Chapter 513: The Association Needs a President
Early the next morning, when the hotel staff learned that the hotel had purchased luxury cars, they all rushed downstairs to check out the excitement.
"Wow... how much do these cars cost?!"
"I thought Brother Lang's BMW sports car was already impressive, but I didn't expect the boss to buy four Bentleys!"
"The boss is really rich... I've never even seen these car models and colors before. Are they custom-made??"
"This is eye-opening, truly eye-opening."
"The boss is really going all out!"
...
In the parking lot of the Langai Hotel, 12 brand-new luxury cars reflected blindingly bright light under the sun.
Wen Zifan also stared wide-eyed, unable to believe the cars in the parking lot.
Although Chen Jianhai had informed her the previous afternoon that a batch of cars would arrive at the hotel that night,
Chen Jianhai's tone had been so calm!!!
As calm as if he had bought a bicycle, not so many luxury cars!
Amid the admiration and amazement of the Langai Hotel staff, a few discordant voices wailed:
"Oh my god..."
"Who dares to drive these cars?!"
"I'm already worried about scratching or damaging the BMWs we usually drive."
"Just when I finally got used to it, the hotel's reception cars have suddenly upgraded from BMWs to BMWs, Hummers, and Bentleys????"
"...Holy crap!"
"If I accidentally scratch or crash one, even selling all my blood to make blood sausages wouldn't cover the cost."
Among the crowd, the newly appointed bellboys stood shoulder to shoulder, staring blankly at the luxury cars in the parking lot, their faces filled with despair!
"Sister Zifan, can we still switch positions?"
"Sister Zifan, I want to switch positions too!!!!"
"Count me in, I want to switch too!"
...
While the hotel staff were frantically taking selfies with the luxury cars,
on the other hand, it wasn't until the sun was high in the sky that Chen Jianhai finally woke up, well-rested.
He pulled open the curtains,
and the blue sky was streaked with the silhouettes of seagulls. The vast sea shimmered with bright sunlight, its white waves crashing against the shore.
Chen Jianhai looked at everything, feeling deeply satisfied.
He had grown up by the sea and was accustomed to this view.
Only by the sea did he truly feel at home.
Leaving his room and heading to the restaurant, just as he was about to eat, a figure sat down across from him.
"Good morning, boss."
"Morning."
Seeing who it was, Chen Jianhai's face instantly turned red, but he pretended to be composed.
The atmosphere briefly froze in awkward silence.
Amid the bustling restaurant staff moving about,
the pair, harboring their little romantic secrets, quickly exchanged glances. Finally, Chen Jianhai broke the silence:
"Did the cars arrive?"
Wen Zifan quickly replied, "They did, but..."
"But what?" Chen Jianhai asked, noticing Wen Zifan's uneasy expression.
"But the cars are too luxurious. The newly appointed bellboys are too scared to drive them," Wen Zifan admitted.
"Too scared to drive?" Chen Jianhai was taken aback.
"The new ones are scared, but what about Tall Guy and Chubby? Are they scared too?"
Wen Zifan smiled wryly, "Boss, Tall Guy and Chubby are currently abroad for training. They won't be back for a while."
Darn it!
What a mess!
"Why did Xie Zhu Longxiong have to send them for training now, of all times?"
"He's really causing trouble..."
Chen Jianhai put down his fork in frustration.
He had only thought about equipping the hotel with luxury cars but hadn't considered that the staff would be too scared to drive them.
"Tell them to drive boldly," Chen Jianhai said.
"If they scratch or damage the cars, I'll cover the repair costs! They shouldn't feel burdened."
"...Forget it, I'll talk to them myself."
After Chen Jianhai's repeated assurances, the newly appointed bellboys finally tremblingly got into the cars, gently pressing the accelerator and driving around the hotel's back parking lot to familiarize themselves with the new vehicles.
However, with 17 cars and only a few bellboys, and other staff too nervous to drive,
Chen Jianhai looked at the idle luxury cars and for the first time felt like his efforts had backfired.
...
"What did you say? You want me to drive?"
In the Langai Hotel kitchen,
Xu Bo, holding a lump of dough in his hand, looked at Chen Jianhai in shock, thinking he had misheard.
