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Chapter 426: Returning to the Country
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“Hey, why are you calling in the middle of the night? You woke me up!”
Zhou Chao glanced at his watch; it was past 6 o’clock in the morning in his home country.
“Bro Yang, isn’t this about the business I mentioned to you?”
“Spit it out, get to the point!”
“I’ve already talked to them, and we’re bringing back 6 national treasures, including the Nine Biographies of Female Historians and the Liao Tri-color Pottery!”
“Really?” Xiao Yang screamed in excitement.
“Yes, but they want us to make the trade officially in the name of our government.”
“No problem, hahaha, great job!” Xiao Yang was wide awake now.
“When and where is the trade happening?”
“In a week, in Jingdu!”
“Okay, I’ll report it to the higher-ups. You come back soon and hand over the items to me!”
“Alright, I’ll be back tomorrow. That’s it for now, Bro Yang. Get some rest!”
Before Xiao Yang could react, Zhou Chao hung up the phone.
Staring at the disconnected call, Xiao Yang couldn’t help but shout, “Zhou Chao, you scoundrel!”
“A young rabbit like you shouldn’t stay up late. Go to sleep!” An authoritative yet somewhat aged voice came from the other side.
Xiao Yang’s face changed several times, and he quickly replied, “Old Master, I’ll go to sleep right away!”
“Tomorrow morning, run five kilometers!”
“Yes!”
On the other side, Zhou Chao hung up the phone triumphantly and instructed Lin Wu to book the most luxurious banquet at the hotel.
He personally called Guan Ze, inviting him to dinner and saying their goodbyes.
“Boss, are you leaving for your home country? What about me?” Miles stood next to Zhou Chao, asking.
“You continue to handle the Manchester United football club matter over here.
You’re in charge for now. When things calm down, I’ll be back.”
“Alright.” Miles reluctantly nodded.
After spending about twenty minutes in the room, Zhou Chao decided that Guan Ze would be arriving soon. He stood up, along with Miles and others, and walked toward the reserved private room.
They waited in the private room for about four to five minutes before Guan Ze arrived with two companions.
“Mr. Zhou, I apologize for bringing two colleagues with me. We had planned to have dinner together, and since you called, 1 shamelessly brought them along,” Guan Ze said with a smile.
“Guests are always welcome, especially family. Please, have a seat!”
After they were seated, Zhou Chao gave a signal to Lin Wu, who was waiting near the door. Lin Wu nodded in understanding and left to inform the server to start serving the meal.
“Mr. Zhou, have you resolved your matter?” Guan Ze asked excitedly.
“Yes, it’s been settled. I can’t go into specifics, but you’ll know soon enough.”
Guan Ze nodded, understanding that with many people around, there could be unwelcome interference if others overheard the conversation.
As the door to the room opened, gracefully attired women walked in, each of them carrying dishes that had a distinct British touch. Before long, the table was brimming with mouthwatering gourmet offerings.
“Are you planning to return to your home country tomorrow?” Guan Ze, a sharp observer, noticed the farewell atmosphere.
“Yes, tomorrow morning. I need to prepare once I’m back home,” Zhou Chao replied while continuing to enjoy the meal.
“Are you implying that the trade will take place in your home country?” Guan Ze put down his chopsticks, showing surprise.
“Yes, 1’11 handle the handover there, and we’ll let our government officials take it from there.”
Guan Ze nodded thoughtfully, pondering the implications.
“Eat your food! What are you thinking about? Everything might be gone before you know it!” Zhou Chao reminded Guan Ze, who seemed lost in thought.
“Yes, let’s eat!” Guan Ze came back to his senses, observing that over half of the dishes on the table had already disappeared. He couldn’t help but twitch his lips, then picked up his chopsticks and began eating, trying to keep his composure.
After a few rounds of toasts and enjoying the diverse flavors of the dishes, the table was soon cleared of all the delicious food. The portions were relatively small compared to what they were accustomed to in China, which made Zhou Chao complain.
“All, I still prefer the comfort of dining in China. I’ll have to go back and enjoy it!”
“I envy you for being able to return to China and eat delicious food!”
“Don’t think I don’t know that your embassy has a cafeteria, and the chefs are from China. I was planning to mooch a meal there, but it seems I won’t have the chance!”
“Hahaha, you also know that no matter how comfortable it is outside, it’s never as comfortable as being at home!”
“When you return to China, I’ll treat you to a drink.”
“No need for drinks; I just hope we have more opportunities like this!” Guan Ze hinted with a deeper meaning.
Zhou Chao nodded firmly. “That’s what we should do!”
Guan Ze glanced at Zhou Chao and smiled, nodding in agreement.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Guan Ze decided to take his leave, and Zhou Chao didn’t insist on keeping him. He accompanied Guan Ze and his colleagues to the hotel entrance, and then returned to the hotel.
A quiet night passed.
The next morning, Zhou Chao and his group left the hotel and headed to London Heathrow Airport in three Mercedes-Benz cars.
