"Then I'll thank you in advance, Boss Chen."
Under Qin Li's fox-like smile, Chen Jianhai and Qin Li exchanged some polite small talk before Chen Jianhai excused himself and naturally left Digital Spark Game Development Company.
The afternoon sun in autumn was scorching.
The air carried a unique kind of dryness, different from the heat of summer.
The sea breeze barely made it to the city center before being evaporated by the sunlight, leaving the flowers and plants on the roadside wilted.
Chen Jianhai walked to the shade across the street, unlocked a shared bike, and pedaled leisurely toward the Langyi Hotel.
The hot sea wind slapped his face chaotically, leaving him full of worries.
*Sigh~*
This trip!
Not only did he fail to gain any advantages, but he also ended up giving away an assistant position at his hotel.
If he said he lost out, emotionally speaking, he had deepened his ties with Qin Li, which would only benefit his hotel's future development.
But if he said he gained something, the assistant position at Lion Castle Hotel was indeed a valuable spot, and now it was reserved with just a few words.
Originally, he had wanted to carefully select a capable assistant, train them well, and eventually bring Wen Zifan back.
Now, that plan was completely out the window.
Chen Jianhai let out a long sigh.
*When under someone else's roof, you have to lower your head~*
Especially when that roof belonged to Qin Li, the man who had carried him to the highest rank in games!
Plus, with the whole wishing pool incident, both emotionally and logically, Chen Jianhai had to handle Qin Li's daughter's matter properly.
Besides, solving an assistant position wasn't a big deal for him.
Even if she turned out to be a gold-plated but useless figurehead,
as long as he personally oversaw things at Lion Castle Hotel and kept a close eye on her, he could ensure no major mistakes were made.
And besides,
there was no problem in this world that couldn't be solved with a barbecue meal.
If one wasn't enough, then two would do!
Firming his resolve,
Chen Jianhai changed direction on his bike and headed straight for Xiao Lang's barbecue shop on Coastal Road.
---
The moment Chen Jianhai arrived at Xiao Lang's barbecue shop,
he saw Xiao Lang sprawled on a lounge chair, wearing fly-green sunglasses and lazily fanning himself with a large palm-leaf fan, basking in the sun.
"Damn, look at you living the good life!!! You're hogging all the happiness in Nanjiang!"
"You're so young—how can you just lie around like this?!"
Chen Jianhai, having just given away a hotel position, felt a surge of irritation seeing Xiao Lang's idle laziness. He kicked the chair.
"Bro?! You're here!"
Xiao Lang sat up excitedly when he saw Chen Jianhai.
"Come, come, there's space next to me. Let's bask in the sun and enjoy life together."
"Enjoy your ass!"
Chen Jianhai snatched the fan from Xiao Lang's hand and sat on the adjacent lounge chair, lazily fanning himself.
As he fanned,
he naturally reclined on the chair, yawned, and comfortably soaked up the sun.
Bright sunlight filtered through the coconut leaves, casting dappled shadows on the clean, wide road. A cool sea breeze rustled the leaves, making them whisper softly.
Cars and convertibles passed by, along with pretty girls in sundresses and tank tops holding hands, wearing stylish sandals as they headed to the public beach.
Occasionally, women with bamboo hats walked by, carrying baskets of cherries and small pineapples on shoulder poles.
"Here, bro, have some hot tea to sweat it out."
Xiao Lang poured tea from a pot into a small cup and handed it to Chen Jianhai.
Chen Jianhai took a sip~
The warm tea flowed down his throat, warming his chest and back, and a light sweat broke out, leaving him utterly comfortable.
"Tell me, you were so driven when you were in Zaomen. How come you turn into a couch potato the moment you're back home?" Chen Jianhai lamented.
Xiao Lang took a sip of tea and said with lingering fear, "Don't even mention it. Those days in Zaomen exhausted me. I *need* this break."
"Besides, what kind of legit barbecue joint opens during the day?"
"I'll fire up the grill when the sun goes down."
Under the shade,
two lazy bums lay on their chairs, watching the bustling crowd with indifference.
