Chapter 46

The next day, the Chen family was all prepared, and the four of them flew to Yanjing with Li Mang. Whether by chance or design, Li Mang and Chen Zishan ended up sitting together, but the two of them didn't speak a word until the plane was about to land.

"Can we still keep in touch in the future?" Chen Zishan, her face flushed, mustered the courage to ask. Heroes love beauties, and beauties, in turn, often have a fondness for heroes. Li Mang had saved her and the entire Chen family, and his heroic demeanor left a deep impression on her, causing her to secretly develop feelings for him.

Li Mang turned his gaze from the window. Preoccupied with his own thoughts, he didn't notice the unusual behavior of the female CEO beside him. He answered formally, "From now on, I will be the direct supervisor of your Chen family. If there are any unsolvable problems within the next hundred years, you can report them to me. But remember, you must act within the bounds of secular law; otherwise, we will not intervene. This is the bottom line."

"Oh!" Chen Zishan was somewhat disappointed, but deep down, she felt a sense of relief. If they could still keep in touch, at least their connection hadn't come to an end, right?

Li Mang, of course, was unaware of Chen Zishan's thoughts. After safely delivering the Chen family to their new home, he left alone. Yanjing, where he had lived for four or five years, was not unfamiliar to him, especially the university area, which he knew like the back of his hand.

This time off, Li Mang had no grand purpose; he simply wanted to relax. Being cooped up in the Yanhuang compound for so long could drive anyone crazy, and the previous occupant was a prime example. Although Li Mang wasn't to that point, he still felt a sense of oppression and needed to release it appropriately.

Looking at the familiar ancient city, Li Mang shed all his burdens. He then took out his phone and dialed a number he hadn't contacted in a long time.

"Hello, this is Ge Xuelin. Who is this?" The voice on the other end of the line was formal and polite.

"Hey, stop pretending!" Li Mang couldn't help but laugh. Ge Xuelin was his roommate at Yanjing University, who appeared formal on the surface but was actually quite lewd. Hearing his formal voice and recalling his antics in the dorm, Li Mang found it hilarious.

"… Python?" The other side was clearly taken aback, then completely dropped the formal tone and said, "Everyone thought you were gone. Your phone was unreachable, and you didn't show up on QQ. You've been silent for over half a year!"

Since joining Yanhuang, Li Mang could contact the outside world, but he was under surveillance and had to use Yanhuang's phone. To avoid causing trouble for others, he only kept in touch with his family and no one else, which led to his friends like Ge Xuelin worrying for a long time.

Although the phone call was filled with complaints, it was clear that the other person was tense and excited, which warmed Li Mang's heart. However, he didn't linger on pleasantries and asked directly, "Do you have time? Let's meet up."

"Now?" Ge Xuelin seemed hesitant but didn't wait for Li Mang to speak before asking, "Where? I'll come right away."

"… The old place. Or you can come after work," Li Mang knew that Ge Xuelin worked at a private company. Although he had more freedom, the company was still like a Yanhuang compound in its own way. There was no real freedom in the working world.

"No problem, I'll come right away." Ge Xuelin hung up without further ado. It was almost quitting time, and he didn't have much work to do. He could probably get leave from his boss, but he wasn't very confident, so he had hesitated.

Li Mang smiled wryly and then called the other two roommates, Xiao Yangzhou and Yu Gaoyang. He hadn't seen them for over a year and missed these old classmates. Being able to meet up, chat, and catch up would help him relax.

The "old place" Li Mang referred to was a small restaurant near Yanjing University. None of the four of them came from wealthy families, so they couldn't afford to eat at high-end places. A small restaurant in a nearby alley became their regular gathering spot, called Fulu Renjia.

It was a small restaurant, but the decor was nice, complementing the elegance of old Yanjing. Despite its size, the restaurant felt spacious and clean, making it a comfortable place to be.

However, it wasn't yet mealtime, and the entire Fulu Renjia was empty, with only a young waitress sitting idly on a chair and a sixty-something man in a Zhongshan suit quietly sitting behind the bar, his face expressionless. Li Mang was very familiar with this scene, but after a year apart, it felt like he had returned to a place from his memories.

