Chapter 277 Our past
Chapter 277 Our past
Hearing the words of this mature woman and watching her intimate actions with Tang Song.
Shen Yuyan pursed her lips and instantly understood the relationship between them.
She lowered her eyebrows slightly, and said calmly, "Tang Song, who is this sister?"
Looking at the pure and sweet school girl Shen, Tang Song smiled and said, "This is my girlfriend, Wenruan."
The elder sister was right next to him, and he also agreed to have a sweet love affair with her.
It is natural not to say something ambiguous in this situation.
What's more, his current relationship with Shen Yuyan and Xu Qing is very simple, and he has no psychological burden.
Hearing his straightforward introduction, her soft hands exerted a little force, and her eyes revealed an irrepressible joy.
The look he gave Shen Yuyan was also less aggressive.
Wenruan smiled and took the initiative to extend her hand and said, "Hello."
"Hello Sister Wenruan, I am Tang Song's college classmate, Shen Yuyan." Shen Yuyan had mixed feelings, but on the surface she still looked very enthusiastic.
Of course she knew very well that Xu Qing had a crush on Tang Song.
And Tang Song was willing to invest in Youjie Housekeeping for Xu Qing.
She originally thought that the two of them had a chance, but now it seems that even if they are together, she is not his only girlfriend.
She has come into contact with many wealthy people over the years, so her thoughts are naturally not so simple.
Tang Song is not some innocent boy.
A guy like him may not have many women around him as long as he has this idea.
For example, the Lin Muxue before, and Wen Ruan in front of him.
They are all very attractive women.
Objectively speaking, I really can't compare to my best friend Xu Qing.
"Oh? College classmate? Are you working in the imperial capital?" She glanced at Tang Song with soft and charming eyes.
A girl like this must be a campus beauty in college.
And she also worked in the imperial capital before Tang Song, so she is not his white moonlight again, right?
Although she could accept the fact that Tang Song had more than one woman, she couldn't help feeling a little uncomfortable.
She still hoped that during her time in the imperial capital, Tang and Song would all belong to her and fulfill her long-cherished expectations.
Shen Yuyan shook his head gently, "No, I also work in Yancheng and live in Qiaoxi District."
Hearing this, Wen Ruan finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The two briefly chatted for a few words.
Shen Yuyan moved to the side and said to Tang Song, "Our Youjie Housekeeping has signed the TS with Win-Win Technology. I will leave the capital today."
"Congratulations."
Shen Yuyan bit her lip and whispered, "Congratulations on reaching an investment agreement with Fanfusuzi Culture Media. When we return to the capital, we can have a meal together to discuss financing matters. In addition, I apologize again for rejecting your investment before. Our company's equity structure is relatively complicated, and I can't make the decision on many things, so..."
"It's okay." Tang Song chuckled and shook his head. "It's in the past. I wish you all the best in your future financing."
He raised his wrist to check the time. "I have something else to do later, so I have to leave first. Let's talk again when we get to Yancheng."
Hearing this, Shen Yuyan felt a pain in his heart.
On the surface, he still smiled and nodded: "Okay, I won't bother you anymore."
We finally met in the imperial capital, and I originally wanted to sit down and chat for a while.
But judging from the expression of the sister Wenruan next to him, I'm afraid there will be no such opportunity.
A failed choice brought her extremely heavy and severe damage.
This is a real capital tycoon!
If they had firmly chosen him at the beginning, then now it would be the two of them who have reached a cooperation, and there would definitely be a lot of topics and opportunities for contact.
"Bye~" Wenruan waved at Shen Yuyan with a smile on her face, then walked out holding Tang Song's arm.
"Bye-Bye."
Watch the two figures disappear.
Shen Yuyan came to the buffet restaurant on the first floor with a complicated look, picked some breakfast at random, and sat at the table and started eating absentmindedly.
……
The Yizhuang Line subway is swaying and running on the ground.
The people around kept looking towards a corner of the carriage.
There stood a couple facing each other.
The boy is tall and handsome. He is wearing a shirt and trousers. He is tall and has long legs, and looks particularly handsome.
The girl has a plump figure, charming facial features, and is full of mature femininity.
They are very pleasing to the eye standing together.
Both men and women can't help but take a few more glances.
