallurgical experts had already ordered coffee for everyone.

As they sipped their coffee, Zhang Hainuo suddenly remembered an important question and asked Elton and Matthew, "If there was a coffee that you could just add hot water to and drink, but its taste was slightly inferior to the one we're drinking now, would you accept this convenient coffee, or would you continue to spend a lot of time brewing coffee yourself?"

This somewhat strange question made the two experts ponder for a moment. Elton said, "I value the taste when I drink coffee," while Matthew said he "preferred something more convenient."

"You're talking about instant coffee!" Florence, sitting on the side, suddenly interjected, almost causing Zhang Hainuo to jump from his seat, as he had never mentioned instant coffee to her before. Could it be that this person had also traveled back in time?

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Florence resumed her usual straightforward tone.

Only then did Zhang Hainuo realize he had been a bit flustered, but he still eagerly asked, "You know about instant coffee?"

"Yeah! It's a very disgusting thing. There was a small coffee factory in Salvador that produced this stuff 7 or 8 years ago, but it was discontinued shortly after! You can ask Mr. Schneider—I drank it in his office back then, it was really awful!"

Hearing Florence say this, Zhang Hainuo breathed a sigh of relief. However, the fact that instant coffee had been produced in Brazil 7 or 8 years ago, and seemingly without much success, raised many doubts in his mind.

As someone who didn't have much knowledge of coffee history, Zhang Hainuo had no idea that as early as 1909, a Belgian youth had produced instant powdered coffee in Guatemala and brought it back to Europe. In 1910, Europe saw a similar product called "Beruna" on the market, but it wasn't called instant coffee at the time. A few years later, the United States introduced a product called "Washington Instant Coffee." During World War I, the US military provided stick, tablet, and capsule forms of instant coffee to frontline soldiers, but they all required boiling for over four minutes to dissolve and had a poor taste, so production ceased as soon as the war ended.

It could be said that the idea of instant coffee existed long before then, but people's attempts were not completely successful until 1930, when the Swiss Nestlé company developed a soluble coffee that balanced taste and convenience with the help of the Brazilian Coffee Institute, which was Nescafé, and that's when the journey of instant coffee truly began.

Schneider, touching his mustache, said, "Hmm, I remember that! I was curious at the time, so I bought a few packets to try! This instant coffee, in terms of convenience, it's not that convenient because it needs to boil for a few minutes to dissolve, and there are quite a few residues at the bottom. As for the taste, well, it's not as good, but it's acceptable!"

"Do you remember the name of this coffee factory? After it closed down, did the factory switch production or move away directly?"

Zhang Hainuo thought that if he could leverage the research results of predecessors, perhaps he could avoid some detours in this regard.

Schneider shook his head, "I'm not sure about that, but I can go back and ask! Why, Mr. Link, are you interested in instant coffee?"

Given that Schneider had helped them a lot in the shooting incident, Zhang Hainuo later found an opportunity to have a frank conversation with him. Schneider had already guessed their identities at the time, and the shooting incident was intentional cover for them. Since then, Zhang Hainuo no longer hid his true identity, but for safety reasons, he asked Schneider to continue calling him "Mr. Link".

"Well, I think this kind of thing should have a market in the future!"

When Zhang Hainuo said this, he noticed the reactions of Elton and Matthew. Although the two of them knew very little about instant coffee, they still showed some interest. So, he immediately asked, "What do Mr. Elton and Mr. Matthew think?"

Matthew thought for a moment, "If instant coffee can achieve the same taste as regular coffee and be very convenient to use, it will surely be very popular!"

Elton nodded in agreement.

Zhang Hainuo picked up the Brazilian coffee on the table, sniffed it, and said, "In terms of taste, I think since it's processed coffee, it probably can't compare to the original flavor. But in terms of convenience, if a special packet of coffee powder plus a cup of hot water can turn into a fragrant cup of coffee in a few seconds, I wonder if that counts as convenient!"

"That would definitely be welcomed by lazy people like us!" Matthew looked at Elton and Schneider, smiling.

"If you two are interested, you can join my business plan! You don't need to invest, just help us taste the coffee. I'll give each of you a ten percent share, what do you think?" Zhang Hainuo cunningly proposed a tempting plan, trying to keep these rare talents in Brazil.

"Haha, as long as there's free coffee to drink, we're already very happy. Where else do we need shares?" Elton seemed to understand the principle of no pain, no gain, but he didn't make it definite. Instead, he said vaguely, "But if Mr. Link's plan is really implemented in the future, don't forget us!"

"That's for sure!" Zhang Hainuo smiled at the two experts. Cultivating talents like them wasn't easy, and moreover, they were experienced and hardworking, making them the cream of the crop.

Zhang Hainuo's alternating hot and cold therapy for the injury was quite effective for someone who exercised regularly. The next day, Florence's ankle wasn't swollen, just a bit painful when walking. Zhang Hainuo, the "culprit," had to act as her therapist. However, as soon as her foot felt a bit better, this girl insisted on going to Rio de Janeiro's most famous beach for sunbathing. Seeing that the other two experts and Schneider also had the same idea, Zhang Hainuo had the hotel arrange for them to hire a taxi, along with buying swimsuits and sunscreen.

