Chapter 349: 349 Walk around

By the afternoon, the conference had finally ended. Soon, Cai Weiyi was surrounded by people. Chen Xu watched this scene unfold and chuckled to himself, thinking that these were the troubles that came with fame.

Of course, in many people’s eyes, this was a blessing they could only hope for. Just like Cai Weiyi right now, who seemed to enjoy the attention.

“Mr. Chen.”

Someone came looking for him too; it was one of the CEOs from several battery companies, appearing to be in his fifties, on the thinner side, smiling warmly.

Chen Xu stepped forward to shake his hand, “Mr. Gao.”

Mr. Gao said, “Mr. Chen, do you have any time tonight? I have a private dinner party and would like to invite you.”

“I’m very sorry, but I have work tonight. Perhaps next time.”

“Oh, that’s fine then.” Mr. Gao left after speaking.

After exiting the hall, Secretary Wen said softly, “Mr. Gao seemed a bit upset just now.”

“Is that so?” Chen Xu wasn’t particularly concerned.

He was not fond of such banquets, which were primarily about eating, drinking, and boasting. He didn’t wish to waste his time on such superficial social interactions.

Whether his refusal had offended anyone was not his concern.

Secretary Wen merely mentioned it and did not elaborate further.

After getting into the car, Chen Xu said, “Regarding tomorrow’s conference, you can attend in my place. I won’t come over. Just call me if anything comes up.”

“Alright, Mr. Chen.” Secretary Wen had been with him for a while and knew he disliked dealing with trivial matters. “Do you need someone to accompany you?”

“No need, I’ll just walk around.”

He had brought only Secretary Wen, along with Cai Weiyi and his assistant; there were no other staff. Although finding someone wouldn’t be difficult since battery companies could easily send someone over, he could also ask Yang Jinxia, who had people on hand.

However, he felt it was a minor issue and didn’t want to make a fuss about it.

…

At night, Chen Xu entered into a dream, “Second Life” the game where he began to discover some fun.

In reality, where there were various limitations, even reaching a very high level did not permit acting at will–not just legally, but also ethically.

Only in the game could he perform more outrageous acts, fight monsters, even engage in PvP boldly–and it was rather addictive.

This year, he and Mu Shang completed the preliminary tasks smoothly and became Transcendents.

In the game, which was nearly perfectly realistic, having transcendent powers felt exhilarating. It was like fulfilling a youthful dream.

After becoming a Transcendent, he truly crossed a threshold, acquiring the ability to earn credit points.

Over the year, he also brought Yang Jinxia into the game. How could he not include his wife? They had agreed to enter the game every three days, taking turns so no one would miss out.

In terms of the game’s activities, there wasn’t much to tell: leveling, battling monsters, completing quests, and participating in some competitions. His best achievement was scoring 1,093rd in the second shooting competition, making a mark in the shooting rankings.

As for Yang Jinxia, she didn’t have to start from scratch either. She could simply tag along with him, join a team, and share some of the experience points, leveling up quickly.

…

The next day, Chen Xu walked around Beijing by himself.

He hadn’t driven but had called a car online. Listening to the driver speak in a Beijing accent was quite interesting.

He wasn’t particularly fond of tourist spots, mainly because they were overcrowded and involved tedious queuing, which he found troublesome. This trip was merely a brief visit, and he didn’t even enter the Forbidden City, just wandered outside for a bit and took some photos.

These days, if you didn’t take photos while traveling, it was as if you hadn’t been there at all.

“Uncle.”

Chen Xu was looking at the photos he had just taken when suddenly someone tapped him from behind. Turning around, he saw two young girls, both wearing thick down jackets and with noses red from the cold, “Could you take a couple of photos for us?”

“Sure.” Chen Xu took the phone.

He didn’t mind their calling him “Uncle”; as someone approaching his thirties, it was normal. He usually wore suits, which made him look older.

After they posed, he took several shots and handed the phone back, saying, “Take a look. How do they look?”

“Thank you, Uncle.” The two girls checked the photos together.

Chen Xu realized they were in their early twenties and didn’t seem to be from Beijing by their accent. Casually, he asked, “Are you here on vacation?”

“Yes, we came with our parents,” one of the girls answered. “People said it’s less crowded in winter.”

Chen Xu looked around the plaza; while it wasn’t packed, it certainly wasn’t empty.

“It seems there are still quite a few people here during the winter,” the girl stated.

“Indeed.” Chen Xu chatted briefly with them and then continued exploring other areas. It was apparent that, although the girls had struck up a conversation, they maintained a sense of caution.

It’s wise for women to be cautious when outdoors.

Around noon, Chen Xu was hungry and happened to pass a hot pot restaurant, so he went inside. He had gotten sick of banquet food recently and wanted a change. Just as he entered, the staff asked if he had a reservation, as it was fully booked.

He was about to go to another restaurant when he spotted those two girls inside, who waved him over, indicating a free spot at their table.

Hesitating for a moment, he walked over and joked, “What a coincidence.”

“You’re not following us, are you, Uncle?” one of the girls, more outgoing than the other, said jokingly, bursting into laughter.

Chen Xu laughed and responded, “Would you have called me over if I were?”

They sat at a table for four, with him sitting across from them. Picking up the menu, he asked, “Have you ordered yet?”

“We’ve already ordered,” said the cheerful girl, eyeing him. “From your accent, you don’t seem to be from Beijing.”

“Yes, I’m here on a business trip,” Chen Xu replied while looking over the menu.

This restaurant offered individual pots, which meant they could each have their own without any inconvenience. This was one of the reasons he decided to join them at their table.

The girl inquired, “Where are you from?”

After Chen stated his location, both seemed thrilled, exclaiming, “We’re from there too!”

The fact they came from the same place quickly dissolved any remaining awkwardness.

Chen Xu asked, “You’re university students, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, we’re sophomores and took time off specifically to come here,” the shyer girl replied.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted at the adjacent table. The three turned to see a man shouting at a couple, with the woman trying to offer a few explanations.

The man grew even more agitated and suddenly walked over, grabbed the hot pot from the table, and hurled the boiling soup onto the man sitting by the table.