Riberhaw: Gambit Mission

5. Umbrella and Car

This afternoon I invited journalists to my club for a conference. With my lawyer in tow, just to make sure that what I said was serious.

"Good afternoon everyone, I'm Rui Zhu representing Jardim University, I'm informing you that yesterday afternoon, I participated in a stellarite auction and I won it. But after I checked in the campus laboratory, this mineral is just an ordinary stone that does not contain the rare element stellarite. Either someone faked it or it's not a meteorite mineral. I'm not going to sue anyone, I consider it my bad luck. As for research on stellarite, I'll think about it later with my lecturer, I'll look for other stellarites if anyone is selling them. But of course I have to be careful and more thorough. That's all, no questions and answers. Thank you."

It was the first time I read a statement in front of reporters but my heart was racing. I'm actually afraid of this becoming bigger. But if I don't say it, Toxion might bother me for the next few days. My professor still has stellarite but only fifty grams left, not enough for my research. Now my head was spinning wondering if I should change the title of my research.

"Professor Lily, I will reimburse you for the research money, although it is not my responsibility to reimburse you. I still have extra money, while this research must need it. So I will reimburse it. My assistant took care of it today," I sent a message to Professor Lily as I headed to the campus in my private car, after holding a conference with reporters.

While on campus I didn't use an aide, I drove my private car and parked it on the campus grounds. I walked toward the campus cafeteria to eat lunch. A few friends greeted me, and then I continued my steps to the laboratory building, where I was researching. I walked with limp steps and no enthusiasm. Entering the experiment room, I put on my lab coat and other lab equipment.

"Rui Zhu," greeted my friend Yue Jie.

"Hey Yue Jie," I smiled at her as I prepared the samples.

"Why are you so limp? Cheer up Rui, I saw your conference earlier," Yue Jie said.

"Haha, no problem, thank you," I replied while taking out the remaining stellarite samples from my lecturer.

I started weighing this mineral, hoping for more than 150 grams, although that was highly unlikely. Last month I weighed it, and it was only fifty grams. And... well... the result remained unchanged, 50.2 grams.
Taking a deep breath while closing my eyes. I immediately put my sample into my closet. I sat on the experimental bench, opening my books and laptop. Rereading carefully how I could change the composition from 150 grams to just 50 grams. Smacking my lips and occasionally biting them, I racked my brain.

"Rui, it's six o'clock in the afternoon, I'm going home first, hurry up and go home it looks like it's going to rain," said Yue Jie greeting me.

"Okay I'll be home in a minute, be careful Yue Jie," I said.

Twenty minutes passed, I still hadn't found an answer. Seeing that the atmosphere of my room was so quiet with only me, I cleaned up my stuff. I put all my books and laptop into my bag.

The originally clear sky suddenly turned into dark ashes, and a heavy rain fell thunderously. The sound of water hitting the roof and trees of the campus. I went outside and waited for the rain to stop in front of the laboratory building. Standing hungry after a long day of thinking about stellarites. I didn't bring an umbrella today. I shivered as the cold began to penetrate my clothes. I wanted to get home quickly, eat some noodle soup and drink a cup of hot chocolate. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it...

"Why does it have to rain like this when I didn't bring an umbrella? I still have assignments to submit tomorrow, and my stomach is hungry," I whispered to myself, remembering the two men yesterday who even brought umbrellas into the club.

I hugged my bag tightly, smoothing my long hair so it wouldn't obstruct my view. I looked at the car park that looked quite far across the building. Considering going without an umbrella to get through the rain made me hesitate, but the task waiting to be done couldn't be put off any longer. I didn't want to contact Mr. Deng over a trivial matter like this.

"Ehm!"

Suddenly, someone appeared, handing me a traditional Chinese umbrella. I recognized this umbrella. I was startled and spun around quickly. My eyes widened to meet his.

"You again?" I said looking into his blue eyes.

"Are you going that way?" he pointed to the car park with a cold face.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"If you want to borrow one," he showed me his two umbrellas.

Zayn gave one umbrella to me and he put the other one on. We walked towards the car park together.

"You haven't answered me yet, what are you doing here," I asked him under the pouring rain.

"Watch your step," he replied as he walked carefully.

Arriving at my car, he handed me another black box that he took out of his coat pocket. "This is for you. I... my... car... at your... house last night," Zayn said.

"What? I didn't hear you clearly," I shouted a little. I didn't really hear his voice clearly, because it was raining so hard.

Suddenly from a distance, I heard someone calling his name loudly from the direction of the campus rectorate building located near the car park. Zayn looked panicked, his eyes darting quickly towards the source of the voice. There, Jian Lin stood anxiously, waving under the rain, pointing at his watch.

"Zayn!," Jian Lin shouted from a distance, pointing at his watch.

"Rui, I have to... go. Because... Bye," Zayn said, I still didn't hear him clearly.

He immediately ran towards Jian Lin, leaving me alone with the umbrella I was still holding. I'd been standing in the pouring rain for too long. My clothes and bag almost all wet, I quickly got into the car and closed Zayn's umbrella.

"What else is in this box," I muttered quietly in the car. "Ah, he forgot his umbrella. He's so careless."

I could only see Zayn and Jian's backs moving away, their shadows getting smaller under the still heavy rain. They had already disappeared among the crowd of students who were starting to rush home. I straightened my slightly wet hair and clothes, while starting my car.

I opened the black box Zayn had given me. "Stellarite? Real or fake again?" I muttered as I opened the letter. "Why does he like making letters so much."

"I read your research method paper in the bag along with the stellarite taken by Jian yesterday. I can only give you according to your research, make the best use of it. Yesterday I parked my aeromobile on the rooftop of your house. Then we ran out of power. So I left my car at your house, I'll pick it up in a few months. You're the only one we trust. Please charge it with electricity. Thank you Rui.
—Zayn"

I was so surprised after reading his letter, and my lips reflexively smiled slightly remembering the ridiculous behavior of the two of them during the pool tournament at my club. I turned off the car engine, then brought the stellarite to my experiment room. I'll keep it there with my professor's samples.