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

"Brother Yao, I'm back in the city. Where are you? I'll come find you directly." Su Chen called Chen Yao as soon as he returned to Bingcheng.

Chen Yao's complaining voice immediately came from the other end of the phone: "Hey Lao Su, could you be any later? It's already 1 p.m., are you trying to starve your buddy to death?! You don't need to come looking for me, just go to Beishidao in Daowai District, I'll call you when I get there."

After saying that, Chen Yao hung up the phone without giving Su Chen a chance to speak, leaving Su Chen somewhat confused. It turned out that even though he rushed back without stopping, he was still late.
Well… although they did linger at the Volga Manor for a while, there was a reason for that.

The Volga Manor is so large that even for the two young men, Su Chen and Chen Fei, it took them nearly forty minutes to reach the manor's exit by bicycle.

In addition, the return journey will take another forty or fifty minutes. This is only because Su Chen and his group rushed along the way. If they had been delayed any longer, they might not have even entered the city yet.

"This guy is really something..." Su Chen shook his head with a smile, then said to Chen Fei, who was driving, "Go to that place in Daowai District called North Tenth Road!"

"Okay, sir!" Chen Fei nodded and quickly set the navigation to the location Su Chen had indicated. The car smoothly merged into the traffic and headed towards Daowai District.

Su Chen leaned back in his chair, watching the cityscape of Harbin rush past outside the window, while pondering why Chen Yao had chosen to have dinner on North Tenth Road.

If he remembered correctly, the area consisted of old buildings. There were no upscale private restaurants, but there were plenty of hole-in-the-wall eateries. He remembered that when he first came to Harbin, he ate stewed in an iron pot here, so he was naturally familiar with the Daowai District.

After driving for about ten minutes, the car entered North Tenth Street, and the surrounding buildings gradually turned into old-fashioned buildings several stories high, their dilapidated exteriors constantly displaying their rich historical atmosphere.

Just as Su Chen parked his car in a temporary parking space on the side of the road, his phone rang again. It was Chen Yao calling.

"Where is he? Why hasn't he arrived yet?" As soon as the call connected, Chen Yao's impatient voice came through the phone.

Just as Su Chen was about to respond, Chen Fei nudged his arm and pointed to a spot not far ahead. Su Chen immediately looked in the direction Chen Fei was pointing and saw Chen Yao leaning against a Hongqi car, looking around as if searching for Su Chen.

Seeing this, Su Chen couldn't help but chuckle, "I've arrived. Look to your left!"

As he spoke, Su Chen opened the car door and got out, just in time to meet Chen Yao's gaze as he turned around.

Chen Yao complained on the phone, then hung up and strode over. As soon as he got close, he gave Su Chen a slap on the chest. "Damn it, if you had come any slower, I would have starved to death. You know, I haven't even had breakfast yet, and I'm already thinking about this meal!"

"Alright, alright, I'm here now. Order whatever you want to eat, is that alright?" Su Chen noticed that Chen Yao's spirits were a little low, so he knew that what he said was true.

"But... on another note, why did you decide to come to Beishidao? If I remember correctly, this area is full of hole-in-the-wall restaurants and roadside eateries!" Su Chen looked at Chen Yao with a meaningful expression, wanting to see why this young master from the capital would think of eating in such a place.

If you said Chen Yao came here on his own, Su Chen would never believe it, no matter what. After all, he's a young master from the capital, and it's fine for him to eat at roadside stalls occasionally. But if he actively recommended coming here, then there's a lot more to it than meets the eye.

For Chen Yao to become a repeat customer, it must be because someone brought him here and left him with many memories. Otherwise, even if Chen Yao invited him to dinner, he wouldn't come here. Wouldn't it be better to go to a private restaurant or a five-star hotel?
As expected, Chen Yao's eyes flickered slightly when faced with Su Chen's scrutinizing gaze, but he quickly hid it and glanced at Su Chen with a speechless expression. "What's there to be curious about? I've eaten here a few times with my colleagues from the research institute before. The taste is pretty good. It's a popular flavor in Harbin, so I thought I'd bring you to try it!"

Then he changed the subject: "Let's go, my stomach is growling!" He nodded at Su Chen, gesturing for Su Chen and the others to follow him.

A smile appeared on Su Chen's face. He didn't press for details, knowing that this situation existed was enough. Sooner or later, the mystery would be revealed on its own.

Su Chen and his companion followed Chen Yao through a maze of turns and soon arrived at a restaurant at the entrance of an alley. Looking at the red storefront, they softly read, "Cui's Roast Chicken Restaurant!"

Although it was already past 1 p.m., the restaurant was doing exceptionally well. There were about six or seven tables set up at the entrance, and diners were busy eating at each table.

The enticing aroma of the chicken made Su Chen swallow hard. He hadn't eaten all morning, just like Chen Yao, and the smell instantly triggered a wave of hunger.