Although she picked a swimsuit that wasn't too "revealing," Florence's beautiful figure still attracted a lot of attention from the opposite sex in the sunlight. After changing in the changing room, the accompanying gentlemen were quite anxious—they were afraid not of being robbed of their money and their attention, but of a certain part of their bodies reacting due to Florence's charming figure. If they couldn't control their nosebleeds, it would be a disaster for their reputation.

Whether Florence didn't notice or intentionally teased these men, she always seemed to catch their eyes. Of course, the best view was reserved for the youngest among them.

"Let's go! Let's have a swimming competition!"

Seeing the discomfort of the men, Zhang Hainuo proactively suggested going for a swim. He used to have mediocre swimming skills before coming to this era, but after a few years in the Navy, his swimming technique had improved qualitatively— a submarine commander with poor swimming skills would not only lose face but also risk his life in dangerous situations.

Finally relieved, the gentlemen submerged themselves in the water. Schneider was an old sailor, his backstroke impeccable and very efficient; Elton was basically a landlubber, content to stay within three meters of the shore where the water barely reached his waist, silently enjoying the shallows.

At 47, Matthew appeared to be the athletic type, with well-defined muscles and a physiological advantage over Elton and Schneider. Soon, he invited Zhang Hainuo to a race.

Zhang Hainuo eagerly accepted the challenge.

The waters of the Rio de Janeiro coastline were refreshingly cool, lacking the chill of the North Sea. The sunlight was pleasant without being scorching, making it an ideal setting for swimmers.

With recent commitments to timber and steel occupying his time, Zhang Hainuo hadn't had the chance to exercise regularly. Now, the pent-up energy finally had an outlet. Once his body got into motion, he found himself swimming faster and with more ease. After a few laps, Matthew surrendered.

"Mr. Matthew, you work too hard. You should exercise more; it's good for your health!"

Turning to the voice, Zhang Hainuo noticed Florence had also joined them in the water. Her wet hair was pulled back, and though she hadn't submerged entirely, the water was clear enough to reveal the most enticing parts of her body.

"Mr. Lincoln, I didn't expect you to be such a good swimmer. Are you interested in a race?"

Since arriving in this era, it was the first time Zhang Hainuo had received a challenge from a woman. Hesitating, he heard Florence, with a hint of provocation, continue, "What's the matter? Look down on women? Hmph, I'm a swimming champion at the Salvadoran-German Girls' School!"

The challenge, though somewhat "discriminatory" towards women, made Zhang Hainuo pause. "Alright, I'll let you swim ten meters first. Whoever reaches fifty meters first wins!"

Though Florence expressed dissatisfaction with the somewhat "discriminatory" rules, she relented. "Fine, but the loser must agree to do something for the winner unconditionally! Let's begin!"

Zhang Hainuo had no chance to back out now. Florence, resembling a mermaid, swiftly began her race. He chuckled, glanced at Matthew beside him, estimated that he had swum about ten meters, then began his pursuit with his best freestyle stroke.

This time, Zhang Hainuo felt he was swimming fast. With the advantage of male strength, catching up to Florence within fifty meters seemed achievable. Yet, he wasn't concerned about losing face to Florence; rather, he worried she might come up with some tricky demand if she won.

As he approached fifty meters, Zhang Hainuo stopped and floated vertically, but when he realized Florence wasn't nearby, a moment of panic gripped him. Fifty meters wasn't far; she couldn't have lost her way, could she...?

Just as Zhang Hainuo was feeling uneasy, he suddenly felt something glide against his body. His instinct immediately jumped to the terrifying sea creatures, but two seconds later, he watched as Florence, this "mermaid," emerged in front of him.

Before he could exhale a sigh of relief or reprimand her for her prank, Zhang Hainuo found himself in an awkward situation—he was swimming with open arms, and Florence had floated up directly in front of him, almost nestled in his embrace. With their faces just two centimeters apart, her prominent curves were unavoidably pressed against his sturdy chest.

On the other side, Florence, at this moment, also realized her predicament. She let out a soft "ahh," swiftly backed away a bit, maintaining nearly zero distance for almost five seconds.

In the ensuing minutes, both kept a distance of no more than half a meter, awkwardly treading water yet blushing furiously, unsure of what to say.

Finally, it was Florence, the "culprit," who broke the silence. She stuttered, "I...I just wanted to play a joke on you, popping up from below to startle you!"

"Oh, indeed, what a joke...quite startling!" Zhang Hainuo awkwardly chuckled, then added, "Let's head back before they start worrying about us!"

"Yeah!"

Florence glanced at Zhang Hainuo briefly, but her gaze quickly retreated like a timid rabbit.

Next, with Zhang Hainuo in the lead and Florence following, they maintained a distance of no more than two meters, yet their speed was consistent, taking nearly half a minute to reach their starting point and almost two to three minutes to return.

