First arrival in Hong Kong
Jian Jianan's family of four had been preparing for this day for a long time, and today, the day of departure for Hong Kong finally arrived.
Jian Jiabei was so excited that he couldn't sleep last night. He got up at four o'clock this morning. After going to the toilet, he was still thirsty, so he got up and went to the living room to pour a glass of water.
When passing by his sister's room, Jian Jiabei curiously went up to her, wanting to know if she was as excited as he was and couldn't sleep. As a result, he held his breath and soon heard a faint snoring sound coming from inside the door.
Jian Jiabei: "..."
Well, he underestimated his sister's generosity.
When Jian Jianan woke up refreshed after a good sleep, he was faced with his brother's dark circles that looked as big as if they could fall to the ground.
She was also very surprised: "What's wrong, brother? You didn't sleep well last night. Then you can catch up on some sleep in the car when you go there today."
Jian Jiabei glanced at his sister sadly and stopped talking.
At seven o'clock, the car that Su Qinxuan and Jian Yangping had booked arrived to pick them up on time. Jian Jianan and his parents were working together to get their luggage to the car.
Jian Jianan was carrying two handbags and wanted to go downstairs, but his brother snatched them away, but he was still carrying other things in his hands.
Jian Jianan didn't want him to take it, but his brother insisted, which made Jian Jianan a little angry. "Can't you have some self-awareness? You're carrying two bags. Do you think you can just grab it?"
Jian Jiabei laughed at his sister: "With your small body, you should take it easy, otherwise what will happen if you accidentally fall down the stairs?"
Jian Jianan called out "Hey hey hey" several times behind his brother, but he didn't wait for him to return his luggage, so he had to go back home, pick up two more bags, and follow him.
This trip to Shenzhen did not start from Shenzhen. The family first had to take a bus to Guangzhou, meet up with other group members, and then enter Hong Kong from Guangzhou.
Jian Jiabei listened to his sister and closed his eyes and slept as fast as he could in the car so that he could greet the next journey in a more energetic state of mind.
At the same time, in Guangzhou, at the meeting place that had been notified long ago, some people were already waiting impatiently.
A middle-aged woman checked her watch, curled her lips, and said unhappily, "What happened to that last family? They haven't arrived yet, even at this late hour. Could they still not show up by the time we meet? Are we supposed to wait for them alone?"
Next to the woman was a woman of about the same age. Upon hearing this, she sneered, "What are you thinking? They haven't even arrived yet, so they're not late. Besides, they're from Shenzhen, not from Guangzhou, so what's wrong with a little time? Even if they arrived early, they can't go through the port of entry before the stipulated time. Why are you in such a hurry?"
The woman was frustrated and her face flushed. She wanted to say something, but a young man accompanying her immediately spoke up and gently dissuaded his mother, "Mom, please stop talking. We haven't wasted time here. Just wait patiently. There's nothing urgent, so there's no need to say anything more."
Gao Chunlai then snorted coldly, picked up the steps handed to him by his son and walked down, no longer arguing with the woman.
"That woman" Cai Duoyan saw that his old enemy Gao Chunlai finally stopped talking, and shifted his gaze regretfully. He had nothing to do early in the morning and wanted to have some fun, but he didn't expect that the fun would wake up one day. Look, she didn't even argue with him. It was boring, really boring.
Cai Duoyan also had a daughter with her. She looked at her mother with amusement. Knowing that Aunt Gao was a talkative person, she did not stop her. When the other party stopped fighting, she took her mother away from the center of the battlefield, and the mother and daughter talked in a low voice.
Cai Chengyu was speechless: "Mom, you already knew Aunt Gao's personality was like that. Why did you still say these things to hurt her? Don't you know that she is a very petty person? If you say a few words to her now, she will definitely hold a grudge. After the whole trip, she will definitely find a chance to get back at you."
Cai Duoyan didn't care at all. She sighed, "That person? What kind of personality does she have? Believe it or not, even if I, your mother, just stood here like a mute without saying a word or moving a muscle, she would definitely hold a grudge against me. She's already harboring a lot of bad intentions!"
Cai Chengyu: “…”
What my mother said is true. Aunt Gao Chunlai does have this kind of personality.
Cai Chengyu stopped talking, turned his head and ignored it.