Seeing Su Chen's reaction, Chen Yao raised an eyebrow with a smug look on his face. "How about that? I wasn't lying to you, was I? This fragrance is irresistible!"

As he spoke, he walked into the store with practiced ease and called out to a middle-aged woman at the cashier who was busy calculating accounts: "Sister Yu! Same as always, one roast chicken, extra hazelnut mushrooms, and a few of our signature dishes. You can decide what to bring!"

The proprietress, who was called Sister Yu, immediately looked up when she heard someone call her. When she saw that it was Chen Yao, she immediately smiled and replied, "Coming, brother. I've saved you a seat. You can bring your own people!"

"Okay, you go ahead and get busy!" Chen Yao replied with a smile, then gave Su Chen a look and walked into the store. Su Chen immediately followed.

The restaurant wasn't very big, with only about ten tables, but it was bustling with people and filled with the rich aroma of food, making it a truly lively and welcoming place.

The walls are slightly yellowed from the years, with faded menus and dozens of old photos pasted on them. The environment isn't particularly nice, but it feels exceptionally warm and welcoming.

Su Chen originally thought they could just find a table to sit at in the restaurant lobby, but Chen Yao led him directly to a private room. Although the room wasn't very big, as soon as the door closed, ninety percent of the noise outside disappeared!
"Wow, Brother Yao, you've even arranged a private room for a hole-in-the-wall restaurant!" Su Chen joked with a smile.

Although the private room was small, it was exceptionally clean, and the walls looked as if they had been specially repainted. Compared to the outside environment, it felt out of place.

"It's just that I've come here so many times and have gotten along quite well with the proprietress, so she's been giving me special treatment as a regular customer!" Chen Yao laughed it off, not giving a completely honest answer.

"Let me tell you, Old Su's roast chicken is the best in Harbin. Countless people come here specifically to try it, and sometimes you have to wait in line for several hours!"

"This roast chicken is first braised and then smoked, using a rich, aged broth. The meat is so tender it falls off the bone and is incredibly flavorful! Especially the skin—oh my gosh! It's so soft, fragrant, and not greasy at all. Paired with their secret-recipe chili oil and minced garlic, the taste is so amazing, one bite and all your worries disappear!"

"Is it really as delicious as you say? If it's not delicious, you'll have to compensate me for one... no, three meals!" Although Su Chen had smelled the aroma outside, the aroma and the taste were different. Some dishes may smell good, but they may not taste good. You have to try them to know.

"Don't worry, I guarantee it'll be delicious! Think about it? If even I, Chen Yao, recommend it, how could it not be delicious?" Chen Yao patted his chest confidently, then gave a thumbs-up with his right hand.

Just then, the door to the private room opened, and the proprietress walked in carrying a large tray. A plate of steaming roast chicken appeared in front of Su Chen and his companions. The aroma of the chicken and hazel mushrooms blended together, making their mouths water. "Brothers, you can eat first. The other dishes will be ready soon!" The proprietress, Sister Yu, said to Chen Yao with a smile before turning and leaving the private room.

"Eat quickly, don't just stand there, it won't taste good if it gets cold!" Chen Yao took three pairs of disposable chopsticks, gave one pair to Su Chen and one to Chen Fei, and then began to eat heartily.

Su Chen didn't stand on ceremony. He reached out his chopsticks to one of the chicken legs, and taking a bite of the plump and fragrant chicken leg.

"Mmm~ This roast chicken is really good!" Su Chen's eyes lit up, and he quickened his pace, devouring a large chicken leg in just a few bites.

The chicken was indeed as tender and fall-off-the-bone as Chen Yao had described; the meat separated from the bone with the slightest touch of the tongue. Su Chen picked up another piece of chicken from the back with his chopsticks, but this time he didn't rush to eat it. Instead, he dipped it in the restaurant's special chili oil before putting it in his mouth.

In an instant, the complex flavors of the seasonings, the unique aroma of smoke, the natural sweetness of the chicken, and the spiciness of the garlic and chili exploded in my mouth. If I could give the chicken leg a score of 75 before, now it would be at least 85.

It can be said that this dipping sauce adds a lot of flavor to the roast chicken.

"It's really delicious! It seems I was too superficial this time!" Su Chen praised sincerely. When he looked at the plate of roast chicken on the table again, nearly half of it had been eaten. Chen Yao and Chen Fei were focused on eating and were not listening to Su Chen's praise.

Seeing this, Su Chen glanced at the two of them speechlessly, then decisively joined the group of people who were just eating, and began to eat attentively with his head down.

There was nothing he could do; his stomach had been growling for a while.

As if timed perfectly, just as Su Chen and his two companions finished their roast chicken and hazel mushrooms, the proprietress, Sister Yu, came in with a large platter of four or five dishes, all Northeastern specialties, such as sweet and sour pork and braised pork slices.

