Watching Ning Shanliang's retreating figure as he walked upstairs, Chen Jianhai let out a quiet sigh.
He hoped this man wasn't a fool and could understand what he meant.
Sure enough,
That very night, the entire administrative department held an emergency meeting.
Everyone who was already stuck in traffic was called back by phone.
The entire fourth floor of the administrative building remained brightly lit until the early hours of the morning, when the last light finally went out.
A little past 1 a.m.,
Ning Shanliang drove home, lost in thought.
What kind of move was this?!
A new broom sweeps clean?
Previously, the association had no chairman, only a secretary-general overseeing everything. Everyone had grown accustomed to a lax environment.
Now that a new chairman had arrived, it was inevitable that the association would undergo some restructuring.
But usually, the "three fires" of a new leader targeted "personnel," "finance," and "office management."
It was rare for the first fire to be aimed at logistics.
The traffic light turned red.
Ning Shanliang stepped on the brake, watching the countdown on the red light while replaying Chen Jianhai's words in his mind.
*Listen to the meaning behind the words.*
*Be good at discerning the true intent hidden beneath what's being said.*
Ning Shanliang carefully reviewed their conversation several times but couldn't extract any clear message.
Instead, that dinner had left him uneasy.
If not for his strong mental fortitude, he might have faltered at the table and started apologizing.
"This new chairman is quite something..."
The light turned green.
Ning Shanliang pressed the accelerator and drove off into the night.
---
Chen Jianhai didn't care what Ning Shanliang thought of him.
All he cared about was the result.
If Ning Shanliang understood his hint and fixed the cafeteria issue, then all would be well.
If Ning Shanliang was an idiot—or pretended not to understand—Chen Jianhai had no qualms about promoting someone more competent in his place.
Of course, promotions in the association weren't as straightforward as in his hotels. He couldn't just appoint anyone he wanted.
But an association that could elect a newcomer as chairman on his first day probably didn't care much about formalities anyway.
Besides, with Su Jie on his side, dealing with them wouldn't be a problem!
"Ugh..."
"Instead of sleeping in a nice hotel bed, I'm stuck in the city center on this hard board."
Chen Jianhai lay pitifully on the small bed in the chairman's office.
The blanket was too short—if it covered his feet, it couldn't reach his chest.
If it covered his chest, his feet stuck out.
He'd placed a small stool at the foot of the bed. Though it wasn't level with the bed, at least he could stretch his legs while sleeping. A small comfort.
The entire association was dead silent at night.
Apart from the security guard on the first floor, there wasn't a soul to talk to.
With nothing better to do, Chen Jianhai pulled up the system in his mind and selected Lion Castle Hotel.
A series of status updates about the hotel appeared on the panel:
**Current Hotel Level: Luxury Hotel**
**Next Goal: Ultra-Luxury Hotel (Six-Star Hotel)**
**Lion Castle Hotel Joy Value: 17%**
**Lion Castle Hotel Comfort Value: 39%**
**Lion Castle Hotel Horror Room Nightmare Value: 26**
**Hidden Quest "Stargazer's Gaze Value": 15**
*The Gaze Value shot up this fast?!*
Chen Jianhai's eyes widened.
The last time the system reported, the Stargazer's Gaze Value was only at 3.7.
In just two days, it had jumped to 15?!
At this rate, he'd easily earn 150,000 points in less than two months!
Chen Jianhai's eyes gleamed with a faint green light in the dark.
Two months was still too slow...
He needed to seize the day!
---
The next morning, Chen Jianhai strolled into the cafeteria again for breakfast.
As usual, the fermented tofu remained the most popular item.
But Chen Jianhai wasn't in a hurry. Overhauling the cafeteria was a big task—it wasn't like Ning Shanliang could transform it overnight after one conversation.
Unless Ning Shanliang had a system...
But if he did, he wouldn't be stuck as a lowly administrative director in the first place.
After breakfast,
Chen Jianhai took the subway back to the hotel.
It was 10 a.m. on a Tuesday, and the subway station was nearly empty.
As soon as Chen Jianhai stepped out of the Lion Castle Station, he was startled by the sight before him.
Beneath the central information desk, seven or eight men sat or lay sprawled on the floor, drenched in sweat. They gazed up at the starry dome ceiling while scribbling notes on paper.