"Just lying around like this—has East Sea Dragon Palace not come looking for you?" Chen Jianhai asked casually.
"Tch~"
Xiao Lang rolled his eyes. "They've been pestering me nonstop!"
Chen Jianhai perked up. "That woman again?"
Xiao Lang rolled his eyes harder. "Who else?!"
"My employees told me she threw a tantrum at East Sea Dragon Palace, demanding I go back and grill for her."
"And you're still lying here after she caused a scene at your shop?!"
Chen Jianhai was shocked.
If it were him, he'd have rushed back the moment he heard someone was making trouble at his hotel.
"Why wouldn't I lie here?! I didn't sell myself to her!" Xiao Lang snapped.
"A free man like me can't be chained to Zaomen by some troublemaker, right?"
"I've already made up my mind."
"Wherever you open a hotel next, bro, I'll open a barbecue shop there. I'll follow you wherever you go."
"If she really likes my barbecue, she can come to the shop~"
"Wherever I am, she can visit that branch, and I'll treat her right."
"But if she's gonna act up like this, who's gonna put up with her?!"
As Xiao Lang ranted passionately, spittle flying, Chen Jianhai kept patting him.
Finally, Xiao Lang couldn't take it anymore.
"Bro, we're just chatting. Why do you keep patting me?!"
As he spoke, Chen Jianhai stood up, his tall and sturdy frame blocking Xiao Lang like a telephone pole. He muttered under his breath:
"Damn it, shut up. The troublemaker's here."
Xiao Lang: *What troublemaker?*
He lowered his sunglasses slightly to peek.
A second later, he saw a red-haired girl across the street, wearing shorts and a tank top, looking around as if searching for something.
This little redhead was none other than the troublemaker from East Sea Dragon Palace in Zaomen!
*Holy shit…*
Xiao Lang twitched, barely suppressing a curse.
*Was she serious?! She came all the way to Nanjiang just for some skewers?!*
*What the hell!*
"Damn it, bro, cover for me!"
Xiao Lang pushed his sunglasses back up, ducked behind Chen Jianhai's "telephone pole" frame, and slipped into the barbecue shop.
His movements were smooth and flawless.
Once Xiao Lang safely escaped the danger zone, Chen Jianhai picked up the teacup and pot, tucked the fan under his arm, and made a clean retreat.
*Snap!*
The barbecue shop door closed.
Xiao Lang sat on a stool inside, staring at Chen Jianhai's sneaky expression.
Their eyes met.
Suddenly, Xiao Lang blurted out, "Bro, I didn't do anything wrong. Why did I hide?"
Chen Jianhai looked thoughtful. "Yeah, why did I instinctively block you when I saw her?"
A brief silence fell.
"It's because she's so damn picky!"
Xiao Lang gritted his teeth.
As he spoke, he stood up and opened the shop door.
"Damn it, I'm the baddest dude in heaven and earth. How could I be scared of some picky little girl?!"
The moment the door opened,
a faint sweet peach fragrance drifted in with the sunlight and sea breeze.
The red-haired girl stood at the entrance, hand raised to knock,
only to come face-to-face with Xiao Lang's cool, aloof expression.
Her eyes instantly lit up, her pink lips curling into a smile. Her cheeks were flushed, like a ripe little apple in autumn.
"Boss, I'll have 10 lamb skewers, 10 beef skewers, 10 chicken hearts, and 5 vegetable rolls."
The girl beamed at Xiao Lang, stepping inside as she spoke.
"And a can of cola, room temperature~"
Xiao Lang's face turned red.
The self-proclaimed "baddest dude in heaven and earth" had all his prepared retorts stuck in his throat the moment the girl sat down and ordered like a normal customer.
If she had said something like *"I finally found you"* or *"I came here just for you,"* he could've fired back.
But she just walked in and placed an order, leaving Xiao Lang with no ammunition.
*A customer is a customer, and business is business.*
Xiao Lang couldn't just kick her out. Suppressing his annoyance, he said politely,
"Sorry, we're not open during the day."
The girl blinked. "Not open? But you're open right now?"
Xiao Lang forced patience. "The charcoal isn't lit yet. We only grill at night."
