Whoa!
The head chef is beating up the boss again.
In a small corner of the restaurant, a group of staff members curiously peeked through the window cracks, staring into the Chinese restaurant.
As everyone knew,
Lang'ai Hotel technically had two bosses.
One was the big boss, Chen Jianhai.
The other was the "shadow boss," Xu Qiaoni.
Although the head chef usually kept to the kitchen, living a reclusive life like a dragon that only showed its head but never its tail,
when it came to Boss Chen Jianhai, he treated him like a misbehaving son.
Xiao Lang couldn't scold or hit Chen Jianhai at will, but Xu Qiaoni could!
And because of the head chef's dominance, the kitchen staff had always held a high status in the hotel.
You could offend anyone—just not the culinary gods in the back.
...
"Here, have some congee."
At the dining table, Xu Qiaoni held up the bowl of hot congee with one hand.
The next second, Chen Jianhai hurriedly accepted it with both hands.
Xu Qiaoni's eyes burned with murderous intent as he smirked coldly. "Boss Chen, about that bodyguard thing…?"
"That was a misunderstanding! A pure, pure misunderstanding!!" Chen Jianhai's eyelids twitched as he blurted out.
"Uncle Xu is like a father to me! His son is practically my dad!"
"How could I ever ask either of them to be my bodyguard?!"
Chen Jianhai's face was the picture of innocence.
"Actually, I'm in the prime of my life. If Uncle Xu ever needs someone to carry his bags or hold his umbrella, just call me."
"Little Hai guarantees he'll be at your service anytime!"
Xu Qiaoni shot him a sidelong glance, snorted, and turned to leave.
In the vast Chinese restaurant,
only Chen Jianhai stood frozen in the center. After a long while… he shuddered violently.
What the hell did Xie Zhulongxiong do?!
If it weren't for Xu Qiaoni, Chen Jianhai wouldn't even have known why someone might kidnap him or beat him to death.
And that was just Xu Bamo alone.
The thought of all those missed calls made his head spin!
But now wasn't the time to settle scores.
He was about to meet the boss of "Who Knew There Was One Here" film company from Chunyang Province.
Suppressing his emotions, Chen Jianhai quickly finished his congee and headed straight for the hotel's small meeting room.
At the meeting room door,
a reception staff member stood guard.
"Has the guest arrived?" Chen Jianhai asked.
The receptionist replied, "Not yet. Sister Fan has gone to greet them. They should be here soon."
"Got it."
Chen Jianhai nodded. He was about to enter but hesitated and decided to wait in the hallway instead.
Courtesy never hurt,
especially on his home turf.
Though he had no good impressions of "Who Knew There Was One Here" film company,
the guest had come to discuss business, and as a hospitality professional, basic etiquette was a must.
After waiting about two minutes,
two tall young women appeared around the corner.
The one on the left wore a well-tailored professional suit and high heels, her amber peach-blossom eyes exuding charm. No doubt, it was his beloved "Fan-ge."
The one on the right had sleek shoulder-length hair. Though her looks were ordinary and she wore flat shoes, her presence was commanding—as if she were walking a runway.
This was Huang Ning, the boss of "Who Knew There Was One Here" film company.
"The boss of this film company is a woman?!"
"And she didn't bring a bodyguard?!"
Chen Jianhai was genuinely stunned at first sight.
Most of the big bosses he knew were men—this was his first time meeting a female boss.
"Boss Huang, hello."
Chen Jianhai strode forward enthusiastically and extended his hand.
As they shook hands, he even gave a slight, gentlemanly bow.
"Boss Chen, hello."
Huang Ning smiled.
"This is actually our second meeting."
"On my first day checking into Nanjiang, you personally drove to pick me up."
Chen Jianhai's face instantly flushed.
Lately, he'd been indulging his love for sports cars by picking up guests whenever possible. He honestly couldn't remember whom he'd driven.
But judging by her tone, his driving skills must've left an impression.
After some small talk, Chen Jianhai led Huang Ning into the meeting room.
Wen Zifan poured tea for both of them before quietly exiting.
"Boss Chen, thank you for your strong support of our artist, Zhu Tingting."
The moment they sat down, Huang Ning's words of gratitude caught Chen Jianhai off guard.
"Of course, of course! Tingting is like a brother to me. His success brings me joy."
Chen Jianhai spoke from the heart:
"Boss Huang,"
"my brother is a man of strong emotions. Sometimes he's stubborn, refusing to give up until he hits a wall."
"I hope you'll guide him and offer advice when he's being too rigid."
Huang Ning laughed.
"Don't worry, Boss Chen. Tingting is my employee, and I naturally want the best for him."
"But often, a hundred words from me can't match one from you."
Huh?
Chen Jianhai paused.
That didn't sound like a compliment.
What did she mean by that?
The men around him were usually straightforward—rarely this cryptic.
But Chen Jianhai had his own way of handling such people:
No matter how roundabout you are, I just won't play along.
After some polite exchanges,
Chen Jianhai cut to the chase: "I heard Boss Huang has taken an interest in my gold-medal singer?"
Huang Ning smiled. "Indeed."
"Boss Chen has a great eye for talent. I wonder if you'd be willing to part with An Xia and transfer his contract to our company?"
