Chapter 437 - 225: One Robbery After Another!

Chapter 437: Chapter 225: One Robbery After Another!

The more Elder Xiao mulled it over, the brighter his eyes became. Su Chen’s proposal was, one might say, a perfect fit.

"Alright. We’ll do it your way. For the initial construction on the island, you can find our own building teams in Venezuela. Everyone knows we’re infrastructure maniacs, so using our guys won’t draw any unwanted attention."

Su Chen nodded. Once they had the right direction, the rest would be much easier to handle.

After the two discussed a few more important details, Elder Xiao started trying to usher him out.

"It’s getting late. I won’t keep you for lunch."

Su Chen glanced at the time. He hadn’t realized they’d been chatting for over two hours.

He finished the tea in his cup, picked up his documents, and was about to leave. But then, he remembered the good stuff Elder Xiao kept—and the fact that he was almost out of the elder’s special-supply cigarettes. The butt he’d just started to lift off the chair settled right back down.

"What? Is there something else?" Elder Xiao asked, puzzled.

Su Chen gave an awkward laugh. After all, he was about to fleece the man, and he wasn’t so thick-skinned as to feel absolutely no shame.

"Ahem... Elder Xiao, the tea and cigarettes I got from you last time are almost gone. Look... don’t you think you could provide some reinforcements?"

Hearing this, Elder Xiao dug a finger into his ear and said, "How can such heartless words come out of your mouth, you brat? You, a filthy rich tycoon, asking an old man like me for cigarettes? Aren’t you afraid of becoming a laughingstock if word gets out?"

"What’s there to laugh at? I bet if it were anyone else, they’d be even more shameless than me!"

At this, Elder Xiao looked utterly exasperated. He wagged his right index finger at Su Chen, muttering, "You little rascal. You get more shameless by the day."

In the end, Elder Xiao still gave in. He fetched three cartons of the white-boxed, special-supply cigarettes and casually grabbed three tins of tea from under the tea table. He stuffed everything into a bag and tossed it to Su Chen.

"Get out, get out, get out! I don’t want to see your face for a good long while!"

"Hehe! Thanks, Elder Xiao!" Su Chen stuffed his document folder into the bag as well, stood up, gave the elder a smiling bow, and scampered off gleefully.

Watching Su Chen’s retreating figure, any trace of frustration on Elder Xiao’s face was gone, replaced by a fond smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Su Chen had just left the reception hall and hadn’t even made it to the Hanging Flower Gate when Xiao Chen cut him off.

"Did you raid the old man’s stash again?" Xiao Chen’s eyes lit up when he saw the bulging bag in Su Chen’s hands, a grin spreading visibly across his face.

Seeing Xiao Chen’s expression, Su Chen knew exactly what was coming—he was about to get shaken down.

’He hadn’t even had a chance to enjoy the spoils of his own heist before he was met by a highwayman.’ For the first time, he felt like he could understand how Elder Xiao felt.

"One carton, max! That’s all you’re getting!" Su Chen decided to compromise first. Better to be proactive than to be put on the spot.

Xiao Chen hadn’t expected Su Chen to be so agreeable; he’d thought he’d have to argue for it.

"Now that’s a true friend!" Xiao Chen laughed, slinging an arm around Su Chen’s shoulders. His eyes, however, were glued to the bag in Su Chen’s hand, his meaning perfectly obvious.

Su Chen smoothly pulled a carton of cigarettes from the bag and handed it over.

After taking it, Xiao Chen glanced toward the reception hall. Seeing no sign of Elder Xiao, he breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

’If Elder Xiao had seen that little maneuver, he’d probably be in for a good old-fashioned tanning.’

"So, what’s the plan? Staying in the Imperial Capital, or heading back to Shanghai for company business?" Xiao Chen knew what was in the documents Su Chen was holding, which was why he was curious.

"I’ll stay in the Imperial Capital for a few more days. After that, I might have to take a trip to Russia," Su Chen answered honestly, not hiding his plans.

"Russia? What are you going there for?" A flicker of confusion crossed Xiao Chen’s face.

"To have some fun. I’ve got a ranch near Lake Baikal, and it’s prime hunting season right now. I figured I’d go and enjoy it."

"Brother Cheen, if you’re not busy, you should come with me."

This wasn’t just Su Chen being polite; he was genuinely inviting Xiao Chen to come along. If Su Chen went alone, he’d probably just take Chen Fei, and it would be a little dull with just the two of them.

Xiao Chen’s interest was piqued by Su Chen’s invitation. Hunting wild animals had been banned in their country for ages. What young man hadn’t dreamed of hunting bears and tigers?

He wasn’t particularly busy lately, so this was a perfect chance to hang out with Su Chen for a bit and do some hunting on the side.

"Alright, I happen to be free. Just give me a call before you head out."

Su Chen nodded. After chatting for a little while longer, he left the courtyard residence with his bag in hand.