Chapter 279 Tang Tower, London's Chinese Business Tycoons
"What's wrong?" Lin Haoran asked again, standing outside the bathroom.
"Brother Haoran, could you go to my room and bring my pink suitcase? The clothes I brought are all wet," Guo Xiaohan said, her voice filled with embarrassment but also a trace of complex emotion as she noticed how respectfully Lin Haoran was behaving.
"Alright, I'll get it for you," Lin Haoran said, half amused. He had thought it was something serious.
He left the room, closed the door behind him, went into Guo Xiaohan's room, pulled out the pink suitcase, and brought it back to the master bedroom.
"I've placed the suitcase by the bathroom door. I'll head out now," he said.
As he glanced inside, he caught sight of Guo Xiaohan in her bathrobe, and couldn't help but think how amazing her figure was.
"Thank you, Brother Haoran," Guo Xiaohan said sweetly.
After the door closed again, Guo Xiaohan breathed a sigh of relief, although her mind continued to swirl with emotions.
Her greatest fear was that Lin Haoran might not find her appealing.
Walking out of the bathroom wrapped in a bathrobe, Guo Xiaohan's heart was complicated.
She would much rather marry someone like Lin Haoran, whose rise she had personally witnessed, than be forced into marrying some stranger from a wealthy family.
A year ago, Lin Haoran had only been seen as a promising young man by her uncle, Guo Henian.
But today, his status was almost equal to her uncle's—a rise so rapid it was almost unheard of.
While her mind wandered, her hands kept busy.
She locked the door first, then opened the suitcase and quickly found a new set of clothes to change into.
After getting dressed, she carried her wet clothes and suitcase back to her own room.
When she saw Lin Haoran again, her face flushed red once more.
Normally, she was calm and composed, having seen her share of the world thanks to her prestigious upbringing.
But in front of Lin Haoran, she couldn't control her emotions: nervousness, shyness, worry... feelings she rarely experienced otherwise.
After putting away her clothes, blow-drying her hair, and carefully dressing up, Guo Xiaohan reappeared before Lin Haoran.
"Brother Haoran," she called out.
After showering, Guo Xiaohan seemed to radiate an even greater charm—her skin looked so smooth it seemed as if it would break at a touch.
She wore a floral long dress, a refreshing change from her usual business attire, and looked truly captivating.
"You look beautiful," Lin Haoran said, after openly admiring her for a moment, making Guo Xiaohan feel bashful but delighted.
"It seems Brother Haoran doesn't have no feelings for me after all," Guo Xiaohan thought secretly, her heart fluttering.
"Brother Haoran, do we have any plans for today?" she asked, after calming down, sitting beside him on the sofa.
For the next week, she would be following Lin Haoran; only after that would she start handling the Guo family's projects in the UK.
"I'll take you all to London's Chinatown later. How does that sound?" Lin Haoran said with a smile.
"That sounds wonderful!
I've always heard about London's Chinatown, and I planned to visit it during this trip.
Brother Haoran, having you take me there is just perfect," Guo Xiaohan said happily.
Working as Guo Henian's assistant had been a strict experience, and she had grown used to being serious all the time.
Now, being so far away from her uncle, she felt like she was back in her university days in America.
But every time she looked at Lin Haoran, complex feelings rose in her heart.
"Maybe... this is what liking someone feels like," Guo Xiaohan thought silently.
Meanwhile, Li Weidong and Li Weiguo had both finished showering in the public bathroom.
Seeing this, Lin Haoran checked the time—it was almost noon—and said, "Get ready, we'll head out soon."
Each tycoon had been assigned a private car by the government, available anytime.
This arrangement made things convenient, without needing to worry whether Li Weidong and Li Weiguo knew London's streets.
There wasn't much to prepare.
Within a couple of minutes, Lin Haoran led the group out.
In the hotel corridor, they ran into Bao Yugang.
"Haoran, where are you headed?" Bao Yugang asked curiously with a smile.
