Chapter 32: The Little Tour Guide

The person in the video remained silent for a few seconds, and then five voices spoke almost in unison.

"I'm in!" Zhou Xingfu was the first to commit.

"Count me in!" Lin Ru followed immediately.

Jiang Yijun adjusted his glasses and said, "How could I miss such an opportunity?"

Zhao Hong pushed his mahjong tiles aside and declared, "I’m heading over right now."

Li Qingyi was the quickest to respond: "Old Zhang, I’ll be there in twenty minutes."

In less than an hour, five luxury cars arrived one after another at Villa No. 7.

Zhang Huaiming had already prepared the contracts in the parlor. Seeing that everyone had arrived, he handed out the documents: "Read the terms carefully, especially the liability waiver section."

After a quick glance, the five men signed without hesitation.

As she scanned the QR code to pay, Lin Ru asked, "This fee is really cheap—only four thousand yuan."

"Indeed! Cheap to the point of being a steal," Zhang Huaiming said as he collected the contracts. "I’d say we got the better end of the deal."

"True. If others knew about this, there’s no telling how high the price would be bid up."

"We’ve profited," Zhao Hong said with a smile.

"When do we set off?" Zhou Xingfu asked, unable to contain his impatience.

"Tomorrow at nine in the morning. A tour bus will pick us up at the main gate of the residential complex," Zhang Huaiming said, checking his phone. "Guide Jiang just sent a confirmation message; he said we just need to arrive ten minutes early."

Zhao Hong rubbed his hands together and laughed, "Well, I don't think I’ll be getting any sleep tonight."

Li Qingyi stood up. "I’m heading back to pack my bags. I’ll be there on time tomorrow."

Watching their excitement, Zhang Huaiming offered a reminder: "Guide Jiang mentioned that we might have a chance to meet Qin Shi Huang. You should prepare some gifts; use your own judgment. Food in the Qin Dynasty is monotonous and scarce, so you might want to bring some provisions."

After discussing a few precautions, everyone dispersed, each with their own ideas about what to bring.

At 8:30 in the morning, at the main gate of the Yunxiang She villa complex, Zhang Huaiming stood by the guard booth in casual attire, a black travel bag at his feet, checking his watch periodically.

Security guard Old Liu couldn't help but ask for the third time, "Mr. Zhang, are you going on a long trip? Would you like me to call a car for you?"

Though he found it strange that Mr. Zhang hadn't asked his driver to take him, as a security guard for this upscale complex, he knew how to read the room.

"No need, I'm waiting for someone," Zhang Huaiming waved him off, his gaze drifting back toward the internal roads of the complex.

Soon, a Bentley pulled up slowly.

Li Qingyi stepped out of the car carrying a carry-on suitcase, followed by his secretary holding a briefcase.

"Old Zhang, I’m not late, am I?" He greeted him with a smile, then turned to his secretary and waved. "You can head back now; there's no need for you to follow this matter."

Immediately after, Zhou Xingfu’s Maybach, Lin Ru’s Porsche, and Jiang Yijun’s Rolls-Royce arrived in succession.

These wealthy executives, usually surrounded by luxury, stood at the complex gate like ordinary tourists, clutching various suitcases, leaving the on-duty security guards staring at each other in bewilderment.

"Where is Zhao Hong?" Lin Ru checked the time.

Just as she spoke, the roar of an engine approached.

Zhao Hong pulled his flashy red Ferrari to a screeching halt in front of the group and rolled down the window, revealing a beaming smile. "Am I late? I was so excited last night I almost overslept."

At that moment, a taxi pulled steadily to a stop at the gate.

The door opened and Jiang Ye stepped out quickly. Seeing that the tourists had arrived before him, as a professional guide, he was about to apologize when Zhang Huaiming greeted him enthusiastically: "Guide Jiang! You’ve arrived just in time!"

He turned to introduce him to the group: "This is Guide Jiang Ye, whom I told you about. He is the person in charge of this trip."

The executives immediately gathered around.

