Cooking Gourmet Meals in the Apocalypse

Chapter 124: Chapter 121: Who Doesn’t Want to Be Number One

To an unknowing observer, Situ Yuanyuan’s actions made it seem as if she had no idea Song Yiguo had publicly announced his new girlfriend yesterday.

Unfortunately, the media was flooded with news that not only mentioned Chen Xing but also exposed all of Situ Yuanyuan’s little schemes without reservation.

There probably weren’t many people unaware of this relationship, especially those who paid close attention to Huaxia.

”Mm.” Song Yiguo wasn’t planning on completely burning his bridges with the Situ family just yet.

It seemed like a matter between their two families, but in reality, too many other people were involved.

Seeing that Song Yiguo hadn’t rejected her, Situ Yuanyuan felt a flicker of hope rekindle. ”Brother Yiguo, what floor is your room on?”

Song Yiguo glanced back at Vice General Du.

Vice General Du took out the plaque given to them by the airport reception staff. ”Room 4201!”

Situ Yuanyuan was speechless.

Her face instantly turned beet red.

As a fellow Huaxia person and a member of the Four Great Families, her standing wasn’t that far off from the Song Family’s, yet their room numbers were worlds apart.

She had been assigned to the thirtieth floor.

Everyone knew that in a place where leaders from various countries gathered, the room number was a statement of status.

The higher the floor, the higher the status.

And Song Yiguo, also from one of the Four Great Families, was assigned to the top floor? This meant Baling Country considered the Song Family to be the highest authority in Huaxia.

’Then what about our Situ family?’

’Our standing isn’t that different from the Song Family’s, so why is there such a huge gap in our arrangements?’

Just as she was seething with indignation, Li Sirong and her father, Li Ruixiao, also entered the hotel lobby.

Li Sirong was dressed in traditional Huaxia attire, and she looked up at Situ Yuanyuan with an elegant and noble air.

The room number in her hand dangled brazenly before Situ Yuanyuan’s eyes: 3502.

Situ Yuanyuan could no longer hide her anger.

’I can tolerate the Song Family’s position, but on what grounds is the Li Family, whose influence is less than the Situ family’s, placed above us?’

”Hello, Brother Yiguo...” Li Sirong had been in a relatively good mood lately.

After all, despite having been outshone by Situ Yuanyuan in every aspect for twenty years, she at least hadn’t been publicly rejected by Song Yiguo. That alone put her leagues ahead of Situ Yuanyuan, and it was deeply satisfying, even if she hadn’t won Brother Yiguo over either.

”Mm.” Song Yiguo was reasonably polite to Li Sirong.

After all, she was still a part of the Huaxia Royal Family.

Therefore, the room number Baling Country had given her was quite reasonable.

After exchanging pleasantries with Li Ruixiao, Song Yiguo led Chen Xing into the elevator. ”All of the Four Great Families should have arrived. Why haven’t I seen Lu Bingtian?”

Vice General Du and the others didn’t get into the elevator, as they were arranged to take the next one. Chen Xing took the opportunity to ask, ”Why did your Four Great Families all fly to Baling separately? ’They’re all from the same country; arriving together would have been a show of strength.’

Song Yiguo looked up at the camera in the elevator. ”Because outside forces want to weaken our influence. They don’t want us to be united, so they sent the invitations at different times. And we played right into their hands, each with our own ulterior motives, making our own preparations before departing.”

”Just you wait and see. Within the next day or two, someone will definitely bring up our discord. Then some peacemaker will step in to mediate, which will only solidify the fact that we’re not on good terms.” When we’re abroad, the Four Great Families won’t turn on each other. We’ll do everything we can to appear friendly.

The real scheming and plotting would begin once they returned to the Capital City.

It was unavoidable every time they went abroad, and he had grown used to it.

In any case, the Song Family wasn’t the weakest, so no one would dare to truly turn against them.

Chen Xing wore an expression of utter disgust.

