23: Gulfstream G700

The car sped towards Wenfei Oriental Hotel. It was not yet 3 PM, so there wasn't much traffic, and they arrived at the hotel entrance in just over ten minutes.

Without waiting for the driver to get out, he opened the car door himself, gave the driver a few instructions to go straight back, and then walked into the hotel.

As soon as he entered the hotel lobby, he saw Xu Jinzhong standing not far away, who also saw Jiang Chen.

Xu Jinzhong quickly stepped forward to greet him and handed him a list.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Jiang. The gifts you requested have been purchased. This is the list for you to review. If there’s anything you’re not satisfied with, I’ll procure it again for you immediately.”

Jiang Chen took it and looked.

It must be said that Xu Jinzhong’s arrangements were indeed excellent: cordyceps, donkey-hide gelatin, ginseng, and various bottled health supplements. The liquor was the well-known Maotai, but a limited edition.

Then there were five sets each of Apple and Huawei electronic product bundles, as well as some smaller electronic products.

Jiang Chen finished reading and nodded, finding no fault. He took out his bank card and handed it to Xu Jinzhong, gesturing for him to pay. “Thank you for your trouble.”

Xu Jinzhong took it with both hands. “Mr. Jiang, considering you’ll need them tomorrow, the gifts have already been placed in your car for your convenience.”

Jiang Chen nodded, his praise for Xu Jinzhong growing in his heart; he handled such details perfectly.

He was considering whether to poach Xu Jinzhong to be his personal assistant or secretary after returning from checking out. Although He Xiaomi was capable, she was, after all, only a secretary who helped him handle Group affairs.

—

Early the next morning, Jiang Chen woke up, washed up, changed into casual clothes, and put a few pieces of his everyday clothing into the suitcase that had accompanied him for many years.

Xu Jinzhong, as always, had arranged breakfast for him.

While he was eating, He Xiaomi also appeared on time. Jiang Chen gestured to He Xiaomi, asking if she wanted to eat something with him, but she indicated that she had already eaten.

After breakfast, the car He Xiaomi arranged was already waiting for him downstairs—it was still the Maybach Pullman.

Jiang Chen looked at the car and said to He Xiaomi, “Xiaomi, tell the driver to go back. I’ll use my own car.”

“Understood, Chairman Jiang.” He Xiaomi walked over, spoke a few words with the driver, and then returned to Jiang Chen’s side.

“Chairman Jiang, arrangements at the airport have been made. Shall we depart now?”

“Hmm, let’s go then.”

Jiang Chen gestured for He Xiaomi to sit in the passenger seat, while he walked to the driver’s seat. He opened the navigation according to the location He Xiaomi provided. Driving from here to the airport via the highway would take only about 40 minutes.

Inside the car, light music played, and Jiang Chen hummed a few lines from time to time. He Xiaomi secretly glanced at Jiang Chen, her heart quickening. Since their dinner last time, their communication had been limited to work.

He Xiaomi’s feelings for Jiang Chen were complex. She had to admit that Jiang Chen was young, wealthy, and handsome.

Although they had only known each other for less than a week, perhaps a seed had already been planted in her heart.

“If only something had really happened back then…”

He Xiaomi thought this, and her mouth involuntarily opened slightly, speaking in a small voice.

“Hmm?”

“Xiaomi, what are you muttering about?”

Jiang Chen turned his head and asked curiously, as if he heard her mention “back then.” What did that mean?

“Ah!”

“No, no, Chairman Jiang, I was just saying… I was humming a song…”

He Xiaomi came up with a reason she didn’t even believe herself, her mind in a jumble as she blurted it out. She turned her head to look out the window, hiding the flustered expression on her face.

Jiang Chen said, “Oh, oh,” and then paid no more attention to He Xiaomi, focusing on driving. He was eager to see his family and only wanted to get there as soon as possible.

He just didn’t see the flustered expression on He Xiaomi’s face as she turned her head, a blush appearing on her cheeks.

