After hanging up the phone, before Lu Bin could even pick up his glass, the phone rang again.
This time, it was Chen Jianhai calling.
"Hello, boss?!"
"Yes, yes, An Xia is also on the island."
"Alright! I'll leave with him."
...
"Haha, boss, don't worry! I've been training someone."
"I've trained a bartender on the island. She's very talented and her skills are decent."
"Okay, okay, I understand, boss."
After hanging up again, An Xia, who was holding a guitar nearby, asked:
"What's going on?"
Lu Bin: "There's a big event at Lang'ai Hotel. They want us to go back and help out for a few days."
"He also asked if I've been training any apprentices."
At this, Lu Bin looked very satisfied as he glanced at a girl with a high ponytail standing nearby.
This girl was originally a service staff member at the Sunset Bar of the island hotel. She had a strong interest and talent for mixology.
After a few exchanges, Lu Bin let her try making cocktails and found her to be exceptionally gifted. So, he took her on as an apprentice,
partly to make his own life easier and partly to ensure that the Sunset Bar wouldn't be left without a bartender if he ever left Little Horse Armor Island.
He had taught her on a whim, never expecting it to align perfectly with the boss's inquiry today.
"Lu Bin is really something!"
Chen Jianhai hung up the phone, nodding in satisfaction.
He had previously considered asking Lu Bin to train an apprentice and cultivate another bartender, but such things depended on the individual.
If the other person wasn't willing, he couldn't force it.
Today, he had merely asked out of curiosity, but to his surprise, Lu Bin had already trained a bartender on Little Horse Armor Island.
It was exactly what he had hoped for.
"How's An Xia doing? Didn't he get into a relationship on the island?"
Little Lang, having overheard Chen Jianhai's call, asked curiously.
"Not sure, I haven't been keeping up with that."
Chen Jianhai scratched his head in confusion. "I'll ask him when we get back to Nanjiang."
...
The trio's return was scheduled for two days later.
Early the next morning, a luxurious Ocean Star truck drove grandly into Lion Castle Hotel, parking directly on Rose Hill and Rose Avenue.
Although the hotel staff were curious, upon hearing it was the boss's orders, they continued with their work without further inquiry.
After staying parked on Rose Hill and Rose Avenue for two days, in the early hours of the second night, Chen Jianhai got into the driver's seat of the truck and, with Xu Bo and Little Lang in tow, set off for Nanjiang.
...
"You want to go back to Nanjiang, I get that."
"You're driving a truck to transport stuff back, I get that too."
"You're driving the truck back to Nanjiang in the middle of the night, I have nothing to say about that."
"But I just want to ask, why the hell are you dragging us along for this midnight truck ride back to Nanjiang?!"
In the passenger seat, Little Lang hugged a backpack, yawning and cursing angrily.
"I'm scared, okay?!"
Chen Jianhai gripped the steering wheel tightly, driving while keeping an eye on the speeding trucks behind him through the rearview mirror, his palms sweaty.
They say there are a lot of trucks on the highway at night, driving fast and recklessly.
When you're in a car, it's scary but not as intense,
but when you're driving a truck yourself, the terror is magnified.
If you're changing lanes, shouldn't you at least use your turn signal?!
Several times, Chen Jianhai barely managed to avoid colliding with the trucks beside him, scaring him and Little Lang so much their hair stood on end.
Meanwhile, Xu Bo, exhausted from a long day, had fallen asleep in the back seat, completely unfazed by the close calls.
Finally, after yet another demonstration of Chen Jianhai's driving skills, Little Lang couldn't help but curse:
"What the hell... why do you have to drive this yourself?!"
"Your Lion Castle Hotel has so many people, plenty of them can drive a truck. Why not let someone else do it?!"
Chen Jianhai muttered, "It's different. I don't trust anyone else to drive."
"Tsk tsk tsk!"
Little Lang rolled his eyes and muttered, "Who knows what treasure you're transporting."
Since it was Chen Jianhai's first time driving a truck, his nervousness stretched what should have been a 5-hour drive into 6 hours.
To make matters worse, they hit morning rush hour upon arriving in Nanjiang,
so by the time Chen Jianhai navigated through the city center and reached Lang'ai Hotel, it was already 9:30 AM.
