Chapter 156

Suddenly hearing about Xiao Youzi's birthday banquet, Zheng Tan had made no preparations; if he had known earlier, he could still have thought of some way to put together a birthday gift, but now, time is too tight, and Zheng Tan also doesn't want to send off a perfunctory, thrown-together gift.

Since he couldn't think of a good idea or find a good gift right away, Zheng Tan decided to remember it and send it when he found one.

As for Xiao Youzi's irresponsible mother, Jiao Ma had called her, telling her about the preparations for Xiao Youzi's birthday banquet; she didn't say much, just transferred some money over and then there was no further talk. The Jiaos also didn't expect Xiao Youzi's mother to say anything, so they had low expectations and wouldn't be too disappointed.

Once the time was set, they had to book a hotel.

Originally Jiao Ba planned to find a place around Chu Hua University, but then Fang San ye called at this time, and after learning that Xiao Youzi was going to have a birthday banquet, he suggested that Jiao Ba hold it at the Shaoguang Hotel, booking a private room in advance, with no need for Jiao Ba to show a membership card—Fang San ye just needed to say hello.

Jiao Ba had wanted to refuse, but after he and Fang San ye talked on the phone, Jiao Ba didn't say anything more.

Regardless of what Fang San ye actually said, Zheng Tan felt that Fang San ye was quite sincere, and he also told some relatives and friends that the Jiaos valued Xiao Youzi greatly, asking them not to overlook this little girl whose parents weren't around. Besides that, there was another reason: in many people's eyes, from a profit perspective, they thought that someone who could hold a birthday banquet at a place like the Shaoguang Hotel was worth making more contact with. After Jiao Ba went abroad, these connections—neither far nor close, but often encountered colleagues or relatives—could, when needed, more or less lend a hand, without completely distancing themselves and causing Jiao Ma undue pressure.

In this society that is gradually revealing its money‑first mindset, some tactics, even if distasteful, are necessary to employ; perhaps Fang San ye mentioned these factors when he spoke with Jiao Ba on the phone.

Once the venue for the birthday banquet was confirmed, Jiao Ba began preparing invitations. He also bought some cartoon‑style invitations especially for Xiao Youzi to give to her classmates; such a banquet could also help Xiao Youzi get closer to her classmates, and with Yue Lisha and Xie Xin, two classmates from Xiqu Dayuan, helping out, Jiao Ba wasn't worried.

Of course, this also attracted criticism; several relatives who work in Chu Hua Shi, after learning the banquet's venue, blamed Jiao Ba for being extravagant and wasteful, even though it wasn't his own daughter. Why bother?

Regarding that, Jiao Ba offered no explanation; in the Jiao family, Xiao Youzi had long been considered one of them, and he didn't need to give anyone further explanation.

Zheng Tan had no good impression of those meddling relatives. If they came to the Jiao household, Zheng Tan wouldn't bother with them either. However, taking advantage of their inattention, Zheng Tan tossed a few dead cockroaches into their bags. The cockroaches were found beside the bag of garbage outside Qu Xiangyang's door opposite. It's likely that Qu Xiangyang, while rummaging through things, flipped out this cockroach and swatted it dead; otherwise, with today's weather and temperature, there wouldn't be cockroaches bold enough to run all over the place.

Also, many people couldn't attend the birthday banquet on the day itself, but they sent their gifts early in the morning, such as Zhao Le, Yuan Zhiyi, and some others from the compound.

Although Yuan Zhiyi was too busy with official duties to attend, he generously allocated a company bus to pick up the children heading to Xiao Youzi's birthday banquet and take them to the Shaoguang Hotel, so those parents could also relax.

As for Jiao Ba's graduate student, the written exam scores for the postgraduate entrance have already come out, though the cutoff line hasn't been set yet; however, based on the admission ratio, Zeng Jing's score still falls within the safe range. This female student who crossed over from another major has already been assisting her two senior brothers, getting familiar with the lab early, so that when she has her own experiments later, she can get up to speed quickly.

With this new junior sister, Yi Xin was promoted from senior brother to chief senior brother, and Su Qu also became second senior brother.

Zheng Tan had seen Zeng Jing when the three senior brothers and sisters came to visit the Jiao household; she is not a frail girl, standing nearly 1.7 meters tall, looks decent, has an outgoing personality, though some people see her as somewhat stocky because Zeng Jing, while at the Foreign Languages Institute, had played basketball and football for the institute, giving her excellent physical condition, and perhaps that's why Jiao Ba relaxed his requirements for this student; otherwise, hiring someone who often gets sick would mean they couldn't help look after Jiao Ma and the two kids, and Jiao Ma would have to take care of them instead.

It must be said that, many times, when Jiao Ba selects students, besides valuing character and genuine ability, he also adds a bit of a housemaid standard. As for this, Zeng Jing herself is completely unaware; the two senior brothers who know keep their mouths shut tight, and it's better not to speak of this, as it would too much damage the image of their own advisor.

On the day of the birthday banquet, the Jiao family certainly wouldn't have much free time to look after Zheng Tan, so Tong Qing was sent over; with him around, the Jiaos didn't need to worry too much, after all they knew their cat wouldn't obediently stay at home on the birthday banquet day.

The date was set for Saturday; early that morning, Xiao Youzi's classmates were brought by their parents to Dongqu Dayuan, where everyone had agreed to gather, then go to the school gate to board the vehicle heading to the hotel.