"Brother, enjoy your meal. If you need anything, just call me!" Without waiting for Chen Yao's reply, the proprietress carried the large tray out of the private room, and this time she thoughtfully closed the door behind her.

"This proprietress, despite her fiery demeanor, is actually quite nice!" Chen Yao mumbled, his mouth full of sweet and sour pork, and then picked up another piece for Su Chen. "Try this, their sweet and sour pork is also a signature dish, the old-fashioned sweet and sour sauce, not the ketchup kind!"

Su Chen picked it up and took a bite. It was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with the sweet and sour sauce bringing out the aroma of the meat perfectly. It was indeed much tastier than what he had eaten before.

The three of them had been hungry for a while, and they ate with gusto, quickly devouring most of the dishes. As their hunger subsided, their eating speed naturally slowed down.

Su Chen picked up the tea beside him, took a sip, and looked at Chen Yao, who was wiping his mouth as he was about to finish eating. He asked, "You said on the phone earlier that Grandpa Xiao asked you to bring me a gift. What is it that's so mysterious?"

"Here you go!" Upon hearing this, Chen Yao immediately reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a palm-sized, cell phone-like object, which he then handed directly to Su Chen.

"Hmm? This is the gift that Grandpa Xiao asked you to bring?" Su Chen recognized it at a glance as the exact same encrypted device that Chen Yao used on that mysterious island in Hawaii.

He took it and examined it carefully. It was quite heavy, about the weight of two mobile phones. The matte black casing exuded a cold, hard technological feel. Su Chen looked at Chen Yao with a somewhat excited expression: "An encrypted communicator? Could it be the same one you used before, equipped with the Beidou encryption system, allowing you to apply for access to Beidou satellites anytime, anywhere?"

“Hmm~ That’s right! With your permissions, you can use it anytime.” Chen Yao nodded, his eyes full of envy. You should know that Su Chen was holding a communicator with level one encryption, a level that was comparable to, or even surpassed, his teacher’s.

After all, even his teacher needs to apply in advance to use the encrypted channel, unlike Su Chen who can use it directly without any application.

"Oh right, you should bind the encrypted communicator to the authentication first, so that even if someone gets it, it won't be of any use!" Chen Yao suddenly remembered, patted his head, and realized he had almost forgotten such an important thing.

Pointing to an inconspicuous groove on the side of the device in Su Chen's hand, he said, "It's dual authentication with fingerprint and iris recognition. Just follow the prompts after powering it on; it's very simple!"

Following Chen Yao's instructions, Su Chen first turned on the communicator and operated it according to the prompts. Then, a blue light swept across Su Chen's pupils, accompanied by a soft "authentication successful" prompt. The screen interface stabilized and presented a simple yet technologically advanced menu.

Surprisingly, Su Chen also found several sets of numbers in the address book above, with thoughtful notes. These were the encrypted contact numbers of Grandpa Xiao, Grandpa Jiang, and a few others.

"Old Su, are you secretly researching something amazing behind your brothers' backs?" Just as Su Chen was still engrossed in his new toy, Chen Yao suddenly approached Su Chen, put his arm around his shoulder, and asked in a low voice.

Su Chen raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why did you suddenly think of asking this question?"

"When Grandpa Xiao gave this thing to me, he asked me to tell you to call him in advance to report when testing some 'special' projects!" Chen Yao explained in a low voice, but the look of inquiry in his eyes deepened.

Su Chen knew that if he didn't give Chen Yao a heads-up today, the guy would probably keep bothering him. After thinking for a moment, Su Chen covered his mouth with his hand and whispered, "It's nothing much, just that we've set up a military industrial enterprise and are preparing to research things like drones."

Chen Yao was instantly stunned. He knew that Su Chen's companies, especially in high-precision machine tools and various composite materials, were in a class of their own.

If Su Chen had advanced weapon technology, he could manufacture it in a short time, and even achieve mass production.

With Su Chen's financial resources and influence abroad, acquiring weapons technology would be a piece of cake. This means that Su Chen's newly established military industrial enterprise will grow rapidly in a short period of time, and he might even have a place in the future global weapons market.

Chen Yao finally understood what Old Master Xiao had said earlier. If they didn't keep an eye on things, who knew how far Su Chen would go?

Seeing Chen Yao's expressions of confusion and nodding, Su Chen knew that the guy was filling in the blanks in his mind. When he saw the "I see" look on Chen Yao's face at the end, Su Chen knew that the guy had successfully filled in the blanks in his mind, saving him the trouble of explaining.

He casually picked up his teacup, took a sip, and changed the subject, saying, "Brother Yao, when you were having dinner with Brother Chen before, did he mention anything about the southern seas?"

Ever since returning from Hawaii, this matter has weighed heavily on Su Chen's mind.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yao immediately put aside his military business, and his expression became more serious. (End of Chapter)