"Oh? What's going on?" Upon hearing that it was related to Ning Qiaoqian, Brother Dao's interest was piqued, and he couldn't help but ask.
Chen Yang said without changing his expression:
"Sister Qian has a good friend, a college student who also works at our bar. The school's calligraphy and painting club organized a field trip to Pingdan Island, and the club president has a thing for her, constantly pestering her. The girl is a bit overwhelmed and originally wanted to bring Sister Qian along, but you know Sister Qian is the bar's top bartender, she can't get away, so she sent me to be her protector..."
As Chen Yang spoke, he felt somewhat shameless, but he really had to use Ning Qiaoqian as a shield in this matter. Otherwise, if Brother Dao saw him with Su He, he would definitely be suspicious. You see, in Brother Dao's eyes, he was Ning Kuncheng's prospective son-in-law; if he came to Pingdan Island with another girl, it would definitely seem extremely abnormal to him. Upon hearing this, Brother Dao smiled knowingly, patted Chen Yang on the shoulder, and said,
"Kid, you absolutely must complete the task Miss gave you!"
"Just think of it as a vacation to relax!" Chen Yang said nonchalantly.
"Haha, you're right! Since you're here, have fun! Being on Brother Kun's turf is like coming home! Brother Dao will treat you to a barbecue at the beach later!" Brother Dao was quite bored on Pyeongdan Island, and his chance encounter with Chen Yang made him very happy.
Chen Yang smiled and said,
"Okay!"
…
In a standard double room on the eighth floor of the hotel, Fang Jing chattered excitedly, while Su He was somewhat absent-minded, sitting on the edge of the bed playing with the iPhone 4s that Chen Yang had given her for her birthday, stroking the couple's keychain on the phone. She couldn't help but think of Chen Yang's handsome face with a slightly mischievous smile, and a touch of tenderness welled up in Su He's heart. "Suhe, why haven't you changed your clothes yet?" Fang Jing asked in a flustered manner, casually taking off her t-shirt. There were only the two of them in the room; they were best friends and had changed clothes in public many times in their dorm, so there was nothing awkward about it.
"What are you changing into?" Suhe asked, somewhat puzzled.
"A swimsuit!" Fang Jing boldly unhooked her bra, rummaging through her bag and pulling out a fluorescent green bikini. As she put it on, she said, "Senior Shentu is treating everyone to barbecue tonight, and I heard it's a private party! Senior Shentu has such a big reputation..."
As she spoke, Fang Jing's expression turned infatuated. Suhe quickly interrupted her, laughing and crying at the same time, asking:
"Hey, hey, hey! Why are you changing into a swimsuit for barbecue? Have you lost your mind?"
Fang Jing pouted and said: "You know what a beach barbecue is, right? After eating, everyone's definitely going to the beach to swim! If we don't change into our swimsuits now, what if we can't find a place to change when we get there? I was even thinking of having Senior Shen Tu teach me to swim..."
Su He quickly interrupted,
"Alright, alright, hurry up and change! You're getting off-topic!"
Fang Jing, who once won second place in the college's 200-meter breaststroke, actually said in a spoiled tone that she wanted "Senior Shen Tu" to teach her to swim... How could she even say that!
I really don't understand what's so great about Shen Tu Fan? In terms of looks, that pretty boy was nowhere near as manly as Chen Yang; in terms of talent, Chen Yang's calligraphy and painting skills were so exceptional that even Master Bai Yan took him on as a personal disciple, while Shen Tu Fan's skills were utterly rudimentary compared to Chen Yang's; in terms of wealth, even if Shen Tu Fan's family had some money, it was all earned by his parents, and he had no connection to it whatsoever, while Chen Yang, through his own efforts, lived in a villa, drove luxury cars, had millions in savings, and was about to start his own company.
In short, in Su He's eyes, Chen Yang was perfect; no matter how good others were, Su He wouldn't even bat an eye.
"Aren't you going to change? How are you going to get in the water?" Fang Jing asked casually while admiring her graceful figure in the mirror.
Su He felt a slight pang of impatience, but still patiently said,
"I...I got my period, so I won't be swimming later."
"Oh...that's a shame!" Fang Jing, hearing this, didn't press further and put on a t-shirt and casual pants over her swimsuit.
...
About 200 meters north of the Qiankun Grand Hotel, there is a large, beautiful beach. When the Qiankun Group acquired this land, it included this beach. After the resort was built, this beach was fenced off, becoming the resort's private beach, accessible only to guests who have paid for stays.
There is an area on the beach specifically for guests to barbecue. The resort provides barbecue grills and selected charcoal, and there is also a service area selling various barbecue ingredients. Guests can rent barbecue grills for a small fee.
On one side of the service area, there are also wooden stilted buildings with openwork facades on all four sides, where guests can barbecue and enjoy entertainment while also having a panoramic view of the nearby sea. Fang Jing's so-called "booking out" actually meant renting out a rather large stilted building. The calligraphy and painting society members, numbering forty or fifty, sat inside, feeling somewhat cramped. Su He sat in an inconspicuous corner, not particularly interested, her mind preoccupied with when Chen Yang would come to find her. Fang Jing's attention, however, remained fixed on Shen Tu Fan.