"I'm planning to visit Chinatown. How about you, Uncle Bao?" Lin Haoran asked in return.
"I won't be going out today.
Old age catches up with you—you young people have much more energy.
I'll just have lunch at the hotel and rest afterward," Bao Yugang said, shaking his head with a hint of lament.
Although only sixty-two, Lin Haoran knew Bao Yugang's health had already begun to decline; he had just over a decade left.
Given the twenty-plus hours of travel, it made sense for him to rest.
They all rode the elevator together.
When they reached the third-floor restaurant, Bao Yugang said goodbye to Lin Haoran and left for lunch.
Lin Haoran continued down to the ground floor with his group.
After notifying the reception desk, a polite driver—around thirty years old—came to meet Lin Haoran.
This was his designated driver for the trip, available at any time.
Lin Haoran was impressed by the level of service—the arrangements made by the British government felt nearly on par with how they might treat visiting heads of state.
The driver respectfully asked, "Mr. Lin, where would you like to go?"
"Take us to Tang Tower in Chinatown," Lin Haoran answered directly.
Tang Tower was one of the most famous restaurants in London's Chinatown, known for hiring top chefs from Hong Kong and Taiwan.
No matter what cuisine—Shandong, Sichuan, Cantonese, Fujian, Huaiyang, Zhejiang, Hunan, Anhui—they could prepare it authentically.
It was considered the best Chinese restaurant in London.
"Yes, Mr. Lin. Please get in," the driver said, opening the door of a Rolls-Royce parked outside.
Once inside, the car quickly and smoothly left the hotel.
The Dorchester Hotel's location was excellent—only about two kilometers from Chinatown.
In less than ten minutes, they arrived.
London's Chinatown, located in Soho, Westminster, was composed of a main street and several side streets.
Although it didn't have official administrative boundaries, it sat in a prime central location, with easy access to Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street.
The car slowed to a stop in front of a traditional Chinese building.
Lin Haoran got out and looked up at the five-story structure.
The exterior was built with grey bricks and tiles, adorned with wooden beams and red lanterns bearing the character "Tang."
This was Tang Tower—their destination.
In his memories, his predecessor had visited this place countless times during his university days.
Thus, Lin Haoran was very familiar with it.
"Mr. Henry, we'll probably be here for about three hours. You can return by 3:30 p.m. Feel free to use the time however you like," Lin Haoran instructed the driver.
Besides showing Guo Xiaohan around, he also planned to visit an old family friend who had helped him greatly during his studies—his father's sworn brother.
"Yes, Mr. Lin," the driver replied respectfully.
"Come on, follow me. Stay close," Lin Haoran said to his group with a smile.
London's Chinatown wasn't exactly peaceful.
Many triad groups, including the Triad Society, dominated the area, and fights with weapons were not uncommon.
However, Lin Haoran wasn't worried.
He had backing here—the owner of Tang Tower, Tang Kun, his father's sworn brother.
Tang Kun had come to London from Hong Kong over twenty years ago and quickly built a successful empire.
Tang Tower was just one of his many properties.
Even the leaders of the Triad Society had to show Tang Kun respect.
Moreover, he held a key position in the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in London—a man of true influence.
According to Lin Wan'an, Tang Kun had once invited him to invest in London, promising significant support.
But Lin Wan'an declined, choosing to thrive independently in Hong Kong instead.
As they walked into Tang Tower, Lin Haoran quickly caught the attention of the staff.
The lobby manager hurried over, smiling warmly.
"Young Master Lin, it's been a long time!"
"Manager Wu, you're still here! It's been a while! Congratulations on your promotion!" Lin Haoran said with a laugh, noticing the name badge.
In his memory, Manager Wu had been the assistant manager, and now he was the lobby manager—a clear promotion.
"Mr. Gao was transferred to another location, so I was lucky enough to step up," Manager Wu said happily.
Promotion and a salary raise were dreams for anyone in the workforce. Naturally, Manager Wu was overjoyed.
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