Forget it, let them quarrel. Mom and Aunt Gao have known each other for so many years, and they have quarreled dozens of times, if not a hundred times. Since nothing big has ever gone wrong, why don’t I just cover for her?
So, when Jian Jianan's family, who were excited to finally go out and play, arrived at the gathering place, they saw this group of group members who all had their own ulterior motives.
When Jian Jianan got off the car and met this group of people, she had a premonition for no reason, and she always felt that the next eight days of free travel would not be very peaceful.
I have to say that Jian Jianan's sixth sense is always accurate.
Not only Jian Jianan had an idea when he saw his group members, but other group members' eyes also lit up when they saw Jian Jianan's family who arrived late. It was because the family in front of them was too good at dressing!
The family of four in front of me are obviously a family, which can be seen from the little clever ways they match their outfits.
Su Qinxuan was wearing a turquoise suit and skirt set. The top had a waist-hugging design that created a graceful curve. The large cross-collar design was quite rare in this day and age.
Below is a straight skirt of the same color, which just reaches the knees, revealing her well-proportioned calves. She is wearing a pair of comfortable and very stylish black bow flat shoes, which makes her look beautiful and generous.
Jian Yangping was also wearing a black suit, long sleeves and long pants. He looked ordinary like everyone else, but the turquoise tie on the white shirt under his coat revealed a hint of the owner's clever matching ideas.
He was tall and handsome standing next to Su Qinxuan, and he wore a tie of the same color as his wife. Who wouldn't praise them for being such a well-matched couple?
Their two children are even more eye-catching.
Jian Jianan had a high ponytail, clearly a girl, but she wore a neutral and handsome pair of overalls and a white shirt, and even tied a bow tie like her father.
The color of the tie is exactly the same as the fabric of the overalls, the same brown plaid, and the cropped pants are paired with a pair of small leather shoes. It looks so clean and refreshing.
Originally, Dad prepared a suspender skirt for Jian Jianan today, which was also made of the same fabric. However, Jian Jianan felt that it was inconvenient to wear a skirt on the first day of the trip, and pants would be better. So Jian Yangping, who listened very much to his family's opinions, followed their advice and changed the suspender skirt into three-quarter-length suspender pants himself.
His son Jian Jiabei is also very handsome, but his style is different from that of his sister.
He was also wearing overalls, but unlike Jian Jianan, he was wearing long trousers that reached down to his feet. He also had leather shoes and black socks, and his long legs looked very stylish as he walked.
He was wearing the same white shirt and the same plaid tie, but the difference from Jian Jianan was that the plaid pattern on his clothes was a little bigger, making him look more neat.
The two children walked together. The girl in front was lively and walked briskly, while the boy behind walked steadily, his eyes paying attention to his sister's movements. The similarity between the two children's eyebrows and eyes, as well as various small movements, made people not doubt their feelings at all.
It has to be said that the family of four who arrived the latest also attracted the most attention.
Jian Yangping noticed the gazes of other group members on his family. He looked carefully and saw that they were all envious and surprised, and he couldn't help feeling very proud.
Oh, it seems that my skills are still as good as before!
Since entering high school, the two children have started wearing the school uniforms distributed by Shenzhen Middle School. Although the school rules do not explicitly stipulate that they must wear school uniforms every day, both children do not want to attract too much attention and stand out from the crowd.
Dad’s craftsmanship is so good! Every time they wear it, different people come to ask where they bought the clothes, which master craftsman made them, and even give them their contact information. What shocked Jian Nan the most was that the people who came to ask about this information were even their teachers!
The brother and sister were annoyed by being disturbed so many times. Although they were in a good mood to wear new clothes, they couldn't stand being asked like this all the time!
Besides, Jian Yangping only wanted to make clothes for people close to him, and didn't want to become a sewing laborer.
Therefore, the only two days left for the old father to show his skills are the weekend.
Jian Yangping cherishes these two days very much. Often when the brother and sister return home, their father is not at home - he is out doing business with his wife. But he always stays and specifies new clothes for the two children to wear over the weekend.
Sometimes Jian Jianan was speechless and asked her brother: "Brother, do you think Dad is dressing us up like dolls? He is so happy to do it. When do you think Dad will get tired of playing this game?"
Jian Jiabei said sullenly: "I think Dad will keep playing, what do you think?"
