From Wage Slave to Tycoon

Chapter 158: Chapter 126: North-South Cultural Differences

「The next morning!」

He got a call from Boss Yu before he was even out of bed.

"Boss Yu, you’re calling a bit early, aren’t you? What time is it even?" Su Chen said with a wry smile. He hadn’t expected Boss Yu to call this early.

"Not early at all! It’s already eight o’clock. If I wasn’t worried about waking you, I’d have taken you to the five a.m. morning market."

"Hurry up and get ready. I’m already downstairs at the hotel. I’m taking you to try some authentic Northeastern breakfast!" Boss Yu’s booming voice did a good job of clearing the fog from Su Chen’s head.

"Alright, fine... give me twenty minutes!"

He couldn’t very well refuse the man’s kindness, plus they had already agreed yesterday to go out today. Su Chen just hadn’t expected it to be this early.

After hanging up, Su Chen rolled out of bed, sent a quick text to Chen Fei, and headed straight for the bathroom.

He quickly washed up, changed into a lighter overcoat, and left the room with Chen Fei.

Just as they stepped out of the room, Su Chen saw Wang Shasha, the personal butler for the presidential suite, standing at the door poised to knock.

"What are you doing here? Do you need something?"

Wang Shasha quickly lowered her right hand. "Mr. Su, the hotel provides a complimentary breakfast. I was just coming to ask if you’d like it delivered to your room!"

"Oh." Su Chen’s gaze lingered on her for a moment. "No breakfast, thanks. I’m about to head out."

"Then I’ll arrange a car for you right away, Mr. Su..."

"No need for a car. And another thing... you don’t need to stand guard here. Go handle your own duties. If I need anything, I’ll call you." Su Chen didn’t want someone buzzing around him like a fly, even if it was the personal butler assigned to serve him.

Without another glance, Su Chen walked straight to the elevator, leaving Wang Shasha standing there in a dumbfounded daze.

Actually, Wang Shasha’s looks and figure were both very nice, but she hadn’t made a good first impression on Su Chen. And after she kept trying to get his attention yesterday, his opinion of her had only worsened.

’It’s not like I haven’t dealt with personal butlers from top-tier five-star hotels before. Their level of professionalism is far beyond this Wang Shasha’s, and they know how to keep their distance. As for what she’s after, it’s as clear as day to me.’

Outside the hotel, Boss Yu’s ride—a Rolls-Royce—was parked right at the main entrance. Boss Yu himself was leaning ostentatiously against the front of the car. He had an LV clutch tucked under his left arm and was happily puffing on a cigarette.

"Doesn’t Boss Yu look like he’s trying too hard to look cool? Standing out here in this weather... isn’t he cold?" Chen Fei muttered under his breath.

Su Chen, walking ahead, heard him perfectly. ’He wasn’t wrong,’ Su Chen thought, ’but you don’t just say that out loud.’

He turned and shot a glare at Chen Fei, then walked towards Boss Yu with a cheerful smile. "Sorry to keep you waiting!"

"Perfect timing. Just finished my smoke." Boss Yu tossed the cigarette butt to the ground and ushered Su Chen and Chen Fei into the car.

When Chen Fei saw Boss Yu get directly into the driver’s seat, he found himself in an awkward predicament.

’If I sit in the passenger seat, won’t that make Boss Yu look like a chauffeur? But if I sit in the back... that’s even worse. I’d be the "big boss"!’

Su Chen saw Chen Fei’s dilemma and a playful smile crossed his face. "Go on, President Chen. Today you get to feel what it’s like to be the boss!"

The comment gave Chen Fei a start. He was about to say something, but then he saw Su Chen open the front passenger door and slide in.

Seeing this, Chen Fei clenched his jaw, made up his mind, and walked around to open the rear door and get in.

-----------------

"So, where are we heading?"

After leaving the hotel, Boss Yu had been driving along the Songhua River.

At first, Su Chen had assumed they were heading to tourist spots like Central Street or the Saint Sophia Cathedral, but their current direction suggested otherwise.

"I’m taking you to try some authentic Northeastern food, of course! Besides the snacks at the morning market, the Daowai district has the best local specialties."

Daowai wasn’t far from the Ritz-Carlton where Su Chen was staying, as both were located along the Songhua River.

There’s an old saying in Ice City: "Eat in Daowai, play in Daoli, and live in Nangang!"

After Boss Yu’s explanation, Su Chen finally understood.

In Daowai, there were many century-old eateries, and a good number of them served food that was considered part of the city’s intangible cultural heritage.

The ambiance might be a little rough, but the flavors were guaranteed to be top-notch.

"We’re here. This is the place!"

Su Chen followed Boss Yu’s gaze to a slightly worn-out sign.

"Onward State-Run Restaurant!"

The name alone told him the restaurant had to be at least fifty years old.

"Don’t be fooled by this little hole-in-the-wall looking old and grimy. I guarantee you, the flatbread and tofu pudding here are in a class of their own!"

With a recommendation that strong from Boss Yu, not going in to try it would be a slap in the face.

Stepping inside, they found dozens of people crammed into the small restaurant.

The restaurant was L-shaped, with about ten tables. There weren’t many people sitting and eating; most were getting takeout.

Boss Yu ordered three bowls of tofu pudding, ten flatbreads, and two cold appetizers, then found an empty table in the back.

The owner was quick, bringing their order over in just a few minutes.

"Hm? This is tofu pudding?" Su Chen asked, looking at the bowl in front of him.

