Chapter 608: Private Jet, Welcome Home

Dubai is a great place, but stay too long and you’re bound to get a little tired of it.

People need a sense of novelty, after all.

“Where do you want to go?”

Lin Chu asked with a casual smile.

He didn’t really have anywhere special he wanted to go, either. Maybe the novelty had worn off for him, too.

The idea of traveling the world, which he had once entertained, was now just that—an idea. No matter where he went, it was all the same old routine of wining, dining, and entertainment. There was nothing new to it.

To be honest, his life was now quite far removed from that of an “ordinary person.”

This was both a reality and a source of helplessness.

There were too many unknown, lurking dangers.

‘It’s lonely at the top.’

Even just in Dubai, Lin Chu knew there were more than a few eyes on him. He had simply been cautious, keeping his head down like a tortoise in its shell, not giving anyone a good opportunity to make a move.

“Let’s go… Is there nowhere you want to go?”

Lu Ming thought it over and suddenly realized he didn’t have a clear destination in mind either. He turned the question back with a smile.

“Nope.”

Lin Chu shook his head.

He paused, then added, “If I really had to pick somewhere, I’d rather go to… the United States? To take a look?”

It was a pretty crazy idea.

But Lin Chu was speaking the truth.

That place was the root of it all.

Lately, Liu Junfeng had been laying some groundwork over there, so it might be worth a visit.

Lu Ming’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “Hahaha, spend Christmas in Washington? That doesn’t exactly sound like a good omen, though I admit I’d like to go too. But I don’t think now is the right time. We should at least wait until the situation over there has completely stabilized.”

“Let’s go back to China, shall we?”

“I’m homesick.”

After a moment of consideration, reason won out over impulse. Lu Ming changed his tune with a smile.

‘If Lin Chu went to the United States, wouldn’t that be walking right into a trap?’

‘Who knows how they’d try to deal with him.’

‘It’s better to go back first, get through the New Year, and then reconsider.’

Lin Chu glanced at him, silent for a moment, before giving a slight nod.

“Alright. Let’s go home.”

Suddenly, he felt a touch of apprehension about returning.

But rich or poor, one always has to go home for the New Year.

「」

An Yunzhi chose not to return.

She wanted to stay in Dubai.

Her homeland held too many painful memories. Even though she was with Lin Chu now, she had no desire to “return home in glory” and worried her identity might stir up unnecessary trouble.

Lin Chu respected her decision.

Indeed, it was better for her not to go back—both for professional and personal reasons.

‘Weren’t all his women basically living in their own separate domains?’

Each had her own comfort zone.

‘As far as I’m concerned, this is fine.’

‘The most important thing is not to overthink things or create your own trouble.’

‘In this dazzling world, happiness is all that matters.’

「」

The process for filing for landing clearance back in China was relatively strict. Weapons were obviously not allowed, and all accompanying personnel required background checks. Even with all the paperwork in order, it still took three days to get approval.

After another five-hour flight, Lin Chu’s plane finally touched down at Peng City’s Bao’an Airport.

He didn’t go out of his way to be low-key, nor did he intentionally make a scene. He just did whatever was most convenient.

In the commercial area of the airport terminal, Lin Chu was surprised to see an LC luxury boutique. A quick glance inside revealed only two employees and no one else.

There were no customers at all.

Of course, it wasn’t just his store. Other luxury brands, even major international ones, were similarly deserted.

Seeing this, Lin Chu just shook his head and smiled, unperturbed.

‘This is normal for the end of a market cycle.’

‘Doing business is a lot like playing the stock market. Profit and loss stem from the same source. If you’re not there during the downturn, you won’t get a piece of the action when the market picks up again.’

‘Many bosses are actually dragged down and killed by cash flow problems.’

‘But for me, there’s absolutely no such risk.’

On the advertising screen in front of the store, a documentary about Xiangyun Sha was playing. It had already been filmed and released, and the reception within its small circle was good. However, it hadn’t really broken into the mainstream. After all, it was still a niche product with limited recognition.

Lin Chu paused to watch. An employee inside the store recognized him.

After a flash of surprise, she quickly scurried out to greet him.

Lin Chu gave a casual wave, said a few words telling them to get back to their work, watched for another moment, and then slowly walked away.

‘The products might not be selling, but the employee training is quite good.’

‘Even the staff at a ground-level store like this can recognize me at a glance.’

The feeling was, in a way, quite pleasant.

‘Of course, that’s also because I pay them well.’

Thinking about the three hundred new stores he planned to open next year, a sense of anticipation grew in Lin Chu’s heart again.

‘This is true greed when others are fearful.’

‘Take advantage of the bad market and falling asset prices to expand against the trend!’

「」

Yang Huixian was the one who came to pick him up today. The temperature in Peng City was a bit cold. She wore a white overcoat, tall boots, and a face mask, giving her a very powerful aura.

Ever since Lin Chu’s “incident,” she hadn’t been back to Dubai or even left the country. Although the store in Dubai was still under renovation, she was just managing it remotely, having sent a trusted person to supervise the work.

With such a large enterprise, it was impossible to handle everything personally. The most important thing was to maintain control of the core aspects.

Of course, Yang Huixian had a few other thoughts of her own.

At the very least, she was now fully aware of An Yunzhi’s existence.