"Look at you, you got lipstick all over my mouth," Murong Yanran said, pouting as she touched up her makeup.
"Can you blame me? Who told you you were so..."
"Are you going to say it? Believe it or not, I'll give you a taste of my ruthlessness. Hurry and change your clothes, the hotel is urging us."
Half an hour later, Li Haochen and Murong Yanran arrived at the hotel. Jiang Zitiao, who was anxiously pacing, rushed over, pointed at Murong Yanran, and began to scold, "What are you doing? Don't you know the distinguished guest has been waiting for a long time? Get ready immediately."
Li Haochen's temper flared instantly. He shoved Jiang Zitiao's hand away and glared, "Point at me again, and I'll break it. Believe it."
Jiang Zitiao, who had always had things his way, couldn't tolerate such treatment. His face turned grim, and he pulled rank, shouting, "Who are you to threaten a national public servant? Believe it or not, I'll have you thrown in jail."
Just as Li Haochen was about to retort, a large group arrived. At the forefront, Ham extended his hand, his expression grateful, and clasped Li Haochen's firmly. "Mr. Li, I am deeply indebted to you for saving my life."
Li Haochen felt awkward, unsure of how to address him. Murong Yanran, sensing his discomfort, leaned in and whispered.
"Uh, Your Highness Ham, hello. That incident was not just my accomplishment; there were more than a dozen warriors there, and more importantly, our country. We received orders to rescue at all costs. Fortunately, everyone is safe."
Having just offended that insignificant Jiang Zitiao, Li Haochen, though unaware of his exact position, knew anyone running errands in such a setting held some authority. To protect Murong Yanran and her hotel, Li Haochen attributed the success to the nation. This, he believed, would at least earn him goodwill and discourage any further complications.
Ham simply smiled faintly. Approaching his pinnacle, his mind was clear, and he could discern truth from falsehood with a single word. Sometimes, feigning ignorance was beneficial.
The accompanying reporters from Sailboat Country had recorded the conversation, and Li Haochen knew the details would soon reach the ears of relevant leaders. Ham's family members then came forward one by one to express their gratitude.
With so many people, Li Haochen's smile was starting to cramp his face. After more than ten minutes, it finally concluded. As he turned to head towards Liu Qinghe and the others, Ham pulled him towards their table.
Jiang Zitiao had initially planned to deal with Li Haochen later. However, upon witnessing this scene, he decided it was best to abandon that idea. If Li Haochen were to stir up any trouble, he could potentially be dismissed from his post.
Before long, the table was laden with an array of delicious dishes. Pan-fried, deep-fried, braised, stewed—every cooking method was employed, dazzling the eyes of the Sailboat Country delegation. Especially the two enormous abalones on the table, which even those accustomed to delicacies found irresistible. The shells of the two giant abalones became cherished possessions of two princes.
Next was the award ceremony, which Liu Qinghe and the others eagerly anticipated. The ceremony was simple yet solemn. The reward was a single exquisite, custom-made royal gift box, small and light, with no discernible contents when shaken.
Gratitude was merely one part of the itinerary; the most crucial aspect was cooperation between the two nations. Therefore, after the award ceremony, Ham thanked Li Haochen and the dozen or so individuals once more before departing.
"Hiss—"
Returning to their seats, everyone eagerly unwrapped the gift boxes. Upon seeing the Swiss bank cashier's checks inside, they all gasped.
"Ten, hundred... one million US dollars!"
The happiest were Liu Xiying and Chen Yaohong. Having just confirmed their relationship, this sum would make it much easier to win over her discerning mother.
"Ah Xiong, Haochen, yours should be different from ours, right? See how much you got?" Li Zhigang loudly urged the two to open their boxes. The others were also curious, as they were the true heroes who saved Hadi, and their rewards were expected to be different.
Liao Weixiong also excitedly opened his box. He stared at the check inside, then broke into a wide smile. "Two million US dollars, plus a sports car."
"You got a sports car too? That's awesome. Be careful of your kidneys, old Xiong, hahaha!"
"Don't worry, my kidneys are very healthy, hehe!"
"By the way, Haochen, what about you? It should be a lot, right?"
Li Haochen had already glanced at his reward and quickly closed the box. The sheer amount made him uneasy. Ten million US dollars. Fortunately, everyone's attention was on Liao Weixiong at the time.
"Cough, cough, it's about the same as Brother Xiong's, but I didn't get a car. Instead, I was given a villa in Sailboat Country, and some kind of permanent residency," Li Haochen told a white lie, not daring to reveal the vast difference.
"That's not bad either. If you have time to visit, you can save a lot on hotel costs."
Seeing the rewards Li Haochen and the others received, Wu Junjie's eyes burned with envy. Having gained nothing, he sullenly drank his tea.
It was a rare occasion for them all to gather, and no one intended to disperse so soon. Moreover, with money in hand, they felt it would be a waste not to spend it. Li Haochen led everyone through a day of eating, drinking, and entertainment until nightfall, after which he arranged for them at a hotel and took a taxi home.
As he put down the box, Murong Yanran emerged, wearing a bathrobe and drying her hair, exuding a fragrant aura.
"Let me blow-dry it for you."
Li Haochen took the hairdryer and began to dry her hair. Murong Yanran picked up the box and asked, "Is this the reward? What's in it?"
"You'll find out if you look, hehe."
Murong Yanran wiped it clean and exclaimed, "Ten million US dollars? That's quite a sum. Hmm... what's this?"
"What is it?"
Li Haochen turned off the hairdryer and leaned in. It was all in Arabic; he had no idea what it said and lost interest. He'd rather focus on Murong Yanran's hair.
"Congratulations, classmate Li Haochen."
"Uh...?"
"You've been promoted and can have three wives and four concubines. Of course, that deserves congratulations."
"Really? That would be great, I can finally... Ouch!"
"You can finally what?" Murong Yanran twisted Li Haochen's ear, pouting and glaring.
As the two were playfully bickering, Xie Baolian entered, looking weary.
"Mom, what's wrong?"
"Ah, what else? I had to accompany your dad to a social event. I've been on my feet all day, and my legs are about to break. No, I need to rest for a while."
"You go take a bath first. I've put your clothes in the bathroom," Murong Yanran said, moving to Xie Baolian's side. "Aunt Lian, let me give you a massage!"
Li Haochen entered the bathroom. Today, he wasn't facing a "Crayon Shin-chan"; at least the "big elephant" felt better psychologically than the "worm" of Shin-chan, being sufficiently large.