Boss Yu had just picked up his spoon, ready to take a bite, when he heard Su Chen’s confused voice.

"Yup, this is authentic Northeastern tofu pudding. Savory gravy, chopped scallions, minced garlic, and a sprinkle of chili powder."

Then, a thought struck Boss Yu. He slapped his forehead. "Ah, I forgot. You southerners like your tofu pudding sweet."

Su Chen’s mouth twitched, and Chen Fei next to him didn’t look much better.

He didn’t bother arguing that, being from the southwest, he ate his spicy, not sweet.

They say when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Su Chen didn’t ask any more questions and just picked up his spoon and started eating.

The tender tofu pudding, paired with the unique gravy... actually had a flavor all its own.

Add in the crispy, fragrant flatbread, and Su Chen found himself enjoying the meal immensely.

Before he knew it, he had polished off five flatbreads, prompting Boss Yu to order ten more from the owner.

All three ate until they were stuffed. When it came time to pay the bill, it was—get this—less than fifty yuan. It was incredibly cheap.

..........

Daowai and Daoli weren’t far from each other, separated only by a railroad.

Yet that single railway track divided two completely different faces of the city.

If Daowai was the epitome of a lively, down-to-earth atmosphere, then Daoli was the symbol of bustling prosperity.

As they drove from Daowai into Daoli, Su Chen realized that these two areas, separated by just a railway, were worlds apart.

All sorts of architectural styles caught Su Chen’s eye.

While he had seen the signature Chinese Baroque architecture in Daowai, most of those buildings were badly damaged, which greatly diminished their appeal.

The foreign-style mansions in Daoli, however, remained as magnificent as ever.

Central Street was probably the most famous street in Daoli. It was one of the best-preserved European-style pedestrian streets in the country and held the old memories of Ice City.

Naturally, the street was packed with tourists, and Su Chen spotted quite a few beautiful Russian girls among them.

Led by Boss Yu, they finished their walk down Central Street and paid a visit to the Saint Sophia Cathedral. They just admired it from the outside, though, not bothering to buy tickets to enter.

They also went down Tongjiang Street to appreciate its cultural tapestry, with its various cultural centers and guild halls, which was a bit of an eye-opener for Su Chen.

Ice City was truly worthy of its "Moscow of the East" moniker; it was an impressive place.

After a full day of sightseeing, they finally sat down to the iron pot stewed goose he’d been looking forward to.

"HAHAHA! I can’t believe you guys caused such a stir on your first trip to Ice City!"

When Boss Yu heard the story of how Su Chen and Chen Fei, on their first trip to the Northeast, had ordered so many dishes they ended up asking a sanitation worker how she managed to eat so much, he burst out laughing.

"How was I supposed to know? Who would’ve thought the serving platters would be so massive? The crazy part is that everything was so cheap, just ten or twenty yuan a dish!"

"That’s perfectly normal. The first time I went to the South to eat with friends, I didn’t know that the small side plate was for bones and scraps..."

"I was putting some food on it to let it cool before eating, and the next thing I knew, the waiter just took it away and replaced it with a clean one. That was a pretty embarrassing moment for me too."

The cultural differences between northern and southern China are huge. The proper use of that little side plate alone can spark massive online debates between northerners and southerners.

The iron pot stewed goose they were having for dinner was a special recommendation from Boss Yu. The restaurant was called Shanhetun, and he claimed it was one of the most iconic iron pot stew places in Ice City.

As the waiter lifted the lid and announced, "It’s ready," Su Chen picked up his chopsticks, eager to eat.

A phone call interrupted Su Chen just as he was about to enjoy his meal.

"Sir, it’s a call from President Zong!" Chen Fei said, handing the phone to Su Chen.

"Zong Xinyao?" Su Chen hadn’t expected a call from Zong Xinyao. He took the phone and answered it directly, not minding that Boss Yu was still there.

Boss Yu couldn’t help but overhear the conversation. ’Just what kind of background does this guy have?’ he wondered. ’He even travels with a bodyguard...’

’So that’s it!’ He finally understood Chen Fei’s role, and all of his earlier awkwardness suddenly made sense.

"Hello, Xinyao. What’s up?" While on the phone, Su Chen gestured to Boss Yu with his chopsticks, indicating that he should eat and not mind him.

After all, they had walked a fair bit today. Despite all the snacks at noon, he was feeling the hunger.

"Boss, the eight lamb restaurants here in the Imperial Capital are getting ready to open. I was calling to ask if you’d be available to attend the opening ceremony."

"Mm, no, I can’t. I’m on vacation in Ice City right now. It’ll probably be a while before I’m back."

"For the ribbon-cutting, just get in touch with Sicong and Qin Fen. They should be free. Oh, and Chen He and Deng Chao, too. An event like this wouldn’t be complete without them!"

As Su Chen casually dropped one famous name after another, the color drained from Boss Yu’s face. He finally got it—Su Chen was a top-tier heir.

Otherwise, there’s no way he could mention names like Sicong and Qin Fen so nonchalantly.

By the time Boss Yu came back to his senses, Su Chen had already finished the call.

"Brother Su... I mean, Mr. Su!" Boss Yu called out, his tone suddenly formal and restrained.

Seeing Boss Yu’s stiff demeanor, Su Chen knew exactly what had caused it—the phone call.

Su Chen smiled warmly. "Boss Yu, I think I prefer it when you call me Brother Su. It sounds friendlier, don’t you think?"

Boss Yu froze for a second, then a look of pure elation spread across his face.

"Bro... Brother Su is right!"