As a Magnate, I Started Checking in at a Convenience Store - Chapter 498
Chapter 498: I’m an Old Serious Person!
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
In the afternoon at 2 o’clock, at Star City Airport, in the private jet parking lot.
“Brother Chao, 1 just remembered that we haven’t tried stinky tofu yet. We came all the way to Star City and forgot about it. It’s all because you rushed me; otherwise, I would have definitely tried it!” Jiang Li reclined on the sofa in the lounge area, grumbling softly.
Zhou Chao put down the book he was holding and said with a smile, “You’re throwing such a big blame on me. What were you thinking?”
“It’s just the way it is. 1 can’t bear the blame myself, can I? I have to let you take it!” Jiang Li said with a smug look.
Zhou Chao smiled helplessly and returned to reading his book.
After waiting in line for half an hour, Zhou Chao’s plane finally took off. Jiang Li had fallen asleep on the sofa by then. Zhou Chao had even fetched a thin silk blanket to cover her to prevent her from catching a chill.
Looking at the sleeping Jiang Li, a happy smile appeared on Zhou Chao’s face. He stared at her for a while before taking out his phone and sending a message. Afterward, he focused on his book again.
The distance from Star City to Hang City was not very far. Zhou Chao’s private jet arrived at Hangcheng Airport after about an hour and ten minutes of flying.
Zhou Chao crouched in front of the sofa and softly called out, “Wake up, sleepyhead!”
“Mnim, we’ve arrived, huh? 1 wanted to sleep more!” Jiang Li’s lazy eyes showed a hint of tiredness.
“We’ll have time to sleep at the hotel. Get up now.” Zhou Chao smiled and pinched Jiang Li’s rosy cheeks.
“Alright!”
Reluctantly, Jiang Li sat up from the sofa. The plane had already landed smoothly on the tarmac, and the two of them quickly disembarked and boarded the shuttle bus that had been waiting for them.
As soon as they exited the airport, Jiang Li burst into giggles.
“What’s so funny? Why are you laughing like a fool?” Zhou Chao asked, puzzled.
“Brother Chao, didn’t you see? Look over there!” Jiang Li nodded her head towards Zhou Chao’s right.
Following Jiang Li’s gesture, Zhou Chao saw a tall man holding a pink sign with lace trim that prominently displayed the words “Zhou Chao” on it. Upon seeing this, Zhou Chao’s face turned green.
“All Li, let’s just take a taxi to the hotel!” Zhou Chao said, trying to pull Jiang Li in the opposite direction.
“Don’t, Brother Chao, 1 don’t want to take a taxi!”
Seeing Jiang Li’s pitiful eyes, Zhou Chao reluctantly nodded and headed towards the right.
The tall man was still holding the sign, looking around and muttering, “Why hasn’t the boss arrived yet? He should have been here by now!”
“Lower that sign. Put it away. 1 find it annoying to look at it now. We’ll settle this later,” Zhou Chao said, opening the car door and letting Jiang Li in before taking the front passenger seat himself.
“Boss, how did you end up behind me? 1 didn’t see you come out,” exclaimed the tall security supervisor, who had seen photos of Zhou Chao before.
“Let’s not dwell on that. Just get rid of that pink sign you’re holding as far away as possible. I can’t stand looking at it anymore. We’ll talk about it later when I find you to settle the score,” Zhou Chao said, opening the car door for Jiang Li to get in. He took the passenger seat.
Upon hearing Zhou Chao’s words, the security supervisor quickly placed the sign down and tossed it into a nearby trash can.
“Boss, hello. I’m Gao Ge, the security supervisor of Hilton’s Hangzhou branch. Our managers are currently attending a meeting in Modu, so they sent me to pick you up.”
Zhou Chao, with a serious expression, asked, “1 just want to know, who arranged that previous airport pick-up sign?”
“Boss, it was me. Please let me explain. It was mainly because there was only this color available at the time, and the time was tight, so I…” Gao Ge saw Zhou Chao’s displeased expression and realized he had made a mistake. He quickly tried to explain.