But each weekend only has two days, and Jian Yangping still wasn't satisfied with making clothes. So, when the Hong Kong free travel trip was decided, Jian Yangping seemed to have found a short-term goal in life, and he single-handedly prepared all the clothes for the family of four for the eight-day trip.
He devoted his whole body and soul to the sewing machine. He even drew the patterns and made samples by himself, and went out to buy cloth and sew clothes. Jian Yangping's love for making clothes even surpassed his love for Su Qinxuan to a certain extent. Specifically, he no longer followed his wife around, but stayed at home all day to make clothes for the family.
However, hard work pays off, and Jian Yangping's efforts are recognized by everyone today.
Just look at the stunning debut on the first day today. The gentlemen present were still very gentlemanly and didn't stare at anyone's clothes. But the ladies present had their eyes almost glued to Jian Jianan and Su Qinxuan's clothes, unable to pull them away.
As soon as Su Qinxuan got out of the car, he greeted everyone cheerfully: "Sorry I'm late!"
Although they said so, strictly speaking it was not the scheduled gathering time, and they were not late. It was just a polite remark. The distance is an objective fact. It takes more than two hours to get from Shenzhen to Guangzhou, so it is natural that they arrived the latest.
The moment Su Qinxuan finished speaking, Gao Chunlai snorted coldly, full of malice, and muttered, "You also know that you are late!"
I really can't stand these women who dress up all day! They already have husbands by their side, but they still dare to walk faster than men and greet everyone past their own men. They are really unfaithful to women!
Her son quickly tugged at his mother's sleeve to stop her from continuing.
The moment Cai Duoyan saw Su Qinxuan, her eyes almost popped out of her head. Now, when she heard her greeting, she probably concluded that she was a cheerful and generous person like herself.
Cai Duoyan liked Su Qinxuan the moment they met. Besides, Gao Chunlai hated Su Qinxuan, and the enemy of his enemy was his ally. So, he was the first to speak: "No, no, no, you're not late. Not late, not late. We're just still here getting ready."
His daughter, Cai Chengyu, also came forward very enthusiastically, and greeted Su Qingxuan and Jian Yangping directly, and then started talking to Jian Jianan: "Sister, can I call you sister? I'm in my third year of high school now."
Jian Jianan also nodded, "Sure, I'm only in the first year of high school now."
Cai Chengyu then instructed Jian Jianan: "Come on, put your luggage on the bus. I just came back from putting my luggage there. I'll show you an empty spot."
Jian Jianan naturally felt the kindness that Cai Chengyu showed to his family, and then he went with his brother to put away the luggage without any disobedience.
Originally, Jian Yangping and Su Qinxuan wanted to come by themselves, but were stopped by Jian Jianan and her brother. They said they could go by themselves and did not need to trouble their parents, so the two adults continued to talk to Cai Chengyu.
Cai Duoyan couldn't help but praise them after seeing them: "Oh, your two children are really sensible. I like them from the first sight."
Su Qingshen and Jian Yangping subconsciously became modest, and the three of them started to praise each other in business.
Cai Chengyu and Jian Jianan looked at each other, and they both suddenly laughed out loud at the same time.
After a long while, Cai Chengyu finally said, "That's how adults are, right?"
Jian Jianan nodded. This sister was really funny to talk to. She felt that she had a good relationship with her the moment they met.
While waiting for the tour guide, Cai Chengyu told his sister some random things. The brother and sister nodded as they listened, and thanked Cai Chengyu at the end.
Cai Chengyu stroked her hair nonchalantly. "Hey, it's okay. I'm a local after all. You don't know how excited my mom and I were when we first found out we'd won the lottery. We got to know every little detail. Now, this is coming in handy."
Cai Chengyu said this with a regretful tone, "Ah, I really want to talk to you a few more words, but when we get on the bus later, my mom and I will sit together. What about you? Do you want to sit with your brother too?"
Jian Jiabei was originally listening to the two of them talking quietly, his eyes fixed on other places without much concern. When he heard Cai Chengyu say this, he looked over vigilantly, wanting to know who was targeting his sister. Fortunately, Jian Jianan still had some rationality.
Jian Jianan smiled and said, "Yes, I want to sit with my brother. It's okay, sister. We will have plenty of time to play together when we get to Hong Kong!"