Chen Jianhai asked, "Have you discussed this with An Xia himself?"
Huang Ning shook her head. "Not yet."
"Though I'm very interested in An Xia, I wanted to consult you first."
"If you agree and An Xia is willing, we'd be thrilled to welcome him."
"And if you disagree, we'll respect your decision."
Oh ho?!
Huang Ning was surprisingly considerate!
Chen Jianhai's initial displeasure softened instantly.
Though An Xia's contract with the hotel wasn't lifelong,
meaning he could negotiate a termination if he wished and join Huang Ning's company without Chen Jianhai's approval,
her approach was undeniably classy.
"Boss Huang, you're too kind."
Chen Jianhai said sincerely, "An Xia's wishes are mine."
"If you can provide a better platform for his talent, I'll fully support it!"
"...But right now, he's our only gold-medal singer—irreplaceable at the hotel."
"If you really want him, his contract terms and salary should reflect that."
Huang Ning's eyes shone with even greater admiration.
Over the years, her company had poached many talents, but she'd never seen an amicable parting.
Take Zhu Wenhe, for example—her former "top star," poached by rival company "Tornado."
She'd wished nothing but misfortune upon him, hoping he'd fade into obscurity.
For a boss to actively negotiate better terms for a departing employee was unheard of—unimaginable!
"Boss Chen is truly magnanimous!" Huang Ning praised from the heart.
Flattered, Chen Jianhai waved it off.
"Come on!"
"It's nothing special."
"Everyone who joins the hotel becomes family. Their success is my joy."
"Here, Boss Huang, try this tea."
He gestured politely toward the teacup.
After a sip, Huang Ning continued, "Boss Chen, actually, aside from An Xia, I came to discuss another collaboration."
"I adore Lang'ai Hotel's style and service. I'd like to book the hotel for ten days next month for our company's annual party."
"Would that be possible?"
Pfft!
Chen Jianhai nearly spat out his tea!
"Excuse me?"
"Ten days?!"
Huang Ning smiled at his shock and nodded.
Chen Jianhai took a trembling sip.
"Boss Huang, you're saying your company wants to hold its annual party here next month?"
Huang Ning nodded. "Yes."
"We have many employees with diverse roles."
"Artists and staff may need separate events, extending the duration."
"Would the hotel accommodate that?"
Accommodate?
Accommodate?!
Hell yes!!!
Ancestors above, he'd been praying for a company event to boost business!
And now one had fallen into his lap!
Aaaaaah!!!
Inside, Chen Jianhai screamed like a gopher.
Amid his mental celebration,
he managed to maintain his dignified hotelier persona and said earnestly:
"Thank you for your trust in Lang'ai Hotel!"
"However, we currently have many events. I'm not entirely sure about next month's schedule."
"Here's what we'll do—"
"I'll have my assistant check the calendar and arrangements."
"We'll do our best to reserve the dates for your needs."
Huang Ning smiled. "Thank you, Boss Chen."
"I guarantee partnering with us will be worthwhile for you and the hotel!"
Chen Jianhai's eyebrow arched slightly as he replied with equal confidence:
"And I guarantee,"
"your employees will be thoroughly satisfied with Lang'ai Hotel!"
They shared a knowing smile.
After seeing Huang Ning off,
Chen Jianhai immediately relayed her request to Wen Zifan, asking her to compile next month's event and booking status ASAP.
Then,
he headed to the second floor and knocked on the HR office door.
Inside, the HR team was busy at their desks—calculating performance metrics, organizing files, or screening candidates.
Xie Zhulongxiong was preparing for the upcoming autumn campus recruitment.
"Minister Xie, a word."
Pushing the door open, Chen Jianhai beckoned him before stepping back into the hallway.
Xie Zhulongxiong quickly stood, setting aside his work, and followed with a wary expression.
A bad feeling crept in.
Usually,
if Chen Jianhai needed him, he'd either call him to his office or assign tasks over the phone.
A hallway summons was unprecedented—clearly, this was something private.
Outside the office,
Chen Jianhai glanced at Xie Zhulongxiong and headed toward the first-floor café.
What's the boss up to?
Confused, Xie Zhulongxiong followed.
At the café,
they sat facing each other.
Xie Zhulongxiong fidgeted under Chen Jianhai's silence before tentatively asking:
"Boss, did you need something?"
Chen Jianhai lifted his gaze, barely containing his anger as he asked coldly:
"About last night's task—how exactly did you handle it?"
Xie Zhulongxiong's heart skipped a beat.
The boss's tone was off!
But he quickly deduced the headhunting firm must've messed up.
He recounted his conversation with Liu Jiale and the specific requirements he'd provided.
When he mentioned "male, age - no limit, burly, muscular, can take a hit and step up,"
he noticed Chen Jianhai's eye twitch.
"Boss, were my requirements wrong?" Xie Zhulongxiong asked nervously.
After a long silence, Chen Jianhai pulled out his phone, opened the missed calls log, and handed it over.
"Recognize these names?"
"Yes."
Xie Zhulongxiong scanned the list and nodded uneasily.
As HR head of a major hotel, he knew most local entrepreneurs.
Chen Jianhai sighed deeply.
"These missed calls? They're all applicants for my bodyguard position."