’If they all know this, why are they still causing trouble? Wouldn’t it be better to team up and face outsiders together?’

’But... on the other hand, who doesn’t want to be number one?’

’Forget it. These waters are too deep. I’ll wade through them this one time, and after I pull myself out, I’m never getting involved in their affairs again.’

’I don’t want to end up as cannon fodder for all these different factions.’

On the top floor were two elevators, separated by a central rotating platform.

Just as Song Yiguo and Chen Xing stepped out of their elevator, the doors of the opposite elevator opened.

Chen Xing had seen plenty of foreigners, but she was bad with faces and had trouble telling people apart. This man, however, was the first whose features were so distinctive she could remember him at a glance.

He looked to be in his late forties, not quite fifty, and was exceptionally tall, close to two meters by her estimation.

He even had to stoop to get out of the elevator.

Upon seeing Song Yiguo, a flash of contempt appeared on his ’distinguished’ face, but it vanished without a trace in an instant. He gave Song Yiguo a nod.

Then, his eyes fixed on Meng Hu at Chen Xing’s leg.

Fear instantly crept onto his face.

’That makes sense. Who wouldn’t be afraid upon seeing Meng Hu?’

Everyone had been avoiding them on their way here.

Even if someone wanted to say she couldn’t bring the tiger, they didn’t dare approach to remind her.

Both Song Yiguo and Chen Xing noticed, but they simply offered a polite nod in return. ”I heard Commander Kelin’s new wife is as virtuous and talented as she is beautiful. Why didn’t she come along to congratulate King Baya and his new Princess?”

Kelin’s expression tightened, but he didn’t lash out. ”Her health is poor, so it wasn’t convenient for her to come. And this young lady, I presume, must be Mr. Song’s new girlfriend from the commoner class?” As he spoke, the disdain in his eyes was completely unconcealed.

Everyone knew he hated any mention of his new wife.

His wife was a full twenty-six years his senior. When he was appointed Great Commander, she gave him a great deal of support, which was how he achieved his current position.

People mocked him, saying he had sold his body for power.

This made him furious because what everyone said was true.

So... he grew more and more reluctant to take her out in public.

This time, she had wanted to come along, but he’d made the excuse that no one was bringing female companions and that he was coming alone.

Song Yiguo didn’t get angry. Instead, he smiled amiably and glanced at the woman with mixed Eastern and Western features emerging from behind Kelin. ”As long as she’s young and beautiful, why care about status?”

Kelin clenched his fists, let out a cold snort, and entered his presidential suite.

’I refuse to accept this,’ he thought.

’On what grounds does this Easterner get to be my equal, assigned to the most luxurious accommodations?’

But then, his gaze fell on the room number plaque in his hand, and his expression soured even more.

It turned out his room number was 4202.

He instantly felt like he had been one-upped by Song Yiguo.

’So, in the eyes of King Baling, I’m ranked lower than Song Yiguo?’

’Is Baling Country trying to use this opportunity to curry favor with the Song Family? Are they willing to offend me, the Great Commander of the most powerful nation, to do it?’

”Has King Baya gone senile?” he roared, angrily throwing the room plaque aside.

The girl with the mixed Eastern-Western face, Cheng Cheng, showed no fear. She seemed accustomed to his volatile moods. She walked over, picked up the plaque, placed it on the table, and then stood aside with a stoic expression.

In room 4201 next door, Chen Xing glanced at the king-sized bed.

’There’s only one bed in the whole room. Looks like I’ll be sleeping on the sofa.’

She highly doubted Song Yiguo was the type to be chivalrous and give up the bed for her.

Song Yiguo, however, was satisfied with the room. ”Not bad!”

Chen Xing wasn’t picky about where she slept. Her mind was currently consumed with the results of the paternity test.

She hadn’t rushed it because they had been on the plane.

Now that they had landed, she should be able to contact the Capital City. ”The paternity test results should be out by now, right?”