She knew that although she had gained four years of freedom, her family would definitely send someone to keep an eye on her. Even if it wasn't surveillance, someone would certainly protect her safety. And her every move would likely be under her father's watchful eye, including her relationship with Chen Xu. No one knows a daughter better than her father. Guan Yi herself had already rationally analyzed her feelings for Chen Xu, and her father couldn't possibly be unaware of this. His special trip from Hawaii was probably to assess this future son-in-law, wasn't it?
What kind of son-in-law? Guan Yi blushed a little at the thought. What did his father mean by this? There was clearly no chance of anything happening between them!
Chen Xu followed Guan Yi into a taxi. Guan Yi didn't say a word the whole way, and she wouldn't respond even when Chen Xu tried to talk to her. It wasn't until they got out of the taxi and arrived at the hotel entrance that Guan Yi finally said, "Be careful later. Don't act like a thug."
The hotel was naturally the most expensive five-star hotel in Hexie City, located in the economic development zone. Chen Xu was already quite taken aback just looking at the row of luxury sports cars parked in front of the hotel. After entering the hotel and giving his name, a waiter respectfully invited the two of them to a private room upstairs.
Pushing open the door, I saw two people sitting inside. The man, who looked to be in his fifties and had an extraordinary air about him, must be Guan Yi's father. Sure enough, I heard Guan Yi nod and say, "Dad, Uncle Xie, what brings you here all of a sudden?"
Grandpa Guan smiled and beckoned, and Guan Yi sat down beside him affectionately. She said somewhat playfully, "Dad, you're here, why did you make me bring him along?"
Chen Xu stood at the door, somewhat at a loss. At this moment, Guan Yi's father looked up and looked at him with a hint of appreciation, saying, "You must be Chen Xu. Come, sit down. Make yourself at home. Don't be so reserved."
Chen Xu wasn't actually a reserved person. It was just that looking at Guan Yi's father made him feel a little uncomfortable. Because, to put it simply, Chen Xu's father was a typical example of someone who didn't respect his elders, and he'd been used to playing around with him since childhood. But Guan Yi's father, just sitting there, exuded an aura of quiet authority. This feeling made Chen Xu feel somewhat oppressed… Moreover, he and Guan Yi were now living together, and had even slept in the same bed; Chen Xu felt a bit like he was meeting his future father-in-law.
Guan Yi's father chuckled softly. It must be said, the old man's smile was quite charming; it was clear he must have been the type to captivate countless young women in his youth. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to father such a beautiful daughter as Guan Yi. He picked up his teacup, blew on it slowly, took a sip, and then said leisurely, "Let me introduce myself. I am Guan Yi's father. This gentleman's surname is Xie; he's an old partner of mine. You can call him Uncle Xie."
Chen Xu quickly and tactfully called for someone. Guan Yi's father smiled and said, "I've taken the liberty of inviting you here today to thank you for taking care of my son, Xiao Yi, over the past six months."
Hearing this, Chen Xu felt strange. In reality, he hadn't given any special treatment; they had just become a little closer. But on the surface, he still had to be polite. Guan Yi's father knew he was a bit nervous, so he didn't say anything. He asked Uncle Xie next to him to call the waiter and say that the food was ready. Then he looked at Chen Xu and said, "Young Chen, you haven't eaten yet, have you? Why don't you come and have a meal with us?"
Chen Xu was already here, so what could he say besides nodding?
The dishes arrived quickly, not many: two cold dishes, five hot dishes, and a bowl of soup. Guan Yi's father smiled and asked if he wanted a bottle of wine, to which Chen Xu shook his head frantically. But Guan Yi's father laughed and said, "How can a man not drink? Don't pretend. I heard from Xiao Yi that you have a good capacity. I brought back a bottle of fifteen-year-old Moutai this time. Come and have a drink with me."
Baijiu (Chinese liquor)?
Chen Xu hadn't drunk much baijiu before, but the old man had already asked the waiter to open the bottle. The rich aroma was irresistible, making Chen Xu's mouth water. He poured himself a glass and took a sip. Although it burned at first, a rich, sweet flavor quickly followed, which tasted quite pleasant. The old man shared a sip with him and then asked with a smile, "Your father went abroad? Why didn't you go with him?"
