Chapter 77: Chapter 77: I Suppose This Counts as Lobbying My Way into the Imperial Capital?
"I’m telling you, Brother Xiao... where are you taking me? We’ve been driving for an hour, and it’s almost dark!"
Su Chen was currently sitting in Xiao Chen’s Hongqi car as it sped through the streets of the Imperial Capital.
As for where they were going... all Su Chen knew was that they were still somewhere in the Imperial Capital.
After the events of the afternoon, Xiao Chen had taken a real liking to his new friend, Su Chen. On top of that, their personalities meshed well, and before long, they’d become friends.
After signing the contract, Xiao Chen had offered to take him out to dinner to celebrate.
But who would’ve thought they’d still be driving an hour later and not have arrived?
’If I didn’t know Xiao Chen was straight,’ Su Chen thought, ’I’d be thinking he was up to no good...’
"We’re almost there!"
Just as he finished speaking, Xiao Chen pulled the car smoothly into a temporary parking spot on the side of the road.
Su Chen looked around through the window. There were no tall skyscrapers, just low-slung, single-story buildings. He didn’t see any restaurant signs either.
It looked like the outskirts of the Imperial Capital.
Although he was full of questions, he opened the car door and got out.
"I wouldn’t bring anyone here if they weren’t a friend," Xiao Chen said out of the blue.
Men are strange sometimes. A single meeting or a shared meal can be enough to turn them into the best of buddies who can talk about anything.
’Maybe... this is just what it means to hit it off.’
Su Chen followed Xiao Chen toward a nearby single-story building that faced the street.
A gray curtain hung over the entrance, obscuring the view of what was inside.
When Su Chen lifted the curtain and stepped inside, he finally got a clear look at the room.
There were four or five dining tables inside, each with a copper pot on it. He instantly knew what kind of food they served here.
"Lamb hotpot!"
Xiao Chen glanced around, saw no one else, and didn’t call out. He simply found a random table and sat down. Seeing this, Su Chen sat down as well.
Though Su Chen was curious why a second-generation heir like Xiao Chen would come to a place like this...
...in the end, he didn’t voice his question.
After about a five-minute wait, a young man emerged from the back kitchen.
He was taken aback for a moment when he saw people sitting in the room.
But when he saw who it was, he hurried over.
"Hey, Brother Cheen, what are you doing here? You didn’t even call ahead!" The young man’s face was lit up with a happy smile.
"I just got here myself. I brought a friend to try your lamb today, so don’t you go holding back the good stuff!" Xiao Chen replied with a grin.
Hearing this, the young man glanced at Su Chen with a hint of surprise.
His gaze met Su Chen’s, and Su Chen smiled and nodded.
The young man hadn’t expected Su Chen to greet him and gave a slightly bashful nod in return.
"Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of you!" With that, he turned and headed back to the kitchen.
Su Chen watched the young man’s retreating figure, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. He noticed the man seemed to walk with a slight limp...
Xiao Chen produced a teapot from somewhere, poured Su Chen a nearly full cup, and said calmly, "That young man just now is named Li Fei. He used to be my subordinate. A few years ago, he lost a leg saving me during a mission."
"When he was discharged, the kid refused any arrangements, insisting he could make a living on his own. As it happened, one of his army buddies was from Inner Mongolia, and his family raises a lot of high-quality sheep. They put their heads together and opened this lamb restaurant."
"Don’t be fooled by how small this place is, with just a few tables... In another half hour, even I would need a reservation to get a seat!"
"I’ve tried to convince him a few times to expand the place and put up a proper sign, but do you know what the kid said?"
Su Chen raised an eyebrow, his tone laced with surprise. "Don’t tell me he said something like, ’As long as I have enough money to get by, I don’t want to work myself to death.’"
Hearing that, a peculiar look appeared on Xiao Chen’s face. "Whoa... well, I’ll be. How’d you know?"
Su Chen’s mouth twitched. He’d once had a similar dream: open a small shop, earn ten thousand or so a month, just enough to live comfortably, without chasing great wealth and fortune.
