Chapter 302 - 234: An Important Meeting

Chapter 302: Chapter 234: An Important Meeting

「Half an hour later.」

The motorcade drove onto Chang’an Street, finally stopping in front of a magnificent building—the Imperial City Restaurant.

This place was less than two kilometers away from that sacred square and the Great Hall of the People.

As one of the oldest five-star hotels in the Imperial Capital, it had hosted countless important figures from both home and abroad.

The car had just come to a stop. Before the doorman could even approach, an elegant, middle-aged woman in a professional suit, who had been waiting by the entrance, strode over.

Qin Feng got out first and exchanged a few quiet words with the woman.

Then, he opened the car door for Chen Lin.

"Professor Chen, we’ve arrived."

Chen Lin got out of the car. The middle-aged woman immediately came forward with a smile and gave a slight bow.

"Hello, Professor Chen. I am Xia Tong, the general manager of the Imperial City Restaurant. Welcome to our hotel."

Her smile was picture-perfect, reflecting both the professionalism of a five-star hotel manager and the reverence and warmth reserved for a top-tier VIP.

"You’re too kind, Manager Xia." Chen Lin nodded.

Xia Tong turned to the side and made an inviting gesture.

"Professor Chen, Captain Qin has already taken care of your check-in procedures in advance. You’ll be staying in the executive suite, room 1608, in our VIP building. Please, follow me."

The group walked through the magnificent lobby, drawing sidelong glances from many other guests.

Xia Tong personally led the way, bypassing the front desk and heading directly to a private elevator.

DING—

The elevator stopped on the 16th floor.

Xia Tong led Chen Lin to the door of room 1608, swiped the key card, and opened the door.

"Professor Chen, please come in."

Chen Lin stepped into the room.

It was an extremely spacious suite, the decor a blend of dignified classical Chinese and modern luxury.

Golden sunlight poured unreservedly through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, making the entire room feel open and bright.

Standing by the window, one could even see a corner of the red-walled, yellow-tiled Forbidden City in the distance.

As Xia Tong pulled open the curtains for Chen Lin, she introduced with a beaming smile:

"Professor Chen, we’ve already set the room temperature to a comfortable 24 degrees Celsius. The fruit and pastries have also just been refreshed."

"Also..."

Xia Tong glanced at Qin Feng, who was standing by the door, and lowered her voice, her tone exuding a reassuring professionalism.

"Before you checked in, Captain Qin’s people conducted a full security sweep of the room to ensure there are no listening or surveillance devices. You can rest completely assured."

To become the general manager of the Imperial City Restaurant, Xia Tong’s perceptiveness was undoubtedly top-notch.

When she saw agents from state security arrive early to lock down the floor and inspect the room, she knew that today’s guest was no ordinary person.

She just never imagined that the person stepping out of the car would be such an unreasonably young and handsome man.

But her expression showed not a hint of surprise, only an even greater attentiveness to her service.

Chen Lin smiled and said politely, "I’m very satisfied. Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Manager Xia."

"Not at all. It’s our honor to serve you," Xia Tong said with a smile. "If there’s anything else you need, you can just call the butler or press the service bell. We’re on call 24 hours a day."

With that, she tactfully excused herself, pulling the door closed behind her.

Only Chen Lin and Qin Feng were left in the room.

Qin Feng walked to the window to check if it was securely closed, then turned to look at Chen Lin, a rare smile appearing on his stern, square-jawed face.

"Professor Chen, we’ve ordered a simple welcome meal from the restaurant downstairs. It will be sent directly to your room. Do you have any dietary restrictions?"

Chen Lin waved his hand. "I’m easy to feed. I’m not a picky eater, so anything will be fine."

"Alright then." Qin Feng nodded. "Please have your meal first, then get some good rest to recover from your long journey."

At this point, Qin Feng paused, his tone becoming formal once again.

"My men will be stationed in the two adjacent rooms to ensure your safety."

"I will be here to pick you up at eight o’clock tomorrow morning, sharp."

Chen Lin nodded. "Thank you for your hard work, Captain Qin."

"All in the line of duty."

Qin Feng gave a slight nod and turned to leave the room.

As the door closed, the vast suite instantly fell silent.

Chen Lin walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out at the city, which appeared especially solemn and majestic under the winter sun.

In the distance, Chang’an Street was bustling with traffic.

Closer by, red flags fluttered.

Chen Lin took a deep breath, feeling the unique sense of gravity and authority that permeated the city.

...

December 24th, Wednesday. Christmas Eve.

For Chen Lin, however, there was no festive atmosphere today, nor was he in the mood to think about the so-called foreign holiday.

The next morning, before the sky had fully brightened, the faint roar of traffic from Chang’an Street outside could already be heard.

For once, Chen Lin didn’t sleep in. His eyes opened before his alarm even went off.

He got up briskly, washed his face, and shaved. Looking at the young, handsome face in the mirror, he took a deep breath and patted his cheeks to wake himself up a bit more.

Breakfast, brought in by the hotel butler, was a simple meal of soy milk, fried dough sticks, and soup dumplings. Chen Lin ate quickly but carefully, making sure not to splash even a single drop of grease on himself.

After eating, he opened his suitcase and took out the Armani suit that Shen Yan and Yunqing had helped him buy the day before.

He put on the shirt, tied his tie, and slipped on the suit jacket.

Chen Lin stood before the full-length mirror, adjusting his appearance one last time.

He had to admit, the girls had much better taste than he did.

This well-tailored black suit perfectly outlined the toned, upright physique he had gained from [Little Champion].