After hanging up the phone,
Chen Jianhai never expected that the crystal star map he bought for just 300 points in the system mall would one day become the object of someone's desire!
Back when he was designing and decorating Lion Castle Subway Station,
Chen Jianhai was still a man swimming in points.
He spent points lavishly on subway oil paintings, flooring, and statues without batting an eye.
The reason he bought this crystal star map was purely because, against the blue velvet background, the crystal lights looked like tiny stars when lit up—sparkling and breathtakingly beautiful.
So, among all the ceiling starry sky designs, Chen Jianhai chose this reversed-image star map.
If the director of that astronomical institute had come to him earlier,
Chen Jianhai might have gritted his teeth, negotiated a cooperation, and exchanged 30,000 points for a star map—just to make a friend.
But now? Ha!
Forget 30,000 points—
he wouldn't even spare **3 points** from his pocket!
**"Ding~"**
Just as Chen Jianhai was mourning his points,
the system's familiar, cold voice rang in his mind:
**"Congratulations, host, for triggering a five-star hidden mission: The Gaze of the Star Explorer."**
**"Mission activation condition: Please answer the following question."**
**"If given a telescope, could you see the limits of the universe and the stars?"**
Chen Jianhai: ???
The office fell silent.
Chen Jianhai stared blankly at the suddenly popped-up system panel.
What kind of hidden five-star mission is this?!
And was that question from the system rhetorical or not?
Do I need to answer it?
A series of questions flashed through Chen Jianhai's already not-so-bright mind, making things worse.
The last time his hotel received a hidden five-star mission,
was when Langai Hotel expanded from a small five-story building to a 15-story high-rise.
Back then, Li Xun triggered **"The Witness of the Historian"** on his first night at Langai Hotel.
Who would've thought that today, he'd encounter **"The Gaze of the Star Explorer"**?
What was even more unsettling was—
after knowing the system for a year and a half, this was the first time he'd heard of a mission requiring an **intelligence quiz** to activate.
**"If I don't answer, does that mean the mission won't proceed?"**
Chen Jianhai's face showed confusion.
It wasn't that he didn't know the answer—he was just worried that answering wrong might cause this hidden five-star mission to fail, which would be disastrous.
Filled with doubt,
Chen Jianhai thought for a long time before whispering:
**"Probably not, right?"**
Although he had no idea how far domestic telescope technology had advanced,
no matter how he thought about it, it seemed impossible to see the limits of the universe and stars with a telescope.
**"Ding~"**
**"Congratulations, host, for answering correctly."**
**"The universe and stars are infinite, while the reach of a telescope is finite. The finite cannot perceive the infinite."**
**"Congratulations, host, for successfully activating the five-star hidden system mission: The Gaze of the Star Explorer."**
**"The Gaze of the Star Explorer: Among the infinite stars and galaxies, countless star explorers spend their entire lives, with their finite existence, exploring the infinite cosmic universe."**
**"What lies beyond those nebulae is not just eternity—but also the gazes left behind by star explorers over millennia."**
**"Mission description: Please collect as much 'Gaze Value' as possible from star explorers."**
**"Reward description: 50 Gaze Value can be exchanged for one complete star map fragment."**
**"After collecting 10 star map fragments, the host can unlock the complete medieval holographic dynamic star atlas."**
**"Note: As this is a hidden five-star mission, the difficulty is extremely high."**
**"Host receives an additional reward: 150,000 points, one free exchange for the holographic dynamic star atlas."**
**"Host, please note: The holographic dynamic star atlas is extremely precious. It can only be exchanged for free once and holds immense collectible and research value. Please use it cautiously and protect it strictly."**
Chen Jianhai didn't process a single word the system said.
Right now, his entire brain was fixated on one line of the reward description:
**150,000 points!**
**150,000 points!!**
**150,000 points!!!**
Holy crap, **150,000 points!!!!**
Chen Jianhai let out an excited shriek.
No wonder—
no wonder Xu Badie always said: **"Generals don't hunt rabbits."**
He had agonized day and night over the 500,000-point dilemma,
but who knew a hidden mission would solve **15% of it in one go?!**
Turns out, to make big money, you gotta aim for the big fish!
Catching small fry is useless—they're not even enough to fill your teeth!
**"System, is this mission the hidden one you mentioned for Lion Castle Hotel?"**
Chen Jianhai asked hopefully, testing the waters.
**"Ding~"**
The system let out a "ding" and then fell silent.
As if calculating whether answering this question would violate rules,
after nearly a minute, the system's cold, familiar voice sounded again:
**"Ding!"**
**"This mission is not the same as Lion Castle Hotel's hidden mission."**
**"The host may choose to continue uncovering Lion Castle Hotel's hidden mission or ignore it."**
**"Once Lion Castle Hotel's hidden mission is completed, the host will receive generous rewards from the system."**
**Nice!!!**
Chen Jianhai shrieked again.
The world is vast, and there's much to achieve!
If a single hidden mission gives 150,000 points, completing Lion Castle Hotel's exclusive hidden mission might reward even more!
But just in case, Chen Jianhai swallowed his pride and asked flatteringly:
**"System, can the rewards for Lion Castle Hotel's hidden mission be distributed in points?"**
Although the **"Golden Ocean Luck Membership Card"** from last time was nice,
there were only 100 cards in total. He was so stingy with them, afraid they'd run out, that he'd only given out **2 cards** so far.
And so far, there was no sign of any "luck feedback" either.
So those membership cards had been lying quietly in his office drawer, living in darkness.
Instead of giving him stuff he barely used, the system might as well reward him with more points.
**"Ding~"**
**"The system has received the host's request and will distribute rewards based on mission completion."**
With this reassurance, Chen Jianhai felt at ease.
Great!
