Chapter 723: Preaching! (2)
Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

“Brother Chao, I’m tied up too. You know my old man has handed over the company’s operations to me now. I’m swamped every day.”

As for the two, Zhou Chao had a pretty good idea. Not every second-generation rich kid was as carefree as Si Cong, either chasing girls or on the road to doing so.

“No worries, there will be plenty of opportunities to hang out later.” Zhou Chao glanced at the time. “It’s getting late, past nine already. Time to head back, got to rise early tomorrow.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Wu hurriedly got up and headed for the cashier, while Zhou Chao and the others ambled out casually.

Lin Wu looked at the owner who was tallying the bill and asked, “How much is table 8 in total?”

“Just a moment!” The owner then clattered away on the calculator.

In about ten seconds, the owner handed Lin Wu the bill. A five-digit number instantly caught his eye, causing his pupils to contract involuntarily. He muttered to himself, “Oh, now there’s only a few hundred left of my private stash!”

At the side of the road, listening to Si Cong and the others’ rides, Zhang Wenxuan looked around but didn’t see any other luxury cars. This made him curious, “Huh, Brother Chao, didn’t you drive out? Let me give you a lift back!”

“No need, I did drive,” Zhou Chao said, nodding towards a nearby pink electric scooter.

Following Zhou Chao’s gaze, Si Cong and the others were surprised when they saw the vehicle Zhou Chao was referring to.

“You mean those two pedal bikes?”

Zhou Chao calmly nodded, “Yeah, just out for dinner, not far from home. Riding this is pretty convenient.”

Just as they were about to respond, Lin Wu hurried over.

Seeing Lin Wu’s somewhat downcast expression, Zhou Chao teased, “Today’s on you!”

Lin Wu’s expression changed instantly, throwing away his previous frustration. He pretended to be calm and said, “Treating the boss to dinner is the least I can do!”

Zhou Chao glanced meaningfully at Lin Wu and said, “You spent quite a bit, huh?”

Lin Wu hesitated for a moment. As Zhou Chao’s personal assistant and driver-bodyguard, he knew there was more to the boss’ question. But now was not the time for him to dwell on it. Without any concealment, he quickly replied, “Not much, just enough. The personal fund has about seven to eight hundred left.”

Nodding, Zhou Chao’s expression turned slightly serious, “Don’t think this will blow over easily. When you make a mistake, you have to own up to it. Don’t narrow your path, don’t always focus on immediate gains. You need to broaden your horizons. Some circles, once you step out, you can never go back!”

Upon hearing this, Si Cong and the others’ expressions changed slightly, while Lin Wu quickly lowered his head and, with a somewhat choked-up voice, said, “Boss, I won’t dare to overstep again next time!”

“Mm.” Zhou Chao nodded lightly, then turned his gaze to Si Cong and the others.

“Si Cong, I’ll head back first. Winter nights in this Modu can get pretty cold!”

“Young Master Zhou, take care!” Si Cong and the others quickly replied.

The three watched as Zhou Chao and the other rode off on the pink electric scooter.

It wasn’t until the scooter disappeared from view that they withdrew their gazes. At this moment, Qin Fen took out a cigarette from his pocket, handed one to each of the others, then lit his own.

None of them spoke, standing in the cold wind, quietly smoking. It wasn’t until the cigarettes were nearly burnt out that Qin Fen spoke up, “Do you think Young Master Zhou’s words just now were specifically directed at me?”

Si Cong flicked his cigarette butt to the ground, stomping on it a few times before replying, “Definitely aimed at you. Although Young Master Zhou didn’t directly inquire about your situation, with his cunning mind, how could he not be aware of the severity of your situation based on the information we provided? It was probably a warning.”

“I’m afraid Young Master Zhou wasn’t just speaking to Qin Fen alone, but also to both of us. We need to broaden our horizons!” Zhang Wenxuan’s eyes flashed with worry.

The more they interacted with Zhou Chao, the more they felt he was a mystery. Just from the few stock market incidents, they understood how capable Zhou Chao was. Moreover, his network of contacts was something the three of them could only dream of matching. They understood that even if they combined the connections of their fathers, it still wouldn’t match what Zhou Chao had.

