Hidden Moth-Chapter 343 - 191: Each Is Trapped by Their Own Obstacles

Chapter 343: Chapter 191: Each Is Trapped by Their Own Obstacles

Today, I eavesdropped on a conversation between Ye Wuniang and Huo Qing again, which confirmed her previous judgment.

At this moment, she only wanted to confirm one thing: do Huo Qing and Ye Wuniang know her real-world identity? If they don’t, does that mean she could escape her predicament? 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

There’s one more thing to consider. Ye Liangcheng and the others have seen her, and although she wore a mask, the mask can’t hide everything. If Ye Liangcheng and the others see her again, they might still recognize her.

Before Lan Jiwan could figure out what to do, the secret conversation in the Martial Arts Hall had already ended. Huo Qing quietly left from another direction, causing her to fail in her attempt to track him, and she dared not follow recklessly.

The next day, to her surprise, Ye Liangcheng also left the abandoned district. He took a trip to Minzhou City by high-speed train to find "Redwood," another former subordinate of Bitter Tea.

...

Gao Chenshu was a cleaner under Gu Jiang, codenamed Redwood. Of course, he didn’t know about the cleaner title; he only considered himself an outsider highly skilled in Secret Technique cultivation.

Bitter Tea told him that a Secret Cultivator must not reveal their identity, so he was very careful not to expose himself. However, this didn’t stop him from feeling very awesome, often looking down on the ordinary people around him.

This sense of superiority actually existed before he came into contact with Technique. Perhaps this feeling was what he sought throughout his life. Unfortunately, back then, few people took him seriously, some even seeing him as a joke.

He was once very troubled but would never admit his distress. Those who did not look up to him were all short-sighted and ignorant. Despite telling himself that, he still felt insecure inside.

After achieving success in Technique cultivation, he finally felt secure. He thought he was indeed awesome, and those who didn’t recognize it were idiots.

Gao Chenshu was a student who returned from abroad; he had studied and worked in the United States and claimed to have a doctorate from a famous university there. Such bragging was somewhat exaggerated, but he thought it wasn’t too far off the mark.

He indeed studied and worked in the United States, obtaining a bachelor’s and master’s degree from a less renowned university. His master’s thesis focused on the study of folk customs of the East Country Mountain Min Region, where he himself was a native of Minzhou, Shanmin Province.

In his thesis, he first listed various traditional folk customs from ancient times nearby Minzhou, some observed by him and others from hearsay, then analyzed the spiritual and humanitarian essence within these customs.

However, this primal humanitarian spirit had been tainted by the dross of backward civilizations, becoming less pure in the long history, filled with cultural decay.

In the past seventy years, these primal cultural traditions have suffered institutional damage, disintegration, and suppression.

Over the past two to three decades, as Western advanced civilization thoughts entered, ancient traditional customs absorbed new nutrients and partially revived.

In the end, the thesis argued how backward civilizations should draw nutrition from more advanced ones, shedding decayed native cultures while retaining primal simplicity to move toward a brighter future in rebirth.

So basically, the thesis had three main sections, with the most valuable and intriguing part being the introduction of ancient folk customs, mostly compiled from rumors, satisfying a curiosity-seeking mindset.

His advisor spoke highly of his thesis, and he even received a research grant because of it, with sponsors hoping he would do more research and promotion in this area.

This made Gao Chenshu consider himself a rather accomplished scholar, mastering truths not seen by those blinded by decayed civilizations.

As for his work experience, it was essentially helping in a restaurant run by his relatives locally.

From his undergrad to most of his grad studies, that’s how he got by. The praised thesis and research sponsorship made him feel he’d finally succeeded and could make a mark, but he quickly hit a wall.

Initially, he went to study in the United States because of his relatives there. In his hometown, many had smuggled overseas, with brokers specializing in such business, even forming an industry chain.

Some had managed to establish a foothold over there, taking two generations to set up businesses, including Gao Chenshu’s relatives. Then they began to talk about how wonderful life was over there, claiming it was like a land of gold waiting to be picked up.

Some used this opportunity to continue introducing business to the brokers, not only repaying debts but also earning additional commission. However, more wanted to prove their choice was the right one.

As for Gao Chenshu, he didn’t smuggle but went abroad legally.

His parents had already moved to the city, running businesses elsewhere, catching up with the era of rapid economic development. Their business had expanded multiple times, and they had accumulated some savings.

His generation hadn’t experienced the hardships his parents faced but had decent living conditions, allowing for legal ways to go abroad.

When he turned adult, snakeheads organizing smuggling operations were rarely seen, replaced by various study abroad and immigration agencies, often attracting customers through local familiarities.

His parents sent him to study because his high school grades were too poor, and that had to be a problem with Eastern Country’s education system...

He stayed in the United States for seven whole years, returning four years ago, shortly after obtaining his master’s degree, claiming to contribute to his homeland.

The words sounded nice, but it was actually because he couldn’t manage to stay there. The reasons were complex, not due to a lack of talent, but because of changes in the bigger environment.

For instance, U.S. policies changed, leadership switched, potential sponsorship funds dried up, coupled with epidemics, economic recession, social unrest, deteriorating security, and factors like ethnic and gender background.

In short, he didn’t find a decent job after graduation, failing to apply for residence after his visa expired, and ran out of money. Even his relatives closed their restaurant and fled, leaving him nowhere to find even illegal work.

Without money, he couldn’t find a safe place to stay. Without a secure residence, keeping any money became impossible. Even wanting to be homeless wasn’t simple, as different streets belonged to different forces.

He ended up in debt, couldn’t use credit or bank cards anymore, relying solely on cash, which was unsafe. Not only did he get robbed thoroughly, almost having his underwear taken as well...

Fortunately, he was helped by a benefactor. The so-called benefactor was a certain leader in the U.S., who, through a deportation act in his signature, sent him back to his country.

His return was through a legal entry, with identity registration upon entering, categorized as an illegal overstayer, thus fitting the repatriation procedure. Unlike some smugglers who, once entering, destroyed their passports, making repatriation procedures troublesome.

After returning home, he found little use for his talents, ran black cars for a while, worked briefly as an illegal tour guide, later collaborating with travel companies to conduct private tours.

The so-called private tour guide didn’t wield a small flag leading a group but drove a car introducing local sights, dining, accommodation, providing pick-up and companionship services.

This service targeted so-called high-end clients. Having spent seven years overseas, he could handle basic conversations with many foreign tourists, frequently serving independent travelers from abroad.

He also engaged in another business, contracting three hundred acres of mountains in his hometown for planting medicinal herbs like honeysuckle, and built some very eco-friendly guesthouses there.

To outsiders, it seemed like he’d made a fortune, earning the title Boss Gao.

Gao Chenshu indeed made some money, but not from the private tour guide gigs, rather from completing tasks and doing some side jobs away from Bitter Tea since he already had Tier Two Cultivation.

He met Bitter Tea in the United States, a thrilling experience just before he returned home.

**

PS: I apologize! I stayed up late watching soccer these days.