Chapter 23: Rushing to the Time of Earthquake
Su Lingwan practically forgot to eat or sleep during the final stages of perfecting her "Luminance" bid. Titled "New Chinese Elegant Luxury," the proposal embodied her entire life's work and carried the weight of proving herself and fulfilling Huo Linshen's trust. To find unique inlay inspiration that embodied a blend of Eastern Zen and modernity, and to visit a renowned metalwork master residing in Kyoto, Su Lingwan had to travel for several days.
On the eve of departure, Huo Linshen frowned slightly as he watched her busy figure in front of the suitcase.
"Do you really have to go?" His voice was barely perceptible with tension. Ever since the rumors, he seemed even more concerned about her safety, though he remained restrained on the surface.
"Well," Su Lingwan carefully placed a set of design drafts into a waterproof folder. "Mr. Nishimura in Kyoto will only consider collaborating after seeing the designs and the designer's sincerity in person. His 'shadow painting' inlay technique, if applied to the 'Luminance' haute couture collection, would be the finishing touch."
She stood up, walked in front of him, reached out to smooth his slightly frowned brow, and smiled, "Don't worry, it's only three days. Selina and I will go together, and the itinerary is all arranged."
Huo Linshen grabbed her hand and held it in his palm. His palm was warm and dry, with a reassuring strength. He was silent for a moment, but finally pulled her into his arms, hugged her tightly, and whispered in her ear: "Keep in touch. Every day."
"Okay." Su Lingwan nodded in his arms, feeling the steady heartbeat from his chest, and her heart was warmed.
The next day, Huo Linshen personally took her to the airport. Before going through security, he ignored the gazes of those around him in the busy airport hall and bent down to give her a brief but firm kiss on the lips.
"It's going well," he said, looking into her eyes.
"Wait for my good news." Su Lingwan responded with a confident smile.
The trip to Kyoto initially went smoothly. Despite his withdrawn nature, Master Nishimura's cloudy eyes lit up with admiration after carefully examining Su Lingwan's designs and listening to her explanation of the concept of "New Chinese Elegance and Luxury." The first day of the meeting yielded progress beyond expectations.
The next day, Su Lingwan and Selina went to a traditional craft village on the outskirts of Kyoto to visit a craftsman who specialized in processing special pearls. In the evening, their car was driving on the winding mountain road back to the city.
The sky is gloomy, and an autumn rain seems to be brewing.
Su Lingwan was leaning against the car window, flipping through footage of the craft village on her phone, wondering how to incorporate these traditional elements into her design. Suddenly, without warning, the car began to shake violently!
It wasn't just an ordinary jolt, but a heart-pounding lateral shaking that came from deep underground! It was accompanied by a dull roar like the roar of a giant beast!
"Earthquake!" The driver shouted in horror and slammed on the brakes!
"Ah!" Selina screamed.
Su Lingwan's heart instantly leaped into her throat. The immense momentum sent her careening forward, her forehead slamming hard against the front seatback, sending her reeling with dizziness. Outside the car window, gravel tumbled down the mountainside, and the roadside utility poles swayed wildly, making a terrifying creaking noise.
The vibration lasted for about ten seconds, but it seemed as long as a century.
When everything finally calmed down, the carriage was completely silent. The driver and Selina were pale, still terrified. Su Lingwan clutched her bruised forehead, her heart still pounding wildly, a sense of dread gripping her as she'd survived a catastrophe.
She immediately reached for her phone, wanting to let Huo Linshen know she was safe. However, the screen showed no signal.
"The signal tower may be damaged!" The driver tried to call for help, but failed.
Greater panic began to spread. They were trapped on a winding mountain road with no village in front and no shop behind. Moreover, no one knew whether there would be aftershocks or whether the mountain was stable.
At the same time, in Hong Kong City, in the top floor conference room of the Huo Group.
Huo Linshen was presiding over the final negotiations for a multi-billion dollar cross-border merger and acquisition. The atmosphere in the meeting room was tense, with lawyers on both sides exchanging sharp words, and every clause involved huge interests.
Huo Linshen sat in the main seat with a stern expression, listening attentively to the debate between the two sides, occasionally giving precise instructions, and controlling the overall situation.
