By linking my account to the check-in system, I became a leisurely traveler.

Chapter 101 Li Younan's Hot Take: Find a Class! [6.4 words!]

At four o'clock in the afternoon, Li Younan started the Land Cruiser, carrying Lu Xiaolan and Xu Liya, and drove away from Chengdu onto the Chengdu-Chongqing Expressway.

The sky was still bright, but the sunlight already carried a hint of languor.

In the back seat, the two girls were initially excitedly chatting about their new life at university, but after the car drove for a while, their voices gradually lowered.

Xiao Lan leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, while Xu Liya, with her earphones in, quietly watched the hills and villages passing by outside the window.

After driving for about two hours, Xiaolan woke up, rubbed her eyes, and asked, "Brother, where are we staying tonight?"

“No rush,” Li Younan said, holding the steering wheel steadily and looking at the road ahead, which was gilded by the setting sun. “We’ll drive wherever it takes us. We’ll find a decent small town or big town, have dinner, and then easily take you to Chongqing tomorrow.”

Xu Liya also took off her headphones, looking somewhat concerned: "Setting off so late and having to drive at night to find a place, won't it be too tiring?"

"It's not hard work," Li Younan smiled. "There's no rush, I should be there by tomorrow morning without any problems."

Around six o'clock, the sun sank even lower, its orange-red light bathing the rice paddies on both sides of the road, somewhat dazzling. The clouds on the horizon were also tinged with varying shades of red.

Li Younan glanced at the sign ahead that read "Longchang," the distance was just right, and the name sounded pleasant.

"That's fine," he said, turning on his turn signal, and the car glided off the highway exit.

The town of Longchang lit up in the twilight.

Li Younan found a clean and tidy-looking hotel and parked his car.

Xiao Lan and Xu Liya got out of the car, stretched, and curiously looked around at the unfamiliar little town in the twilight.

There happened to be a small noodle shop next to the hotel, with brighter lights at the entrance than other places, and steaming hot food on the stove.

"Let's go eat," Li Younan called to them.

Each person had a bowl of beef noodles, and Li Younan asked the owner to add extra spice to each bowl, except for his own.

The noodles were served glistening with red oil, garnished with bright green scallions and cilantro.

Li Younan blew on the steam; his bowl still had a little chili in it. It wasn't that he couldn't eat chili at all, he just didn't like strong flavors.

Moreover, during this period, he found that he still had to try eating spicy food, otherwise he could never eat with other people.

Xiao Lan ate until her nose was sweating, exclaiming how delicious it was, and then went to add another spoonful of chili oil.

Xu Liya ate delicately, taking small bites. Her cheeks flushed from the spiciness, but she smiled contentedly.

"Brother Younan, you drive so smoothly," Xu Liya said, wiping her mouth. "By the way, did you record any videos of that walkie-talkie you guys were playing with today?"

“I didn’t film it.” Li Younan continued eating his noodles. “Hehe, not everything needs to be filmed, and this hobby is a bit niche anyway.”

On the one hand, Li Younan felt that not all materials were suitable for making videos. On the other hand, showing too many skills in a video might not be a good thing.

He has now showcased skills such as parkour, cooking, woodworking, plumbing, and even carving in his videos. While it's admirable that such skills could be found in a young man, it's not outrageous.

But as skills increase, how can one possibly learn so many things when one's energy is limited?

While ordinary people might not associate things with supernatural phenomena like systems or superpowers, doing so too much can cause unnecessary trouble, so it's important to stay grounded in reality.

Li Younan didn't try to hide this, but in short, it's important to maintain a proper balance.

There's a big difference between accidentally startling those around you and showing it off in a video.

After finishing dinner and returning to the hotel, it was completely dark. The room was simple and clean, and the air conditioning was on, its coolness dispelling the daytime heat.

Xiao Lan and Xu Liya share a room, while Li Younan lives next door.

After washing up and lying down, he opened the window a crack and could hear the occasional motorcycle passing by downstairs, the faint sound of a television in the distance, and a few barks of dogs.

It wasn't noisy at all; on the contrary, it gave the small town a unique sense of tranquility at night.