At 10 AM, Zhou Chao’s private jet took off from London Heathrow Airport. As he looked out the window at the shrinking city of London below, Zhou Chao silently recited in his mind, “System, check-in!”
“Check-in successful. Congratulations to the host for obtaining mm chip production technology, which has been automatically deposited into the system’s warehouse!”
“Boom!”
The glass in Zhou Chao’s hand shattered instantly.
Staring at the shattered glass fragments scattered around, Zhou Chao snapped out of his daze. He had been a bit too excited earlier, and the force in his hand had inadvertently increased.
“Boss, are you okay?” Lin Wu hurriedly rushed over to Zhou Chao, examining his hand and the glass shards on the floor.
“I’m fine. Just clean up this area,” Zhou Chao said as he got up and walked towards the lounge.
Lin Wu didn’t call for assistance; instead, he knelt down and started picking up the larger glass shards. After cleaning up and wiping the area with tissues, he checked for any remaining fragments before standing up, satisfied with his work.
Back in the lounge, Zhou Chao no longer suppressed his inner excitement. He burst into hearty laughter, lying on the bed and daydreaming about the day he would successfully develop the chip.
After enjoying his happiness for a while, Zhou Chao gradually calmed down. Currently, his lithography machine had not been successfully developed yet. If he had to rely on etching, he didn’t know how much time it would waste. He could only hope that Professor Lan Ling would soon complete the lithography machine research!
The flight from London to Jingdu took about 11 hours. Zhou Chao estimated that by the time they landed in Jingdu, it would be around four or five in the morning. So, he decided to lift the covers and lie down directly.
Not long after, rhythmic and regular breathing sounds echoed in the lounge, indicating that Zhou Chao had entered the realm of dreams.
When Zhou Chao woke up again, several hours had passed. He emerged from his room, feeling refreshed.
Checking the time, he had already slept for five hours. His stomach, which had been quietly growling, prompted Zhou Chao to head to the second floor.
The flight attendants on the second floor were chatting and playing with their phones. When they saw Zhou Chao coming up, they immediately stood up and held their breath, not daring to make a sound.
Finally, the chief flight attendant stepped forward and said, “Boss, are you hungry?”
“Yeah, please arrange something to eat. Prepare something delicious, but no need for vegetables.”
“Of course, Boss!” The chief flight attendant signaled to the other flight attendants, and they all gave a slight nod before heading to the back.
Food on the plane was mostly pre-cooked or semi-prepared, and a little processing could make it ready to eat.
Soon, the chief flight attendant and one of the flight attendants returned with two meal trays.
Once they placed the trays down, Zhou Chao waved his hand, allowing the two of them to go rest. When they left, Zhou Chao picked up his chopsticks and started eating.
When Zhou Chao was halfway through his meal, Lin Wu, whether enticed by the aroma or driven by his own hunger, descended from the upper floor.
“Boss, when did you come down? Why didn’t I see you earlier?” Lin Wu curiously asked, watching Zhou Chao enjoying his meal.
“I wonder who was lying comfortably on the sofa.”
Lin Wu scratched his head in embarrassment and looked at Zhou Chao. Then, he walked to the back to get his own meal.
“I’ve finished eating. Clean up here later,” Zhou Chao said as he wiped his mouth and got up.
Without paying attention to Lin Wu’s bewildered expression, he went upstairs.
Upon returning to the third-floor lounge, Zhou Chao was about to sit down and play with his phone when a sudden idea crossed his mind. He headed towards the cockpit.
He pressed the cockpit doorbell, and the cockpit door opened in the next moment.
“Boss, how come you’re here?” Dole, sitting in the pilot’s seat, asked curiously.
“I’ve come to learn how to fly a plane from you!”
“Sure, we’re currently in autopilot mode, so it’s a good opportunity to explain it to you!” Dole wasn’t surprised by Zhou Chao’s idea; after ail, who wouldn’t want to try their hand at flying this big toy!
The co-pilot was also accommodating, quickly standing up from his seat and letting Zhou Chao take a seat. He himself sat in the seat near the cockpit entrance.
Dole promptly began explaining everything, from the most basic buttons to how to operate the plane during takeoff and what to pay attention to during flight. He went into detail, leaving no stone unturned, and even had two cups of coffee during the explanation.
By the time Zhou Chao had a thorough understanding, the plane had entered Huaxia’s airspace, and they were less than two hours away from arriving in Jingdu.
“Alright, I won’t disturb you two any longer. I’ll head out!” After spending a few hours in the cockpit, Zhou Chao was starting to feel tired. He got up and left the cockpit.
“Hey, Boss, where did you go? I searched around earlier, thinking you had gone back to rest!” Lin Wu said, puzzled.
“I went to learn how to fly a plane. Is there anything wrong?”
“No, nothing!” Lin Wu hesitated for a moment before shaking his head.
Zhou Chao could tell that he was missing his wife.
“Once we’re back in Jingdu, you take a few days off to be with your wife in
Modu. We might be heading out again for a while after this.”
“Sure, Boss!” Lin Wu’s face lit up with a smile at the prospect of spending time with his wife in Modu..