As we were talking, the last few passengers arrived and it was soon time for departure.
Their group of 25 people were first taken to the port by bus. This Hong Kong tour group departed from Guangzhou and entered the port by water.
The first stop was the border inspection station at the port. The port was not very big, but the inspectors were all wearing green military uniforms, and you could tell at a glance that they were soldiers. This gave dozens of group members a sense of security.
Unlike the automated hall with a modern atmosphere decades later, there is only one intersection for exiting the customs here, a wooden table, and a few people specializing in inspection. It is full of a simple atmosphere, with dozens of people queuing up in a row to pass the inspection.
The men in military uniforms obviously knew that these dozens of people were from a free travel group. After carefully checking their relevant documents, they let them go.
After politely thanking them, Jian Jianan's family wanted to move forward, but his brother Jian Jiabei kept looking back, as if he was still reluctant to leave.
Su Qinxuan jokingly said, "I didn't realize our Xiaobei is such a homesick kid. He's already thinking about home before he's even walked far."
Jian Jiabei scratched his head and said embarrassedly: "Well, it's not because of this. I just think the PLA uniforms are so impressive. I want to wear them in the future."
Jian Jianan knew that his brother was in very good health. In recent years, the whole family has had the habit of going to the hospital for full-body check-ups. His parents also always pay attention to the health of their two children. Over the past few years, perhaps because he eats well, dresses well, and has a healthy and nutritious body, Jian Jiabei has never had any health problems again.
Anyway, Jian Jianan always has some minor colds and fevers throughout the year, forcing Jian Yangping and Su Qinxuan to always ask Jian Jiabei to take his sister out for exercise.
Jian Jianan nodded in agreement: "Brother, you can do it."
Jian Jiabei was very happy to receive encouragement from his sister. He stopped looking back and walked forward with his family.
Everyone was first sent to the ship by the Guangzhou Security Checkpoint, and then boarded the ship after the inspection. After passing the security check, the group members' means of transportation changed from human legs to ships. Their process today was to take the ship to Hong Kong.
It was different from the green train that Jian Jianan's family took when they went from Hainan Island to Shenzhen six years ago. At that time, it was crowded and they had to guard against pickpockets. His parents didn't dare to sleep. When they crossed the Qiongzhou Strait, they didn't even have a seat ticket and could only buy the lowest-class fifth-class discrete seats!
The ship they were on was much more advanced and had fewer people on it, which made everyone very excited and gave them extra time to appreciate the scenery outside the window.
Jian Jianan knew that Shenzhen was developing rapidly and was even famous throughout the country for its "Shenzhen Speed", which referred to the miraculous speed of building a floor in three days.
It has to be said that after several years of development, Shenzhen has grown from a small fishing village to its current state, and one can already vaguely see the shadow of its future metropolis.
However, compared with Hong Kong, which was known as one of the "Four Asian Tigers" at the time, it was still slightly inferior.
The two children here were deeply attracted by the scenery outside the window, while the two adults over there were still reminiscing about the good old days.
"We also got off at Donghu Railway Station when we came here. Nannan also wrote down what people were selling nearby and gave us a lot of suggestions the next morning."
"Yes, yes, I remember all this too. Our family's life is getting better and better." Jian Yangping said with emotion. At that time, he took a gamble and went north to Shenzhen, his heart full of anxiety about the future, but everything now shows that the decision he made at that time was correct and worthwhile.
While the two adults were reminiscing about the good and bad times, Jian Jianan and his brother stayed in their seats very obediently, watching the changes in the surrounding environment.
The ship slowly moved forward, and the scenery on both sides of the river was constantly changing. The buildings in Guangzhou were receding, and the buildings in Hong Kong were coming towards us.
Jian Jianan couldn't help but be fascinated by the beautiful scenery. He sat up straight and looked outside.
There were many buildings on both sides of the river, not only high-rise buildings, but also buildings of various foreign styles. The sight of them immediately caught Jian Jianan's attention. Unfortunately, the ship was moving at a very fast speed and passed by in a flash, so Jian Jianan couldn't even appreciate the scenery for a while.
Brother Jian Jiabei's reaction was even greater. He even turned around to look at the scenery left behind and didn't turn back for a long time.
Everyone knew what the presence of this "first group" meant today, and they all straightened their clothes when they were about to disembark, thinking that even if they couldn't dazzle everyone, they couldn't bring shame to their country.