Chen Xu was taken aback and said, "You know my father?"
Guan Yi's father smiled, "Rabies Buster, I doubt many people don't know about it now, right? It just so happens that my business is related to this. Perhaps there will be opportunities to cooperate with your father in the future." At this moment, Xie Zhan, standing beside him, also smiled, "That's right, there are some things that require your father's help. It just so happens that you and Xiao... well, you and Xiao Yi are classmates. Heh, that's fate. These days, business is all about connections. If you and Xiao Yi are classmates, it will be convenient for our two families to cooperate more in the future."
Upon hearing this, Chen Xu began to understand what was going on. So, he wanted to collaborate with his father?
Although the sales of Rabies Killer have stabilized, it is still a huge piece of meat. I heard that some people abroad are even planning to sue for monopoly and demand that Chen Xu's father disclose the formula... Of course, we can ignore such idiots.
However, according to Chen Xu's father himself, now wherever he goes, people generally give him some respect. Requests to become a regional distributor are pouring in. Some even come to his door with money. Compared to when he ran that small pharmaceutical factory and had to go door-to-door seeking people, he's become infinitely more successful.
So Chen Xu said very carefully, "Uncle, I don't really need to worry about the family's pharmaceutical factory work. As for business dealings, you can talk to my father about that."
Guan Yi's father and Xie Zhan exchanged a smile, and even Guan Yi's eyes narrowed with laughter. Chen Xu, unaware of Guan Yi's family's financial situation, assumed he was only there to discuss cooperation, perhaps hoping to use their classmate relationship to build rapport. However, Chen Xu was unaware that his family's current assets were, in reality, nothing significant to Guan Yi.
However, since Chen Xu had this misunderstanding, none of the others present wanted to explain. Guan Yi's father picked up his chopsticks first and said with a smile, "Everyone, let's eat first, otherwise the food will get cold."
Chen Xu had been busy all afternoon and was now starving. Strangely enough, after he sensed that Guan Yi's father seemed to have something to ask of him, he became less nervous. After drinking some alcohol, his mind started to become more excited, and he gradually became less reserved.
Because Chen Xu hadn't understood why Guan Yi's father was looking for him, his mind was in turmoil, like seventeen or eighteen buckets bobbing back and forth, feeling somewhat guilty... Why was he guilty? It was probably related to his ambiguous relationship with Guan Yi the previous night. At this moment, Chen Xu felt like a thief seeing the police, subconsciously feeling guilty.
When he realized that Guan Yi's father wanted to use his connection to do business with his own father, it was as if he had seen through a very simple magic trick. It didn't seem so scary anymore. And most importantly, he no longer had to feel guilty.
The situation quickly became harmonious.
Strangely, Guan Yi sat quietly to the side without saying much; it was Guan Yi's father who asked Chen Xu questions, such as about the game they were developing and the man who slit the throat.
"I was surprised and grateful that you caught that throat-slitting man, because my daughter was almost attacked by him," Guan Yi's father said politely. Actually, it was Gao Xiaojie, not Guan Yi, who was attacked that day. Then he said, "Then I want to ask you, I've read some reports in the newspapers. You happened to be at a friend's place at the time. You saw that the throat-slitting man's head was broken, so you became suspicious and followed him, right?"
Chen Xu nodded. He had told this lie countless times, to the point that he almost believed it to be the truth.
Guan Yi's father nodded and said, "Well, there's something I'd like to say, and I hope you won't think I'm taking advantage of my age."
"Please speak."
"Well, you're a student, and I've heard you're quite skilled. But as a student facing a deranged serial killer, don't you think your actions were too impulsive? What I mean is, after confirming the identity of the man who slit the throat, you could have taken a more roundabout approach, such as notifying the police to make the arrest. Why did you suddenly rush in?"
Guan Yi's expression suddenly turned tense, because she knew that her grandfather was testing her!
Chen Xu didn't think too much about it. In fact, although he had fabricated a lie, the difference between the truth and the lie wasn't that great. Especially during the period of capturing the throat-slitting man, not a single word was changed.
So Chen Xu replied, "Uncle, I wasn't completely sure he was the man who slit the throat at the time. I saw Huo Hu sitting on the rock, seemingly lost in thought, when two girls approached him. I followed them because I was worried about their safety. When Huo Hu pulled out the razor blade, I put all my thoughts aside because saving lives was the priority."