Though Florence won the swimming race, she didn't mention it again until they returned to the hotel. She hardly spoke to Zhang Hainuo and, after exchanging good nights with everyone after dinner, she went back to her room. This behavior was starkly different from her usual straightforwardness.

"What's wrong with her?" Old Schneider asked curiously. Though he was Florence's uncle, he knew better than to try to understand a woman's mind.

"Maybe she's feeling a bit overheated!" Zhang Hainuo said somewhat puzzled, "Um, I'll see if I have any antipyretic medication!"

Old Schneider glanced at him, then at Elton and Matthew, and decided not to inquire further.

Zhang Hainuo knew he wasn't the type to be nosy, but he also couldn't be sure if Florence had any particular intentions towards him. Moreover, Florence was only 19 years old, while he was 25 physiologically, and with the additional four years since arriving here, he was at least in his thirties. Age was secondary; the key was that Zhang Hainuo's understanding of her was limited to her being born into a German-immigrant family, educated in a Salvadoran-German school, having a cheerful personality, sporting attire, a mild taste, and a liking for tropical fruits...

"Hey, brother, what are you thinking? Do you think you're a prince charming, and every woman has to fall for you?" Zhang Hainuo made a face in the mirror, perhaps today's events were just a common accident. As a gentleman, he should apologize and resolve the issue!

After sorting out his thoughts, Zhang Hainuo felt much better. It was only 8:30 according to the clock, so he tidied up his attire a bit and left—he and the other four each had their own room, all on the same floor.

"Florence, it's me, Lincoln. Are you asleep yet?"

As he knocked on the door, Zhang Hainuo's heart fluttered slightly.

After a moment, a somewhat hesitant voice came from inside, "Oh, not yet! Mr. Lincoln, please wait a moment!"

It had been nearly two minutes since she said "wait a moment," but fortunately, Zhang Hainuo, a submarine commander, had more patience than most people.

When the door finally opened, a faint scent of perfume wafted out, obviously not a natural scent.

"Um...about this afternoon, I want to say...sorry, I didn't pay attention to you when I surfaced like that! Actually, I hope we can all treat it as a purely, small accident! It's nothing, really!"

Zhang Hainuo didn't want to dwell on personal matters like applying perfume, so he noticed Florence was wearing the same dress she had bought during the day, but she was barefoot. He intended to say a few words at the door and leave it at that.

As he spoke, Florence didn't interject a word, her gaze drifting between his face and neck, seemingly interested in his somewhat awkward Adam's apple.

"Come in and sit down!"

She stepped aside to make room, and Zhang Hainuo hesitated for a moment before stepping in.

The same suite, the same furnishings, except for the faint scent of perfume, nothing indicated the gender of the occupant. Zhang Hainuo sat on the small sofa near the window, the curtains were drawn, and the desk lamp emitted a soft light.

Florence closed the door and followed, saying, "Would you like some refreshments or fruit?"

Her voice was noticeably softer than usual, but Zhang Hainuo didn't deliberately connect it with any particular incident.

"No, thank you!"

Florence hesitated for a moment as she lifted the glass water pitcher but then poured half a glass of water into the cup in her left hand and placed it on the small round table between the two sofas. She then sat down on the other sofa.

Perhaps because of the afternoon wash, Florence's hair was smooth and draped over her shoulders. Her speech, like her hair, was soft:

"Mr. Lincoln, you don't need to apologize! I swam there first and just wanted to play a trick on you, so that's how things turned out! I hope you won't take it to heart!"

The underlying meaning behind her words, Zhang Hainuo couldn't read, nor did he want to guess.

"That's good! I didn't expect you to swim so fast. I concede! Um...about the agreement before the race, it's still valid. As long as it's not something illegal or immoral, I'll do it for you!"

Florence lightly bit her lip, but she didn't immediately respond to Zhang Hainuo's proposal.

"Cough, let me tell you a little secret!" Zhang Hainuo said softly, "Our Mr. Braun has never had a romantic experience. If you're interested in him, I can definitely help you with that. What do you think?"

This remark made Florence's eyes momentarily freeze, and she looked at Zhang Hainuo, her voice low, "Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Lincoln, but that agreement was just a joke. You don't have to take it seriously!"

The atmosphere suddenly became awkward, and Zhang Hainuo stared at the glass of water on the table, unsure whether to move or stay still. After a while, he finally made up his mind and stood up as if he had made a decision.

"Florence, I should go back to my room now and get some rest! We have things to do tomorrow!"

Florence lowered her head slightly, and from this angle, Zhang Hainuo could only see her calm face, but he couldn't see the emotions hidden in her clear eyes at the moment.

Zhang Hainuo stepped to the door first, opened it, then turned to Florence and said, "Have a good rest, Florence, and may you have sweet dreams tonight!"

Another sentence, Zhang Hainuo didn't say it out loud: "Actually, I already have a fiancée named Anna, and I love her very, very much! You're still young, but I believe you'll find your own love someday!"