At first glance, they looked like homeless people who had set up camp in the subway.
*Are these the "Stargazers"?*
*They look so rough...*
Baffled, Chen Jianhai walked over and pulled aside a subway employee who was maintaining order.
"What's going on here?"
Recognizing Chen Jianhai, the employee grimaced.
"Boss, Director Lin ordered us to fully cooperate. We had no choice!"
"These guys say they're from the Xihe Astronomical Research Institute, here to study star trajectories, write papers, and conduct research."
"This is actually an improvement..."
"At first, they were all lying flat on the ground like corpses. We thought they'd fainted and even called an ambulance."
"Only later did we find out they were 'researching.'"
"We can't kick them out, so we're just keeping an eye on them."
"Making sure they don't scare others—and that no one steps on them."
*These guys are something else.*
Chen Jianhai watched the "Xihe Squad" kneeling or lying on the ground, genuinely impressed by their dedication to scholarship despite the hardships.
*This is a subway station...*
*The floor's probably freezing, right on top of groundwater.*
*Even grown men can't handle lying on icy tiles all day.*
*They'll end up sick before they finish their research.*
"This can't go on," Chen Jianhai muttered.
"Exactly, boss!" the employee agreed emphatically.
"It really can't!"
"For the sake of subway order and their own safety, we've restricted their 'research' hours to 9:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. until closing."
"Other times are too crowded—they can't lie down, and we can't manage it."
"This is the most we can accommodate."
"They said they'll be here for at least a month."
"It's going to be a long month."
Chen Jianhai nodded, sensing the subway staff's frustration loud and clear.
*True heroes...*
*Both the Xihe Squad and our subway employees are really going through it.*
As he looked at the men sprawled on the floor, a hint of admiration crossed his face.
*If they've already pushed the Gaze Value to 15 under these harsh conditions...*
*Imagine what they could do with 24/7 access!*
Curious, Chen Jianhai moved closer to observe.
The "Xihe Squad" had grown used to the stares of passersby and paid no attention to Chen Jianhai's presence.
They remained focused on their work.
After watching for a while, Chen Jianhai began to piece together their methods.
Though they seemed to work independently—some lying down, others kneeling, one even using a ruler to measure angles in a way Chen Jianhai couldn't comprehend—
Every so often, they'd call out numbers or angles, which another member recorded on a laptop.
Nearby, someone else was typing furiously into a Word document.
Thanks to his 5.0 vision (honed from years of cheating on exams), Chen Jianhai caught glimpses of terms like "precession," "nutation," and "Merak" on the screen.
Long paragraphs were interspersed with parabolic graphs and what looked like constellation diagrams.
*They're collaborating on a paper!*
*Respect, brothers!*
Chen Jianhai gave the group a deep, appreciative look before heading back to the hotel to fetch some insulated pads for them.
---
Stepping into Lion Castle Hotel, Chen Jianhai's mood instantly lifted.
*Home sweet home...*
*Even the plants look more vibrant here.*
"Welcome back, boss!"
"Good morning, boss!"
"Boss~"
Employees greeted him warmly as he passed.
"Boss, would you like to take a boat ride?"
A staff member by Emerald Lake offered.
"No need, I can row myself. Carry on with your work."
Chen Jianhai hopped onto a small wooden boat with practiced ease.
With a few strokes of the oars, the boat glided toward the center of the lake.
"Why are there fewer swans again?"
"Where did all the ducks go? There's only one left!"
"Damn it—where are my mandarin ducks?!"
Chen Jianhai's grip on the oars tightened.
In the lush lakeside grass, only a few thin swans huddled together, trembling.
Their red beaks buried in their ruffled feathers as they preened.
The two black swans from Room 1703—famous for their "kissing" displays—were also gone.
The lake's koi population had dwindled to mere fry, with no large fish in sight.
The once-thriving, balanced ecosystem of the lakeside was now a barren wasteland.
A tragic sight.
"You devoured everything good in this lake!"
Furious, Chen Jianhai grabbed a water bottle from the boat and hurled it into the lake.
*Plop!*
The bottle sank rapidly, disappearing into the depths of Emerald Lake.
"You could've at least left me some fish!" Chen Jianhai ranted.