"I used to get on the train from this station." Wenruan pointed to the sign of Jiugong Station outside the window and said with a nostalgic tone: "I left home at 7:20 every morning and lined up in front of Gate 11 to enter the station, because this is the escalator entrance at the terminal. Then I transferred to Line 10 at Songjiazhuang, got off at Liangmaqiao, bought a set of pancakes, ate them while walking to the company, and punched in at 8:..."
She kept talking about her previous life in the imperial capital.
Her body swayed with the subway, and she would bump into the boyfriend opposite her with the ball from time to time.
"I used to live in Tiantongyuan. Because I got up late and there were so many people, I had to squeeze into the subway every day..."
Breathing in her rich fragrance and feeling the warmth of the older sister, Tang Song felt happy.
The two chatted for a while.
Wen Ruan suddenly leaned close to his ear and blew a breath, then said with a smile: "Tell me the truth, did you have a girlfriend at that time? Did you live together?"
After saying this, she stared at him without blinking.
"Uh..." Tang Song was stunned and shook his head: "No."
The house was indeed rented by Liu Qingning for him, and even the rent and deposit were paid by her.
However, the two did not live together and were not boyfriend and girlfriend.
Seeing the expression on his face, Wenruan pursed her lips and leaned forward to give him a kiss.
The voice was full of magnetism: "Okay, sister won't ask you anymore."
She was sure that something must have happened before Tang and Song that had a great impact on him. Since he was unwilling to talk about it, there was no need to expose his scars.
The two got off at Tuanjiehu subway station. Wen Ruan went directly to the Imperial Capital Branch of Guangying Media, while Tang Song took a taxi to Bocai Yingrui Management Consulting Co., Ltd.
Early this morning, Ning Song, director of the marketing planning department, called Wen Ruan.
It was said that there were changes in Guangying Media's agency media, and some work needed to be handed over by Wenruan immediately.
Moreover, I heard that Liu Chuanzheng has been summoned and detained by the police for the crime of embezzlement.
So Wen Ruan simply came to the branch office and directly handed over the work to several department colleagues who were still in the capital.
……
Bocai Yingrui Management Consulting Co., Ltd. is an internationally certified consulting firm (ICMCI), headquartered in a high-end office building in Chaoyang District.
At this time, there was a jubilant atmosphere in the company.
"Welcome Mr. Tang to inspect our company!" The company's president, Zhao Bo, was all smiles, followed by several executives in suits.
Among them was Li Zicheng, director of the Human Resources Strategic Planning Department, whom Tang Song had met in Yancheng.
"Hello, Mr. Zhao." Tang Song smiled and shook hands with them one by one.
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Tang Song, led by Zhao Bo and others, took a brief tour of the company.
It also gives me a complete understanding of this company in which I own a 35% stake.
The company’s registered capital is 3000 million.
It is a professional human resources service organization that provides corporate talent strategy consulting, organizational structure design, personalized talent recruitment, employee training and other services.
The core consulting team consists of more than 400 experts with rich industry experience and expertise.
The headquarters is located in the imperial capital and occupies two entire floors of the building.
We have branches or permanent partners in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Yancheng and other places.
Relying on Dejurenhe’s huge talent network, its clients are spread all over China, including many Fortune 500 companies.
...
In the conference room.
"Faced with so many suppliers and products, how do you screen and determine the final selection?"
"I follow a strict process when selecting suppliers and products. First, I will review the qualifications of the suppliers, including production capacity, quality control system, and historical cooperation records. Secondly..."
“In the product selection process, how do you balance short-term sales with long-term brand building?”
"On the one hand, I will pay attention to the current market hot spots and consumer demand, and choose products that can quickly drive sales for promotion..."
...
The special effect [Leader] attached to the character [Songmei Clothing - President] is triggered.
His keen intuition and insight enabled him to quickly reach a conclusion.
Tang Song put down the resume in his hand, and said with a sincere and clear look: "Ms. Li, your personal abilities and areas of expertise are very compatible with our company. I personally admire you very much, and sincerely invite you to return to Yancheng and join us at Songmei Clothing."
Li Yueran blushed slightly, stood up and took the initiative to extend her hand and said: "Thank you for your trust, Mr. Tang. I am very willing to accept this offer."
She is 31 years old this year and still unmarried. She stays in the capital because she can't bear to give up this job.