After a moment of silence, a few more cigarette butts littered the ground.

“Alright, it’s getting late. Let’s all go back and think it over. Especially you, Qin Fen. Even though Young Master Zhou didn’t explicitly mention it, you should quickly sort out those matters. If any unfavorable rumors surface later on, don’t expect us to lend a hand!”

Qin Fen nodded with a hint of frustration. He knew he was in a tough spot. Originally, he had come here today hoping Zhou Chao could help, but things had taken an unexpected turn.

“Let’s go!”

Then, the three of them drove off towards their respective homes.

Meanwhile, Zhou Chao and Lin Wu had already returned to the villa in Junzhou Huating. Zhou Chao sat on the sofa, looking at Lin Wu with a faint smile. “What were you thinking when we were by the roadside just now? Did you think I was making a mountain out of a molehill?”

Upon hearing Zhou Chao’s question, Lin Wu poured tea into Zhou Chao’s cup, then smiled and replied, “Boss, the words you said earlier were directed at Qin Fen… No, they were probably meant for all three of them!”

Taking a sip from his teacup, Zhou Chao nodded. “You’re right, but it was also directed at you. Next time, if you have any ideas or suggestions, make sure to run them by me first!”

Continuing, Zhou Chao added, “Although it’s not clear what mistake Qin Fen made this time, sending him abroad for a while indicates that the situation is serious. Since they’ve entered my circle, they must adhere to my rules. Moreover, they are prominent figures in China, and their every move represents the will of many. If they make mistakes, they shouldn’t assume I’m pulling the strings behind the scenes.”

Lin Wu nodded thoughtfully, pondering the meaning behind Zhou Chao’s words.

Zhou Chao’s words today were also for future arrangements. With the development of the Dragonfly Group and Ocean Technology, his strides would only get larger, and more people would follow him. Si Cong and the others, as elders in his circle, naturally had to set a good example. Of course, if they continued to make mistakes, they couldn’t blame him for not considering past relationships.

He hoped the three of them would understand his intentions. They should understand; after all, none of them were fools!

“Alright, it’s getting late. Let’s rest early!” With that, Zhou Chao stood up and headed upstairs.

—

The next day, Zhou Chao woke up early.

As soon as he came downstairs, he saw Lin Wu and Si Cong sitting on the sofa, chatting and laughing. Seeing their happy expressions, one would think they had found some treasure.

“Good morning, Young Master Zhou!” Seeing Zhou Chao come down, the two quickly stood up to greet him.

“Good morning. Si Cong, why did you come so early? I thought you were heading straight to the airport!” Zhou Chao glanced at the time. It was not even nine in the morning, but judging by the way the two were chatting, it seemed they had been here for a while.

“It’s on the way, so I thought we could go to the airport together!” Si Cong nodded, and Zhou Chao then turned his gaze to Lin Wu.

“Boss, everything is packed and ready to go. We can leave anytime. We’ll have breakfast on the plane!” Lin Wu reported.

“In that case, let’s go!” Zhou Chao waved his hand and headed outside.

Modu was about 1800 kilometers away from Hohhot. It took them two and a half hours to fly to Hohhot’s Baita Airport.

Looking at the buildings in the distance, Zhou Chao began to anticipate the trip.

As the plane landed, Zhou Chao and the others stepped out of the cabin, immediately feeling the piercing cold wind. They couldn’t help but shiver involuntarily.

“It’s so cold! Winter has just begun, and it’s going to get even colder later!” Si Cong exclaimed, rubbing his hands together.

Although it was already winter, there was no snow in Hohhot, but the cold was indeed bone-chilling.

The group exited the airport and, under Si Cong’s guidance, got into a special car arranged by Yida Group and headed to the hotel that had been arranged in advance.

Originally, Zhou Chao had asked Lin Wu to arrange these matters, but unfortunately, there were no industries in Hohhot, so Si Cong ended up taking care of them. After all, Yida Group had a presence all over the country!