I Have a Five-star Seaside Hotel

The white-haired old man was amused by Chen Jianhai's words.

He glanced around and realized that, apart from himself, no one else in the vicinity was as old as he was.

"Alright, then I'll do it," he said.

Too lazy to tease Chen Jianhai any further, the white-haired old man stood up, took the scissors, and, amidst the applause and radiant smiles of the crowd, made a clean "snip" with the scissors.

Instantly, countless small ribbons and sparklers shot into the air from the hands of the employees, raining down like a shower of flowers onto Chen Jianhai and the others.

"Congratulations, Boss Chen!" 

Everyone stood up and applauded Chen Jianhai enthusiastically.

"Boss Chen, why don't you give us a quick tour?" Tong Tongsheng suggested with a smile after the ceremony concluded.

At these words, the eyes of the hotel owners present lit up. They were eager to see what Chen Jianhai's hotel looked like.

Although the interior decor and service styles of their own hotels were already well-established, there were always small adjustments and improvements that could be made. If Chen Jianhai had any good ideas, they could easily adapt them to fit their own hotel's unique characteristics.

Most importantly, they genuinely wanted to see what kind of castle hotel Chen Jianhai had built.

Among the crowd, Xu Badie and Huang Baichuan were the most interested in the castle's interior.

Since Lion Lake Castle Hotel was initially built as a property-rights hotel, both Xu Badie and Huang Baichuan had acquired a number of rooms through gifts and purchases. In other words, they weren't just touring someone else's hotel—they were also inspecting their own investments.

The quality of the hotel's decor and its operations directly impacted their profits.

"Sure, I'll take the lead and show you around!" Chen Jianhai smiled.

A hotel, once built, was meant to be seen. He had nothing to hide, and even if no one had asked for a tour, he would have taken them around anyway.

Turning around, the cream-colored walls of Lion Lake Castle resembled a rough yet smooth canvas, splashed with the silhouettes of birds, towering spires, and various relief sculptures.

Although Chen Jianhai had walked through this door many times before, it seemed that for today's ceremony, the castle's main door had been gently closed, waiting for him to push it open.

"My... third hotel," Chen Jianhai took a deep breath and slowly raised his hand.

"Creak..."

The heavy door seemed to respond to Chen Jianhai's touch, obediently swinging open.

In the next moment, an incredibly luxurious and magnificent hall was revealed to everyone.

Bright sunlight filtered through stained glass, casting colorful patterns onto the deep red Persian carpet. Exquisite reliefs and delicate porcelain were displayed on either side of the hall, while red velvet with golden trim adorned the walls. In the center of the hall, a pure silver lion statue, standing 2.6 meters tall, stood proudly on a raised platform above the deep red Persian carpet.

A massive mural, resembling a totem, covered the arched ceiling of the hall. Nine-colored deer, a blazing red sun, and deities with human bodies and serpent tails danced across the ceiling, their colors vivid and intense under the stained glass light, exuding an overwhelming sense of grandeur that stirred the blood.

"Whose masterpiece is this?!"

"How much money does Chen Jianhai have?!"

"Is this a hotel or an actual castle?!"

Almost instantly, everyone's pupils dilated as they took in the sight of the hall. Their gazes toward Chen Jianhai were filled with shock, astonishment, and disbelief.

If it weren't for the locals from Zaomen who knew this place used to be a desolate village, they might have suspected that this castle had existed here for centuries, only to be unveiled today.

As the face of the hotel, almost every hotel spares no expense in making their lobby as luxurious and elegant as possible. In fact, the lobby is often the most concentrated and refined representation of a hotel that guests will see.

However, no one pours all their resources into the lobby alone.

What shocked everyone the most was the massive mural on the ceiling.

It's not unusual for castles to feature murals and oil paintings. Given their foreign origins, castles often depict various creation myths, historical events, or religious themes from abroad. These works are solemn, sacred, and grand.

Yet, no matter how impressive they are, these foreign myths and histories remain just that—foreign. While they may evoke awe and admiration, they don't resonate deeply with one's cultural roots.

The mural on the ceiling, however, clearly depicted elements from their own ancestral heritage.

It wasn't just a mural—it was more like a totem.

A totem that embodied a primal, wild energy, bursting forth from the depths of spirit and will.

