Urban Soldier Young Master

Seeing Chen Zhihao approaching, before Chu Ge could say anything, Chang Xin hurriedly took a step forward and respectfully called out, "Uncle Chen."

Chen Zhihao nodded slightly and extended his hand with a smile.

Seeing this, Chang Xin hurriedly extended his right hand. However, what Chen Zhihao said next left him feeling both awkward and puzzled. His hand, extended halfway, didn't seem to know where to go, and even the respectful yet slightly ingratiating smile on his face froze in an instant.

"Mr. Chu, I wondered why I saw magpies flying by when I stepped out today. It turns out you're here to grace us with your presence. Why didn't you let me know in advance so I could send someone to receive you?"

The smile on Chu Ge's face grew wider. Chen Zhihao truly lived up to the Liang Family's esteem; his acting skills in such social situations were indeed impressive.

The two of them, although not sworn enemies, were far from having a pleasant history. Yet, seeing his beaming appearance now, it was as if they were old friends.

The Liang Family matters were now settled, and Chu Ge was unwilling to get on bad terms with Chen Zhihao. He smiled and nodded, shaking hands with him courteously.

"Mr. Chen, you're too kind. I'm just here to have a meal with friends, and to be honest, I didn't know this was one of your establishments."

As the saying goes, the speaker may have no particular intention, but the listener perceives meaning. What Chu Ge casually said was immediately interpreted in various ways by the three people around him.

According to Chen Zhihao's understanding, this sentence meant, "We aren't that close, you go your way, and I'll go mine. After saying hello and shaking hands, you should go on with your own business, right?"

Chang Xin intended to cover his embarrassment of raising his hand by pretending to touch his forehead, but upon hearing the two's conversation, his hand couldn't rise anymore. It trembled slightly, stuck in mid-air.

Chen Zhihao being so polite to Chu Ge? Damn! And his son still wanted me to deal with Chu Ge? What the hell is going on? Damn it, considering all I've done for the old Chen Family, you shouldn't treat me like this!

Chang Shao'en thought even further. Anyone knows the Shimao Grand Hotel is owned by the Chen Family, yet Chu Ge claimed he didn't know. Is this some kind of joke?

Could it be... Chu Ge purposely wants to distance himself from Chen Zhihao in front of me to evaluate our sincerity in the meal we're about to have when we apologize through Chang Xin?

No, this can't be right; he couldn't be unaware that I know about his connection with Secretary Mu. Then what does he mean?

Sigh... This young man's way of handling matters is truly inscrutable! In all my years, I've never found someone so hard to see through!

So shocked were Chang Shao'en and Chang Xin that they didn't quite catch what else Chen Zhihao and Chu Ge said afterward.

It wasn't until Chen Zhihao left and the lobby manager came over that Chu Ge called out to Chang Shao'en, which suddenly brought them back to their senses as if waking from a dream.

The father and son deeply regretted it; what were they daydreaming about just now? Did they miss something important?

"Gentlemen, please this way."

The lobby manager was a woman in her thirties, with a pleasant appearance and a slender figure. She had a very reassuring smile, making a "please" gesture beside Chu Ge.

Although Chu Ge felt rather helpless, Chen Zhihao hadn't given him the chance to refuse earlier, so he could only smile at the lobby manager and then move forward.

Chang Xin and Chang Shao'en exchanged glances, their eyes filled with more complicated emotions. However, since Chu Ge was present, they couldn't say much and just quietly followed him.

With the lobby manager accompanying them, the three arrived at the VIP elevator. Seeing the lobby manager light up the button for the top floor, Chang Shao'en was once again startled.

Before Chang Shao'en could say anything, Chang Xin asked, "Ma'am, our reserved private room was on the eighteenth floor. Have you made a mistake?"

The lobby manager smiled, "Here's the thing, our chairman temporarily adjusted your private room to the 'A1' room on the top floor. This gentleman consulted with you earlier."

Upon hearing the lobby manager's explanation, Chang Xin immediately stopped speaking. He had just been lost in thought and vaguely recalled Chu Ge saying something, but he hadn't caught it clearly.

Chang Shao'en looked at the button that had been pressed, his gaze somewhat dazed. He certainly knew what the private room on the top floor represented, and his heart grew even more bitter.

The rooms on the top floor, collectively known as "A" rooms, may sound ordinary, but they were places for hosting top officials at the level of Secretary Mu. Even if idle, they were never open to the public.

Despite his position as the Minister of Provincial Education, which is quite high-ranking, he had never even been up there!

Yet... Chen Zhihao actually arranged for them to be in the "A1" room? The most prestigious "A1" room among all the "A" rooms?

There was no doubt he and Chang Xin didn't have such significant clout. It was clear whose influence had secured them this privilege.