If there is a good job in her hometown, she would be happy to try it.
She also deeply felt the strength of Songmei Clothing.
Not to mention the office environment of Yunxi Building and the top-notch live broadcast room.
Take Mr. Tang for example, he is actually a shareholder of Bocai Yingrui!
What else could she say? Such a young, handsome and wealthy president personally came to the capital to recruit her, which really showed his sincerity.
She had no reason to refuse.
What's more, the treatment they offer is nothing to complain about.
"Goodbye, Mr. Tang."
"Looking forward to seeing you again in Yancheng!" Tang Song smiled and said goodbye to the women's clothing selection expert.
Li Yueran currently works at Yingmo Brand Management Co., Ltd. She has outstanding personal abilities, especially in the field of high-end women's clothing, and her market insight and judgment are very accurate.
This is also the talent he carefully selected for He Liting, to help Songmei Clothing build the "He Yiyi" IP.
"Dong dong dong -" there was a knock on the door.
"Please come in."
The door of the conference room was opened, and Li Zicheng said enthusiastically: "Mr. Tang, there are two more candidates coming at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, namely Chen Jiangyuan from Operations and Fei Zhanpeng from Product Selection. It's almost noon now, Mr. Zhao would like to treat you to a meal, is it convenient?"
Tang Song shook his head. "No, I have something to deal with at noon today. When all the interviews in the capital are over, I will treat your management to a meal."
"Okay!" Li Zicheng took out a card from his pocket and handed it to Tang Song. "This is our company's full-time driver serving the directors. You can arrange anything for him during your business trip to the capital."
As the company's largest individual shareholder, he is also their boss.
Tang Song's influence on the company is significant. He can join the board of directors at any time as long as he wants.
Naturally, you can enjoy the highest standard of treatment.
Tang Song took the business card and said, "Okay, thank you."
"It's my duty! Then I won't bother you anymore. I'll go and arrange the next interview." Li Zicheng bent down slightly, turned around and walked out of the meeting room.
Tang Song stretched, stood up, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, and looked at an office building wrapped in glass curtain walls.
On the top of the building's exterior wall, "Meigo Technology Building" is written in huge three-dimensional words.
The office building where Bocai Yingrui is located is not far from there, only about 300 meters away.
Tang Song feels both nostalgic and confused about the three years he worked at Meigou, and he really wants to go back and have a look.
I packed my things and went downstairs.
Tang Song walked east along the sidewalk.
The sky was already getting dark, and the air was filled with the smell of moist earth, which seemed to foreshadow the coming of a thunderstorm.
Tang Song walked along the path surrounded by green plants and took a walk outside the Meigo Technology Building.
Memories of the past gradually came to mind.
In fact, it has only been 8 months since I left here, but it feels like a long time has passed.
Maybe it’s because his life has been so wonderful in the past few months since he got the system.
As he took a step forward and pondered.
A voice came from the front: "Are you... Tang Song?"
Tang Song raised his head and saw two familiar faces.
After a moment of hesitation, he smiled and said, "Brother Bin, Lao He, long time no see!"
These two people were his colleagues at Mego Technology, and both worked in the back-end development department.
Tang Song's heart moved.
Perhaps you can have a chat with these two colleagues and see what the differences are between the self they see in the United States and the self you remember.
Hearing Tang Song's address and looking at his face, He Yiming and Xu Bin showed expressions of extreme surprise.
"Oh my goodness, it's really you! If I hadn't seen you before, I wouldn't have recognized you."
"Fuck, Tang Song, during this time away from work, could you have gone to South Korea?"
They joined the company more than a year earlier than Tang Song and had seen this colleague in the past.
Before 2022, Tang Song had a well-proportioned body shape and good looks, and was considered the most handsome person in their back-end development department.
Tang Song's figure and appearance are now even better than when he first joined the company, but he is still recognizable.
However, in November of 22, when Tang Song resigned, he was already considered slightly overweight.
Coupled with the fact that she didn't dress up and had a sloppy hairstyle, the contrast with now is particularly obvious.
Tang Song chuckled and shook his head, chatting with the two of them about old times, and the atmosphere gradually eased.
"You guys are going to eat, right? Which restaurant?"
"Wushan Grilled Fish!" Xu Bin said excitedly, "Let's go and have a meal together. I'll just tell you about some of the things that happened in our department in the past few months."
