As a Magnate, I Started Checking in at a Convenience Store - Chapter 388:
Chapter 388: Chrysanthemum, Night Wind!
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
They all rode in Guo Yan’s father’s Volkswagen Passat and drove from the Golden Coast straight to Qinglong Mountain.
Along the way, Guo Yan remained silent, showing her tact.
Lin Wu, pull over up ahead!” Zhou Chao, who had been gazing out of the window, suddenly spoke.
Lin Wu quickly pulled the car over to the side.
“Boss, is something wrong?”
“You two wait for me here!” Zhou Chao said as he opened the car door and walked away.
Lin Wu and Guo Yan watched as Zhou Chao’s figure walked straight into a flower shop.
Upon entering the shop, he saw the flower shop owner lying on a lounge chair, enjoying the air conditioning and playing with her phone.
“Welcome!” The flower shop owner saw someone come in and quickly put down her phone, getting up.
“Hey handsome, may I ask what kind of flowers you’d like to buy?” The flower shop owner, also in her twenties like Zhou Chao, didn’t have a slim figure but couldn’t be called fat either; she had a bit of baby fat overall.
Zhou Chao, immune to the gaze of girls, looked around and calmly said, “Chrysanthemums!”
The flower shop owner hesitated for a moment but quickly recovered.
“We have chrysanthemums. How many bunches would you like?”
“Two bunches.”
“Alright, please wait a moment!” The flower shop owner quickly went to work at the back of the shop.
After about ten minutes, the flower shop owner had wrapped up two bunches of chrysanthemums.
“How much is it?
“60 yuan!”
Zhou Chao immediately scanned the QR code with his phone.
“Ding, 60 yuan received via WeChat!”
Hearing the confirmation of payment, Zhou Chao picked up the chrysanthemums and left. The flower shop owner considered adding Zhou Chao on WeChat but changed her mind when he saw Zhou Chao get into a car parked by the roadside.
Once in the car, Zhou Chao placed the two bunches of flowers in the back seat, as it wasn’t practical to hold them.
The car soon arrived at the foot of Qinglong Mountain and headed straight up the mountain.
“It’s so hot today. Are you sure you want to come up with me?”
“I can’t let you go alone, can I?”
“Alright, Lin Wu, you wait in the car.”
“Okay, Boss!”
Zhou Chao and Guo Yan each held a bunch of chrysanthemums and headed for Zhou Chao’s parents’ tombstone.
Fortunately, it wasn’t far, just a few steps away.
“I’ve come to see you,” Zhou Chao said as he placed the chrysanthemums in front of the tombstone. Guo Yan followed suit.
They stayed for about five or six minutes, and Zhou Chao noticed that Guo Yan was already sweating heavily from the heat. He smiled and said, “Let’s go. If we stay any longer, you might get heatstroke.”
“This weather is scorching. I feel like I’m melting!” Guo Yan agreed, feeling more refreshed now that they were leaving.
Back in the car, they both wiped off the sweat from their foreheads with tissues, trying to avoid catching a cold from the rapid temperature change.
“Boss, where are we going now? Back home?”
Zhou Chao thought for a moment before saying, “Let’s go to Liangjiang Square!”
“Bro, what are you going to do there? It’s so hot. Are you planning to fly a kite or something?”
“Mingtang’s studio is there, right? I want to see what he’s working on.”
Oh!” Guo Yan knew who Lei Mingtang was because they had grown up together.
They soon arrived at Liangjiang Square on Zhongshan Road. Finding a temporary parking spot by the roadside, Zhou Chao led the two towards Lei Mingtang’s studio.
Just as they reached the door, they could hear Lei Mingtang’s loud voice from inside.
“Is this okay? You’re so slow. We’ve already finished the team fight, and you’re just coming now!”
“Yeah, talking about hammers, your jungle play has no awareness at all!”
“Speaking of hammers, do you have the skills 1 don’t? Are you smarter than me?”
The voices of the people arguing reached the door directly.
Without hesitation, Zhou Chao pushed the door open and walked in, causing everyone in the room, who had been engrossed in their phones, to instinctively look up towards the entrance.
“Brother Chao, you’re back!” Lei Mingtang said excitedly, getting up.
Zhou Chao glanced around and saw three people in the room, besides Lei Mingtang, he hadn’t met the other two, so they were probably his friends.
“I just arrived in Fuzhou today, came back to handle some business, and will be leaving in a couple of days. I thought I’d drop by to see what you’re up to!”
“Haozi, Qing Hang, I’m not playing the game for now. I have to go with my buddy. Brother Chao, come inside!” Lei Mingtang said, leading Zhou Chao and the other two towards the office.
“Haozi, who’s this guy? He’s got quite the presence,” Qing Hang asked quietly when they were a bit farther away.
“I’m not entirely sure, but I heard that the big Benz G500 that Mingtang is driving was a gift from someone. It’s probably this guy!”
“Is that true? That’s pretty awesome. Giving away a car worth several million just like that. He looks quite young too!”
“I don’t really know, but he does seem a bit extraordinary. Look at the guy behind him; he looks like a bodyguard!”
“Now that you mention it, there is that vibe!”
The two chatted for a while and then went back to playing with their phones.
“Brother Chao, did you come back to handle something big this time? Can I help?” Lei Mingtang asked, grabbing two bottles of drinks from the fridge and handing a bottle of mineral water to each of the three.
Zhou Chao took the mineral water and had a few sips before replying, “It’s not really a big deal. I’m just here to help this little girl with her college application. Once I’m done, I’ll head back to Modu!”
“What’s her score? Which university is she planning to apply to?”