Li Younan took out his phone to check the time. It was just past 8:30, but he was already feeling tired.

I could faintly hear two girls laughing and talking in hushed tones next door, probably still dreaming about their upcoming university life.

I vaguely heard the two of them bickering a few times, mostly in a teasing and playful tone. Something like, "I treat you like a friend, and you actually have designs on me as your sister-in-law..." After the laughter subsided, it turned to, "It's not as exaggerated as you say, your cousin is the kind of guy...blah blah blah..."

Li Younan chuckled softly, closed his eyes, and listened to the soft sounds, mixed with the whispers of the early autumn night outside the window and the chirping of crickets. He felt very calm.

Let's talk about tomorrow's problems when the sun rises tomorrow.

……

Chongqing is a very special place, and it also has two must-see spots.

Nowadays, Li Younan's desire to check in is not as strong, and his mindset has naturally changed. He no longer feels an urgent need to check in, but rather thinks, "This place is quite fun, so I'll check in and open a blind box while I'm there."

The registration periods for the two universities can overlap, lasting two days. The route from Chengdu will first pass through Chongqing University. Therefore, Yu Liyounan plans to take Lu Xiaolan to register first, while Xu Liya will have to wait a little longer.

Xu Liya had no objection to this, and she was also looking forward to seeing what Lu Xiaolan's university was like. They even made a promise that after Lu Xiaolan registered, she would go with her to see Southwest University.

The two girls seemed to have rested well in the back seat, and started talking more, discussing where to register at school and what the dormitories would be like.

The highway gradually widened, and the traffic became noticeably denser.

The name "Chongqing" began to appear frequently on the road signs, and the surrounding scenery gradually changed from open fields and hills to continuous buildings and overpasses.

The air seemed to carry a distinct urban smell, a mixture of dust and gasoline.

"We've entered Chongqing!" Lu Xiaolan exclaimed excitedly, pointing to the dense cluster of buildings on the distant skyline.

"Yes, almost there," Li Younan replied, his focus slightly sharpening.

The roads in Chongqing are not as simple as highways.

The navigation system's electronic female voice began to ring out frequently: "Entering Shapingba District ahead..."

"Watch out for vehicles merging from the right..."

"Please keep driving in the left lane..."

The viaduct is intricately connected by its roots.

Xu Liya looked nervously out the window at the endless stream of cars and motorcycles that kept darting out: "The roads in Chongqing... truly live up to their reputation."

"Just sit tight," Li Younan smiled, his hands firmly gripping the steering wheel.

Under Li Younan's driving, the Land Cruiser's heavy body appeared quite composed in the traffic.

When he encountered a steep uphill slope, he lightly pressed the accelerator, the engine roared, and he steadily made it up the hill, leaving a cautious little car behind him.

Xu Liya chuckled smugly from the back seat.

Unlike Anhui, which I visited before, the mere mention of Chongqing immediately conjures up a multitude of related images in my mind.

Hot pot, the 3D city experience where you think you're on the 1st floor but are actually on the 18th floor, Hongyadong, Jiefangbei... there are just too many landmarks that can represent Chongqing.

As soon as Li Younan arrived in Chongqing, he dialed a number he hadn't contacted in a long time.

Lu Xiaolan and Xu Liya both looked at Li Younan curiously. The call connected, and a male voice came from the other end. His first words made Li Younan want to punch him: "Hey, isn't this Engineer Li? What brings you to my mind today?"

Li Younan didn't tolerate him and hung up the phone without saying a word.

Lu Xiaolan sat in the passenger seat, her expression blank.

Although the person on the other end of the phone was indeed a bit annoying, it was still somewhat unexpected that my cousin hung up so abruptly.

Li Younan, holding the phone, said, "Three seconds at most."

Before Lu Xiaolan could react, the phone rang again, and sure enough, it was the other end calling.

Li Younan answered the phone, and the other party said somewhat exasperatedly, "You still can't take a joke!"

Li Younan said calmly, "Why don't you reflect on yourself?"

"Speak, what is it?" the person on the other end asked lazily.

Li Younan said, "I've arrived in Chongqing."

