May Day is International Labor Day, and simultaneously, the annual spring holiday break. During this long vacation, all forms of transportation were gridlocked.

Tourist attractions were running beyond capacity. Hotels were fully booked, and restaurants had no available tables.

Now, Wang Zhuo was encountering this exact problem. He had traveled a long way from the western suburbs of the capital city to the eastern suburbs, waiting at the airport for a long time, only to be informed that his flight had been canceled for some reason!

All other flights were completely sold out. If this were Jiangzhou, he might be able to use connections to secure a standby seat from a cancellation, but this was the capital; he certainly didn't have that much influence here.

Today was still April 30th, and this flight was scheduled for six in the evening. Including the time the airline had already delayed, it was now already ten in the evening.

To suggest going back to sleep now would be pure nonsense; it was at least an hour and a half drive from here to Wang Zhuo’s Miaofengshan villa. He would need to rush back at dawn tomorrow to catch a newly scheduled flight; there simply wasn't enough time for all that hassle!

Over one hundred passengers were crammed into the three airport shuttle buses, filled with complaints and showing no sign of departing. Wang Zhuo guessed immediately that the airline was trying to stall because they couldn't secure enough hotels for everyone; they were delaying as long as possible, and the relevant staff members were equally overwhelmed.

“Everyone, please calm down!” A slightly chubby young man in the seat ahead cleared his throat, pushed up his glasses, and chuckled: “We should look on the bright side of things. A canceled flight proves the airline is responsible for our safety, doesn't it?

It’s certainly better than flying on a faulty plane that might crash, right?” Saying 'crash' in an airport was such bad luck! The chubby man immediately drew countless scornful looks.

Some of the more hot-tempered passengers even started cursing him outright, instantly drawing the brunt of the anger, effectively shielding the airline staff momentarily. The chubby man was seated in the middle to rear section of the shuttle bus.

Wang Zhuo, sitting right behind him, was in a position where the floor of the vehicle began to rise slightly, placing him about half a head higher than the chubby man. This meant that everyone turning to castigate the chubby man would inevitably glance at Wang Zhuo to some degree.

Since Wang Zhuo and the chubby man were of similar age, Wang Zhuo deduced from the expressions that these people must have mistaken him for the chubby man’s companion. Occasionally, a dismissive glare would flick toward Wang Zhuo.

He couldn't help but feel both amused and frustrated. He was already upset enough about the flight cancellation, and now, just for sitting next to this chubby fellow, he was being taken for an idiot.

What kind of misfortune was this? “I don’t think this bus is going anywhere tonight…” A middle-aged woman sitting next to Wang Zhuo offered a wry analysis: “Every hotel in the city will be fully occupied tonight.

It’s already taken over by the tourist army. The airline definitely won't be able to secure enough rooms to accommodate us…” “I’m not so sure,” a man from behind interjected calmly: “How could such a huge airline not have this basic preparation?” “So what if it’s big?” the woman scoffed: “It’s pouring rain in Guangzhou, and a fully loaded A380 is returning now, carrying over six hundred people.

Go ahead and find three hundred more standard rooms for them!” The man immediately fell silent, and Wang Zhuo also felt speechless. By now, some people on the bus were starting to incite everyone to demand an explanation from the airline, advocating for collective rights.

In reality, it meant making a scene to force the airline to pay attention and not treat everyone like a pushover. There were cheers and support, some people hesitated to see what would happen, and others were timid and fearful—incidents where airline staff assaulted passengers were frequently reported, so this was hardly surprising.

The scene was chaotic. Wang Zhuo thought to himself, instead of wasting time arguing with these people, he might as well get off, hail a taxi, drive around, find a nearby hotel, and get some sleep.

He was traveling light, only carrying a nine-inch tablet computer in a small bag, which he used to pass the time during long journeys. Therefore, he naturally decided to leave immediately and got off the bus with ease.

As soon as his feet touched the ground, four or five burly men in airline uniforms surrounded him, treating him like a major threat. Seeing him glance left and right before walking straight toward the exit, a staff member rushed forward to block him and asked: “Where are you going?” “Looking for a place to sleep,” Wang Zhuo glanced at the man, naturally showing no courtesy to such an ill-mannered person.

Those who have long held high positions naturally cultivate an extraordinary presence; it leaks out unintentionally in their every move. People skilled at observation can easily detect it.

Although Wang Zhuo was young, a simple look in his eyes revealed that he was different. The staff member’s attitude immediately softened, and he switched to a more placating tone: “The airport will arrange resting places for you.

Please return to the bus and wait patiently, okay?” “How much longer do we have to wait?” Wang Zhuo asked impatiently. “We will arrange it as soon as possible.

Personnel from the relevant departments are already trying their utmost; I believe everything will be sorted out shortly.” The reply was formulaic, lacking originality and, consequently, sincerity. “If you manage to arrange something, give me a call,” Wang Zhuo smiled disdainfully.

“If I don't have a room by midnight, then only notify me after the flight schedule is finalized.” Seeing him turn to leave, the staff member quickly blocked him again: “You can’t leave! There are regulations against passengers leaving without authorization.

