Chapter 503: Journey to the Swiss Horizon

The flight from Shanghai to Zurich takes a good dozen hours or more.

Luckily, Xu Chen and his two companions enjoyed the comfort of business class, so the long journey didn’t leave them exhausted.

Xu Chen felt a bit restless, and after some self-reflection, he realized he was nervous about Bing Ge’s competition the next day.

This was a new feeling for him, one he hadn’t experienced before.

Perhaps it stemmed from seeing Bing Ge with that group of burly guys yesterday, which had left Xu Chen a little uneasy.

He chuckled to himself; Bing Ge was fearless on his own, so why was he worrying unnecessarily?

After all, true strength comes from having no desires.

Besides, just making it to the final arena was already a complete victory.

To clear his mind and pass the time, Xu Chen put on his headphones and watched two movies on the plane’s screen.

They were last month’s release, ‘Resident Evil 3’, and this month’s ‘Spider-Man 3’.

This was one of the perks of flying with a premium airline and in a premium cabin—access to the latest blockbuster hits from overseas theaters.

For Xu Chen, who had been reborn, it was more like a trip down memory lane…

Local time hit 3 p.m. when the plane landed at Zurich Airport; back home, it was already 9 p.m.

Stepping out of the cabin, they caught sight through the passageway glass of blue skies, white clouds, and distant Swiss mountains faintly visible, instantly filling their minds with wonder and excitement.

On the flight, Su Rong and Wu Feifei had pored over several travel magazines until they were worn out, already planning where to go with Bing Ge—as if Xu Chen wasn’t even there.

…

The venue for Bing Ge’s competition tomorrow was the same as yesterday’s preliminaries: Letzigrund Stadium.

Built in 1925, the stadium had undergone a recent rebuild, giving it a fresh new look.

Letzigrund Stadium stands as one of the world’s most famous and important venues for track and field events, where countless world record holders have poured their sweat.

To date, it has seen the birth of over twenty world records.

For Xie Bingran, this first major international competition holds a sense of milestone and glory…

The hotel, booked by Nana from the company’s administrative department, was right across the street from the stadium, making it easy to walk over for the morning event.

Xu Chen and his group headed straight out of the airport to the taxi stand.

Wu Feifei, from Shanghai Foreign Languages University, majored in Japanese but had solid English skills, so she handled all the communication for taxis and such.

Switzerland borders many European countries and serves as Europe’s financial hub, with German, French, Italian, and the local Romansh as official languages.

English isn’t official, but as a tourist destination, services like taxis and hotels manage just fine in English.

The drive took only about twenty minutes; compared to back home, even as Switzerland’s largest city, Zurich felt a bit compact as they wound through the streets.

Of course, many see that as part of its charming architecture and historical appeal.

It was the first time for the two young women in Zurich, and they gazed at the European street scenes outside with fresh amazement.

As Xu Chen took it all in, he suddenly thought of Zhou Jielun.

Sure enough, Zhou Jielun’s music videos were shot in similar European neighborhoods, giving off that classic music video vibe at first glance.

He could already picture Zhou Jielun strolling along these streets, singing as he went.

And striking cool poses in rhythm while walking.

Xu Chen’s rebirth had disrupted Zhou Jielun’s fate, snatching the You Le Mei endorsement from him—it was quite amusing to think about.

Still, with that hefty endorsement fee going into his own ‘little rich girl’s’ pocket, it made Xu Chen smile.

…

The Zurich H Hotel was a light-colored, boxy six-story building, a typical example of Bauhaus architecture.

Their rooms were on the sixth floor; the two young women naturally shared one.

Xu Chen checked in and headed back to his room to freshen up.

The room was small but neat and clean.

Pulling back the sheer white curtains, he could see the famous Letzigrund Stadium in the distance.

With the window cracked open for air, faint cheers drifted in, though he couldn’t tell what event was happening…

It was afternoon tea time at the hotel, so Xu Chen took Wu Feifei and Su Rong to the restaurant.

