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Chapter 206: Chapter 175: Liu Qian, who got scared (subscription needed!)_1
Dou Jiao and the others got into Tang Qing’s car, taking up the back seat.
As soon as they got in the car, Dou Jiao got in the co-pilot seat, pinched Tang Qing’s face, and said, "You stinky little brother, you finally show up, even made us wait so long. Now how are you going to compensate me?"
Every time Dou Jiao saw Tang Qing, she couldn’t help but pinch the face that she envied so much, a face even whiter, tenderer, and smoother than her own.
All Tang Qing could do was to silently endure, in the face of these familiar and good-hearted people, he just couldn’t bring himself to get angry over such trivial matters. As for the boss’s dignity, haha, what’s it worth? Can you sell it? Doesn’t it get tiring to uphold such pretension? He felt more and more like a toy.
"Sure, sure, Sister Jiaojiao, I was wrong. I’ve regretted it. Let bygones be bygones. Consider tonight’s banquet as my compensation. You can eat and drink as much as you want," Tang Qing said with a jokingly apologetic smile.
Although the reason for being late was the traffic jam, Tang Qing didn’t mention this. The outcome was inevitable, and reasons didn’t matter anymore. Dou Jiao’s aim was simple: compensation. Any excuse when faced with a woman’s logic of compensation became futile— all Tang Qing could do was admit his mistake promptly. Tang Qing didn’t expect that by 2005, the rush hours in Province City would be this bad. No wonder they began extensive construction of overpasses next year, and the metro construction wouldn’t start until two years later.
"Okay then, so you dare to joke about me, you stingy little boss. It’s not your treat, so your generosity doesn’t count as compensation," Dou Jiao laughed as she let go of Tang Qing’s face. Tang Qing didn’t dare to relax, and sure enough, Dou Jiao immediately started scratching him, only stopping after various pleas for mercy.
"How about after the merge, you can select any jewelry or ornaments from the group’s store, all on my tab?" Tang Qing suggested, realizing giving money may seem cliché and Dou Jiao would undoubtedly refuse.
Though this compensation was a bit over the top, they were like family after all. Despite promising Dou Jiao a bonus at work, this was a personal compensation. He had no interest in the monetary value of personal gifts, believing that Dou Jiao would never be indiscriminate about it.
With limited time of his own, Dou Jiao would need to stay here till the end of the month to manage remaining matters. Shopping with Dou Jiao was a pass for him. He only liked shopping with his loved one. As for sisters, well, if he couldn’t resist, he’d reluctantly agree.
Apparently, Dou Jiao knew Tang Qing was really busy and didn’t make any other requests.
"This is more like it," Dou Jiao said in satisfaction, returning to her seat and habitually pulling out a mirror to check her reflection. After bullying Tang Qing around, her hair had become a bit messy.
The two employees couldn’t help but laugh at Tang Qing being so ’generous’. Who could have guessed that this sunny boy was so wealthy. Yet so accessible, only Dou Jiao would dare to treat him this way at the company.
Once Dou Jiao saw that her appearance was fine, Tang Qing’s ears couldn’t catch a break.
"Little brother Tang, you have no idea what kind of madness my days have been recently. I have to communicate with the Jewelry Company people during the day, and organize tasks with the Sky Eye at night. I go to sleep so late every day that I don’t want to wake up the next day. If it wasn’t for my makeup skills, these dark circles under my eyes wouldn’t be concealed. Oh, right, it’s your first time in Province City, right? Let me tell you, I know this place like the back of my hand. If you want to go somewhere, just tell me. You provide the car, I act as the tour guide. Certainly not sloppy. I’ll make sure you have fun..."
Once Dou Jiao began speaking, there seemed to be no end. Throughout the trip, all Tang Qing could do was nod in agreement, not daring to interrupt her. He thought ignoring her might make Dou Jiao stop, but he had underestimated this woman’s ’long-windedness’. Once she starts, she simply can’t stop.
Even the two Sky Eye employees were feeling their ears ringing a bit. They had not expected Dou Jiao, usually cheerful but somewhat authoritative, to speak at such length. Although they too were women, at least someone could restrict them.
Everyone in the car wished they could reach the hotel sooner. However, the road was jammed again. The worst part was due to Sun Chao’s inaccurate map, they had gone down the wrong road. It was only with Dou Jiao’s directions that they found their way back.
Eventually, they arrived half an hour late at Liu Qian’s banquet hotel. Once they got out of the car, everyone’s ears finally found some peace. Even the two female employees felt a sense of relief. If they were part of the conversation, it would’ve been bearable, but they couldn’t add anything to the ongoing chatter. Right then, they seemed to finally understand how their boyfriends felt, deciding to alter their habits because it was too nagging.