If you miss your boarding time, you will bear the consequences yourself!” This was the arrogance of a large enterprise bullying a customer; airlines had countless ways to control passengers, ranging from the subtle to the extreme—they were even known to beat passengers in the waiting lounge, let alone using threats of self-responsibility to suppress people. “Bear the consequences?” Wang Zhuo laughed in exasperation: “Fine, I will bear the consequences.

Let’s see who is responsible in the end—me or your airline.” Often, after making a mistake, airlines tend to speak with an air of detached authority, saying, “The airport... will handle things,” to shift the blame.

But Wang Zhuo directly confronting the airline showed he was no pushover who could be easily fooled, and his tone was utterly audacious. Challenging the airline on a personal level like this was remarkably bold.

The staff member’s breath hitched, and though he seemed about to say something more, Wang Zhuo casually flicked his hand, pushing him aside with a contemptuous snort, and walked away with a determined stride. “What a show-off.” After Wang Zhuo was out of earshot, the staff member muttered under his breath.

However, he made a mental note, deciding that as soon as the rescheduled flight was confirmed, he would notify customer service to call every single passenger. He truly didn't believe Wang Zhuo had the power to stand up to the airline, but what if Wang Zhuo actually missed the flight and possessed some hidden capability?

Wouldn't this staff member suffer the consequences personally? Hailing a taxi, Wang Zhuo tossed the driver a three-hundred-yuan banknote, telling the driver to find a clean hotel of good standing.

The fare was prepaid; no change needed. If he had left it up to the driver to use his discretion, the man might have tried to make a whole night of touring Beijing just to earn a little more fare money, and Wang Zhuo wouldn't have gotten any sleep!

With such a generous reward, the driver was indeed motivated. By contacting his colleagues via the taxi company’s radio dispatch, he quickly found a four-star hotel near the Third Ring Road for Wang Zhuo.

However, there was only one king-sized room left, which had just been vacated, and it required immediate payment to secure it, otherwise, it might be booked by someone else by the time Wang Zhuo’s taxi arrived. So, Wang Zhuo handed over another five hundred yuan to the driver, who then paid for the reservation on his behalf, and the room was successfully secured for Wang Zhuo.

Twenty minutes later, Wang Zhuo arrived at his destination and finalized the check-in process after meeting with the front desk staff. With a place to rest secured, Wang Zhuo first called Jiangzhou to report that he was safe.

Then, he phoned Ning Yao and Ruan Mingqing separately. Ning Yao had already flown to Hong Kong that morning, and Ruan Mingqing had returned home after dropping him off at the airport.

If they hadn't known about the delay and cancellation, they could have made alternative arrangements, and he might have spent a pleasant night with her. After relieving himself, Wang Zhuo emerged from the restroom feeling somewhat hungry.

He called room service to order food but learned that the chef had already finished his shift and only basic noodles were available. “Is this really a four-star hotel?” Wang Zhuo grumbled as he hung up.

He glanced at the tube of instant noodles, preserved ham, and bottled water sitting on the desk and decided that would have to do for tonight. It had been who knows how long since he’d eaten such "junk food." While boiling water, Wang Zhuo contemplated the instant noodles and ham, using his clairvoyance to analyze their ingredients, then offered a wry smile.

Just as he finished steeping the noodles, the in-room phone rang. Thinking it was the front desk calling about his food order, he casually picked it up and answered, “Hello?” A sweet female voice with a perfect, authentic Beijing accent, speaking clearly, replied, “Sir, would you like a massage service?” Wang Zhuo grinned and shot back, “Are you offering massage, or are you offering a service?” “We certainly offer both massage and service,” the female voice chirped sweetly.

“All our masseuses are professionally trained, their dedication is comparable to the famous 'Dongguan Four Heavens,' and they are all beauties. We have young and pretty ones, mature and alluring ones, university students, flight attendants, women in uniforms—guaranteed satisfaction.” Huh?

Wang Zhuo scratched his head, torn between laughter and tears. He often received these kinds of solicitations for sexual services when staying in hotels in Jiangzhou, but this was the most uniquely delivered one he had ever encountered!

Had this industry in the capital developed to such an advanced level? “It sounds rather appealing,” he chuckled, then asked, “What are your rates?” “We offer service commensurate with the fee, of course.

The lowest is five hundred, and the most expensive is five thousand,” the woman giggled. “You should decide quickly, sir.

Business is booming tonight; if you wait too long, you might not get an appointment until morning.” “That expensive?!” Wang Zhuo feigned shock. “Then forget it.

I can go across the street, get a foot rub plus bone stretching and cupping for just over a hundred yuan. Bye-bye!” With that, he neatly hung up the phone, yanked out the cord, shrugged, took off his clothes, and headed into the bathroom to shower.

On the other end of the line, Qu Jingyou looked utterly bewildered. When she tried to redial, the number remained unanswered.

She exchanged glances with Qu Feng and Qu Xin; they finally confirmed that the line had been disconnected. Wang Zhuo had played a trick on them!