Chapter 27: The Late-Night Traveler
Chen Jianhai was resolute: "I'm going tonight."
"In your current state, you're prone to fatigue driving. Stay here and keep an eye on the hotel."
"Boss, I can drink Red Bull or coffee to stay awake!"
The doorman was strongly opposed.
To put it bluntly,
if you asked me to play games and rank up now, I could stay up all night without a single drop of Red Bull or coffee!
"No more discussion, I'm going to pick up the guest. Your biggest job is to guard the hotel."
Chen Jianhai put on his boss's demeanor, with an expression that said, "This matter is not up for debate."
Reluctantly, the doorman let go.
He felt a bit lost and anxious,
A hotel owner, seeing me tired, is taking over my job to pick up a guest???
Unheard of.
The doorman scratched his head, not daring to say anything more, and nodded reluctantly.
...
Late at night,
the door to room 121 opened.
Jiang Boran, carrying a bag and dragging a large suitcase, pulled out his room card and walked out.
He was exhausted.
Most hotels in Nanjing only provide airport transfers until 11:30 PM. He chose Langai because this hotel offered 24-hour airport transfer services without such restrictions.
"Hello, are you Mr. Jiang?"
As soon as he reached the staircase, a young man warmly greeted him.
"I'm here to take you to the airport. Let me help you with your luggage."
Jiang Boran nodded.
He had drunk quite a bit at a banquet in the afternoon and had been vomiting heavily back at the hotel. Now, he had a terrible headache.
He was staggering, barely able to walk straight.
"Are you feeling unwell?"
Seeing his condition, the young man quickly guided Jiang Boran to the lounge area, poured a cup of hot water, and handed it to him,
"Sir, please sit here and rest for a bit. I'll handle your checkout."
"Thank you."
Jiang Boran didn't want to trouble others, but he felt too unwell to refuse. He handed his ID to the young man and sat on the nearby sofa.
Soon, the young man returned with his ID from the service desk.
"Mr. Jiang, how are you feeling? Are you ready to go?"
"It's fine, let's go."
After drinking most of the hot water, Jiang Boran's upset stomach felt much better. He spoke with some embarrassment.
As an adult, needing someone else to take care of you while traveling feels quite awkward.
It troubles others and makes you uncomfortable.
But the young man didn't seem to mind at all, carrying Jiang Boran's bag and luggage, leading the way.
"Mr. Jiang, the car is outside. Please follow me."
...
Late-night Nanjing.
The day's heat was blown away by the sea breeze, bringing a comfortable coolness.
At the hotel entrance,
the doorman stood by a car. Seeing the two of them come out, he quickly approached.
Strangely,
Jiang Boran wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or the dim light,
but he felt the doorman's gaze was filled with a certain resentment, like a wife whose husband was stolen by a vixen, making Jiang Boran feel uneasy.
It sobered him up quite a bit.
"Goodbye, sir. Have a pleasant journey."
The doorman closed the car door for Jiang Boran and politely said goodbye.
Jiang Boran nodded in response, "Goodbye."
As soon as he spoke,
the doorman quickly ran to the driver's side, leaned in, and with a concerned expression, said to the young driver:
"Please drive safely. Thank you for your hard work."
His attitude and tone were noticeably gentler compared to how he treated Jiang Boran.
Jiang Boran: ???
Are the employees in this hotel that close?!
The car started slowly.
Streetlights illuminated the road,
and a lazy, smoky female voice played on the car's stereo. Cool night air blew in through the window.
"Sir, what time is your flight?"
Chen Jianhai asked while driving, observing Jiang Boran through the rearview mirror, worried he might get sick in the car.
"2:15 AM, there's enough time."
Jiang Boran, eyes closed, feeling miserable, asked, "Do you have a cigarette?"
Chen Jianhai reached for a pack of cigarettes from the car seat and handed it over.
"Not the best quality, hope you don't mind."
