Time flew by, and soon it was evening—the night of Mayor Huang Tao's forty-fifth birthday banquet.

"Old Huang, old friend, will Mr. Chen really come tonight?" At the head table, Huang Tao, Gao Zhinan, and Zhu Qianye sat together, leaving half the table conspicuously empty. Gao Zhinan leaned in and asked in a hushed voice.

"What, you still don't believe me? I had Xiaofeng send the invitation this afternoon. If I weren't worried about being too ostentatious, I would've gone myself," Huang Tao said softly.

"It's not that I don't believe you. It's just that I haven't seen Mr. Chen in a while, so I'm a little excited," Gao Zhinan quickly explained.

After a brief pause, he couldn't help but flash a mysterious smile. "Didn't I mention before that the prestigious Chen Family of Hong Kong came to Northern Mountain? At first, I was quite puzzled. What could they possibly be doing in a poor, remote place like ours? But a few days ago, I accidentally managed to get a hint from them. Guess who they came for?"

"Don't tell me it's because of *that* Mr. Chen?" Zhu Qianye asked, startled. He was no fool; Gao Zhinan had made it so obvious, it was impossible not to guess.

"Exactly. It's all because of Mr. Chen. I never imagined he could have such influence over a prestigious clan like the Chen Family of Hong Kong. You have to understand, even my current business is nothing compared to theirs. It's like comparing a dwarf to a giant; there's no comparison at all," Gao Zhinan sighed with emotion.

As a businessman, he understood better than anyone what the level of the Chen Family of Hong Kong signified. It meant possessing the foundation and power to dominate the international metropolis of Hong Kong, something completely different from a 'remote backwater' like Northern Mountain. They weren't on the same level at all.

"Mr. Chen is a modern marvel. No amount of influence he wields would surprise me. Alright, let's just wait patiently. Since Mr. Chen said he would come tonight, he will surely keep his word," Huang Tao said with a smile, his eyes narrowing.

「Meanwhile, in the first-floor lobby of the Peony Hotel.」

Chen Fei was about to head for the elevator when he suddenly ran into an acquaintance.

"Chen Fei, is that you?" a surprised voice called out to him.

Chen Fei turned and saw a tall, sturdy young man in the hotel's lounge area looking at him in astonishment. He was taken aback. "Zhang Long, is that you?"

The young man was none other than his high school classmate. They had been very close, often roughhousing or sneaking out to internet cafes in the middle of the night—all cherished memories. Unfortunately, something must have happened to Zhang Long's family, as he disappeared without a trace during their senior year. If not for that, they would have surely kept in touch and remained close.

"It really is you! Are you here to eat, too? I can't believe so many years have passed. You haven't changed a bit, still haven't grown any taller, hahaha," Zhang Long teased, his voice tinged with nostalgia now that he confirmed it was Chen Fei.

Back in the day, Chen Fei was his best friend in high school. But something happened to his family, forcing them to leave Chengyang County for a while. After that, they lost touch. He had returned to Chengyang County many times to look for Chen Fei, only to discover that he had also left, vanishing completely… until today.

"I'm a respectable 1.8 meters tall, which is plenty. I'm quite satisfied. And you have the nerve to tease me? You're the one who vanished without a word back then. Is everything alright now?" Chen Fei playfully punched his friend's shoulder and asked with a smile. He wasn't stupid; he knew there must have been a reason for his friend's entire family to suddenly disappear.

"Yeah, everything's fine now."

Zhang Long sniffled, his eyes suddenly turning red.

"Along? Huh? Chen Fei? You two… you know each other?" just then, another surprised female voice chimed in.

Startled, Chen Fei looked toward the voice, and his expression turned peculiar. "Zhao Le, you two are…" He squinted at them, realizing he might have just stumbled upon something interesting.

"Little Le, this is my high school classmate. You know each other?" Zhang Long asked, looking a bit dumbfounded. He never expected that his wife apparently knew Chen Fei.

"Of course, I know him. He was my college classmate! I didn't expect such a coincidence, that we all know each other," Zhao Le said with an exclamation of surprise, dressed in a sharp, professional suit. I can't believe my husband is high school classmates with Chen Fei. It's a small world sometimes.

"It certainly is a coincidence. Still, you two make such a handsome couple. I suppose we can expect to be invited to a wedding soon?" Chen Fei teased with a wink. They're all friends, might as well help things along if I can.

"A wedding? Sorry to disappoint you, but we've already had our banquet and are married. You have the nerve to talk, though. A while ago, I tried to contact you and Hua Zhinan, only to find you'd both mysteriously disappeared. It was almost like you planned it together," Zhao Le pouted, though her tone was still laced with concern.

"You mean me and Slickhead? That must have been last month. Damn, something did come up suddenly, so I wasn't in Northern Mountain City. What a shame," Chen Fei said, slapping his forehead in annoyance. He realized she was talking about the days he was in Macau.

"Alright, you didn't show up, so you have to make it up to us with gifts. And since you and Along are high school classmates, you definitely can't get out of it," Zhao Le stated immediately.

"That's right! Little Le and I are only having one wedding banquet in our lifetime. The next big party won't be until your nephew is born. You have to make up for the gift, no skipping out," Zhang Long added with a laugh, feeling that this reunion was truly wonderful.

"Okay, okay, okay! Never mind one gift. I'll personally go and prepare three special gifts for you two. I guarantee you'll be satisfied. How about that?" Chen Fei quickly promised.

"That's more like it."

Zhang Long nodded in satisfaction before asking, "But what brings you here tonight, kid? Grabbing a bite?" This Peony Hotel is a famous five-star hotel in Northern Mountain City. The banquets here are ridiculously expensive. I remember his family wasn't well-off back in high school. Could he have made it big now?

"Yeah, I'm here for dinner. An uncle of mine is having his birthday banquet here today. I almost forgot I needed to head up. But what brings you two here? Are you also here to eat? Why did you both look so down earlier? Did something happen?" Chen Fei nodded, then asked.

He had noticed that even though Zhang Long and Zhao Le were smiling now, a knot of gloom lingered between their brows. That was why he asked. If they were really in trouble, considering their friendship, he had to help if he could.

"Sigh, we did run into some trouble, but the other party is... let's just not talk about it." As soon as Chen Fei brought it up, a complex look flashed across Zhang Long's face, and he shook his head with a sigh.

Although Chen Fei seems to be doing well for himself, in my eyes, it probably doesn't amount to much. But the person causing us trouble now has powerful connections. He's been able to get the health bureau and the fire department to harass our medicinal food shop repeatedly, and his methods have become especially shameless…

"What do you mean 'let's not talk about it'? You shouldn't underestimate your high school classmate. Maybe, just maybe, they can actually help us," Zhao Le immediately protested.

Of course, she still remembered the incident with the driving lessons a while back. She knew Chen Fei was no ordinary person and had significant connections. It was possible he could help them out of this tight spot, so she definitely wanted to try. At the very least, she had to ask, right?

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