In the backseat, Jiang Li burst into laughter.
“I didn’t expect our Brother Chao to have a day like this.”
Gao Ge could only stay silent, afraid of receiving a scolding from the boss.
“Alright, alright, let’s go back to the hotel!” Zhou Chao decided not to pursue the matter further.
The reason Zhou Chao got so angry when he saw the pink sign was mainly because Hang City had a significant LGBTQ+ community. Gao Ge, being a tall and burly man, using a pink sign to pick someone up could give others the wrong impression. Zhou Chao found this situation quite irritating.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. Zhou Chao’s gaze turned unkind as he looked at Gao Ge, who was driving, making Gao Ge break out in a cold sweat.
“Boss, which hotel would you like to go to?” Gao Ge asked nervously.
“Is there one near West Lake?”
“Yes, there’s one!”
“Then let’s go to the West Lake hotel.”
Zhou Chao didn’t want to dwell on the issue any longer. After all, what’s done is done.
The distance from the airport to the hotel near West Lake was about thirty kilometers, and it took nearly fifty minutes to arrive. After checking in, the key to the large car was handed over to Zhou Chao for convenience during their stay. It wasn’t until he saw the boss and his companion entering the elevator that Gao Ge finally let out a sigh of relief. He slumped onto the sofa, feeling exhausted.
“I’m such a big idiot, why did I use a pink sign to pick up the boss? I hope he won’t hold a grudge against me!” Gao Ge lightly slapped his face in regret.
During the entire journey, Zhou Chao felt that Jiang Li was giving him strange looks. As soon as they entered the hotel room, Jiang Li burst into laughter and said, “Brother Chao, what if someone had posted a picture of your pink airport pick-up sign online? You would have become famous! Hahaha!”
“How is that possible? Who would be so free to do such a thing?” Zhou Chao had just finished speaking when he saw Jiang Li open her phone, and a clear photo appeared on the screen. It was the picture of Gao Ge holding the pink sign high.
“Jiang Li, please delete it quickly. It gives me a headache just looking at it!” Zhou Chao moved closer to Jiang Li, ready to delete it himself.
No, I won’t. Next time you try to bully me, I’ll bring it out to remind you!”
Seeing Jiang Li’s triumphant look, Zhou Chao couldn’t help but pat his own forehead and said, “I’m truly defeated by you.”
“Alright, let’s stop playing. You should take a nap, and in the evening, I’ll take you around Hangcheng. We can also visit West Lake!”
“All- Ah, you didn’t have to say it, but as soon as you did, I started yawning. Lately, I’ve been feeling so sleepy. If I gain weight, please don’t blame me!”
“Don’t worry, you won’t gain weight!” Although Zhou Chao said she wouldn’t gain weight, he was already planning to cook various delicious dishes for her when they got back. He couldn’t wait to spoil her with good food!
After Jiang Li went into the bedroom, Zhou Chao started looking online for nearby delicious restaurants. He decided to take Jiang Li to try Dongpo Pork, a famous Hang City dish, and explore other options to make sure they wouldn’t miss out on any tasty food.
Time passed quickly, and soon it was evening. Both Zhou Chao and Jiang Li had changed into casual sports clothing. They were strolling along the riverbank of West Lake.
“I didn’t expect a little over a year to pass by so quickly!” Zhou Chao looked at the shimmering West Lake and couldn’t help but sigh at how fast time had flown.
It had been over a year since he had obtained the system. At this time, he had become one of the top-tier individuals. Thinking about this, he couldn’t help but embrace Jiang Li in his arms.
“Ah Li, meeting you has been wonderful!”
“Likewise.”
The two of them stood quietly by the riverbank, gazing at West Lake, looking like a couple of immortals, which attracted the curious glances of passersby.
“Hey, young folks, you’ve been hugging each other for quite a few minutes. Could you please make way for a moment? I need to sweep away the fallen leaves!” A slightly weathered voice came from behind them, and Zhou Chao quickly turned around to see who it was.
They saw an elderly man in his fifties or sixties, wearing a yellow smock, holding a long broom, and wearing a yellow hat on his head. His face carried a touch of world-weariness. He was unmistakably a sanitation worker.