The other person paused for a moment, then their tone became excited: "What? You're in Chongqing? Are you on holiday?"

Li Younan put down his phone, turned on speakerphone, gripped the steering wheel with both hands, and said slowly, "I resigned, but that's not important. I came here to take my younger sister to university; she's starting school soon. Where's your family's hot pot restaurant?"

The other person was very excited: "That's great! Let's eat at our place tonight, our hot pot restaurant is..."

He gave an address, which Li Younan silently noted down. He then said, "I'll take my sister there first."

"Okay, see you there."

After hanging up the phone, Li Younan continued to focus on driving.

Lu Xiaolan asked curiously, "Cousin, who was the person you were talking to on the phone?"

Li Younan pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "One of my college classmates, from Chongqing, whose family owns a hot pot restaurant. Oh, we weren't in the same major, but we met in a club and became quite close. After graduating, he went back to inherit his family's hot pot restaurant. It's quite a rare opportunity for him to come to Chongqing this time, so I gave him a call."

Lu Xiaolan nodded, while Xu Liya chattered from behind, "Then it must be old Chongqing. Chongqing hot pot is really delicious; I think it's better than Chengdu's."

Lu Xiaolan disagreed: "Really? I think the food in Chengdu is better."

Li Younan listened to the two arguing and was speechless. What about the Chongqing hot pot restaurant that opened in Chengdu?
The car headed towards Chongqing University.

……

Today is the first day of the new school year, and we need to collect our supplies.

The procedures at most schools are similar. Li Younan had been through it all before, and hadn't been out of school for long, so she was very familiar with it.

After parking the car, some second-year students came over to chat with me; they were wearing volunteer badges around their necks.

Li Younan took a process manual printed by Lu Xiaolan College and, following the instructions, led Lu Xiaolan to collect materials and complete the relevant procedures.

Some second-year students clearly wanted to help Lu Xiaolan with her luggage and take her there, but after seeing Li Younan, they became hesitant and ultimately gave up.

When only Li Younan, Lu Xiaolan, and Xu Liya remained, Lu Xiaolan whispered, "Those senior students seem pretty honest."

Xu Liya immediately became alert and said seriously, "Xiao Lan, you need to understand your identity. You are a junior. In the eyes of those bad seniors, junior girls are the most beautiful things in the world, as clean as a blank sheet of paper. Of course, this does not distinguish between men and women. Handsome junior boys are similar in the eyes of senior girls. They lost in the competition among their peers, or were simply defeated by the seniors of the previous year, so they set their sights on the next juniors."

"And you, my best friend, you are just too naive!"

Lu Xiaolan stared blankly at Xu Liya, frowning, "What are you babbling about?"

Li Younan laughed heartily to the side.

With Li Younan, a genuine graduate from a prestigious university, showing them around the school, Lu Xiaolan encountered no trouble in handling the various procedures, even without guidance from local senior students.

After receiving the supplies, Li Younan took the newly distributed bedding, while Lu Xiaolan and Xu Liya each took some luggage and headed to the dormitory.

There are already two or three girls in the dormitory now.

One of the girls was struggling with the newly installed network cable, making it impossible for the router to connect to the internet.

After helping Lu Xiaolan carry her luggage to her dorm, Li Younan casually helped the girl with her problem. To him, it was just a small favor.

The girl was very grateful to Li Younan. After learning that Li Younan was Lu Xiaolan's brother, she quickly started chatting with Xiaolan.

This is a pretty good start.

Like him back then, Xiaolan had never left the county before graduating from high school. Now she is studying in another province on her own, and she needs an adjustment period.

Having a friend you can get along with at the beginning of this process is very helpful.

There were two other roommates in the dormitory at this time. Li Younan chatted with them briefly and gained a basic understanding of the personalities of the three girls.

In general, they are all ordinary, honest girls from ordinary families with ordinary personalities; they would be easily lost in a crowd.

Of course, aside from being a bit talkative, Lu Xiaolan was generally like that.

He was just an ordinary college student.

The girl who tinkers with the network router is petite and the most outgoing in the dorm.

