Unexpectedly, as soon as he brought this up with Li Bingjie, Aunt Shen excitedly interjected, "Yes, yes, there is indeed such a Chinese association this year. Anyone who is Chinese in Chinatown can attend. The venue is the Imperial Garden Hotel, owned by Mr. Wu."
"Are you going too?" Xu Zhengyang asked, puzzled.
"Hey, they say all Chinese people can participate, but I'm not someone with any status, so I won't join in the fun. Everyone who attends this social gathering has some status, so I won't shamelessly eat and drink for free, haha." Aunt Shen said with a smile, without showing any regret.
Xu Zhengyang looked at Li Bingjie and smiled, "Shall we go?"
"Hmm... I'll listen to you."
"Then let's go. As the saying goes, when fellow villagers meet, their eyes well up with tears." Xu Zhengyang immediately made the decision.
Li Chengzong and Qingling exchanged a glance but neither spoke.
For people of their status, the most unwelcome occasions are crowded and noisy ones. Because the more crowded the occasion, the greater the pressure they feel.
Xu Zhengyang picked up his phone and called Liu Ming, agreeing to the arrangement.
A dozen minutes later, Liu Ming arrived by taxi.
After listening to Liu Ming's account of the so-called personnel in Chinatown, Da Zhi and his group went out and took a taxi to Chinatown.
...
Xu Zhengyang, this country bumpkin, never expected that Chinatown would be so large and so prosperous in this foreign land.
At the central intersection of Chinatown stands a tall archway, proclaiming to the outside world that this is a gathering place for Chinese people.
The bustling street is lined with all kinds of shops, with colorful signs that invariably display both Chinese characters and English fonts. Moreover, the style of the shops and buildings also carries a strong oriental flavor.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Liu Ming turned his head, explaining the local customs and culture, the living conditions of the Chinese community, and so on, focusing on the positive aspects. Xu Zhengyang simply smiled and nodded repeatedly; he was genuinely satisfied and comfortable. From the moment he entered Chinatown, Xu Zhengyang felt a sense of home, a very welcoming feeling.
Admittedly, he had never seen such an environment even in China, but it was this atmosphere, the various buildings, shops and people walking around that brought together almost all the most typical architectural styles and customs in China. No matter where people were in the country, they would feel a sense of familiarity with their hometown when they came here.
What excited Xu Zhengyang the most was that after arriving here, he clearly felt the abundance of divine power. This was his territory!
Could it be that, long, long ago, in the various human territories divided by the gods, there were offices or embassies in the territories ruled by other gods?
Holy crap! It feels so good to have power in my hands.
The taxi drove past Chinatown Square and soon arrived at the Imperial Garden Hotel.
The Imperial Garden Hotel is a colossal 18-story building with a magnificent architectural presence. The spacious parking spaces in front of the hotel were already completely filled with all kinds of cars.
Two long rows of flower baskets were placed on either side of the entrance, and a red banner hung above the wide, bright glass door, with a long string of large characters that read "Happy New Year" and "Chinatown Chinese Association".
A hostess dressed in a bright red cheongsam stood smiling at the entrance, welcoming all the guests.
There were quite a few people coming and going at the entrance, including some foreign guests.
After Xu Zhengyang and his group got out of the taxi, Liu Ming led the way, bowing slightly as he guided some people into the hotel.
Xu Zhengyang and Li Bingjie walked in the middle, while Li Chengzong and Qingling walked on either side of them, their seemingly calm eyes occasionally observing the bustling crowd around them.
Aunt Shen followed behind somewhat reservedly. She was originally going to visit a relative, but when she thought about being able to come here with Li Bingjie and Xu Zhengyang to participate in the social gathering, she felt that it was a rare opportunity and immediately decided to come along.
"Mr. Liu, hello, hello."
A young man who looked to be in his thirties, with short hair and wearing a sharp suit, walked out of the glass door. He smiled as he descended the steps and extended his hand, while looking at Xu Zhengyang and the others with a slightly questioning gaze.