“Oh, sorry, sir, we’ll leave right away!” Zhou Chao and Jiang Li felt embarrassed and quickly walked away.
“All, it’s good to be young these days. Unlike our time, even holding hands was considered extremely shy.” The sanitation worker sighed softly as he watched the two walk away and continued sweeping the fallen leaves.
After the little incident, the two didn’t linger around West Lake. Instead, they went to a restaurant by the lake called “Louwailou.”
“Brother Chao, it’s not even six o’clock yet. Are we going to have dinner already?”
“If we don’t come early, there won’t be any available tables later. 1 made a reservation in advance, and even then, there were hardly any tables left,” Zhou Chao explained as he held Jiang Li’s hand and entered the restaurant.
“Welcome to Louwailou. Do you have a reservation?”
“Last name Zhou!
The front desk staff quickly checked the reservation list, confirmed it, and then asked a waiter to escort Zhou Chao and Jiang Li to the second floor.
“Mr. Zhou, this is the window-side table you reserved. Here’s the menu for you to review.”
“West Lake vinegar fish, Dongpo pork, Longjing shrimp, Beggar’s Chicken, and fish head tofu, and for the West Lake vinegar fish, make it in the traditional way.”
The waiter noted down their order and left.
“Brother Chao, what do you mean by ‘make the West Lake vinegar fish in the traditional way’?” Jiang Li asked curiously.
“West Lake vinegar fish usually uses grass carp as the main ingredient for preparation. When 1 said ‘traditional way,’ 1 meant using a different type of fish, in this case, it’s crucian carp, with fewer bones to make it easier for you to eat.”
Hearing this, Jiang Li looked at Zhou Chao with sparkling eyes and whispered, “Love you!”
“We’re an old married couple, and you’re still using that line!” Zhou Chao playfully teased, but his face was clearly filled with joy.
“Hmph, you’re not romantic at all!”
Zhou Chao was about to retort, but his phone on the table suddenly rang.
“Who’s calling you?” Jiang Li leaned over curiously.
“It’s Si Cong. 1 wonder what’s going on.”
Zhou Chao said as he answered the call.
“Hello, Si Cong. What’s up?”
“Young Master Zhou, are you in Jingdu?”
No, I’m in Hangzhou right now. Is there something you need?”
“Weil, my dad wants to meet you and have a chat.”
Zhou Chao didn’t immediately respond to ST Cong’s request. He contemplated for a moment before saying, “Give me a few days. 1’11 call you when I’m back in Jingdu. It just so happens 1 have something to discuss with your dad too.”
“Sure, I’ll let my dad know. I’ll hang up now.”
The call was brief, lasting less than twenty seconds.
“Why did ST Cong call you? It’s not about some fancy party, is it?”
“Jiang Li, I’ve noticed your recent thoughts have been a bit colorful. This situation seems quite serious; you should pay more attention!”
Jiang Li rolled her eyes at him.
The dishes at Louwailou were served quickly. In less than half an hour, all the dishes Zhou Chao ordered were placed in front of them.
“Try this Dongpo pork first. Last time I came here alone, 1 had multiple servings of it; it’s incredibly delicious!” Zhou Chao said as he picked up a large piece of succulent Dongpo pork and held it near Jiang Li’s mouth.
Jiang Li glanced at Zhou Chao and playfully moved her lips before taking a big bite.
“How is it? Delicious, right? It’s rich but not greasy, and the meat is tender,” Zhou Chao asked as he grinned.
After chewing for a while, Jiang Li finally swallowed and said, “Oh, I almost choked, but it really is delicious!”
“Ah, save me a piece!” Right after Jiang Li’s comment, she saw Zhou Chao using his chopsticks to pick two pieces and put them in his own bowl. There was only one piece left on the plate, and it happened to be the smallest one.
“If you don’t eat it soon, i’ll finish it all!”
Jiang Li didn’t care about being a lady at this moment and started eating with gusto. The two of them were engaged in a friendly competition, having a great time..
