Chapter 1: The Hotel on the Brink of Bankruptcy

"What a rundown five-star hotel, I've never seen anything like it."

"The room smells musty, and the facilities are incredibly outdated."

"Even though the bed linens look clean, the floor creaks underfoot. Who knows if there are bugs in here?"

"There's not even an elevator... I guess you get what you pay for."

"It's such a waste of a prime location. The owner should really spend some money on renovations."

At the entrance of the Lang Ai Hotel in the Huanghai District of Nanjing City, a young couple dragged their suitcases away, their faces full of complaints.

Chen Jianhai, standing at the front desk, watched them leave and sighed silently.

Renovations...

He dreamed of it.

But where would the money come from?

This hotel was originally run by his parents a few years ago, located in the best spot in Huanghai District, with a constant flow of guests every day.

However, with the rise of tourism, more and more B&Bs, mid-to-high-end hotels, and five-star hotels opened, occupying the limited market resources and increasing competition.

At the same price, people naturally choose hotels with newer renovations and better environments.

For the past six months, the hotel had been operating at a loss, and the staff had gradually resigned.

Now, he could barely afford to pay the electricity bill.

"Boss." A female voice came from beside him.

Chen Jianhai turned his head to see a middle-aged woman in a blue cleaning uniform, holding a rag, looking at him apologetically.

"What's up, Aunt Wang?" Chen Jianhai asked.

"My son just had a baby, and the young couple is overwhelmed. They asked me to help out," Aunt Wang said slowly.

"You're leaving?" Chen Jianhai was taken aback.

"I'm too old to keep working," Aunt Wang said with an embarrassed smile.

"Boss, I know you've been paying me out of your own pocket these past few months. Staying here only adds to the hotel's burden, and I can't do much to help."

Chen Jianhai felt a wave of reluctance.

Aunt Wang had been working at the hotel since it first opened.

Six months ago, his father fell seriously ill due to long-term mismanagement and eventually passed away.

His mother, already frail, couldn't bear the blow and soon followed.

During that time, he was all alone, and it was Aunt Wang who stayed by his side.

And now, even she was leaving.

Chen Jianhai opened a drawer and took out 5,000 yuan, stuffing it into Aunt Wang's pocket.

"Go ahead," Chen Jianhai said softly.

"Boss, what are you doing? I don't want it!" Aunt Wang was anxious, trying to return the money to Chen Jianhai.

"It's not much, just your salary for this month and a little gift for your grandson."

"Babies need money, so just take it."

Chen Jianhai insisted on giving the money to Aunt Wang.

"Alright, thank you, boss." Aunt Wang's eyes were wet.

After sending Aunt Wang off, Chen Jianhai stood alone in the lobby, looking at the empty hotel building.

He sighed.

"Mom, Dad... I can't keep this hotel going."

...

Chen Jianhai picked up a broom and stepped on the creaky old wooden floor, starting his daily routine.

Cleaning, trimming the garden, maintaining the pool, checking appliances, repairing equipment...

Even though no one stayed, he still had to keep the hotel clean.

"The electric mosquito repellent is almost used up, need to buy a few bottles; the screen on the third floor is broken, need to fix it; the bath products in the bathroom are expired, need to replace them... damn, I don't have money for new ones, let's put some soap instead."

To outsiders, owning a five-star hotel seemed like a dream, but in reality, he lived a tougher life than anyone.

Looking at the broken screen, Chen Jianhai went to the storage room, which was filled with tools.

He chose a wrench from the toolbox, and as he stood up, his back hit a shelf.

"Bang"

A hard object fell on Chen Jianhai's head.

"Ouch~"

Chen Jianhai rubbed his head in pain for a while before recovering.

Looking down, he saw a bunch of keys on the floor.

These were the room keys from when the hotel first opened. Although they later switched to electronic locks, his father had kept these keys instead of throwing them away.

Over time, the keys had become rusty.

Chen Jianhai picked up the keys.

"Ding, welcome to the luxury hotel upgrade system."

Suddenly, a peculiar sound echoed in his mind.

Chen Jianhai froze in place.

Then, a blue, semi-transparent frame appeared before his eyes:

Hotel Name: Lang Ai Hotel

Operating Since: 2001

Last Renovated: 2001

Equipment Status: Old

Business Status: On the verge of bankruptcy

Current Guests: None

Customer Satisfaction Today: 0.0

Current Room Types: Basic Standard Room (Slightly better than a storage room, with a bed and a shower)

Daily Task: Complete the system's daily task to receive corresponding rewards and unlock more room types and services.

...

System Description: The romance of travelers is to conquer the stars and seas.

The romance of hotel management is to win the satisfaction of travelers with quality service, making the hotel a harbor for travelers, a rest stop, and a supply station for strength.

The system will assist the host in growing and strengthening the hotel step by step, achieving glory!

Chen Jianhai was stunned.

Then,

He reached out and slapped his face a few times, muttering to himself, "Am I hallucinating from stress?"

The virtual panel before him looked like a management game interface.

Chen Jianhai had played a similar simulation game before, spending a few thousand yuan on it, but stopped playing after switching from an Android to an iPhone.

In the game, he had built his hotel into a top-tier black diamond level, covering an entire island.

Private jets, luxury yachts, you name it!

But… life isn't a game.

If he could earn tens of thousands a day and expand his territory like in the game, he wouldn't be in such a dire situation.

"Ding! The first task has been issued, please check it yourself."

The electronic voice echoed in Chen Jianhai's mind again.

Then, several lines of text appeared on the blue screen:

Task: Clean all the bed linens in the hotel

Reward: Free overall renovation of hotel beds and mattresses

Task Hint: Soft and comfortable bedding is always the best companion for travelers to relieve fatigue. Clean all the bedding, and the system will initially renovate all the beds and mattresses in the hotel.

Free... renovation?!!!