Jian Jiabei was still surprised at first. Is this necessary? It's not like she's walking on the red carpet. She's just getting off the boat. Is it necessary to even smooth out the wrinkles on her shirt?
Although Jian Jiabei secretly complained about this, he still followed the crowd and did the same.
Fortunately, Jian Jiabei followed his instructions and packed his clothes before getting off the boat with his parents. When everyone got off the boat at Luohu Port, they were greeted by a news storm consisting of more than a hundred reporters!
Each reporter had a camera in his hand and had been waiting for a long time. As soon as they saw people getting off the boat, they immediately devoted themselves to their work and took pictures of the members of the "First Regiment" with more than a hundred cameras.
For a moment, the scene was flashing with silver light, and Jian Jianan was a little disoriented by the sudden light.
It was her brother Jian Jiabei who covered her eyes with a cold face. Jian Jianan took the opportunity to hide behind her brother and listened to the movement in front with her ears perked up.
It seemed that it was not just a simple photo shoot, Jian Jianan also heard many reporters asking questions loudly.
"What is your first impression of Hong Kong?"
"As the first independent travel group from the mainland to come to Hong Kong, what are the central government's plans?"
"Excuse me! Do you feel any difference between the two places?"
My brother muttered, "Why are they all gathered here shouting and yelling? They're asking questions, but there's no one to ask them. Who do they want to answer?"
We are all here just to have fun, not to answer questions.
Jian Jianan had a different opinion on this. She hid behind her brother and smiled slyly: "Be patient, brother, just wait and see. I think our people are well prepared for this, and someone will definitely come forward to answer!"
Just as Jian Jianan expected, someone soon asked to clear his throat and walked up from behind the group of tourists who were just there for tourism.
"Ahem," Zhou Xiu came up. His official identity was the manager and staff member of the First Regiment, but in fact Zhou Xiu also had other important responsibilities, such as - external spokesperson.
He walked under the spotlight and answered the questions one by one in a sharp and organized manner.
"Thank you all for your warm welcome to our 'First Group'. We are of course very happy to visit you. The two places have differences and similarities. After all, we are all from the same origin, but were forced to separate due to some historical factors..."
Jian Jianan listened and paid attention to the movements below. He heard that most people were praising the central government for its foresight, courage and decisiveness. At this critical moment, it went against public opinion and established the unprecedented Hong Kong free travel group, contributing to the reunion of the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
After hearing that most of the comments were fair and objective, Jian Jianan finally felt relieved.
Zhou Xiu only answered the questions for a while before waving his hand to signal the tour guide to continue taking people out to play. The tour group only had eight days, and every minute and every second was precious. He also understood the group members' desire to race against time. They had finally come to Hong Kong, so they had to have fun.
Not to mention the other group members, he also has the responsibility of purchasing things for his family.
After Jian Jianan and his group left Luohu Port, they were taken directly by bus to the hotel where they were staying - the Hong Kong Excelsior Hotel.
No one in the Free Group has to worry about money. They are either rich or noble, so naturally they have the best equipment.
Although the Excelsior Hotel in Hong Kong is a newly built hotel in recent years and cannot compare with the long history of the Peninsula Hotel or the fame of the Mandarin Hotel, newness has its advantages. As a landmark hotel, it is indeed the most suitable place for the "first group" to settle down.
When the first group arrived at the Yidong Hotel, Jian Jianan and his brother were the first to go to the bus to pick up their luggage, but they were told that they didn't need to worry about it themselves, as someone would come to take care of the formalities and deliver it to their respective rooms.
Seeing the identical stunned expressions on the brother and sister's faces, Gao Chunlai couldn't help but sneer, "Country bumpkins."
These words were spoken very softly, and only Jian Jianan and the other person heard them. The others couldn't even see Gao Chunlai's lips move.
Gao Chunlai has a very sharp tongue and wants to say a few words about everything she sees. Practice makes perfect, and over the years she has mastered several skills, including how to speak ill of others elegantly in public, ensuring that the other party can hear it clearly, while maintaining an image of being pure and innocent in front of others.
Relying on this skill, Gao Chunlai never lost in the fight with Cai Duoyan. She maintained her outward image very well, and only a few of her closest people knew her true face.