Grandpa Guan grunted in response, nodded, and remained silent. It was unclear whether he was satisfied with the answer.
At this moment, Xie Zhan laughed and said, "Young Chen, you are so young, yet you have such courage and boldness. It is truly admirable. Come, let me toast you."
Next, Grandpa Guan asked a few more questions, some about school life and others about current international events, wanting to hear Chen Xu's opinions. Chen Xu answered naturally; he either knew what he knew or he didn't know, and there was nothing wrong with speaking up in front of his elders.
Chen Xu's attitude pleased Grandpa Guan, because unlike some young people, he didn't insist on making up stories about things he didn't know to show off his extensive knowledge.
However, when asked what Chen Xu was thinking, Chen Xu's answer made Guan Yi's heart skip a beat.
Chen Xu said with a smile, "I'm the kind of person who doesn't have big ambitions. As for the future, I haven't thought too much about it. I just want to live freely and do what I like."
Guan Yi was nervous because she knew her father disliked people who just lazed around and did nothing. Sure enough, Old Master Guan frowned and said, "It's not good for a young person to have no goals. A man should first and foremost have his own career. Your father's pharmaceutical factory is doing very well now; haven't you ever thought about expanding and developing it?"
Chen Xu chuckled: "Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. If I wanted to stay in my father's pharmaceutical factory, I wouldn't have chosen information technology as my major. I would have gone straight to medical school. Actually, Uncle, I don't think my path is that easy."
Chen Xu was already quite drunk. After all, he was used to drinking beer, and although he had a good tolerance, he couldn't handle the first taste of baijiu (Chinese liquor). Moutai is a good liquor that doesn't cause a headache, but the alcohol still made him feel somewhat tipsy. So now Chen Xu was experiencing that kind of excitement that comes with being drunk. Although his mind was clear, he was no longer holding back on saying things he wouldn't normally dare to say.
"Uncle, I'd like to ask a bold question: Are you free?"
Chapter 121 Freedom
Chen Xu was already a little too excited when he said this. Although he knew what he was saying, he had forgotten whether his tone was appropriate or not.
However, Grandpa Guan didn't seem to care and laughed, "You mean... alright, then tell me, in what way am I not free?"
Chen Xu, slightly drunk, didn't care about anything else and tapped the table lightly with his finger, saying, "Old man, judging from your demeanor, your family fortune must be quite substantial, right? But with so much wealth, don't you need to manage it carefully? They say the business world is like a battlefield, and at your level, you still work hard every day thinking about making more money. But to you, besides being a row of numbers, does money have any other meaning?"
"Money begets power, and power demands money. This is a principle I understood since I was a child. Although I'm not very old, I've seen a lot. When I was young, my dad was running around for the pharmaceutical factory, and I still remember the faces of some people he treated. They say the bigger the business, the more enemies you have, and the more people you have to curry favor with. Like my dad, he was always at drinking parties. Now, although his business is bigger, he's even busier and doesn't even have time to spend with his family. What's the point of having so much money?"
"So what if you're rich? Bill Gates is rich, right? He's about to retire, what will he do with his enormous fortune? He's even thinking about evading US estate tax, probably ending up using charitable donations as a way to avoid taxes. Even the world's richest man on the Forbes list isn't free, let alone you, Uncle?" Old Master Guan frowned slightly. He said, "Young Chen, your thinking is a bit pessimistic. While money isn't everything, you can't do without it. Young people shouldn't be so dejected instead of striving to achieve something great."
"Dejected?" Chen Xu picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and laughed, "Grandpa, you misunderstood me. I was just thinking that money is something you only need enough of. I've never thought money is bad. If I didn't have money, how could I be sitting here now, drinking such delicious Moutai? It's just that when too much money becomes just a number and a burden, I feel it loses its meaning."
“If you have too much money, more people will try to take advantage of you. Having money doesn’t mean having power. You can’t refuse the gifts that the higher-ups ask for. Like my dad back then, he had to maintain good relationships with some officials by eating, drinking, and playing with them. Isn’t that a typical case of being a ‘three-service’? I think that’s incredibly pointless. You have to be mindful of other people’s opinions in everything you do, and that’s what I hate most.”
