Chapter 23: Having a Boss Seems Pretty Good!

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

During this time, after logging out of the game, Lu Feng had been observing Lin Jiao and the burly man, Xu Bin, through the images in his mind. He knew nothing about the game world, and even after hiring them, he remained extremely cautious. However, after two days of observation, he felt somewhat more at ease.

At the county hospital, Lu Feng helped his mother transfer out of the ICU early in the morning and settle into a bed in a general ward. He let out a sigh of relief; his mother’s move to the general ward indicated her condition had stabilized and she would be discharged soon.

Lu Feng spent some time with his mother before leaving the hospital. He had to head to the teahouse this morning. Now that the signage was up, today was the official grand opening, complete with firecrackers. His cousin had already notified all his associates, and they would be bringing friends to show their support, so as the owner of the teahouse, he naturally had to be there.

Before leaving the hospital, he cast a glance toward the game world. Lin Jiao and Xu Bin were nowhere to be seen in Qingfeng Teahouse; they had clearly gone to scout the department store. After hiring them, Lu Feng had tasked them with finding out if there were any jewelry stores left in the building. It seemed they weren't the type to just eat without working.

Lu Feng went to a fruit shop, bought a few pounds of bananas and apples, and returned to his apartment first. Once inside, he locked the door, carried the fruit into the game, and placed it on the tea table. With a single thought, he logged out and headed to Qingfeng Teahouse.

In the game world, Lin Jiao and the burly Xu Bin returned to the teahouse shortly after.

"Damn it, we almost ran into that mutant beast!" Xu Bin muttered as soon as he stepped inside, still clearly shaken as he kept his voice low.

"It’s a good thing we found a large jewelry store; our mysterious boss should be pleased," Lin Jiao added, though she frowned. "The only problem is that the mutant beast is near the store, which makes it a major headache."

Upon entering the room, they spotted the bananas and apples on the tea table. Surprised, they stepped forward to inspect them; such fresh fruit was a rare sight indeed.

The two exchanged a look. Working for a boss like this really seemed like a good choice. Lin Jiao picked up a bunch of bananas, peeled one, and began to eat. Xu Bin grabbed a piece of fruit and started chewing on it directly.

...

Lu Feng took a taxi to Zhongmin Plaza. As he stepped out, he caught a glimpse of the game world and saw Lin Jiao and Xu Bin eating the fruit without a care in the world. He smiled and walked straight toward the teahouse.

Qingfeng Teahouse was attracting a lot of attention today. A ten-thousand-shot string of firecrackers draped across the plaza in a long line, and they were the large, thunderous kind. Seeing such massive fireworks, even the faint-hearted would surely keep their distance.

Of course, that wasn't the main reason for the attention. The teahouse was packed with people, all of whom sported tattoos. The sight of such a dense crowd of tough-looking men was enough to make any passerby steer clear.

When Lu Feng arrived, he was surprised by the sheer number of people. He spotted his cousin Yang Ming, Brother A-Lin, A-Pao, Da Fei, and other familiar faces. He even saw Boss Chen Bo, who had clearly brought a significant number of his own men.

Chen Bo, sharp-eyed as ever, spotted Lu Feng immediately and stepped forward to congratulate him: "Young Master Feng, congratulations! Wishing you a prosperous opening!"

Lu Feng accepted with a smile and added, "Boss Chen, come over for tea and business in a few days. There should be some goods arriving by then." Since they were giving him face, he didn't mind dropping a hint. With Lin Jiao and Xu Bin searching for jewelry stores in the department store, he expected news soon.

Chen Bo understood exactly what Lu Feng meant by "goods." His face lit up with a smile, and he immediately shouted to his subordinates, "Come and pay your respects to Young Master Feng!"

Yang Ming, Da Fei, and the others also came over to greet him. "Xiao Feng, you're here!" "Young Master Feng, we’ve been waiting for you."

The entire crowd turned to look at Lu Feng, their expressions filled with a mix of surprise and awe. They had heard of "Young Master Feng"—the man whom Brother Ming and Boss Chen followed—but they hadn't expected him to be so young. Yang Ming and Chen Bo introduced the most prominent figures among the group, and each one respectfully addressed him as "Young Master Feng."

"Xiao Feng, let's go inside for some tea," Yang Ming said, before shouting to Da Fei, "And hurry up and light those firecrackers! Ten thousand shots—I don't know what you were thinking; you'll deafen us all."

"Brother Ming, it’s only impressive if it’s loud, right?" Da Fei chuckled. He pulled out a lighter, walked toward the firecrackers, and ignited them before sprinting away as if his life depended on it.

The continuous, thunderous explosions drew the attention of everyone in the surrounding shops. Passersby rushed to push back, and women instinctively covered their ears and hurried away.

Yang Qingxue was among them, being pulled along by her best friend while covering her ears.

"Damn it! How many shots are there? It won't stop, it's making me want to curse!" Lin Jiajia pulled Yang Qingxue until they reached a safe distance before stopping, looking back at the source of the noise with irritation. She was about to snap, but then she saw the crowd of tattooed men and realized they weren't to be trifled with.

Yang Qingxue quickly tugged on her friend's sleeve. "Jiajia, let it go. They clearly aren't good people."

Lin Jiajia realized it was a newly opened teahouse and nodded. "Yeah, it must be another teahouse opened by some local underworld boss." She had heard of such places; they were definitely not people she could afford to cross.

Then, remembering something, she turned to Yang Qingxue. "Qingxue, I’m really not picking on Lu Feng, but life with him will be very hard. If you could be happy, I wouldn't even object if you were with an underworld boss like that."

"I don't want any underworld boss," Yang Qingxue quickly shook her head, clarifying, "And Lu Feng is really a good person."

Lin Jiajia sighed. "I think you’ve been brainwashed by him. But it's fine. Once you meet my boyfriend's friend, you'll see what being truly successful means, and you'll change your mind. And don't even think about skipping this—your mother specifically asked me to make sure you go."

With a helpless expression, Yang Qingxue was dragged by Lin Jiajia into a coffee shop in the mall. As soon as they entered, a man waved at them. It was Jiajia’s boyfriend, and sitting next to him was a man with meticulously groomed hair.

Yang Qingxue felt even more trapped. She knew this was a setup by her mother and Jiajia—a blind date in disguise. She had no choice but to take out her phone and send a plea for help to Lu Feng. She had no interest in her friend's boyfriend's friend; she needed Lu Feng to come and make things clear.

Lin Jiajia leaned over to Yang Qingxue and whispered, "Qingxue, that’s Chen Yong, the one I told you about. He runs his own business, earns 20,000 to 30,000 a month, has a BMW 325, and owns a home worth over a million, fully paid off. Just think, how many years would it take Lu Feng to achieve all that?"