Gao Chunlai expressed his malice towards the two siblings in front of him, and then waited for their reactions with a smile.
How will they react? Angrily retaliate? Or perhaps go home and complain to their parents? Whatever their reaction, it's truly exciting!
Unexpectedly, Gao Chunlai's plan failed, and Jian Jianan and his brother did not have any of the above reactions.
Jian Jiabei just turned his head to glance at Gao Chunlai, then smiled at her nonchalantly, just as a greeting, as if he didn't hear what she said before.
Seeing her brother like this, sister Jian Jianan was a little curious and wanted to turn back, but her brother turned his head away forcefully, preventing Jian Jianan from seeing Gao Chunlai, as if he would hear some dirty words as soon as he saw her.
Jian Jianan was not such an obedient person. He immediately struggled under his brother's ruthless iron grip, trying to break free from his restraints while curiously asking: "What's wrong, brother? What happened? Why don't you let me see?"
Jian Jiabei replied calmly: "What are you looking at? What's so good about it? Your brother is the best looking. Just look at your brother!"
Jian Jianan suddenly forgot what he was about to say and immediately started bickering with his brother.
The two walked away, and Jian Jianan turned around inadvertently and caught a glimpse of Gao Chunlai's indignant expression.
She poked her brother's arm, signaling him to look back. Jian Jiabei replied lazily, "I'm not looking. Ignore her. There's no need to get emotional over someone irrelevant."
Jian Jianan let out a small "wow" and said in an exaggerated tone, "I can't believe it, brother. When you haven't seen someone for three days, you should look at them with new eyes. How come you're so calm now? You're not as angry as before. Did you sign up for some emotional control class without telling your sister?"
Jian Jiabei, who had just been praised by his sister for his good emotional control, staggered and was about to fall when he heard the words, not at all as calm and composed as before.
"I'm just bad at arithmetic, not that I don't have a brain." He said helplessly.
Besides, although he is not as keen on managing the family business as his sister, he has grown up and made progress after so many years of following his parents and receiving so much influence, right?
Jian Jiabei gradually learned how to distinguish between the kindness and malice of others, and how to treat them.
Of course, he couldn't break these words down and tell his sister word for word, otherwise this clever little girl would laugh at him for this until next year.
Jian Jianan was really impressed by her brother's handling of the matter. She had seen people like Gao Chunlai several times. People like them were mentally twisted and wanted to stab everything they saw. They were also extremely concerned about their reputation and wanted to leave a good impression in front of outsiders.
To deal with this kind of person, you have to play by your own rules. If she wants to scold you, you have to pretend not to hear it. Otherwise, turn around and confront her. In public, Jian Jianan is afraid that she will get angry.
Gao Chunlai, who was ignored by his brother and sister, must be feeling so uncomfortable now!
Jian Jianan smiled secretly and followed his brother into the hotel.
As they walked, Jian Jianan introduced the Hong Kong Excelsior Hotel to his brother: "It is a landmark hotel. It has more than a thousand rooms and is the largest hotel in Hong Kong. But in my opinion, its significance goes far beyond that."
At this point, Jian Jianan kept the secret a secret and asked his brother proudly, "Do you know why I say that?"
Jian Jiabei begged for mercy directly: "I don't know, I don't know. Please, Boss Jian, just tell me quickly."
Jian Jianan then continued, "The location of the Excelsior Hotel holds extraordinary historical significance. The site where this tall building stands is the very first piece of land to be publicly auctioned when Hong Kong officially became a colony. Its number plate remains No. 1 to this day."
Before the first tour day of the first group was over, Jian Jianan sensed some political implications. She believed that as the first independent travel group from the mainland to come to Hong Kong, their every move would be very eye-catching, and even every seemingly subtle choice had political implications that could not be ignored.
Jian Jianan never fights a battle without preparation. Before the trip began, Jian Jianan asked his parents for the itinerary and prepared some information for each stop. Therefore, he was now proudly explaining the general knowledge to his brother.
Su Qinxuan and He Jianyangping were waiting for their two children in front. Naturally, they also heard Jian Jianan's popular science. The mother turned around and smiled at her daughter, "Come over quickly, let's go to check in, and then go see the night view!"
Jian Jianan's eyes suddenly lit up. Hong Kong night view, here I come!
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