Chapter 411: The Strawberries Are Ripe

It wasn't that Chen Jianhai was getting cocky. This silver rank was something he and Xiaolang had worked hard for, playing duo games and cursing their way through. 

Reaching the top of the server was tough, but dropping from silver to bronze was even harder! 

"Boss Chen, if you don't mind, I can help you rank up," Qin Li said sincerely as she looked through Chen Jianhai's battle history, especially after seeing the legendary hero score a magnificent 0-18-4 under his control.

Chen Jianhai thought to himself, *Help me rank up? Can you curse like we do?* But he didn't say it out loud. After all, others were playing peak and promotion matches, while he and Xiaolang were playing with passion. Their focus was different.

"If playing games can help foster relationships and communication, it's also a good method!" Chen Jianhai thought, eagerly pulling out his phone.

"Our ranks are quite far apart, so I'll create a new account. Give me a few minutes," Qin Li said as she quickly created a new account. In no time, her voice rang out, "Alright, Boss Chen, log in!"

Chen Jianhai accepted the invitation, but he was immediately displeased upon entering the game room. *Why is she starting a ranked match right away? And without Xiaolang, if I drop to bronze, how will I play ranked with Xiaolang in the gold tier?* 

And wasn't her username a bit too arrogant? It was "Qin Wang." Despite these thoughts, he happily clicked "Start Game."

Six minutes later, victory.

Chen Jianhai was unfazed. It was just a silver-level match, mostly bronze players—nothing worth bragging about.

Six minutes later, victory.

Six minutes later, victory.

...

Chen Jianhai looked at the terrifying win rate, feeling overwhelmed. Qin Li had been carrying every game like a madwoman, ending them so quickly that Chen Jianhai hadn't even had time to curse before the word "Victory" flashed on the screen.

Chen Jianhai gave Qin Li, whose hand speed was terrifyingly fast, a deep look, silently marveling at how fierce she was. Just then, his phone rang, and before he could say a word, Xiaolang's frustrated voice came through the receiver: "Did you hire a booster?!"

"No," Chen Jianhai replied helplessly. *I've purely relied on my own strength, clinging to a pro player's coattails...*

"Qin Li used to be a professional gamer before starting her company," Wang Bocai chimed in.

Chen Jianhai's eyes lit up with admiration.

Although Qin Li loved playing games and Chen Jianhai wanted to latch onto her and rank up, the occasion tonight wasn't right for it. After helping Chen Jianhai rank up a bit, they both politely smiled, agreed to game together in the future, and then went to socialize with others.

Chen Jianhai moved through the KTV like a busy bee, constantly keeping an eye on the conversations happening around him. As soon as a conversation ended, he'd quickly seize the opportunity to join in, getting to know the industry big shots.

Even though it was their first meeting, and there wasn't any business to discuss deeply, it was still good to make an acquaintance and exchange contact information. Future opportunities could be discussed later~~~

"Huang Ge, I heard you all talking about strawberry fields and picking strawberries. What's that about?" Chen Jianhai asked as he sat down with Huang Baichuan after another round of chatting and exchanging contacts. The two finally had a moment together.

Despite the loud music in the background, Chen Jianhai's sharp ears caught some words that piqued his curiosity. Normally, he might have thought they were talking about fruit trading, but none of the people here were in the fruit business, which made it all the more intriguing.

Huang Baichuan laughed and said, "Here, when someone mentions strawberry fields or picking strawberries, it means they're planning something big."

Chen Jianhai was taken aback, not expecting strawberries to have such a meaning.

Seeing the look of realization on Chen Jianhai's face, Huang Baichuan smiled mischievously and leaned in, teasing, "Boss Chen, are the strawberries in your field ripe?"

Without hesitation, Chen Jianhai nodded, "They're ripe. Want to come pick some?"

...

For real? This sudden role reversal caught Huang Baichuan off guard. He was just joking, but Chen Jianhai had taken it seriously.

"Are there really strawberries?" Huang Baichuan asked, confused by Chen Jianhai's earnestness.

Chen Jianhai replied, "You know the Magic Century Park being built near Zaomen, right?"

Huang Baichuan nodded.

Chen Jianhai humbly continued, "I bought a piece of land next to the Magic Century Park in Zaomen to build a property-style hotel. Would you be interested in picking some strawberries?"

Huang Baichuan scrutinized Chen Jianhai, as if trying to discern whether he was serious or not.

"Buying land? How much land did you buy?" Huang Baichuan asked, testing the waters.

Chen Jianhai frowned slightly and replied modestly, "My assistant handled the details, so I'm not sure exactly how much. But I bought all the land on the left side of Cream Road."

"If you buy it, you can stay for free in any hotel under the Langai brand for 21 days each year and receive dividends at the end of the year. Interested?"

Chen Jianhai spoke nonchalantly, as if to say, "Consider it or not, this swan meat doesn't need you to covet it."

Huang Baichuan was even more confused. Even though he reacted quickly, he didn't expect Chen Jianhai to be so straightforward, leaving no time or opportunity to probe further.

As he was still hesitating, a voice sounded behind them:

"I heard Boss Chen mention strawberries earlier. Are there enough for me to pick some?"

Seeing who it was, Chen Jianhai immediately put on a warm and welcoming smile. "Xu Papa!"

Xu Papa?! Huang Baichuan stared at Chen Jianhai in shock. *Do you have no shame? You've already started calling someone 'Papa' after just one meal?!*

"Chairman Xu, Boss Chen, you two talk. I'm going to the restroom." Huang Baichuan, sensing the subtle change in the atmosphere, decided to make a quick exit.

"Boss Chen, your business is really growing," Xu Batian said with a smile. Although he wasn't as tall as Chen Jianhai, his presence was just as strong, and given the age difference, it felt more like a father educating his son.

"Xu Papa, please just call me Xiao Hai," Chen Jianhai quickly responded. Ever since that incident with Xu Bo, Chen Jianhai couldn't help but feel guilty whenever he saw Xu Batian. 

Glancing at Xu Batian's muscular frame, Chen Jianhai decided to throw his friend under the bus. 

"Xu Papa, Da Bo is currently at my Xiao Dao Hotel... You can have him come home anytime, and I'll call him immediately!"