The other two were quite different. One was chubby and had a soft and cute personality, while the other wore glasses and didn't talk much. Li Younan couldn't quite grasp her personality yet.

At least for now, my cousin's studies and life here shouldn't be too troublesome, which is good.

It's worth mentioning that none of the girls in this dormitory knew how to wear makeup, and Lu Xiaolan was the only girl who had ever tried it.

Even when she came over today, Lu Xiaolan specially put on light makeup.

She used to be a country bumpkin, but now she's the most stylish girl in the dorm.

After completing the registration, the next step is to go to Xu Liya's school and help her complete some procedures.

Li Younan originally planned to take the two of them to his friend's place for hot pot after he had settled all these matters.

However, despite the plan, after Xu Liya had everything ready, a small unexpected event occurred.

Xu Liya and the others had a class meeting that evening and couldn't leave.

In this way, Li Younan had no choice but to take Lu Xiaolan to eat hot pot.

……

Although Li Younan is a good driver, based on online experience, he felt that as an outsider, he should not try driving in a place like Chongqing.

There's a saying that even looking at a navigation map in Chongqing might not be enough to understand it.

Li Younan didn't know this was an exaggeration. Even if the situation had changed, he dared not take the risk. If he took the wrong turn on the road, it would be troublesome to go to his friend's shop.

So, Li Younan parked the car at the hotel, took Lu Xiaolan in a taxi, and headed to the NA district to find that friend.

Upon arriving at the address her friend had given her, Lu Xiaolan stared blankly at Li Younan: "Cousin, is this the hot pot restaurant your friend mentioned?"

Li Younan frowned, took out her phone in an annoyed tone, and sent a message on WeChat: "Are you sure the address you gave me is correct?"

At this moment, they were standing in front of an old building. The house number was correct. To the left was a Yufuqiao massage and foot bath shop, and to the right was a KTV. Between these two large stores was a small, dilapidated shop with no lights on and no sign.

For a moment, Li Younan even wondered if that guy was playing a trick on him.

Unexpectedly, the other party replied immediately: "Have you arrived yet? Wait for me a moment."

Not long after, the store door suddenly opened a crack, and then it was opened wide. A young man of similar age to Li Younan poked his head out from behind the door.

Upon seeing Li Younan, his eyes lit up noticeably: "Come in quickly, come in quickly!"

Li Younan's expression was a bit strange. He didn't rush in and asked, "Why did you close the door so tightly? What mischief are you up to? Also, isn't your family's hot pot restaurant supposed to be big? Is this what you call big?"

The young man chuckled and said, "It's a long story. Come on in, and I'll explain everything to you slowly. You haven't eaten yet, have you? I've prepared everything."

Lu Xiaolan hesitated for a moment, her expression practically screaming, "Is your classmate reliable?"

Li Younan smiled reassuringly and followed the young man into the shop.

As soon as you enter, a rich aroma of hot pot hits you.

Although Li Younan can't handle spicy food very well, he is a professional chef after all and can still distinguish the smell of hot pot broth.

He raised his eyebrows slightly, but said nothing.

After entering, Li Younan roughly understood why the door was closed and there was no sign.

The shop is extremely small, with only seven or eight tables. It was probably just taken over from a struggling business owner.

The furniture in the store is not new, and some places still show obvious signs of renovation, probably after some repairs.

There was no one else in the restaurant at the moment; the aroma of hot pot was wafting in from the kitchen.

Li Younan's expression was somewhat strange. He casually pulled out the nearest chair and sat down.

Seeing this, Lu Xiaolan obediently sat down next to Li Younan.

Li Younan said, "Explain it."

The young man chuckled and said, "I already said it's a long story."

Li Younan said irritably, "Then let's get to the point."

The young man poured a cup of tea for Li Younan and Lu Xiaolan, and said, "Alright, then I'll get straight to the point."

He slowly raised his head, his tone somewhat casual, "I had a falling out with my family, they kicked me out, and now I run my own hot pot restaurant."

Li Younan blinked, said nothing, picked up the tea and took a small sip.

……

The young man's name is Chen Kunjie.

