Chapter 510 - 251: Pig, Fish, Bird, Sheep?

Chapter 510: Chapter 251: Pig, Fish, Bird, Sheep?

The sun was setting, staining the sky with an orange-red afterglow, like a magnificent painted scroll.

Around 6:00 PM, Chen Fan finally arrived at the hotel. He had brought two vehicles this time. The other was a van, just like the one he’d used to pick up Su Chen from the airport, only this one looked considerably older.

Su Chen noticed something odd as soon as he stepped out of the hotel. There were several people sitting in the other, older van.

His eyes flickered. Su Chen already guessed that the people in the other van were his older brother’s employees.

What Su Chen hadn’t expected, however, was that Chen Fan would bring all of them along. ’Is he trying to get me, Chen Fei, and the others to meet these senior employees and build some rapport?’

With this question in mind, Su Chen smiled and walked over to Chen Fan’s van.

"Sorry to keep you guys waiting, bro. You must be starving. I’ll make sure you eat your fill tonight!" he said, waving Su Chen and the others into the van.

"Haha! Thanks, bro. We’re really making you splash out tonight!" Su Chen and the others pulled open the van door and climbed in.

The two vans quickly pulled away from the hotel. At first, Su Chen thought they were just going to find a nice restaurant in Hougang, but he soon noticed the buildings along the road growing taller and the lights becoming more brilliant.

"Bro, are we heading downtown?" Su Chen asked curiously.

Chen Fan smiled and nodded. "Yep. We’re heading downtown. Singapore’s Chinatown is over there. Chinatown has a better selection of food, and it’ll be more to your taste."

The drive from Hougang to Chinatown wasn’t very long, taking less than twenty minutes.

Su Chen was finally able to see the prosperity of the central business district. Compared to Hougang, it was like night and day.

Especially when passing the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, also known as Singapore’s most famous Burj Al Arab Hotel, Su Chen felt the urge to switch hotels.

His own hotel was a dump in comparison. If he didn’t have to consider Chen Fan, Su Chen would have checked in right away.

Singapore’s Chinatown was also a bustling, lively place. As soon as he got out of the van, Su Chen heard many familiar voices. He glanced around and realized many of the people were tourists from back home.

Many tourists would gather in small groups whenever they saw a good photo spot, their phones out, snapping away.

The place Chen Fan chose was a restaurant that resembled an open-air food stall. The decor was nothing special, but business was surprisingly booming.

If Chen Fan hadn’t made a reservation in advance, they might not have even gotten a table.

The moment they walked in, the cashier greeted Chen Fan and enthusiastically offered him a cigarette. The two of them were laughing and joking as if they’d known each other for years.

Seeing this, Su Chen knew... Chen Fan was clearly a regular here. Otherwise, the two wouldn’t be so familiar with each other.

The cashier, who appeared to be the owner, led the group into a private room. Inside were two square tables, just enough to seat everyone.

"Bring us a round of all your specialties. Tonight, I’m throwing a welcome dinner for my younger brother!" Chen Fan announced magnanimously to the cashier.

Upon hearing this, the cashier glanced at Su Chen, who was seated beside Chen Fan. He gave him a quick once-over before exiting the private room.

After the cashier left, Chen Fan explained, "He ran into some trouble on the street a while back. I happened to help him out, and we’ve been friends ever since."

Su Chen just nodded to show he understood, and was tactful enough not to press the issue.

’After all, Chen Fan had just glossed over it. If I pressed him for the whole story, it would inevitably make things awkward for him. Who knew if the ’trouble’ he’d helped with was even legitimate.’

After a wait of less than twenty minutes, the servers began bringing in the dishes. During that time, Chen Fan introduced his company’s employees to Su Chen, allowing for a preliminary round of introductions.

What surprised Su Chen was that these men were all from back home, and the vast majority were from the southwestern provinces. As soon as they started talking, they warmed up to each other, and Su Chen managed to glean some information from their casual chatter.

These men had all come over from China, one by one, over the last few months. The earliest arrivals were Chen Fan and another man named Gao Zhong. In the others’ eyes, these two held a great deal of authority, but no one elaborated any further.

Su Chen couldn’t help but think to himself, ’Looks like I’ll have to pay a visit to my brother’s so-called "tech company" to figure out what he’s really up to.’

"Bro, these are Singapore’s most famous dishes: Chili Crab, Pepper Crab, and Cereal Prawn. I could eat two plates of this stuff every time I come here!" Chen Fan said, pointing to the freshly served dishes on the table.

Looking at the steaming, bright-red chili crab on the table, Su Chen could feel his mouth watering. He had a powerful urge to grab his chopsticks and just dig in.

As if sensing Su Chen’s eagerness, Chen Fan ignored the fact that only three dishes had arrived and waved for everyone to start eating.

Su Chen didn’t stand on ceremony. He picked up his chopsticks, grabbed half a crab, and took a bite that was pure, unadulterated satisfaction.

The crab was full of rich roe, and combined with the sauce, it was incredible. Even Su Chen, who had tasted his fair share of gourmet food, gave the dish a silent thumbs-up in his mind.

’It’s delicious,’ he thought. ’No wonder it’s a famous local specialty.’

The servers brought out seven or eight more dishes in quick succession, mostly consisting of crab, fish, lobster, and chicken; there was only one vegetable dish in the entire spread.

Interestingly, Chen Fan hadn’t ordered any alcohol, and everyone else seemed to have an unspoken agreement not to mention it. Su Chen couldn’t help but wonder, ’Are they worried drinking will interfere with something?’