"Not a single big one—just a bunch of tiny fry!"
"Should I dry these little guys into fish jerky for the hotel cats?!"
"Can't you maintain some ecological balance?!"
"The ducks are one thing..."
"But you ate the mandarin ducks too?! Are you even fish?!"
The next moment,
An object shot out of the lake, arcing through the air in a perfect parabola.
*Thunk!*
It hit Chen Jianhai square in the forehead.
The very same water bottle he'd just thrown in.
"You even hit me back?!"
Clutching the swelling bump on his head, Chen Jianhai's voice shook with rage.
Luckily, there were few boats on the lake, and no one witnessed the incident.
If an employee or guest had seen a water bottle fly out of the lake, his pristine Emerald Lake would've become the next paranormal hotspot.
*Lion Castle Hotel already has Room 1703...*
*If we add a "Lake Monster" to the mix,*
*"Mysteries of Science" would camp outside until the hotel collapsed.*
Swallowing his anger, Chen Jianhai bit back a stream of curses.
*This time it was a water bottle...*
*Who knows what they'll throw next?!*
"Just wait—I'll deal with you later!"
Grumbling, Chen Jianhai rowed back to the hotel entrance.
After docking,
He immediately ordered staff to purchase new swans, ducks, mandarin ducks, and koi for the lake. He also instructed them to buy insulated pads for the "Xihe Squad" at the subway station.
At the mention of "pads," the employee looked puzzled but nodded and went to prepare the items.
---
In the hotel lobby,
The front desk staff handed Chen Jianhai the latest occupancy reports.
"Business has been good lately~~"
Chen Jianhai's mood improved as he reviewed the rising occupancy rates and charts.
Thanks to the marketing around "Floating Master of the Gods" and the wishing fountain, a wave of gaming influencers had checked into Lion Castle Hotel.
These influencers naturally had wealthy circles, and word-of-mouth had drawn even more guests.
Though Lion Castle's occupancy still lagged behind Langai and Jasmine,
It had skyrocketed compared to its opening days.
Room 1703, the horror-themed suite, was fully booked every night, filled with screams.
Fans from the novel's reader group flocked to experience it, so much so that the lobby's lounge chaise had been upgraded from a single to a double.
The Nightmare Value increased steadily by "1" each day.
"Nothing beats the peace of mind of running your own hotel."
Chen Jianhai sank into a sofa,
The rising data before him was like lush green seedlings in a field—thriving, vibrant, and full of life!
So vibrant that it almost looked like someone was waving an emerald in the sunlight.
"Strange."
"This place gathers wind and water, harbors dragons and tigers—it's a treasure trove of fortune and luck."
"How could there be an eerie room like 1703?"
Chen Jianhai stared in surprise as a bald middle-aged man walked past, holding a bronze disk with a large green gemstone.
The shimmering green light that had caught his eye earlier was reflecting off that very gem.
The man pinched the disk with one hand and pressed the joints of his left fingers with the other, looking utterly mystical.
"Come on, this is a castle, not some traditional Chinese estate."
"Western architecture follows environmental psychology."
"You can't just mash two different cultural systems together!"
The man's companion dismissed his musings.
The bald man insisted, "That's what makes this place extraordinary!"
"Though it's a Western castle, its layout follows strict feng shui principles!"
"Emerald Lake in front, Rose Hill behind, a hidden wealth gate on the left—even the fountains are arranged according to feng shui. A master must have designed this."
"The person behind this hotel is no ordinary figure!"
"Hmm... Logically, there shouldn't be a disruptive energy like Room 1703 here."
"Truly bizarre!"
...
"Those two are guests from Room 1703—part of the novel's fan group," Lin Suyang whispered.
He'd rushed down after receiving Chen Jianhai's message, only to find his boss looking bewildered.
Lin Suyang added, "According to the author, they study feng shui. They walk around the hotel with that bronze thing every day. All the staff know them by now."
Chen Jianhai frowned. "And you just let them roam around? What if they scare other guests? Why not stop them?!"
Lin Suyang hesitated. "Boss, they booked 10 consecutive nights..."
Chen Jianhai: "Then kick them out! And don't forget to send extra fruit to their room this afternoon."
Lin Suyang: ???
*That was a quick change of heart.*