"Let's go. I haven't eaten grilled fish from that restaurant for a long time. I really miss it."
"Come on, come on!" He Yiming put his arm around Tang Song's shoulders and asked in surprise, "Why do I feel like you've grown taller?"
"Haha, maybe it's because my body shape has become taller. After I left my job, I have been working out to lose weight and learn how to adjust my posture."
"Fuck, I'm so jealous!"
……
Guangying Media (Imperial Capital) Branch.
After sending the sorted documents to Li Wenzhe, Wen Ruan looked at the email message in front of him with a strange expression.
She had just resigned, and Meigou used her as an excuse to cancel the cooperation with Guangying Media.
Soon after, several major media outlets proposed censorship of Guangying Media.
Even several core customers have directly stated that they will not renew their contracts. Guangying Media has reached a critical moment of life and death.
Even if it doesn't die, it will have to lay off a large number of employees, and its business will gradually shrink in the future.
Everything seems too coincidental.
It seemed that her resignation was like the wings of a butterfly, which just fluttered gently and caused a storm that swept across the entire Guangying Media.
"Sister Wenruan, the takeaway is here!" Zhang Xintong walked over with a smile and placed an exquisite paper bag in front of her.
"Thank you Xintong."
"You're welcome!" Zhang Xintong blinked in a funny way and whispered, "Sister Wenruan, you must have had a very happy time these past few days, right?"
Wenruan hummed twice, tapped her head, raised his eyebrows and said, "It's more sexual happiness than you can imagine, so hurry up and make the handover, I still want to continue the sexual happiness."
The two of them joked with each other.
"Ding-ling-ling——" The cell phone rang suddenly.
Wenruan picked it up and took a look.
It’s an unfamiliar imperial capital number.
I got up and went to the leisure area, answered the phone, and said softly, "Hello."
There was silence in the receiver, no sound at all.
Wenruan frowned and said, "Hello?"
Just as she was about to hang up the phone, a calm and soothing male voice sounded: "Wenruan, it's me."
Hearing his voice, Wenruan's face darkened slightly, "Mr. Zhang, what's the matter?"
"Is it convenient now? I want to talk to you."
"Go ahead."
"Regarding what happened in the past, I have always felt very sorry for causing you so much trouble." The man paused and continued, "I just heard from my colleagues today that you are going back to Xingyun International Group. I am very happy and want to make it up to you."
"That's not necessary." Wen Ruan interrupted directly: "Mr. Zhang, I returned to Xingyun International with my own plans, and I don't want to take advantage of anyone else."
"I know you want to stay in your hometown, Yancheng. I will talk to President Ji. With your ability, you are fully qualified for the position of planning director of the branch."
Wenruan said firmly, "I really don't need it, thank you."
"Okay." The man exhaled and suddenly said, "There's one more thing I want to see you about."
"Sorry, Mr. Zhang, I still have work to deal with here, so I'll hang up now."
After saying that, Wenruan hung up the phone.
I returned to my workstation and started to eat.
On the table, the mobile phone screen lights up from time to time.
There are text messages and some phone calls.
Wenruan closed her eyes and sighed, as scenes from the past came to her mind.
In her first few years at Nebula International Group, she lived a fulfilling and happy life.
Until later I was transferred to the digital marketing department, responsible for social media operations.
If you can achieve results, you will have a key opportunity for promotion.
The department manager at that time was Zhang Zihang, a very charismatic leader.
He is a top student from a prestigious university, has outstanding abilities, and is handsome, so he is very popular among the employees.
Wenruan also had a very good impression of this married leader at the beginning.
During the one year I worked in the digital marketing department, I worked overtime, attended meetings, traveled, worked on projects, and solved problems...
Because the age gap is not that big.
Gradually, we became good friends.
Later, her work performance became more and more outstanding. At the end of the year, she received a personnel notice and began to be evaluated for a promotion.
As a result, the next day, a pornographic rumor spread in the company.
She said that she hooked up with Zhang Zihang and got the opportunity thanks to this relationship.
They even listed some evidence of business trips and meals together.
At first she didn't care and continued to concentrate on her work. After all, they were all false accusations and a person with a clear conscience has nothing to fear.
Until a team-building activity.
