The ultimate master in the city

Chapter 72 Birthday, Kidnapping

In the parking lot in front of the hotel, several rows of cars were neatly parked, and more cars kept arriving, with a group of security guards directing traffic back and forth.

A man in a suit and tie, accompanied by a woman in an evening gown, stepped out of the car and walked gracefully toward the hotel entrance, where doormen and two rows of concierges in cheongsams greeted them with smiles.

Old Li and his two helpers stared in disbelief, while the proprietress felt a bitter taste in her mouth. Compared to others, her little restaurant was truly pathetic!

Monk Yuanzhi looked at Zhou Fengchen with a shocked expression, as if to say, "You're kidding me!"

Zhou Fengchen also found it a bit outrageous, and said with a dry laugh, "Mom, this...this isn't for me, is it?"

Aunt Chen rolled her eyes. "What do you mean 'opened for you'? All the family businesses will be yours in the future. Today is the hotel's first anniversary celebration. Besides... let's go inside and talk first."

As she spoke, she took Zhou Fengchen's hand and led him towards the gate.

Upon arriving at the main entrance, Aunt Chen greeted acquaintances with a smile. Two rows of beautiful receptionists stared intently at Zhou Fengchen, and led by a supervisor, bowed and greeted him with smiles: "Boss lady, young master!"

"Whoa—"

Zhou Fengchen was startled and quickly bowed, saying, "Hello, hello!"

Chen Ma rolled her eyes at him, pulled him inside, and led him upstairs to the second floor under the watchful eyes of a group of people.

As soon as I reached the second floor, I noticed countless eyes staring at me. Everyone, regardless of age or gender, was dressed smartly and had smiles on their faces. Then, they started clapping enthusiastically.

Zhou Fengchen felt his scalp tingle and his whole body felt uneasy.

Chen's mother said softly, "It's okay, they're just some of my colleagues, your father's friends, and the rest are relatives. Just relax."

Zhou Fengchen retorted stubbornly, "I don't feel uncomfortable, but it feels like I'm being put on a show. You didn't bring me here specifically to be performed for others, did you? Maybe... I should just leave!"

Mother Chen held him tightly, pointing to a stage at the very back: "Look!"

A fluorescent screen quickly appeared on the stage, displaying the message: "The son of the Chen family returns to his ancestral home; Happy 20th Birthday to Chen Shouzhi!"

Aunt Chen smiled and said, "Today is October 20th, your birthday!"

Zhou Fengchen frowned: "My birthday is the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, my father said so!"

Aunt Chen chuckled, "I gave birth to you, don't I know you? Come on, let me introduce you."

"This is Uncle Zhang, this is Uncle Li, this is your Aunt Sun, this is your maternal uncle, this is your aunt, this is your cousin, this is your great-uncle..."

Zhou Fengchen was initially impatient, but every time he introduced someone, that person would pull out a large red envelope.

Zhou Fengchen chuckled upon seeing this, thinking to himself, "That's interesting." He reached out and took the money, saying, "This is quite a sum of money! Thank you, thank you, you're too kind. Please help yourself..."

After finally finishing the round, I was so full of red envelopes that I couldn't even hold them all. Just as I was about to ask Monk Yuanzhi for help, my mother waved her hand, and two waiters came over and took the red envelopes from me.

Zhou Fengchen looked completely bewildered: "What do you mean, sir?"

Chen's mother said with a teasing look, "That's several hundred thousand yuan. I'll keep it for you and save it for when you get married."

"Hehe..." Zhou Fengchen thought to himself, "So he still treats me like a child. My dad used to do the same thing. When an employer gave him ten yuan as a New Year's gift, my dad insisted on taking it and keeping it for him. But the next day, he bought a pack of cigarettes and hid them under his pillow. I and Zhou Linglong secretly smoked one, and I coughed from the smoke. I even got a beating later."

