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Chapter 211 - Where Did This Honored Guest Come From?!

The auspicious ingot at the bottom of the Qisan Reservoir Lake wouldn't be discovered anytime soon.

 

Jiang Tao wasn't in a hurry to retrieve it either.

 

After finishing the call with Bai Yulan, he turned around and drove toward Jiangjiazhuang.

 

By the time he reached his doorstep, it was already 11:41 a.m.

 

Seeing the front door tightly shut, Jiang Tao knew that Xu Li and Jiang Xue must have gone to his parents' house.

 

He parked the car and walked to his parents' home.

 

Before he even stepped inside, Jiang Tao could hear bursts of cheerful laughter and lively chatter coming from the courtyard.

 

He noticed a Passat parked at the entrance—his in-laws had come over.

 

After spending more than a week in the capital, his in-laws were now interacting with Jiang Tao's family more frequently.

 

The bond between the two families had grown increasingly close.

 

"Xiao Tao's back!"

 

"Jiang Tao's here!"

 

"Honey!"

 

"Brother-in-law!"

 

Seeing Jiang Tao walk in, everyone greeted him warmly.

 

The reason everyone was able to come together in such harmony today was entirely because of Jiang Tao.

 

Subtly, Jiang Tao had become the indispensable "central figure" uniting everyone.

 

Jiang Tao looked at the group and said with a smile:

 

"Mom, Dad, everyone, stop fussing around. Someone's treating us to lunch today."

 

"Someone's treating us? Who is it, honey? Zhi Yuan or Yu Fei?" Xu Li asked curiously, thinking those two were the most likely candidates.

 

Jiang Tao laughed, "Neither. It's another friend you all don't know. I'll introduce you when we get there."

 

Xu Sha, also curious, asked, "Where are we eating, brother-in-law?"

 

Jiang Tao replied, "Still at the Bai Yulan Hotel."

 

"The Bai Yulan Hotel! That's awesome!" Xu Sha's eyebrows danced with excitement at the mention of the Bai Yulan Hotel.

 

Though not well-known nationally, in Ping County, the Bai Yulan Hotel was undeniably the most upscale establishment.

 

For a native of Ping County, dining at the Bai Yulan Hotel was an absolute honor.

 

Jiang Tao smiled, "When we get there, don't hold back with my friend. Order whatever you want."

 

"Got it!"

 

"Second brother, what kind of friend is this? Male or female?" someone asked.

 

"Female."

 

"Female? When did you make a female friend? How come I didn't know? How old is she? Is she pretty?" Xu Li's tone turned slightly jealous upon hearing it was a woman, prompting laughter from the group.

 

Xu Li was clearly overthinking it.

 

If Jiang Tao was willing to bring everyone to meet this friend, there was surely nothing to worry about between them. Otherwise, he'd be hiding it, not flaunting it.

 

"She's the daughter of a friend of my master, about ten years older than me. Definitely not as pretty as my wife," Jiang Tao said, stepping forward to wrap an arm around Xu Li's slender waist, subtly complimenting her.

 

Sure enough, the line "definitely not as pretty as my wife" made Xu Li's heart bloom with joy.

 

As for the claim that Bai Yulan was the "daughter of a friend of his master," it was a story Jiang Tao had fabricated after discussing it with her.

 

His nominal master, Sun Xiaobao, had passed away, so there was no one to verify the claim. Whatever Jiang Tao said was taken as fact.

 

After a bit more casual chatter, the group left the house, laughing and talking, and drove three cars toward Ping County's town center.

 

Around 12:30 p.m., a Mercedes-Benz G-Class, a Mercedes-Benz GLS, and a black Passat pulled into the large open-air parking lot in front of the Bai Yulan Hotel.

 

While Ping County's hotels might not compare to the high-end five-star hotels in big cities, the massive parking lot was something those urban hotels couldn't match.

 

The Bai Yulan Hotel's open-air parking lot spanned twenty to thirty acres, with well-maintained greenery.

 

No matter when you came, there was never a shortage of parking spaces.

 

After parking, the group walked toward the hotel's main entrance, chatting and laughing.

 

"When I was working, I often heard my manager talk about how fancy the Bai Yulan Hotel was. I never thought I'd practically become a regular here," Xu Wencheng said, marveling at the hotel's glittering exterior decor.

