Chapter 2: The First Task

Chen Jianhai was excited.

For a hotel, the bed is the soul!

The hotel's original solid wood beds had long been ruined by years of sea breeze erosion.

Many guests had complained to him before, saying that the creaking of the beds would wake them up whenever they turned over in their sleep.

He knew the importance of bed linens and mattresses for the hotel, but he simply didn't have the extra money to replace them all.

"...Let's do it. It's just washing bed linens!"

Chen Jianhai gritted his teeth.

This was his only hope right now.

If he continued to operate like this, the hotel would only face closure.

And besides... how hard could washing bed linens be?

He decided to get started!

Taking out the hotel's master key card, Chen Jianhai opened each room door one by one and began replacing the bed linens and covers.

Lang Ai Hotel had five floors and 160 rooms.

Excluding the storage rooms, cleaning rooms, and bathrooms on each floor, there were about 140 guest rooms left.

Some were suites and family rooms, so the number of beds was even higher.

Washing all of them was indeed a massive task!

Fortunately, his parents had been generous enough to install a large washing machine on each floor.

Otherwise, running up and down the stairs would have exhausted Chen Jianhai.

"I'm so tired. I should have asked Aunt Wang to leave tomorrow."

Chen Jianhai struggled to carry a huge pile of bed linens taller than himself into the laundry room and threw them into the washing machine, then pressed the start button.

"Glug glug!"

The sound of water filling the large washing machine echoed.

The bed linens in the hotel were actually quite clean.

Even though there were few guests, he and Aunt Wang still regularly aired out the rooms and cleaned the bed linens.

However, the hotel was near the seaside, and the beds and decor were very old.

The rooms, being unoccupied for long periods, always had a damp smell.

No matter how diligently he worked, he couldn't solve this problem.

When the washing machine finished its cycle, Chen Jianhai took out the clean bed linens, dried them, ironed them, and neatly folded them...

A week later,

Chen Jianhai finally finished cleaning all the bed linens in the hotel.

"Phew!"

He was exhausted!

"Finally done."

Chen Jianhai, drenched in sweat, collapsed onto the sofa, his back aching terribly.

The workload over the past few days had been enormous. Washing so many bed linens was enough to wear anyone out.

By the end, the washing machine was shaking violently.

Chen Jianhai didn't dare leave it for a moment, fearing it might break down and fall apart.

"Ding! All bed linens in the hotel have been cleaned. Please leave the hotel immediately. The system will renovate the beds and mattresses. Estimated time: 2 hours."

The system's voice sounded.

"No peeking?" Chen Jianhai was taken aback.

He was really curious to see how the system would "renew the old," but it didn't give him the chance.

"If I can't watch, I can't watch! Two hours is just enough time for me to grab a meal."

Chen Jianhai checked his watch; it was already past seven.

He had worked all day without eating, and now he was starving.

Changing into a fresh set of clothes, Chen Jianhai left the hotel.

To be safe and prevent any passersby from entering during the renovation, he locked the hotel door before heading to the restaurant across the street.

Lang Ai Hotel was located in the prime area of the seaside center. A 100-meter walk to the beach led to a street full of bars.

A 500-meter walk in the opposite direction led to a large commercial center, bustling with people, fruit stalls, and restaurants offering all kinds of delicious food.

It was almost dark by now.

The small lights of the restaurants across the street were lit, and the rising steam, mixed with the aroma of food, enticed hungry passersby.

Pushing open the door of "Xiao Lang BBQ," Chen Jianhai immediately felt a rush of comfort and shouted, "Ah, this air conditioning is amazing!"

He couldn't bear to turn on the air conditioning in the hotel.

"Xiao Lang, give me 20 skewers of grilled pork belly, 4 skewers of kidneys, 10 skewers of chicken hearts, two grilled buns, and a bowl of gnocchi soup," Chen Jianhai ordered.

"Got it."

The short-haired guy in the BBQ shop took the ingredients from the freezer and started grilling them over the charcoal fire outside the shop.

After about ten minutes, the hot and fragrant BBQ was served.

Chen Jianhai, exhausted from a day's work, couldn't resist the sight of the red, spicy, and fragrant BBQ.

He immediately grabbed two skewers of pork belly and devoured them in one go.

All that was left were two bare iron skewers.

"Whoa, slow down, bro!"

The short-haired guy, "Xiao Lang," was startled by his rough eating and quickly spoke up.

He had seen hungry people before, but none with such an appetite.

Chen Jianhai mumbled a few words, grabbed a grilled bun, and took two big bites. Finally, he felt some relief in his stomach and slowed down his eating pace.

He and Xiao Lang had grown up together and were good brothers.

Both had inherited their family businesses.

Commonly referred to as "second-generation shop owners."

But Xiao Lang had inherited a street-side BBQ shop, while he had inherited a seaside hotel.

If truth be told, his hotel didn't make as much money as the BBQ shop.

Though the BBQ shop was small, it had a steady stream of customers.

In just a short while, several delivery guys came in, making Chen Jianhai envious of the bustling business.

When Chen Jianhai had almost finished eating, Xiao Lang wiped his hands and cautiously approached Chen Jianhai's table:

"Bro, I saw your hotel was locked up. Are you planning to quit?"

Chen Jianhai kept eating without saying a word.

Seeing this, Xiao Lang's thoughts began to swirl, and he spoke more tentatively:

"If you don't want to run the hotel anymore, come work at my BBQ shop. I guarantee you won't starve."

"Get lost!"

Chen Jianhai cursed, and Xiao Lang swallowed the rest of his words.

After a moment of thought, Xiao Lang still spoke up:

"Bro, you might not like what I'm about to say, but you should really consider selling the hotel."

"People love the old flavors at BBQ shops, seeking nostalgia. But the older a hotel gets, the less it's worth."

"Hotel competition is fierce now. Look at how many new hotels have opened along the coast. Their renovations are better than yours, and their prices are about the same."

"Your hotel is a money pit. Sell it early and get some money; we can start a better business."

...

"Don't bother persuading me," Chen Jianhai said, finishing his bowl of gnocchi soup.

Wiping his mouth, he stood up and walked to the door. Looking back at Xiao Lang, he said,

"This hotel was left by my parents. I will make sure to run it well."

If Xiao Lang had said this a week ago, he might have been tempted to sell the hotel.

But now, with the system, he was determined to manage it well and wouldn't sell!

Chen Jianhai's silhouette was stubborn and lonely.

Watching his friend leave, Xiao Lang's eyes reddened.

He rushed out of the shop and shouted at Chen Jianhai:

"You bastard, you didn't pay for your meal!!!"