Chapter 100: Strolling Around Jingdu
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
It had been two days since Yu Qian and the others had last visited Lao Guo’s home. During these two days, Zhou Chao had mostly stayed indoors, feeling as if his body was becoming stagnant.
One noteworthy mention was that the painting of the tiger descending from the mountain, which had been removed earlier, was now expertly framed by Old Master Ma and hand-delivered.
“Lin Wu, Wang Feng, Da Wu, Xiao Wu, today let’s go out and explore some of the famous sights in Jingdu.” After spending a few days home, Zhou Chao felt the need to step outside and clear his mind.
“Boss, you might want to consider buying another car. After all, we only have one car now, and every time we go out, we’re all cramped together. It kind of feels like it’s affecting your image.” Lin Wu’s suggestion made Zhou Chao ponder whether there was some truth to it.
“Alright, let’s get a new car first, then we’ll visit the Forbidden City and the Old Summer Palace. Change into casual attire, got it?”
“Yes, boss.”
“Let’s go.” The group hustled into the bedroom.
After a short while, Lin Wu and the others emerged, now donning casual clothes. Zhou Chao led them out of the house.
“Directly head to the Rolls-Royce 4S dealership.” Lin Wu quickly located the address of the 4S dealership and set the navigation.
In less than an hour, they arrived at the Rolls-Royce 4S dealership in Chaoyang.
Zhou Chao and Lin Wu entered the showroom, where they were greeted by an attractively dressed woman.
“Hello, handsome.” Zhou Chao stole a glance at the woman next to him but quickly averted his gaze.
“Do you have the Phantom in stock?”
“Yes, handsome. Please come this way, and I’ll introduce it to you.”
“No need for introductions. I’m familiar with it. What colors do you have?” This time, Zhou Chao interrupted the saleswoman’s introduction and directly inquired.
“We have black and blue in stock.”
“Let’s go with blue. I won’t negotiate the price with you. I’m not a native of Jingdu; I just moved here recently and don’t have local social security benefits. 1’11 pay in full. Can you handle that? If you can, we’ll sign the contract; if not, I’ll leave.” Zhou Chao was straightforward, not willing to waste time.
“Sir, please rest in the lounge for a moment. I’ll go consult the manager.”
“Sure, but hurry up. I don’t want to sit here waiting for your consultation.” Within two minutes, the saleswoman returned with a middle-aged man in a suit.
The sales manager was surprised as he entered the room. He had never encountered such a strikingly handsome man before. His attention was also drawn to the tall and poised figure of Lin Wu beside Zhou Chao. In that moment, he had a clear sense of the situation.
“Hello, sir. May I ask for your surname?” The sales manager, wearing a smile, seated himself next to Zhou Chao.
“Zhou.”
“Mr. Zhou, Li Mei has already briefed me on your situation. There’s absolutely no problem. It might take about an hour, though.”
Zhou Chao checked his watch; it was not even 10 o’clock. He nodded in agreement.
“Mr. Zhou, here’s the contract. Take a look.” Zhou Chao glanced briefly at it. The total price was 9.63 million, including insurance and license plates.
Without hesitation, Zhou Chao signed the contract and handed his Huaxia Bank black card to the manager. The manager couldn’t help but be astonished when he saw Zhou Chao’s card.
Such a card could only be obtained with a deposit of at least one hundred million yuan in the bank. Moreover, one’s eligibility would be rigorously reviewed before such a card was issued.
“Please wait a moment.” The sales manager stood up and went to process the card payment. Soon, he returned with the receipt.
“Thank you very much, Mr. Zhou, for your trust in Rolls-Royce. Please rest for a moment, Mr. Zhou.” The sales manager said this and then left with the saleswoman. Soon after, the saleswoman returned with a large plate of fruits. “Mr. Zhou, please have some fruit while we finalize everything. I’ll notify you immediately once it’s done.”
“Sure.” Zhou Chao nodded and didn’t say anything more. The saleswoman also tactfully left the room.
“Have a seat and have some food. There’s no need to stand the whole time. Also, let Wang Feng drive the car outside.” Upon hearing this, Lin Wu didn’t speak but took out his phone to send a message to Wang Feng, explaining the situation.
An hour quickly passed. The saleswoman returned with the car keys and documents.
“Mr. Zhou, here are your car keys and documents.” Lin Wu took them directly, and Zhou Chao stood up from the sofa and headed outside.
“Thank you.” Zhou Chao went to the car and turned to the saleswoman by his side before getting into the car and leaving the 4S dealership.
“Boss, where are we going now?”
Zhou Chao checked the time; it was already 11 o’clock. A visit to the Forbidden City now wasn’t feasible.
“Let’s find a place to eat first. We can go sightseeing in the afternoon.” The northern winter was quite cold, but luckily, there was no snow today. Zhou Chao found a restaurant with convenient parking and had a simple meal before driving away.
“Boss, where should we go first?”
Zhou Chao pondered for a moment. “Let’s go to the Old Summer Palace.”
The group drove to the Old Summer Palace in Haidian District. They bought five tickets and Zhou Chao led the way inside.
The Old Summer Palace, built in 1707, covered an area of 3.5 square kilometers with a construction area of 200,000 square meters and boasted more than 150 scenic spots. However, what remained now were ruins.
Zhou Chao and the others spent about two hours exploring, mostly seeing broken walls and remnants. Where Zhou Chao stood now was once the fountain pool where the heads of the 12 zodiac animals were placed. However, there was no water left, just some shattered walls.
“System check-in.”
“Congratulations, host, for checking in the Rooster and Dog Zodiac Heads.” Indeed, this was Zhou Chao’s purpose in visiting the Old Summer Palace. “Let’s go, it’s time to head back!” Since their goal was achieved, it was time to return. After spending more than two hours outside, they had accomplished multiple objectives.
Lin Wu and the others felt a bit puzzled. They thought they would be visiting more places today, but they only visited one and were now heading back. However, since the boss had given the order, they had no choice but to comply. “Boss, are we really going back like this?”
“Do you want to play outside for a bit longer?”
“I’m thinking on their behalf. They’ve been stuck at home every day. At least I’ve been accompanying you for your tasks.” Zhou Chao understood Lin Wu’s meaning.
“Well, when you go back, organize a schedule. Each day, one person can take a break while the others work. However, when there’s something important, everyone must be present. And remember, there’s still training to do; don’t become complacent.”
“Yes, boss. Don’t worry, I’ll supervise them well.” Zhou Chao didn’t say anything more upon hearing this. Instead, he looked at the two zodiac heads in the warehouse. Fie would have to figure out a way to donate them.
Once back home, Zhou Chao immediately headed to his study. After locking the study door, he retrieved the zodiac heads from the system’s inventory. They were neatly packed in boxes.
Zhou Chao spent a good while examining the two zodiac heads before carefully placing them back into their boxes. However, he didn’t store them in the inventory this time; instead, he put them inside a cabinet, as he had already come up with a plan.
Checking the time, Zhou Chao took out his phone and made a call.
“Ring ring ring….”