The next day, Chen Wei went with Zheng Junpeng and a few others to look at several office spaces.
In the morning, they saw two places: one was about 200 square meters, slightly off the beaten path, and the other was around 150 square meters, conveniently located near the Meitai Company, just across the street, in the heart of the northern city center.
Both places were similarly priced, with the rent being 50,000 yuan per year.
Chen Wei thought the price was reasonable, but Zheng Junpeng felt it was too high.
The economy hadn't been doing well these past few years, and many companies had gone under, leaving office buildings empty and driving rental prices down.
At noon, they grabbed a quick meal of pork ribs and rice.
During lunch, Lian Yingying called Chen Wei to ask what he was up to.
Chen Wei told her he was looking at office spaces and planning to rent one.
Lian Yingying got excited upon hearing this and asked where he was, saying she'd be there soon.
After lunch, Chen Wei and his friends sat in the restaurant chatting. Not long after, a Ferrari pulled up at the entrance.
Zhou Yi and the others stared wide-eyed in amazement at the Ferrari outside.
When Lian Yingying stepped out of the car, Zhou Yi and Pan Zhiyao exclaimed in surprise.
A beautiful woman and a luxury car—men can hardly resist such a sight.
Even Zheng Junpeng couldn't help but steal a few glances, while his girlfriend Ma Hongrui looked on enviously.
When Lian Yingying walked straight towards them, smiling and calling out to Chen Wei, Zhou Yi and the others were dumbfounded.
They stared blankly.
"If you need to rent a place, just let me know. Did you forget what my family does? Come on, I'll take you!"
Without further ado, Lian Yingying grabbed Chen Wei and headed out.
Chen Wei got up helplessly, called out to Zheng Junpeng and the others, and they all left the restaurant together.
"Where do you want to set up the office?" Lian Yingying asked as they walked out.
"Somewhere around the north side of the city," Chen Wei replied.
"What's so good about the north side? How about the south or east side instead? I'll take you to see the east side first," Lian Yingying said assertively.
Chen Wei looked back at Zheng Junpeng and the others.
"The east side sounds good. Let's go check it out!" Zhou Yi said eagerly.
The east side, being a new district, was certainly more bustling than the north side.
Pan Zhiyao was also excited; the east side was much more upscale. Compared to the east side, the north felt like the countryside.
However, Zheng Junpeng frowned and said, "Isn't the east side expensive?"
Since they were just starting out, they didn't need a fancy office, just a place to get started.
"Oh, you don't need to worry about the rent. The entire building is ours, and a few floors are currently vacant. You can move in directly. Blue Sea Sky Mansion, high-end office buildings by the sea, with an environment that will surely satisfy you! I'll even cover the utilities and property fees!" Lian Yingying said generously.
"That's fantastic! You're awesome, sis-in-law!" Zhou Yi immediately exclaimed with a grin.
This term "sis-in-law" made Lian Yingying pause, then she blushed slightly and glanced at Chen Wei without objecting.
Chen Wei frowned, glared at Zhou Yi, and scolded, "Don't call her that! Yingying and I are just friends!"
Then he turned to Lian Yingying and said, "Yingying, I appreciate your kindness, but we should still handle the rent properly. Otherwise, I'll feel uncomfortable."
Lian Yingying pouted and stayed silent, looking somewhat displeased.
Seeing this, Zhou Yi quickly winked at Chen Wei and said, "Come on, boss, don't be so stubborn. Sis-in-law is being kind. What's the big deal? It's not like she's a stranger, right, sis-in-law?"
Zhou Yi's words left Chen Wei at a loss for words, feeling both embarrassed and a bit touched.
Lian Yingying's expression brightened, and she glared at Chen Wei, saying, "Exactly, stop being so stubborn!"
With that, she opened the car door and got in.
Chen Wei was still standing there.
"Get in the car, what are you waiting for!" Lian Yingying urged impatiently.
Chen Wei looked at Zheng Junpeng and the others. Zheng Junpeng quickly said, "You go ahead, we'll catch a taxi. I know where Blue Sea Sky Mansion is."
