YM778.TV Chapter 510: Incidents in Hengdian (2)
The entire room had a bit of an 80s Hong Kong-style vibe, which was quite refreshing. The ground floor featured a large living room with a leisure area. Upon reaching the second floor, they found only one room, a spacious bathroom, and a balcony with two lounge chairs. Zhou Chao glanced around and nodded in satisfaction.
Seeing Jiang Li exploring the room with a smile, Zhou Chao knew she was pleased as well. He turned to the landlady and said, “We’ll take this room. How much is it? I’ll transfer the payment directly to you.”
“Well, young man, you know that accommodations here are in high demand, especially during the peak tourist season. So, this independent courtyard room costs 600 yuan per day. We also include breakfast, and you can let us know your preferences,” the landlady said, a bit nervously, while glancing at Zhou Chao. After all, this price was considered quite high in Hengdian.
Listening to the landlady’s explanation and expecting a higher price, Zhou Chao smiled and said, “That price is reasonable, considering the demand. I’m not sure how many days we’ll stay, so I’ll transfer you 3,000 yuan now. When we check out, we can settle any difference if necessary, alright?”
“Sure, no problem!” The landlady’s face lit up with a smile. It seemed she was an honest person.
Zhou Chao didn’t hesitate and quickly transferred the money to the landlady via his phone. Since they would need to register their IDs upon check-in, he let Jiang Li rest in the room for a while and headed to the front desk with the landlady.
After completing the check-in process, he returned to the car to retrieve their luggage.
As he walked into the courtyard, he saw Jiang Li sitting on the swing. “Be careful!” he warned.
“I know, aren’t you going to find the person in charge? If you’re late, they might already be off work.”
Hearing this, Zhou Chao glanced at the time and realized it was already three o’clock. If he delayed any longer, the person in charge might indeed have left early. After all, leaving work early as a manager was quite common.
“No worries. If they’re not there, I’ll just give them a call. If they’re still in the office, I’ll have them report on the situation in Hengdian,” Zhou Chao said, placing their luggage in the living room.
“You’re quite something,” Jiang Li teased.
“You little rascal, making fun of your husband. Just wait and see how I’ll get back at you!” Zhou Chao playfully threatened. He approached Jiang Li and started tickling her in a ticklish spot, causing her to giggle uncontrollably.
“Okay, okay, I give up! I laughed so much my stomach hurts,” Jiang Li said, trying to catch her breath.
Hearing her words, Zhou Chao immediately stopped. He looked at Jiang Li with concern and placed a hand on her slightly protruding belly. “Are you okay?” he asked.
Seeing Zhou Chao’s worried expression, Jiang Li burst into laughter again. Zhou Chao finally realized he had been tricked by her but decided not to scold her. After all, he couldn’t risk anything happening to her.
“Alright, I’ll be going to the office now. Wait for me!”
Zhou Chao kissed Jiang Li on the forehead and then went outside. He had already asked the landlady about the location of the Hengdian Film and Television City’s office during their conversation, and it was not far from where they were staying, just a few minutes’ drive.
Leaving the homestay, he drove straight to Wansheng Road, where the Hengdian Film and Television City’s office was located.
As he arrived at the distinctive three-story standalone building, he confidently walked inside. However, he was immediately stopped by the receptionist at the front desk.
Looking at Zhou Chao’s handsome face, the receptionist flashed her most charming smile and asked, “Hello, sir. May I ask who you’re looking for?” “Is Shang Xiaoqing here?” Zhou Chao directly inquired about the presence of the person in charge.
Hearing the name Shang Xiaoqing, the receptionist was momentarily taken aback. This was the name of their own chairman. This young and handsome man couldn’t possibly be their chairman… The receptionist was shocked, and the matter at hand was no longer something a front desk staff member could handle. She hurriedly asked, “Do you have an appointment, sir?”
“No, you can just call her for me and tell her it’s Zhou Chao looking for her,”
“Mr. Zhou, please have a seat here for a moment. I’ll report to the upper management.”
Zhou Chao nodded and took a seat in a nearby chair. As for why he didn’t personally call Shang Xiaoqing, it wasn’t because he didn’t have her phone number. On the contrary, all the relevant information had been recorded during check-in. He simply didn’t feel like making the call, as the result would be the same either way.
While he sat waiting for Shang Xiaoqing’s response, the receptionist unexpectedly delivered a blow to his expectations.
“Mr. Zhou, I just contacted Mr. Chen, the secretary from the General Manager’s office, and he said he doesn’t know you. I’m sorry, but I cannot allow you to go inside.” Although the receptionist suspected that there was something unusual between the two of them, she had no choice but to follow the company’s rules. She couldn’t afford to risk her job.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Chao couldn’t help but laugh. However, he also understood the situation. As Shang Xiaoqing’s secretary, Mr. Chen was considered a semi-high-ranking staff member and played a significant role within the company. It was natural for him not to recognize Zhou Chao’s name, as they belonged to different levels. The company’s strict confidentiality policy was no joke. What surprised him, though, was that Mr. Chen hadn’t informed Shang Xiaoqing about his arrival.