Chapter 311: How Could It Be Her

After more than four hours of dozing off on the plane, the group finally landed at Narita Airport in Tokyo.

Once they completed the immigration procedures, Yang Chen led a group of female colleagues towards the airport exit. Since it was a team tour, they naturally had a tour guide and a driver waiting for them. From a distance, they spotted a young girl with a well-proportioned figure, wearing a pink knitted sweater and carrying a small bag, holding up a banner that read "Yulei International."

When Yang Chen and the others approached, the tour guide named Kawana, introduced herself in passable Chinese and welcomed everyone warmly. Shortly after, she led them all onto a bus to head towards their hotel for some rest before further plans.

Once aboard the minibus, Kawana began outlining the rough itinerary of their trip and gave an overview of Tokyo. Even without her explanation, the city's status as one of the world's top financial centers and the second-largest city was enough to impress the group of PR women. The constant stream of people and vehicles, along with the densely packed skyscrapers, gave Tokyo an unmistakable metropolitan atmosphere.

This trip would span about ten days, starting from Tokyo and moving on to Nagoya, Kyoto, and Osaka before flying back to Zhonghai.

What concerned the group of women most, however, wasn't just the places they would visit, but immediately asking Kawana where they could buy cheap designer handbags or discounted brand-name cosmetics.

Even Liu Mingyu, who usually appeared composed and mature, had a look of anticipation in her eyes, flashing with a wild, assertive gaze that left Yang Chen somewhat helpless. It seemed that shopping was the primary deciding factor for these women in visiting Japan.

"Do you women always feel like buying every nice handbag you see? Can't resist it?" Yang Chen asked Liu Mingyu.

Liu Mingyu blushed slightly but nodded, "Yes, I've had experiences where I almost couldn't pay off my credit card because of overspending on bags."

Yang Chen couldn't help but wonder, "But aren't new bags released all year round? Even if you're well-paid, not even big celebrities or entrepreneurs can possibly buy them all. It's like an endless pit."

"Even though we can't buy them all, we can try our best!" Liu Mingyu replied.

Yang Chen rolled his eyes, completely conceding defeat.

"Kawana, as foreigners, should we be worried about buying designer brands? What if they're fake?" Zhang Cai asked excitedly, her eyes sparkling.

Kawana smiled reassuringly and said, "Don't worry, as long as you buy from reputable stores, they won't sell fakes. In Sakimoto, if someone is caught selling counterfeit goods, they are reported immediately and face severe penalties."

The group of women cheered again and immediately warmed up to Kawana, their tour guide, like old friends.

Arriving at their reserved four-star hotel building, although it didn't exude luxurious vibes and was relatively small in size, it was clean and tidy, giving off a cozy atmosphere.

Yang Chen, the only man in the group, suddenly realized he was a bit out of place. He hadn't thought much about it before coming, but now everyone else was paired up in rooms, while he was alone in a small room. He couldn't help feeling like the odd one out and endured a round of teasing from his female colleagues.

As they reached the 27th floor where the guest rooms were located, Yang Chen entered his room, placed his simple luggage down, and was about to open his laptop to contact Macedonia to confirm their safety and gather intelligence on any activity from the Yakuza headquarters in Sakimoto. After all, being in their territory required caution. However, before he could even power up, there was a knock on the door.

Yang Chen thought to himself, Could it be that Liu Mingyu couldn't resist coming to cozy up to me so soon? Entertaining the possibility, he felt a moment of smugness and walked to the door to open it.

Outside stood not only Liu Mingyu but also Zhang Cai, Zhao Hongyan, and several other female PR colleagues, totaling five or six of them.

Seeing the group of women looking at him with tender expressions, Yang Chen felt as helpless as a male gazelle surrounded by a group of lionesses.

"What's up? Is there something you need?" he asked.

Liu Mingyu replied, "We want to go to Akihabara to buy cameras and camcorders. We heard things there are cheap and good quality. Several of us didn't bring cameras and we'd like to buy them now, so we can take pictures conveniently when we visit the sights tomorrow."

Akihabara was Tokyo's famous electronics district, so Yang Chen could understand their request. However, these women hadn't even caught their breath since arriving and were already eager to start shopping. It was truly eye-opening for Yang Chen.

While slacking off and dozing in the office, they weren't this energetic. "Couldn't we just find the guide ourselves? They won't expect me to tag along as a translator, will they?" Yang Chen said, feeling annoyed.