The hotel’s name was Tianyun Grand Hotel, a five-star hotel. Tang Qing had previously instructed Dou Jiao to investigate Liu Qian’s public assets; thus, he knew this hotel also belonged to Liu Qian. Liu Qian has four five-star hotels in the province— two in Province City, one in Qingyan City (which was the major base), and one in another deputy provincial city within the province.
Although the hotel offers valet parking services, Tang Qing chose not to avail the service and let Sun Chao park himself. There were some unspoken reasons for this decision.
"Hello, Sir. Welcome to Tianyun Grand Hotel. Do you have a reservation?" The doorman approached and spoke with respect. Those who could afford the luxury of this hotel were not ordinary people, especially the dazzling Tang Qing, the man in the middle.
Today, Tang Qing was wearing a black trench coat which not only fit him well but also looked cool. Coupled with his handsome features and undeniable charm, he inevitably became the focus of attention. Even Dou Jiao, the beauty next to him, seemed a bit ’pale’ in comparison.
On the way, Dou Jiao teased him, saying how good he’d look if he could wear sunglasses. But, Tang Qing thought, who would wear sunglasses at night unless they were brainless. He acted as if he hadn’t heard her, but Dou Jiao still urged him to try on a pair. Thankfully, there were no selfies and photo-sharing trends on the internet at the moment, or else Dou Jiao would have ’exposed’ him online with her antics.
"My name is Tang Qing, a guest of Mr. Liu," said Tang Qing, smiling.
"Ah, Mr. Tang, hello. Please come with me." The doorman’s eyes lit up, and he immediately led Tang Qing to the lobby manager at the reception. Liu Qian had already passed down information about Tang Qing, who was a very important guest. The lobby manager, Wei Feng, had been waiting at the reception desk, knowing about the expected arrival of Tang Qing.
Seeing the doorman bring Tang Qing to him and give him a wink, and with the brief he had received from Liu Qian earlier, Lobby Manager Wei Feng immediately recognized Tang Qing.
"Dear guests, please come with me," Wei Feng stepped forward and bowed, making a polite gesture. He had been with Liu Qian for many years and had met countless rich businessmen, ’second generation’ heirs, and high-ranking officials, so he was not surprised at meeting Tang Qing. The general rule to follow with VIP guests like this was to meet as many of their needs as possible.
"Thank you," Tang Qing smiled.
"Of course, this way, please." Wei Feng quickly responded.
The Tianyun Grand Hotel was much shorter than the Tianfu building in Qingyan City, just fifteen stories high. Guided by Wei Feng, Tang Qing and his party arrived at the largest private box on the top floor.
Liu Qian had already received the news and was waiting at the door of the box.
Seeing their chairman personally welcoming at the entrance, the executives of the Group and Dream Melody Group quickly turned their attention to the door. The Group executives were curious about who could make Liu Qian personally wait for and welcome them. Tang Qing was half an hour late; they were all starving. As for the Dream Melody Group, they were looking forward to the arrival of one of their future major shareholders.
As soon as Tang Qing stepped out of the elevator, he saw Liu Qian waiting for him at the door with a smile on his face, as though Tang Qing was arriving at Liu Qian’s villa. Gangzi and Monkey also stood behind Liu Qian.
"Little Tang, you finally arrived," Liu Qian stepped forward, laughing.
"Yeah, Uncle Liu. I’m sorry. I didn’t expect Province City to be so crowded at this hour, and I got lost because the roads were unfamiliar. Otherwise, I would have arrived half an hour ago," Tang Qing apologized.
Sun Chao blushed slightly at the thought of how he had gone the wrong way earlier. Although Tang Qing didn’t blame him for the mishap, it was still an embarrassment for him.
"Haha, no problem. The number of cars are only increasing, and traffic jams during rush hour are inevitable. As for the gentleman behind you..." Liu Qian’s words were cut off when he set his gaze on Dou Jiao. His face turned ghostlike and he was too stupefied to finish his sentence.
Although Dou Jiao didn’t recognize him, Liu Qian knew exactly who Dou Jiao was. At a political consultative conference last year, he learned about Dou Jiao’s identity, which had deeply surprised him. Dou Jiao’s uncle was a standing committee member of the Provincial Party Committee and Minister of the Organization Department. Her father held a director’s position at the Ministry of Education in Beijing. Not to mention, her maternal family were real bigwigs, an overwhelmingly terrifying thought.
PS: I feel like it’s been a long time since I’ve put on a show. Here comes another wave, haha, thanks for the votes! Thank you, reader Guanxin, and Crying Demon for the monthly votes!
