Chapter 48 - You Came Looking For Me

hink that the rumor about him being an easy-to-handle mayor following the Standing Committee's lead was not exaggerated.A group of influential businessmen and officials gathered to discuss not the bot...Chapter 48: You've Come to Find Me

The ivory-white hotel entrance, after passing through lakeside fishing villages and small towns along an undeveloped lakeshore road, presented a stunning view. More like a resort villa by the lake than just a hotel, it was built on sloping land beside the lake, appearing solemn rather than ostentatious in Su Cen's eyes. Sentry boxes at both sides of the gate were manned by armed police officers who saluted as the black car pulled up.

Su Cen carried his office supply bag and walked inside without being questioned or asked for delivery credentials. Although this place didn't allow public access, it wasn't strictly off-limits either, especially not to a high school student like Su Cen.

The lawn, green trees, and small white-roofed cottles in between created a very tranquil environment. Cars entered the hotel silently from the main gate; today seemed rather special as there were many parked vehicles and frequent bursts of laughter coming from reception buildings, occasionally breaking the peaceful atmosphere.

No one paid much attention to Su Cen, who walked straight towards the main building. The brightly lit lobby was dazzling with neatly lined-up women in cheongsam, each with clear features and slender figures. Soft leather sofas were provided for rest, along with tables adorned with fruit platters of candies, peanuts, and sunflower seeds. However, now there wasn't a single person around, making the place look eerily quiet.

Su Cen walked in looking somewhat lonely.

Feeling slightly anxious, Su Cen put aside his initial plan to call Lin Luoran. Given that she was staying here and it didn’t seem like a regular day with various reception activities going on, Lin Luoran might be busy accompanying the adults, leaving no time for him.

The hotel's main lobby manager, a woman in her twenties, hurried over when she saw Su Cen, bending slightly to look at him. "Little brother, what do you need Can't find your elders"

She wondered why someone would come before the official welcome ceremony began; this segment was meticulously planned and couldn’t afford any mistakes since it needed to be recorded.

The woman’s voice was sweet and carefree. Su Cen wanted to say, "Miss, if you bend lower, I could see your bra brand," but of course he wouldn't. Instead, he gave her an innocent look.

Hearing that Su Cen was there for delivery purposes, the reception manager flashed a hint of displeasure, muttering, "What’s going on in the finance department!" Nevertheless, she welcomed him with a smile and pointed to the location of the finance office. "Hurry up, little brother!"

Taking the delivered goods to the finance room, a woman in her thirties with a stern expression who was working on the accounts looked displeased: "Why are you so late I called you guys earlier! Your efficiency is too low! We’re waiting for a meeting right now, and you just arrived at this time!"

The woman deliberately tried to provoke him, but Su Can understood her situation. She worked in the Bayi Victory Hotel; while it sounded glamorous on paper, she had to deal with people who could not be provoked or offended. She often had to work overtime and swallow her grievances silently. Reflecting on her position compared to those with real power, the disparity was evident, causing frustration. If Su Can were a bit older, her words might have been harsher.

The woman felt some regret when she spoke, remembering her three-year-old daughter and feeling pity for someone else’s child. After all, if her daughter ever faced similar treatment at this age, it would be devastating to lose face as a parent. However, what surprised everyone was Su Can's lack of reaction or urgency in response to her tone; his calm demeanor left her unable to escalate the situation.

“Next time, hurry up! Otherwise, I won’t issue an invoice for you, and your boss will have to come and pick it up!” The woman handed over a receipt to Su Can with a threatening tone.

Su Can did not intend to argue with the impatient woman; he took the receipt and left.

The woman was handling her accounts when suddenly, remembering something, she looked up in surprise and hurriedly got up to follow him.

Just as Su Can walked out of the long corridor, it coincided with the peak period for receiving guests. Outside, beautiful hostesses stood in two rows in the lobby, people were filming with cameras nearby, hotel managers stood at the entrance to welcome guests, and someone was so nervous that they clenched their fists tightly.