"You can't trust guides; they can be ruthless with kickbacks!" Zhao Hongyan immediately chimed in.

Yang Chen couldn't help but laugh, "Weren't you just cozying up to Kawana a moment ago?"

"Forget what we do for a living? We're PR professionals; building rapport is different from genuine trust. You really underestimate us. Kawana might seem stingy; she's definitely good at padding her pockets. We're not falling for it!" Zhang Cai, who had been chatting animatedly with Kawana moments before, retorted.

Yang Chen felt a bit overwhelmed; he couldn't quite keep up with these women.

With no other choice, he couldn't exactly claim exhaustion with so many pretty faces around. He reluctantly agreed to accompany them as both translator and sidekick.

After hailing two old Toyota taxis outside the hotel, the group of six or seven headed to Akihabara together. Although they could have taken the train, none of them were familiar enough with Tokyo, so taxis seemed more convenient.

Arriving at Akihabara's electronic shopping district, the array of electronics stores dazzled the women. They eagerly dove in, exploring various intricately designed cameras, camcorders, and the latest smartphones, all in vibrant colors.

Sakimoto's renowned service standards were evident everywhere; whether entering or just passing by a shop, attendants greeted them with deep bows. Regardless of whether they made a purchase, they were graciously thanked upon leaving.

Such impeccable service not only showed politeness but also left many customers feeling guilty for not buying anything after receiving such respectful treatment.

Before long, the women had found and purchased the gadgets they desired. Yang Chen watched as they happily played with their new electronics and sighed weakly, "Are you satisfied now? If not, can we head back?"

The women glanced at each other and shook their heads unanimously.

"Still haven't had enough? Take your time, it's not dinner time yet," Zhao Hongyan said.

Yang Chen sighed in resignation. He couldn't bear following the group around any longer. Summoning a bit of courage, he found an empty chair and sat down by the mall aisle, telling the women, "You go ahead, I'll wait here. Come find me when you're done, the mall entrance is right here anyway."

The women scoffed at Yang Chen's laziness, making faces at him before dispersing to continue their shopping.

In Sakimoto, communication was peculiar and stingy; global roaming on mobile phones wasn't possible. One had to buy a local SIM card to make calls. Yang Chen opted to let the women stay together to avoid the hassle of losing each other later.

As the women walked away, Yang Chen yawned, preparing to rest briefly until they finished shopping. But then, out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly caught sight of a graceful figure.

She wore a simple and elegant sky-blue dress, a cotton garment without any embellishments, fresh and natural, revealing a pair of delicately smooth arms and slender legs. Even in winter, her attire exuded the coolness of summer, complemented by flat white canvas shoes.

Her long black hair cascaded down to her hips, her tall and slender figure swaying gracefully like a willow in the wind.

To most observers, this woman appeared elegant at best, albeit slightly out of season in her attire, with nothing particularly remarkable about her back view.

But to Yang Chen, her natural long hair, the cool and elegant dress, the peculiar white shoes, and the faint tinge of melancholy in her demeanor painted a striking picture.

In an instant, Yang Chen's brain seemed to stop functioning. His entire body felt like it had been electrified, freezing him in place. He even forgot to breathe!

The noise of the surroundings faded away from Yang Chen's ears. He couldn't blink, his heart pounding like thunder in his chest.

It's her! It's really her?! How could it be her?!

Yang Chen abruptly stood up, completely forgetting he was in a crowded mall. His movement was so swift that it caused a blur in the eyes of many onlookers, who stared in confusion, wondering if they had misseen something.

In an instant, Yang Chen had moved from his original spot to a corner over twenty meters away. The silhouette he had spotted had turned into that corner and disappeared from sight. However, as Yang Chen reached the corner, there was no trace of her.

Yang Chen swallowed hard, eyes wide as he looked around desperately, but the woman was nowhere to be found.

"An illusion? It's been so long since I had one like this. Why now?" Yang Chen painfully closed his eyes, sighed bitterly, and chuckled in self-mockery, "Of course, how could she still be in this world."

Slowly, he walked back to his original seat, feeling like a deflated balloon, utterly drained of energy. His eyes were lifeless as he sat silently, waiting.

As for the bystanders who had witnessed Yang Chen's seemingly rapid movement, seeing his crestfallen expression, they hesitated to approach. Most doubted their own eyes, as that speed seemed beyond human capability.

In the vast mall, Yang Chen sat with his eyes closed, alone in his chair, motionless like a weathered statue, enveloped in shadows.