Nighttime,
Outside Xiaolang's BBQ stall.
Chen Jianhai, Xiaolang, and Dabo sat around a small square table littered with hundreds of empty skewer sticks.
"Bro, why're you eating so little today?" Xiaolang asked curiously.
"Ugh, just feeling under the weather," Chen Jianhai muttered, chewing on garlic with droopy eyelids.
Under the weather?
Xiaolang slapped his thigh.
"Pfft! Thought it was something serious. If you want canned fruit, just say so!"
With that, he called into the shop, "Uncle Chuanchuan, open a hawthorn can!"
"Coming right up!"
Chuanchuan's voice echoed from inside.
Chen Jianhai was baffled.
"I'm feeling off, why're you opening a can?"
Xiaolang replied, "Didn't you say you were under the weather? What symptoms? Dark pee?"
Chen Jianhai sighed.
"Nothing major, just no appetite—everything tastes bland."
Xiaolang rolled his eyes. "So you *do* want canned fruit!"
He dashed inside and returned with a peach can and a hawthorn can, dumping both into a large bowl.
"Dig in, bro. Freshly canned," Xiaolang said.
"Tch! I said I didn't *really* want it,"
Chen Jianhai picked up a peach slice with his chopsticks and popped it into his mouth.
Mmm…
So sweet!
Watching Chen Jianhai's pitiful expression, like he'd never tasted anything good in his life,
Xiaolang couldn't help but grumble jealously:
"Bro, Dabo said you signed three contracts this week. What's there to be upset about?"
"In my whole life, the only contract I've ever signed was for the East Sea Dragon Palace BBQ shop."
"Wanna sign one with me too?"
"How about this—anyone who spends 1,000 at my BBQ joint gets a free night at your hotel. Deal?"
His eyes sparkled with hope.
"Get lost!"
The ruthless rejection shot straight from Chen Jianhai's mouth.
Xiaolang glared. "Ungrateful brat! After all I've done for you!"
Now that the international beer conference guests had finally left, the hotel was back to normal operations.
Xu Bo had even taken a rare day off, changing clothes after 3 p.m. to join Chen Jianhai for dinner at Xiaolang's.
But Chen Jianhai's mood was in the dumps. From the moment he sat down, he'd been sighing and moping.
At first, Xu Bo and Xiaolang thought he was just showing off.
But the longer they ate, the more they realized—
*He's genuinely upset!*
"...Hai, is the hotel in trouble?" Xu Bo asked cautiously.
Chen Jianhai gave him a gloomy look and nodded miserably.
"What kind?" Xu Bo was startled by his lifeless expression. "What'd you do?! Which page of the penal code?"
"Piss off!"
Chen Jianhai nearly kicked him.
"As long as it's not illegal!"
Xu Bo and Xiaolang scrutinized Chen Jianhai's reaction. Seeing no signs of criminal activity, they both exhaled in relief.
"Staff issues, then?" Xu Bo ventured next.
With so many employees, conflicts were inevitable beneath the surface harmony. Had someone caused problems?
"Staff's fine," Chen Jianhai sighed.
Xu Bo and Xiaolang exchanged glances.
If it wasn't legal trouble or personnel problems…
It had to be money.
"Financial issues?" Xu Bo asked.
Chen Jianhai hesitated, then nodded.
*Well, a 500,000-point deficit kinda counts…*
The revelation sent a chill through Xu Bo and Xiaolang.
No wonder Chen Jianhai had been hustling so hard, securing three contracts in a week.
The hotel must be bleeding cash!
"How bad is it?" Xiaolang asked carefully.
Chen Jianhai nodded silently.
*Five years' worth of points, crammed into six months…*
If he couldn't recreate the *Fengshen Fatu* world by then, how would he face Qin Li?
All afternoon, he'd been crunching numbers until his throat went raw from stress.
Watching him, Xu Bo and Xiaolang's expressions darkened.
*This is serious.*
Having grown up together, they knew Chen Jianhai better than anyone.
The guy was usually carefree to a fault.
Apart from his parents' passing and Lang'ai Hotel's near-collapse, they'd never seen him like this.
The mood at the table grew heavy.
"My fault."
Xu Bo suddenly downed his beer in one gulp.
"I should've stopped you when you wanted to build Lion Castle Hotel."
"You expanded too fast… didn't have the foundation for it."
"And I was too focused on my own competitions."
"If I'd talked sense into you back then, this wouldn't have happened."
Chen Jianhai: ??? *Huh?*
He'd just been venting about his points crisis. Why was Xu Bo self-flagellating?
"Not your fault, and not Lion Castle's either."
"I'll handle it."
"Besides, what big waves haven't I seen before?"
Xu Bo and Xiaolang studied him.
To them, his casual tone was clearly forced—a front to pretend everything was fine.
After a long silence, Xiaolang suddenly declared:
"Damn right!"
"My brother Hai is invincible! Of course he'll handle it!"
"Work stays in the daytime. Nights are for living it up!"
"Here, eat up!"
Perhaps from growing up amidst the roaring flames and bustling energy of a BBQ stall,
Xiaolang radiated an infectious, sunlike optimism.
Chen Jianhai's gloom began to lift.
Especially that "invincible" bit—that really cheered him up.
"Hahaha! That's right! Your dad's invincible!"
"Bottoms up!"
Glasses clinked under the neon glow of "Xiaolang's BBQ," the golden beer refracting joy into the night.
