At the end of September, Tanzania.
Sunshine, sea, palm trees.
Stepping out of the plane, Zhao Xiaodao stretched lazily. “The sunshine is wonderful!”
Li Ying and the little assistant looked around with eager curiosity.
“It looks quite developed. You would not think it is a poor African country.”
“After all, it is the first gateway for international visitors.” Lu Zheng said. “Not just the airport. Even the coastal hotels and malls are at least second-tier standard.”
“But without me and Lu Zheng accompanying you, do not venture deep into the city centres.” Lin Wan warned.
Li Ying nodded repeatedly. As an Interpol officer, she knew all too well the dangers of slums in these big cities.
“Come on! First to the hotel to drop luggage, then to the beach.” Lu Zheng said.
The group of five went to the hotel first. After settling their bags, they headed to the seaside.
Zhao Xiaodao felt the sea breeze. “The climate here feels even better than Europe.”
“Europe has a Mediterranean climate, which is relatively cooler and damper. Plus the higher latitude makes it less comfortable than here.” Li Ying explained to Zhao Xiaodao.
And there were fewer Chinese people here than in Europe, so Zhao Xiaodao felt even more relaxed.
But she was keener to see lions and elephants on the African savannah. “When do we set off?”
“Today we prepare everything. Tomorrow we rent two off-road vehicles and experience a seven-day African grassland tour.” Lu Zheng declared with a grand wave.
“Hooray!”
…
Lu Zheng and Lin Wan had been here once before, so this time they knew the ropes. They prepared everything thoroughly, packed it into two off-road vehicles, and set off once more on their vast grassland adventure.
Starting from Dar es Salaam, heading northwest along the same route they had taken before.
“Wow! Lions, lions, lions!”
“Wow! Elephants, elephants, elephants!”
“Wow! Zebras, zebras, zebras!”
All along the way, Li Ying, Zhao Xiaodao, and her little assistant turned into repeating machines, exclaiming endlessly. They showed none of the reserve expected of a major celebrity or an Interpol officer.
Though the African savannah had plenty of plant varieties, ordinary tourists did not come to Africa to look at plants.
Li Ying became a photography maniac, snapping selfies frantically for her Moments. Zhao Xiaodao could not resist the temptation either. She dared not post on Weibo, so she showed off a little in her own Moments instead.
Zhao Xiaodao posted two photos of herself with zebras and giraffes, plus two with lion prides in the background. They immediately drew likes and comments from a crowd of fair-weather friends.
Big Mimi: [Are you in Africa filming?]
Liu Tianxian: [Jealous!]
Liu Yuyan: [I’m planning to visit Africa over the New Year too]
However, the photos Zhao Xiaodao posted were all uncontroversial ones. Some, like the ones where she had an arm around a lion’s neck on each side, she did not dare share on Moments. They were simply too shocking.
But…
Compared to Lin Wan’s Moments, a few close friends immediately understood the situation.
Deng Paopao: [You went to Africa with Brother Lu and the others?]
Zhang Weili: [And you didn’t bring me?]
Zhao Xiaodao sneakily sent Zhang Weili a private photo of herself with a lioness, then grinned and did not reply.
…
Travelling with friends felt different from coming as a couple. The latter was more leisurely, the former far livelier.
Especially since Zhao Xiaodao and Li Ying both had outgoing personalities, the journey was never dull.
Five people, two vehicles, roaring northwest towards Lake Victoria.
By day they drove, admired scenery, and watched animals. By night they camped and held self-service barbecues.
Not to mention Zhao Xiaodao. Even Li Ying was experiencing this lifestyle for the first time. And none of the group were delicate. Zhao Xiaodao had come from hard times. Though Li Ying was a technical officer, she was still Interpol and had undergone basic hardship training.
Moreover, with two vehicles, they had plenty of essentials: toiletries, portable ovens, tents, sleeping bags, and more. They could even draw water from rivers, boil it, and bathe.
For several days straight, the group let themselves go completely, thoroughly enjoying the Central African grasslands. Apart from stopping in two small towns midway to replenish fuel and food, they spent most of the time travelling in the wilderness.
Besides countless photos, Zhao Xiaodao’s little assistant dutifully carried a professional compact camera and shot plenty of footage. “When we get back, I’ll edit it into a video. At least we’ll have a keepsake.”
The assistant knew her presence was entirely thanks to Zhao Xiaodao, so she positioned herself correctly. She eagerly took on all the heavy and dirty work, earning unanimous praise from Lu Zheng and the others.
The group was in no hurry. They travelled and played at a leisurely pace. Only after four days did they reach the Lake Victoria region in northwest Tanzania, near the borders with Rwanda and Burundi. While resupplying in a small town, they unexpectedly saw several Chinese people strolling the streets.
“Zhao Xiaodao!”
With no disguise, Zhao Xiaodao was recognised at once. But the group only pointed excitedly. They showed none of the usual fan frenzy. Instead, they seemed rather shy. When Zhao Xiaodao turned her gaze towards them, they even bashfully looked away.
Yet they were walking towards each other, so they naturally drew closer. One young man gathered his courage, took a deep breath, raised a hand stiffly, and greeted her.
“Zhao Xiaodao!”
“Hi! Hello!” Zhao Xiaodao looked curiously at the casually dressed group. “You are not here touring?”
“No, no!” The young man shook his head repeatedly. “We work for China Construction. There is a steel plant in the lake district. We are engineers posted here.”
“Good heavens. You have even built factories here?” Lu Zheng said in surprise.
“Rwanda has been developing very well lately. High-quality iron ore was discovered right here in Tanzania. The area is close to the lake with abundant water resources, so we set up a small steel mill. Besides supplying Rwanda and Burundi, we can ship by water to Kenya and Uganda along the route.” The young man explained.
“Impressive!” Lu Zheng could only give a thumbs up.
The young man scratched his head, then summoned his courage and asked Zhao Xiaodao, “Um… could we take a photo with you?”
“Of course!” Zhao Xiaodao smiled and nodded.
Seeing six or seven people line up beside Zhao Xiaodao, Lu Zheng took one of their phones and snapped a group photo for them.
“Shall we do individual ones too?” Zhao Xiaodao offered proactively.
“Really? Is that okay?” They were all surprised and delighted.
“Of course!” Zhao Xiaodao laughed. “Just a few photos.”
The Chinese engineers were thrilled. They paid no mind to lighting or composition. Each tidied their hair and clothes, then happily took turns posing with Zhao Xiaodao.
But just after the third person had finished his photo with her, a burst of intense gunfire suddenly rang out from outside the town.