In the hotel's event hall, in front of dozens of colleagues.
Zhang Zihang's wife suddenly appeared and pointed at him and started cursing.
All kinds of extremely insulting words and sharp remarks like knives deeply hurt her self-esteem.
Then another recording was played.
These are the words that Zhang Zihang said in an angry state: "You just check my phone every day. I'll tell you straight out, I just think Wenruan is a hundred times better than you. I just like her. Let's just get a divorce. I'll go get the marriage certificate with her right away."
Although the incident was eventually resolved by the company's leadership, her promotion was completely ruined.
Zhang Zihang was transferred to another department.
The key point is that this matter is not over yet, in the next six months.
Zhang Zihang got divorced.
A colleague broke the news that Zhang Zihang's father is Zhang Chaoming, a director of Nebula International Group.
For a time, the obscene rumors about Wen Ruan and Zhang Zihang were brought up again due to the spread of them by some people with ulterior motives.
This time the reasons are more sufficient and the content circulating is more outrageous.
Unable to bear the annoyance, Wenruan almost collapsed, and simply resigned and returned to Yancheng.
And her dream of living in the imperial capital ended in a mess.
The outstanding career elite who once had a promising future has now become a weak person who has accomplished nothing.
More than three years have passed. Although some of my colleagues at Nebula International have left, many are still here.
Choosing to go back means choosing to face the unbearable past. She really went through a great psychological struggle.
That's why she said that if Tang Song dared to let her down, she would bite off his brother.
Sighed.
Wen Ruan opened her cell phone and looked through the photos of her and Tang Song taken in the past few days in the album.
I finally feel much better.
After thinking for a while, she opened Tang Song's WeChat and left a message: "Boyfriend, are you done with work? I'm not in a good mood right now and need your comfort."
【Tang and Song Dynasty: Grilled Fish.jpg】
[Tang Song: "I'm having dinner with my former colleagues. Do you want to come over? I'll give you a hug and comfort my strong girlfriend, then take her around and tell her about my work stories."]
"Pfft..." Wenruan laughed out loud and replied, "Okay, I just finished lunch and need to sort out the documents they will use in the afternoon. Send me the location and I'll go over later."
This is a good opportunity.
She really wanted to chat with Tang Song's colleagues and find out about Tang Song's past.
It would be nice to know which woman hurt him.
[Tang Song: "It's starting to rain, and it's noon now. It may be difficult to get a taxi where you are. I'll arrange for a driver to pick you up. It's not far from Tuanjie Lake, and it should be there in about ten minutes. Pay attention to answer the phone."]
The corners of Wenruan's mouth raised a happy arc, and she replied: "Okay! Got it!"
Then she put away her phone, hummed a song and started to clean up.
After a while.
The crisp ringtone of the cell phone rang.
Wen Ruan answered the phone, communicated with the driver about the location, and went downstairs happily.
Then, I saw a black Mercedes-Benz Maybach parked in the drop-off area outside the building.
There was a middle-aged driver in formal attire standing next to the car.
After confirming that the license plate number was correct, Wen Ruan communicated with the driver and got into the Maybach smoothly.
It was raining outside the window, not too heavy or too light.
Sitting in the spacious and comfortable back seat, Wenruan had a clearer understanding of Tang Song’s wealth.
Judging from the driver's address and attitude, Tang Song also has industries in the imperial capital.
And judging by the vehicle specifications, it is definitely not small.
She pursed her lips and looked at the tall buildings flashing outside the window, her eyes gradually becoming blurred.
It is precisely because he is good enough that I always hesitate and worry about gains and losses.
……
In the hotel.
The golden grilled fish was steaming, and the aroma lingered in the small restaurant.
Wushan Grilled Fish is located on a quiet street, just a few hundred meters away from the Meigo Technology Building.
The taste is very good and the price/performance ratio is very high.
In the past, colleagues from their department often came here for dinner.
Some broken menus, black tables and chairs, simple decoration...
Full of memories.
From time to time, there was a rumbling sound of thunder outside the window.
The three of them sat in front of the French window on the first floor, chatting in low voices about interesting things they had experienced when they bought technology in the United States in the past.
Listening to his two colleagues' words, Tang Song's mood gradually became complicated.
He clearly remembered that he had mentioned the game "Male God Growth Plan" to many of his colleagues.