 

"Haha, yeah. Back when we did some work around here, we could only watch those big bosses driving luxury cars come and go," Jiang Wen added, looking at his son, who was chatting and laughing with his daughter-in-law. A surge of pride welled up in his heart.

 

He never dared to dream that his family could live like this.

 

Wearing clothes costing hundreds and shoes worth over a thousand, bought by his daughter.

 

Being chauffeured in a million-yuan luxury car.

 

It was only their second day back from the capital, and this was already their third time dining at a high-end hotel like the Bai Yulan.

 

Having lived a frugal life before, adapting to such a lavish lifestyle felt a bit surreal.

 

"I heard the owner of the Bai Yulan Hotel has a big background. Even our manager had to be polite around them," someone said.

 

"Yeah! When I worked for a boss, I heard the same. Nobody in Ping County dares mess with the owner of this hotel," another chimed in. "There was this guy who thought he had connections and was a big shot in Ping County. He got drunk and flipped a table here. They say he had to pay over 300,000 yuan to settle it."

 

"That owner's that powerful, huh?"

 

"Of course! How else could they run a place this big?"

 

The group buzzed with discussion, all intrigued by the mysterious owner of the Bai Yulan Hotel.

 

Walking in front, Jiang Tao couldn't help but chuckle at their chatter about Bai Yulan.

 

He wondered what they'd think when they saw Bai Yulan herself.

 

"Welcome to the Bai Yulan Hotel!"

 

At the entrance, two greeters in high-slit cheongsams, with strikingly graceful figures, bowed and greeted the group.

 

Jiang Tao led the way, with the others following him into the hotel's grand lobby.

 

"Jiang Tao!"

 

The moment they stepped inside, Bai Yulan spotted him. With a gentle smile, she called his name and gracefully approached the group.

 

All eyes were drawn to her.

 

Her thick, glossy black wavy hair cascaded casually over her shoulders.

 

Her delicate, fair face had refined, striking features.

 

Her beautiful eyes held a warm, welcoming smile.

 

She exuded a refreshing, spring-like aura.

 

The moment Xu Li saw Bai Yulan, she began to suspect Jiang Tao had fudged the truth.

 

Bai Yulan looked barely older than Xu Li—nothing like someone ten years older than Jiang Tao!

 

As they spoke, Bai Yulan reached the group, looked at everyone, and said with a smile:

 

"Welcome to the Bai Yulan Hotel. It's an honor to have such distinguished guests."

 

Nearby, the hotel's customer service managers and front desk staff were stunned by Bai Yulan's warm reception of Jiang Tao and his group.

 

"There aren't many guests Sister Bai personally comes down to greet in a year. Who are these VIPs?"

 

"That man's so handsome and has such presence. He must be an executive from some big corporation!"

 

"His wife's gorgeous too, with an amazing figure. If I were half as pretty as her, I'd be thrilled!"

 

"Sister Bai clearly values these guests. We'd better step up our service and not mess this up."

 

The staff looked at Jiang Tao's group with envy, all on high alert.

 

Other guests entering the hotel were equally shocked to see Bai Yulan personally greeting Jiang Tao's party.

 

As regulars at the Bai Yulan Hotel, they had never received such treatment.

 

Forget personal greetings—they'd be lucky to even catch a glimpse of Bai Yulan!

 

"Sister Bai, this is my wife, Xu Li, my dad Jiang Wen, my mom…"

 

Under the varied gazes of the crowd, Jiang Tao calmly introduced those around him with a smile.

 

"This is my friend, Sister Bai, Bai Yulan."

 

"What? You're… you're the owner of the Bai Yulan Hotel, President Bai!"

 

"Oh my gosh! President Bai! It's really President Bai!"

 

"President Bai, I've always admired you. Can I take a photo with you?"

 

Upon hearing Jiang Tao introduce Bai Yulan as the legendary mysterious owner of the Bai Yulan Hotel, the group was stunned.

 

Xu Sha, Jiang Shijie, and the other young ones were especially thrilled, eager to take photos with Bai Yulan.

 

"Of course, you're Jiang Tao's family, which makes you my friends," Bai Yulan said patiently, maintaining a warm smile throughout, especially kind to the family of her lifesaver.

 

She happily agreed to their small request for photos.