"Hello, Manager Wu." Liu Ming stepped forward and shook hands with the young man, then released his hand and introduced him: "This is Xu Zhengyang, the executive director of our Ronghua Group, President Xu."
The young man was slightly taken aback. Although he knew that Liu Ming was going to bring their group's executive director, he did not expect the executive director to be so young. He couldn't help but feel a little puzzled, but the puzzlement in his eyes was fleeting. He smiled and extended his hand to Xu Zhengyang, saying, "Mr. Xu, hello! I am Wu An, the human resources manager of the Imperial Garden Hotel."
"Hello." Xu Zhengyang extended his hand and shook hands with the other person in a humble yet assertive manner.
"And who is this?" Wu An asked, looking at Li Bingjie.
Xu Zhengyang smiled and said, "My girlfriend is Li Bingjie."
"Oh, hello, hello."
"Hello." Li Bingjie responded with a slight blush and gently shook hands with the other person. She had never been to such a social setting before, and this was the first time Xu Zhengyang had introduced her as his girlfriend in front of strangers, so she felt quite shy.
In truth, how could Wu An not know Miss Li's identity? It was just that due to some inconvenient reasons, he could only pretend not to know. To Wu An's dismay, the moment he shook hands with Li Bingjie, four cold, wary eyes stared intently at him, making him feel as if he were being pricked by thorns.
Wu An politely shook hands with Li Chengzhong, Qingling, and Aunt Shen who was following behind, without any airs, and then stepped aside to invite everyone to walk into the hotel.
Aunt Shen walked behind, her steps light and unsteady, as if in a dream. Good heavens, Wu An shook her hand and called her "Auntie"... She knew Wu An; he was the grandson of Mr. Wu Guanxian!
Upon entering the hotel, I saw that the spacious restaurant on the left side of the first floor was already filled with more than forty long round tables. Although it wasn't full yet due to the time of day, it was already occupied by small groups of people. They weren't talking loudly, but because there were so many people, the atmosphere was filled with laughter and cheerful conversation.
The busy service staff and guests coming and going all looked puzzled when they saw Xu Zhengyang and his group of unfamiliar faces, but they didn't pay much attention. After smiling and gesturing to each other, they went about their business.
The people chatting at the tables in the restaurant all looked over, wondering who these people were, that Wu An had personally greeted them and led them to the elevator.
However, just as they were about to reach the elevator, Aunt Shen tactfully said, "I won't go up; I'll wait for you downstairs."
Li Bingjie looked slightly puzzled, but Xu Zhengyang smiled and nodded.
Wu An immediately waved over a waiter in a suit and bow tie, instructing him to take good care of Aunt Shen, and then smiled as he invited Xu Zhengyang and the others into the elevator. As for Li Chengzong and Qingling, Wu An naturally had no complaints; the bodyguards of the Li family's eldest daughter should, of course, stay by her side at all times.
Volume 5, Spirit Official, Chapter 233: The Wu Family
In Dunsbo, USA, while not everyone knows Wu Guanxian, he is a household name among the upper echelons of society and even among Chinatown residents. He has received honorary awards personally presented by the mayor of Dunsbo, and the Dunsbo government has even named an area near the Imperial Garden Hotel after him.
Wu Guanxian owns more than 30,000 square meters of land in Chinatown, making him a well-deserved major landowner in the area.
Of course, Wu Guanxian's reputation wasn't solely based on his immense wealth and real estate empire in Chinatown. His achievement lay in single-handedly purchasing land across several streets, expanding Chinatown and enlarging the area of Huaxia City, increasing the residential and commercial space for Chinese residents by more than tenfold. In particular, the once-hated red-light district of Chinatown gradually weakened under Wu Guanxian's powerful industrial chain, eventually almost disappearing altogether.
His prestige stems from his easygoing, humble, and philanthropic nature, as well as his generous donations to public welfare undertakings in his hometown.
It can be said that Wu Guanxian is the well-deserved president of the Dunsport Chinatown District and a representative figure of the entire Chinese community.
This simple information about Wu Guanxian was naturally told to Xu Zhengyang by Liu Ming on the way there.