"This... even if Chu Ge knows Secretary Mu, and they are quite familiar, there's no reason for Chen Zhihao to act like this?"

Could it be... Chang Shao'en didn't dare to think further.

Even so, Chang Shao'en became more convinced of one thing, that today it was absolutely the right decision to come to Chu Ge despite risking his dignity.

Initially, he sought out Chu Ge with the intention of taking a roundabout approach, but from the current situation, just looking at Chen Zhihao's attitude towards Chu Ge, it seems he wasn't taking any sort of "roundabout" way!

Normally, having the chance to witness the "A1" suite, a place he might never have the opportunity to enter in his lifetime, would make him very excited, but at this moment, as the elevator kept rising and getting closer to the top floor, he felt more and more anxious.

In the short yet seemingly long period, the elevator finally reached the top floor, and the group arrived at the door of the "A1" suite.

From the outside, there was nothing special about this door, but when it opened, the inside was quite a different story.

It must be said, this suite was just so so so... so shabby! No matter from which angle you looked at it, it didn't seem like a suite that should appear in the top city hotel.

More accurately, even a mediocre mid-range restaurant's suite would appear more classy than this.

The environment here, rather than resembling a hotel suite, looked more like a war command room frequently seen in anti-war TV series.

Whether it was the tables and chairs, the map sandbox, or the leader's portrait hanging in the center of the wall, all gave a sense of immediacy as if transported to that war-torn era.

Chu Ge glanced around, and indeed it looked the part, even the water cups on the dining table were the kind of chipped white porcelain cups. Although the room's environment was old-fashioned, it wasn't in disrepair or chaotic; everything was clean and tidy, combined to exude a sense of sanctity and solemnity.

The same scene, viewed in Chang Xin's eyes, however, made him feel even more apprehensive, as if the founding leader in the huge photo was staring at him, with a sharp gaze questioning his conscience, causing him to find it hard to breathe, and unconsciously break out in a cold sweat on his forehead.

The more nervous he got, the more Chang Xin's mind wandered. As Chu Ge was ordering, he couldn't help mulling over, could it be... Chen Zhihao already knows about the matters between me and Chen Yujie? Otherwise, what does it mean for him to change the suite location to here?

Chang Xin thought anxiously, the more he thought, the more he felt terrified. He didn't know how long he pondered until suddenly a "snap" sound rang in his ear. He only felt his body stumbling uncontrollably, then felt a burning pain on his cheek.

When he saw Chang Shao'en's right hand still raised in mid-air, it was only then he realized he had just been slapped again by his father.

"Dad..."

"Don't call me Dad! I don't have a son like you! Today I brought you here, was it to daydream!"

Chang Shao'en rebuked Chang Xin with a gloomy face, but his attention was on Chu Ge. When he discovered that Chu Ge's expression hadn't changed, not even pausing the chopsticks reaching for the dish, his heart almost sank to the bottom.

Could it be... Chu Ge is determined to deal with Chang Xin?

"Kneel down!"

Chang Shao'en shouted angrily again. Chang Xin bit his lip tightly, finally said nothing, and knelt down with his head lowered.

"Where are you kneeling? Did I tell you to kneel to me!"

As soon as Chang Xin's knees hit the ground, he received another kick on his back, causing him to lose balance and his head hit the floor directly. With a "thud", a piece of his forehead was grazed, and bright red blood trickled down his forehead.

Hearing his father's words, Chang Xin only felt a rush of blood to the head, his slapped cheek was burning as if it was about to explode. He understood his father's intent, but he only straightened his body again, head bowed, biting his teeth in silence, his cheeks bulging.

As for the scraped skin on his forehead, although it was burning painfully, compared to the humiliation in his heart, this pain was really nothing.

Seeing his son playing dumb and acting stubborn at this time, Chang Shao'en's anger flared up again, giving Chang Xin a fierce kick, sending him down to the ground.

"What, having become the Deputy Director of the Inspection Department, you've grown a temper too, huh? Your old man can't get through to you now, is that it?"

Chang Xin's head hit the ground again, but he still remained silent, gritting his teeth to straighten up again.

Although Chang Shao'en was angry, he felt a twinge of unwilling otherwise he turned his head to look at Chu Ge, "Mr. Chu..."

"Minister Chang, the food here is really good, you must try this, this pickled cabbage pork stew vermicelli is authentic, the chef who made this is definitely from the Northeast, tsk tsk, I didn't expect to eat this in a hotel like this, hmm, it's delicious!"

Before Chang Shao'en could finish, Chu Ge slurped up a few vermicelli, interrupting his words indistinctly, yet without even glancing at Chang Xin, as if there weren't such a person in the room at all.