“He Xiaomi, He Xiaomi, what are you thinking? Why is your intelligence completely mismatched? It’s impossible for you and Chairman Jiang to have anything! Stop fantasizing!”

He Xiaomi roared internally. Gradually, she came to understand that she and Jiang Chen could not be together. He was the chairman of a hundred-billion-yuan Group, and she was just a secretary. This thought made her distraught.

Though she said and thought this, Jiang Chen’s image constantly appeared in her mind, making her heart even more chaotic. She had to admit, she must have fallen for Jiang Chen.

Without a word, Jiang Chen quickly drove the cullinan to the airport. Unlike his previous trips to the airport for flights, the navigation destination was a relatively small terminal.

The Shenzhen VIP Terminal is a terminal specifically designed to serve people who choose to travel by private jet, serving only the small portion of people who can afford private jets.

As the car drove to the terminal entrance, He Xiaomi returned to her professional demeanor. She had already done her homework a day in advance, guiding Jiang Chen to another location.

The car circled the terminal, then, guided by a new energy electric car with a flashing yellow light on top, drove directly into the airport.

After driving for another two or three minutes, Jiang Chen saw the behemoth.

The Gulfstream G700, his exclusive private jet, had the Xinghe Group logo printed on its black livery, making it clear at a glance that this plane belonged to Xinghe Group.

At the bottom of the gangway, several people were standing: two pilots in captain’s uniforms, and three young women in flight attendant uniforms.

Jiang Chen and He Xiaomi got out of the car. One of the male captains immediately stepped forward, smiling and greeting, “Hello, Chairman Jiang, I am Chen Zijian, the captain responsible for your trip.”

“On behalf of our crew members, I extend our greetings to you. We will do our utmost to serve you during this trip.”

After Captain Chen Zijian finished speaking, the co-pilot and the three flight attendants all bowed slightly to Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen politely nodded, “Hmm, hello everyone. I’ll be troubling you then.”

“It’s our duty. Please come this way.”

Chen Zijian made a welcoming gesture.

A very beautiful flight attendant stepped forward to take Jiang Chen’s suitcase, then led Jiang Chen up the gangway.

He Xiaomi, meanwhile, directed the other two flight attendants to help her move items from the cullinan’s trunk onto the plane.

Jiang Chen walked onto the plane, and his eyes were met with four independent airline seats.

In the middle was a straight sofa against the window, with a cabinet opposite it that could raise a television.

Further back was a four-person booth seating area for meetings.

To be honest, the plane felt a bit cramped to Jiang Chen. He walked further back on the wool carpet, past the meeting area, and continued to the rear.

He pushed open the door in front of him, which immediately brightened Jiang Chen’s eyes. There was a bedroom with a 2-meter king-size bed inside. Such a configuration on an airplane was quite rare.

Further in were independent washing areas and toilets, all separate. No wonder the interior space of this plane felt small to Jiang Chen; most of the space was used here.

Returning to the meeting area, he found a seat. The spacious and comfortable airline massage chair conformed to his body. By this time, He Xiaomi had finished loading the items and came up.

“Chairman Jiang, when you arrive in Chongqing, the manager of the Group’s branch office, He Xiao, will pick you up. The vehicle has also been arranged for you. If you have any matters, you can contact me at any time.”

Jiang Chen nodded with satisfaction, “Hmm, thank you for your hard work, Xiaomi.”

“Then, if there’s nothing else, Chairman Jiang, shall I leave now?”

He Xiaomi’s question was posed with a question mark.

“Hmm, go ahead.”

He Xiaomi cast a resentful glance at Jiang Chen, but he did not notice. Seeing this, she had no choice but to take her leave.

After He Xiaomi left, the flight attendant who had taken Jiang Chen’s luggage earlier stepped forward, knelt with her hands on her knees, and asked sweetly, “Chairman Jiang, would you like something to drink?”

A faint, pleasant fragrance of perfume wafted into his nostrils. He looked down at her and asked, “What do you have to drink?”