Xu Zhengyang felt deep admiration; such a person, who could achieve such a reputation for both merit and character, was truly hard to find in today's society!
As I sighed inwardly, the elevator doors opened on the sixth floor.
At Wu An's signal, the group stepped out and walked into the spacious corridor.
As he walked slowly, Xu Zhengyang said with a smile, "Assistant Liu, you did a great job."
"Huh?" Liu Ming was taken aback, then noticed that Xu Zhengyang's smiling face concealed a hint of dissatisfaction in his eyes.
Liu Ming was an extremely intelligent man. He immediately understood why Xu Zhengyang was somewhat angry.
Indeed, since we're here to attend the social gathering, we should naturally receive the same treatment as most of the guests. Why bother coming to the sixth floor under Wu An's guidance? The sixth floor was unusually quiet, a stark contrast to the bustling and festive atmosphere of the other floors. Clearly, it was no ordinary place.
Just now in the elevator, Wu An said that he was taking them to see Wu Guanxian.
Xu Zhengyang felt that he did not yet have the status and reputation to receive such special treatment from the highly respected Wu Guanxian.
The reason Wu Guanxian treated her with such courtesy must be because of Li Bingjie's identity, or perhaps because of the relationship between Xu Zhengyang and Li Bingjie's family background.
"Mr. Xu, this... I really didn't know," Liu Ming said with an embarrassed smile and some nervousness. He really hadn't expected that Xu Zhengyang would be personally received by Wu Guanxian upon his arrival. Even though he knew from the beginning that this young man's identity was extraordinary, he still didn't expect that Wu Guanxian would value Xu Zhengyang so highly upon his arrival in the United States.
Therefore, Liu Ming now feels increasingly curious and respectful towards Xu Zhengyang, even with a hint of fear.
Wu An said with a smile, "Grandpa just found out that President Xu was coming, so he specially asked me to invite you all to sit in his office. Mr. Zheng Ronghua and Grandpa met once in Minggang and had a very pleasant conversation. Although they haven't met again since, they have kept in touch and have also had business cooperation in Minggang."
"Oh." Xu Zhengyang nodded calmly. That old bastard Zheng Ronghua pulled this stunt to curry favor with him? It's probably not just that. Given Wu Guanxian's status, there's no need for him to help Zheng Ronghua curry favor with a young man.
As they spoke, the group had already reached the door of the office at the end of the road.
Wu An pushed open the door and stepped aside to let the group in. Xu Zhengyang smiled and entered side by side with Li Bingjie.
The office's decor is simple yet luxurious, featuring brown wood-grain floors, snow-white walls, a snow-white ceiling, snow-white sofas, a bright glass coffee table, dark brown desks, and black leather office chairs...
The elderly man sitting in the office chair was dressed in a dark casual Tang suit, his full head of silver hair combed back. His wrinkled face was radiant with health, and he was full of energy, showing no signs of being over seventy years old.
The old man was none other than Wu Guanxian, an honorary citizen of Dunshipo, chairman of the Imperial Garden Hotel in the Chinatown of major cities in the United States, and a major landowner in Dunshipo's Chinatown.
Seeing Xu Zhengyang enter, Wu Guanxian smiled and stood up, walking around the desk to greet him.
"Mr. Xu, Ms. Li, welcome, welcome!" Wu Guanxian's voice was cheerful, with a strong southern Chinese accent. He wasn't tall, but he was sturdy and didn't have the slow movements typical of elderly people.
"Hello, Mr. Wu." Xu Zhengyang bowed slightly and said with a smile, "I didn't expect to have the honor of meeting you when I came. I didn't bring any gifts, I hope you don't mind."
Li Bingjie blushed slightly and said softly, "Hello, Mr. Wu."
"You're too kind, you're too kind, haha, please sit down, please sit down." Wu Guanxian gestured for the two to sit down.
Wu An personally brewed tea and brought it to the tea table.
Li Chengzong stood behind the sofa, while Qingling stood slightly by the window, silent and calm.
“Brother Ronghua from back home called and praised you highly. At first, I didn’t quite believe it,” Wu Guanxian said with a smile. “After meeting you today, I found that you are quite handsome and dignified. You are indeed a young hero, not simple at all.”