"Doesn't the hotel have drivers? Shouldn't you ask them to drive? Why are you asking me?"
Chen Jianhai grimaced, "Bo, please help me out."
"The hotel is really short on people. Even Xiao Lang has been pulled in to drive."
Xu Bo was stunned, "Xiao Lang is driving too?"
Chen Jianhai nodded gloomily.
Over the past few days, with Chen Jianhai's constant encouragement, the new bellboys had finally mustered the courage to touch the steering wheel and press the accelerator.
But the Bentleys were just too expensive.
No matter how much Chen Jianhai tried to persuade them, not a single person in the hotel dared to drive them.
Forced into a corner, Chen Jianhai had no choice but to turn to his two good friends for help.
Seeing Chen Jianhai's earnest plea, Xu Bo threw the dough onto the counter.
"Knowing you is really my biggest mistake!"
When Xu Bo saw the BMWs, Hummers, and Bentleys lined up like cabbages,
even though he was the son of the swimming champion of Nanjiang City and had seen his fair share of luxury, he stammered:
"These four Bentleys... are the hotel's??"
Chen Jianhai nodded, somewhat shyly, "Not just these four Bentleys,"
"the four BMWs and four Hummers next to them are also the hotel's."
At this, Xu Bo's gaze toward Chen Jianhai instantly changed.
He struggled to control his facial muscles, his voice trembling slightly:
"Hai Zi, is running a hotel... really this profitable?!"
"It's alright... just average," Chen Jianhai replied, feeling a bit guilty.
...
As the days passed and the International Beer Exchange and Discussion Conference drew closer,
attendees began arriving in Nanjiang one after another.
Although the entire reception was handled by the Langai Hotel,
many of Huang Baichuan's friends and prominent figures in the international beer industry were attending, so Little Fortune God Beer Industry also mobilized significant resources. Both sides waited at the airport to welcome the guests.
Among the cars, the Bentleys driven by Chen Jianhai, Xu Bo, and Xiao Lang were the most eye-catching.
When Huang Baichuan saw Chen Jianhai personally driving a Bentley to the airport to pick up guests, he was so moved his lips trembled.
"Boss Chen, I really didn't expect you to be so thoughtful."
"When we get back, Little Fortune God Beer Industry will sign a long-term contract with the Langai Hotel. All our company's events will be held at the Langai Hotel!"
At first, seeing Huang Baichuan's moved expression, Chen Jianhai wanted to explain a few things.
But hearing the latter part, Chen Jianhai quickly said:
"Old Huang, contracts aside, your matters are my matters, and Little Fortune God's matters are the hotel's matters."
"Picking people up from the airport is no big deal, really."
Hearing this, Huang Baichuan gave Chen Jianhai a deep look.
Though he didn't say anything, his grip on Chen Jianhai's hand tightened.
The next day, Chen Jianhai received a ten-year contract from Little Fortune God Beer Industry.
The contract not only stipulated that all business and conference activities of Little Fortune God would be handled by the Langai Hotel during the cooperation period,
but also that Little Fortune God would supply beer to the Langai Hotel at 5% below market price.
When Chen Jianhai saw the contract, he was so excited he nearly jumped up in his office.
Even his airport pick-up duties were filled with renewed vigor!
...
While Chen Jianhai diligently drove the Bentley, shuttling back and forth between the airport and the coastal road,
his 12 brand-new cars also caused a stir on Zaomen's Cream Road.
Since the Lion Castle Hotel's interior was designed like a garden, with cobblestone paths for squirrel carriages and almost all areas covered in grass or lakes,
cars couldn't drive inside except for small carriages and boats.
Moreover, neither the Rose Path entrance of the Lion Castle Hotel nor the hidden door of the Squirrel Secondhand Bookstore allowed cars,
so the system had no choice but to park the 12 luxury cars at the Cream Road subway station square, where they attracted countless onlookers and photos.
Over the next few days,
the 12 limited-edition luxury cars parked at the Lion Castle Hotel's entrance gradually gained attention online, with many influencers coming to take photos.
Word spread quickly, and opinions on the matter became polarized.
Some comments expressed envy at the hotel's wealth, praising its ability to afford such luxurious cars for reception,
while others criticized the extravagant display of wealth, condemning it as showing off wealth.