Grandpa Guan finally understood what was going on. He clicked his tongue and said, "Ha, young people are too ambitious. How can things in this world be so easy? Even the President of the United States can't have everything go his way."
"Ha!" Chen Xu laughed. "I don't want to be the President of the United States. Compared to that, I think Uncle Laden's terrorists have a better future. What I mean is actually very simple, just like it's written in the book: I want this sky to no longer obscure my vision, this earth to no longer bury my heart. But I don't expect all living beings to understand my will, nor do I think about the Buddhas vanishing into thin air. I only ask that in the future I can do what I love with the person I love, and I don't care if the Heavenly Emperor or any other deity tries to tell me what to do. For me, that is freedom..."
He couldn't remember what Chen Xu said after that. It was his first time drinking baijiu, and poor Chen Xu mumbled a bunch of things in a daze. Later, Old Master Guan had someone open a room for him and arranged for him to sleep there.
Although Chen Xu talked a lot, he didn't mention SMMH or the supercomputer at all, because these were secrets he subconsciously considered top-level secrets. Even when he was drunk, he wouldn't just blurt things out.
After sending Chen Xu to his bedroom, Old Master Guan looked very serious, lost in thought. Guan Yi, standing to the side, wanted nothing more than to skin Chen Xu alive... How could this kid say such shocking things after drinking?
Xie Zhan had watched Guan Yi grow up, so he naturally knew what his young mistress was thinking. He then asked Old Master Guan, "Oh, sir, what do you think of this young man?"
Grandpa Guan opened his mouth, and at that moment, Guan Yi's heart almost jumped out of her chest. Grandpa Guan glanced at her before saying, "Young people haven't experienced much, and they're a bit arrogant because of their youthful vigor." Seeing Guan Yi's face instantly darken, Grandpa Guan smiled and said, "But to be honest, I quite admire him."
"Oh?" Guan Yi's eyes lit up. Old Master Guan chuckled, "Speaking eloquently and confidently. Although his ideas are too naive, it's normal for a young person to have such thoughts since he hasn't experienced much hardship. Hey, if it were really as he says, where would true freedom be in this world? So young, yet so boastful. I'm quite looking forward to seeing what he'll think when he's finally hurt and looks back on these words."
"Dad!" Guan Yi called out somewhat displeased.
Grandpa Guan chuckled, "Oh, my dear daughter's angry? Heh, your old man isn't the kind of person to resort to underhanded tactics or schemes. It's just that the world is complicated, and he's thinking too simply. Oh well, it's fine for young people to be a little naive; it's just that I was being a bit too serious. Alright, daughter, don't worry, I'm fairly satisfied with him for now. Let him hone his skills for a while longer before we talk about it again. Daughter, we haven't seen each other for half a year. It seems your university life is quite colorful. Come on, tell your old man, how's it going?"
The father and daughter laughed and said they would talk to each other in the side. Meanwhile, Chen Xu was sleeping soundly... in a luxurious bed in a five-star hotel! Ah, it's good to be rich!
When Chen Xu woke up the next morning, he found himself in a hotel room, only then remembering what had happened the night before. The thought of what he had said while drunk terrified him, making him want to pee himself. He immediately called Guan Yi, and as soon as the phone rang, a woman's somewhat unfriendly voice came through the receiver: "Oh, the Wine Immortal is awake?"
Hearing this, Chen Xu couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat and asked in a very low voice, "Miss, did I say anything wrong last night?"
Guan Yi snorted on the other end of the phone: "Did you say something wrong? Why are you asking me?"
Chen Xu broke out in a cold sweat, realizing he had probably said something he shouldn't have. Just as he was about to explain, Guan Yi said, "Alright, alright, get up quickly, I'll be waiting for you at the swimming pool."
swimming pool?
Chen Xu scratched his head. This hotel even has a swimming pool?
And this woman went swimming so early in the morning instead of sleeping, is she sick?
Thinking of this, Chen Xu checked the time... Ugh, it's almost 11:30! He'd actually slept for so long?!