"This mural was painted by a rock art master named 'Hunter,'" Chen Jianhai explained modestly.

"I simply moved his work here."

As luck would have it, since Hunter's totem was originally carved into the northern mountains near Chen Jianhai's Island Hotel, and with the Cliffside Library nearby, Rui Keya decided to go all out. After hosting an exhibition of Hunter's rock art, she negotiated a deal to acquire the rights to the artwork.

No sooner had the totem become the hotel's property than it was faithfully reproduced on the ceiling of Lion Lake Castle Hotel's lobby, as if a magical spell had been cast, imprinting it onto the hotel's walls.

"Rock art?! Dunhuang?!"

"A hotel interior using rock art?!"

"What kind of combination is this?!"

At the mention of "rock art," everyone's eyes filled with confusion.

After all, while oil paintings and murals were common, Dunhuang-style rock art was rare. For a Western-style castle hotel to use rock art as decoration in its lobby was truly unusual.

Yet, the artwork blended seamlessly with the architecture and style of the hall, creating a harmonious whole that exuded a powerful energy.

Perhaps because the castle was located near the Magic Century Theme Park, the totem...

Hearing the word "Dunhuang," the white-haired old man gave Chen Jianhai a deep look.

He remembered their conversation during the Nanjiang Beer Festival, in the beer tent of a five-star hotel, where they had debated the competition between domestic and foreign hotels. Chen Jianhai had said, "Even without support and facing strong external rivals, we must strive to strengthen our local hotels."

At the time, the old man had thought the young boss was just spouting empty words.

But now, the massive rock art mural had truly stunned him.

"My castle is quite large," Chen Jianhai said.

"This is just the front hall. The main service hall is further inside. Please, follow me."

Chen Jianhai happily took in the astonished expressions of the crowd and led them toward the service hall.

...

Although this was a tour, Chen Jianhai had no intention of taking them to the guest rooms! When designing the castle hotel, he had already planned out the tour route, so this time, he simply guided everyone along that path.

After skillfully avoiding the three themed towers, the warehouse, and the wine cellar, Chen Jianhai led the group through the clock tower, the wing buildings, and some of the long corridors.

Finally, when they reached the open corridor on the eighth floor of the main building, the intricate decorations, oil paintings, and clocks lining the entire hallway left everyone dazzled.

Even the well-traveled white-haired old man couldn't help but marvel.

He stopped in front of a cloisonné vase and exclaimed in surprise, "Young boss, did you move an entire museum here?"

Chen Jianhai joked, "What museum is as modest as mine? It's just a few small items, nice to look at."

Unfathomable...!

The word instantly popped into everyone's minds as they looked at Chen Jianhai.

Although they hadn't seen the guest rooms this time, the other parts of the castle had already left an indelible impression.

After the tour, Xu Badie and Huang Baichuan, who needed to rush back to Nanjiang, quickly offered their congratulations before leaving Zaomen.

The other locals also bid their farewells, but the white-haired old man found himself cornered by Chen Jianhai, unable to leave.

"Old man, these are new. Take them back and try them on."

"If they fit, I'll buy you a few more."

When the white-haired old man saw the "Real Man" shopping bag in Chen Jianhai's hand, his mouth twitched slightly.

Just as he was about to refuse, Chen Jianhai cut him off.

"Don't be polite!"

"You came all this way—I can't let you leave empty-handed!"

Despite the eight-figure watch on his wrist, the white-haired old man was no match for Chen Jianhai's youthful vigor.

Skipping the usual back-and-forth, Chen Jianhai ushered the old man into the car, closed the door, and waved goodbye in one smooth motion.

"Next time you're free, I'll treat you to barbecue by the wishing pond!"

As the silver car sped away, Chen Jianhai let out a long sigh.

Sweat dripped down his neck, soaking his shirt.

"Boss, isn't it too cheap to give him just these?" Lin Suyang asked nervously, standing beside Chen Jianhai.

"If we gave him anything more, he wouldn't accept it," Chen Jianhai replied, somewhat sheepishly.

He knew the gifts were modest, but if he had offered something like a vase or an oil painting, the old man would have definitely refused.

Just as Chen Jianhai was about to head back into the hotel to review the day's gift records, a familiar, cold voice echoed in his mind:

"Ding!"

