The security manager and his team were surprised to see Liu Shishi and the others approaching. However, when they heard the manager mention Miao Tao's name, they all paused, then looked towards Li Yutong's boyfriend.
"Who let you in? If you don't want things to get ugly, I advise you to leave now..."
After taking the call, the security manager intended to quickly get rid of Liu Shishi and her group so he could attend to the guests his boss had instructed him to receive. He didn't expect to be interrupted mid-sentence.
"I am Miao Tao!"
Miao Tao, who was holding Li Yutong's hand, spoke. The security manager was taken aback. Just as he received a call from his boss, the person in front of him stated his name was Miao Tao. It seemed too coincidental.
"You, your name is Miao Tao??"
However, Miao Tao's demeanor suggested he was no ordinary person. The security manager, experienced and with a good eye for people, didn't outwardly show his confusion, to avoid offending anyone.
Miao Tao, not wanting to waste time, directly took out his identification, covering the important parts and only revealing his photo and name.
"So, it really is Mr. Miao. I'm so sorry, please forgive my ignorance. I hope you won't hold this against me."
Seeing the ID, the security manager had no doubts left and apologized profusely and humbly.
At this point, Qiao Yi, standing beside them, said, "Oh ho, not kicking us out now? Show us that arrogant and overbearing attitude you had earlier." Seeing the security manager, who had just ordered them to leave, become so subservient, Qiao Yi wasn't going to let him off the hook.
The security manager felt an urge to get angry, but upon seeing Miao Tao standing next to Qiao Yi, the guest his boss had specifically asked him to receive, he could only force a smile.
"Esteemed guest, what happened earlier was a misunderstanding. Regarding the phone you broke, I will have someone compensate you and ensure you are satisfied."
With things reaching this point, and with Li Yutong's boyfriend present, Qiao Yi didn't want to appear overly aggressive.
Upon arriving at the hotel lobby, Miao Tao told Li Yutong that he had some business to attend to and asked her to check in with her friends first, promising to find her later. Li Yutong nodded obediently. Miao Tao then bid farewell to everyone before leaving with the security manager.
After Miao Tao departed, Liu Shishi and the others proceeded to check in at the front desk. As there were many of them and they were all girls who preferred not to use public hot springs, they paid extra for one of the twelve constellations suites. Essentially, this meant they had their own private courtyard with a hot spring pool, offering better privacy.
"Wow, this courtyard is huge! I love it. Tsk, tsk, this hot spring pool is also quite large; it's big enough for the four of us to swim in."
The group followed the front desk receptionist to the twelve constellations suite they had chosen. Upon entering the courtyard, they saw a long, rectangular hot spring pool on the left and a small pavilion for resting on the right. After a brief tour of the courtyard, they went inside the room to unpack their luggage.
A while later, after finishing unpacking, they gathered in the living room to relax and chat.
"Tongtong, we really owe your boyfriend today. As soon as he arrived, those two annoying security guards at the entrance, and this bothersome security manager, all changed their tune. I wish I had a boyfriend who made me feel so secure."
Jiang Mengmeng looked at Li Yutong beside her with envy. Li Yutong was naturally pleased to hear her boyfriend praised. However, she felt a bit shy to say much, as any slip of the tongue could turn into excessive affection, something her reserved nature wasn't accustomed to. Soon, the conversation shifted to where they would go to play later, buy some nice swimsuits, and then enjoy the hot springs in the evening.
"Mr. Miao, this is where the boss instructed me to bring you. I won't be going in," the security manager of the hot spring resort said respectfully, leading Miao Tao to a secluded courtyard at the far end of the hotel.
Miao Tao nodded and walked in. As he entered the courtyard, he saw an elder sitting in a small pavilion, drinking tea.
"Commander-in-Chief!"
The moment Miao Tao saw the elder, he stood as straight as a javelin and saluted with perfect military precision.
The elder turned and looked at him, a gentle smile on his face. "Alright, this isn't the base, there's no need to be so formal. Relax."
If one were to judge solely by the elder's harmless smile, one might mistake him for a kind old man. However, those who knew him understood that he was a figure of immense importance throughout China, and many, like Miao Tao, regarded him as the ultimate goal of their life's endeavors.
"Yes!"
Miao Tao replied, but his posture remained rigidly upright. The elder, well aware of the reason for his behavior, simply shook his head and said nothing further.
"A Tao."
Just then, a man of Miao Tao's age emerged from the house.
"Captain!"
Miao Tao again assumed a perfect stance and saluted. The man who had just come out approached, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Damn it, we're this close, and we're not at the base. You're still doing this?"
Miao Tao gave a wry smile, rubbing the back of his head. "It's become a habit."
At this point, the elder who had been drinking tea in the pavilion stood up.
"Grandpa, where are you going?"
"I'm getting old, can't sit still. I'm going back inside to rest. You two chat."
Miao Tao raised his hand again as if to salute, but seeing the man beside him, he lowered it. After the elder went inside, the man who had just emerged pulled Miao Tao into the pavilion and they sat down.
"You rascal, are you bored at the base? Are a few robbers worth sending someone from our Dragon Group?"
Miao Tao laughed heartily. "Nothing gets past you, Captain. I haven't been on a mission for several months, so as soon as I heard there was a mission in Rongcheng, I volunteered immediately. To be honest, I had a small selfish motive: my girlfriend and some friends are playing here, and I wanted to see her after the mission."
"I knew it! That's why you're back in Rongcheng. My grandfather even privately asked me if I'd leaked his arrival in Rongcheng to you. I told him absolutely not. I must say, you're quite sly, aren't you? Finish the mission, then spend time with your girlfriend. You truly manage not to miss a beat."
The man who had come out of the house was Fu Xiaohao, and the person resting in the pavilion was Fu Zhenting. Although Fu Zhenting was on vacation, any Dragon Group member in his vicinity was required to report to him by regulations. The mission in Rongcheng, strictly speaking, didn't require the involvement of the Dragon Group. Fu Zhenting had been wondering if the person undertaking the mission knew he was here and deliberately requested to come to Rongcheng, perhaps hoping to curry favor.