Who would still be a social slave when they are so rich?

"squeak!"

As soon as Su Yan and his wife came out of the airport, a taxi with distinctive Beijing characteristics stopped in front of them.

Before they could react, the taxi window rolled down, and a thick Beijing accent rang out: "Hey, are you waiting for a ride, buddy? Need a taxi?"

Su Yan and Lin Xiaoyu were immediately dumbfounded. The taxi driver was wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, a jade pendant on his hand, several bracelets of different sizes on his wrist, and a hat on his head. He was smiling at them.

I thought to myself, this driver's attire is really "authentic," with a strong Beijing vibe!

After a few seconds of stunned silence, Su Yan couldn't help but tease, "Wow! Master, did you just finish filming a Qing Dynasty drama and didn't have time to change?"

Upon hearing this, the driver raised his chin smugly, the amber beads on his wrist jingling: "Dude, what are you talking about? Do I look like someone who's in a movie? I'm a genuine Manchu from the old capital. Back when my ancestors were running horse-drawn carriages in Beijing, the Second Ring Road was still all reeds!"

Lin Xiaoyu couldn't help but chuckle, thinking to herself, "Wow, my ancestors used to run horse-drawn carriages, and now they drive taxis. It seems these are all skills passed down from my ancestors."

They're all in the same profession, there's nothing wrong with that.

Lin Xiaoyu pointed to the LED screen on the roof of the car and laughed, "Then shouldn't you change the sign of your 'taxi' to 'Royal Expedition'?"

"Hey! Keep up with the times! The old-fashioned idea of ​​the emperor personally leading the troops is outdated!" The driver chuckled and patted the empty seat in the passenger seat. "Get in, gentlemen. It's quite troublesome to get a taxi around the airport."

Su Yan found the driver quite interesting, so he turned to Lin Xiaoyu to ask for her opinion. Seeing her nod slightly, he immediately replied with a smile, "Okay, driver, we're going to the north bank of Shichahai. Can you use the meter?"

Although they hadn't traveled much, they had seen many videos online showing that many taxi drivers at airports or train stations charge a fixed price, which inevitably led to them, as first-time visitors, being cheated.

I don't care about the money; what I really feel is that I've been cheated, which ruins my trip.

When the taxi driver heard that Su Yan and his group wanted to go to the north bank of Shichahai, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but his tone didn't change much. "Hey! Look at what you're saying, this is a legitimate taxi, we have to use the meter."

As the driver spoke, he quickly got out of the car and stuffed the luggage into the trunk, the bracelets on his wrists clinking together, making a crisp sound.

After getting in the car, the driver glanced at the two of them in the rearview mirror and struck up a conversation as if they were old friends, saying, "Judging from your accents, one of you is from the south and the other from the north. If I'm not mistaken, this must be your first time in the capital!"

Lin Xiaoyu nodded: "It is indeed my first time here. I didn't expect you to have such a good eye, Master!"

"Absolutely! I honed these eyesight on years of living in the hutongs." The driver proudly shook his head, the tassel on his hat trembling slightly. Then, his eyes flickered, and he casually asked, "Are you going to the north bank of Shichahai for sightseeing? If you want to stay in a hotel there, it's going to be incredibly difficult!"

As a native of Beijing, I am naturally very familiar with the Shichahai area. Tourists who come to Beijing usually visit Shichahai to take a stroll and check in.

However, people usually visit Qianhai and Houhai. If they want to go to Shichahai, they will definitely say they are going to Shichahai, not the north bank of Shichahai.

You should know that along the northern border, especially the latter half, there are not only Prince Chun's Mansion but also the former residences of various celebrities. Even if there are some houses, they are all top-class courtyard houses. The people who live there can be said to be "noble" people. Even the rich may not be qualified to live there.

Of course... if you're a "rich person" like Da Ma or Xiao Ma, you're definitely eligible, and they did indeed buy a courtyard house in Guaibang Hutong near the North Bank.

Su Yan, who was fastening her seatbelt, answered without thinking, "It's not accommodation; my brother lives there."

