Chapter 98: The Return of the Gods

First a parrot, now a white peacock. At this rate, my hotel will soon become a zoo.

He had only ever seen such creatures in zoos before, never imagining he would one day have two white peacocks as pets. 

Chen Jianhai bent down reluctantly, daring to stroke the peacock's fanned feathers. To his surprise, these two white peacocks had quite good temperaments. Instead of resisting or dodging, they allowed Chen Jianhai to ruffle their feathers, appearing particularly friendly and approachable.

They reminded him of the fat hens in Lao Yan's courtyard.

"They look pretty good, so I'll keep you two," said Chen Jianhai, picking up the two white peacocks, one in each hand. He sighed and added, "This system is really ruthless, not even arranging a female peacock for you guys."

"When the hotel is settled, I'll find you a mate."

With that, Chen Jianhai carried the two white peacocks to another garden of the hotel. The current garden, near the poolside bar and the Chinese restaurant, was a place where most guests frequently walked, rested, and vacationed. 

Even though these two white peacocks were gentle and loved people, they were still different from the gentle-natured parrots and orange cats. Their claws and beaks were real weapons. If some naughty children or careless parents pulled the peacock's feathers and hurt them, a peck could be a big problem. The hotel would definitely be held responsible if anything happened. 

To avoid such situations, it was better to take precautions early. Besides, peacocks preferred a free and less disturbed lifestyle.

While Chen Jianhai was settling the two white peacocks, the entrance of the Lang Ai Hotel was bustling with activity!

"Wow! Is this still my beloved five-story inn? How did it get so tall!"

"This fountain is amazing!"

"Hey, these stone elephants at the entrance are so cute, with little red flowers around their necks!"

"It must have been the boss who put them there!"

At the entrance of the Lang Ai Hotel, four buses from Nanjing City Tourism Vocational University were parked in the spacious lot. Students, each carrying backpacks and suitcases, excitedly got off the buses.

"Finally, no more commuting back and forth on the school bus!"

"I've always wanted to stay at the hotel. If it's nice here, I'll move out of my dorm!"

Several boys, while unloading their luggage from the buses, chatted excitedly. Although living at school was nice, it came with strict management, and they had to wake up early to take the school bus to the hotel for work, and take the bus back to school in the evening, wasting almost an hour and a half each day.

If the hotel hadn't had too few rooms to accommodate everyone before, they would have moved in long ago!

"Yeah, as long as there's enough space, I'd even be fine with a ten-person dorm!"

"It's more fun with more people."

One of the boys was particularly excited, his eyes shining with anticipation for the upcoming hotel dorm life. His home was far from the school, and with a tight budget, he only went home for Chinese New Year, staying at school during summer breaks. 

In past summers, most classmates and friends would leave, and he would stay with some temporary roommates, with whom he wasn't close. They mostly kept to themselves. He thought this summer would be the same, but unexpectedly, his classmates and friends decided to move to the hotel for internships, finally making him not alone this summer!

Every time he thought of this, he felt that final exams were not a nightmare but a beautiful dream beginning.

While the students from Nanjing City Tourism Vocational University were unloading their luggage from the buses, another group led by Dao Dun and Baking entered the scene, each carrying a cat cage and a bird cage!

Chao Shao, Niu Pai, and Qing Pan casually walked from the street corner, while Shui Nuan and Dian Gong put down their tool bags to help the girls with their luggage.

At the hotel entrance, Zhu Tingting, who had been eagerly waiting for Qin Mengqiu, spotted a taxi and immediately ran towards it excitedly. 

It took nearly half an hour for everyone to unload their luggage from the buses.

The four buses slowly drove back to school at sunset, not looking back, giving the impression of abandoning Bai Cheng and her companions at the hotel.

By this time, the sun was almost setting, and the lights around the musical fountain lit up. The water jets changed direction with the music, making the hotel entrance look dazzling.

"I no longer have to worry about the wind and rain!"

The bellboy looked up at the wide, overhanging canopy of the main building, feeling blessed. The previous canopy, although not small, couldn't keep him dry during strong winds and heavy rain. But now he had no such worries!

"Let's go inside and have a look!"

"The boss must be waiting for us!"

Someone in the crowd shouted, and everyone pushed open the hotel doors.

Instantly, a magnificent, luxuriously decorated lobby appeared before their eyes!

"The boss really splurged!"

"This ceiling... this carpet... this crystal chandelier... wow, the hotel finally has an elevator!"

Almost instantly, most employees were teary-eyed at the sight of the elevator.

You might think that the biggest impact of not having an elevator would be on the guests. Wrong! It was on the working staff!!

Cleaning wasn't the biggest issue. It was delivering meals to guests, carrying luggage, and delivering various afternoon fruits and teas. That was the real nightmare!

Seeing was believing. They could hardly imagine that the once small, low five-story hotel had transformed into a grand, elegant lobby. The height of this lobby alone was equivalent to two floors of the old hotel.

Next to the aquarium sightseeing elevator, curious employees gathered.

"It's so beautiful!!"

"I've only seen such aquarium elevators in idol dramas, and the fish inside are real!"

"I don't have to sneak to the underwater suite to see fish anymore!"

"The boss is amazing!"

"Uh-huh..."

Just as everyone was curiously exploring the lobby, a loud, unapologetic cough echoed from within.

The sound was deep, mixed with pride, and a hint of modesty in its boastfulness.

"Everyone's back?"

Upon hearing the familiar voice, everyone turned around sharply. 

In the golden hotel lobby, Chen Jianhai walked towards them on a deep purple carpet under beautiful crystal lights. The azure sea behind him formed a flowing backdrop, making it seem as if, with his arrival, the entire hotel came to life, vibrant and energetic.

Seeing Chen Jianhai, everyone joyfully shouted:

"Reporting, Boss, we're back!"