Chapter 498 - 246: Who Are You Looking Down On?

Chapter 498: Chapter 246: Who Are You Looking Down On?

When Xiao Chen saw Elder Xiao’s eyes narrow, a chill instantly ran through him. The old man seemed to be scheming about something.

He knew Elder Xiao wasn’t targeting Su Chen. Instead, he likely wanted to make a play using the rubidium mine in his possession.

After all, Su Chen’s mine had only just begun operations. Once they got the hang of it, production would surely increase, and the output of rubidium ore would naturally rise dramatically.

Annual output would be at least fifty tons, maybe even reaching a hundred. The domestic market definitely couldn’t consume that much rubidium, which naturally meant they could make a targeted play for the international market.

Rubidium was a scarce resource worldwide, so finding a market wouldn’t be an issue at all. Perhaps they could even use the rubidium to trade with other countries for certain resources.

Of course... this was all just Xiao Chen’s own speculation. How things would actually play out depended on Elder Xiao’s moves.

"Alright, go make the call. I’ll let you know about any further arrangements later." Elder Xiao was no longer in the mood for tai chi or tea. With that, he rose and headed into the house...

Xiao Chen didn’t waste any time. He immediately pulled out his phone and called Su Chen, giving him a simple rundown of the situation and even sharing his own speculations to give Su Chen a heads-up.

......

After hanging up, a thoughtful expression flickered across Su Chen’s face. He was also trying to guess Elder Xiao’s intentions, and his conclusions were more or less the same as Xiao Chen’s.

’Looks like the Elder is helping me make a fortune!’ Su Chen thought with a brief sigh of emotion, then pushed the matter from his mind. ’Someone else is handling the planning for me. All I’ll have to do is sit back and count the cash.’

He glanced at the sky outside. It was a rare, beautiful day, clear and cloudless.

Su Chen felt the urge to go for a stroll. He decided to wander over to the snack street near Shichahai and treat his taste buds to something new.

’It’s been a while since I had street food. I kind of miss it.’

Acting on the impulse, he called for Chen Fei, who had just finished bathing Fat Tiger, and they left the courtyard house.

"What’s going on today? Why is it so lively here at Houhai in Shichahai? And so many kids, too."

They had barely taken a few steps out the door when they noticed that the Houhai area of Shichahai was unusually crowded. The road by the lake was a sea of people, almost as packed as it had been during the New Year.

Normally, the Houhai area saw far fewer visitors than other places, mainly because it was home to the former residences of celebrities or the dwellings of high-status individuals.

"Sir, I think it’s Children’s Day today. Xicheng District organized schools around Shichahai to hold a celebratory event. The location isn’t too far from here!" Chen Fei said, pointing to a large advertising screen on the side of the road not far away.

Su Chen looked in the direction Chen Fei was pointing. It was indeed a Children’s Day celebration, and what’s more, it was the tenth one. It seemed to have become a tradition in Xicheng District.

"The Former Residence of Soong Ching Ling?" Su Chen read the venue. It really wasn’t far from his place—only three or four hundred meters as the crow flies.

"Let’s go. We can wander around Yandai Xiejie and the Bell and Drum Tower instead."

This stretch of Houhai was packed with people, and with so many children, it was especially noisy. Su Chen wasn’t particularly fond of this kind of atmosphere.

The two of them walked along the Shichahai embankment, heading toward Yandai Xiejie.

After just a few steps, Su Chen stopped.

He saw many small boats cruising on the surface of Shichahai, which reminded him of when he had first bought the courtyard house last year. Back then, he had imagined himself boating on Shichahai the following summer.

"Come on, let’s go for a boat ride first!" Su Chen said, heading toward the boat rental pier.

The rental pier was right there at Houhai, and they arrived in two or three minutes.

A staff member enthusiastically began to introduce the different types of boats available to Su Chen.

There were three types of boats at Shichahai: electric boats, pedal boats, and sculling boats—the kind with a boatman. All of them were designed for four people.

After a moment’s thought, Su Chen rented a four-person sculling boat for two hours. After all, he was here to enjoy a leisurely time, not to tire himself out by rowing.

’If he had been with a pretty girl, Su Chen might have chosen a pedal boat to help their relationship blossom.’

’But since he was with Chen Fei... well, he could only enjoy the Shichahai scenery.’

Su Chen also ordered a fruit and snack platter to enjoy on the boat. Including the rental fee, the total cost came to just over six hundred yuan.

The red sculling boat with its black canopy slowly glided away from the pier, propelled by the boatman.

"Let us paddle with both oars, the little boat pushes through the waves. The water’s surface reflects the beautiful white dagoba, surrounded by green trees and red walls..."

A child on one of the boats started it, singing the fitting children’s song at the top of their lungs. As if it were contagious, children on many of the surrounding boats began to join in.

Gradually, the singing spread from the children to the adults, and the sound of the song grew louder. Even Su Chen found himself humming along involuntarily.

The song "Let Us Paddle with Both Oars" was originally written about Beihai Park, which is adjacent to Shichahai. It was a song that tourists boating on the lake could completely immerse themselves in.

When the song ended, thunderous applause erupted across the entire surface of Shichahai. Even passersby who had stopped on the shore clapped and cheered.

CRASH!

"Whoa!"

THUMP!

Su Chen was just about to pull out his phone to capture the moment when he heard several cries of alarm from nearby. Following the sound, he saw an electric boat had crashed into the side of a pedal boat, knocking it sideways at a thirty-degree angle. It was on the verge of capsizing.