The annual banquet of Bai Group was busily astir. Since Bai Yinning was an entrepreneur who drove the economy in the area and contributed a lot to the city, even the city mayor attended the event in person.
When the car pulled over, Lin Xinyan saw a huge banner at the entrance of the hotel. Many cars were parked beside the hotel, most of which belonged to the employees of Bai Group.
Gao Yuan, the assistant of Bai Yinning ran towards them to open the door and push him out of the car with the help of the driver. Then, he said to him, “The city mayor is here.”
Bai Yinning gave an affirmative reply to him calmly. When he looked back at the car, Lin Xinyan walked towards him while Gao Yuan thoughtfully moved aside to save the position for Lin Xinyan.
Lin Xinyan held the handlers of the wheelchair and pushed him into the hotel.
The chandelier on the ceiling in the lobby was crystal clear and illuminated the entire lobby.
The other leaders of the group who were chatting with the city mayor made way for Bai Yinning when they saw him entering. Even before he came up to them, he forced himself—usually happened in such events—to say politely, “My apologies. I’m late.”
When a waiter passed by, Bai Yinning stopped him, took a glass of wine from his serving tray and said, “I’ll drink three glasses of wine as punishment.”
After gulping down the first glass of wine, he filled his glass and finished up the second glass. When he was about to drink the third glass, the city mayor finally said, “Even though you should drink three glasses of wine as punishment for being late, all of us can accept your lateness.”
He glanced at Bai Yinning’s legs and seemed to hint at something.
Bai Yinning remained composed and said smilingly, “When the tortoise races with the hare, why would the tortoise always win? I think I might be the diligent tortoise. Since I’m late, I should drink three glasses of wine as punishment.”
It was a double-edged remark. Even though he couldn’t walk, he is a successful person.
Regardless of social status, the diligent person wins as long as he or she is successful.
On the other hand, if a ‘hare’ is born to be superior but refuses to work hard due to its arrogance, what would happen to it in the end?
He gulped down the third glass and didn’t even frown a little.
The city mayor in a black tunic suit had some wrinkles on his face. He laughed and swept away his unhappiness due to Bai Yinning’s lateness.
He admired Bai Yinning’s wisdom.
When his gaze casually fell upon Lin Xinyan behind him, he was a little shocked. He looked at Bai Yinning again and asked, “Is she… your girlfriend?”
Everybody knows that Bai Yinning’s a bachelor and has never had a girlfriend. If Bai Yinning isn’t a disabled person, even he would want his daughter to marry him.
To be honest, apart from the fact that he’s disabled, he actually recognizes his look and capabilities.
Since there’s beauty by his side, he instinctively thought that she’s his ‘lady’.
Considering that it’s the annual banquet of Bai Group and he shows himself with her in front of all employees in the company, he must value her very much.
Furthermore, even though Bai Yinning’s disabled, he doesn’t have other physiological disorders. He is a normal man and needs a woman too.
Bai Yinning looked back at her and said smilingly, “My…”
“Friend.” Lin Xinyan interrupted him before he could finish his words.
She didn’t want to develop a complicated relationship with him.
As she didn’t want to embarrass Bai Yinning in front of everyone, she patted Bai Yinning on his shoulder to pretend that they were close friends, and said, “Since he said he didn’t have a partner and kept persuading me to come with him. As a good friend, I couldn’t refuse.”
The city mayor laughed again and said, “I thought Chairman Bai who has always been single finally has a girlfriend. It’s my mistake.”
Bai Yinning laughed and stole a glance at Lin Xinyan.
Lin Xinyan pretended that she didn’t notice his glance. Although she agreed to come with him, she would never let him control everything, and the power must be firmly in her hands.
After greeting each other and chatting for a while, the city mayor asked his secretary to hand over a document to Bai Yinning.
Bai Yinning took it from her and realized that it was a letter of approval for his land application. Since he wanted to set up a factory outside of Baicheng, he chose the directly administered city of Baicheng and submitted his application.
The city mayor surely wished that he could build factories in his administered area to drive the economy of the city and retain immigrants. A factory surely needs to hire workers, and thus the economic development of a city depends a lot on the local companies.
