245: Chapter 245 Yellow River Hotel

Three small cars met in the parking lot, and a total of 23 people got out and gathered together. Except for the girl next to Ye Chen who was wearing a black camisole and denim minishorts, everyone else was a classmate, and they greeted each other enthusiastically after getting out of the cars.

"Brother Chen."

"Brother Chao."

"Luo Luo, your makeup looks really good."

"Di Di, not at all~ I just did it casually."

"Eh, is this Chen Mo? I feel like Chen Mo has suddenly become fairer and more handsome. Is it my imagination?"

"Haha, not at all... I probably stayed home for a week during the break without going out in the sun, so I got a bit fairer." Chen Mo had actually forgotten that his appearance had changed slightly after reaching Major Achievement in Internal Strength; he only remembered it now when his classmate asked, so he came up with a random reason to explain.

Fortunately, he really didn't interact much with his classmates usually, and they weren't sure exactly what he looked like. So, after hearing his explanation, they nodded in belief, their expressions showing a hint of realization. "So that's how it is. It seems I should get less sun in the future too."

Chen Mo smiled awkwardly, thought for a moment, and added, "You should still get some sun; it provides calcium and helps you grow taller."

...

Even including the exam days, it had been less than ten days since they had last seen each other. However, perhaps because the pressure of the exams was gone, or perhaps because everyone held infinite yearning for the future, their state of mind was completely different from when they were in school. This meeting felt as if they had been apart for a long time, with endless things to talk about.

Everyone followed behind Ye Chen. Actually, this underground parking lot was huge, extending in all directions with exits and entrances throughout most of the pedestrian street. They could have even walked through this underground parking lot to get very close to their destination before taking an elevator to the surface. However, partly because walking underground was stifling, and partly because many classmates wanted to see the prosperity of Huanghe Road, they left the underground parking lot and returned to the surface after Ye Chen parked. They walked along the pedestrian street in groups of three or five, with their arms around each other's shoulders.

It was high noon in midsummer, and the sunlight hitting the glass curtain walls on both sides of the street shimmered with a dazzling light, so bright it was hard to keep one's eyes open. Although it wasn't a day off, the street was filled with all kinds of fashionable pedestrians. Some carried shiny leather bags and walked briskly in high heels; some wore sunglasses and flip-flops, strolling in groups of twos and threes as if no one else was watching; others wore eccentric outfits and snapped photos of themselves continuously with their phones. In short, all sorts of fashionable people crowded the Huanghe Road Pedestrian Street, giving Chen Mo and the other students the illusion that the adult world was so relaxed that they didn't even have to work on weekdays and could come out shopping at noon.

As they walked into Huanghe Road, various modern towering commercial buildings appeared before them—malls, banks, office buildings, hotels, and clubs. It was a dizzying sight that made everyone occasionally cry out "Wow" in surprise. This drew frequent strange looks from the fashionable people around them. However, with more than twenty people gathered together, their confidence was bolstered, and they completely ignored the strange looks. They expressed their surprise and joy at being in the most prosperous area of Jiangnan without any restraint. Not only did they frequently let out surprised exclamations, but they also took out their phones and cameras to take commemorative photos in front of various buildings. This group of laughing people, in a sense, became a beautiful sight in this modern and prosperous pedestrian street.

Wang Chao, however, was observant. He noticed that Chen Mo hadn't looked at his phone since he first met him on the roadside. While driving, he saw in the rearview mirror that Chen Mo didn't seem to take out his phone while in the car either. Now that they were at Huanghe Road and everyone was taking photos, Chen Mo still hadn't looked at his phone. It seemed that Chen Mo's earlier reason—that he was so busy he hadn't had time to check his phone and thus didn't know about the rescheduled meeting time—wasn't a lie. At least for now, he seemed to have no interest in his phone. It seemed there really was a difference between a top student and ordinary people, Wang Chao thought to himself after his observations.

After a while, the group of more than twenty people finally arrived at the landmark building of Huanghe Road, the Huanghe Hotel.

The trees planted around the hotel were tall, green, and neatly trimmed. The rows of tall, green trees were even more eye-catching than the green belts in the middle of the road.

Behind the trees was a massive circle of fountains. Dozens or even hundreds of water jets could spray up to five meters high. They were densely interwoven, yet no single jet collided with another. The interweaving created a dense yet delicate beauty, so much so that one could stand ten centimeters away from the outermost jet to watch without getting splashed. From this alone, one could see that the fountain was quite extraordinary in its design, construction, and current operation.

Behind the fountain was the Huanghe Hotel itself. As a landmark building, the Huanghe Hotel was even more striking. Two glass doors with gold-inlaid frames were wide open to welcome every guest. Two beautiful female greeters stood at the door in hotel uniforms, wearing black stockings and high heels, standing tall and elegant. Both had natural-looking smiles that gave people a sense of warmth and longing while maintaining a perfect sense of distance. This kind of appearance and temperament made Chen Mo and his group of inexperienced students, both boys and girls, feel as if they were looking at heavenly beings. What was even more surprising was that women with such appearance and temperament only served as greeters at the door of the Huanghe Hotel. They couldn't help but guess uneasily about the hotel's actual grade.

Fortunately, as today's financier, Ye Chen had plenty of money and confidence. He took the lead, holding the hand of the girl in the camisole, walked to the entrance of the Huanghe Hotel, and waved to the classmates behind him. "Come in, don't just stand there; this is the place."

