Chapter 403: A Journey to Paris

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

In the blink of an eye, several days had passed. Zhou Chao’s previous instructions were being carried out meticulously. The traditional Chinese clothing company, “Gu Feng Han Fu,” had officially started its operations. At the same time, Qin Fen, Si Cong, and others had invested their funds into the company.

Meanwhile, DA’s presence in the domestic market was also affected. Many of their stores were feeling the aftermath of the previous plagiarism scandal, and for a while, the stores were nearly empty.

Moreover, Phyllis, the Director of Huaxia Region, took the blame for the massive losses suffered by DA’s headquarters in the stock market. In a fit of anger, he submitted her resignation letter. Soon after, he applied for a position at Zhou Chao’s newly established traditional clothing company.

At the very beginning, when Ling Chen first told him, Zhou Chao was somewhat surprised. However, once he understood the reason, he decisively made Phyllis the CEO of “Doukou Nianhua”!

Doukou Nianhua was the name Zhou Chao had chosen for the Huaxia Ancient Clothing Company he was establishing. Although Ling Chen had criticized the name, Zhou Chao ultimately decided to stick with it.

Everything was proceeding smoothly. Among the more than twenty studios under Doukou Nianhua, they had been consolidated, leaving only three, one of which was the one that Gu Yan and her team belonged to.

Currently, discussions were underway with the design team sent by the Lei Du Group regarding the first product. Of course, all of this was unrelated to Zhou Chao as he had entrusted Ling Chen and Phyllis with full responsibility for these matters.

At this moment, Zhou Chao was already on a flight to the French Republic.

This was mainly because the previous day, Norman, the President of Lei Du, called him and invited him to attend a celebration banquet. After all, he had earned billions in the stock market, and that called for a celebration.

Of course, this celebration was limited to some high-ranking individuals and wasn’t a grand event. In simple terms, it was a profit-sharing gathering. In addition, the President of Li Feng Group had invited him to inspect the company, so it was convenient to visit the Watch Capital after touring France.

This could be considered Zhou Chao’s first formal trip abroad. Unlike the previous time when he was on Lanai Island and didn’t explore other places much.

The journey from China to France took over ten hours. Fortunately, he brought Lin Wu along, so the trip wasn’t too boring. He had someone to share a drink with, even if it was just to pass the time.

After getting off the plane and having some drinks and food, they took a nap. The long thirteen-hour journey was thus spent in this manner.

In early July, the weather in Paris was quite comfortable, with daytime temperatures around 22 degrees Celsius and nighttime temperatures around 11 to 12 degrees Celsius. The temperature fluctuations were not significant, making it an ideal place to escape the summer heat.

Paris was the city of prosperity, romance, and fashion. It was highly regarded by tourists worldwide and ranked among the top ten cities globally. One could potentially have a romantic encounter in any suitable corner of the city, thanks to its winding rivers.

Paris was also a hub for numerous important international meetings, solidifying its influence as one of the most impactful cities in the world. It was a city of beautiful women, and everyone who came here hoped to find their own love story.

However, all of their love stories had nothing to do with Zhou Chao.

Paris and Modu were both in the same time zone, so the time difference between the two cities wasn’t significant, only about six hours. They departed from Modu at 10 in the morning, and by the time the plane landed, it was already around 5 in the afternoon in Paris.

As soon as they got off the plane, a small van arranged by the airport was waiting to take Zhou Chao and Lin Wu outside. Upon stepping out of the vehicle, they spotted Miles holding a conspicuously marked sign next to another car.

“Miles!”

“Boss, welcome to the fashion capital, Paris! I’ve already booked your hotel, and we’ve scheduled the celebration banquet for tomorrow. Boss, would you like to adjust to the time difference, or shall we go straight to the hotel?” Miles said as he opened the rear car door wide.

Let’s go to the hotel first. After a ten-plus-hour flight, I’m feeling a bit uncomfortable,” Zhou Chao said as he entered the car.

Lin Wu, after stowing away their luggage, took the front passenger seat.

On the way to the hotel, Miles provided a brief overview of the Lei Du Group’s internal situation.

The car soon arrived at the hotel, and after both of them settled in, Zhou Chao, who was already somewhat tired, lay down on the bed and fell asleep. Helplessly, Miles had to go to Lin Wu’s room and wait.

It wasn’t until 8 in the evening that Zhou Chao and the other two finally emerged from the hotel.

The hotel was located near the Garnier Opera House, the Grands Boulevards shopping district, and the Champs-Elysees, making it one of the most bustling commercial areas in Paris.

The Champs-Elysees was situated along the central axis connecting the Louvre Palace and the New Triumphal Arch. It was also known as the Avenue of Triumph and was one of the world’s three most bustling central streets.

People filled the streets, and with the lights illuminating the area, it felt like daytime to Zhou Chao.

Zhou Chao and the others strolled along the bustling avenue for about ten minutes, and the three, who were already quite hungry, finally entered a rather upscale-looking Western restaurant. They ordered several steaks, a bottle of red wine, and some signature dishes while enjoying the view outside.

