"Hmm, I'm on vacation for a couple of days. A friend invited me out shopping, so..." Perhaps because it had truly been a long while since she last saw Chen Fei, even our beautiful Guan Shiyin seemed somewhat shy. She glanced at Chen Fei with shimmering eyes, a sudden blush surfacing on her fair cheeks as she spoke softly.

You have to understand that at Young Master Gao Yuan's birthday banquet at the Vast Sea Group, Chen Fei had left a very, very deep impression on her. As the saying goes, "Beauty loves a hero." Although Chen Fei, Young Master Chen, might not quite live up to the title of 'hero' just yet, he was still far stronger than the average person.

After all, not just anyone could earn so much face from prominent figures like Director Gao of the Vast Sea Group and Mayor Huang of Northern Mountain City. If word of this got out, it would certainly startle a great many people.

As they were talking, a woman who appeared to be her friend suddenly approached. This woman also had an excellent figure, fair skin, and a pair of watery, bright eyes. She was clearly a great beauty capable of captivating hearts.

She looked at Chen Fei with curiosity and couldn't help but ask in a sweet, delicate voice, "Shiyin, Young Master Guo, did you run into an acquaintance? Why don't you introduce me? Your friend is very handsome."

"Uh..." Honestly, this was the first time Chen Fei, Young Master Chen, had ever received such 'praise,' especially from such a delicate beauty. He immediately looked a bit 'shy,' his eyes darting about. He scratched his head with one hand and extended the other to introduce himself. "Hello, I'm Chen Fei, a friend of Shiyin's."

"Hello, hello. But your face is so red. Don't tell me you're shy? Oh, Shiyin, your friend is so cute! He actually blushes," the woman with the watery eyes said, shaking his hand. She then covered her mouth and giggled, looking with mock exaggeration at the blush on Chen Fei's face. Nowadays, it was rare to find such an 'innocent' handsome man.

"Xinyi, watch what you're saying. This is Chen Fei, Brother Fei..." Just then, Guo Kun shot her a look from the side, quietly reminding her. His warning made her freeze.

This woman, Zhou Xinyi, was a close friend of Guan Shiyin's from her time as a host at the provincial radio station. Although Guan Shiyin had lost touch with many people after her somber departure from the provincial TV station, Zhou Xinyi was one of the few exceptions. She often invited Guan Shiyin back to Tongzhou City for shopping and meals, and they maintained a very good relationship.

Furthermore, her family background was quite respectable; she had a relative holding a director-level position in Tongzhou, the provincial capital. There's an old saying: "A capital official outranks others by three levels." While her relative wasn't a true 'capital official' from Beijing, the principle was similar. A director-level post in a provincial capital was nothing to scoff at. Otherwise, it would have been highly unlikely for her to know someone like Guo Kun, the son of the Executive Deputy Director of the Provincial Public Security Department.

But now, a single teasing remark had provoked such a strong reaction from Young Master Guo, which naturally surprised her. Of course, her surprise quickly gave way to the realization that this handsome man who appeared so shy and bashful likely had an extraordinary background. Otherwise, given Young Master Guo's own standing, why would he get so serious over a simple joke?

At this thought, Zhou Xinyi grew a little nervous. A hint of apology appeared on her pretty face as she said softly, "Brother Fei, I'm sorry. I didn't realize your..."

"Why be so formal? We're all Shiyin's friends. It's fine, we're all friends here." It was Chen Fei who cut her off with a smile. He then turned to the smiling Guan Shiyin and said, "Shiyin, some people are waiting for me upstairs for a meal, and I think I'm already late. I'm going to head up first, okay? If you all are free after you eat, give me a call. Speaking of which, I seem to remember you still owe me a meal, right?"

"You have the nerve to bring that up," Guan Shiyin retorted, pouting with dissatisfaction. "I can never get a hold of you; you're always so busy. I was going to treat you after you got back from your hometown last time, but you were completely unreachable."

"Uh..." Chen Fei touched his head awkwardly. "My bad, that was an accident, purely an accident," he said, embarrassed. "I think I was really busy those few days, running all over the place. It just slipped my mind..."

"Alright, just go. If we have plans after our meal, I'll call you." Guan Shiyin cut him off with a flirtatious glance. She brushed a hand through her smooth hair, urging him to stop explaining and get to his meal.

"Okay, I'm off then. Young Master Guo, and this beautiful lady, I'll take my leave now. Farewell." Chen Fei smiled and nodded before turning to enter the Caesar Grand Hotel.

"Hey, handsome! My name is Zhou Xinyi!" she called out to his retreating back. She then turned around, looking curiously at her best friend and Young Master Guo. "Shiyin, Young Master Guo, who exactly is your friend? I don't think I've ever seen him before," she asked in her delicate voice, her beautiful eyes instinctively shifting toward Guo Kun.