Little Lang and Xu Bo stumbled out of the truck, both feeling carsick from the long ride.
Chen Jianhai: "You two go in first. I need to deliver something, then I'll be back at the hotel."
Little Lang: "So mysterious... who knows what you're up to..."
After watching Little Lang and Xu Bo leave,
Chen Jianhai took out his phone and typed a message:
"Come to the UU Cream Ice Cream Shop on环海路. I brought you something."
After sending the message,
...
Parking the truck next to UU Cream Ice Cream Shop, Chen Jianhai quickly got out, ran to the back of the truck to unlock it, then ran back to the driver's seat and got in.
Ten minutes later,
Wen Zifan's figure appeared in the rearview mirror, her eyes scanning the area as if looking for someone.
Seeing that Wen Zifan hadn't noticed him after a while, Chen Jianhai cursed under his breath, "Clueless," then honked the horn and rolled down the window, pointing to the back of the truck.
What's the boss up to?
Wen Zifan looked at the truck in front of her, then at Chen Jianhai's smug expression, and hesitantly walked to the back of the truck, opening the door.
The next moment, a gasp escaped her lips.
Wen Zifan's eyes widened, her hand covering her mouth as she took a step back, staring in disbelief at the scene inside the truck.
The interior of the truck was decorated like a purple gift box, with thousands of roses and蔷薇 flowers layered like butterflies resting under leaves, perfectly still.
The rich floral fragrance was like a colorful rainbow, emitting a sweet aroma. The large petals clustered together, vying to bloom from the truck, as if presenting the last and most beautiful summer fragrance to Wen Zifan.
"Do you like it?"
Chen Jianhai jumped out of the truck, hands in his pockets, standing next to Wen Zifan as he asked.
"It's for you."
"These... are for me?" Wen Zifan pointed at herself with her slender finger, her peach-blossom eyes wide in disbelief.
Chen Jianhai nodded with a deep, handsome expression, quite pleased with the stunned look on her face.
Since he had known Wen Zifan, she had always been a composed and unflappable person, a true "Brother Fan" who could remain calm in the face of chaos.
Seeing such a shocked expression on her face was a rare sight.
After about 10 seconds, Wen Zifan took a deep breath and cautiously asked:
"How much did these cost?"
"Nothing." Chen Jianhai replied nonchalantly.
"I picked all these flowers from the gardens at Lion Castle Hotel and drove them back overnight."
At this, Chen Jianhai paused, then added with emphasis:
"Better than store-bought flowers."
Wen Zifan stared at Chen Jianhai's proud expression, then suddenly burst into laughter.
"What are you laughing at?" Chen Jianhai looked down at her, confused.
Wen Zifan didn't answer. Instead, she reached into the truck and pulled out a white rose, gently smelling it.
"These flowers are so beautiful..."
She murmured softly, then looked up, her lips curving into a smile. "I love them!"
"Mm."
Chen Jianhai, hands in his pockets, blushed slightly, his expression awkward as he looked around, but his lips couldn't help but curl into a smile.
"There are so many... next time, just one would be enough. You don't need this many..."
Wen Zifan's voice was sweet and soft, like honey stretched into threads, making it impossible to resist.
"Okay." Chen Jianhai nodded.
"With this many flowers, I could open a flower shop." Wen Zifan gently pinched a petal, tilting her head as she wondered what to do with all the flowers.
"Then open one." Chen Jianhai said.
Wen Zifan looked at him, puzzled.
"If you like it, I'll open a flower shop for you." Chen Jianhai said seriously.
Wen Zifan shook her head, lifting her chin proudly. "No!"
"What I like, I can earn myself. I don't need you to give it to me."
The sunlight sparkled on the rippling sea, casting dazzling reflections with each wave.
The light was more radiant than anything in the world, captivating anyone who saw it.
"Okay!" Chen Jianhai smiled.
"Boss, I really love these flowers, but there are too many. Can I give them to the hotel staff and guests?"
"Sure!"
"Thank you, boss~"
...
That day, every staff member and guest at Lang'ai Hotel received a flower.
The entire hotel was filled with the scent of flowers, fragrant everywhere you went.
