Chapter 414: Dry! Chapter 414 – Dry! Eight people arrived at the town in just half an hour, as instructed by Zhao Kai, directly heading to the best restaurant—the Welcome Guests Restaurant. This content is the textual material from Chapter 414 of "Rural Beauty in Bloom." Lu Yun rarely came to the town, let alone dined at a restaurant. The big group parked their cars and began laughing and chatting as they entered the restaurant. Lu Yun, however, stood at the entrance, thinking to himself. Zhao Kai approached, patted Lu Yun’s shoulder, and smiled, saying, “What are you thinking about? Come in.” Lu Yun chuckled to himself, realizing this was his very first time dining at a restaurant—yet it seemed he had to join the gathering of distinguished guests as a condition. With that, he would simply adapt and let things unfold naturally. He smiled slightly, said nothing, and followed Zhao Kai into the restaurant. Da Peng trailed behind, entering as well. Zhao Kai seems to visit this welcoming restaurant quite often. The restaurant owner is a man in his forties with a pair of small mustaches, his eyes constantly darting around—clearly a shrewd, somewhat slippery businessman. As soon as Zhao Kai walks into the hall, the man greets him with a warm smile and enthusiastically asks, "Little Kai, what would you like to eat today?" Zhao Kai appears very familiar with the man, and with a smile replies, "Mr. Li, please bring me eight of your best dishes—definitely the very best—and also fetch two bottles of white wine; if we need more, we'll ask for more." The man quickly responds, "Don't worry, Mr. Li can't possibly disappoint you. Go ahead—still the No. 6 lounge. Your classmates are already waiting inside." Zhao Kai nods and, taking out a cigarette from his pocket, hands one to the man. Then he walks off with Lu Yun and Da Peng toward the No. 6 lounge. Though called a "delicate sitting room," it was merely a small, single-room space of about fifteen square meters. By the time Lu Yun reached the courtyard, he had already taken in the entire two-acre residence. A row of northern buildings had been subdivided into numerous so-called "delicate sitting rooms" as described by the middle-aged man. The eastern wing served as the main entrance, while the western wing appeared to have seven or eight rooms. Near the bathroom, a large, sturdy native dog was tethered, its long tongue outstretched and its eyes constantly blinking, yet it remained silent and made no sound—clearly accustomed to strangers. The four southern rooms looked well-furnished, with ornate tile flooring, a feature generally out of reach for ordinary households, likely the residence of the middle-aged man. Following Zhao Kai into Room No. 6, the several junior staff who had arrived earlier had already poured tea and invited Zhao Kai and Lu Yun to sit in the upper seats, with Da Peng sitting right beside Lu Yun. Once everyone was seated, the junior staff began to become restless again—seeming to be Zhao Kai’s trusted aides—engaging in playful chatter and minor disturbances. Zhao Kai did not intervene. Taking a menu from the table, Zhao Kai handed it to Lu Yun and said, “Lu Yun, take a look—see what you’d like to eat. I didn’t ask you, so I went ahead and ordered eight dishes. Now, take a moment to see what you’d like.” Lu Yun smiled slightly. “Just have a few dishes—nothing special. I’m not picky.” As for how to address Zhao Kai, Lu Yun had always remained hesitant—should he call him brother, like the others, given that Zhao Kai himself was a direct threat to his position? Zhao Kai seemed unconcerned about this. What mattered to him was Lu Yun’s strength, not his eloquence. Thus, Lu Yun’s somewhat cold demeanor did not feel out of place. The meal wasn't long in coming—eight dishes, half-hot and half-cold, along with two bottles of white wine, were laid out on the table. The middle-aged owner entered the lounge with a cheerful smile, followed by a young man carrying a crate of beer. Turning to Zhao Kai, the owner said, "Little Zhao, you've been taking good care of my business these days, and I haven't really done much in return. It's been so hot lately, and I've been drinking a lot of white wine, which makes me feel a bit warm and dizzy. So here's this crate of beer—free of charge—to cool you all down. No cost, just enjoy it, heh." Zhao Kai stood up and smiled, saying, "Mr. Li, then I'll certainly take it. By the way, could you ask Liang to bring over another two crates later? I've just met a new friend today, and we're going to have a good meal and drink together." A small smile flashed in the owner's eyes, and he quickly turned to the young man behind him, saying, "Liang, go and bring over another two crates of beer." The young man nodded, set down the crate, and stepped out "Zhao Kai finished speaking, and immediately a young man with a slightly worn woolen jacket rose to offer his seat."Li Uncle, please sit." The middle-aged man hurriedly waved his hand, saying, "No, the kitchen is still busy. You all go ahead and eat. Just let Liang take care of whatever you need." His gaze lingered briefly on Lu Yun and Xiao Dapeng's faces. "Alright, then, go ahead and attend to your work," Zhao Kai replied. The man waved to the group and then stepped out of the lounge. "Old smooth operator, we didn't even ask for beer—here he comes, actively pitching it," Zhao Kai said, sitting down and shaking his head as he spoke. Land Yun wasn't entirely clear about what was going on here, but one thing he could clearly see was that the middle-aged man was quite shrewd. As Zhao Kai put it, he appeared to be coming to deliver beer, but in doing so, he effectively prompted Zhao Kai to bring over another two crates. First, the free crate served as a personal favor, helping to secure returning customers. Second, Zhao Kai took two more crates himself, with only minimal loss—so the middle-aged man came out ahead. The way he calculated it, he didn't lose a single cent. The young guys immediately nodded, filling both Lu Yun and Xiao Dapeng's cups before taking one themselves and casually picking up a bottle of beer, using their thumbs to pop off the cap. "Lu Yun, Dapeng, our ability to turn rivals into friends and become true brothers is all part of fate—this is what has brought you both to join the Gathering of the Elite. To you both!" Zhao Kai raised his glass and held it out to Lu Yun and Dapeng. Several of the young guys also lifted their glasses of beer and shouted in unison, "Lu Yun, Dapeng—here's to us!" Lu Yun had never experienced such a setting before, but Xiao Dapeng was prompt in raising his glass, gently tapping Lu Yun's hand with his left hand and whispering, "Brother Lu." Lu Yun sighed quietly, raised his glass to Zhao Kai, and said, "Thank you—here we go!" He took a long, steady sip, finishing the glass of white wine in one go. Zhao Kai was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter, "Excellent! Brothers, here's to us!" … The Country Beauty 414, Main Text 414, done! Updated!