Chapter 586 - 380: Tokyo Trip (9)
Chen Yuan had never been to Tokyo, nor did he know anyone from the Jiang Sub-Branch here. This trip was truly an eye-opener for him. It turned out the branch here wasn’t named Jiang Energy, but had been renamed Jiangno Maru Hong Co., Ltd., and its operations and management style were completely different from those in Huaxia.
The company had its own president and a rich corporate culture.
It wasn’t just responsible for the Jiang family’s usual business of developing and managing raw material resources like oil, coal, and electricity. It also provided large-scale complete equipment for petrochemicals, building materials, steel, and other industries. The company had import-export trade operations in a wide range of regions, with business divisions for investment and financing as well.
The company’s headquarters were located in Edo Prefecture and Osaka. The president’s name was Shen Wanqing, the very same college classmate Chacha had mentioned.
It was worth mentioning that Cha’s full name was Zhou Cha, and she had graduated from the internationally renowned Edo Prefecture University.
It seemed that a good university was indeed the first stepping stone to changing one’s life, especially for graduates of top-tier schools.
When Chen Yuan mentioned it was an "eye-opener," he wasn’t just referring to the different business operations. He was more astounded by the wild ideas of the bigwigs at Jiangno Maru Hong Co., Ltd. After getting off his private jet and walking out of the airport, he was greeted by a crowd of men in sunglasses and black suits. A red carpet was rolled out on the ground. The moment these men, who looked like they were extras from *The Matrix*, saw him emerge...
...they actually started playing ceremonial music and scattering flower petals.
Then, a roguish-looking man with long hair slid over on his knees, performed a knight’s salute, and said devoutly, "Fuji roses, at 1,714 yen a stem, blooming for our honored Young Master. Welcome to Tokyo. We are here awaiting you on the orders of President Feng Qingzi."
Chen Yuan was startled and took several steps back, thinking he was some kind of assassin coming to attack him.
But the man didn’t pull a knife or gun from his coat; it was a vibrant rose.
’So... cringey.’
Forcing himself to endure the discomfort, Chen Yuan accepted the flower. Then, music suddenly blared—a saxophone and violin duet—as a bow-tied orchestra appeared to his left.
’Wait, did they really bring an entire orchestra to the airport just to pick me up?’
"Stop, stop, stop!" Chen Yuan waved his hand.
"Understood, Young Master. Stop the music." The man clapped his hands twice.
"What’s your name?"
"Honored Young Master, my name is Inoue Takuya. I currently serve as the head of the company’s Foreign Trade Department."
"For pulling a stunt this awful, you’re fired. Get someone else to pick me up," Chen Yuan said with a deadpan expression.
"Huh?"
"Just kidding," Chen Yuan said with a smile, waving his hand. Seeing Inoue’s sudden panic, he turned serious. "Do you know why I’ve come to Edo Prefecture?"
"I understand! Madam Jiang left in a huff and came here to travel. You’re here to win her back, and to conduct an inspection on the side."
"Good. Do your men have eyes on Madam Jiang?"
"Everything is under control." Like a magician, Inoue pulled a walkie-talkie from his back pocket and spoke in a low voice, "Recon team, report Madam Jiang’s position."
A scratchy voice crackled from the walkie-talkie, reporting the street block, sign numbers, and even the location of manhole covers—it was extremely detailed.
When Inoue looked back at Chen Yuan, his face was wreathed in a smile, his eyebrows raised as if showing off how detailed his intelligence was.
He might have looked like a manly guy, but he was actually the company’s most notorious gossip. He was the sentimental type who could cry from start to finish watching any pure-love drama series. Chen Yuan crossing the ocean to win back his love was a plot straight out of a light novel, romantic in a way. Inoue was already picturing a heart-wrenching epic in his mind. He couldn’t help but secretly start shipping them.
Besides, according to the recon team’s intel, the never-before-seen Madam Jiang was an exceptionally beautiful girl, as if she’d walked right out of an anime. And upon meeting Chen Yuan, even Inoue, who considered himself the face of the company, had to admit that Young Master Jiang was a rare handsome man.
A handsome man, a beautiful woman, the cherry blossom season.
All the elements were in place.
’There could be no better spring festival offering than to silently watch this couple stand side-by-side beneath the Tokyo Tower from afar.’
"Let’s head over now," Chen Yuan said, starting to walk quickly. A moment later, as if remembering something, he added, "Make sure my girlfriend doesn’t spot your people. She doesn’t know I’m here. I might have to go back in a few days to handle business, so once I’ve confirmed she’s safe, it’ll be easier for me to leave."
"Understood, sir."
Inoue nodded and signaled to a man in a suit standing nearby to open the car door. Chen Yuan immediately ducked inside.
The smell of alcohol still churned in his stomach, a warm scent he exhaled with every breath. He had to stretch his neck and make a slight effort to suppress it.
