"Big nephew, big nephew."
As soon as Du Fei and Gong Chengbin got off the plane, a group of people rushed to greet them.
The leader was an old man in his sixties, with a shrewd and worldly look.
Behind him followed five or six men and women around Gong Chengbin's age.
Walking up to Gong Chengbin, they all called him "Brother Bin" with great familiarity.
"Uh... uh, who are you?"
Everyone around him was so affectionate, yet Gong Chengbin didn't even know who they were. Du Fei couldn't help but look at him a few times.
Gong Chengbin felt a bit embarrassed under Du Fei's gaze.
However, while Gong Chengbin didn't remember them, they didn't seem awkward at all.
After the old man introduced himself, Gong Chengbin finally learned that the old man's name was Gong Weiguang. His father was a cousin of Gong Chengbin's grandfather, making him a peer of Gong Chengbin's father.
He had learned from his father that Gong Chengbin was returning to pay respects to his grandfather's grave and had come to the airport in advance to wait for him.
Then, Gong Weiguang enthusiastically invited Gong Chengbin to stay at his home.
"Uncle Guang, you don't need to be so polite. We've already booked a hotel, and we have other things to do this time, so we won't trouble you."
Despite Gong Weiguang's warmth, Gong Chengbin wasn't familiar with him at all. The more enthusiastic the other party was, the more uncomfortable he felt.
Afterward, Gong Weiguang held Gong Chengbin's hand, trying to get closer, and only reluctantly let go when Gong Chengbin's assistant had hailed a car.
After Gong Chengbin and the other two got into the car, the men and women behind the old man immediately walked up to him.
"Dad, what do we do now? That guy has no regard for family at all."
"We originally thought we could get him to invest in our company, but we were met with indifference."
"Damn it, he's just got a bit of money, why is he so arrogant!"
Gong Weiguang didn't speak, but his eyes flickered as he stared at the car Gong Chengbin had left in, his thoughts unknown.
"Hoo, hoo, finally got rid of those people."
Meanwhile, Gong Chengbin breathed a sigh of relief once he was in the car.
He didn't know where their sudden familiarity came from, but they were all trying to get close to him. And their children, with their forced smiles, made Gong Chengbin feel awkward.
If he had agreed to stay at their place, Gong Chengbin felt he would have gone mad.
"A Bin, they are your relatives, you shouldn't say that. It's too much," Du Fei said, sitting beside Gong Chengbin.
Hearing Du Fei's words, Gong Chengbin immediately retorted, "Fine then, how about I call him and ask you to stay at his place to experience that kind of warmth?"
To this, Du Fei could only give Gong Chengbin a silent thumbs-up. That was a ruthless move; Du Fei admitted he couldn't handle it either.
Du Fei had also witnessed the over-the-top enthusiasm of Gong Chengbin's relatives at the airport.
"Speaking of which, you are his junior, and you don't even know his name, and you've hardly met him. Why is he so warm towards you?" Du Fei recalled Gong Weiguang's attentiveness and found it strange.
"The poor in the city are unnoticed, while the rich in the mountains have distant relatives. It's a simple truth. When my grandfather was still alive, relatives from Spring City would visit us every few days, trying to find out indirectly if we could arrange jobs for their children or if they could borrow some money due to hardship."
"At first, my father, out of respect for my grandfather, gave them a little. But immediately, a crowd would show up."
"Later, my father got angry and refused to see anyone. After my grandfather passed away, none of these people even came to pay their respects. So, these people are purely after money."
Gong Chengbin was very familiar with people like Gong Weiguang, as he had grown up in such an environment and encountered many such individuals. It was no longer surprising to him.
The taxi stopped in front of the hotel Gong Chengbin and his companions had booked.
After the assistant paid the fare, the three of them, led by the hotel doorman, proceeded to the front desk.
Since Gong Chengbin's assistant had already booked the rooms in advance, the three of them presented their IDs for registration and immediately received their room keys.
They had booked three connecting rooms on the same floor.
They arranged to go out for dinner later, and the three of them returned to their respective rooms to rest and unpack.
*Click.*
Du Fei used his room card to open the door and, upon entering, promptly inserted the card into the slot by the door.
Most hotels work this way; only when the room card is inserted into the slot does the room's power activate.
When the guest removes the card to leave, all power in the room is immediately cut off.
Du Fei didn't have much with him, only two sets of clothes, some toiletries, and his medical bag.
After taking his belongings out of his suitcase and placing them in the closet, Du Fei called Liu Shishi to let her know he had arrived safely.
Du Fei had informed Liu Shishi in advance about his trip to Spring City.
Liu Shishi fully supported Du Fei's intentions.
After a brief chat on the phone, Liu Shishi's secretary notified her about a meeting, and they had to end the call.
As Du Fei was about to sit down and rest, there was a knock on his door.
"Come in."
Du Fei called out, and Gong Chengbin pushed the door open and entered.
"How's it going, are you settled? Want to go out for a bit?" Gong Chengbin walked into the room and looked at Du Fei.
Du Fei asked back, "I'm settled. Just the two of us?"
"My assistant is a workaholic and said he needs to prepare documents in his room, so I didn't bother him."
Hearing Gong Chengbin's explanation, Du Fei nodded.
He removed his room card from the slot, closed the door, and Du Fei and Gong Chengbin went downstairs together.
However, as soon as they reached the lobby, they were stopped.
"Brother Bin? What a coincidence, what are you doing here?" A girl, dressed fashionably and looking youthful, appeared delighted.
Recognizing a somewhat familiar face, Gong Chengbin hesitated for a moment before remembering that it was Gong Weiguang's daughter, who had greeted them at the airport earlier.
He never expected to run into them again so soon after trying to avoid them.
"Yes, what are you doing here?" Although Gong Chengbin was not fond of Gong Weiguang, they were still relatives, and he couldn't show too much displeasure on the surface.
The girl smiled and said, "I'm here with my brother and the others for dinner. Since we've run into each other, why don't you join us for a meal, Brother Bin?"
"This... I have something else to attend to. Another time, let's have dinner another time." Gong Chengbin was reluctant to go and made an excuse.
But the girl immediately grabbed his arm, acting as if refusing would be a sign of disrespect.
In the end, Gong Chengbin could only look at Du Fei helplessly. The two of them had no choice but to agree.
Seeing that Gong Chengbin had agreed, the girl jumped up with joy.