Chapter 45: Daughter In Trouble?

The car soon arrived at the entrance of Jinxiu Pavilion. The greeters immediately came forward, and when Li Yuanguang nervously took out his gold card, the attendant responsible for receiving him became even more humble.

“VIP for Tian No. 3 room has arrived.”

“Room No. 3 has no guests, no guests — they can be received, no need for anyone to change rooms.”

“Thirty-two people, copy that — please note, two child seats required.”

“Copy, copy — four servers have already entered the room.”

The stream of voices over the walkie-talkies made the Li family unconsciously straighten their chests.

Walking behind the greeters, Li Yuanguang felt that all the restaurants he’d been to before were rubbish compared to this — look at this service. He was impressed. The boss of Jinxiu Group truly knew how to do business.

When they reached the private room, the antique-style decor and the servers standing in a row made the Li family feel a bit uneasy.

The eldest brother of the Li family’s heart was pounding too. He glanced at his wife who kept glaring at him and forced a bitter smile, thinking that at worst he’d spend all the money he’d just earned — but he couldn’t afford to be humiliated in front of so many people.

“Sir, charges on this card will be covered by Jinxiu Group — please enjoy your meal.” Perhaps detecting the eldest brother’s concern, a delicate-looking server bowed and gently explained this to him.

Li Yuanjie gave his unremarkable brother a long look — the big boss of Jinxiu Pavilion was Little Red Robe. What on earth had his brother done to deserve such treatment from the famed Little Red Robe?

Li Yuanguang had never imagined that the wild mountain produce he dealt in so routinely could result in a life like this. The dedicated servers for Tian No. 3 immediately recommended dishes based on their group composition, and he agreed to everything with a lost look on his face.

“Sorry, sir, the wine allocation for this gold card only has two bottles of 1986 Moutai left — do you want to use up some of your quota for next month?”

This was Su Pingnan’s rule: apart from himself, the few people below him each only receive one crate of good-year Moutai and one crate of Wuliangye per month.

“No need, no need,” Li Yuanguang hurriedly waved his hand and said they had brought their own.

The dishes arrived quickly. Everyone ate and drank heartily. The women chatted about everyday family matters while the children laughed and played on the wide room’s soft mat.

After eating his fill, Li Yuanjie’s brotherly feelings took over. He lowered his voice and said to his younger brother, “Jinxiu Pavilion belongs to Jinxiu Group — do you know who owns Jinxiu Group?”

“Who?”

“Su Pingnan.”

“Is that the Little Red Robe you mentioned?”

“Yes. Do you know what kind of person he is?” Li Yuanjie lowered his voice and told him everything he knew.

Li Yuanguang’s face showed a mix of emotions.

Li Yuanjie said slowly, “Second Brother, if these people are good to you, you must give back — otherwise you’ll lose more. When these people give, they’ll certainly demand returns. Do you understand?”

Li Yuanguang nodded. He decided to call Li Zhiyu that night and have him take charge of the whole shipping department. They had all worked long enough to know that big jobs needed the cooperation of everyone in the team.

While Stationmaster Li was lost in thought, Guo Guangyao pushed the door and came in — he, Su Wenwen, and one other person all had access to Room No. 3.

The rule that those three share access to a private room was also set by Su Pingnan, and he had specifically discussed this arrangement with the three of them.

Su Pingnan now focused mainly on big-picture strategy and rarely appeared to handle Wucheng’s day-to-day connections, so these duties were naturally handed to the people below him. Except for Yang Qianli, the others had been doing well. Jinxiu Group had already established some official relationships and a foundation and Jinxiu Pavilion’s Tian No. 3 was their main dining spot, so when Guo Guangyao learned someone was using the room, he naturally came in to share a drink and make acquaintances.

Guo Guangyao was now extremely comfortable in such settings. After having a few drinks with the Li brothers, he took his leave. As he left, he laughed and asked the Li brothers to look after him in the future, even handing the eldest brother a silver card.

He was a smart man. He never interfered in other businesses unless Su Pingnan instructed him to, but he firmly remembered the task Su Pingnan gave him: “Wucheng is our stronghold. When I’m not there, you must cultivate connections well, to the point where the wind can’t move them and the rain can’t wet them.”

Regarding Wucheng, and even the whole Tiannan Province, Su Pingnan had an ambition he hadn’t voiced: he wanted to turn Tiannan Province into his private commercial backyard, so he would have the capital to compete with the world’s big players.

While Su Pingnan and his people were busy moving forward, poor Li Luoran was at home facing a three-way interrogation.

A mother knows best whether her daughter has changed, and on top of that they had found the jewelry Li Luoran had hidden in a box.

Although Mrs. Li was a civil servant, she had a discerning eye. After being momentarily stunned by the glittering rings and earrings, she immediately realized this was serious.

They weren’t against their daughter dating, since they knew that a time would come when their daughter would find a husband and move out of the home. But these expensive items could never have come from a college student’s means. Considering their daughter’s looks, the word “mistress” flashed again and again in the Mr. and Mrs. Li’s minds, and they simply couldn’t throw it out of their heads.