"Welcome… Li Mang?" The waitress's usual greeting turned into a surprised exclamation, her face lighting up with a smile, revealing two small tiger teeth.

The elderly man behind the bar also looked up at Li Mang, his usually expressionless face breaking into a smile as he stood up to greet him, "Good boy, it's been a long time!"

"Xiao Ling, Old Gu, it's been a long time." Seeing these familiar faces, Li Mang was also very happy and engaged in some small talk.

Old Gu was the owner of Fulu Renjia, a kind and gentle old man who always had a warm and sunny smile, making customers feel at home. There were many similar restaurants near Yanjing University, but the four of them chose this one mainly because of Old Gu's warm hospitality.

"You came at the right time. If you had come two days later, you wouldn't have been able to eat the old man's cooking!" Old Gu chatted with Li Mang with a smile.

"Oh? Why is that?" Li Mang looked at him in surprise. Fulu Renjia had been doing well over the years, and it certainly wasn't on the verge of closing.

"A nearby restaurant used dead pork, which made several students sick. The school and authorities are cracking down on restaurants near the campus, and I'm caught in the crossfire, forced to close." Old Gu shook his head, his face still sunny despite his reluctance.

"… All the small restaurants in the area are closing?" Li Mang frowned. He understood why the problematic restaurant was shut down and why there was a crackdown, but closing all of them seemed excessive.

Old Gu shook his head helplessly and explained, "The hygiene of these small restaurants is indeed a concern, and multiple crackdowns have been ineffective. This has already made the school want to shut them down. With some legitimate hotels pushing the issue behind the scenes, the incident was widely publicized, and the pressure from public opinion is overwhelming. They have to close, whether they want to or not!"

"I see." Li Mang nodded, then asked after a long silence, "Old Gu, do you want to keep Fulu Renjia open? I believe your restaurant's hygiene is definitely up to standard."

"… This…" Old Gu was unsure of Li Mang's intentions, hesitating and feeling reluctant. However, to Li Mang's surprise, he ultimately shook his head, "No, some of the nearby restaurants do need to be shut down. We can't set a bad example."

It was clear that Old Gu was very reluctant to close Fulu Renjia, but considering the bigger picture, he shook his head and didn't continue the topic.

Li Mang felt a deep respect for Old Gu's character, which was beyond the reach of ordinary people. He smiled and nodded, not saying anything more. Meanwhile, he noticed a young man in a suit getting out of a taxi outside, and both he and Old Gu focused their attention on him.

This young man was Ge Xuelin, a guy who appeared formal but was actually quite lewd. Seeing Li Mang, he didn't rush in but instead stood at the door chatting with Xiao Ling.

"Xiao Ling, you've become even prettier in just a few months!" Ge Xuelin said with a smile.

The young waitress, despite showing her two tiger teeth in a smile, rolled her eyes and asked, "You've said that to many girls, haven't you?"

"Heaven and earth, I've only ever said that to you, Xiao Ling!" Ge Xuelin put his hand on his chest, feigning innocence, which made everyone laugh and shake their heads.

"Brat, are you asking for a beating?" Old Gu couldn't stand it anymore and shouted.

"Ha ha, Old Gu, you're still as energetic as ever!" Ge Xuelin laughed, then turned his gaze to Li Mang and quickly changed the subject, "What were you guys talking about?"

There were no hugs, no handshakes, and no excessive pleasantries. The scene was nothing like the emotional reunions in movies. It wasn't that they didn't care for each other; it was that their bond was so strong that it felt like no time had passed. Additionally, as Ge Xuelin put it, what was the point of hugging two grown men?

Li Mang told Ge Xuelin about Old Gu's situation, and Ge Xuelin was also taken aback, unable to react for a long time. Fulu Renjia had given them many memories, and hearing it was closing was inevitably a source of regret.

"Whatever will be, will be. If the sky is going to rain, and the wife is going to cheat, no one can stop it. Let's not talk about this… Old Gu, where's the beer?" Ge Xuelin said bluntly, his words making everyone laugh and cry at the same time.