**"System, you're useless now—dismissed!"**
With a domineering roar,
Chen Jianhai glared at the little "X" in the top-right corner of the panel.
Instantly, the world fell silent.
**150,000 points…**
Hahahahahahaha…
Chen Jianhai cupped his cheeks, afraid he'd laugh too loudly.
Just as he was cackling like a madman,
another **"Ding"** sounded, and the system's cold voice returned.
The previously "useless" system panel popped up again.
**"System mission: The Gaze of the Star Explorer has officially begun."**
**"Host has obtained 3.7 Gaze Value."**
Chen Jianhai was stunned.
What… what's going on?
Since when does the system proactively report progress?
Usually, Chen Jianhai had to ask for updates—the system never volunteered information.
Was this a bug?!
Confused, Chen Jianhai cautiously replied: **"Acknowledged."**
After saying this, the panel **"snapped"** shut.
Here and gone in a flash—
completely unreasonable.
It had the vibe of: **"Only I can hang up on you—not the other way around."**
Chen Jianhai rolled his eyes hard.
With an attitude like this—
if it weren't for your decent work performance and powerful functions,
I would've fired you long ago.
Hmph!
But no matter how flawed the system was, it had at least delivered good news.
**"The Gaze of the Star Explorer"** mission had officially begun without his direct involvement and was now in full swing.
All he needed to do was give it a push to speed things up—no active planning required.
This significantly reduced his workload.
Chen Jianhai happily took a sip from his thermos.
His throat was a bit hoarse from all the screaming.
The thermos contained **tremella soup with goji berries, rock sugar, peach gum, red dates, and longan**, prepared by Wen Zifan.
Originally, she brought it in a thermal lunchbox,
but Chen Jianhai refused to carry the pink container, deeming it too girly.
Left with no choice, Wen Zifan poured the soup into his thermos.
After a few sips,
his dry, scratchy throat didn't feel any better, but his stomach was full.
His sharp gaze swept across the association president's desk.
With the hotel summary task delegated to Liu Fuhou,
he could wait until next Monday for the report before taking action.
Now that he had time, it was perfect for visiting his new factory at the port.
Casually strolling out of the president's office,
the moment he stepped into the hallway,
he saw an auntie mopping the floor.
When she noticed Chen Jianhai, her eyes flickered with nervousness.
**"Hard at work?"** Chen Jianhai smiled, holding his thermos.
**"President, please be careful—the hallway is wet,"** the auntie warned uneasily.
Wet?
Chen Jianhai looked down.
Sunlight illuminated the entire corridor, making the tiles gleam.
Any trace of water would be glaringly obvious.
But there was none.
Chen Jianhai scrutinized the floor several times but saw no water.
The cleaning auntie fretted:
**"President, please be careful anyway."**
**"Secretary Liu slipped and fell right after leaving your office. He hurt his wrist and was just taken to the hospital."**
**Whoa!**
Chen Jianhai's eyes widened.
He left my office and immediately slipped and got hospitalized?
Would he still be able to finish that report?!
Chen Jianhai checked the hallway floor again.
The entire corridor was clean and dry—no sign of moisture.
How could anyone slip here?
…Weird.
Meanwhile, Lin Suyang hung up the phone and regretfully told Jade Void Palace Boss:
**"Sir, my boss said we only have this portion of the star map. I'm sorry we couldn't help."**
**"That's alright. Thank you,"** Jade Void Palace Boss replied calmly.
Though he'd expected this outcome, he still felt a pang of disappointment.
Star maps like these were **treasured heirlooms** abroad—rarely shown to outsiders.
For a hotel owner to display one on a subway station ceiling,
he was either a **saintly philanthropist**…
or **clueless** about its significance.
Unaware of Jade Void Palace Boss's inner turmoil,
Lin Suyang, thinking he was upset, comforted him:
**"Sir, I'm truly sorry we couldn't assist you."**
**"How about we exchange contact information?"**
**"While I can't get you the full star map, if you need any help in Zaomen—or hotel bookings—feel free to reach out."**
**"That'd be great!"** Jade Void Palace Boss immediately pulled out his phone.
Casually, he added:
**"If we stay long-term, can we get a room discount?"**
Lin Suyang replied: **"I'm sorry, but no."**
Jade Void Palace Boss thought he was joking and asked if staying for three months would qualify.
Most hotels offered discounts for long stays—some even threw in laundry services or extra perks, making them more comfortable than home.
Surely a high-end hotel like Lion Castle wouldn't refuse a simple discount?
**"I'm truly sorry, but even staying for three years won't qualify for a discount,"** Lin Suyang politely refused.
**"This is our boss's rule: Lion Castle Hotel never discounts rooms."**
Speaking of this, Lin Suyang felt a hint of pride.
When Lion Castle first opened, its high prices and remote location scared off guests.
The hotel operated at a loss, surviving only on support from its sister properties.
Employees feared it would shut down any day.
Yet, despite the crisis, Chen Jianhai stuck to his **"you get what you pay for"** principle, refusing to discount rooms and toughing it out.
Though questionable,
this move made Lion Castle's staff firmly believe one thing:
**Their hotel was worth every penny!**
Seeing Lin Suyang's resolute expression, Jade Void Palace Boss deflated.
He'd hoped to negotiate a long-term rate, but if the hotel refused discounts…
For 8 people, sharing rooms, that'd be **20,000 per day**.
Three months would total **1.8 million yuan**.
**1.8 million…**
How much was a research grant, again?!
Even if they could dip into funds to "improve research conditions," this was excessive.
If the dean found out he'd spent 1.8 million on hotels,
forget reimbursement—
he'd probably kick him into orbit to **become a star himself**.
Sigh…
Jade Void Palace Boss heaved a heavy sigh, casting one last longing look at Lion Castle Hotel.
**This place was no longer an option.**