In the end, the Lion Castle Hotel managed to dominate local news and Weibo hot searches once again, sparking quite a stir.
Although the reason for the Lion Castle Hotel's fame wasn't entirely positive...
"Black fans are still fans!!!"
The head of the Magic Century Theme Park's publicity department sighed as he looked at his phone.
He was truly impressed!
He was truly impressed by Lion Castle Hotel's Lin Suyang.
How could he come up with so many endless methods to keep the hotel in the spotlight?!
Ever since the Magic Century Theme Park signed a contract with the Lion Castle Hotel and he met the neighboring publicity director,
the two had been in constant communication, trying to find the perfect angle to ink the two parks' parallel magical worlds.
But just as they were making progress,
the Lion Castle Hotel launched another publicity stunt, once again capturing the online spotlight.
Their methods were truly endless.
...
"What a grand gesture!"
In the Zaomen Jiumeiske Hotel, Tong Tongsheng looked at the photos in the news and couldn't help but click his tongue.
Generally, slightly upscale hotels would purchase some high-end limousines to better meet guests' business needs and provide a luxurious stay experience.
Some car manufacturers even collaborated with high-end hotels to provide custom limousines.
For example, his own Meiske Hotel had two high-end S-Class "Meimei's Silk" sedans as ceremonial reception cars.
Whenever high-level members or famous guests arrived, these two ceremonial reception cars would be used for reception.
But these two ceremonial reception cars paled in comparison to Chen Jianhai's three Bentleys.
Although in business, the goal is to achieve the maximum with minimal effort through collaboration,
his two S-Class sedans had taken considerable time and effort to negotiate.
But Chen Jianhai's 12 cars were clearly bought with cold, hard cash.
Just one Bentley could match half a year's revenue for an ordinary hotel.
Someone who could spend so much on cars was either crazy or had such strong financial power that money was no longer an issue.
And Chen Jianhai was clearly not crazy.
"You're also from Nanjiang. Do you know what his family background is?"
Tong Tongsheng asked Liu Qinglu beside him.
"Chen Jianhai... has a career and a house, but both his parents are gone," Liu Qinglu said calmly, holding a glass of red wine.
Tong Tongsheng's eyes narrowed, and he looked at Liu Qinglu in surprise.
"That simple?"
Liu Qinglu nodded, "He's a very simple person."
She then proceeded to tell Tong Tongsheng everything she knew about Chen Jianhai.
"So you're saying he single-handedly turned a failing hotel into what it is today?!"
Tong Tongsheng's voice rose slightly, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Liu Qinglu put down her glass, "Exactly."
"Langai, Jasmine, Lion Castle... I've attended every opening ceremony of Chen Jianhai's hotels."
At this, Liu Qinglu paused and smiled,
"Maybe it won't be long before his fourth hotel opens."
A glint flashed in Tong Tongsheng's eyes. He stroked his chin, deep in thought.
Seeing Tong Tongsheng's expression, Liu Qinglu sat on his lap, leaning gently on his shoulder.
"Why are you so interested in Chen Jianhai now?"
Tong Tongsheng wrapped his arm around Liu Qinglu's waist and smiled, "I am indeed very interested in him."
"The Shell Hotel Industry Association is missing a president, and it has been for a long time..."
Liu Qinglu's expression changed.
She abruptly sat up from Tong Tongsheng's embrace, shocked:
"You want to push Chen Jianhai to be the president of the Shell Hotel Industry Association?"
Tong Tongsheng smiled faintly, stroking Liu Qinglu's arm, "Do you disagree?"
"Aren't you the president of the Shell Hotel Industry Association?" Liu Qinglu asked in surprise.
Tong Tongsheng shook his head, "I'm the secretary-general of the Shell Hotel Industry Association, just acting as president temporarily."
"The position of president has been vacant for a long time."
"Speaking of which,"
"Chen Jianhai, Su Jie, and you... Nanjiang really produces talented people~"
Hearing Su Jie's name, Liu Qinglu's expression changed slightly, but she quickly smiled and asked:
"Then why don't you become the president of the industry association?"
Tong Tongsheng gently shook his head, "He's more suitable."