Only then did Chen Wei get into Lian Yingying's car.
Lian Yingying started the Ferrari and drove off quickly.
Zheng Junpeng and the others also hailed two taxis and followed them.
In the car, the atmosphere between Chen Wei and Lian Yingying was a bit awkward.
Lian Yingying drove without speaking, her mind in turmoil.
Chen Wei, not knowing what to say, decided to remain silent as well.
Zhou Yi's casual "sis-in-law" had indeed created some tension between them.
Chen Wei did have feelings for Lian Yingying.
It was hard not to be attracted to a girl like her.
However, Chen Wei had never dared to hope that Lian Yingying would be his girlfriend.
The gap between them was too vast.
Even with his system, Chen Wei couldn't confidently say he could reach the Lian family's level in a short time.
Until he reached that level, being with Lian Yingying made him feel like he was freeloading.
He didn't like that feeling.
He did have a bit of a macho streak.
Lian Yingying herself was unsure of her feelings.
She hadn't known Chen Wei for long, but he was different from the other guys she knew.
Most of the single guys she knew had ulterior motives.
Dealing with them was exhausting, always putting on a facade.
But being with Chen Wei felt easy.
She could tell Chen Wei was sincere, without any hidden agendas.
She enjoyed spending time with him, which is why she messaged and called him every day.
However, she hadn't realized what her feelings for Chen Wei were.
Until Zhou Yi's "sis-in-law" broke that barrier in her heart!
So this is what it's like to like someone!
Lian Yingying felt both shy and annoyed.
Annoyed that Chen Wei had said they were just friends!
How infuriating!
She pouted, looking displeased.
But then she remembered Chen Wei had just broken up with his girlfriend, and she felt more understanding, even liking him more.
If Chen Wei had immediately pursued her after his breakup, she would have reconsidered.
Thinking this, she felt a bit happy.
Chen Wei watched Lian Yingying's changing expressions, thoroughly confused about what she was thinking.
They drove in silence.
At an intersection, suddenly, an electric bike appeared out of nowhere!
Lian Yingying, already distracted, couldn't react in time with the fast-moving Ferrari and hit it directly.
A woman was riding an electric bike when she got hit and was thrown into the air. She rolled several times and struggled to sit up as she lay on the ground.
Lian Yingying was terrified, sitting in the car in a daze, unsure of what to do.
Chen Wei sighed inwardly and activated his skill.
Time rewound by thirty seconds.
Chen Wei's skill had a one-minute rewind capability, but thirty seconds was enough. There was no need to rewind a full minute. Besides, Chen Wei was starting to doubt Lian Yingying's driving skills. It was better to save the extra thirty seconds in case of another unexpected incident on the road.
At this moment, the Ferrari was still several hundred meters away from the intersection.
Chen Wei said to Lian Yingying, "Slow down a bit, there's an intersection ahead. Be careful."
"Okay," Lian Yingying replied absentmindedly, but she did slightly reduce her speed.
When they were a few dozen meters from the intersection, the same electric bike dashed out again.
This time, there was enough distance for Lian Yingying to brake easily.
Seeing the woman ride past, Lian Yingying commented, "Really, riding an electric bike and not slowing down at the intersection. Luckily, I reacted quickly, or it would have been trouble if I had hit her."
Chen Wei was speechless, thinking to himself, "Quick reaction? You already hit her once, remember?"
But just then, another car came speeding from the opposite direction and hit the same woman, throwing her into the air again!
Both Chen Wei and Lian Yingying were shocked!
Lian Yingying quickly pulled over and she and Chen Wei ran over to the scene.
This time, it was an SUV, going just as fast as Lian Yingying's Ferrari had been. The collision was much more severe!
The electric bike was smashed to pieces!
The woman was thrown far and landed heavily on the ground, unconscious.
Lian Yingying hurriedly called for an ambulance.
The SUV driver, pale-faced, also rushed over.
A crowd quickly gathered, including Zhou Yi and his friends, who had followed in another car. Seeing Chen Wei and Lian Yingying getting out, they also came over.
