Chapter 9: The "Second-Generation Entrepreneurs" Gathering
"Ring ring, ring ring..." The phone rang.
Answering the call, a rough voice came from the other end.
"Haizi, are you busy? Come over to my place with Xiaolang for dinner!"
"Let's go!"
After working for so long, Chen Jianhai was starving.
Hearing his friend's invitation, he instantly perked up, quickly took a shower, changed into clean clothes, and walked out of the hotel.
"System, start the renovation now."
Standing at the entrance, Chen Jianhai spoke in his mind.
"Ding."
"The guest room floor renovation will start in 10 minutes."
"The renovation will take approximately 4 hours. Please leave the hotel as soon as possible."
The system's voice sounded.
Chen Jianhai locked the hotel door with satisfaction.
Strolling along the seaside path, he walked to the other side of the street.
As soon as he turned the corner, Chen Jianhai saw a yellow BMW convertible sports car parked in front of Xiaolang BBQ.
"Beep beep!"
"Beep beep!!!"
The car horn sounded.
Chen Jianhai jogged to the car, opened the door, and got into the passenger seat.
In the driver's seat, Xiaolang was wearing a tank top and shorts, with a pair of old BJ cloth shoes on his feet and a cigarette in his mouth, looking extremely cool.
Once Chen Jianhai was in the car, Xiaolang took a deep drag and tossed the cigarette butt out the window.
"Brother Hai, how do you like my car!!!"
Xiaolang patted his thigh, looking both proud and smug.
"It looks much better than your previous flashy pink one." Chen Jianhai fastened his seatbelt and spoke honestly.
"Hey! A man has to mature."
Xiaolang pretended to be deep, flipping his hair.
"I'm already a big boss now. I can't be as flamboyant as I was in my youthful days."
"I need to learn to be low-key."
"Brother Hai, don't you think?"
Chen Jianhai silently nodded, glancing at "Xiaolang BBQ," which had a sign on the door:
"The boss is out for dinner tonight, closed for the evening."
"Boss Lang, aren't you losing a few hundred million by closing tonight?" Chen Jianhai asked.
"Friendship is worth more than gold!"
"Let's go, Brother Hai, let me show you the thrill of my new car!"
With that, Xiaolang stepped hard on the gas pedal.
With a roaring sound, the sports car shot forward.
...
About 15 minutes later.
Xiaolang slammed on the brakes!
The BMW sports car came to an abrupt stop as if someone had pulled the reins.
"Whew..."
Xiaolang's eyes were bloodshot, his face flushed, and his hands on the steering wheel were trembling.
Chen Jianhai's face was pale, gripping the car door and seatbelt tightly.
The dusty air was filled with a deathly silence.
...
"How's the car...?"
"Cool or not?"
"Thrill... strong or not..."
Xiaolang's voice trembled, whether from excitement or fear, his teeth chattering, and a few drops of sweat trickling down his face.
"Thrill you... ugh!"
Chen Jianhai started to speak but immediately changed his expression, quickly unbuckling his seatbelt, opening the car door, and bending over into the nearby grass.
"Ugh!" he vomited.
Soon, Xiaolang also got out of the car.
"Ugh!"
The two of them vomited side by side.
For a moment,
the green grass and flowers were ravaged, the fresh breeze tainted, insects and butterflies fleeing in panic, creating a scene too tragic to behold!
"You crazy idiot!!!"
Chen Jianhai kicked Xiaolang hard.
The journey that usually took 40 minutes was cut down to 15 minutes by this madman.
The whole way felt like a death wish, scaring Chen Jianhai so much he didn't dare breathe, clutching the seatbelt tightly.
Luckily, the road was usually empty, and it was nighttime, with few pedestrians and vehicles.
Otherwise, if they had hit something, they would have been done for!
If it weren't for Xiaolang's parents watching him grow up, Chen Jianhai would have cursed his ancestors to the eighteenth generation!
On the roadside, a few people looked at Chen Jianhai and Xiaolang in astonishment.
"It's so early, and they're already this drunk..."
...
"Brother Hai, we're now life-and-death brothers."
"Brothers through thick and thin!!!"
Chen Jianhai and Xiaolang, supporting each other, got back in the car, both looking pale.
The sports car drove slowly at 60 mph to a mansion.
At the entrance,
a butler-like figure was waiting, warmly welcoming them inside.
As soon as they entered, Chen Jianhai and Xiaolang were greeted by the fragrant aroma of food.
Passing through the living room,
they felt so familiar as if they were at their own home, heading straight to the kitchen.
In the 180-square-meter kitchen, a large pot on the stove was simmering some kind of meat, making a bubbling sound.
The rich meat aroma filled the kitchen, making their mouths water.
Chen Jianhai was so tempted he wanted to grab a pair of chopsticks and taste a piece.
In the center of the kitchen, a young man in a white chef's uniform was kneading dough, repeatedly slapping it on the counter.
The young man looked refined and handsome, his hands moving like magic, quickly turning the dough into hair-thin strands.
Hundreds of smooth, white noodle strands danced in the air, creating different shapes and effects, hitting the counter with a "pa pa" sound.
"Wow! Xu Bo, your noodle-making skills are getting better and better."
Xiaolang stared at the hair-thin noodles in the air, admiringly.
Xu Bo, while slapping the noodles, said:
"Wash your hands, the noodles will be ready soon!"
...
Before long, a bowl of fragrant noodles was placed in front of Chen Jianhai.
In the green porcelain bowl, jade-like noodles soaked in rich meat broth, topped with a thick layer of pork intestines and braised meat, with a few slices of green vegetables, smelled divine.
Having just vomited, Xiaolang was starving. He grabbed his chopsticks and, ignoring the heat, stuffed large mouthfuls into his mouth.
Tears and snot flowed from the heat.
Chen Jianhai, though starving, still had some sense,
blowing on each mouthful before sending it into his mouth.
"Slurp slurp"
The kitchen echoed with the sound of Chen Jianhai and Xiaolang slurping noodles.
"Gulp gulp."
Finishing the last bite, Chen Jianhai picked up the bowl and drank the broth.
"The big hotel boss is starving like this, don't your chefs cook for you?"
Xu Bo hit the sore spot, earning a glare from Boss Chen.
"The chef quit earlier, and I haven't found a new one yet."
Chen Jianhai took two napkins from the table to wipe his sweat.
Xu Bo got up to serve Chen Jianhai another bowl of meat noodle soup, joking,
"Brother Hai, why don't I become your chef?"
"I can't afford you, young master. My salary isn't even enough for myself."
Chen Jianhai didn't even lift his eyelids, retorting directly.
"Exactly,"
Xiaolang chimed in:
"Bo Bo, you're the son of the swimming ring king of Nanjiang City, holding all the swimming ring business. If you become Brother Hai's chef, your dad would kill you."