Seeing Ye Chen so confident, the group timidly walked through the main doors into the grand hall of the Huanghe Hotel under the gaze of the two beautiful greeters. Once inside, they truly experienced the meaning of resplendent and magnificent. A grand crystal chandelier came into view; even at noon, it was lit. What was even more impressive was that the light from the crystal lamp was exceptionally bright yet not dazzling, surpassing the sunlight coming through the glass. The clear, bright light from the crystal chandelier poured down onto the smooth, white marble floor inlaid with gold silk cloud patterns, emitting an aura of shimmering luxury.

Looking up, the ceiling was as high as two or three stories of a normal building, making the space feel very empty and open. The elaborate carvings and decorations on the ceiling were even more breathtaking, making one feel as if they were in a sacred and solemn place like a Western cathedral rather than just a hotel.

As for the decorations in the hall, most were carefully crafted from rosewood, including the dining tables and chairs for the guests. They were exquisite rosewood furniture, each piece featuring detailed carvings and gold trim. Although most in the class couldn't tell if the rosewood was real, they assumed that since it was in such a place, it was unlikely to be fake fillers.

Of course, the most eye-catching thing was the mural carved on the hall wall. This mural didn't use any paint or special Materials, only the white wall and carved shadow lines. A winding long river spanned the mural from left to right. The extremely simple lines gave a lifelike feeling as if the river were actually flowing. Even without any inscription, anyone could tell it must have come from the hand of a master, and placing it in the main hall of the Huanghe Hotel was truly the finishing touch!

Many classmates were visiting such a place for the first time, and for a moment, their knees felt a bit weak. Although they tried their best not to show it because they didn't want to lose face, their restless hands and awkward steps all revealed their nervous awkwardness.

Only Chen Mo, after admiring the decor of the Huanghe Hotel for a while, took advantage of the moment when no one was paying attention to him to take his phone out of his pocket. Since it looked like he would have to have this lunch no matter what, he would only be free to deliver the medicine to Old Li in the afternoon. He wouldn't be able to arrive within half an hour as he had previously messaged Old Li, which meant he had broken his word. Thus, Chen Mo very apologetically sent a message to Old Li, telling him that he had a class reunion today and would have to go to the Sanatorium later.

...

Meanwhile, in the Sanatorium, the three of them—Li Dequan, Li Tianming, and Li Fengxu—still hadn't seen a sign of Chen Mo after the half-hour he had mentioned passed. Because Li Dequan was conscious of his status and couldn't bring himself to lose face, he was embarrassed to press Chen Mo on Qiuqiu. The three of them could only continue to wait, staring at each other.

Fortunately, because Li Dequan was highly respected, his eldest son and young granddaughter didn't show much of their growing impatience.

In reality, Li Fengxu had no complaints in her heart because she had already personally witnessed the value of that Electronic Fist Manual yesterday. At that time, Chen Mo's image in her mind had become profound and mysterious. Moreover, she was indeed very eager for that Electronic Fist Manual. No matter what happened today, even if she had to roll around on the ground throwing a tantrum in front of Chen Mo, she was determined to get his permission so she could openly practice this Cultivation Technique. Since she was the one asking for a favor, Li Fengxu was fully aware of her place and had no complaints about waiting for Chen Mo at home. In fact, if her grandfather Li Dequan hadn't refused, she had even planned to welcome Grandmaster Chen at the door with gongs and drums. Her previous grumbling was only because she was too desperate to see Chen Mo.

In contrast, her uncle Li Tianming felt the exact opposite.

Although Li Tianming was smiling on the surface and saying that waiting for a martial arts Grandmaster was a great honor, this was all for Li Dequan's benefit. He knew that Li Dequan had been obsessed with traditional martial arts all his life, so it was understandable that he might be fooled by a swindler posing as a martial arts Grandmaster in his old age. Although he had heard from Li Dequan's own mouth that this so-called Grandmaster was just a brat who’s still wet behind the ears and not even twenty years old—which indeed sounded ridiculous—Li Tianming wouldn't risk making Li Dequan unhappy by telling him the truth about being scammed. In his view, since the world was full of people fooling one another, as long as this swindler could bamboozle Li Dequan into being thoroughly convinced, wasn't that a kind of real skill in its own right?

Thus, Li Tianming also wanted to meet this eccentric individual. After all, someone like this might come in handy sometime. Besides, he could also accompany the old man and make Li Dequan happy. Why not kill two birds with one stone?

Of course, that little swindler named Chen Mo had intentionally arrived late and made him wait for so long. Once they met, he would definitely have to make him suffer a bit first; otherwise, the boy wouldn't know who truly owns Jiangnan.

While Li Fengxu and Li Tianming had their own different thoughts, Li Dequan's Huaniu phone suddenly rang.

Hearing the notification sound, the spirits of the three people present were all lifted.

"Grandpa/Dad!" Li Fengxu and Li Tianming leaned in together with excited expressions, their eyes fixed on the phone Li Dequan hadn't opened yet. "Is it a message from Grandmaster Chen? Has Grandmaster Chen arrived?"

"Calm down, calm down." Li Dequan didn't open the phone immediately. Instead, he first pressed his palm down slightly to signal Li Fengxu and Li Tianming not to be so excited. Only then, with an unruffled expression as calm as an ancient well, did he open his Huaniu phone and click into the new message from Chen Mo. However, two seconds later, that feigned composure could no longer be maintained, and his face turned somewhat sour.

Li Fengxu and Li Tianming could both tell from Li Dequan's expression that things were likely not as they had expected, and very likely moving in the opposite direction.

"Grandpa, what did Grandmaster Chen say?"

"Dad, did Grandmaster Chen run into some trouble? Tell me, if I can solve it, I'll go deal with it for Grandmaster Chen right away."

Li Dequan shook his head and sighed, showing his phone screen to Li Fengxu and Li Tianming. "See for yourselves."