White Olive Tree

Chapter 22

Chapter 22
Song Ran hadn't slept well in the past two days. The endless sound of gunfire at night made her almost have a nervous breakdown.  However, I can't slack off when working during the day. When walking on the street, I have to concentrate all the time and can't relax at all.  If she accidentally ran into a bomb, she wouldn't even have to buy a ticket to return home.
The situation in Hapo City is deteriorating at a speed visible to the naked eye. Yesterday, a shell fell on the next block. Song Ran woke up and found that the wall was cracked.  The administrator came up to check it out and said it was fine, that it was still liveable and that it wouldn't collapse.
Their area is relatively safe, but other areas are not so lucky.
Government forces and anti-government forces expanded the battlefield, and terrorist organizations also got involved.  The number of civilian casualties is increasing day by day.  Several refugee camps on the border are overcrowded, and I heard that the cost of leaving the country has increased by US$5,000 from the original price.
That morning, after Song Ran transferred his work information back to China, he couldn't hold it any longer and slept all day.

She slept from ten in the morning to five in the afternoon. When she woke up, the sound of gunfire outside finally stopped.  Song Ran took advantage of the good signal and sent a video to her mother to report that she was safe.  It was already midnight in China, and Ran Yuwei was still reading.  She did not support Song Ran coming to Dongguo, so she reacted indifferently to every video and never inquired about Song Ran's work.  She didn’t even ask about CARRY, which was a global sensation last time.
Sometimes Song Ran really couldn't stand her mother's temper, which was harder than a rock.
As for her father, Song Zhicheng, he would praise her every few days.  Just for the photo of CARRY, he posted several long paragraphs of profound thoughts, ranging from the game of great powers, discussion of war situations to humanitarianism, which is so eloquent that it probably has a thousand words.
After Ran Yuwei hung up, Song Ran sent another video to her father.  Song Zhicheng was still awake, and he chatted with her enthusiastically about the situation in the East Kingdom and extremist organizations. After a few words, the sound of Yang Huilun and Song Yang quarreling came from the other end of the video.
Song Ran asked: "Why are we quarreling again?"
Song Zhicheng took off his glasses and sighed: "Yangyang wants to get married and asks her mother for her household registration book."
Song Yang and her boyfriend Lu Tao have been in love since junior high school. Song Ran is not surprised, but: "Getting married right after graduation? You can wait a little longer."
"This kid doesn't even listen to what he says."
On the other end, Song Yang screamed: "I have been dating him for eight years. We are going to be together in the future anyway. What happened to getting married?!"
"If you want to get married, wait until you buy a house. Why do you get married if you can't even support yourself!"
The mother and daughter were so quarreling that Song Zhicheng had no intention of chatting, so he told them to pay attention to safety and then hung up.
Song Ran put down her cell phone, walked to the window and looked out. Hapo City was in ruins, and the originally colorful houses and temples were covered in soot. 
Having just withdrawn from the world on the other side of her phone, she looked a little confused when she looked at the situation in front of her.
The sun here has not set yet.
At ten o'clock in the evening, the sky finally dimmed, and there was only a faint light on the horizon.
Song Ran took the documents and went downstairs. Saxin was already waiting downstairs.  The two made an appointment to go to Dreaming Bar to experience life.
The bar is not far from here, but along the way there, you still encounter two checkpoints for checking passes.  Fortunately, they were well prepared and passed the customs smoothly.
The bar is on the commercial street north of Harper University.  At night, all shops are closed and there are no street lights.  Taking advantage of the dim moonlight, Sasin took her around a quiet alley.  The road became narrower and narrower, and we came to a fortress building with local characteristics.
From the outside, there is no difference.
Sasin knocked on the door a few times and said something in Dongguan. The door quickly opened, revealing the gatekeeper with a gun.  Sahin said a few words in the local language, and the gatekeeper let them in.
Walking through an exotic corridor filled with dim lights and fragrance, it suddenly opened up.
It was an elegant bar decorated in Western style, with floor lamps, chandeliers, and table decorative lamps emitting streams of ambiguous light.  The bar is very lively. Young Eastern men and women, as well as foreigners, are sitting or standing, leaning against the bar counter, sofas, and floor-to-ceiling windows, drinking and having fun, and chatting happily.
Local young men and women and guests from all over the world swayed their shoulders and hips and danced happily to enthusiastic Dongguan folk songs in the center of the bar.
Song Ran looked around and felt a little inexplicably moved.  Her eyes were unreservedly sent to the smiling faces of the young people of Dongguo and their dexterous dancing postures.
Perhaps Saxin could see what she was thinking. He blinked his big deep eyes and said, "Song, although we were born in this country, we don't deserve to be miserable. We have to enjoy life occasionally. Although, sweet dreams will always happen.  Awake."
Song Ran was hit by what he said and did not quibble, saying: "I'm sorry. I apologize. I was wrong to think that the citizens of this country should look miserable and miserable. In order to make amends, I will buy you three glasses of wine.  If it’s cheap.”
Sasin laughed.
The two of them sat at the bar and looked at the price of drinks, which ranged from US$4 to US$8 per glass.
"Fortunately," Song Ran said, "the price of wine has not skyrocketed."
"Materials can increase prices, but spirituality cannot. Alcohol is spirituality!" Saxin raised his glass and spoke out.
"Yes, alcohol is the spirit!" Song Ran chuckled, "Saxin, I really like the way you look now."
The look of a carefree college student.
Song Ran drank a local specialty cocktail, mixed with the taste of green olives and cinnamon, which was green and special.