"Sigh, no cigarette is good... Can I smoke in the car?"
"Of course, sir," Chen Jianhai nodded.
Jiang Boran rolled down the window, lit a cigarette, and took a deep drag, clearing his foggy mind significantly.
"Mr. Jiang, are you heading home?"
"I can't go home yet, work's not done," Jiang Boran sighed, his voice filled with exhaustion.
"I still have two more places to visit. If all goes well, I can go home at the beginning of next month."
Chen Jianhai nodded understandingly.
He had smelled the alcohol on Jiang Boran when he picked him up.
Flying after drinking,
those who have experienced it know it feels quite terrible.
Everyone is just trying to make a living; it's not easy.
"I haven't seen my child in three months. I miss him a lot," Jiang Boran said wistfully.
"Hey, what's this?"
Jiang Boran found a delicate little bag, beautifully packaged and bulging, with Langai Hotel's logo and name on it, seemingly a gift for customers.
"It's a bottle of water and some pastries."
Chen Jianhai explained while driving.
"Since you're catching a late flight, we prepared something simple for you."
"The pastries were freshly made by the chef this afternoon. They're quite good; you can try them on the plane."
Hearing this, Jiang Boran felt a warmth in his heart,
and opened the bag.
Indeed, inside was a bottle of water and four pastries.
Not only that, but there was also a crystal dolphin.
Jiang Boran's eyes lit up,
"My son loves dolphins. I didn't have time to buy him a gift during this trip, so I can give him this dolphin."
"I'm glad you like it."
Chen Jianhai smiled and focused on driving.
Jiang Boran extinguished his cigarette. After vomiting all afternoon, his stomach was empty, and he felt terribly hungry.
He took out a pastry and started eating.
As he ate, he felt a bit emotional.
The hotel's sense of service and service philosophy were really commendable.
Some drivers don't allow customers to eat in their cars.
Even if they do, they often fuss about it,
making both parties unhappy.
Moreover,
the water and pastries provided by the hotel didn't cost much,
but on this late-night journey,
sitting in a spacious car, enjoying the night breeze, and tasting these pastries felt quite special.
"Mr. Jiang, it will take about an hour to reach the airport. After you finish eating, you can rest. I'll wake you when we arrive."
"Thank you."
Jiang Boran extinguished the cigarette,
The car's atmosphere was relaxed, with soft music playing, creating a comfortable feeling.
Jiang Boran's eyelids grew heavier,
strangely, even though he had only exchanged a few words with the young man, he felt very relaxed.
Gradually, he leaned back and fell asleep.
Chen Jianhai lowered the music volume slightly.
The car sped along the smooth road, with trees on both sides quickly fading into the distance.
Unknowingly, they had reached the airport.
Chen Jianhai glanced at his watch,
1:07 AM.
He slowly increased the music volume,
and when Jiang Boran began to stir, he said, "Mr. Jiang, we've arrived at the airport."
"Mmm..."
Jiang Boran was groggy, his eyes bloodshot, and his face dazed.
After a minute, he yawned and got out of the car.
Chen Jianhai had already taken the luggage out of the car and placed it on the ground.
"Thank you," Jiang Boran said gratefully.
"It's my duty. Welcome to Nanjing again, and please visit our hotel."
Chen Jianhai extended his hand sincerely, and they shook hands.
"Definitely," Jiang Boran replied with a smile.
Watching Jiang Boran's figure disappear into the airport,
an electronic voice sounded in Chen Jianhai's mind:
"Ding!"
"Congratulations to the host for completing the 'Late-Night Traveler' task."
"Task completion status: Perfect."
"Task reward: Acquired skill [Affability]!"
"Whether it's employees or customers, your own affability will lead to more positive interactions, making people around you more willing to approach and communicate with you."
Chen Jianhai's lighter flicked on with a "click."
He stood there, bewildered.
I couldn't sleep, so I came out to pick up a guest, and that counts as completing a task???