"Yeah, you drove a BMW when you came before. Looks like you're doing well," Zhou Qing said, teasingly, as she knew the good relationship between Lin Chen and Qin Shan.
When Lin Chen was in prison, Qin Shan often accompanied her to visit. However, he had gone to another city for his career and hadn't returned for a long time. Upon hearing the news of Lin Chen's release, he rushed back to Hangcheng as soon as he could to see him.
"By the way, the class reunion is tomorrow noon. If you want to go, you can still make it back to Hangcheng tonight or tomorrow morning," Zhou Qing relayed all the information Qin Shan had told her to Lin Chen with a smile. "It's at that place, Tianhao Hotel."
"Alright, if that's the case, then I'll head back to Hangcheng as well." Lin Chen couldn't help but smile genuinely after hearing Zhou Qing. He cared a lot about Qin Shan. It was also a good opportunity to see how the Shangguan family was developing in Hangcheng and to check on the progress of Shangguan Ling'er's pharmaceutical company.
"Okay, but there's something… I don't know if it's just me or if it's your arrangement?" Suddenly, Zhou Qing seemed to recall something and asked Lin Chen.
"Oh? What is it?" Lin Chen was momentarily taken aback, curious.
"Lately, I've noticed someone watching us from the shadows. At first, I thought they were bad people, but after a while, I realized they didn't seem to have any ill intentions towards us. So, is it you, or Director Qiu, who hired bodyguards for Auntie?" Zhou Qing didn't hesitate and told Lin Chen everything she had noticed recently. She believed it was perfectly normal for Lin Chen, given his current status, to arrange for some bodyguards to protect them discreetly. After all, those people didn't seem to be intentionally hiding themselves, nor did they appear malicious. If they were bodyguards arranged by Lin Chen or Qiu Hanying, then everything would make sense, wouldn't it? Considering how much Lin Chen valued his mother, it wasn't impossible for him to assign bodyguards to watch over them from a distance.
"Oh? That must be people sent by Long Yuling, right?" Lin Chen mused for a moment after hearing Zhou Qing's words and quickly came to a conclusion. He had previously asked Long Yuling to ensure his mother's safety. At that time, she had indeed assigned a few female cultivators in the Qi Refining stage to specifically protect his mother and Zhou Qing, so he had always been at ease.
"I see." Zhou Qing felt a lot more relieved after Lin Chen's explanation. Since they were bodyguards sent by Lin Chen's friend, they were undoubtedly trustworthy. She had a better understanding now of Lin Chen's influential friends, whose status was comparable to Qiu Hanying's, making it easy for them to find bodyguards.
"Alright, you should get going too. I still have a lot of work to do." Zhou Qing sighed with a hint of helplessness. Because of Lin Chen, she had become a high-level executive at Rushuang Group. Furthermore, Qiu Hanying was personally grooming her as a key talent, so she naturally didn't have much free time to go around.
"Hehehe, okay." "Then, Sister Qing, I'll bring Mom to see you later, okay?" Lin Chen felt a bit helpless hearing Zhou Qing's slightly mournful tone. It couldn't be helped. Although Rushuang Group had acquired the entire He family, the He family members couldn't be entirely trusted. However, Zhou Qing and the others were his true confidantes. Lin Chen felt completely at ease entrusting them with not just company shares, but even his life.
"Alright, go on now." Hearing Lin Chen's words, Zhou Qing waved her hand. She was actually quite satisfied with her current life. Of course, she also knew that everything she had today was due to Lin Chen's contributions. However, since they had grown up together, there wasn't much formality between them.
After leaving Zhou Qing's place, Lin Chen returned to the Long family's residence. The next morning, early, the Wu brothers, Wu Long and Wu Hu, drove Lin Chen and Zhang Ying to Hangcheng. For Lin Chen, Hangcheng was his true base. Not only was his master in seclusion there, but it was also where he had grown up.
They arrived in Hangcheng around noon. "Sister Ying, why don't you go see Master with Wu Long and Wu Hu first? I'll go after the class reunion, is that okay?" Lin Chen suggested to Zhang Ying as they arrived in Hangcheng. His master was currently in seclusion, and he might not be able to see him even if he went. But based on the timing Qin Shan had mentioned, the class reunion was about to start. Since that was the case, he might as well attend the reunion first, see his old friends, and then visit his master.
"Mm, alright, you go ahead. I doubt we'll be able to see Father even if we go back now. You should handle your matters first," Zhang Ying nodded and instructed Lin Chen. Her father was currently undergoing a crucial Nascent Soul stage breakthrough. If luck wasn't on his side, he might not come out of seclusion for two to three years. Although his father had taken the top-tier Nascent Soul Pill, and the success rate of the breakthrough was almost guaranteed, the exact time of his emergence from seclusion was still an unknown. Naturally, even if Lin Chen went back now, he would only be met with a closed door and wouldn't achieve anything substantial. It would be better for Lin Chen to attend to his own affairs first and then return to the sect later.
"Okay, I'll be going now." After receiving Zhang Ying's approval, Lin Chen turned and left. He hailed a taxi by the roadside and sped towards Tianhao Hotel. Upon arriving at the hotel entrance, Lin Chen was filled with emotions. The first time he came to this hotel was for Qin Wanru's wedding, where he had crashed the party. Now, returning again, Lin Chen felt no lingering emotions.
"Huh? You look so familiar!" However, just as Lin Chen was about to enter the hotel, a surprised voice came from the side.
"Pfft, isn't that Lin Chen? The ex-convict who just got out." Another voice was filled with mockery, showing no regard for Lin Chen. "I can't believe he has the nerve to show up at the class reunion!"