Reborn: I'll Never Fail My Childhood Sweetheart Again

Chapter 589 - 220: Class President, I Don’t Want to Go Home Tonight

On the eve of the official winter vacation, the school had no more arrangements, so some college students living nearby could immediately go home.

Jianglan wasn’t far from Lin’an, and the highway was open this year, so after attending the department meeting in the afternoon and packing up to catch a bus at the station, he could be home that night.

However, Qin Shiqing gets carsick on long-distance buses, so she opted to take the train the next day.

If Su Zelin delayed for two or three days, it would’ve been fine, but the slacker claimed there was work at the company, so he had to stay in Lin’an for at least another week, which couldn’t be helped.

In the morning, Qin Shiqing and the others left Lin’an, and Su Zelin drove them to the train station, as there was no way around it since the empress dowager had decreed it.

Due to work commitments, not being able to return with Qin Shiqing was something Zhao Lixia could understand, but at least he had to take her to the train station.

The empress dowager’s decree was not to be disobeyed, so he could only make this trip.

On the way back from the train station, the Nokia 8210 rang.

He took it out and saw that it was a call from Huang Hongbo.

"Zelin, are you free later? Your Aunt Li and I are about to arrive in Lin’an and wanted to invite you for a meal."

The expressway along the Jianglan to Lin’an route was officially open, and the rich couple set out early in the morning to pick up their precious daughter, now almost in Lin’an.

"Uh, okay, Uncle Huang."

Originally, Su Zelin planned to stop by the company, but he could only show some respect to Mr. and Mrs. Huang, since they were the parents of a junior schoolmate.

"Alright, see you in a bit."

"Okay!"

"..."

Half an hour later, they met Huang Hongbo and Li Juan under the girls’ dormitory building at the finance college.

After exchanging greetings, Huang Hongbo’s gaze landed on the Santana 2000, his interest piqued, and he casually asked, "Changed cars?"

Prior, Su Zelin had been driving a Volkswagen Santana, which looked a bit different from the Santana 2000. Having seen both models often in Jianglan, as many government officials drove these, Huang Hongbo recognized it immediately.

"Yeah, had a small job shift, the company provided it."

Su Zelin nodded slightly while handing over a Yellow Crane Tower cigarette.

"Special edition?"

Huang Hongbo was impressed again.

This wasn’t the usual Yellow Crane Tower found on the market but a special edition, difficult to obtain.

"Yes, Uncle Huang, you’re quite the expert."

Su Zelin didn’t deny it.

Previously, he returned an envelope to Zhang Yuanhang, hinting that he would not accept bribe money. Not long after his second store got approval, the guy sent over some special edition Yellow Crane Tower cigarettes.

This time, Su Zelin accepted them.

This special edition cigarette was indeed hard to come by and much better than the regular version.

"That’s impressive!"

Huang Hongbo couldn’t help but give a thumbs up.

The saying goes, "After separation for three days, see someone with new eyes."

This phrase was perfectly suited to describe Su Zelin.

In just one semester, he’d upgraded from a Volkswagen Santana to a Santana 2000 and started smoking special edition cigarettes.

The obvious changes signified one thing as well.

The company where Su Zelin worked had really taken off, and many people were seeking his help.

During the past six months or so, he had been keeping an eye on New Era, noticing its alarming rate of expansion.

It was like a snowball rolling, doubling at an astonishing pace.

Now, its directly operated and franchise stores added up to dozens of outlets, almost covering every major city in the province, with a clear trend of rapid growth.

At the last Taste Residence dinner, the junior schoolmate also attended, and she proudly called her parents afterward, claiming that Su Zelin was something special now, casually dining with bureau-level officials in Lin’an, and hosting the major leader from the finance academy’s art gala.

Of course, there was some exaggeration on the junior schoolmate’s part, as they mainly had shared interests, but Huang Hongbo was still quite surprised upon hearing it.

After all, being a bureau-level in the provincial capital was not comparable to Jianglan.

In Jianglan, someone like him could easily mingle with many bureau-level officials, as the circle wasn’t lacking in such people, but in the provincial capital, who would know you? Even if you had money in a small place, many provincial leaders might not take you seriously, considering you just a nouveau riche.

But being respected as a businessman in the provincial capital was quite different.

Huang Hongbo had long realized that Su Zelin should be able to hold his own once he entered society, but he still underestimated him. Even at school, he was doing quite well, having become an executive in a large enterprise as a junior; the future looked very promising.

"Zelin is getting more impressive, Panpan, you should learn from your Senior Su; he’s a man doing big things!"

Li Juan’s attitude toward Su Zelin had completely changed, finding him more and more agreeable while considering him and her daughter the perfect match.

"Of course, I’ve always followed in the senior’s footsteps!"

The junior schoolmate puffed up Xiong Er proudly.

Hearing others talk about how impressive Su Zelin was always made her very proud.

The four of them found a small restaurant nearby for lunch, and in the end, Su Zelin picked up the tab; after all, he was the local in Lin’an, and Mr. and Mrs. Huang were the guests, so it was polite to treat them.

After the meal, they said their goodbyes, and Huang Hongbo drove off.

Originally, Huang Panpan didn’t want to head back to Jianglan so soon; she had heard that since Su Zelin didn’t leave with Qin Shiqing and would be staying here for a while, it was a good chance to make up for lost time.

However, Su Zelin managed to persuade her to return, saying he was quite busy, and even if he stayed longer, he might not be around the dorm often, might have to travel for business, etc., leaving the junior schoolmate no choice but to give up her plans.