Chapter 677: Chapter 581: Making Acquaintances (Please Subscribe!)_1 The car was slowly crawling through the streets of Beijing. The neon lights flickered in the night, giving off a modern vibe. Unfortunately, Tang Qing couldn’t appreciate this kind of industrial beauty, no matter how bright and flashy it was, it still felt dull to him. In his eyes, what he saw was not prosperity but coldness. Wealthy or not, powerful or not, they belonged to two different worlds. If you’re rich, any place can be called home. If you’re not, where your home is becomes uncertain. Beijing. It’s a good place to visit. Not suitable for long-term living, though. High house prices have made the city a source of pain for many. Tang Qing also felt guilty about this. After all, he seemed to be half a developer, having secured a large piece of land through cooperation with Chai Ren. Their fastest real estate project had already started preselling, and the presale results weren’t bad. However, Tang Qing had no control over housing prices. He was only a shareholder who occasionally received dividends. He couldn’t possibly suggest to Chai Ren and the other two partners: let’s drop our prices by a quarter to boost sales. If he did so, Tang Qing wouldn’t have enough adjectives to describe his lack of intelligence. In Tang Qing’s view, the issue was not about housing prices. Instead, it’s about people’s attitudes. Developers take advantage of the Chinese people’s desire for a stable home and charge high prices. Because the cost of land is also high, people have no choice but to grit their teeth and buy. Really, the moment they pay, they agree to the price. It’s a give and take situation. What else could they do? They couldn’t possibly beat up the developers, could they? Just when Tang Qing was feeling particularly sympathetic, the sound of urgent honking interrupted his thoughts. "Dibri, dribri, dribri...." He looked closely and found that the cars were honking all around him. It seemed like there was a jam ahead. Again, a long sausage-like congestion appeared in the night scene. Interestingly, when traffic jams occur, it doesn’t matter what car you drive. As long as it’s a four-wheeler, it’s stuck. It’s at this time you realize that two-wheelers are the real ’all-terrain’ vehicles. Fortunately, the traffic police in Beijing handled this swiftly, and the road soon returned to normal. Two and a half hours later. The Rolls-Royce arrived at the Autumn Palace. It was already after half-past ten, and the Autumn Palace’s parking lot was full of luxury cars. The Chai Ren family had booked the whole place to welcome their esteemed guests for a couple of days. However, not just anyone could stay here. Status, identity, relationships - all three were necessary. Tang Qing and Tang Kai were, of course, among the esteemed guests. Tang Qing noticed that many of the cars in the parking lot had privileged license plates. Each one seemed to be more impressive than the last, and all the information on their passes indicated they were VIPs, mostly from out of town. Local guests wouldn’t need to stay here. After parking in a corner. Tang Qing followed his uncle towards the hotel. From the outside, he noticed that most of the lights in the Autumn Palace’s guest rooms were already on. He guessed that the rooms would be soon filled to capacity, if they hadn’t been already. Once he entered the lobby, Tang Qing immediately saw Chai Ren in a formal suit, his hair slicked back. He looked very different from usual as he chatted with a group of people, young and old. Judging by their luggage, they had just arrived. When Tang Qing and his uncle were almost at the Autumn Palace, Chai Ren had called them to welcome their arrival. Unfortunately, he bumped into a long-lost acquaintance of his father’s and had to attend to him. His eyes were constantly darting towards the entrance. When he saw Tang Qing walk in, something flickered in Chai Ren’s eyes. He turned to a middle-aged man next to him and said, "Excuse me, Uncle Qin. I need to attend to a friend who’s just arrived. You guys should go rest in your rooms. If you’re hungry, order something to eat. We’re covering all the hotel expenses for these few days." The man referred to as "Uncle Qin" laughed and said, "Go ahead, I’ll catch up with you later." His gaze lingered on Tang Qing and his group as they entered, filled with curiosity. Chai Ren had stepped forward to greet them, which indicated that the newcomer was important, more so than himself. After excusing himself. Chai Ren quickly moved to Tang Qing’s