There was another passage here, but nobody had informed Su Can about it. As he walked out, he reached the main hall where the hotel's general manager was holding a microphone in front of everyone, welcoming senior officials to the Bayi Hotel and hoping for a successful meeting.

The military region of Xiahai City had complex relationships with the outside world; this military region was unique compared to ordinary regional armies.

It was established in 1981 by the State Council and the Central Military Commission, belonging to the General Logistics Department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. It formed an important part of China’s strategic defense system and was well-known across the country. However, many aspects remained unknown to ordinary people.

Of course, this military base wasn’t located near Xiahai City but about 100 kilometers away from downtown.

Sometimes, big figures appear here, which is not uncommon and usually does not alarm the local municipal government.

This explains why the August 1st Hotel is so grandiose and meticulous.

The gap between this world and Su Cen's world is unknown in terms of distance.

Jiang Linduo, the Political Commissar of Xiahai City Military Region, entered the lobby, accompanied by市委書記劉嵐和其他一些軍區領導及市委乾部，以及這些乾部的子女。他們都麵帶微笑，聽著酒店總經理激動地迎接詞。

In this era, gatherings of governmental agencies often involve their children. This allows younger generations to build relationships and learn a lot from such interactions. The offspring of high-ranking officials receive strict education at home, with many hoping that their children can interact and form a circle where they can learn from each other, thus reducing the educational burden.

Su Cen appeared behind the general manager at this moment, quite unexpectedly.

The hotel's general manager spoke with some enthusiasm, but upon realizing something was amiss, he saw Su Cen and, due to his nervousness, couldn't continue from where he left off in his well-rehearsed speech.

Someone holding a camera who had been recording the historic moment subconsciously turned their lens towards Su Cen because after the general manager's speech came an important figure's address. The sudden appearance of Su Cen threw everyone off guard.

The woman from the finance department, upon arriving later, was filled with regret that she hadn't reminded Su Cen to avoid this situation and exit through another passage.

Anger reddened the general manager's face; these were all heavyweights whose impressions of the August 1st Hotel would be influenced by every detail. Beforehand, he had held a meeting with all staff members emphasizing the importance of ensuring "proactive preparation, meticulous organization, and efficient orderly completion to ensure outstanding reception work."

Now, this major mishap had occurred. As a general manager appointed directly by the military department's higher-ups, his career could be at stake due to the impression such an incident might leave on high-level officials.

The general manager hurriedly continued reading, and the woman from the finance department was so scared that she quickly signaled to two armed policemen nearby. The men then approached.

A few young people who were with their elders found this rather interesting. They had been accompanying their elders through a dull day, and now they couldn't help but laugh at the general manager's flustered expression as he stared wide-eyed at Su Cen, unable to react properly. This was probably the most amusing thing that happened to them all day.

The adults present were rather serious. They all had keen eyesight and could immediately tell that Su Cen seemed to be the child of an employee who works here. Although this breach of protocol might not seem significant in their eyes, everyone knew that his parents working here would likely face dismissal or punishment after the reception ended.

As such, some people were feeling rather uncomfortable.

Before two armed policemen slowly approached Su Cen, the crowd at the reception started whispering excitedly. Lin Luoran walked out wearing jeans and a tight T-shirt. Unlike her usual untamed ponytail in school, her long hair was now smooth and flowing down her shoulders. She came up to Su Cen, looked him in the eye with big eyes, and smiled, "Su Cen, you're here for me That's great! I've been so bored today!"

The whispers turned into laughter from the crowd without any awkwardness. Instead, it felt natural, easing the tense atmosphere that had just been building up.

A child’s words are always amusing.

Many people looked at Lin Chu and some said, "Your niece has such a character like her dad! She's so straightforward!"

Others laughed, "Boyfriend Little Luoran is feeling the springtime romance!"

A few young men who had been observing Lin Luoran for a long time felt somewhat disappointed.

Of course, many people were also showing great interest in Su Cen.allocated yet. We are building Star Sea Square, and all company funds have been used up for that. This has already been explained at the staff representative meeting; we need everyone’s understanding....