Chen Wei felt a mix of emotions.
The woman seemed badly hurt, possibly worse than when Lian Yingying had hit her in the previous timeline.
If he hadn't used his skill, the woman might not have been this severely injured. However, it would have been Lian Yingying who hit her.
Chen Wei felt a sense of guilt. Although there was no way he could have predicted the woman would get hit again, he still felt responsible for her more serious injuries.
It had already been over thirty seconds, and even if he used the remaining thirty seconds of his skill, it wouldn't be enough.
Chen Wei silently approached the woman and knelt down to check on her.
She was in her thirties, lying unconscious on the ground with blood at the corner of her mouth.
Chen Wei felt sorrowful but didn't dare to move her. He saw her scattered phone and wallet, and quietly picked them up.
The phone screen was cracked, but it still turned on and wasn't locked with a password.
Chen Wei quickly looked through her contacts and found a number labeled "husband." He called it.
"Hello, what's up? When are you coming home?" A man's voice answered, with a child's voice faintly heard in the background.
"Hello, your wife just had an accident. I found your number on her phone. Are you her husband?" Chen Wei said solemnly.
"Wha... what? An accident? Where? Is it serious? What happened..." The man's voice was filled with shock and anxiety, nearly in tears.
Chen Wei felt even more pressured. He told the man the location and gave him his own number before hanging up.
He noted down the man's number.
By this time, the ambulance and the traffic police had arrived.
Chen Wei handed over the woman's phone and wallet to the police officer, explaining that he had already contacted her family and that they should be arriving soon.
The officer didn't say much in response.
Chen Wei helped a few paramedics lift the woman onto the ambulance, then said to Lian Yingying, "Yingying, you should go back first. I'll follow the ambulance to the hospital and check on her."
"I'll go with you," Lian Yingying replied without a second thought. She then ran to the roadside and got into the car.
Chen Wei then turned to Zheng Junpeng and the others, saying, "You guys should head back first. We probably won't be able to see the house today. Let's reschedule for next week. We've pretty much decided on Blue Sea Tianrun anyway."
"Do you want us to go with you?" Zheng Junpeng asked.
"No need, I'm just going to help out. You don't have to come," Chen Wei replied.
Zheng Junpeng and the others didn't think much of it, nodded, and didn't follow to the hospital.
Chen Wei sat in the ambulance while Lian Yingying followed behind in her Ferrari. The driver who had hit the woman was also following in a police car.
On the way, Chen Wei asked one of the paramedics, "Doctor, is the woman's condition serious?"
Several doctors were busy administering an IV and performing emergency treatment. One replied, "It's hard to say. We'll do our best to save her. Are you a relative of the patient?"
"No, just a passerby," Chen Wei replied, feeling a bit downcast.
"Oh, a good Samaritan," a nurse glanced at Chen Wei, smiled slightly, and said.
Chen Wei shook his head and didn't say anything. He just felt guilty; calling him a good Samaritan seemed a bit much. But there was no way to explain this to others.
Upon arriving at the hospital, several paramedics hurriedly got out of the ambulance, pushing the woman towards the emergency room.
Chen Wei quickly followed and said, "I'll go and handle the payment first! Where should I go?"
The nurse looked at Chen Wei with some surprise, then pointed to the payment window in the lobby and said, "Over there, just say it's for an emergency registration. Pay five thousand upfront. Later, when the driver comes, let him reimburse you. Oh, Xiao Liu, perfect timing, please take this kind gentleman to the payment window."
A young nurse happened to be passing by, so the nurse called her over and asked her to take Chen Wei to the payment window.
Just as Chen Wei finished paying, the driver who had hit the woman came running over, accompanied by a police officer.
"Hey brother, how much did you pay? I'll reimburse you," the driver said considerately.
Chen Wei shook his head and said, "It's alright, it wasn't much."
"That won't do. I can't let you pay out of your own pocket!" the driver insisted.
"The injured woman might need more money later on. If you really care, just don't shirk your responsibilities when the time comes," Chen Wei said, then turned away from the driver and walked towards Lian Yingying, who had just arrived.
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