"Just a guess."
Xiao Chen was speechless...
"Here we go! Top-quality Wuzhumuqin lamb, delivered just this morning. Super fresh!" Li Fei called out as he came from the back kitchen carrying a large metal tray.
On the tray were two large plates piled high with sliced lamb rolls!
"Xiaofei, come eat with us and chat for a bit!" Xiao Chen patted the empty seat next to him, gesturing for him to sit.
Li Fei hesitated for a moment before replying, "Brother Cheen, I won’t disturb you two. It’s about to get busy, and I still have more lamb to slice!"
Xiao Chen knew what he was thinking, but he didn’t press the issue. "Alright then, go on and get busy!"
"You got it! Just give me a shout if you need anything!" With that, Li Fei carried the large metal tray back toward the kitchen.
The Imperial Capital’s style of iron pot hotpot was quite simple. It was just lamb boiled in plain water with a few slices of ginger and green onion, plus some dried shrimp, red dates, and goji berries to complete it.
With no heavy seasonings to mask the flavor, the original taste of the lamb shone through. Dipped in a bit of sesame sauce, it was unbelievably delicious.
"Hm?" A few slices of lamb entered his mouth. There wasn’t the slightest hint of a gamey taste; instead, there was a faint, clean fragrance.
Xiao Chen noticed Su Chen’s reaction and looked up. "What’s wrong?"
"What was this lamb called again? Umuzhuchin?"
Xiao Chen shot him an exasperated look. "What Umuzhuchin? It’s called Wuzhumuqin!"
"Hahaha! I guess I didn’t hear it clearly earlier!" Su Chen chuckled, but his hands didn’t slow down in the slightest.
Over the course of their meal, more and more customers arrived. Most were regulars, and many knew each other. When there were no more tables, they simply arranged to share.
Su Chen was truly seeing just how popular this lamb restaurant was.
The two of them ate for about an hour, polishing off four whole platters. They were both incredibly satisfied.
As they were leaving, Su Chen thought of Jiang Hui, who was still back at the courtyard house. He brazenly asked Li Fei if he could buy three platters of lamb to-go.
Xiao Chen saw this and nodded slightly, muttering to himself, ’His character isn’t bad. Definitely someone worth befriending.’
After they signed the contract that afternoon, Xiao Chen had suggested Su Chen move directly into the courtyard house. After all, everything inside was brand new and ready for someone to move in. Su Chen didn’t refuse and left the task of handling his luggage to Jiang Hui.
By the time they returned to the courtyard house, it was already ten o’clock at night.
After dropping Su Chen at the gate, Xiao Chen said he’d bring over the property documents tomorrow, then stomped on the gas and sped away.
In a detached courtyard house near Chaoyang Gate, one that was more than twice the size of the one Su Chen had just bought.
"Grandfather." As soon as Xiao Chen entered the house, he saw the old man sitting in a chair in the main hall, resting with his eyes closed. He walked over and greeted him respectfully.
"Mm. You’re back. Is everything taken care of?" The old man opened his eyes, his sharp gaze falling upon Xiao Chen.
"All taken care of. The other party is a young man, a pretty decent guy. I made a friend. I took him out for some hotpot tonight!" Xiao Chen explained everything clearly.
The old man nodded slightly and said nothing, seemingly lost in thought.
"If he’s a decent person, then get to know him properly. It’s good to broaden your circle a bit. As for friends, the more the merrier."
"I understand, Grandfather!" Xiao Chen knew what his grandfather meant. It was basically an order to investigate the man thoroughly, and if there were no issues, he could be brought into their circle.
As for his resources... both the old man and Xiao Chen were well aware that any young man who could casually drop over two hundred million had to have some kind of backing.
The old man patted his legs and stood up from his chair.
"Think more before you act from now on, so you don’t give people reason to gossip behind your back."
With that, he slowly made his way to his room, leaving Xiao Chen standing there alone.
