Chapter 281 A Girl Chasing a Boy Is Like a Thin Veil
"Yes, she got married earlier this year to the son of a friend of mine from the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in London.
At first, she didn't agree to it—actually, she had quite a bit of affection for you.
But you never accepted.
As she grew older, we couldn't delay her marriage any longer, and since she couldn't find someone suitable on her own, I had to arrange it.
In my generation, girls marrying in their teens was a common thing," Tang Kun said with a deep sigh.
Standing behind him, Guo Xiaohan was very surprised.
She hadn't expected Lin Haoran to have such a story in his past.
But thinking about it, given Brother Haoran's excellence, it made sense that girls would fall for him.
Moreover, hearing about Tang Kun's daughter made her reflect a lot.
Their situations were so similar—both born into prestigious families, yet still unable to control their own fates.
Guo Xiaohan had only graduated last year.
Had she not crossed paths with Lin Haoran, she too might have been married off to someone deemed a good match for the family.
Thus, if she wanted to change her fate, the man sitting in front of her was her only chance.
Thinking this, her gaze toward Lin Haoran grew even more determined and fervent.
They soon reached a private dining room on the third floor.
"Order whatever you like—no need to stand on ceremony with your Uncle Tang.
Even if it's not on the menu, just say the word; our chefs can make it," Tang Kun said, handing the menu to Lin Haoran after the waiter arrived.
"Uncle Tang, you know me. When have I ever been shy with you?" Lin Haoran laughed as he opened the menu and skillfully ordered several of Tang Tower's signature dishes before handing the menu to Guo Xiaohan.
"See if there's anything else you'd like. Don't be polite with Uncle Tang—he's extremely generous."
"You decide; I can't eat much," Guo Xiaohan said, blushing slightly.
In the end, Lin Haoran ordered a few more dishes casually.
"Haoran, since you're here in London to explore the market, are you planning to expand into the UK?
Your Uncle Tang still carries some weight around here.
If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask.
Given my relationship with your father, I'll certainly help you as much as I can," Tang Kun said while waiting for the food.
Listening to this, Lin Haoran couldn't help feeling a bit sorry for his predecessor.
Had it not been for his crossing over, the original Lin Haoran might have spent his life as an ordinary second-generation rich kid—failing to inherit the Wan'an Group, living comfortably but without remarkable achievements.
If he had stayed in London and married Xiaolan, with Tang Kun's support, he would surely have carved out a solid life here.
Thus, Lin Haoran concluded that although the original had graduated from a prestigious university, he lacked the ambition needed to achieve greatness.
"Of course, Uncle Tang, I won't stand on ceremony.
For now, I don't have concrete plans for the UK market, but Europe is a huge market.
In the future, I will definitely invest here, and London is the perfect base for that," Lin Haoran said with a smile.
He knew the value of strong connections very well.
Thus, leveraging the Tang family's network in London would be very beneficial.
As for owing favors—he didn't mind.
If it helped his business expand, so what if he owed a few favors?
"Coincidentally, tonight the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in the UK is hosting a business networking event.
Since you're interested in expanding here, why don't you join me tonight?
Are you free?" Tang Kun asked.
"Of course! I have no other plans for tonight.
Thank you, Uncle Tang," Lin Haoran agreed immediately.
He definitely didn't want to miss such a golden opportunity.
The Chinese Chamber of Commerce in London surely gathered many powerful Chinese business figures.
It was similar to the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.
Attending would allow Lin Haoran to meet influential figures who could help his business ventures in Europe.
This wasn't Hong Kong.
In Hong Kong, he was now a top figure, respected on par with Bao Yugang and Nevil Jodrell.
But outside of Hong Kong, his fame didn't yet carry the same weight.
For example, Bao Yugang, the "King of the Seas," was respected everywhere he went.
And even though Nevil Jodrell was only a professional manager, Jardines Matheson had gone international decades ago, giving its chairman great influence abroad.
While Lin Haoran's assets had reached the highest levels in Hong Kong, he still had a long way to go before achieving the global stature of a Bao Yugang.