There is a side gate next to Dongqu Dayuan, and the bus stopped there; seeing the bus, the parents of these children felt much more at ease—this bus was not some secondhand broken-down vehicle, but a shuttle used by Yuan Zhiyi's company to transport employees to and from work, since the company garage always had spare vehicles on hand, and at this time they weren't needed, so they were reassigned to help.

As the little birthday star, Xiao Youzi felt a bit awkward facing so many people today, but she had already been mentally prepared beforehand, and with the help of Yue Lisha and Xie Xin, she quickly adapted; seeing Zheng Tan being taken by Tong Qing, she also felt relieved to entertain her classmates.

As for Zheng Tan, Tong Qing, who serves as both cat nanny and bodyguard, was driving the car with only Zheng Tan inside, a treatment that made Wei Leng envious.

Tong Qing drove the car behind the bus ahead, Zheng Tan lay bored in the back seat, thinking, his tail tip twitching now and then. Beside him was a luggage bag; Zheng Tan would later have to crouch inside it to be lifted into the hotel. Although Fang San ye didn't say to have Zheng Tan hide, Jiao Ba and Jiao Ma felt they couldn't cause trouble for others—if people saw him, it would look bad, since nowadays most people still oppose pets in hotels, especially such a high‑end one, so they could only let Zheng Tan feel a bit wronged.

Fortunately, this luggage bag had been modified, with several mesh panels added, making it breathable and also allowing Zheng Tan to see the outside through the mesh; to anyone outside who didn't examine it closely, it would be hard to notice that a cat was inside the bag.

Wei Leng was off today and had come along to play; he played a few hands at the card table. After lunch, the kids all went to the amusement park, the adults also wandered off a bit, and those remaining wanted to enjoy more of the five‑star hotel's entertainment facilities. Wei Leng felt bored, so he summoned Zheng Tan to go to the Ye Lou to have some fun; at that time Ye Lou also had few people, and Wei Leng didn't mind—he planned to go sing a song, then look for a chance to spar with Tong Qing, since he could tell Tong Qing also came from the military and was itching to test his skills.

Zheng Tan, crouched in the bag and carried by Tong Qing, walked with Wei Leng toward the outside of the hotel; as they exited the elevator, a few people were coming toward the elevator from ahead.

Originally Zheng Tan hadn't prepared to pay attention to these people; the area was crowded with people coming and going, nothing worth seeing. But when Zheng Tan heard a certain name, he couldn't help but notice.

"Yo, Lai Er, coming over here to eat at this time?" the person stepping out of the other elevator said to the person in the middle of those few people ahead, who was being protected.

Zheng Tan had seen the speaker before; that person had also attended Fang San ye's banquet that time, but Zheng Tan had forgotten what the person was called.

Not knowing the name didn't interfere with Zheng Tan hearing the gist of what was said.

"Lai Er?" Zheng Tan's interest sparked immediately; he looked out through the mesh of the luggage bag, wanting to see what kind of person the "Lai Er" that Ye Hao spoke of actually was.

Those tiny holes in the mesh didn't prevent Zheng Tan from seeing clearly the appearance of this "celebrity." Actually, there wasn't anything particularly special about him; if it weren't for hearing what Ye Hao and the others were saying, Zheng Tan really couldn't link this middle‑aged man who looked like a successful person to the "Lai Er" Ye Hao mentioned. Still, one shouldn't judge by a glossy exterior. In fact, if you look closely, you can detect a hint of ruthlessness in his eyes.

Besides Lai Er, Zheng Tan also glanced at the people accompanying him; aside from the plump secretary‑assistant‑type woman beside Lai Er, the others were all men, unsmiling, likely bodyguards.

Tong Qing didn't know Lai Er, and even if he did, he wouldn't bother with Lai Er's affairs at this moment; he headed straight for the door, and Zheng Tan couldn't stare longer at this person who, in order to climb higher, didn't hesitate to stab his brothers a few times, fawned and flattered to the point of even being able to change his surname, and finally dealt a killing blow to his original boss.

Soon Zheng Tan could no longer see Lai Er and company, but he could hear Lai Er and that wealthy gentleman from earlier exchanging sarcastic remarks.

That wealthy gentleman seemed to be mocking Lai Er for being afraid of death, bringing so many people even just to have a meal, as if every blade of grass and tree were a soldier. Lai Er, in turn, was mocking that wealthy gentleman for a recent investment project that had failed.

From that wealthy gentleman's words, Zheng Tan could infer that Lai Er's current situation seemed to be known by many people, who were aware that Lai Er was being watched. After all, in this circle there is no absolute, long‑lasting secret; since Ye Hao already knows, anyone who has risen to this level certainly isn't a fool.

However, Tong Qing hadn't gone far when Wei Leng told him he had something come up, changed his mind, and asked Tong Qing to first take Zheng Tan around for a walk, while he himself turned and walked back into the hotel.

Zheng Tan roughly knew why Wei Leng was returning to the hotel, and he himself was actually curious whether Lai Er had come here to discuss business, to meet someone, or simply to eat; for whatever reason, Zheng Tan now couldn't find out.

Without going far or taking a detour, Zheng Tan just walked around the vicinity, then lay on the back seat of the car and slept for an afternoon, while Tong Qing listened to traffic broadcasts all afternoon without saying a word.

Wei Leng disappeared for a while, then showed up once before dinner, said a couple of things to Jiao Ba, and left early. Zheng Tan thought, this guy must have discovered something. (To be continued…)

ps: (2.8)

ps: Friendly recommendation of a friend's book, *Fantasy Inversion*.