After the formalities were over, the buffet began. Zhou Fengchen sat at a table with Old Master Chen, Chen's father, Chen's mother, and others. The family chatted and laughed, thoroughly enjoying themselves. Zhou Fengchen looked around but couldn't find Chen Siya, so he asked curiously, "Where's my little sister?"

Chen's mother also found it strange and said, "Xiaoya and Qiqi went to buy you a gift. It's been all afternoon, and they haven't come back yet. I wonder what they bought."

Zhou Fengchen said "Oh," and left with a bowl of crabs. After searching around, he finally found Yuan Zhi, who was stuffing himself in a corner. He chuckled and said, "Boss Monk, how was it?"

Monk Yuanzhi wiped his mouth, slammed his hand on the table, and exclaimed, "That's fucking amazing! But... I have to say, brother, that's not fair!"

Zhou Fengchen asked in surprise, "How am I being dishonest?"

Yuanzhi pulled him down to sit, picked up a crab, and said while eating, "With your family so rich, what's the point of us catching ghosts? We might as well just indulge in whoring, gambling, and a life of idleness. Don't look down on me, I can carry your bag and work as a security captain!"

"I won't take a single penny from my family." Zhou Fengchen sighed, sat down, and said, "Do you really think I left because I had a fight with my family? Do you know why I didn't change my name? To be honest, if I stayed at home, in less than five years, this family would probably be dirt poor, and maybe not many people would even survive!"

Monk Yuanzhi felt a chill run down his spine: "What kind of logic is that?"

Zhou Fengchen took a bite of crab and said, "Do you know what my skills are? They're considered Taoist cultivation. Since ancient times, all Taoist practitioners have aimed for immortality, even though everyone knows it's nonsense! But those who truly master extraordinary arts all suffer from the curse of five deficiencies and three lacks, especially Taoists like me who don't rely on magical artifacts or patriarchs and focus solely on internal alchemy. Look at those Taoist masters, aren't they all hiding in the deep mountains or running a small shop? How many of them are truly wealthy and have many descendants? That's called being envied by Heaven. It can't let you have everything, understand?"

Monk Yuanzhi said dejectedly, "What you said makes some sense, but why do I feel so frustrated?"

Zhou Fengchen placed two crabs on his plate, saying, "There's nothing to be upset about. After we finish eating, let's go back to our rented room and get some sleep."

"Alright, let's leave it at that." Monk Yuanzhi said, slapping the table. "What's the point of eating like this? Let's cook a couple of dishes and have some drinks."

"Okay!" Zhou Fengchen waved his hand and called over a waiter. "Hey buddy, a plate of stir-fried pork, a pot of braised chicken, a plate of fried peanuts, and a pound of Erguotou liquor. Put it on your boss's tab and say it's for his son."

The waiter was flattered. "Young master, please wait a moment, it'll be right there. No need to put it on the tab."

He turned and ran away.

Monk Yuanzhi, filled with envy and jealousy, gave him a thumbs-up and exclaimed, "Brother, awesome!"

"Hehe, you're too kind!"

Before long, the food and drinks were served, and the two brothers started drinking at this upscale gathering, attracting a lot of strange looks.

As they were drinking, a girl rushed in from the stairwell, her face pale and panicked. When she reached Chen's parents' table, she could barely speak.

Zhou Fengchen frowned and said to Monk Yuanzhi, "You keep drinking, I'll go check on things!"

When they arrived at Chen Ma's table, the girl was crying and saying something. Chen Ma, Chen Dad, and everyone at the table panicked and stood up.

Zhou Fengchen frowned and asked, "What happened?"

Chen's mother grabbed him, her eyes red-rimmed, "Ah Zhi, your sister has been kidnapped!"

Zhou Fengchen's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly asked the girl, "Who kidnapped you?"

The girl shook her head. "I don't know. I was waiting for them up ahead, and they were behind me. In the blink of an eye, they were gone. All that was left on the ground were their bags and clothes!"

"Don't worry, I can go by myself!"

Zhou Fengchen gritted his teeth, grabbed the girl, and shouted to Monk Yuanzhi, "Monk, let's go! Grab your weapons!"