“688 points, she’s aiming for a military academy!”
“That’s impressive, just like her brother. Both of you are excellent students!” Lei Mingtang said, looking at Guo Yan with joy.
Not at all!” Guo Yan blushed at the praise.
“How have you been lately? Is your studio making good progress?”
“It’s been going smoothly. I don’t have the ambitions of those big streamers. I just make videos and occasionally do live broadcasts, taking some advertising deals on the side. You know me, 1 don’t have grand aspirations. 1 just want a comfortable life.”
Zhou Chao understood Lei Mingtang’s personality. Even if it were him, without this system, he might have just managed the small convenience store left behind by his parents.
After all, as an ordinary person, Zhou Chao didn’t have grand ambitions. Having a car, a house, savings, a wife, and children were the aspirations of an average person.
Many people spent their entire lives working hard just to achieve these goals. Once they had them, they could settle down and didn’t need to pursue a better life. After all, not everyone had the fate to achieve more no matter how hard they struggled.
After chatting with Lei Mingtang for about an hour, Zhou Chao decided to take his leave.
“Mingtang, i’ll be on my way!”
“Brother Chao, how about having dinner together tonight? 1’11 arrange it!”
“I can’t have dinner with you. I’m going to have dinner with Third Aunt and the others tonight. I’ll see if 1 have time after I’m done here!”
“Sure, Brother Chao, feel free to call me anytime!”
“Okay, we’re leaving for now!”
Lei Mingtang accompanied Zhou Chao and the others to the parking lot. He watched them get into the car and drive away before turning back to his studio.
“Leizi, who’s your buddy? He seems pretty awesome!” Qing Hang, seeing Lei Mingtang approaching, went straight up to him.
Lei Mingtang smiled and, looking at the eager eyes of the two, said with a grin, “I’m not sure how to describe him to you guys, but let’s put it this way, even Si Cong is just a little brother in front of him!”
“How is that possible?!” The two of them exclaimed. After ail, Si Cong was still quite popular.
“Am I the kind of person who would lie to you?”
“It’s not that, it’s just a bit hard to believe!” The two of them looked incredulous, and they couldn’t come back to their senses even after sitting on the sofa for a long time.
After all, who wouldn’t be shocked if they had a friend who was so rich and capable by their side?
Back home, Zhou Chao found that Guo Yan’s parents were taking an afternoon nap, so he didn’t disturb them. He lay down on the sofa, and Guo Yan went back to her room. Lin Wu, on the other hand, found himself sitting on a single sofa all alone.
Time passed quickly, and it was evening. Zhou Chao wasn’t sure where to have dinner, but in the end, Guo Yan’s father decided to go to a riverboat on the Yangtze River for some fish.
Zhou Chao also loved eating fish, whether in the past or now.
The riverboat wasn’t far from where they lived, located on Binjiang Road. They had just crossed a road after leaving the Golden Coast, and they were there.
The group of five walked on the lighted promenade of Binjiang Road, feeling the warm breeze mixed with a hint of coolness blowing in their faces in the scorching 30-degree heat.
As soon as they boarded the boat, a waiter greeted them and led them to a private room with a great view. The moment they stepped inside, they felt a refreshing coolness.
“Sir, would you like to try some sazi fish?”
The menu was eventually placed in Zhou Chao’s hands.
“Are the fish here wild or farm-raised?”
“We cultivate these fish in the Yangtze River ourselves. They’re similar to wild ones!” the waiter replied with a smile.
“Alright, let’s have an 8-pound Yangtze river perch and two Yangtze river bass. Just a few side dishes will be enough!”
“Xiao Chao, wouldn’t it be better to get a 5-pound Yangtze river perch? Are you sure we can finish all of this?” Guo Uan’s mother asked.
“Don’t worry, Third Aunt, we’ll definitely finish it!”
An 8-pound fish, after accounting for some innards, was around 6.7 pounds. With five people, it wasn’t too much to handle. Besides, the river bass typically raised in the Yangtze River weren’t very large.
Hearing Zhou Chao’s assurance, Guo’s mother stopped worrying about it.
After waiting for about 20 minutes, several waiters came in carrying a tray. Seeing a big bowl of fish and the distinctive Fog City-style river dishes, the spicy and flavorful aroma filled the air, making everyone instinctively swallow saliva.
With a table full of dishes, Guo Yan held her chopsticks and looked at Guo Yan’s father, waiting for him to give the signal to start eating.
“Why are you staring at me? Eat, no one’s stopping you!” Guo Yan’s father said, exasperated, as he noticed Guo Yan’s expression.
Zhou Chao picked up a piece of fish fillet and put it in his mouth. It was tender and smooth, combined with the seasonings, it was indeed delicious.
No one had the mood to chat; they all focused on eating.
The food was numbingly spicy and addictive, especially for Guo Yan, whose lips turned red and plump. She couldn’t resist the temptation of the fish.
After three rounds of toasts and savoring various flavors, all that was left on the table were some fish bones. Everything else had been devoured by the group.
“This fish is really delicious!” Guo Yan’s father couldn’t help but praise.
“Yes, it’s really tasty!” Guo Yan licked her lips and agreed.
“Let’s go. We’ve eaten our fill. Let’s head back and rest!”
After settling the bill, Zhou Chao spent around 2000 yuan, but the meal was indeed enjoyable.
“Third Aunt, Uncle, Lin Wu and I will head back now. I’ll come down early tomorrow morning!”
“Sure, go back and get some rest!” Guo Yan’s mother didn’t insist, knowing that there wasn’t enough space at home.
Zhou Chao and Lin Wu hailed a taxi and headed back in the direction of their home..