"The system detects that Lion Lake Castle Hotel is officially open for business. The Golden Luck Card binding is now in effect, increasing the hotel's luck by 3%."

"Luck Increase Reward: The Lucky Customer's Kiss."

"The Lucky Customer's Kiss: A special reward exclusive to magic-themed hotels."

"Within the first seven days of the hotel's opening, the first customer to witness a black swan's kiss in the lake will receive the system's blessing, enjoying an unforgettable soul-stirring experience for an entire night."

"Note: This reward has no fixed content. The entire experience will be determined by the lucky customer's real-time situation, making it highly flexible."

"Please ensure proper service and safety measures are in place."

The system's familiar, cold voice rang out in Chen Jianhai's mind.

His eyes lit up instantly.

Since obtaining the system, its rewards had always been directly applied to the hotel or himself.

This was the first time a reward was being given to a customer!

Even Chen Jianhai felt a twinge of envy, curious to see who the chosen one would be.

...

A torrential downpour poured from the sky, and the trees at the station entrance swayed wildly in the strong wind. Two young women in their early twenties hurriedly ran inside.

"Ah! Why did it suddenly start raining?!"

"The weather forecast said it would be sunny today!"

The bespectacled girl in a shirt, her hair tied in a ponytail, took off her glasses. Her bangs were completely soaked. She pressed the glasses against her shirt to dry them and struggled to put them back on.

Seeing her companion's disheveled state, the girl with shoulder-length curly hair, who seemed in better spirits, joked, "I told you the weather forecast isn't reliable."

"Remember the joke our teacher told us?"

"The most powerful organization in the world is the meteorological bureau, because it's the only one that can write an annual summary for the heavens at the end of the year."

The girl with curly hair was named Cheng Yan, and the girl in the shirt was Han Panpan.

Both were students at Lotus University. They had won the beta testing tickets for the Magic Century Theme Park and had bought train tickets to Zaomen for a fun trip.

Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate. Halfway through their bus ride, the rain started pouring down.

Although the bus stop was close to the train station, by the time they ran inside, they were drenched. The chilly autumn air made them shiver.

Fortunately, the station was warm. After stomping their feet to warm up, they wiped themselves down with tissues and cleaned the mud off their little leather shoes before heading to the ticket gate with their luggage.

It wasn't peak travel season, so the waiting hall wasn't crowded.

After passing through security, they sat down in the waiting area opposite the ticket gate, waiting to board the train.

"Luckily, the weather in Zaomen is clear. We should've brought an umbrella," Han Panpan muttered, flipping through the weather forecast on her phone.

Cheng Yan replied gently, "It's okay. There are convenience stores near the station. We can buy one when we get there."

"By the way, where are we staying in Zaomen?"

At this, Han Panpan's face fell.

"I called Colorful Holiday Resort Hotel yesterday and the day before, but all the rooms were booked. We'll probably have to stay at a guesthouse..."

Both girls sighed in unison.

Not being able to stay at Colorful Holiday Resort Hotel meant they couldn't enjoy the perk of entering the theme park an hour early, which would make the day's queues more exhausting.

Moreover, as two young women, staying at a guesthouse felt less secure than a hotel.

"Yanyan, what if we splurge and stay at Lion Lake Castle Hotel?" Han Panpan suddenly felt a surge of recklessness.

"Lion Lake Castle Hotel is right next to the Magic Century Theme Park. Maybe there's a secret door in the hotel that leads straight into the park!"

"Huh?" Cheng Yan's eyes lit up, but then she hesitated. "Isn't Lion Lake Castle Hotel too expensive?"

"We don't have to pick the best room. Let's just get a standard room and experience it!"

Han Panpan held up a finger. "Just for one night!"

Cheng Yan was swayed. "Should we go for it?"

Han Panpan smiled. "I'll book it! Let's do it!"

Pulling out her phone, Han Panpan opened a travel app. "Stargazer Room, Mermaid Room, or Fairy Room—which one should we pick?"

Cheng Yan leaned over. "Which one's cheaper?"

Han Panpan scanned the options. "They're about the same. Each theme has a basic room type, but the views are different."

"...The Fairy Room has a view of Rose Hill. Should we go with that?"

"Sure!"