Volume 1, Chapter 5: A Slap in the Face

Chen Hao appeared completely nonchalant. "Qian Taijin is the one hosting this dinner, so naturally, he should pay the bill. If I were the host, it goes without saying that I would pay."

Qian Taijin finally lost his patience. "Chen Hao, you broke loser! Can you even scrape together five hundred yuan? Five million? Do you think money grows on trees?"

Chen Hao feigned surprise. "Oh, so you can’t pay it? For such a big boss, failing to pay even five million—how can you call yourself a big boss? In my opinion, this is at best a tiny workshop. If you don't have the money, why act like such a big shot?"

Feeling humiliated, Qian Taijin lashed out, "If you're so capable, you pay it! Wait, can you even afford it? Forget five million; even parting with five hundred would be like cutting your own flesh."

Chen Hao smiled. "If I can't afford the five million, then what if I buy the entire hotel? Wouldn't that mean I don't have to pay the bill?"

The other classmates burst into laughter at this; some even choked on their drinks, coughing incessantly.

Su Yunyu tugged at Chen Hao's arm and whispered, "Stop joking around, or this won't end well."

Qian Taijin pointed at Chen Hao and said, "Chen Hao, if you buy this hotel, I’ll never eat real food again—I'll eat excrement instead."

"How disgusting," Chen Hao said, making a gagging gesture. He turned to the waiter and said, "Get your boss. I want to buy the Jingzhou Hotel."

"Chen Hao, stop acting crazy!" Su Yunyu urged urgently, but Chen Hao remained calm, his eyes fixed on the waiter with unwavering resolve.

The waiter hesitated for a moment before turning to leave.

Qian Taijin continued, "Tonight, we are going to witness a miracle. Once the boss gets here, I want to see how Chen Hao plans to climb down from this."

Qin Yashu chimed in with her usual venom, "How else? He'll get his limbs broken and be tossed out."

Qian Taijin’s face was livid as he glared at Chen Hao, but Chen Hao remained composed, as if he had everything under control. Su Yunyu, seeing this, felt anxious, yet she knew that any further persuasion would be futile.

Soon, the waiter returned, accompanied by two women.

One was stunningly beautiful, particularly her figure, which was curvaceous and incredibly sexy. She introduced herself as Liu Mengjie, the manager of the hotel's public relations department.

The other woman, expressionless and dressed in professional attire, was Li Jiaqi, the assistant to the general manager.

Qian Taijin was stunned; he hadn't expected Chen Hao to actually summon the hotel's senior management.

Liu Mengjie walked toward Chen Hao with a smile and asked, "Sir, do you really intend to buy the Jingzhou Hotel?"

Before Chen Hao could answer, Li Jiaqi added sternly, "Sir, if this is a joke, please clarify it now. Otherwise, we will have to handle this according to protocol."

Qian Taijin and Qin Yashu exchanged glances, secretly pleased, waiting to see how Chen Hao would be humiliated.

"How do you intend to handle me?" Chen Hao asked.

Li Jiaqi looked at him with disdain. "You aren't wearing three hundred yuan worth of clothes in total. Do you look like someone who could buy the Jingzhou Hotel?"

Chen Hao found Li Jiaqi's attitude repulsive—the classic case of someone judging a book by its cover. He continued, "Does the Jingzhou Hotel judge people by their appearance and net worth by their clothes? Are you so certain I can't afford to buy this place?"

Li Jiaqi was struck speechless, while Liu Mengjie looked troubled, clearly having never encountered such a situation.

Qin Yashu jumped back into the fray: "Ladies, this classmate of mine isn't right in the head. He just lost his job and can barely afford to eat. He’s just here for a free meal tonight. Just consider him a fart."

Li Jiaqi scolded, "He really is a lunatic. Someone, come here!"

A few security guards entered. Li Jiaqi pointed at Chen Hao and ordered, "Get this lunatic out of here."

"Wait." Seeing that the guards were about to act, Liu Mengjie quickly intervened, "Guests are guests; we cannot do this."

Seeing that Liu Mengjie was not only beautiful but also possessed a sense of decency, Chen Hao said to her, "You aren't in charge here. Go get your boss to come and talk to me."

Qin Yashu pointed at Chen Hao and hissed, "You death-seeking idiot, you really think you're something, don't you?"

Chen Hao ignored her and continued to speak to Liu Mengjie, "Call your boss. If he isn't here within half an hour, then forget about the deal."

With that, Chen Hao handed the menu back to the waiter and said, "Bring me what I ordered. I'm hungry, hurry up."

The waiter took the menu and left. Liu Mengjie began to call the boss.

Li Jiaqi said to Liu Mengjie, "Manager Liu, do you actually believe this lunatic? When the boss gets here, I'd like to see how you explain this."

For the next while, Li Jiaqi joined forces with Chen Hao’s classmates to mock and berate him, but Chen Hao remained indifferent, focusing only on his water. Liu Mengjie, on the other hand, stood to the side in silence, occasionally refilling Chen Hao's glass.

Barely ten minutes later, a man hurried in. As soon as he arrived, he asked, "Which big boss wants to buy my hotel?"

Chen Hao looked up, his gaze steady as he met the man's eyes. "It’s me."

The hotel owner approached Chen Hao. Just as he was about to speak, Li Jiaqi interjected, "Boss, he’s just a lunatic. Why are you even listening to him?"

"Shut up." The boss shot a glare at Li Jiaqi before turning back to Chen Hao with a grin. "So, you’re interested in my Jingzhou Hotel?"

Qian Taijin and Qin Yashu waited expectantly to see Chen Hao make a fool of himself.

Chen Hao said, "I’ve heard the Jingzhou Hotel has been operating at a loss. Without an injection of capital, it might go bankrupt. I can't bear to see that happen, so I want to buy it. Name your price."

The owner nodded slightly, a flicker of appreciation in his eyes, though he still hesitated.

Chen Hao knew his guess had been correct—the Jingzhou Hotel was indeed hemorrhaging money. He was eager to buy it just so it would go bankrupt, allowing him to finally spend his money.

The owner stammered, "Two billion. That is my bottom line."

Chen Hao didn't haggle; he simply said to the owner, "Give me your account number. I’ll transfer the payment immediately."

The owner’s eyes widened, clearly not expecting Chen Hao to be so straightforward. The people around them were stunned as well; the noisy private room fell into sudden silence.

Liu Mengjie’s mouth hung slightly open, while Li Jiaqi and Qin Yashu were frozen in shock.

The owner said respectfully, "Boss, you can't swipe for two billion, and the banks are already closed. I'm afraid it can't be done tonight."

Chen Hao smiled faintly and said calmly, "The Imperial Capital Bank provides me with twenty-four-hour service. You just need to give me your account number."

"What? Imperial Capital Bank provides you with twenty-four-hour service?" The owner was dumbfounded. He had never heard of the Imperial Capital Bank offering such service to any client.

Seeing the owner still standing there in a daze, Chen Hao urged, "What, is it that hard to give me your account number?"

The owner handed over his account information, still half-doubting.

Chen Hao immediately called Li Qicheng.

"President Li, this is Chen Hao."

Li Qicheng replied politely over the phone, "Mr. Chen, what can I do for you?"

Chen Hao smiled calmly. "President Li, please help me process a transfer of two billion. I have just purchased the Jingzhou Hotel. Please transfer the funds now; I will send you the account number immediately."

After hanging up, Chen Hao sent the account information to Li Qicheng.