This topic wasn't suitable for further discussion. Johnson ate his bun and said, "Alright, young man, don't lose your temper. It's your freedom to become a citizen of any country you want after you turn 18. No one will interfere with that.
"If you really don't want the bun, I'll finish it.
"Oh yeah, Song, there's something interesting that I didn't mention about Director Chen from the Qu County Civil Affairs Bureau that you mentioned earlier.
"Do you know that when we were walking on the mountain road earlier, he kept asking me how he should handle the private study procedure for his 13-year-old daughter?
God, I've been thinking since then that he should really get to know my dear cousin, Rielle, and know what kind of outrageous games a thirteen-year-old girl living in America would play after escaping from their parents' eyes.
"Anyway, I've decided that my kids will go to China for school in the future. Moreover, I won't let them go to those international schools with loose management. Instead, I'll send them to the strictest closed school.
"The education model that talks about rights with kids is absurd and ridiculous. It might produce one or two Bill Gates or Buffetts, but it produces gangsters and drug addicts. The elite education in China is the best education model."
"That's great. Let's swap. Your kids will come to China and my grandson will go to America. What do you think?" Song Xilin was interested in the topic that he was most interested in. He said while smiling.
"That's great. It can save me a lot of tuition fees. I've asked around how much it costs for kids who don't have a local household registration to study in Chengdu. I found out that it's quite a burden for a normal American diplomat like me."
As the duo chatted, the SUV drove out of Qu County's mountain road. It passed through the county and arrived at the toll booth of Chuan-Shen Expressway.
Song Xilin paid the fare and drove onto the highway. He increased the speed to the maximum speed limit of 120 miles per hour. In a very short period of time, the Qu County that was filled with lights outside the car window disappeared without a trace. At that moment, Lili who had been tensed up obviously relaxed slowly.
Johnson, who had been secretly observing Lili's state of mind, stopped chatting. He turned his head and said to her in all seriousness, "Ms. Lili, I think we can talk about it now."
"Mr. Johnson, I know I acted crazy earlier but please believe that there's a reason for that.
Of course, the reason is very private, so I can't explain it to you in detail. So I'm very sorry, thank you for your kindness, and I'm really fine. "
"Madam Lili, this isn't about whether you're alright or not, but it involves a 16-year-old …"
"Mr. Johnson, you may not know this, but my father is the most senior judge in the New York State Court of Appeals. Otherwise, Counselor Keane wouldn't have asked you to work through the night like this.
Also, I'm a practical educator who graduated from Columbia University's School of Education. I'm currently the education consultant of New York's Lowbige Junior High.
Do you think there's a need for us to continue this conversation? "
In America, perhaps a diplomat could use his testimony to get the Social Welfare Bureau to investigate whether an incompetent mother was suitable to have custody of her child.
However, without any direct evidence, even the President of the United States would not allow the daughter of a state appellate court judge to lose her custody of her son. Moreover, this daughter was an education expert working in a famous New York university.
This was another manifestation of the country's legal culture.
Johnson was stunned for a moment and said while shrugging, "Wow, Lowbige Junior High, that's the Ivy League in the middle schools. Even a cowboy from California like me has heard of it.
"I have nothing to say, Madam Lili.
At least it proves that you're not that … You know what I'm trying to do. Great, seems like I've been worrying too much. "
Then, he turned around and continued to chat with Song Xilin in a blur.
Zhang Lisheng, who was sitting at the back of the SUV, looked out of the window in confusion. In his eyes, the reflective strips on both sides of the highway were flying by and connecting into a line.
His eyes were a little dizzy and his head was a little muddled. All Zhang Lisheng could feel was that his memory after he finished cultivating witchcraft was a little broken. He could not even recall why exactly he was sitting in this SUV and rushing to Chengdu all of a sudden.
'Didn't I have to return to No.3 High School after I broke through to Rank-2 Wizard a few days later?
'Didn't I plan to use Mountoad to teach the people from Eastern Guangdong who might come to take revenge on me a hard lesson?
'Didn't I plan to scold my mother and insist on staying in China forever even if I really found her? Why did everything change out of nowhere?'
"Baby, there's only two flights a week from Chengdu to New York so we can only go home on Friday. It'll take some time for you to apply for your passport.
I'll bring you to the hotel to stay when we arrive at Chengdu later.
We'll have a feast tomorrow morning and buy you new clothes to change into. We'll go take a proper passport photo … "
"Mother, mother, I-I'm confused," Zhang Lisheng told the truth in the dark while feeling lost, "What exactly is going on?