"Oh."
The girl propped her chin on her hand, her eyes curving into crescents.
"Then do you at least have cola? I'll just take a can."
*Damn it!!!*
This picky little—
Was she treating his barbecue shop like a soda stand?!
Xiao Lang's anger surged, but on second thought, her request wasn't unreasonable.
Even if a random passerby wanted to rest in his shop with a drink, he'd allow it.
There was no need to make things difficult for a girl.
Grumbling internally, Xiao Lang grabbed a can of cola from a box in the corner and placed it on her table.
"On the house."
"Thanks."
The girl smiled sweetly,
then *pop*—opened the can, poured it into a glass, and took small sips.
Xiao Lang put his sunglasses back on, picked up his fan, and went back outside to sunbathe.
Chen Jianhai stood there, dumbfounded.
Carrying the teacup and pot, he followed Xiao Lang outside and sat on the lounge chair.
"You've got a customer inside, and you're out here sunbathing. Is that okay?"
Xiao Lang shrugged. "Why wouldn't it be?"
"In that shop, the only things of value are the condiments on the tables, and maybe that bottle of Shanxi aged vinegar—worth about three or five bucks."
"If she really tries, those two garlic bulbs might fetch 80 cents."
"The AC and fridge are heavy. No way she's carrying those out."
"If she wants to stay, let her."
The two spoke in hushed tones, eventually resorting to meaningful glances.
After all, the girl was right inside.
Badmouthing someone behind their back required discretion.
Chen Jianhai thought about it: *Fair point.*
Thus, the two lazy bums lay side by side again, sipping tea and sunbathing, with music playing softly from a phone nearby—like two retired old men.
Meanwhile, inside the barbecue shop,
the red-haired girl smugly took the menu, noted down the contact number at the bottom, and searched for it on WeChat.
Soon,
an account named "Lang's Barbecue Across the World" appeared on her screen.
*"Add to contacts~"*
Hehe!
…
*Ding dong~*
Xiao Lang's phone chimed.
Instinctively, he pulled it out and saw a friend request notification.
This WeChat account was purely for business—his朋友圈 was filled with barbecue menus and prices, nothing personal.
Most requests were from customers placing orders or making reservations.
Without hesitation, Xiao Lang tapped "Accept."
The red-haired girl didn't stay long—just about 10 minutes before leaving.
As she left, Xiao Lang lazily waved from his chair and called out half-heartedly,
"Come again, sis~"
The girl glanced at his fly-green sunglasses and his laid-back demeanor, smiling faintly.
"I'll be back tonight!"
Xiao Lang: *…*
Watching the girl walk away, Chen Jianhai suddenly remarked,
"Actually, that little redhead is kinda cute."
"What's the use of cute? She's so picky!" Xiao Lang rolled his eyes.
Then, he suddenly grinned.
"Ha! Bro, looks like the little redhead is heading to your hotel. Be careful!"
Chen Jianhai scoffed.
"I've got Fan-ge. No matter how picky the guest, he'll handle it flawlessly."
"By the way, have you heard of this new game called *God Sealing Summoner*?"
"Of course! Dad knows all the new games on the market!"
Xiao Lang smiled faintly, exuding an air of mystery.
"I even have an account… Wanna play together? Dad will carry you."
"What rank are you to carry me?" Chen Jianhai pulled out his phone, checking the game's download progress.
Xiao Lang proudly declared, "Rank doesn't matter in this game. It's all about the heroes."
"I've got 17 maxed-out heroes, 17 maxed-out weapons, and 10 divine weapons. I'm ranked third in my server."
Curious, Chen Jianhai asked, "Do you have Jiang Ziya?"
"Bro! You've clearly never played this game." Xiao Lang shot him a disdainful look.
"Just because it's called *God Sealing Summoner* doesn't mean you can get Jiang Ziya. He's a beta-exclusive hero. He's not in the current summoning pool—no amount of money can get him."
"Oh." Chen Jianhai nodded, then opened the game, logged in, tapped around, and handed his phone to Xiao Lang.
"Then who's this?"
Three seconds later, Xiao Lang lost his mind!