“Boss, how long do you plan to stay in Paris this time?” Miles cautiously asked.

“I don’t know, maybe just two or three days. 1 have other things to attend to afterward.”

Turning to him, Zhou Chao asked, “Is there something specific you want to discuss?”

With a mischievous smile and glancing around, Miles whispered, “Boss, how about I take you to experience the local customs here?”

Zhou Chao could tell from Miles’ sly expression that he had something in mind.

“I’ll pass. You can go on your own if you want,” Zhou Chao replied with a smile and shook his head.

Boss, what are you guys talking about? And Miles, the local customs you mentioned, is it fun? Take me to see, I’ve never experienced it!” Lin Wu looked like a curious person who had just left the village and entered the city for the first time, full of curiosity.

“All, we can discuss that another time. Let’s eat, let’s eat!” Fortunately, at this moment, the waiter arrived with their food, and Miles quickly changed the topic.

He had initially wanted to please Zhou Chao, but since Zhou Chao had declined, he knew this matter had to be dropped.

Lin Wu looked puzzled as he glanced between the two of them, unable to figure out what was going on. He had no choice but to focus on eating.

“I’ll head back to the hotel first. Do you two plan to stroll around a bit longer?” Zhou Chao noticed Lin Wu and Miles whispering to each other as they left the restaurant.

“Boss, we were discussing tomorrow’s banquet. Should we consider hiring a few bodyguards to make sure no one thinks we’re an easy target?”

Miles’ words acted as a reminder for him. Considering that some of the individuals he was going to meet the next day were formidable, it was crucial to project strength to deter potential troublemakers.

“I can handle that myself. If you two want to have some fun, go ahead, but don’t take Lin Wu to any places to experience local customs,” Zhou Chao said, noticing their eager expressions.

“Don’t worry, Boss. We won’t take Lin Wu to those kinds of places,” Miles assured quickly.

Zhou Chao nodded and glanced at Lin Wu before turning to walk back to the hotel. He was grateful for the towering hotel building; otherwise, he might have gotten lost.

By the time he returned to the hotel, it was already 930 in the evening. In China, it was around 3:30 in the early morning. He had considered having a video chat with Jiang Li, but he decided against it, as Jiang Li was likely still asleep.

After a moment of contemplation, he sent a message to Jiang Li, informing her that he had arrived in Paris.

Lying on the sofa, he thought about what Miles had mentioned earlier. He furrowed his brow for a moment, then picked up his phone and opened his contacts. He stopped at a number with the initials “GS.”

He called the number, and after a single ring, the call was answered. A synthesized voice on the other end asked, “Please state your codename.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chao felt a bit puzzled but took a deep breath before replying, “Groundhog.”

“Verification successful. Please hold.”

After waiting for three seconds, a voice that sounded more human came on the line.

“Hello, Mr. Zhou. Welcome to the fashion capital, Paris. How may I assist you?”

“I’ll be staying in Europe for a while, and I need a team of professional bodyguards,” Zhou Chao said, considering the length of his stay and the potential hassle it might entail.

No problem. When do you need them?”

“Early tomorrow morning.”

“We will arrange a team of bodyguards to meet you at your hotel as soon as possible.”

“Hmm!” After saying that, Zhou Chao hung up the phone. He believed that, as the world’s largest security company, it would be effortless for them to find out which hotel he was staying at.

At this moment, he was looking forward to the banquet tomorrow, wondering if anything interesting would happen.

Seeing that it was already past 10 o’clock, Zhou Chao didn’t pay any attention to Lin Wu and Miles. He went straight to the bedroom after returning to his hotel room, took a shower, and then lay down on the bed.

Early the next morning, Zhou Chao woke up early. He stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the nearby Champs-Elysees and the towering Eiffel Tower in the distance. Zhou Chao had a desire to explore.

“Knock, knock, knock!” Just as Zhou Chao was lost in thought, there was a knock on the door.

Opening the door, he saw Lin Wu and Miles standing there, each holding beautifully wrapped bags.

Did you two spend the night out?” Zhou Chao asked, looking at their slightly weary faces.

“We stayed out late last night, and by the time we returned, it was already 4 in the morning,” Miles said in a hushed voice, while Lin Wu lowered his head in embarrassment.

“Alright, hand me the stuff, and then go rest,” Zhou Chao said with a sigh, shaking his head as he looked at the two.

Fortunately, he had strong self-control, or else he might have ended up like the two, lost in the dazzling world of nightlife.

The two exchanged glances, handed over the bags to Zhou Chao, and then returned to their respective rooms to rest.

After finishing breakfast and changing into a fresh set of clothes, Zhou Chao quickly packed up and left the hotel. He was headed to the Trocadero square to see the Eiffel Tower.

The distance wasn’t too far, around two to three kilometers, and he would pass through some of Paris’s bustling streets along the way. It was a great opportunity to explore and admire the city’s scenery..