Since Xiaomin helped him fall into a deep sleep, Chen Xu hadn't slept in like this for a long time. He quickly washed his face, brushed his teeth, got dressed, and asked a waiter outside. As expected of a five-star hotel, the waiter didn't impatiently gesture that it was left, left, and then left again. Instead, he warmly led Chen Xu to the elevator and all the way to the top floor, where there was a large outdoor swimming pool.
Chen Xu thought to himself, "How extravagant! How extravagant!" while looking around to see where Guan Yi was.
There weren't many people in the swimming pool, and Chen Xu spotted Guan Yi at a glance. At that moment, the woman was climbing up the railing, wearing a black one-piece swimsuit. Her two snow-white thighs were exposed, and her chest was covered by the swimsuit, revealing a very full mound. Chen Xu almost had a nosebleed from looking at her!
I didn't see Grandpa Guan or Uncle Xie. I only saw Guan Yi sitting leisurely in a chair next to me. A waiter immediately brought him a towel and a drink... Of course, it wasn't something cheap like cola. The drink looked yellowish, probably freshly squeezed orange juice or something like that.
Guan Yi also saw Chen Xu at this moment. Seeing the guy standing there dumbfounded, he couldn't help but chuckle and waved, saying, "Hey, what are you standing there for?"
Chen Xu then came to his senses, walked over and sat down on the chair next to her, chuckling as he said, "There's a swimming pool here? You can swim?"
Guan Yi rolled her eyes at him and said, "I started learning to swim when I was three years old. Back then, the coach just threw me into the water, and after I splashed around and swallowed a few mouthfuls of water, I could swim on my own. Please, a five-star hotel's standard is that it should have a swimming pool, okay? But many hotels in China have the name of five-star, but they are actually much worse. This one is not bad."
Chen Xu tried hard not to look at her exposed, snow-white thighs, and asked in a low voice, "Um, I didn't say anything stupid last night, did I?"
Guan Yi snorted and said it was good that he didn't point his finger at my dad and yell at him.
Chen Xu broke out in a cold sweat, but seeing her ambiguous smile, he felt relieved. It seemed that he hadn't said anything annoying yesterday, nor had he revealed his identity, otherwise this woman would definitely not have this expression.
So Chen Xu shamelessly said, "Hehe, what does your dad think of me? Does he think I'm perfect to be a son-in-law?"
"You're going to die!" Guan Yi pinched him, and just then he suddenly saw a big, snow-white dog at the door. Guan Yi immediately exclaimed, "Wow, what a beautiful dog!"
Chen Xu was stunned. He turned around and saw a huge white Samoyed charging towards him!
Chapter 122 FOX
Chen Xu screamed in fright, and then saw the big dog rush straight towards her... behind her, then obediently lay down next to Guan Yi's feet, rubbing against her legs in a fawning manner, and then licking Guan Yi's palm with its tongue.
Chen Xu was so frightened by the dog that he plopped down on the ground. Just then, an apologetic voice rang out from the doorway: "Oh, I'm so sorry, I startled you. Pipi, you're so disobedient, aren't you going to apologize to this gentleman?"
Chen Xu had fallen pretty hard; his butt was almost split in four. He was about to curse when a hand reached out in front of him. Chen Xu looked up and saw a handsome guy in a white casual suit smiling brightly at him, a smile tinged with apology. Chen Xu grinned, grabbed the guy's hand, and struggled to his feet. The handsome guy smiled gently: "I'm so sorry, I startled you. Pipi, come here and apologize to him!"
How do dogs apologize?
Chen Xu has really broadened his horizons today.
After hearing its owner's words, the big dog whimpered and came around to Chen Xu, lying down in front of him. It blinked its big eyes, looked at him pitifully, and wagged its tail in a fawning manner.
Chen Xu burst out laughing; he hadn't expected a dog to be so obedient! Guan Yi, standing beside him, also laughed and said, "This dog is so smart!"
The handsome, sunny guy smiled a little embarrassedly and said, "I'm really sorry. Pipi has always been like this, a little... well, a little lecherous. It gets very excited when it sees pretty girls. I often wonder if it was a pervert in its past life."
Everyone laughed at this. Chen Xu chuckled and flicked the Samoyed's forehead. The big dog then bared its teeth at Chen Xu, looking somewhat annoyed. Chen Xu exclaimed, "Pretty intelligent, huh!"