Although it was just a simple polite remark, the way Wu Guanxian said it carried a gentle, warm feeling. Moreover, Wu Guanxian, with his smiling face, exuded a kind of gentle yet authoritative aura, like a superior, or even more like a kind and approachable elder.
"Mr. Wu, you flatter me. I'm just a country bumpkin, not worthy of such a title," Xu Zhengyang said with a laugh, waving his hand.
Wu Guanxian turned his gaze to Li Bingjie, sighed, and said, "Ten years ago when I returned to China, I had the honor of meeting Elder Li and listening to her teachings. I never imagined that time would pass so quickly, and Elder Li has already passed away. Alas..."
Li Bingjie lowered her head, feeling quite saddened when her grandfather was mentioned.
Li Chengzong and Qingling both frowned slightly, then relaxed. Li Bingjie's studies in Dunshibo weren't exactly a secret; quite a few people knew about it. It would be strange if someone like Wu Guanxian didn't know this news.
The topic was quickly put aside; no one would be foolish enough to bring up unpleasant things in such a setting.
In Xu Zhengyang's view, Wu Guanxian's statement was far more honest than his grandson Wu An's feigned ignorance.
What happened next was unexpected for Xu Zhengyang. They didn't talk about any other issues, but just chatted casually about how life had been in China for the past few years, how he felt about living in Donbo, and whether he had any plans to invest or do business in Donbo.
As the saying goes, one should not accept a reward without merit. Someone of Wu Guanxian's status would not be so preoccupied with old age that he would have a friendly chat with people from the motherland.
Xu Zhengyang reluctantly probed Wu Guanxian's mind with his mental power to understand the old man's thoughts.
Well, perhaps that's a bit impolite, but as the saying goes, one shouldn't have the heart to harm others, but one must be wary of others. Who knows if this old guy is the kind of person who appears virtuous on the surface but is actually full of bad intentions? As for what Liu Ming said about Wu Guanxian, Xu Zhengyang wouldn't easily believe it... Legendary immortals are said to be beings of great wisdom and benevolence, but in reality, aren't most of them still quite scoundrels?
Upon this observation, Xu Zhengyang couldn't help but feel ashamed and remorseful. He had truly judged a gentleman by the standards of a petty person!
Wu Guanxian truly had no ill intentions; he was simply curious about Xu Zhengyang because Zheng Ronghua had praised him highly on the phone. There might be young people Zheng Ronghua took notice of and admired, but for Zheng Ronghua to act this way, going so far as to call Wu Guanxian—a friend who was hardly even a close acquaintance—from across the ocean to seek his help, was a level of attention and care that was quite unusual.
To put it bluntly, Zheng Ronghua's actions had a hint of being overly eager and offering unsolicited favors.
Little did Wu Guanxian know that Zheng Ronghua was now old and utterly terrified by Xu Zhengyang, suffering from nightmares every day and desperately seeking treatment from anyone who could find a cure...
Of course, that's one reason. Another reason is naturally Li Bingjie's identity.
After arriving in Dunsibo, Xu Zhengyang spent time with this girl of special status, clearly indicating their close relationship. Regardless of Xu Zhengyang's background, the fact that Zheng Ronghua valued him so highly and that he publicly dated Li Bingjie foreshadowed his future success. Therefore, the old man used the invitation to Xu Zhengyang as an opportunity to meet Li Bingjie, a girl from a prominent family, to strengthen his relationship with both of them, and also to introduce Xu Zhengyang and Li Bingjie to his children and grandchildren.
In recent years, the Wu family has begun to shift its investment focus to China, establishing companies to import electrical appliances, clothing, and small commodities from the country, and even investing in real estate in their hometown. Wu Guanxian, who is well-versed in human relationships, has a long-term vision. He believes that everyone will eventually die, and after he passes away, his network of connections and reputation in China will only be a memento in people's minds.
In China, the saying "having connections in government offices makes things easier" is the most practical truth.
That's why Wu Guanxian personally came forward today to talk with the younger generation and reminisce about their hometown.