Even the nests of the two orange cats in the garden were carefully sprinkled with petals,
but before the cats could settle in, two white peacocks flapped their wings, scattering the petals everywhere.
For a while, the garden became a battlefield for the orange cats' revenge and the white peacocks' counterattack,
a cross-species war that shocked everyone, causing guests resting in the garden to stand up in alarm.
The hotel staff wanted to intervene, but the sight of the furious orange cats kept them at bay.
In the end, Chen Jianhai bravely stepped in, rescuing the two white peacocks from the war zone.
When Huang Baichuan learned that Chen Jianhai had returned, he drove to Lang'ai Hotel that afternoon.
"Here's the list of participants for the international exchange seminar and their dietary preferences. I've brought it for you. The具体的餐饮项目 will be up to you, Mr. Chen."
In the boss's office, Huang Baichuan took out a stack of name lists from his briefcase and handed them to Chen Jianhai.
Chen Jianhai flipped through the list, which detailed each person's name, nationality, dietary preferences, and even noted any allergies.
"So detailed!" Chen Jianhai looked at the list in surprise.
"Many of these are old friends of mine. We've shared drinks at international conferences before, so I'm quite familiar with their dietary preferences." Huang Baichuan explained.
"By the way, Mr. Chen, let me briefly explain the seminar schedule."
"The seminar is only five days long, but the actual meetings in the hotel conference room are only on the first and second days."
"The third day is mainly a visit to my Little Fortune God Beer Factory."
"The fourth and fifth days are for自由交流, essentially showing them around Nanjiang's sights."
Chen Jianhai nodded, saying:
"I'll handle the conference rooms, accommodations, and餐饮."
"But for the fourth and fifth days, what are your plans, Huang哥?"
"Will you be leading them, or should I arrange everything?"
On the hotel side, there was also Ning Youyou's Blue Sky Travel Agency.
Although Chen Jianhai had been busy with Lion Castle Hotel in Zaomen recently, Ning Youyou's "Nanjiang Historical and Cultural Tour" was still popular.
If a day tour showcasing Nanjiang's特色 was needed, Chen Jianhai could always ask Ning Youyou or Xiao Xia for help.
"I'll need to be involved, but if Mr. Chen can arrange everything, that would be even better."
"After all, professionals handle professional matters. When it comes to hotels and tourism, I'll defer to your arrangements." Huang Baichuan said.
"Alright! If you trust me, I'll take care of everything." Chen Jianhai replied.
After seeing Huang Baichuan off, Chen Jianhai handed the name lists to Xu Bo and the event service department, asking them to prepare the dining arrangements, arrange seating, and create name tags based on the participants' details.
Late at night
Lang'ai Hotel kitchen
The heads of the Chinese, Western, and pastry kitchens gathered, each holding a copy of the participant list, discussing the dishes and menus for the seminar.
"I think the main focus should still be on dumplings."
The head chef, Dao Dun'er, said: "Nothing beats dumplings. Different vegetables paired with different meat fillings, dipped in garlic paste and vinegar, with a bit of soy sauce to balance the acidity—it'll definitely wow them!"
The steak chef chimed in: "I vote for Dao Dun'er! Beef and scallion filling is unbeatable!"
The soup chef added: "I vote for Dao Dun'er! Celery and pork filling should also be included!"
The braising chef agreed: "I vote for Dao Dun'er! Chive and shrimp filling is the freshest of the fresh!"
Xu Bo nodded: "Alright... During the conference, we'll focus on beef and scallion dumplings, but we'll also prepare other fillings to cater to different tastes."
"Any other dish ideas?"
The wok chef suggested: "I think Four Happiness Meatballs should also be on the menu."
"First of all, Four Happiness Meatballs have great symbolism. The four meatballs represent the four great blessings in life: prosperity, status, longevity, and happiness. They're perfect for entertaining guests."
"Although foreign guests are used to eating meat, they usually stick to steaks, pork knuckles, and sausages."
"But Four Happiness Meatballs, with their three parts fat and seven parts lean meat, first fried then braised, golden in color and fragrant, will make them want more after just one bite."
Hearing this, the steak chef wasn't pleased.
"Well, I think Yangzhou Fried Rice deserves a spot too!"