"Be at the hotel around six this evening.
I'll take you over.
There will be people far more powerful than me there—meeting them will definitely help you in the UK," Tang Kun said with a smile.
"Uncle Tang, ever since I entered the business world, I've realized something:
success depends not just on personal effort but heavily on connections," Lin Haoran agreed.
After the food arrived, they chatted casually while eating.
There were no sensitive topics, so Guo Xiaohan and the others were not excluded from the conversation.
They ended up eating for nearly an hour.
After lunch, Lin Haoran bid farewell to Tang Kun.
After all, besides visiting this elder, he also planned to stroll around London's famous Chinatown.
"Be sure to come back tonight.
If anything comes up, just call me," Tang Kun reminded him at the door.
"Got it, Uncle Tang.
You go ahead.
I'll take my leave," Lin Haoran said, waving goodbye as he left Tang Tower with Guo Xiaohan and his two bodyguards.
Once they were outside, Guo Xiaohan became more talkative.
After all, in front of an unfamiliar elder like Tang Kun, she had been reserved.
"Brother Haoran, your Uncle Tang seems to be quite an important figure.
I think I've heard my uncle mention him before," Guo Xiaohan said as they walked through Chinatown.
Indeed, during their earlier conversation, they had focused more on Lin Haoran's matters, and Tang Kun's background hadn't come up.
"He's not ordinary at all—he was much more powerful than my father back in the day.
Tang Tower is just one of his minor businesses.
There are six Tang Towers across the UK.
Besides the restaurant business, he's also involved in real estate, retail, and more.
As for how powerful he really is, even I'm not too sure," Lin Haoran replied with a smile.
London's Chinatown consisted of a main street and a few side streets.
At the east end stood a grand Chinese-style archway, the landmark of the area, with Tang Tower located in one of the prime locations.
Lin Haoran led Guo Xiaohan and the others along the bustling streets.
Chinese restaurants, souvenir shops, and businesses lined both sides of the street, with signs predominantly in Chinese—full of Chinese cultural elements everywhere.
At this moment, Guo Xiaohan seemed less like the daughter of a prestigious family and more like an ordinary girl, marveling at everything she saw, laughter bubbling from her lips.
They walked, stopped, and bought things, time flying by quickly.
"Weren't you curious about Chinatown while studying in the US?" Lin Haoran asked, curious.
"I studied at Princeton University, which is located in Princeton, New Jersey.
There's no fully formed Chinatown there.
If I wanted to visit Chinatown, I had to go to Philadelphia or New York City.
But honestly, I wasn't that curious.
After all, Malaysia has a lot of Chinese people too.
What's different now is that this is my first time in the UK, and everything feels fresh and exciting.
Plus, I have Brother Haoran accompanying me, so I feel even happier," Guo Xiaohan replied while browsing a crafts store.
Hearing her words, Lin Haoran turned to look at her.
He noticed that today, Guo Xiaohan was exceptionally proactive—quite different from the more reserved girl he knew back in Hong Kong.
Lin Haoran thought to himself:
"If this keeps up, I might really get 'captured' by this little girl!"
After all, as the saying goes:
"When a man pursues a woman, it's like crossing a mountain; when a woman pursues a man, it's just a thin veil."
If Guo Xiaohan really pursued him wholeheartedly, he might not be able to resist.
After all, she was a perfect combination of beauty and talent—what man could resist such open affection?
Although London's Chinatown wasn't huge, they spent almost two hours walking around.
By now, Li Weiguo and Li Weidong were both carrying large shopping bags—most of them filled with things Guo Xiaohan had bought, including a wristwatch she gifted Lin Haoran.
He had tried to refuse, but Guo Xiaohan insisted, and ultimately he accepted—it was only a few thousand pounds anyway, not a big deal for either of them.
Around 3:30 p.m., they returned to the front of Tang Tower.
Their driver, Henry, was already waiting for them in the car.
"Mr. Henry, thank you for waiting.
Let's head back to the hotel," Lin Haoran said with a smile.
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