From Wage Slave to Tycoon

After seeing the show, Su Chen stayed in Lijiang for two more days.

To explore the scenery around Lijiang, Su Chen even rented an SUV.

On the first day, Su Chen visited Shuhe Ancient Town, Baisha Ancient Town, and Blue Moon Valley. The three places were all close to each other. He managed to tour Shuhe Ancient Town and Baisha Ancient Town in just a few hours.

Although Shuhe Ancient Town was much larger than Baisha Ancient Town, it had far fewer tourists.

Most tourists headed straight for Baisha Ancient Town. After all, it was right near the snow-capped mountains. From the town, you could see the majestic Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the distance—perfect for young women looking for a good photo op.

But Su Chen preferred Shuhe Ancient Town. It felt less commercialized, the pace of life was much more comfortable, and it was the perfect place to relax.

Su Chen also spent 150 yuan for a trip to Blue Moon Valley. The scenery was breathtaking, especially the azure water of the lake, which looked like a sapphire set into the landscape.

His first impression was that it felt like visiting Jiuzhaigou Valley. Unfortunately, the Blue Moon Lake scenic area wasn’t very large and didn’t have many sights. It couldn’t quite compare to Jiuzhaigou.

The next day, Su Chen drove from Baisha Ancient Town to Lugu Lake. Since it was a long drive and his time would be tight, he did some quick research and decided to visit just Rige Peninsula and Goddess Bay.

Both locations were perfect for a road trip. The view at Goddess Bay, in particular, was so captivating that Su Chen sat on the shore just admiring it for a full half-hour.

Ink Hidden Inn!

Boss Yu leaned against the doorframe, watching Su Chen pack his things. "You really leaving?" he asked. "Not gonna visit Dali and Shangri-La for a few days?"

Su Chen just smiled and shook his head. "I finally get why people like to travel in pairs or groups. It’s more fun with company. Traveling alone is just no fun."

"Even if the scenery is incredible, there’s no one to share it with. What’s the point of a trip like that?"

Boss Yu understood what Su Chen meant and didn’t try to suggest he find a few girls to travel with or anything like that.

After spending the last few days together, he could tell Su Chen was no ordinary person.

No one in business is a fool, especially not in the service industry.

You meet all sorts of people coming and going, from every walk of life. You develop a certain eye for things.

When he first picked Su Chen up from the airport, he’d noticed the watch on his wrist. He didn’t think much of it then, but later, while they were chatting over milk tea, he took a closer look and recognized it as a Patek Philippe.

After all, he, Yu Feng, was a man of some means himself. He owned seven or eight inns in Lijiang and was worth several million, if not ten million yuan. And yet, the watch on his own wrist was only worth a few tens of thousands.

It was clear Su Chen came from a significant background. But Yu Feng didn’t try to suck up to him; instead, he just treated him like a regular friend.

"Next time you come to Lijiang, or if you head up to the Northeast for the winter, make sure you give me a call. I’ll make sure you’re taken care of!"

"Deal. I’ll definitely go if I get the chance!" Su Chen said with a smile.

"Oh, right! Wait here a second!" Boss Yu seemed to remember something and quickly trotted downstairs.

A moment later, he returned, carrying a large bag.

Su Chen eyed the stuffed bag, confused. "What’s all this?"

"You said you liked our milk tea, right? I got you some of the ingredients. There are also some locally grown Lijiang coffee beans in here. Take them home and try them out!"

"Boss Yu, how much do I owe you? I’ll transfer you the money," Su Chen said, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

"Brother Su, what do you think you’re doing? Are you looking down on me, Yu Feng? I said it’s a gift, so it’s a gift. It’s insulting for you to offer money!"

Su Chen was about to refuse, but seeing the serious look on Boss Yu’s face, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

"Alright, then. Thanks for going to all this trouble, Boss Yu."

"What trouble? It’s nothing, really. It’s not worth much."

On the way downstairs, Boss Yu firmly took the suitcase from Su Chen. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

The suitcase hadn’t been heavy before, but with the addition of Boss Yu’s gifts and some flower cakes, it now weighed twenty-some pounds. By the time Boss Yu had lugged it to the car, he was slightly out of breath.

"You really need to exercise more, Boss Yu," Su Chen teased with a mischievous grin. "Or else you won’t have any stamina left when it’s time to perform!"

Boss Yu’s face flushed red. He puffed out his chest and said defensively, "Who says? I’m still in my prime!"

Su Chen just smiled without saying a word.

On the way to the airport, their conversation drifted back to that topic.

After all, men have a certain desire to share their exploits, like a victor wanting to show off the spoils of his conquest.

Su Chen learned that Boss Yu had once been a wild, free-spirited man himself. Unfortunately, he was eventually tamed by his current wife, and his glory days were over.

When they got to the airport, they exchanged a few last words before Su Chen grabbed his suitcase and headed inside.

Su Chen wasn’t planning on going back to Shanghai. He was heading to Fuzhou instead.

He’d been thinking about it lately. There’s an old saying about how not returning to your hometown after becoming successful is like wearing a fine silk robe in the dead of night. What was the point of having money if he didn’t improve his family’s living conditions? How was that any different from being poor?

He couldn’t just enjoy his wealth by himself while his parents continued to struggle. Su Chen knew he wasn’t that kind of person.

Besides, Su Qingya’s tearful words from before—"I just want Mom and Dad to have a better life"—had deeply affected him!

He planned to go back and talk to his parents about opening a restaurant or a supermarket.

’As for whether they’d lose money, that wasn’t a concern for him at all. Even if he just used one month of the funds from the system to cover the losses... he could probably keep the business afloat for a few decades!’

The flight from Sanyi Airport to Wudu’s Jiangbei Airport took about two hours.

Since it was an 11:00 AM flight, Su Chen got to have a meal on board. Sichuan Airlines really lived up to its reputation for its "feed-you-like-a-pig" service; the food was actually delicious.

’It’s been just over half a month, and I’m back again,’ Su Chen thought to himself with a sigh as he walked out of the airport.

He felt that his mindset had changed quite a bit since the last time he was here. At least he was no longer constantly worrying about every little thing.

Standing at the airport exit, Su Chen didn’t head for the taxi stand or the airport shuttle.

Instead, he pulled out his phone, opened a ride-hailing app, and selected the "Executive Luxury" option. Not even a minute after he confirmed the request, a driver accepted it.

Su Chen was just about to check what kind of car he got when his phone rang.

"Hello, sir. Are you at the airport exit now?"

"Yes, I’m right at the exit..." Su Chen briefly described what he was wearing. The person on the other end said they’d be right there and hung up.

Su Chen then glanced back at the app and saw that his ride was a Mercedes-Benz V260.

Soon, a black luxury van pulled up in front of him. The driver, dressed in a white shirt and black trousers, looked every bit the professional chauffeur.

The driver first opened the passenger door for Su Chen, and only after Su Chen was seated did he take the suitcase and place it in the trunk.

"Sir, I’m your dedicated driver, Xiao Chao. Please let me know if you need anything at all."

Seeing such a professional driver, Su Chen had initially wanted to ask if this was just a part-time gig for him. But faced with such a professional demeanor, he decided to suppress his curiosity.

"Let’s go. I’m going to get some sleep. Wake me up when we get there."