The next day, Li Haochen walked into the kitchen and found no loving breakfast. As he wondered about this, his phone rang. "Mr. Li, your boat has arrived. When are you free to come and receive it?"
"My boat?" Li Haochen was taken aback. "Uh… I’m so forgetful. Manager Li, I’ll be there soon."
Too lazy to cook breakfast for one, Li Haochen rode his electric scooter out to find something to eat. Before long, an old woman selling food at the entrance of a residential compound caught his eye.
He turned and stopped at her stall. "Auntie, two portions of rice noodle rolls, please."
After parking his scooter, he sat on a small stool nearby, anticipating the meal. He watched as the auntie took two long sheets of rice noodle from a foam box, poured soy sauce over them, and sprinkled a pinch of white sesame seeds.
They were refreshing, chewy, and delicious, costing only three yuan. Although they lacked meat or eggs, they were far tastier than those marketed as "stone-milled" or "Brasserie" style.
"This is great. I haven't had such authentic food in a long time."
Li Haochen ate two portions and, still wanting more, ordered another. He left only after belching with satisfaction.
Half an hour later, he arrived at the shipyard. The large guard dog at the entrance rushed out again. Perhaps recognizing Li Haochen as someone not to be trifled with, it simply looked away, barked a couple of times, and wagged its tail as it retreated into its luxurious kennel.
"Heh, smart move. Otherwise, I would have given you two jin of soybeans and a jin of old ginger."
Upon entering, he was surprised to find that the disgusting Guo Dabbin had been replaced, which piqued Li Haochen's curiosity.
Just then, Manager Li Yongxin hurried out. "Apologies, Mr. Li. I was dealing with something just now. Please, this way."
"Manager Li, that disgusting fellow at the gate…?"
"Heh heh, I kicked him out. How do you feel now?"
"Oh…?"
Li Yongxin leaned in and whispered into Li Haochen's ear, "His backer fell, heh heh."
Li Haochen smiled and said nothing more. Following Li Yongxin, they reached the back of the warehouse a few minutes later, where a fishing boat with a green hull, white body, and red sides was docked.
Half an hour later, Li Haochen emerged from the boat, smiling with satisfaction. "Not bad, the equipment and functions are quite good."
"Of course. Our shipyard's products are top-notch, heh heh!"
"Yes, and the price is also top-notch."
"Cough, cough, you get what you pay for, hahaha!"
Leaving the shipyard, Li Haochen headed straight for the administrative building. He had already called Xie Baolian, who would arrange everything. As expected, upon his arrival, the beautiful woman who had helped him with his previous business was ready with the necessary documents, requiring only his signature.
Of course, the process still took time. The lady led Li Haochen through several departments, though they were not far, all within the same building but on different floors. Completing all the procedures took nearly two hours. It truly showed how much easier things were when you had connections. If it were under normal procedures, it would have taken at least half a month.
"Sister Yan, thank you so much. Are you free for lunch? We could have a casual meal together."
"This…"
"Ring ring ring…"
"Excuse me, I need to take a call."
"Auntie Lian, understood. I’ve invited Sister Yan to join. Alright, see you shortly."
"Sister Yan, see you later then. I’ll head over first."
"Okay…"
Huo Xiaoyan readily agreed without hesitation, already thrilled. She considered Xie Baolian's small favor a significant matter and planned to handle it with great care. Once the task was completed, she would subtly mention it to her superior, which might lead to her rapid advancement.
"Young, wealthy, and well-connected. If only I could have him…"
Watching Li Haochen leave, Huo Xiaoyan's mind was filled with swirling thoughts.
After leaving the administrative building, Li Haochen spent over half an hour searching for the Imperial Chef’s Kitchen, as she had described it.
"It's quite hard to find, but it has a lovely antique charm."
Li Haochen greatly admired the ancient, classic architecture. Just as he was about to enter, he was stopped. "Sir, do you have a reservation?"
"Uh… I need a reservation?"
As he stood there awkwardly, Xie Baolian's call came again. "...Okay, Mom, you should have told me you booked it earlier."
"Hello, the private room was booked by Ms. Xie Baolian."
"Please wait a moment…"
After some verification, the server, with a professional smile, extended a hand and led Li Haochen to a private room in the inner hall. Upon entering, the rustic scenery unfolded before him, making him feel as if he were in the home of an ancient dignitary.
"Truly exquisite!"
When he saw the menu, it was indeed impressive. A simple dish like "Emerald White Jade Soup" cost 288 yuan. It was essentially just vegetables and tofu, though presented differently.
As soon as he finished ordering and put down the menu, Xie Baolian entered, surrounded by admirers.
"Haochen, let me introduce you…"
After a brief introduction, they took their respective seats. In fact, Li Haochen had seen most of them before while going through the paperwork; they were almost all middle management from various departments.
It was then that Li Haochen realized Xie Baolian was helping him build his network.
About ten minutes later, the exquisite and expensive dishes were served, satisfying everyone. It was a joyous occasion for all.
Li Haochen also familiarized himself with the guests. With the connection to Xie Baolian, everyone showed him great respect.
After the banquet, Xie Baolian pulled Li Haochen aside for a chat. "One for each of us?"
"Mmm! Don't you think I know your intentions?"
"It seems my efforts in cultivating these connections for you haven't been in vain. You need to grasp them tightly. Also, don't cross the line; it's not good for anyone if you do. Alright, you understand, I need to get back to work."
Upon returning home, Li Haochen parked his electric scooter, made a call to Dai Changrun, and then hailed a taxi to the city bus station.
Upon arrival, he was greeted by a sea of people, noise, and smoke, making the place seem like a scene from hell.
"Looks like I need to get my driver's license quickly."
The thought of the driver's license testing brought a wry smile to Li Haochen's face. He had registered over two months ago but hadn't even taken the first written test.
On the bus, Li Haochen found his seat with his ticket. The 45-seater luxury bus was anything but luxurious. His knees were almost touching the seat in front of him, with no space to extend his legs.
"Screech~"
A figure beside him suddenly slumped into the seat, startling Li Haochen, who had been dozing.
Turning his head, he saw a young woman with heavy makeup, wearing a crop top and short shorts. She showed no sign of realizing her sudden movement had startled him, wearing headphones and bobbing her head to the music, chewing gum with abandon.
Seeing the multiple piercings on her ears, he thought of the term "psychedelic youth." Li Haochen felt a sense of dismay. Fortunately, it was a young woman; if it were a young man, he might have unleashed a flurry of attacks.
Li Haochen shifted to the side and turned his head to look out the window. Soon, he drifted off to sleep.
A few hours later, amidst complaints and stretches, they disembarked. At the exit, he saw the "psychedelic youth" taking out all the money from her pocket. She found a 10-yuan bill, the largest denomination, and placed it into the small plate of a disabled street performer.
This scene caused Li Haochen to re-evaluate his perception of her. "Perhaps we should reconsider ourselves. By viewing others with prejudice, aren't we also a type of 'psychedelic' entity!"