But the two colleagues had no impression of it.
He also said that during his time at Meigou, he was often seconded to other support departments.
These are huge deviations from his memory.
Things became even more confusing.
"Ding Dong——" the WeChat notification sound rang.
Tang Song picked it up and took a look at it, then took a picture of the dining table and replied to Wen Ruan.
Looking at the rain outside, Tang Song stood up and walked to the corner and called Bocai Yingrui's driver.
He spoke to Wenruan again.
Return to the table.
Xu Bin joked, "You were laughing so lasciviously when we were chatting just now, could it be a girl?"
"It's indeed a girl." Tang Song nodded with a smile.
He Yiming looked at the handsome and tall Tang Song with envy, and said sourly: "With Tang Song's current appearance, he probably has no shortage of girls around him. Fortunately, you were not so handsome when you were in the company, otherwise my goddess would have been seduced away by you."
The goddess he was talking about is Jian Hui from the backend development department, a beautiful girl with an amazing figure, looks and personality.
She is also one of the few girls in their department.
He Yiming had been pursuing the other party before, but it seemed that there was no progress.
Xu Bin attacked mercilessly, "Come on, Old He, Jian Hui is not the same kind of person as us. She is a local of the capital, a typical big girl of the capital, full of arrogance, and she can only look for a local native when looking for a partner. Even if you are as handsome as Tang Song, there is no chance. You should think about buying a house."
They all come from ordinary families and come to the US to buy technology just to make money, working hard every day to earn overtime pay.
People like Jian Hui enjoy the fun of work, relax every day, and travel everywhere.
"Oh, let's not talk about it anymore!" He Yiming shook his head and lowered his head to take a sip of his drink.
The three of them ate for a while, and the rain outside the window gradually became lighter.
Tang Song looked at his phone and suddenly smiled and said, "My girlfriend will be here soon. Do you mind if she comes and sits with you for a while?"
"What? You have a girlfriend?"
"Is it true? What does she look like? Is she pretty?"
Looking at the two excited old colleagues, Tang Song smiled mysteriously and said, "She should be considered beautiful. After all, everyone has different aesthetic tastes, so I can't really say for sure."
"Good guy, you're great!" He Yiming patted his arm, "No wonder you're dressed so neatly and handsomely now, it turns out you have a girlfriend!"
Xu Bin said with a smile: "Come over quickly and let us meet your sister-in-law."
Tang Song was like a sullen person when he was in the company, but I didn't expect that he would change so much after this meeting.
It can be said that one should look at someone with new eyes after three days of absence.
"Ding-ling-ling——" the cell phone rang.
Tang Song answered the phone, "Hello, Ruanruan."
"Yes, it's in Wushan Grilled Fish Restaurant. It's raining now. Do you have an umbrella?"
"okay bye."
After hanging up the phone, Tang Song pointed out the window and said with a smile: "We've reached the intersection. We'll be there soon."
Hearing this, He Yiming and Xu Bin instantly perked up and looked at the street through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
In the hazy rain and fog, a black Maybach slowly drove over.
The rain forms a thin layer of water film on the car body, making it look particularly elegant and luxurious.
Xu Bin said enviously: "Wow, this is a Maybach S680, a luxury car worth more than three million, so cool!"
"At this price, I think it has to be the Bentley Continental. Let's talk about the engine..." He Yiming is a car fan and began to analyze it seriously.
The Maybach S680 stopped on the roadside in front of the grilled fish restaurant.
The driver's door was quickly opened.
The uniformed driver walked around to the back seat and gently opened the door.
Then, a white umbrella was extended.
With a "bang", the rain was bounced away.
A pair of golden high heels stepped on the wet curb.
Wenruan, wearing a white dress, walked out.
It instantly brightened up the dim sky.
There was an expression of excitement and anticipation on her face, she held an umbrella in her left hand and carried her bag in her right hand.
She has delicate and charming facial features, a tall and voluptuous figure, and exudes mature and sexy charm.
Tang Song's eyes were slightly dazed, and he felt that the scene at this moment was somewhat similar to the photo he saw in his wallet.
I couldn't help but raise my phone and quickly pressed the shutter.
"Click——" a sound.
The sounds of Xu Bin and He Yiming breathing and swallowing were also heard around him.
(End of this chapter)