What's going on with you and my father? "
Lili fell into silence for a while and said gently while caressing Zhang Lisheng's cheek while crying, "My dear baby, as a mother, I can't criticize your father who has raised you for over ten years in front of you.
"You only need to know that it's true that we broke up. I really had no choice and I had no other choice. Otherwise, I'd never leave you alone.
"I've loved you before, now, in the future and forever. I want to make it up to you. From now on, I'll be the best and most responsible mother in the world. Can I do that?"
Zhang Lisheng nodded hard and stopped asking questions. Right now, deep in his heart, he was even more excited than when he became a wizard because of Lili's pure and passionate motherly love. He finally understood why he would sit in this SUV out of nowhere.
After driving for three hours, the SUV drove out of Chengdu's toll booth on Sichuan – Shenyang expressway.
Song Xilin was relieved seeing that Chengdu's street lights could be seen clearly. He yawned and said while looking at the time on the dashboard, "It's 2.20 am, I can take a nap after washing up at home.
Oh yeah, Ms. Lili, where are you going? I'll send you guys there. "
"Golden Dragon Hotel, I've booked a room there, thank you."
"You're welcome, you're welcome. It's fate that we can travel together.
Golden Dragon Hotel, that's a great place. I heard a shower costs thousands of yuan, tsk tsk. " Song Xilin said as he drove past a junction. Not long after, he drove into the courtyard of a magnificent hotel.
A few sleepy doormen, who were wearing uniforms with tassels and round hats, saw that it was a black license plate. They perked up and hurriedly went forward to open the door of the back seat in an even more courteous manner.
It was not because they worshipped foreigners, but it was because foreigners usually had the habit of tipping service workers. Meanwhile, Chinese people rarely had such a habit no matter how rich and cultured they were.
However, to the doormen's surprise, when the backseat of the black SUV opened, the person who came out was not a foreigner with mottled hair. Instead, it was a young man from a mountain village who was carrying a bamboo basket, wearing rubber shoes and overalls. He looked like a skinny monkey and looked like a country bumpkin.
The young man looked at the colorful world that he had never seen with his own eyes in shock as soon as he came out. He mumbled, "So this is how the hotel looks like.
It's nothing when I'm used to it on the computer, but it's really … really different when I see it in real life … "
Lili, who walked out of the car, felt her heart ache when she saw her son's blank expression. She held Zhang Lisheng's hand softly and turned around to bid farewell to Johnson and Song Xilin, "Mr. Johnson, Mr. Song, it's all thanks to you guys that we're reunited today.
I'll be forever grateful for your help, goodbye. "
"Madam Lili, it's my duty as a diplomat to provide overseas service to the citizens. May God bless you and your son with a smooth journey back home. Goodbye."
"I wish you guys a smooth journey too. Goodbye Madam Lili, goodbye Little Zhang."
After saying goodbye, the SUV drove away slowly. Lili, who had recovered, looked at her son next to her in satisfaction. She waved the little luggage box in her hand and said to the doormen, "Guys, which of you would like to earn a few dollars as a tip? Help me carry this."
"Mother, a few dollars is worth tens of dollars in Chinese currency. Your box is so small, I'll just carry it," Zhang Lisheng who was next to her said after calculating in his mind.
"Don't be like that, my dear baby. We have to accept other people's service since we're at the hotel. It's rude to steal other people's livelihood.
You'll understand in the future. Follow me now, "Lili said and held Zhang Lisheng's hand. She passed the luggage to the doorman who was closest to her and walked into the hotel lobby while holding Zhang Lisheng's hand.
As a five-star hotel in Chengdu, Golden Dragon Hotel had luxurious interior and exterior decorations. There was a hollow, transparent glass water column with a diameter of over two meters and a height of over 20 meters that was filled with red koi in the lobby. It was said that it cost more than ten million yuan.
In any place, the best partner of luxury was only expensive. Lili would not book a room here if she was not picking up her son who had been separated from her for more than ten years and the hotel's name in Chinese culture that sought good fortune and avoided evil.
However, no matter how luxurious the hotel was, there would be fewer female receptionists on duty late at night compared to the day. Not only that, they would inevitably doze off while standing.
Lili took out her passport and passed it to the most energetic receptionist across the light gray imported marble counter. "Miss, I've booked a business suite in your hotel two days ago. Please check for me."
The beautiful receptionist who was wearing a cheerful bright red Chinese cheongsam took the passport with both of her hands. She peeped at Zhang Lisheng who was standing next to Lili in a daze while carrying a bamboo basket on his back. Without saying anything, she began checking on the computer in front of her.
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