 

After greetings, Xu Sha, Jiang Shijie, Jiang Shaojie, and Jiang Bing took turns snapping photos with Bai Yulan.

 

With her permission, they eagerly posted them to their social media, showing off.

 

After a brief chat in the lobby, Bai Yulan led the group upstairs to the same private room they'd used for their gathering two nights ago.

 

"It's my first time meeting everyone, and I don't know your tastes yet, so let's order on the spot!"

 

"Order whatever you like. We're here to eat and drink well today. Jiang Tao, you start and set the example."

 

After everyone was seated, Bai Yulan handed the menu and ordering device to Jiang Tao with a smile.

 

"You all heard Sister Bai, right? Order what you want, no need to be shy with her," Jiang Tao said.

 

"This roasted suckling pig looks good. Let's get two."

 

"One roasted pigeon for each person."

 

"One set of roast duck won't be enough for this many people. Let's get at least five sets."

 

"I'm done. Lili, your turn."

 

Though Bai Yulan, the owner, was treating them and said to order freely, Jiang Tao didn't go overboard with extravagant dishes.

 

After ordering, he passed the menu and device to Xu Li.

 

Then it was Xu Li's mother, her sister, her father, Jiang Tao's dad, mom, older brother, sister-in-law…

 

The group today was similar to the one Jiang Tao had treated two days ago.

 

Except for Liu Zhiyuan and a few other friends, all of Jiang Tao and Xu Li's closest relatives were present.

 

Each person ordered two or three dishes, totaling dozens of dishes.

 

Bai Yulan added a few signature dishes the group hadn't selected.

 

She then instructed a server to bring two cases of Moutai and two bottles of foreign red wine labeled entirely in English.

 

After ordering, the group chatted casually.

 

Normally reserved, Bai Yulan was unusually approachable today, treating Jiang Tao and his family with utmost warmth.

 

Though she and Jiang Tao had only met by chance the previous night, she gave the impression of being his long-time close friend, engaging everyone effortlessly and attending to their emotions.

 

The group, initially reserved around Bai Yulan, gradually relaxed.

 

By the time the dishes arrived, they were already comfortable with her.

 

Seated beside her, Jiang Bing and Xu Sha affectionately called her "Sister Bai," treating her like family.

 

Bai Yulan enjoyed their lively, carefree personalities, her smile never fading.

 

Seeing the dishes served, Jiang Tao raised his glass and proposed:

 

"For the first toast, I suggest we all raise a glass to Sister Bai to thank her for her generous hospitality today."

 

"Absolutely, thank you, Xiao Bai, for the treat!"

 

"Thank you, Sister Bai, for your hospitality."

 

"Thanks, Aunt Bai, for treating us to this feast!"

 

"Thank you, Aunt Bai."

 

Following Jiang Tao's lead, everyone stood, raising their glasses toward Bai Yulan.

 

"It's fate that we're all gathered here today. Eat and drink well, and if there's anything unsatisfactory, please let me know," Bai Yulan said with a smile, raising her glass of red wine, circling it toward the group, and downing it in one go.

 

Seeing this, those drinking liquor followed suit, while those with soft drinks finished theirs too.

 

As the banquet officially began, Jiang Shijie, Jiang Shaojie, and the other kids didn't forget to snap photos and post them to social media.

 

They weren't about to miss such a prime opportunity to show off.

 

Xu Sha even started a livestream, giving her online followers an in-depth look at the luxurious hotel banquet.

 

Bai Yulan actively kept the conversation going with Jiang Tao, Xu Li, and their parents.

 

Her social skills clearly outshone Jiang Tao's by several levels.

 

Her ability to steer conversations and liven the atmosphere was something Jiang Tao could learn from.

 

Despite it being their first meeting and not being very familiar, Bai Yulan kept the topics flowing seamlessly, transitioning from one to the next without pause.

 

Through the lively chatter, the group grew closer.

 

The meal, starting around noon, lasted until past 2 p.m.

 

After everyone was full and satisfied, Bai Yulan personally escorted them to the entrance.

 

After some more pleasantries at the door, the group said their goodbyes and left.

 

Jiang Bing drove his parents and older brother's family of four back to Jiangjiazhuang.

 

Xu Li drove Jiang Tao and Jiang Xue to spend the afternoon at her parents' house.

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