Chapter 33

Just as Su Jing had left not long ago, Wang Zhuo and the others were still waiting for their meal. A group of people were walking along the beach towards Zhenhong Seafood Restaurant. Leading them was a burly man with a face full of scars. He had yellow teeth, and his thick arms were covered in black hair, making him look quite fierce. As he walked, he kept his hands behind his back, his head slightly raised, surveying the surroundings.

Many villagers looked over and whispered to each other:

"Who is that burly man? The deputy mayor is personally receiving him."

"I heard he's a wealthy businessman who wants to develop our Qingyun Town and is interested in developing the tourism industry here."

"No wonder the deputy mayor is being so polite to him."

"Mr. Ma, what do you think? The environment here is indeed quite nice, isn't it?" Deputy Mayor Zhu Zhiting said respectfully. Qingyun Town was very small, covering only 80 square kilometers, with 103 village groups and a population of about 12,000. The economic level was relatively low. If someone invested in developing the tourism industry, it would boost the entire town's economy. Moreover, Mr. Ma had said that if he really decided to invest in the tourism industry, he would also fund the construction of the town's roads. If this really happened, his performance as deputy mayor would skyrocket, and he would likely secure the position of mayor in the next term.

"Pretty decent." Ma Tao nodded casually and then said, "Where is your tour guide, Xishi? Why hasn't she come over yet? Is she looking down on me, unwilling to receive me personally?"

"I've already urged her; she should be here soon. Let's sit down and have some seafood first. The seafood here is all organic, and I guarantee Mr. Ma will like it." Zhu Zhiting smiled.

"Mr. Ma, I can introduce you to Qingyun Town. I know it better than that yellow-haired girl, Xishi. Why do we need her?" A woman dressed in a flamboyant manner said jealously.

"It's more lively with more people." Ma Tao laughed and put his arm around the woman's waist. She made a token effort to resist but then clung to Ma Tao. As Ma Tao was groping her, he thought to himself, "You're just a plaything. How can you compare to the tour guide Xishi?"

Ma Tao, Zhu Zhiting, and their group entered Zhenhong Seafood Restaurant. Choosing this restaurant was no coincidence; Zhu Zhiting had done some preliminary research and found out that although the restaurant had only been open for a short time, it was the most delicious and popular.

"Waiter." Ma Tao's lackey pretended to wipe the chair with his sleeve, made Ma Tao sit down, and then shouted loudly. This drew the attention of many people nearby, who were slightly annoyed. The restaurant was so small; did he need to shout so loudly? Wang Zhuo, Qian Shufeng, Zhao Zhi, and others glanced over but ignored it.

"What would the gentlemen like?" Mr. Li, the owner, quickly walked over and said politely.

"Your restaurant seems quite high-end, even the waiters are dressed up." Seeing Mr. Li in a suit, Ma Tao sneered and reached out to touch the corner of Zhao Jun's clothes, saying disdainfully, "Street market goods, but they look quite real."

"Mr. Ma, don't make fun of people. Not everyone can afford Versace like you." The woman covered her mouth and laughed.

Mr. Li's face turned black. "You're the one wearing street market goods. This is Italian gentleman Animus, a world-renowned luxury brand. Don't talk nonsense if you don't know what you're talking about." Normally, Mr. Li might have slapped him, but today he was here to serve and apologize, and he didn't dare to ruin the business. Otherwise, if he made Su Jing and Wang Zhuo angry, it would be disastrous.

Mr. Li took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. "What would the gentlemen like?"

"Ten of the most expensive dishes, one plate of each." Ma Tao said confidently.

"Sure." Mr. Li nodded and was about to take the order to the kitchen, but inwardly he was disdainful. The most expensive dishes in a small seafood restaurant were only a thousand or so. What was there to be confident about?

"You, come here." Ma Tao pointed to Zhao Jun, who was wiping the table.

"Sir, what do you need?" Zhao Jun played the role of a waiter very professionally.

"Waiting for the dishes is so boring. Can you perform something? Like singing or dancing?" Ma Tao said, taking out a wad of hundred-dollar bills and putting one in Zhao Jun's pocket.

"..." Zhao Jun's lips twitched, and he forced a smile. "I don't know how to sing or dance."

"What a joke. You're dressed so fancy, but you can't even sing or dance." Ma Tao looked at him with disdain.

"Our restaurant only sells seafood, not performances." Zhao Jun tried to remain calm.

"Then get lost, you're in the way." Ma Tao waved his hand.

Zhao Jun barely restrained himself from beating up Ma Tao, suppressing his anger and turning away. He thought to himself, "Wait until today is over, and I'll make you pay once I'm out of this seafood restaurant."

Ma Tao's lackey thought Zhao Jun looked familiar, as if he had seen him at a party while running errands. But upon closer thought, it seemed impossible. How could such a prominent person be working as a waiter?

After a while, Shi Qing arrived late. Today, she was dressed very simply, in casual long pants and a white shirt, with her hair casually let down.

Actually, she didn't want to come at all. A few days ago, Zhu Zhiting had informed her that they needed to receive an important guest, so she had looked up his information in advance. This was a good habit she had developed as a tour guide. If she knew the guest's dietary preferences, cultural level, personality, and interests, she could better satisfy them in various aspects. Otherwise, if someone who doesn't eat spicy food was taken to a Hunan restaurant, they would certainly be dissatisfied. However, upon investigation, she found that Ma Tao was a scoundrel. He had made a fortune in real estate development during a good period, with a net worth of nearly ten million. But because he had many mistresses, he divorced his wife, who was reportedly almost driven to madness.

Shi Qing didn't want to see such a despicable person, but Zhu Zhiting kept urging her, and considering the impact on Qingyun Town's tourism and the future of her and the nearby villagers, she finally convinced herself to come.

"Deputy Mayor Zhu." Shi Qing greeted Zhu Zhiting politely.

"Sit down. Let me introduce you. This is Mr. Ma." Zhu Zhiting said.

"This must be the tour guide Xishi. You look quite nice, but you really don't know how to dress. I'll buy you some good clothes later." Ma Tao's eyes lit up when he saw Shi Qing, and he extended his hand to shake hers.

"No need, thank you for your kindness, Mr. Ma." Shi Qing didn't extend her hand. Seeing Ma Tao's behavior, she immediately regretted coming. She subconsciously looked around, hoping Su Jing was there to give her some sense of security, but she didn't see him. Of course, seeing Liu Shu, Su Zhenhong, Zhao Mengxiang, and some of the nearby villagers gave her a bit more confidence.

"Ha ha." Ma Tao awkwardly withdrew his hand, still smiling, but inwardly he was sneering. "Pretending to be pure. I'll give her a few ten thousand, and I don't believe she can resist."

"Hey, bring the dishes over here first." Ma Tao suddenly shouted to the side. Shi Qing turned and saw Su Jing carrying a tray with many dishes, and her face lit up with a smile, and she felt a bit more relaxed.

"These are for other guests." Su Jing, who didn't know who Ma Tao was, replied calmly, smiled at Shi Qing, and then took the tray to Wang Zhuo, Qian Shufeng, and Zhao Zhi's table.

(Continuing to ask for recommendations. Two days ago, we were fifth on the new book signing list, but we were pushed down to thirteenth. The list is full of big names, which is really frustrating. Can everyone give us a bit more support? Even getting back to the top twelve would be great. Thank you to Longwu v Zun for the 200 RMB donation, to Duoluoshengjie for the 120 RMB donation, to Zujv, Wangzhejiangmo, Gao Mingyan, Xiaduanyi, and Woai shifen for the 100 RMB donations, and to everyone else for the 10 RMB donations.)

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