At that moment, the Tokyo night sky began to grow deeper and darker.
...
This trip had started off with the worst luck. Plans and reality were two completely different things. Biting her lip to hold back the bitterness in her heart, Jiang Yao walked down the street, feeling lost and dejected. Even when she saw a hotel nearby, she couldn’t bring herself to walk in.
She had already checked nearly every hotel in the area. For any that were still open, she would muster her courage, step inside, and ask.
Without exception, every single one was fully booked. There were no vacant rooms.
With each shake of a receptionist’s head, Jiang Yao’s spirits sank lower. She could only drag her suitcase back out, like a homeless ghost lost in this dazzling city.
The journey was already exhausting, and the more she walked, the more tired she felt.
"Hello, miss? Are you here traveling? Want to come check out the Shinjuku Huayi Hotel?"
Just then, someone standing at the mouth of an alley suddenly called out.
Jiang Yao looked up and saw a petite girl dressed like a student. She was wearing a short skirt and over-the-knee socks, paired with a sweater on top, and holding a sign.
The hotel’s name and prices were written on the flashy-looking sign.
"You have rooms there?" Jiang Yao blurted out, only then realizing the other person was speaking Chinese.
"We do! Lots and lots of rooms."
"Where is it?"
"I can take you there right now. It’s more than half the price of the hotels around here. During tourist season, a lot of people from Huaxia stay with us."
Seeing that Jiang Yao was interested in a room, the petite girl suddenly became extremely enthusiastic. Without another word, she insisted on carrying the suitcase for her. Before Jiang Yao could react, the girl had already taken it.
The girl led the way, turning back to talk to Jiang Yao as they walked. She mentioned she was a student and occasionally greeted other students along the side of the road.
She seemed to be very familiar with the area.
But after a series of left and right turns, they entered a dilapidated building and rounded a corner on the second floor. When Jiang Yao saw the scene before her, her heart sank.
A dimly lit front desk, a wooden table of indeterminate age, and an old woman with a wrinkled face standing behind it.
The girl then started talking with the old woman in Japanese.
"Miss, what kind of room would you like? I’ll help you take your luggage there."
After their conversation, she turned and asked.
"Can I see your best room? This place feels a little creepy..."
"Well, it’s cheap, so it’s bound to have some drawbacks. I’ll take you to have a look first. Besides, it’s really hard to find a good hotel outside at this hour."
"That’s true."
Jiang Yao forced a smile and continued to follow the girl down the hallway.
Unbelievably, even the "best" room looked worse than a chain motel in a small Huaxia city. The walls were damp, the color of the wooden floor was indiscernible, and a glance at the cracks in the bed frame suggested countless tiny creatures were hiding within.
Jiang Yao only needed one look to get goosebumps all over.
There was no way she was staying here. She snatched her suitcase back from the girl and hurriedly fled.
Once she was back on the street, Jiang Yao’s heart was pounding. THUMP, THUMP, THUMP. She kept looking back to see if the girl was chasing her.
’She’d rather die than spend a single night in a hotel like that.’
’In the end, I can’t even handle something so simple... I can’t even find a hotel to rest in.’
’Coming here so rashly was such a thoughtless, stupid thing to do. I should have waited a few more days and come with Wan... or just stayed in my warm home...’
Jiang Yao found a bench in a park by the road and sat down. Her mind couldn’t help but drift to her bedroom back home.
The clean room, the soft bed, the reassuring scent, and all the familiar things within arm’s reach.
WHOOSH—
Cars sped past on the road next to the park, one after another.
Jiang Yao lowered her head, an irrepressible sense of grievance welling up inside her.
’Why on earth did I come to Tokyo alone?’
’I miss home so much...’
A moment later, the corners of her mouth turned down. Even though she bit her lip hard, she couldn’t fight back the urge to cry. A stinging sensation pricked her nose, and two lines of tears slid from the corners of her eyes.
She didn’t dare to cry too loudly, afraid of attracting attention. She raised her hand to wipe away the tears, one swipe at a time, her shoulders trembling faintly.
Under the soft glow of a streetlight, she looked like a stray cat that had lost its home.
"Oh my, whose poor little thing is this? Crying so pitifully, it makes my heart ache just watching."
Suddenly, as tears blurred Jiang Yao’s vision, that familiar, gentle voice sounded beside her ear.
She snapped her head up, her eyes filled with disbelief.
Chen Yuan was crouching in front of her, propping his chin on his hand as he watched her. The corners of his mouth were turned up in a mischievous smile.
He hadn’t actually planned on revealing himself. But who would have thought his silly girlfriend couldn’t even find a hotel to rest in? Hiding in the shadows and watching her cry was not something a real man should do.
"Am I... Am I dreaming?" she murmured, her voice thick with tears.