Inside, there were five barbecue grills, and a large table at the far end. Hu Qing directed the waiters as they brought out the ordered barbecue ingredients, beer, and drinks in a steady stream, arranging them neatly on the table. He then addressed the group:
"Classmates! President Shen Tu specially booked this entire area so everyone can have a great time! Eat and drink well! Qiankun Resort is incredibly popular right now; you might not even be able to book such a large space a month in advance. It's all thanks to President Shen Tu's influence; otherwise, you'd be barbecuing on the beach like those other tourists!"
"President Shen Tu is amazing! He even knows people at Qiankun Resort!"
"Of course! Don't you know who his uncle is? Director Shen Tu must have a wide network!"
"Yeah! Yeah! I heard the resort has a very strong background; President Shen Tu is really capable!"
The majority of the calligraphy and painting club members were art students, and naturally, they showered Shen Tu Fan, the nephew of the department's deputy director, with praise. Shen Tu Fan wore a reserved expression, but the smugness in his eyes was impossible to hide. He feigned modesty, saying,
"It's not as exaggerated as everyone says! It's just that a friend of mine happens to be in management at Qiankun Group..."
Shen Tu Fan was quite shameless. Actually, Hu Qing had arranged everything, but since Hu Qing had so thoughtfully pushed Shen Tu Fan forward, he naturally wouldn't miss the opportunity to show off his influence in front of Su He.
Hu Qing immediately exclaimed dramatically, "Qiankun Group? President, you mean Qiankun Group in Xiamen? Oh my! That's an internationally renowned listed company! Qiankun Resort is just a small project under Qiankun Group. No wonder! President, your friend is a senior executive at Qiankun Group; arranging such a small matter is naturally a piece of cake!"
Qiankun Group was a well-known name, and although everyone present was a student, they all knew about it. Therefore, after hearing Shen Tu Fan's words, their gazes towards him changed, filled with deep admiration.
In this society, people with "connections" are always more likely to gain respect, because "connections" are the most useful tool when getting things done, more effective than any rules or regulations.
Fang Jing also stared at Shen Tu Fan with her large, bright eyes, her tender gaze seemingly capable of melting anyone's heart.
At this moment, someone pointed to a secluded section of beach next to the stilted houses and asked:
"Hey? The environment over there seems even better! President, do you know what that beach is for?"
Everyone looked in the direction the student was pointing. Sure enough, as he said, there was a secluded area where no one could be seen, but it was obvious that the sand there was white and fine, making one want to walk barefoot on it and feel the soft sand seeping between their toes. Moreover, the buildings there were all open-plan sunrooms, allowing a clear view of the luxurious interiors, far superior to the wooden stilted houses on this side.
Shen Tu Fan hesitated for a moment, his eyes darting around, before Hu Qing quickly stepped forward and said,
"Classmates! I know this. I heard that area isn't usually open to the public; it's only accessible to guests with the resort's Diamond VIP card. The resort hasn't been open long, and the number of Diamond cards issued can practically be counted on two hands, so that area is mostly idle."
As he spoke, Hu Qing also showed a hint of envy. His uncle was the resort's general manager, so Hu Qing was quite familiar with the resort's situation. The place that classmate had just pointed to was the high-end sanatorium area designated by the Qiankun Group; unless it was an extremely distinguished guest, even his uncle couldn't use it.
Shen Tu Fan, seizing the opportunity, said:
"Yeah! I even mentioned to my friend that I wanted to book the whole place, but they said the company rules are really strict; only diamond members are eligible. Otherwise, they'd just give us the area. Hehe, big companies like that! Their rules are very strict. So, we'll just have to make do!"
"President, please don't say that. Being able to book such a large space is already a huge favor!"
"Yeah! If we came on our own, we probably wouldn't even be able to rent a barbecue grill, let alone book the entire venue!"
"Book a barbecue grill? I bet you can't even get into a resort!"
The students immediately started showering him with flattery, but when they looked at the quiet beach in the distance, their eyes were filled with deep envy. It's not that they didn't know the value, it's that they didn't compare. Compared to the other place, this stilted house seemed incredibly shabby, but none of them were foolish enough to say it aloud, lest they offend Shen Tu Fan for no reason. Hu Qing stepped in to smooth things over, saying:
"Everyone, don't just stand there! This is a self-service barbecue, don't expect anyone to serve you. Help yourselves! Let's split into groups and get started!"
After saying that, Hu Qing glanced at Shen Tu Fan, and the two exchanged a look. Hu Qing then walked over to Su He and Su He with a grin, saying as he went:
"Fang Jing, Su He, why don't you join our group? President Shen Tu specially arranged for the resort to send a top-notch chef; his barbecue skills are first-rate!"