side, giving him a big hug and said, "Little Tang, you’re finally here. We’ve been waiting for you for a while." "We? Waiting for me?" Tang Qing asked, puzzled. His uncle had told him that Chai Ren was entertaining guests. What did he mean by waiting for him? And who else was waiting for him? Just as he was wondering, Chai Ren explained, "Of course, Zheng Lin has been waiting for you here for quite a while, and some friends are with him. I’ll introduce you to them in a bit." "What are they waiting for? I don’t have any money to give them," Tang Qing joked, rubbing his nose. Chai Ren was taken aback, then burst out laughing at Tang Qing’s rare humorous comment, "Ha ha, come on, we can give you money. Oh, and your fiancee is looking pretty today. If you had arrived a day earlier, she could have been my wife’s maid of honor. But now, I don’t think there’s enough time." While they were chatting, Tang Qing couldn’t let his future wife be ignored. "Nice to meet you, Big Brother Chai," Lin Jiaxue greeted with a smile. Tang Qing quickly added, "Big Brother Chai, let’s go on. It’s not elegant to stand here in the entrance. I’ll go check on Brother Zheng. Are you done with your guest reception duties?" "Almost, I just finished. It’s past mealtime now, and some of my family members are still entertaining guests with tea and entertainment. I was really busy earlier, and today’s Friday, so a lot of people were working and only arrived tonight, like you. With everyone gathered, I couldn’t get away, otherwise I would have personally picked you up." Chai Ren felt a rush of relief. It was his first time entertaining so many people, and if he had to describe it in one word, it would be tiring. Today, he had been smiling so much that his face had almost stiffened. "Tangtang, you young people chat. I’m going to find your Uncle Liu," Tang Kai said at that moment. Tang Qing hanging out with young people wasn’t the right setting for him, so it would be better for him to find Liu Qian. "Alright. I’ll come and find you later," Tang Qing nodded. Tang Kai grunted in acknowledgement. After his uncle and the two bodyguards left. Under Chai Ren’s guidance, Tang Qing and Lin Jiaxue arrived at the entrance of a large box. Chai Ren went in first, followed by the rest. Once inside. Tang Qing saw a circle of people of various ages around the table. The oldest was probably in their thirties and the youngest in their twenties. From their aura, Tang Qing could guess that they were all the second generation rich, each emitting a subtle aura of power. Apart from Shen Yi who he recognized, he also noticed Mu Jian sipping tea to the side. As for his wife and daughter, they were probably with Zhan Xi, having known each other for so long, they must have arrived a few days earlier. As for the two co-owners of the real estate company, Tang Qing didn’t see them. They probably stayed at home, not wanting to join in the fun. Upon seeing Tang Qing, Zheng Lin quickly stood up to greet him, he embraced Tang Qing and complained, "Little Tang, you finally made it. You’re in university, why not take a leave of absence to come and have a drink earlier. We’ve all finished eating, just order whatever you want." "Alright then, I’ll have a bowl of spicy noodles. I feel like it’s been a long time since I’ve had them." "..." Zheng Lin and Chai Ren were both speechless. "Why can’t you order something more high-end, it’s not like you’re paying." Zheng Lin complained with a bitter smile. The last time Tang Qing came, he ordered this, and now he ordered the same thing again. His hotel was being treated like a street noodle stall. "This stuff, it’s nutritious and balanced, and very down-to-earth." Tang Qing said nonchalantly. As for the fancy hotel, the food was not as good as what the soldiers made, so he simply chose something more down-to-earth. With a sigh, Zheng Lin conceded: "Alright then, I’ll have it prepared immediately." He immediately ordered someone to start making it and reminded them to use a large bowl. Chai Ren was also chuckling on the side at Zheng Lin’s hotel being treated like a street stall. Tang Qing was truly humorous. Even though he hadn’t seen him in a while, Chai Ren noticed that Tang Qing’s demeanor had become even more imposing. There was a feeling that he was in control of everything while also being extremely indifferent. Unfortunately, he just couldn’t figure out where Tang Qing’s confidence stemmed from that allowed him to joke around carefree without fear. No matter what others thought. Tang Qing moved a chair and let Lin Jiaxue