Chapter 803 384: Jinghua Pavilion Boss Personally Receives Guests! (Part 2)

However, when Du Taoming flipped through Jiang Tao's file this morning, he was instantly very surprised.

So that was why he personally came out to host Jiang Tao today.

"President Du, you flatter me."

Jiang Tao withdrew his hand with a smile. The moment he shook hands with Du Taoming just now, he also felt that this old gentleman in front of him was anything but ordinary.

Du Taoming's hand was firm and powerful, it felt like grabbing a pair of iron pliers.

Clearly, this President Du in front of him was no ordinary person either.

A real practitioner!

"Hehe, I felt an instant connection with you, Young Friend Jiang. Calling me President Du sounds too distant."

"If you don't mind, from now on you can just call me Old Du, that sounds more intimate, don't you think?"

Du Taoming looked at Jiang Tao with a broad smile, taking the initiative to draw closer to him.

Obviously, after reading Jiang Tao's file, his level of regard for Jiang Tao had suddenly risen a great deal.

Jiang Tao laughed heartily and said, "Haha, President Du is lifting me up here. If I still act distant with you, wouldn't that make me seem a bit unappreciative?"

Du Taoming also burst out laughing. "Hahaha, then why are you still calling me President Du? What should you call me?"

Jiang Tao followed along naturally and said, "Then from now on I'll boldly call you Old Du."

"Hehe, that's more like it! And this beautiful lady is?"

Du Taoming turned his gaze to Yuan Mengqi beside Jiang Tao, asking with a hint of doubt.

When he was going through Jiang Tao's intel this morning, he had only seen two women.

One was He Jing, and the other was Xu Li.

But now, the woman following at Jiang Tao's side had changed to Yuan Mengqi.

Jiang Tao introduced Yuan Mengqi with a smile, "My girlfriend, Yuan Mengqi."

Yuan Mengqi looked slightly nervous as she said,

"Hello, President Du, it's an honor to meet a big shot like you."

"Hahaha, since you're Xiao Jiang's girlfriend, then just call me Old Du from now on as well!"

Hearing Jiang Tao's introduction of Yuan Mengqi, Du Taoming couldn't help but sigh inwardly that even heroes fall for beauties.

This Xiao Jiang really had no shortage of women around him!

And each one was so beautiful.

Du Taoming chuckled as he called out,

"Xiao Jiang, Xiao Yuan, let's not stand out here. Come on in, let's go inside, sit down and chat slowly."

"President Jiang, Miss Yuan, this way please."

Today, Vice President Zeng Lingyun actually took on the role of a guide-like waiter, turning around and leading Jiang Tao and the others toward the interior of Jinghua Pavilion.

The group passed through a deep, quiet corridor and finally arrived at a private room called "Listening to the Pines Pavilion."

Pushing the door open, they saw that the room's decor was similar to an ancient scholar's study.

The furnishings inside were mostly made of rosewood and huanghuali.

On the antique shelves were not imitation porcelains, but several genuine ancient inkstones and scrolls.

On one side, the lattice window opened to face a courtyard where a few gnarled old pines stood, their forms powerful and twisted. A breeze drifted through, the sound of the pines faintly audible, creating a lingering mood.

"Xiao Jiang, Xiao Yuan, please have a seat."

Smiling, Du Taoming invited them to sit around a wide Ming-style tea table.

Immediately, a Tea Artist in a simple, elegant qipao walked up and performed a smooth, flowing tea ceremony for them.

Zeng Lingyun personally placed the exquisitely designed menu in front of Jiang Tao and Yuan Mengqi and asked with a smile,

"President Jiang, Miss Yuan, have a look—what would you like to eat for lunch today?"

Jiang Tao didn't stand on ceremony with Zeng Lingyun and Du Taoming. He flipped through the menu and pointed to a set menu.

"Let's try this 'Pine and Crane Longevity' set. It looks pretty good."

The 'Pine and Crane Longevity' set was about ten thousand yuan cheaper than the one Jiang Tao had eaten yesterday.

It was also one of the top-tier set menus on Jinghua Pavilion's regular menu.

"Hahaha, Xiao Jiang, you really know how to take care of your health. Pine and Crane Longevity is the most health-focused set we offer here."

Thinking of the many women around Jiang Tao, Du Taoming's smile clearly carried a teasing note when he saw what Jiang Tao ordered.

"Uh…"

Jiang Tao was a bit speechless. He really hadn't thought about it that way!

He had this bug-level tonic, the Divine Five Sons Inheriting Pill; why would he still need to supplement with food!

Hearing the faintly teasing tone in Du Taoming's words, Yuan Mengqi's pretty face flushed, and under the table she secretly twisted Jiang Tao's waist with her fingers.

