Chapter 444: The Restless Shell

It's not that Chen Jianhai looks down on the neighboring Colorful Holiday Resort Hotel.

Well, fine—he does look down on it.

Such a shabby little place, with small rooms filled with formaldehyde and not even a bottle of "Warm Baby" mineral water, dares to charge 3,000 yuan per night. He genuinely feels that charging 5,000 yuan per night for his rooms is already a loss-making endeavor just to attract customers.

And maintaining a castle isn't free! Water and electricity bills aren't free!

Lawn maintenance isn't free!

Amusement equipment upkeep isn't free!

Lake cleaning isn't free!

Raising carriages and boats—it's all money!! All money!!

"Let's tentatively set the price for standard rooms at 5,427 yuan, with themed rooms, king-size rooms, executive suites, and presidential suites increasing in price accordingly."

Chen Jianhai made his decision.

"After all, most people coming to stay at the Lion Lake Castle Hotel are here for the amusement park. They'll play for a day, stay a night, and then leave."

"Even if the room rates are a bit high, experiencing the charm of the castle for a night or two should still be acceptable."

Of course, ultimately, it all comes down to one thing.

The reason he dares to charge such high prices is that his hotel is worth it!

The next step is to determine the specific opening date.

The best opening time would be one week before the Magic Century Theme Park opens.

But he can't just shamelessly go next door and ask:

"When are you opening? Let me know, and I'll join you~"

He can only take a roundabout approach and ask his connections for information.

"When the Magic Century Theme Park opens, the Colorful Holiday Theme Park will definitely choose the same day."

"All hotels in Zaomen must report their operations to the Shell Hotel Industry Association."

"Perfect, I'll ask Su Jie and see if he has any information!"

Thinking this, Chen Jianhai dialed Su Jie's number without hesitation.

The phone rang for half a minute, but no one answered.

"Strange, is he still busy at this hour?"

Chen Jianhai checked the time. It was already 4:23 PM, and in less than 40 minutes, Su Jie would be off work.

Is he still working hard instead of slacking off at this time?

Chen Jianhai was puzzled for a moment, then set his phone aside.

Based on his understanding, Su Jie would definitely call back as soon as he saw his missed call.

Sure enough, at 5:34 PM, Su Jie called back.

A hoarse voice mixed with deep exhaustion came through the phone, but the words were still warm and familiar:

"Boss Chen, what's the order?"

Chen Jianhai frowned.

This voice doesn't sound right!

Previously, even when Su Jie was swamped with work in Nanjiang, he didn't sound this exhausted.

He's only been in Zaomen for a few days—how has he been worked to the bone like this?

Hearing his friend in this state, Chen Jianhai's heart stirred slightly, and he changed his tone with a laugh:

"Hey, what orders could I possibly have?!"

"I've been busy preparing for the new hotel opening these past few days, running around like crazy. I only just caught a breather today."

"Are you free? Let's grab a drink tonight!"

"Sure."

Su Jie's voice on the phone clearly lightened up.

"But you'll have to wait a bit. I still have some work to finish, probably about half an hour."

Chen Jianhai laughed, "You go ahead and finish your work! It'll take me over an hour to drive from the hotel to the city anyway."

"By the time I get there, you'll probably be done. Let's meet then!"

...

By the time Chen Jianhai met Su Jie, it was already past 8 PM.

When Su Jie walked into the private room, Chen Jianhai's gaze immediately fell on Su Jie's hair.

In less than half a month,

Su Jie's hair had turned half gray, and he looked like he had aged ten years.

"Wow… Brother Su, that salt-and-pepper look is pretty trendy!"

"Trendy, right? It's highlights. The stylist said it makes me look younger."

Su Jie, seeing Chen Jianhai, happily placed his briefcase on the chair and sat down across from him, opening the menu:

"Let's get this straight—you're paying for this meal!"

"I'm going to eat something good at your expense."

Chen Jianhai chuckled, "Order away! Get the most expensive stuff. If you're feeling bold, we can even order the entire menu!"

...

Throughout the ordering process, Chen Jianhai didn't intervene at all, letting Su Jie take the lead.

After all, he's the big boss~~~

Although he's not as reckless as Xiao Lang, who would buy an entire restaurant on a whim after enjoying a meal there,

ordering every delicious dish on the menu to treat Su Jie to a hearty meal was still a light and enjoyable task for him.

Soon, the waiter enthusiastically brought all the ordered dishes to the table.

After downing a glass of beer, Chen Jianhai got straight to the point: "Brother, why are you so exhausted?"

Su Jie didn't beat around the bush, shoveling a few bites of rice into his mouth as he spoke: "Don't even mention it. It's just a bunch of messy stuff."

Then, Su Jie briefly explained what had happened since he arrived in Zaomen.

Although Su Jie spoke concisely and didn't name names, Chen Jianhai could still grasp the gist of it.

Su Jie was being targeted.

To be precise, he was being subtly but severely targeted.

Su Jie had come to work at the Shell Hotel Industry Association because the former secretary-general, Tong Tongsheng, had stepped down from his position and returned to work at the Mesk Grand Hotel.

With the position vacant and no one suitable to fill it, Su Jie, who had a good reputation, was chosen.

During this period, the Coconut Umbrella Hotel Industry Association was promoted to an intermediate-level hotel industry association, so Su Jie's transfer was considered a lateral move.

In reality, none of this had much to do with him. What mattered was the internal dynamics of the association…

Although Tong Tongsheng had stepped down to focus on hotel matters, his opinions still dominated all major and minor decisions within the association.

Moreover, this guy was quite sneaky,

excelling at maintaining a good reputation while pushing others to take the fall.

Even though Su Jie had been extremely cautious, the situation had forced him into a corner. He knew it was a trap but had no choice but to step into it.

That afternoon,

Su Jie had been dealing with yet another trap.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Chen Jianhai refilled Su Jie's glass and asked seriously.

"No need." Su Jie smiled lightly.

"I've kept a clear record of all these accounts."

"Those old geezers—sooner or later, I'll deal with every single one of them!"

When Su Jie said this, his tone was as calm as if he were saying, "Vegetable prices are too high these days, with green beans costing 16 yuan per pound."

But the glint of cold light reflected in his glasses was truly murderous, reminding Chen Jianhai of someone.

"Who did you think of?" Su Jie asked curiously.

"Liu Qinglü. Do you remember her?"

"She was the assistant to the boss of Yuemei Hotel and Nanjiang Glory Grand Hotel. She always had her hair down, reaching about here!"

Chen Jianhai gestured to his chest as he spoke.

"She's like you—her glasses always reflect a cold light, just like Conan. It's kind of magical…!"

"I know her." Su Jie's gaze darkened slightly as he took a sip of his drink.

"Also, I saw her in Zaomen a few days ago. It seems she's jumped ship and is now working as an assistant to a boss here. Which hotel was it again??"

Chen Jianhai frowned, momentarily unable to recall.

"The Mesk Grand Hotel." Su Jie's voice chimed in.

"Tong Tongsheng's hotel."