sit down. Seeing so many people, Lin Jiaxue was a bit nervous since she didn’t know any of them. As for Tang Qing, he was completely calm. These were just a bunch of spoiled second generation rich kids. Surely there was no need to be overly cautious. Seeing Tang Qing unafraid of their combined scrutiny and remaining calm and composed, curiosity about his identity was ignited. The fact that he could chat and joke so easily with Chai Ren and Zheng Lin and showed no intimidation whatsoever indicated that he was definitely not just anyone. "Mr. Chai, who’s this, do you mind introducing us?" Mu Jian suddenly asked. "His name is Tang Qing, a good friend of our mutual friend," Chai Ren introduced him simply. Others may not understand, but Mu Jian would never forget the staggering strength of the soldiers. A while ago, his bodyguard noticed one of Tang Kai’s soldiers and went to greet them. Regrettably, the soldier ignored them until Tang Kai gave permission for them to exchange skills. Unfortunately, like before, it only took one strike for his head bodyguard to kneel down. Now, the bodyguard is nursing a wounded ego. "Nice to meet you, my name is Mu Jian. Pleased to make your acquaintance and hope to receive your kindness in the future," Mu Jian extended his hand. "Nice to meet you, too. But let’s not discuss hiring bodyguards," Tang Qing replied as he shook Mu Jian’s hand. Only the two of them knew what he meant, leaving the others clueless. "... I didn’t even bring it up yet?" Mu Jian grinned bitterly. "As long as it’s not that, everything else should be fine," Tang Qing responded. There was no way he could tell him that his command room had already completed surveillance setup here. Anywhere Tang Qing was often active or planned to temporarily be at, his security team would inspect and arrange in advance. It was troublesome. But it was secure. "Then there should be no problem," Mu Jian said helplessly. At this point, Chai Ren stepped forward, slapping Mu Jian on the shoulder while laughing heartily: "Ha ha, I told you your hopes were too high, but you didn’t believe me. Good job, Little Tang! You should’ve done just that, not letting his cunning plan succeed. How about that? You lost, right?" Mu Jian glared at him and said, "All right, you win. I won’t participate in irritating you tomorrow. Little Tang, here’s my business card, call me whenever you’re in the United States, I’ll definitely welcome you." 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎 Mu Jian extended his hands formally, handing over his business card. "No problem," Tang Qing took the card, glanced at it, and pocketed it. As for a trip to the United States? Tang Qing wasn’t much interested. Besides its novelty, what else could the country offer? He hadn’t even finished touring the beauty of his own country. Then Chai Ren introduced everyone present. It turned out they were indeed the children of Beijing’s elites, all following Chai Ren and Zheng Lin, or more precisely, their fathers were aligned with the two families. Chai Ren and Zheng Lin were among the top-tier second generation rich in Beijing, it would only make sense for them to have a group of people under them. Seeing their boss treating Tang Qing so well—almost excessively—despite being introduced as just a student, nobody dared to underestimate him. Each one of them called out "bro" and "young man," making Tang Qing feel quite uncomfortable. However, he didn’t say anything. When other people offered respect, the least he could do was accept it graciously. With a group of second-generation rich kids trying to curry favor, the atmosphere in the room could hardly be dull. After some conversation, Tang Qing became familiar with them, though he still didn’t get too close. Simply speaking, no matter how good the relationship with these friends was, it didn’t do much help. They were under Zheng Lin and Chai Ren, they acted according to the two’s wishes. If he needed anything, he could just find the two, he didn’t need to get too involved with these second-generation kids. After all, his energy was limited and he didn’t want people bothering him all the time. Nothing was more troublesome than social interaction, and he just wanted to be a good student in peace. Before long, The spicy noodles arrived. Tang Qing and Lin Jiaxue enjoyed their meal. Although it lacked the flavor of a street noodle stall, it was still quite good. Many of the guests present were watching Tang Qing or more precisely, they were eyeing the big bowl. Such a large bowl. Are you sure you can finish it all?