"This is pretty good. I'll definitely come again when I have time. It's just that the private room fee is a bit expensive."
Sitting beside Jiang Hai's table, everyone had already ordered breakfast and was eating when Huang Yunfei said this with a smile.
"There are cheaper options," Xu Wei added with a grin. "Next time there won't be so many people, so there's no need to book such an expensive private room."
Jiang Hai had covered the private room and drinks the night before, so he didn't particularly care about the cost. As for entertainment expenses, everyone paid their own share—there was no such thing as treating others in this line of work.
After breakfast was served, the group naturally began discussing what had happened the previous night.
Watching them chat animatedly, Jiang Hai couldn't help shaking his head in amusement. These guys really had nothing better to do. Once they finished reminiscing about last night, the conversation shifted to where they should go for fun today.
"I saw you on the phone earlier," Xu Wei said, glancing at Jiang Hai. "Why are you in such a hurry to head back?"
In their eyes, Jiang Hai had only just returned—of course he should stay a while longer. Unfortunately, Jiang Hai didn't have that luxury. Hearing Xu Wei's question, he nodded slightly.
"Winthrop is organizing mountain hunts for tourists," Jiang Hai explained with a smile. "I need to go back and talk to the state government. Any of you interested in coming with me?"
A flicker of anticipation appeared in their eyes, but it vanished just as quickly.
They wanted to go—but reality intervened. Work obligations left them no time to spare.
Since no one could join him, Jiang Hai began arranging his own itinerary. He would definitely visit Xiang Hua's son and Qi Li's mother during his return to Ice City—that alone would take two days. As for his relatives, he saw no reason to visit them; they barely kept in touch anyway. Spending about a week with friends would be more than enough.
After setting his schedule, Jiang Hai made a call to Yuntong Company.
This was the power of the Centurion Card—American Express arranged an internal booking for a flight from Beijing to New York a week later.
At the same time, Jiang Hai found himself thinking again about an idea that had been lingering since his arrival: buying a plane.
He casually mentioned it to American Express customer service.
Less than a minute after ending the call, an invitation appeared in his email.
It was from Boeing Commercial Airplanes, inviting him to attend a test flight event. They had clearly learned of his interest and were making an early move. The event was scheduled for a week later at Boeing's headquarters in Chicago.
Jiang Hai smiled faintly. He planned to buy a plane anyway—there was no harm in attending.
There were direct flights from Beijing to Chicago, so changing plans was easy. After confirming the invitation, he called American Express to rebook his flight.
With everything settled, Jiang Hai relaxed and enjoyed his remaining time in Harbin.
Knowing he would be leaving soon, his friends made an effort to spend every day with him. Aside from one visit to Qi Li's home, Jiang Hai spent most of his time eating, drinking, and hanging out with them.
They went to movies, bowling, and karaoke—this time strictly "vegetarian," since family members were present.
Despite the bitter cold, they even held a barbecue by the river. Jiang Hai dusted off his old fishing skills and was surprised to find they hadn't dulled at all—especially with his "spiritual" bait. He caught fish almost every time.
Although everyone nearly froze—Harbin's temperature hovered just above zero—the atmosphere was lively and full of laughter.
A week passed in the blink of an eye.
After promising to return for the Spring Festival, Jiang Hai prepared to head back to the United States. Though the trip felt rushed, he'd had a great time. He bought dried sausages, grilled sausages, and red sausages to send to Winthrop, then flew back to Beijing himself.
After spending another night with Qi Li and Du Ning, Jiang Hai boarded an early-morning flight to Chicago.
Once onboard, he settled into his private space, watched a movie for a while, then fell asleep. The plane took off at 10:10 a.m. When he opened his eyes again, it was exactly 8:00 a.m.
Time zones.
He had been flying for ten hours, yet it was daytime both in the sky and in Chicago.
After showering, Jiang Hai returned to his seat and waited for landing.
The plane touched down smoothly at Chicago O'Hare International Airport.
As a VIP passenger, Jiang Hai disembarked first.
The moment he stepped into the arrivals hall, he spotted a woman in a black pantsuit holding a sign with his name written in Chinese. She was looking down at her phone, seemingly checking flight information.
Jiang Hai approached her. "Excuse me—are you here to pick up Jiang Hai?"
She looked up and immediately nodded, eyes lighting up.
"Yes! That's you—Mr. Jiang! Hello!" she said excitedly. "I was arranged by American Express. My name is Odelle Bach. Does my voice sound familiar? I'm your Centurion Card operator!"
Hearing her voice, Jiang Hai finally recognized her.
Back when he first received the Centurion Card, he'd briefly imagined what the voice on the phone might look like—but quickly gave up on the idea. A pleasant voice didn't guarantee a pretty face, and besides, he wasn't lacking in female company.
Still, Odelle Bach turned out to be quite attractive.
She was a typical American beauty—long blonde hair, blue eyes, freckles across her cheeks, and a pointed chin that made her look younger than her age. She was slim rather than voluptuous, but well-proportioned. Standing around 1.75 meters tall in heels, she appeared petite without them.
Jiang Hai wasn't particularly interested—but being accompanied by a beautiful woman was always pleasant.
"Hello, Miss Bach," Jiang Hai said, smiling as he extended his hand.
"Hello." Realizing she'd been a bit too enthusiastic, Odelle stuck out her tongue shyly and shook his hand lightly.
"My car's outside. Boeing has arranged everything," she said. "Let me help you with your things."
She reached for his backpack, but Jiang Hai stepped back gently.
"I'll carry it myself," he said with a smile. "A gentleman shouldn't trouble a lady with that."
Odelle smiled and nodded, leading him out of the terminal.
Chicago's cold hit them immediately. Odelle shivered, but Jiang Hai barely noticed. He followed her to a red Beetle and took the passenger seat.
Truthfully, he didn't enjoy riding in such a small car. At nearly two meters tall, he felt far more comfortable in an SUV. Still, it would do.
Odelle started the engine and drove toward downtown Chicago, chatting enthusiastically the entire way.
Her constant chatter made Jiang Hai a little drowsy, but the unfamiliar scenery kept him entertained.
Suddenly, Odelle spoke seriously. "Mr. Jiang… do you know? You're my savior. My idol."
Jiang Hai was startled. "Oh? How so?"
"When I first joined Yuntong, I was an intern for a year before I finally got assigned to your account," she said thoughtfully. "To be honest, no one wanted your line at first. Everyone knew your background—you only had around three hundred million in assets, yet you spent two hundred eighty million buying a manor…"
As she reminisced, Jiang Hai felt a faint trace of embarrassment creeping in.
(To be continued.)