Chapter 201


    They arrived at Sea Town after a few hours.


    Anna had fallen asleep against the passenger seat by then with tears on her face.


    Wayne didn’t want to wake her up. He was aware, though, that time was running out and that they


    needed to return as quickly as


    possible.


    He tapped her on the shoulder after pulling up and said, “Hey, wake up, Anna. We’ve arrived.”


    Anna opened her drowsy eyes and stared at Wayne for a few seconds. Then, she looked out of the


    window to see where she


    was.


    She noticed that the sunlight was so strong that she almost heard her skin cracking.


    Anna had only taken two steps out of the car when she noticed a glimmer of shade above her. When


    she looked up, she found Wayne standing beside her with a ck umbre. Then, he asked, “Hey,


    where are we going?”


    She looked back, then pointed to the grocery store and said, “That way. Peace told me to find the


    owner of the grocery store. She


    said that it’s the only store in this town with a pay phone.”


    North Town had always been a remote and poor ce due to its odd location. And Sea Town was one


    of the most impoverished of


    these viges.


    Many fishermen squatted in front of their houses, smoking homemade cigarettes and enjoying the


    sunshine.


    After Anna exined why she was there, the owner of the grocery store promptly remembered that


    they had previously chatted on


    the phone. He then told his wife to stay in the store, and he showed Anna and Wayne the way to


    Andrew Cooper’s house.


    “Oh, Andrew lives right on the beach. He’s weird, and he never talks to anyone in town.”


    “Really? Howe?” Anna walked behind the boss and asked things about Andrew curiously.


    “Well, it’s strange enough for him to give up his life in the big city and suffer in this ce!”


    Annaughed and said, “Actually, many people nowadays want to do so because they think that cities


    are too noisy. Besides, living in the countryside is a wonderful experience.”


    “No, I can’t understand that. But Andrew has also done a lot of weird things. The mayor of the town


    sought to turn this side of the


    water into a tourist destination two years ago. But Andrew disagreed and let that n fall through.”


    “Ah? Why?”


    “He said that if many tourists came here, it would be noisy. Also, he said something about the


    pollution.”


    “Is that so? Can’t the mayor do anything about him?”


    “Oh, no. Andrew is the only local star that has attended college and studied overseas. So, a lot of


    people will listen to him. And we


    don’t know how to develop this town at all. So, only his words count.”


    Sea Town was a remote vige and virtually unaffected by the outside world. So Andrew, being an


    educated man, would be seen as an authority, and even the town’s mayor respected him greatly.


    Anna, however, frowned and thought that Andrew was a selfish person who kept themunity from


    improving for his own


    profit.


    Anna’s tees were trembling after nearly two hours of walking. It was then that the owner said, “Oh,


    we’re here.”


    The owner pointed to a blue and white painted wooden house on the shore and said, “That’s where he


    lives. So, I’m leaving right


    Fow. You’ll have to return to town if you want to find a ce to stay the night. If you get lost, just call


    me, and I’ll send my daughter to


    pick you up.”


    “Okay, thanks.”


    Then, Anna and Wayne walked toward that one-of-a-kind house on the beach.


    Anna found there was no fine soft sand on the beach, and the nearby scenery was not too good either.


    Moreover, there was a fishy


    smell of fish and shrimp in the sea breeze.


    The wooden house was surrounded by a white fence. Inside the house, three rows of wooden racks


    were erected, on which salted


    fish and some men’s clothing were hung to dry.


    Anna saw a man there boiling water in the yard. He set up a pot and boiled it over the fire.


    He’s really living a primitive life, Anna thought to herself.


    Anna and Wayne looked at each other, and then they both miled.


    “Hello, are you Mr. Andrew Cooper?” Anna asked politely to the man as she stood at the fence.


    The man turned his head and nced at her with a cold gaze. He asked warily, “Who are you?”


    “Oh, I’m Peace’s friend, and she told me to visit you. I heard that you and Peace attended the same


    university.”


    The man rose from his seat, wiped his hands, and walked toward the courtyard door. He said, “Peace?


    Oh, it looks like you’re who Miss Gabriel Peace was referring to.”


    Anna nodded and handed him her business card.


    Andrew didn’t take it, and he still looked cold. In the bright sunlight, his tanned face reflected the light


    and seemed to glow. After


    sizing up Anna for a moment, he looked at Wayne and asked, “And who is he?”


    “I’m her bodyguard,” Wayne said calmly before Anna could say anything.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    Anna red at him as if toin and said, “Oh, no, he’s not. He’s my assistant.”


    Andrew cast a nce at Wayne. To their surprise, he opened the fence door and said, “Okay,e on


    in.”


    Looking over Andrew’s tanned shoulder, Anna sighed with relief and followed. She said. “Mr. Cooper, I


    know you’ve been living here


    alone for a long time. But, you know, you’re a very talented man. So, I’m still hoping that you can get


    back in town to be a


    designer.”


    Andrew didn’t even look at her. He sat in front of the pot where he was boiling water, and the firelight


    made his face glow. As Anna


    listened intently to the fire crackle, he said, “Oh, I live alone, so there’s no ce for guests to sit here.


    Make yourselvesfortable.”


    Then, he stopped talking.


    Andrew, on the other hand, didn’t seem to want to talk to them at all. Anna had no choice but to remain


    ufortably still.


    We can’t just stand here until the evening, can we? Anna thought to herself.


    Just as she was thinking about it, Wayne said, “Mr. Cooper, I don’t think that it’s that hard to get


    someone to do something. All we


    have to do now is provide them with what they require. And we canmunicate with each other. So,


    now you can make your demands.


    Otherwise, it’s poutles to leave us standing here.”


    Anna gabbed Wayne’s arm night away. But she couldn’t do anything because Wayne had already said


    so.


    Andrew looked back al Wayne.


    “Pleasept my apologies, MI, Cooper.” Anna apologized right away.


    Andiew turned around arain and still with his back to them. He said, “Oh, Miss Gabriel, I think your


    assistant is right. If you want me


    to help you, you have to otter me something in return. But, you know, I don’t want anything.”


    “What? Then why did you invite me to visit you?” Anna asked as she got a little angry.


    Andrew nned alur and then continued sainting the pol with his spoon. He said, “What I didn’t even


    ask you toe. I


    remember that i told Heace that you should note here. Even if you’re here to persuade me, I still


    wouldn’t go with you.”