Curious about local food, they started with the legendary cheese fondue.

But once it arrived, the three of them were a bit stumped.

It was just a pot of warm cheese dip, where you skewered pieces of cut bread on a golden fork, coated them in cheese, and popped them in your mouth.

Well…

Xu Chen wasn’t big on cheese or similar things, so the fondue didn’t excite him much.

Imagining Xie Bingran’s tastes, he decided not to drag her here for this.

The local sausages and potato pancakes were decent, though, and Xu Chen paired them with a glass of white wine, eating his fill.

“So, where are we heading next?” Wu Feifei asked.

Xu Chen poured himself another glass of red wine: “Didn’t you two plan it all out on the plane?”

Wu Feifei: “Let’s go to the Limmat River banks. There’s a church and shopping spots there.”

“It looks perfect for strolling!”

Xu Chen: “Sounds good—your call, Miss Wu!”

Wu Feifei remembered something:

“Oh, and you’re supposed to get a gift for Sister Fang Jun, right? We can pick something up there.”

Xu Chen: “Great idea!”

…

The Limmat River flows from northwest to southeast through the city center and into Lake Zurich.

As evening fell and the sky dimmed slightly, the three arrived at the riverbank.

The river wound through the districts like a blue ribbon, shimmering under the sunset and reflecting the buildings, bridges, and sky.

White swans glided on the water, sharing space peacefully with tour boats and small crafts.

Xu Chen gazed at the scene and wished Xie Bingran were there with them.

No wonder people say Europe is the perfect place for romance…

Wu Feifei and Su Rong had clearly done their homework, unofficially turning into Xu Chen’s guides.

He wasn’t sure how reliable their hearsay was, though.

“The guild buildings here date back to the 15th century.”

“They look straight out of oil paintings because that’s exactly what the old paintings depicted…”

“That must be the Münster Bridge—I read it was built in the 1830s, back during Emperor Daoguang’s time!”

“By then, the West could build such impressive bridges and buildings, while those late Qing emperors were a real disappointment!”

“Look at that! St. Peter’s Church, and that big clock on top is supposedly the largest in Europe!”

…

Following Bahnhofstrasse, they reached Paradeplatz, one of Switzerland’s most famous squares.

The rows of seemingly ordinary buildings on either side were actually renowned banks and financial institutions.

“Hurry! Let’s go to Sprüngli for chocolate!” Wu Feifei exclaimed, pulling Su Rong along as she dashed off.

Xu Chen followed at a relaxed pace.

This Sprüngli chocolate shop was the largest in Zurich.

Stepping inside, the array of dreamy, tempting chocolates had the two young women wide-eyed and exclaiming in delight.

While they went wild sampling and picking, Xu Chen had already selected an exquisite chocolate gift box.

The box contained sixty-four pieces, each with a unique flavor and design.

He figured it would be perfect to give to the little foodie tomorrow.

It made him happy.

Back in middle school, Xu Chen often shared Oreos as snacks and would sneak tasty chocolate-flavored cookies to his pitiful desk mate…

After browsing the chocolate shop, Xu Chen decided against getting that for Sister Fang Jun.

Wu Feifei shared the same thought:

“There’s a wine shop nearby—let’s check it out!”

…

The wine shop was tucked in a basement.

At an unassuming street corner, a low sign hung above a staircase leading down.

The entrance was below street level by the river, creating a quirky experience.

Wu Feifei mentioned it had nearly a hundred years of history, so she must have researched it.

Pushing the door open, a rich blend of wine aromas hit them.

The owner was a tall, slender French guy who spoke enough English to chat with Wu Feifei.

After browsing, Xu Chen picked a bottle of local Swiss whiskey.

This single malt called ‘Mount Dash White Snow Princess No.9’ seemed just right to win over Sister Fang Jun.

Wu Feifei agreed:

“Your company’s money goddess will love it!”

Xu Chen: “Wait, when did it become my company?”