Upon hearing this, the driver slammed on the brakes and stalled the taxi. "Dude, you just said your brother lives on the north bank of Shichahai? I remember that area is mostly courtyard houses; there shouldn't be any hutongs like the one near the Bell Tower where you can rent a single room!"

"A single room?" Su Yan was taken aback for a moment, but quickly realized that the driver had misunderstood something. He smiled and explained, "My brother has a courtyard house on the north bank of Shichahai Lake. I think it's number 30-something. I went there once before, but I didn't notice it at the time."

The driver's bracelet clattered against the steering wheel, and his eyes widened in the rearview mirror: "Good heavens! Number 30-something on the north bank of Shichahai? That's right next to Prince Chun's Mansion! Turns out we've picked up a real Buddha today!"

He had no reason to doubt Su Yan's words. He didn't believe that Su Yan would make such a boast just to show off. Even someone like him, a native of the capital, wouldn't have such a big mouth.

Hearing the driver's exclamation, Su Yan's lips curled up slightly. This feeling of being praised, especially by an old Beijinger, was like drinking a glass of ice-cold watermelon juice on a hot summer day, refreshing from the inside out.

Although he was secretly delighted, he maintained a calm and composed demeanor on his face, gently waving his hand and saying, "That belongs to my brother. It has nothing to do with us. At most, we're just benefiting from it."

"Alright, you two, please sit down, we're off!" The driver was quite disheartened and had no desire to continue the conversation.

Actually, the taxi driver is quite a character. A few years ago, after his courtyard house was demolished, he received a large sum of money. Without hesitation, he bought several houses within the Third Ring Road and became a landlord, earning about 200,000 to 300,000 yuan in rent every year.

Logically speaking... with this income, the driver could simply relax, chat with the neighbors or the old men in the community, drink tea, or walk his birds.

But he just couldn't stay idle. After much thought, he decided to become a taxi driver, and even went to the airport to pick up passengers. He never considered whether he could make money; his main focus was on a chat app.

Especially when chatting with tourists visiting the capital for the first time, or those who have come to Beijing to pursue their dreams, he would subtly mention that he owns several properties in the capital. Hearing the passengers' genuine surprise made him feel particularly pleased.

Unexpectedly... the driver, who had been hunting geese all day, ended up getting pecked in the eye by one himself. How could he possibly be in the mood for that?

At first, the driver chatted with Su Yan casually, but when Lin Xiaoyu joined the conversation and asked about fun and delicious places in the capital, the driver seemed to regain his confidence and told Lin Xiaoyu about all the places he knew.

Especially when it comes to food, the recommendations are so precise that they specify which shops are least crowded and at what time of day, and how to enjoy the best food while spending the least amount of money.

After driving for about an hour, we finally arrived at the north bank of Shichahai.

"Hey buddy, which stop do you want to stop at?" the driver asked with a hint of inquiry in his eyes.

Su Yan quickly spotted the familiar courtyard gate through the car window and immediately pointed to the distance, saying, "Master, just stop in front of that vermilion gate!"

The driver looked in the direction Su Yan was pointing, and when he saw it clearly, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

What the heck is that vermilion gate?

He wanted to shout back at Su Yan that it wasn't called a vermilion gate, it was called a bright and spacious gate, a mansion only high-ranking officials and nobles could live in in ancient times, only one level lower in status than a prince's mansion.

With a creak!
The taxi came to a smooth stop in front of Guangliang's gate. The driver glanced at the meter on the dashboard and said, "Hey buddy, we're here. 226, just give me 220!"

Su Yan looked at the number displayed on the meter, clicked his tongue. This number was enough for him to walk around the city, but he also knew that this was the capital, so this price was normal. He quickly took out his phone to pay.

"Alright~ We're on our way, thank you for your help, driver!" With that, Su Yan and Lin Xiaoyu opened the car door and got out.

Just as I was about to get my luggage from the trunk, I heard a creak, and the previously closed, brightly lit door slowly opened, revealing several people walking out.

