The Soviet side also expressed its deep apologies during the exchange regarding the unauthorized dispatch of its own representatives into the country without notifying China.

"We must apologize to you for this. We were too presumptuous and arrogant this time, and took it upon ourselves to come and investigate first."

"The result failed to take into account the current situation and circumstances in China, as well as some related influencing factors, which was a real miscalculation."

"but."

Howard and Lusca solemnly assured Director Wu and Minister Yu—

"This was an oversight on our part, but we had absolutely no other intentions. Please believe that our starting point was to promote cooperation and friendly relations between our two countries."

"To make up for our mistakes, we will cooperate with whatever investigation the military wants to conduct; it is only right."

Given the sincerity of Howard and Lusca's words, and considering that relevant departments in both countries have already contacted each other, it can be proven that what they said is true.

Furthermore, the two did not intend to completely conceal their actions when entering the country. Rather, they were ambushed by Vietnamese agents during their entry, which led to their tumultuous journey.

After investigation, all of these matters were found to be true, so Wu Linghua and Yu Zhenhua did not make things difficult for Howard and Lusca.

"It's alright. Trust is mutual. It's understandable that you didn't trust us at first."

"I believe that through this cooperation, the trust between us will only grow stronger in the future."

Howard and Lusca breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this, and couldn't help but look at Wu Linghua and Yu Zhenhua with admiration.

As expected of someone from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, not only were their words and actions impeccable, but they also so easily eased the somewhat awkward relationship between the two sides with just a few words.

Tolerance and magnanimity truly reflect the breadth of a great nation's spirit.

"We are very grateful for your country's understanding, which has greatly reduced our psychological burden."

Howard and Wu Luska said with sincere expressions.

"Then let's move forward with the next steps as soon as possible?"

"Of course, we have already arranged the necessary personnel. Please feel free to let us know if you need anything, and don't hesitate to ask."

Director Wu and Minister Yu then gave a detailed introduction of the relevant personnel, and the two sides quickly reached a consensus, finalized a detailed plan, and then proceeded to implement it.

The people selected by Wu Linghua and Yu Zhenhua were all the best of the best, each one a talent, and their cooperation was extremely high. They acted like lubricants, coordinating the two sides very well.

The entire project progressed quite smoothly, which made Howard and Lusca breathe a sigh of relief once again, their eyes filled with admiration and respect.

Howard and Lusca's task then became much simpler; they simply needed to record all the relevant work and plans they had made, and then coordinate them.

Everything was proceeding smoothly. Du Chenzhou was, after all, a good friend of Howard and Lusca and had a certain understanding of them. In addition, his foreign language skills were also quite good, so he was specially approved to join this job.

Throughout the entire trip, he stayed in the room opposite Howard and Lusca, serving as their daily interpreter and acting as a translator for the Soviet side.

Sometimes, for simple tasks, he would also represent Howard and Lusca, handling some content coordination.

He became unusually busy, taking each day very seriously and maintaining a high level of concentration.

Every night when I return to my room and lie down on the bed, I always feel waves of fatigue washing over me.

Although I was tired, I did feel fulfilled.

It seems like it's been a long time since he's been able to concentrate so intently and meticulously on completing something.

Another day of work ended, and Du Chenzhou returned to his room with heavy steps. After taking a shower, he lay down on the bed.

He was unusually not sleepy today. He stared at the ceiling with his eyes open. In the midst of his overly busy life, he suddenly felt a sense of emptiness after being busy, and he felt inexplicably uneasy.

Du Chenzhou began to reflect on his experiences over the past few days and the job he was currently doing.

To put it bluntly, he was lucky. On his way back to China, he met Howard and Lusca on the train and formed a deep bond with them, gaining their trust, which led to his current job.

His work was born because of Howard and Lusca, and it will inevitably end because of them.

Howard and Lusca were only in China for work exchange, and he was only able to join the project because of their relationship.

However, the nature of this job meant that they wouldn't stay here for long, and it also meant that his job would be short-term.

The day Howard and Lusca returned home was the day his work was completely finished.

Thinking of this, Du Chenzhou couldn't help but feel a little lost.

What should he do after this job ends?

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs certainly won't want him anymore. After all, his identity isn't clear, and he's been loitering around the border. The only person he knows well, Shu Ying, now has her own family and children and a life of her own, and she has absolutely no feelings for him anymore...

Where will he go after this job ends?

He has not been in contact with his parents since he received their letter and set off to return home.

Given that I had lost my memory for so long, I had no idea where my parents were.

Moreover, given his current situation, it was really not advisable for him to contact his parents rashly.

After all, his family background wasn't much better than Shu Ying's. Shu Ying had a husband who was in the military, while he was all alone, making his situation extremely awkward.

It's obvious to anyone with a brain that he couldn't stay in Beijing forever, much less return to Shanghai.

Du Chenzhou had never felt so lonely and helpless before.

After thinking it over, Du Chenzhou couldn't help but turn his attention back to Shu Ying.

He and Shu Ying have known each other since they were children.

Although he secretly looked at Shu Ying more often, and Shu Ying hardly paid any attention to him, the two families were old acquaintances, and he had liked Shu Ying for so many years.

Looking back, he actually had many opportunities to confess his feelings, or at least to get to know Shu Ying.

But he kept missing out on opportunities with Shu Ying, watching them slip through his fingers time and time again.

When the opportunity was finally lost, Shu Ying married someone else and is now living happily with another man...

Du Chenzhou felt as if his heart had been hollowed out, and a sense of loss washed over him.

In the first half of his life, it seemed he had everything, but in the end, it seemed he had nothing left. Everything was like quicksand; with a gust of wind, it scattered and drifted away before his eyes, leaving nothing behind.

Nothing can truly be grasped.

Was his life destined to be like this? Was he and Shu Ying truly destined to be apart?