Wu Feifei: “Oh… I mean your company.”

Xu Chen lingered and grabbed another bottle of locally produced red wine for himself back at the hotel.

Wine fermentation relies on microorganisms tied to the local climate and environment.

Trying local fermented drinks or foods can help ward off jet lag and such.

Of course, that was just an excuse—he was simply in the mood for wine.

…

Emerging from the wine shop, they spotted two churches standing tall in the night lights.

Xu Chen: “Too bad it’s late; we can’t go in the churches now.”

Wu Feifei: “That’s perfect—we can bring Bing Ge tomorrow!”

What a clever and sociable young woman.

Su Rong beamed: “That sounds ideal!”

“Those churches look a bit spooky; with Bing Ge around, I won’t be scared.”

Xu Chen: “…”

…

…

Early Saturday morning, the day of the finals.

Xu Chen wandered into the restaurant and ran into Su Rong and Wu Feifei.

Wu Feifei was holding a glass of milk and teased, pointing at Su Rong:

“She was so excited she didn’t sleep a wink last night.”

Xu Chen: “…”

Su Rong looked a tad embarrassed:

“I don’t know why, but I’m really nervous for Bing Ge. I wasn’t this way when I went to Doha for the Asian Games.”

“Though back then, I barely knew him…”

The Western breakfast wasn’t anything special, but it felt novel all the same.

As Xu Chen munched on a buttered roll, he glanced through the window toward the distant Letzigrund Stadium.

…

Half an hour later, Xu Chen and the two young women were at the stadium entrance.

No need to buy tickets in advance—Coach Cheng had it covered.

Around the corner of the side door, Xu Chen spotted Coach Cheng, whom he hadn’t seen in a while.

Her hair was shorter, and her figure seemed a bit slimmer.

Xu Chen approached with a smile:

“Coach Cheng, you look like you’ve lost some weight?”

Coach Cheng gave a helpless smile:

“We’re prepping for the Olympics, so the General Bureau has weight management and training requirements for coaches too—I had to slim down.”

Xu Chen: “They enforce that for coaches as well…”

Coach Cheng: “It’s a good thing, really. It’ll make it easier following Bing Ge around for training and events!”

Xu Chen rummaged in his bag and pulled out the box of chocolates he prepared yesterday, handing it over with a grin:

“I should’ve gotten something else for you, Coach; this might make you gain weight.”

Coach Cheng took it happily:

“No worries! I’ll just run a few extra laps!”

Wu Feifei and Su Rong came over and greeted Coach Cheng.

Coach Cheng had met Wu Feifei before and knew both young women were Bing Ge’s friends, so she was quite approachable.

Coach Cheng handed over three passes:

“These aren’t regular tickets; they’re for the press area.”

“It doesn’t have fixed seats, but there are plenty of spots to sit, and the view’s actually better.”

Xu Chen took them:

“Thanks a lot, Coach Cheng!”

Coach Cheng smiled: “Just don’t disrupt the other reporters.”

Xu Chen: “You can count on me, Coach!”

Coach Cheng, holding the box of chocolates, turned to head back, and Xu Chen thought about asking how Bing Ge was prepping but decided against it.

…

…

Su Rong took her pass:

“The press area? Sounds impressive!”

“The press area’s got the best views since they need to shoot footage!” Wu Feifei added.

…

Not many people were entering at the same time, but security checks took about ten minutes.

Good thing they arrived early with time to spare.

Xu Chen noticed the foreign reporters going through security with their gear and understood why it was thorough.

Clearly, the press entry had stricter checks.

Faint cheers and applause from inside the stadium instantly amped up the event’s electric atmosphere.

Su Rong perked up like a little rabbit:

“The competition hasn’t started yet, has it? We need to hurry!”

Xu Chen: “We’re good; events run on schedule.”

Wu Feifei chuckled: “Don’t worry; this is probably just another event wrapping up, maybe an award ceremony.”

Su Rong: “Okay, okay!”