The one leading the group was none other than the butler, Jiang Hui, followed by two guards in suits and wearing headsets.

This scene stunned Su Yan and his wife, as well as the driver, especially the driver, who was so shocked that his mouth dropped open.

Upon seeing Su Yan standing in the trunk, Jiang Hui quickly went to greet him, bowing respectfully and saying, "Young Master Yan!"

"Uncle Jiang... there's no need to be so polite!" This address of Young Master Yan almost made Su Yan throw up his back, and he quickly helped Jiang Hui up. Once he stood up straight, Jiang Hui immediately waved to the guard behind him, and a guard immediately came forward and took the luggage out of the trunk.

"Young Master Yan, Miss Lin, please come in!" Jiang Hui stepped aside and raised her right hand in a gesture of invitation.

Su Yan didn't stand on ceremony. He led the still-dazed Lin Xiaoyu into the courtyard. As they passed the driver's seat, he smiled and nodded to the driver.

After everyone entered the courtyard, the vermilion gate slowly closed.

The loud "thud" brought the driver, who had been in a daze, back to his senses. He pinched his thigh hard, and a sharp pain shot through him.

"My goodness! This isn't just a real Buddha, it's an absolute Buddha! An English butler, bodyguards in suits, wow, this will definitely give us plenty of topics to talk about!"

After rubbing his slightly sore thigh, the driver glanced at the brightly lit door again before starting the taxi to look for the next "passenger"!
Su Yan and Lin Xiaoyu, who had entered the courtyard, followed Jiang Hui all the way to the central courtyard.

When Lin Xiaoyu saw the huge pond in the central courtyard, the lotus flowers that had already bloomed in the pond, and the koi swimming in the water, her eyes seemed to sparkle with excitement as she looked at the scene before her.

Seemingly noticing the joy in Lin Xiaoyu's eyes, Jiang Hui smiled and said to Su Yan, "Young Master Yan, would you like to stay in the east wing or the west wing this time? If it's the west wing, you can enjoy the view of the lotus pond in the courtyard from the living room. What do you think?"

Su Yan didn't care. He stayed in the west wing when he came last time, so he knew that the view was the best, but it was too quiet. The east wing, on the other hand, was more lively.

Just as he was thinking of letting Steward Jiang handle the arrangements, he saw Lin Xiaoyu looking at him with expectant eyes, constantly gesturing towards the west wing.

Seeing this, Su Yan immediately understood what she meant. He smiled and ruffled Lin Xiaoyu's hair, then replied to Jiang Hui beside him, "Uncle Jiang, let's stay in the west wing. We stayed there last time, so it'll be more familiar!"

Jiang Hui smiled upon hearing this, but didn't say anything more. He nodded and had the guards take the luggage over. Then he bowed slightly and said, "Young Master Yan, you are familiar with the courtyard, so I won't take you and Miss Lin to the west wing. Just call me if you need anything."

"Also... if you and Miss Lin need a car when you go out, you can just take Mr. Su's car, any car except that Hongqi will do!"

"Understood, Uncle Jiang! I'll come to you if I need anything!" Su Yan naturally understood the meaning behind Jiang Hui's words. Some things had to be said in advance to avoid any misunderstandings later.

Jiang Hui bowed slightly, then turned and walked towards the front yard.

As soon as Jiang Hui's figure disappeared through the hanging flower gate, Lin Xiaoyu could no longer contain her joy. She immediately ran to the edge of the pond, looked at the brightly colored koi in the water, took out her phone and started snapping pictures, muttering, "Wow~ this koi is so fat, it looks like a pig!"

Su Yan leaned against the pillar, watching Lin Xiaoyu's delighted expression, and a happy smile involuntarily appeared on his lips.

……

evening!

Zhengdao Park, private dining rooms!
Su Chen was hosting a welcome dinner for the entire elite team that Old Chen had recruited, and he specially asked Xiao Peng to arrange for the canteen kitchen to prepare some elaborate dishes.