When Li Younan first entered university, like most college freshmen, he was full of curiosity about everything and wanted to try everything, making him the favorite target of those "veterans" in clubs.

At that time, Li Younan and Chen Kunjie joined a stupid club called "Future Leaders Elite Club".

This club focuses on "cultivating leadership qualities" and "connecting with high-quality resources," but most of its activities are empty "success lectures" or simply people sitting together to conduct "mock negotiations."

The so-called "elite resources" are nothing more than a few senior students in the president's WeChat Moments whom he is not very familiar with.

I spent a few weeks in this bizarre club and had several pointless gatherings.

The last activity was supposed to be a lecture by an elite person. They thought they could connect with high-quality resources, but it turned out that the so-called elite person was fake. They were just brought there to act as a mood-maker and fool another group of college students who knew nothing.

As a result, the truth was exposed on the spot, and the scene became chaotic. The gang organizers disappeared without a trace, leaving only a hat spinning on the ground. Li Younan and Chen Kunjie, the two innocent victims, were left standing there bewildered.

Then, Chen Kunjie picked up the hat from the ground and asked Li Younan, "Dude, did you get anything?"

Li Younan also felt a bit emotional. After all, he had just entered university and didn't have much experience, which was normal. He learned from his mistakes and gained something along the way.

He sighed and said, "Putting everything else aside, at least it made me realize one thing: even in a prestigious university like this, there are terrible senior students and terrible clubs."

Chen Kunjie shook his head and said, "That's not a gain, that's just a lesson."

Li Younan was stunned: "Huh?"

Then, Chen Kunjie pointed to the hat in his hand: "It's a Supreme hat, it should be authentic."

He then pointed to the little bee that had been left on the podium, "That thing is worth about a hundred or two hundred yuan."

As he spoke, he slowly walked up and placed the little bee on his hat. "This, with this, is what makes it a harvest!"

Li Younan was dumbfounded.

Chen Kunjie is just that kind of person. Li Younan has been friends with him for four years, and he is often baffled by Chen Kunjie's peculiar way of thinking.

Chen Kunjie is from Chongqing. According to him, his family owns a family-run hot pot restaurant.

While the claim of "family tradition" is a bit of an exaggeration, it is indeed an old hot pot restaurant that has been operating since the reform and opening-up period.

After graduation, this guy went back to Chongqing.

Li Younan contacted him a few times, but the contact gradually decreased later.

The last time we chatted was before.

Chen Kunjie said he has learned how to make hot pot broth at home and will let Li Younan try it next time.

Li Younan replied, "Let's forget it, I can't handle spicy food."

Chen Kunjie responded, "Who told you to eat it? I just let you look and smell it."

Li Younan swore that if he had been there, he would have beaten him up.

I never expected that when we met again, this guy would be so down on his luck.

Li Younan put down his cup, intending to comfort him by saying, "Even though you started from scratch..."

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Kunjie said smugly, "Damn it, I'm finally free! I don't have to put up with my mom's temper anymore. Her hot pot is terrible; she has no idea what young people like to eat."

Li Younan's words were cut short as he picked up his cup and took another sip of tea.

Afterwards, Chen Kunjie went to the kitchen and brought out the hot pot base, and then pushed out the prepared dishes on a cart.

Lu Xiaolan licked her lips.

With the fire lit, the pot quickly came to a boil.

"Try it."

Chen Kunjie said.

Li Younan hesitated for a moment, but still picked up a piece of tripe and cooked it.

After about ten or twenty seconds of scalding, Chen Kunjie said, "That's enough, any longer and it will be overcooked."

Li Younan didn't say anything, and continued cooking for a few more seconds before picking it up, dipping it in the sauce, blowing on it several times before putting it in his mouth, and then savoring it carefully.

After a long while, he slowly put down his chopsticks.

Chen Kunjie looked at Li Younan with anticipation.

Li Younan sighed and said seriously, "Find a class to attend."

Chen Kunjie blinked, then blinked again.

Li Younan remained silent.

Chen Kunjie finally started to get anxious: "What about the plot twist?"

Li Younan remained silent, his expression extremely serious.

(End of this chapter)