The kitchen at Jinghua Pavilion worked with remarkable efficiency.

After all, this was a distinguished guest personally entertained by the boss; they wouldn't dare be the least bit sloppy!

Very soon, a steady stream of delicacies was brought in by servers in matching uniforms.

First came four appetizers.

Amber Dragon Brain Jelly, Jade Lotus Custard, Golden Thread Phoenix Tail Shrimp, and Jade Dew Marinated Chilled Abalone.

The servers announced each dish as they set it down.

Otherwise, Jiang Tao and Yuan Mengqi really wouldn't have known what these dishes were called.

In any case, they looked very high-end and very delicate.

Coupled with the poetic names of each dish, a sense of luxury hit them straight in the face!

After the appetizers came the soup course.

"This Snow Lotus and Matsutake Broth is made from wild snow lotus picked at over four thousand meters above sea level, paired with top-grade matsutake sourced from the primeval forests of Shangri-La."

"It's then combined with a clear stock simmered for over ten hours from a three-year-old hen, Jinhua ham, and lean pork…"

Just listening to the server's introduction, Yuan Mengqi was already convinced before tasting that this soup had to be delicious!

Once the soup was served, the main courses finally arrived.

Supreme Roast Suckling Pig, Baked Green Lobster with Black Truffle, Hundred-Flower Stuffed Sea Cucumber, Traditional Steamed Spotted Grouper, and Golden Broth Wild Rice Braised Bird's Nest…

Just as Du Taoming had said, this 'Pine and Crane Longevity' set really was a great tonic!

And each dish was not just food, but more like a meticulously crafted piece of art.

Even the plating was extraordinarily poetic, making one reluctant to put their chopsticks down.

Looking at the lavish spread in front of her that far exceeded her imagination, Yuan Mengqi couldn't hide the amazement in her eyes.

Since coming to the capital, she had followed Jiang Tao to some high-end restaurants.

But a place like Jinghua Pavilion, which pushed ingredients, technique, and ambience all to the extreme, was something she was experiencing firsthand for the first time.

"Xiao Jiang, Xiao Yuan, please."

As the host of today's lunch, Du Taoming raised his glass with a smile and said,

"It's just some simple food and drink, not much of a gesture. I mainly wanted to take this opportunity to express my thanks to you, Young Friend Jiang."

Du Taoming spoke very tactfully, but Jiang Tao and Zeng Lingyun both knew what he was referring to.

After all, family scandals shouldn't be aired in public.

Du Taoming didn't want to bring up last night's incident again either.

"President Jiang, a great favor is beyond words; everything's in this cup. I drink to you!"

With that, Zeng Lingyun tilted his head back and drained his glass in one go.

He really owed Jiang Tao a proper thank-you.

Otherwise, his position as vice president would have ended here.

"Old Du, Manager Zeng, you don't have to be so formal. It was just a small matter."

Jiang Tao smiled and said this, then lifted his arm and emptied his own glass in one swing.

With his current super-high Constitution, his metabolic rate was more than ten times that of a normal person!

Drinking now felt no different than drinking water; he felt nothing at all.

If he didn't have to worry about how many times he went to the restroom, Jiang Tao could already literally drink a thousand cups without getting drunk.

After the first round of drinks, now that everyone was acquainted, the atmosphere at the table grew even more relaxed.

Jiang Tao and Du Taoming, along with Zeng Lingyun, found themselves very much on the same wavelength, with topics flowing one after another.

Yuan Mengqi sat quietly beside Jiang Tao like a well-behaved little wife, occasionally chiming in with a few words to enliven the mood.

After a few rounds of drinks and dishes,

once the servers cleared away the remaining dishes and brought up aged Pu'er to cleanse the palate along with a seasonal fruit platter,

only then did Du Taoming take out a simple envelope he had long prepared from the inner pocket of his Chinese-style jacket and hand it to Jiang Tao.

"Xiao Jiang, this is our first time meeting, and I haven't prepared much. Consider this a small meeting gift for you."

"Then I won't stand on ceremony with you, Old Du."

Jiang Tao also didn't put on any airs with Du Taoming. After saying this with a grin, he straightforwardly accepted the envelope from his hand.

Previously at a dinner, Du Taoming had once given Jiang Tao a bit of advice.

When a big shot gives you something, accepting it openly is more impressive to them than offering hypocritical refusals.

Sure enough, seeing Jiang Tao candidly accept his goodwill, the smile on Du Taoming's face grew even warmer.

Though they hadn't spent much time together today, he had taken quite a liking to Jiang Tao's poised and straightforward personality.