Suddenly, the screen of his personal phone, which was placed on the desk, lit up. It was a breaking news push: [Breaking News: A strong earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale struck the Kansai region. The epicenter was located in southern Kyoto Prefecture. The tremors were so strong that communications were partially interrupted...]
The moment Huo Linshen's gaze swept over the word "Kyoto", it suddenly froze!
He almost immediately picked up his phone, clicked on the notification, and quickly scanned the map of the epicenter and the affected area. When he saw that the craft village Su Lingwan planned to visit today was roughly within the affected area, his face turned pale. An unprecedented feeling called "panic" instantly overwhelmed his rationality like ice water!
He suddenly stood up from his seat!
The huge movement made the entire conference room quiet in an instant, and all the participants looked at him in astonishment.
"Mr. Huo?" Assistant Chen noticed his abnormality and asked in a low voice.
Huo Linshen seemed not to hear. His fingers trembled as he dialed Su Lingwan's number over and over again.
"The user you dialed is temporarily unavailable..."
The cold reminder sound was like a blunt knife, repeatedly cutting his nerves.
He then called Selina, but the call was also unsuccessful.
Sporadic photos and videos of the scene began to appear on news websites - collapsed houses, broken roads, panicked crowds... Every scene was like a sledgehammer, hitting his heart hard.
He couldn't imagine what she would be facing in such an environment. Trapped? Injured? Or...?
That bright, vibrant figure who would smile at him and snuggle in his arms was shattered by the cruel reality of what might happen. An almost overwhelming sense of fear and powerlessness made him almost unable to stand.
"The meeting is suspended." He uttered these four words in a hoarse voice, leaving no room for doubt, and even with a hint of unprecedented panic.
He ignored the shocked and puzzled looks of everyone in the conference room, grabbed his cell phone and coat, and strode out of the conference room, not even noticing that he bumped into a chair.
"Chen Ming!" He walked quickly towards the private elevator and shouted to Assistant Chen who was following closely behind him, "Prepare the plane immediately! My private plane! Apply for the fastest route to Osaka Kansai Airport! Now! Immediately!"
His voice had lost its usual calmness, and was filled with anxiety and violence that was on the verge of getting out of control.
"Mr. Huo, the negotiations here..." Assistant Chen tried to remind him of the importance of this 10 billion project.
"I said immediately!" Huo Linshen turned around abruptly, his eyes bloodshot, like a beast cornered. The fear and determination surging in his eyes silenced Assistant Chen instantly. "I'll bear all the losses! Now, I just want the plane to take off immediately!"
Nothing is more important than her safety.
A multi-billion dollar project? Family responsibility? None of it mattered compared to the fear of losing her.
The elevator went straight to the basement garage, and the car had already started. On the way to the airport, Huo Linshen kept dialing the number that couldn't be reached, his fingers turning white from the effort. He watched the street scene rapidly receding outside the window, and for the first time, he felt the distance from Hong Kong to the airport was so long.
The private plane had already received the order and was ready for takeoff as quickly as possible. Huo Linshen almost ran onto the plane.
"Fly to Osaka Kansai Airport as fast as possible." He ordered the captain with a barely perceptible tremor in his voice.
The plane soared into the sky and sped towards Japan.
During the flight, Huo Linshen remained silent, his lips tightly pursed as he stared out the window at the dark night sky, as if that would help him reach her faster. Assistant Chen tried to obtain more information about the earthquake zone through various channels, but communication was interrupted and there was little information available.
Every minute and every second is torture.
After several hours of flight (which seemed longer than a lifetime), the plane finally landed at Osaka Kansai International Airport. Due to the earthquake, the airport was in chaos, and many flights were canceled or delayed.
Huo Linshen mobilized all the connections and resources he could and got an off-road vehicle and a local guide who was familiar with the road conditions as quickly as possible.
"Go near this address!" Huo Linshen handed the address of the craft village on Su Lingwan's itinerary to the guide, his voice hoarse and dry.
The road conditions were worse than expected. Numerous road collapses and cracks had paralyzed traffic. Huo Linshen abandoned his car and, led by a guide, hiked toward his target area along the rugged, rock-ridden mountain path.