As a city mayor, he had heavy responsibilities to make sure that the future of the city looked bright and wouldn’t want to lose any talent.
Outside of the hotel.
When two black SUVs pulled over in front of the hotel, Shen Peichuan got out of one of the SUVs and noticed a car with the registration number of five zeros that was parked in the garden. He glanced at the lobby and said, “This Bai Group is rather powerful.”
Anyone who had a vehicle registration number like this surely wasn’t an ordinary figure and had to be a mayor at least.
Zong Jinghao was wearing a black suit that looked slightly wrinkled as he had sat in the car for quite some time. He went out with Shen Peichuan to look for more information, yet no one saw Lin Xinyan before.
They were already in Baicheng for a few days, but their efforts were in vain thus far.
Dark circles could be seen underneath his eyes as he was constantly worried that He Ruize might have transferred her to another location.
“Let’s take the stairs.” Shen Peichuan suggested it because they wouldn’t have to enter the lobby to use the lift if they take the stairs.
They could just enter the hotel from outside if they took the stairs.
Since Zong Jinghao was in a very bad mood these past few days because he didn’t receive any news about Lin Xinyan, Shen Peichuan was being extra careful when he was with him.
Why did Su Zhan say he’s going to arrive soon but isn’t here until now? How many days have passed?
Is he lost and couldn’t find this place?
But he did send him the location.
An extra man can help shoulder some of the burdens for him.
A few days have passed, yet there’s no news about Lin Xinyan at all. Zong Jinghao isn’t the only person who is anxious because he’s rather worried about the situation too.
Zong Jinghao only looked slightly better in front of the two kids these past few days. If the two kids weren’t around, his face looked cold and hard like an ice sculpture.
Shen Peichuan was ‘trembling’ whenever he had to face him.
If it wasn’t because there’s no better hotel, Zong Jinghao could never stay here any longer as it was too noisy.
Shen Peichuan followed him to take the stairs and said, “I asked the person in charge of the hotel. The annual banquet of Bai Group is held only today, and the venue that they chose would naturally be their own hotel.”
When Zong Jinghao took the stairs, he walked for a while and suddenly stopped.
Shen Peichuan didn’t notice that Zong Jinghao stopped suddenly and almost bumped into him. Shocked, he immediately took a few steps back and asked, “What… what’s wrong?”
Please don’t scare him. To be by his side these few days was already a torment to him.
Zong Jinghao clenched his hand that was holding the handler and said, “She… is it possible that she’s already left here?”
He isn’t sure about it. Even though he thinks that Lin Xinyan might not be here, he still feels that he might miss something if he leaves now.
Shen Peichuan didn’t dare to answer him.
Despite very little clues, they came all the way here merely because of the phone number and received no news about her at all these past few days. What more can he do about it?
She should call Lin Xichen again so that he could keep his hope alive.
Ring, ring…
The phone in Zong Jinghao’s pocket rang. After taking out his phone and pressing the button to answer the call, a child said with a cute and crystal clear voice, “Daddy, when will you be back?”
“Soon.”
“How soon would it be?” Zong Jinghao talked to her daughter over the phone while walking up the stairs, “It means I’ll be right in front of you in the blink of an eye.”
The little girl really blinked her eyes. Why isn’t daddy in front of her yet?
“Daddy…”
“Look here.” The photographer was holding a camera and facing the center of the lobby. Since this was Bai Group’s annual banquet, a number of outstanding managers and workers had been selected, and Bai Yinning had to take a group photo with them.
Lin Xinyan was reluctant to join in the fun, yet Bai Yinning looked at her and said, “You promised that you will accompany me, yet don’t want to be by my side now. Does it really count as accompanying me?”
Since Lin Xinyan couldn’t get a good justification to refute him, she had no choice but to stand beside him.
Click…
Following the sound of the camera shutter, the beam of light was refracted through the chandelier to Zong Jinghao’s eyes. He instinctively squinted his eyes and continued to say to his daughter, “On the count of three, I’ll be right there…”
He glanced randomly at the crowd downstairs when he was talking…