"Let me say something!" Su Chen stood up, holding a small wine glass. The once lively private room instantly fell silent as everyone raised their glasses and stood up, their eyes fixed on Su Chen, waiting for his next words.

"Welcome everyone to the Zhengdao Park. Once everyone is in place, the first project will officially begin. That will be your chance to shine. I hope you will all complete this project successfully!"

"I'd like to raise a glass to everyone here, wishing the project a successful completion!" Su Chen said, then tilted his head back and drank the wine in his glass in one gulp.

A chorus of clinking glasses filled the private room as everyone raised their glasses in response. Yang Ming, the team's key figure, blushed with excitement: "President Su, rest assured, I will absolutely not let you down!"

After a few rounds of drinks, Su Chen didn't stay in the private room any longer. After all, he made everyone feel a bit uncomfortable there. He casually made up an excuse and called Old Man Chen to leave the private room.

As for Xiao Peng and Chen Fei, he kept them behind to properly entertain Yang Ming and his group.

"Young Su, why did you call this old man out? I'm not even full yet," Old Man Chen muttered, leaning against the wall with a dissatisfied look on his face.

He was just about to serve himself a bowl of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall when Su Chen pulled him out.

Su Chen's lips twitched slightly as he looked at Old Man Chen's round belly, wondering if he was really hungry or just pretending.

He shook his head helplessly and said, "To make a long story short, I called you out because there are some things I need to tell you."

Upon hearing this, Old Man Chen's expression turned serious.

"I'm going back to the capital first thing tomorrow morning. It's Grandpa Xiao's birthday in a couple of days. Although there won't be any special celebrations, a family banquet is inevitable. Plus, my younger brother is coming to the capital, and I'll have to accompany him to propose marriage. So I probably won't be able to come to Zhengdao anytime soon."

"In addition, Professor Wu and Ji Wenbo are not currently in Zhengdao, so the heavy responsibility here in the park falls on your and Xiao Peng's shoulders. You may have to put in a lot of effort recently."

Old Chen nodded after hearing this. "Don't worry, each project has its own person in charge. Even Xiaxin International has people managing it, so there won't be any problems. You should get down to business!"

He's not stupid; how could he not know that what Su Chen just said was only the prelude, and the main event was yet to come?

"Hehe~" Su Chen chuckled softly before continuing, "Actually, it's nothing major. The experimental factory can use the existing facilities in the park for now, but... the airport needed for the Baidi project will require your help in planning it out."

Upon hearing this, Old Man Chen immediately rolled his eyes at Su Chen. Planning? What a load of rubbish! He just wanted him to continue to leverage his connections and get a copy of the existing planning map, and he even beat around the bush.

Old Chen nodded helplessly, "Alright~ I'll take care of this part, but as for the construction, if we want it to be completed in the short term, then we can only rely on you!"

Su Chen naturally understood what Old Man Chen meant; it was simply like when those factories were built, with the official professional construction team on site.

"Once you provide the planning drawings, I will arrange for the construction team to move in immediately. Also..."

Su Chen paused, thought about it seriously for a moment, and then continued, "You can find an opportunity to talk to Yang Ming about the military industry. As for the Baidi project... you can also mention it subtly to arouse his curiosity."

Old Chen didn't respond verbally, but simply nodded heavily to indicate that he understood.

After discussing some recent developments in the park with Old Man Chen, Su Chen smiled and joked, "That's about it. Go back inside and continue eating. I'll head back to my room now."

After saying that, he disappeared from Old Man Chen's sight in the blink of an eye.

Old Chen shook his head with a wry smile. "This kid just knows how to bully an old man like me. I should have taken an extra can of tea from his office this afternoon."

Thinking of the two cans of top-grade tea in his room, a smile immediately appeared on Old Chen's face. "I ate quite a bit of greasy food tonight, how about we go back and brew some tea to cleanse our palates?"

Old Chen made a decision quickly. He glanced at the private room and could still vaguely hear the lively sounds coming from inside. He then hummed a cheerful tune and walked towards his room.

(End of Chapter)