He was wearing an expensive suit and leather shoes, walking on the muddy and bumpy road. His expensive clothes were scratched by branches and stained with mud, but he didn't care. He had only one thought in his mind - find her! Now! Right now!
As the sky gradually brightened, it began to rain. The cold rain washed over the ruins after the earthquake, adding a bit of desolation.
When they finally approached the craft village, they saw a devastating scene. Many traditional wooden houses had collapsed, and rescue workers and some local villagers were busy searching for them.
Huo Linshen's heart sank to the bottom. He rushed into the ruins like a madman, desperately shouting her name:
"Ling Wan! Su Ling Wan!"
His voice echoed in the empty and ruined village, hoarse with despair.
Rain and sweat mixed together and slid down his cold, hard cheeks. He flipped over the broken walls with his bare hands, his fingers scratched by the rough cement and wood splinters, bleeding, but he didn't care.
Fear wrapped around his heart like a vine, tightening more and more, almost suffocating him.
Just when he was about to be swallowed by despair, he saw a familiar figure at the door of a relatively intact community activity center that was being used as a temporary shelter!
Su Lingwan was squatting on the ground, helping a rescuer bandage a scraped knee on a frightened little girl. She was wearing a muddy coat, her hair was a little messy, and her face was tired and worried, but she looked... safe and sound!
At that moment, Huo Linshen felt as if all the strength in his body had been drained away. He froze in place, his heart seeming to suddenly stop, then start beating with even greater force, pounding against his chest with a drum-like sound.
Su Lingwan seemed to feel the gaze that was so hot that it almost set her on fire, and she subconsciously raised her head.
Then, she saw him.
The man who should have been thousands of miles away in Hong Kong now stood amidst the shattered ruins and hazy rain. He was in a dishevel, his expensive suit wrinkled and stained with mud, his hair wet from the rain, plastered to his forehead in a mess. His face was pale, but only those deep eyes stared at her intently, unblinking. In them surged a tsunami of fear, ecstasy, and a near-fainting fragility she had never seen before.
Time seems to stand still at this moment.
Su Lingwan was stunned, not even noticing the gauze in her hand drop to the ground. She couldn't believe her eyes.
Huo...Lin Shen?
Why is he here? Shouldn't he be in Hong Kong, conducting that crucial 10 billion dollar negotiation?
Huo Linshen moved.
He took one step at a time, moving towards her. His steps were a little unsteady, but he held an undeniable determination. He made his way through the noisy crowd and the cold rain, his gaze fixed on her, as if she were the only source of light in this chaotic ruin.
He walked up to her and stopped.
The two of them were one step apart, staring at each other silently.
He looked at her standing in front of him, unharmed, and saw the same shock and disbelief in her eyes. His nerves, which had been stretched to the extreme along the way, finally broke completely.
He stretched out his hand, not to hug her, but with an almost brutal force, he suddenly pulled her into his arms! His arms were like iron hoops, tightly and tightly wrapped around her, as if he wanted to crush her completely, embed her into his bones and blood, and never separate her again.
His hug was so strong that Su Lingwan could hardly breathe. She could clearly feel the violent rise and fall of his chest and the uncontrollable, subtle tremors of his body.
He is scared.
This realization, like a bolt of electricity, instantly struck Su Lingwan. This usually calm and composed man, seemingly omnipotent, was afraid. For her.
She raised her hands and hugged his thin waist back, burying her face in his wet and cold chest, listening to his disordered heartbeat, and smelling his body's scent mixed with rain, soil and a hint of blood. Her eyes instantly turned red.
"I'm fine..." She said in his arms, her voice choked with sobs, "Huo Linshen, I'm fine..."
Huo Linshen didn't answer, but simply hugged her tighter, until there was no longer a gap between them. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, greedily breathing in her familiar scent. The real, warm touch finally dispelled the coldness and fear in his heart that threatened to consume him.
After a long time, he finally whispered in her ear with a hoarse voice, a trembling tone of having survived a disaster:
“…I found you.”
Su Lingwan's tears finally burst out, mixing with the rain and soaking the clothes on his shoulders.
In the post-earthquake ruins and cold rain in a foreign country, they hugged each other tightly.
All words seem pale and powerless in the face of the journey across life and death.
Only each other's heartbeat and body temperature can tell the most primitive and profound feelings——
care.
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