Jiang Yijun proactively reached out his hand: "I’ve heard so much about you, Guide Jiang. We’ll be troubling you this time."

His handshake was perfectly measured—respectful yet dignified.

"Guide Jiang is young and accomplished," Zhou Xingfu said with a smile, offering his business card. "We should exchange ideas when we have the chance."

Even the usually flamboyant Zhao Hong stood properly to the side, waiting for the others to finish their pleasantries before stepping forward: "Guide Jiang, I’m a bit of a rough character, so please bear with me on the journey."

The security guards at the booth watched this scene with wide eyes.

These billionaires, worth billions or even tens of billions, were being so polite to a young man who appeared to be nothing more than a humble tour guide.

Jiang Ye checked his watch and said apologetically, "Everyone, please wait a moment. There are still four group members who haven't arrived."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xingfu immediately pulled out his phone: "Who are they? Should we give them a call to hurry them up?"

Jiang Ye quickly said, "No, no need. I’ve already contacted them. They will be here shortly; please wait a moment longer."

Seeing Jiang Ye's confidence, the executives nodded understandingly.

Fifteen minutes later, four young men arrived late, dragging large bags and small parcels.

Wu Jie walked in front, carrying two bulging hiking backpacks, followed by Qiao Wenbai, Geng Cang, and Feng Yiming, each carrying luggage that seemed entirely inappropriate for a two-day trip.

These were the "gifts" that Jiang Kai had urged them to prepare, and even then, they had secretly trimmed down the list.

When the four approached and saw the crowd waiting, their footsteps suddenly froze.

Qiao Wenbai’s eyes widened as he whispered, "Holy crap, isn't that Mr. Zhou from Xingfu Real Estate?"

Geng Cang swallowed hard: "And the one next to him, that looks like Mr. Zhao from the Hongyuan Group."

Feng Yiming’s legs felt weak: "Why is Uncle Zhang here too?"

Wu Jie was the first to react and turned to sneak away: "Maybe... we should come back another day?"

Zhang Huaiming spotted them, his eyes sharp. "What are you dawdling for? We’ve been waiting for you four!"

The four young men steeled themselves and walked forward, heads bowed like students caught doing something wrong.

Wu Jie whispered, "Hello, Uncle Zhang, hello, everyone. Our luggage was a bit heavy, so we were a little slow."

Jiang Yijun glanced at their bulging bags and smiled: "You young people are certainly well-prepared."

Lin Ru added kindly, "Don't be nervous, we’re all in this together."

But the four young men still felt completely uncomfortable.

Feng Yiming secretly tugged on Wu Jie’s sleeve and whispered, "Should we find an excuse to run? The pressure of traveling with all these elders is too much."

Jiang Ye, sharp-eared and observant, caught Feng Yiming’s whisper.

He wasn't about to give these kids a chance to bolt. Once everyone had arrived, he clicked a button to start the process.

Soon, a ginger-colored 18-seater Coaster minibus pulled up and stopped steadily in front of them. The door opened, and Jiang Ye gestured for the tourists to board.

Qiao Wenbai and the others very consciously filed in last, not daring to push ahead of their elders.

After the four of them scrambled onto the bus, Jiang Ye boarded last. As the doors closed, the vehicle slowly pulled away from the Yunxiang She villa complex.

Jiang Ye stood at the front of the bus with a microphone, introduced himself, and then got straight to the point.

"Our destination for this trip is the Qin Dynasty in 218 BC. Before we arrive, there are some important rules you must remember—these are matters of life and death... During the last hour of the trip, you must stay by my side, otherwise, you will be unable to return to the modern era..."

The six prominent executives listened intently, while the four young men, Qiao Wenbai included, looked indifferent.

Qiao Wenbai secretly observed Zhang Huaiming and the others, feeling surprised, and began to vent in their private group chat.

Qiao Wenbai: [Holy crap, did you guys see that? Uncle Zhang and the others are listening so seriously.]

Wu Jie: [I noticed.]

Geng Cang: [Do they actually believe we’re going to time-travel to the Qin Dynasty?]