Chapter 33
“Ding, boarding for Sichuan Airlines 3U8704 to Ice City. Ticket check begins. Passengers, please pay attention to your carry-on items.”
Zhou Chao boarded directly through the fast lane. The flight from Peng City to Ice City would take 16.7 hours. When he landed in Ice City the next day, it was already daytime. Zhou Chao, feeling groggy as he walked out of the Ice City Airport, hadn’t slept much on the plane, even though he was in the first-class cabin. He had sporadically dozed off for a while.
He headed straight to the hotel he had booked in advance online and went to sleep as soon as he lay down on the bed, entering dreamland.
This time, he slept until past 4 PM before waking up. He sat on the bed for a while, feeling a bit dizzy. After feeling better, he got up to take a shower. After the shower, Zhou Chao looked at his clothes, furrowing his brows. He had brought a change of clothes from Modu, but it had been several days, and the clothes seemed to have acquired a smell. He decided to go out later and buy a new set to freshen up.
The summer in Ice City was very cool, with temperatures around 20 degrees Celsius. The breeze felt refreshing on his skin. Zhou Chao gazed at the passersby outside the window and decided to call his Third Bro, Xu Wenzheng.
“Hello, Second Brother,” Xu Wenzheng’s Northeastern accent was evident.
“Zhengzi, I’ve arrived in Ice City. Are you free tonight? Let’s go out for a meal.”
“Second Brother, you’re on my turf now. I’ll handle the arrangements. Where are you now? I’ll come to pick you up later.”
“Sure, I’m at Haobin Holiday Hotel in Nan Gang District. I plan to go shopping at the mall later to buy some clothes. Where are you?”
“I’m still at the store now. I’ll call you after I’m done.”
“Okay, call me later then.” Zhou Chao hung up the phone and left the hotel.
He found a nearby shopping mall, bought a well-fitted set of clothes, and spent less than 1000 RMB. The most expensive item was the watch he was wearing. He returned to the hotel and waited for Xu Wenzheng’s call, idly scrolling through short videos.
Around 6 PM, Zhou Chao received a location message from Xu Wenzheng. It wasn’t far from where he was, and it seemed to be a cozy little restaurant. He hailed a cab and made his way there.
As soon as Zhou Chao stepped into the restaurant, he saw Xu Wenzheng’s tall figure. There were three of them in total, and he walked over and playfully tapped Xu Wenzheng on the back.
Xu Wenzheng, who was talking with his girlfriend and his girlfriend’s friend, suddenly got a shock, then stood up angrily, ready to teach someone a lesson. But when he turned around, he saw it was his second brother, Zhou Chao.
Seeing Xu Wenzheng’s fierce appearance, Zhou Chao teased, “What’s the matter? Still want to give me a beating?”
Xu Wenzheng immediately gave him a big bear hug. “I’ve missed you, come on, sit down. Let me tell you, this restaurant is amazing. You’ll see when you try the food.”
“Third Bro, don’t forget to introduce me,” Zhou Chao cast a knowing glance at Xu Wenzheng.
“Cough, this is my girlfriend, and future wife, Zuo Rui. This is my wife’s best friend, Shen Lan. She’s still single.” Xu Wenzheng winked at Zhou Chao.
The four of them exchanged greetings. Zhou Chao looked at Xu Wenzheng’s girlfriend and her friend. There was no denying they were both beautiful women, with great figures and a lively temperament—genuine Northeastern beauties.
Zhou Chao didn’t hold back either and sat down directly. Before he arrived, Xu Wenzheng had already ordered the dishes, all of which were specialties from the Northeast. They had iron pot stewed goose, sweet and sour pork, a variety of grilled skewers, and, of course, Ice City’s local beer—Harbin beer, an essential part of the meal.
Zhou Chao didn’t mind; after all, his body’s constitution was already at the limit for humans, so having a beer wasn’t a big deal. The four of them quickly immersed themselves in the joy of drinking and eating, feeling blissful with each sip of beer and each bite of the grilled skewers.
Harbin beer, bottled in a transparent glass, boasts a delightful taste that is incredibly refreshing and perfect for chilling. The moment you take a sip, a sense of freshness and invigoration washes over you. It’s an ideal choice for relaxed drinking, especially when accompanied by Northeastern-style grilled skewers, which complement the beer with a unique and savory flavor.
After drinking about three bottles of beer, the three friends, including Zhou Chao, were slightly tipsy. After all, people from Northeast China can hold their liquor quite well. Leaving the restaurant, Third Bro intended to have Shen Lan accompany Zhou Chao back home, but he firmly declined. After all, he had no romantic feelings for her. Subsequently, the three of them left.
Initially, Zhou Chao planned to return to his hotel, but considering that he had come to Ice City, he couldn’t miss experiencing some local specialties. So, he hailed a taxi.
“Driver, take me to the largest bathhouse in Ice City.” That’s right, Zhou Chao wanted to go for a hot bath. Coming to Northeast China without experiencing a bath would make his trip incomplete. The taxi driver took Zhou Chao directly to the biggest bathhouse in Ice City, known as “Qingshui Realm”.
As soon as he got out of the car, enthusiastic staff members greeted Zhou Chao.
“Do you have private SPA rooms here?” Zhou Chao, being from Fog City, felt uncomfortable about bathing naked with others. He wanted to have a private bathing experience.
“Hello, sir. We have an exclusive SPA area where you can enjoy a private session.”
“Alright, please arrange that for me.”
Soon, the staff guided Zhou Chao into a charmingly decorated private room and handed him a small basket containing bathing essentials. Zhou Chao was a bit puzzled but soon figured out that they were for bathing purposes.
Zhou Chao quickly selected the desired package, starting with a relaxing bath followed by a back massage.
After an uncertain amount of time, there was a knock on Zhou Chao’s room door. “Knock, knock, knock.” He was a bit groggy from soaking in the tub and took a moment to realize someone was knocking.
“Come in,” Zhou Chao said weakly, lying at the edge of the bath. A man in his thirties, hailing from Northeast China, entered the room.
“Hello, sir. The back massage package you ordered is ready to begin.”
Zhou Chao, dressed only in his underwear, lay down on the massage table, appearing like a naked white worm. The masseur, an experienced professional, could tell that Zhou Chao was not from the Northeast and immediately started the massage, causing the sounds of his skilled hands to resonate in the massage room for quite some time before subsiding.
By now, Zhou Chao had transitioned to soaking in the hot bath, enduring around 20 minutes of the masseur’s expert treatment. Initially, he had cried out in pain, but now he felt extremely comfortable, thoroughly enjoying the experience.
After spending another ten minutes in the bath, he got up and put on the robe provided. He was ready to experience the steam room, as suggested by the masseur, along with other entertainment options.
He continued to indulge until midnight, experiencing the steam room, playing pool, enjoying a late-night snack, watching a movie, and feeling completely refreshed. Initially, Zhou Chao had planned to return to his hotel, but the staff mentioned that he could sleep there if he wished, so he decided not to go back to the hotel.
Is Zhou Chao asleep now? Of course not. He is currently relishing a foot massage. On his way to the sleeping area, he passed by the foot massage room and without hesitation, went inside and lay down. He savored the foot massage while eating fruits and watching a movie, experiencing an extraordinary level of enjoyment. Zhou Chao continued playing until the late hours before finally going to bed.