They drank bottle after bottle,
Skewer after skewer,
Until 4 a.m., when they staggered arm-in-arm toward the beach, bellowing about watching the sunrise.
Beer truly was the elixir of adult happiness.
Drunk and dizzy, all worries forgotten.
Chen Jianhai had no idea how many bottles he'd downed, nor how he'd made it back to his hotel room.
When he woke, the sunset was painting the ocean gold outside his window.
Tiny fishing boats dotted the horizon, their horns humming homeward on the sea breeze.
"The world's so beautiful,"
Chen Jianhai murmured.
*Would be even better without that 500,000-point pressure…*
Though Xiaolang had said to leave work for daylight and keep nights for joy,
For Chen Jianhai, the hotel *was* his life. He'd give it everything he had.
500,000 points was daunting, but not hopeless.
Since getting the system, most of his points had come not from hotel ratings, but from completing tasks or triggering rewards.
His Lion Castle Hotel had launched with 200,000 points after unlocking the "Golden System Map's" Zaomen section.
If he remembered correctly,
The system had mentioned a hidden quest in Zaomen during his first visit—
Completion promised hefty rewards.
Maybe that could net him a windfall!
"But what *is* that damn quest?!!!"
Chen Jianhai scratched his head.
Since yesterday, he'd scoured every system entry about Lion Castle Hotel—tasks, products, data—
But found nothing.
The quest lived up to its name, buried impossibly deep.
Chen Jianhai had no clue how to trigger it.
*Knock knock.*
"Boss, are you awake?"
Wen Zifan's voice came through the door.
Chen Jianhai opened it to find her holding a tray with pastries, a fruit platter, and honey-passionfruit lemon water.
"For me?" Chen Jianhai asked.
Wen Zifan nodded.
"Brother Qiaoni said you were feeling unwell, so he asked the kitchen to prepare these."
Her eyes softened with concern at his stubble and bloodshot eyes.
"Qiaoni drank just as much but still made it to work today?!"
Chen Jianhai was stunned.
Xu Bo had matched him drink for drink last night!
When they'd watched the sunrise, Chen Jianhai had been too wrecked to move, yet Xu Bo had waltzed into work unscathed?
*Did he equip magic resistance gear or what?!*
Wen Zifan looked at his dumbfounded face and said gently,
"Boss, you drank the night before last."
"You've been asleep for a full day and night."
Chen Jianhai: !!!!?
...
After seeing Wen Zifan out, Chen Jianhai frantically checked his calendar.
*Damn!*
It really *was* two days ago.
He'd slept straight through a whole day!
Chen Jianhai stared at the calendar in disbelief.
He'd heard of legendary drinkers passing out for 24 hours—never thought he'd join their ranks.
Thrilled, he whipped out his phone to brag to Xiaolang.
But Xiaolang, who usually replied instantly, was radio silent.
"Still out cold too?"
Chen Jianhai found it odd.
But with Chuanchuan managing the BBQ stall, Xiaolang wasn't alone. Probably fine.
...
Over the next few days, Xiaolang vanished without a trace, his stall unmanned.
Meanwhile, Mantou worked efficiently.
Since this was his first direct assignment from Chen Jianhai,
He'd meticulously researched red-carpet security protocols for foreign celebrities,
Cross-referenced Coconut Umbrella Hotel Association's standards with Lang'ai Hotel's realities,
And spent a week leading a top-to-bottom security overhaul.
Minor issues were swiftly nipped in the bud.
While Mantou worked, Chen Jianhai kept busy too.
He visited the nursing home residents on the island, surveyed Jasmine Hotel's facilities and dining, gathered feedback,
Inspected the Cliffside Library, attended a small theater performance by a free arts group,
And checked on Feng Di's café staff training.
Only after a full week did he return to Lang'ai Hotel.
"Good, speedy work."
In his office,
Chen Jianhai nodded approvingly at Mantou's report.
Mantou's round face flushed with pride.
Earlier,
He'd guided Chen Jianhai through every inch of Lang'ai Hotel—parking lots, stairwells, fire exits, corridors, surveillance—
The hotel, freshly upgraded to platinum five-star status last year, boasted state-of-the-art facilities. Hardware was flawless.
With proper staffing and cameras, security was airtight.
This inspection was mostly about meeting the team.
And Chen Jianhai liked what he saw.
These guards, handpicked by Xie Zhulongxiong to his own standards, were built like tanks.
Seeing them lined up in uniform, ramrod straight,
Chen Jianhai felt ready to conquer the world barehanded.
*With such troops, what couldn't he achieve?!*
"Next month's workload will be intense security-wise."
"Do well, and there's a bonus in it."
Chen Jianhai smiled.
Mantou's eyes sparkled.
*A personal reward from the boss?!*
"Don't worry, Boss! We'll ace this mission!"
Watching Mantou's excitement, Chen Jianhai felt bittersweet.
Money wasn't an issue—handing out bonuses was as easy as drinking water.
But points? That was another story.
Just as he brooded, Wen Zifan entered.
"Boss, the hotel account just received a 60-million-yuan transfer."
"Got it."
Chen Jianhai nodded, still glum.
With all the contracts he'd signed lately, funds were rolling in routinely. No big deal.
*Money? He had plenty.*
Wen Zifan studied his indifferent expression, hesitated, then shook her head and left.