"This is only the second time I've met him myself," Guo Kun said slowly after a moment's hesitation. "But you know Dong Jianhui, Brother Hui, right?"

"Duh, who in our circle doesn't know Brother Hui? He's Secretary Dong's son," Zhou Xinyi replied, rolling her eyes at him.

But Guo Kun's next words left her pretty face frozen in shock. "But when Brother Hui sees him, he calls him 'Brother.' Brother Fei!"

"Wh-what? Brother Hui calls him 'Brother'?" Despite her usually bubbly personality, Zhou Xinyi couldn't help but stutter. In their circle, calling someone 'Brother' held a very distinct meaning. For someone of Dong Jianhui's stature—the son of a Party Secretary—to call this man 'Brother'... could it be? Could this man's background be even more powerful than that of Dong Jianhui, the son of the Municipal Party Secretary of Jiangnan's provincial capital? That seems impossible, doesn't it?

With Secretary Dong's status, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him one of the top four or five leaders in the province. One could only imagine the standing Young Master Hui held in their circle.

"It's true. I heard it with my own ears." Young Master Guo couldn't hide his own curiosity as he looked at Guan Shiyin. "Miss Guan, you seem quite familiar with Brother Fei. Do you know his background?" From his perspective, Chen Fei's attitude suggested a close relationship with the beautiful Miss Guan, so perhaps she knew some gossip.

"His background?" Guan Shiyin touched her fair, swan-like neck, recalling the scene at the Luxury Club. "Actually, I don't know either," she said, almost subconsciously. "However, I know he seems very familiar with Mayor Huang of our Northern Mountain City. And Director Gao of the Vast Sea Group is also very respectful to him."

"Mayor Huang of Northern Mountain City and Director Gao of the Vast Sea Group?" Both Guo Kun and Zhou Xinyi were stunned. This man was about their age, yet he was connected to figures from the older generation—specifically, the mayor of an Earth Level city and the chairman of the wealthiest corporation. And they were 'very respectful' to him. This commanded their attention and a certain degree of awe. This was a level of influence the younger generation in their circle typically couldn't achieve; it was just too difficult.

While they were talking, a surprised "Huh?" came from a Ferrari sports car that was about to pull into the Caesar Grand Hotel's parking lot.

"Isn't that that bitch Guan Shiyin? I can't believe she dares to show her face here again. Hmph!" The man in the driver's seat was short and fat, with a large mouth, a flat nose, and small eyes. He gave off a lecherous and repulsive aura. His narrow little eyes fixated on Guan Shiyin's long, slender legs, tightly wrapped in leggings, as he snorted coldly. A twisted, lecherous expression then spread across his ugly face, and he got out of the car.

Seventh floor, Yunhai Hall... Yunhai Hall... At the same time, Chen Fei had taken the elevator to the seventh floor of the Caesar Grand Hotel. Murmuring the location from the text message, he arrived at the entrance of a luxurious private room named Yunhai Hall. Two stern-faced men in black suits stood guard at the door, their posture ramrod straight, their waists bulging noticeably.

Security? Chen Fei's eyes narrowed slightly as he walked forward.

"May I ask who you are?" one of the men asked politely as he blocked Chen Fei's path.

"I'm Chen Fei," he replied calmly.

"You're Mr. Chen? Please, come in." The man who had stopped him looked slightly surprised before courteously opening the door to Yunhai Hall.

As the door opened, the low murmur of conversations inside the room abruptly ceased. In an instant, four pairs of eyes, filled with complex emotions, landed on Chen Fei. Their gazes were as sharp as a hawk's, as if trying to see right through him. A moment later, the expressions of two of the people in the room changed slightly.

He's the one? Both Xiao Pengcheng and Xiao Lingshan were utterly shocked. They never expected the important figure their father had spoken of to be so young... he was just a kid!

Of course, it wasn't just them. Even Elder Mr. Xiao, Xiao Zhengguo himself, was taken aback when he saw Chen Fei's youthful face. His mouth fell slightly agape, and he was left somewhat dumbfounded, stuttering, "Y-You're Chen Fei? Mr. Chen?"

"Yes, that's me. I'm Chen Fei," he replied, his tone calm and neither servile nor overbearing.

Hearing Chen Fei's level voice, Elder Xiao snapped back to his senses. A warm smile spread across his aged face. "Haha, Younger Brother Chen, I've been looking forward to this for so long! We've finally met. Truly, a hero emerges from youth." He paused for a moment, his tone becoming slightly more serious. "Let me introduce myself. I am Xiao Zhengguo. These are my sons: my eldest, Xiao Pengcheng, and my third, Xiao Lingshan." His final words were directed at his two sons. "Aren't you going to greet Younger Brother Chen?"

"Hello, Mr. Chen. I'm Xiao Pengcheng."

"And I'm Xiao Lingshan."

Although the situation felt strange, both men reacted quickly, offering awkward, dry chuckles.

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