C12 [the Hotel Has Changed Owners!]!

The hotel has a new owner!

Zeng Huan was no fool. There was no way she'd just lose two billion yuan out of the blue.

The main reason was, upon receiving a notice from Zhang Wei, she promptly looked into Gao Chi's background.

To her astonishment, the findings were too simple to be true...

Both of Gao Chi's parents were ordinary folks, with a monthly income of less than eight thousand yuan.

Impossible. Clearly, someone had tampered with Gao Chi's records!

In Huaxia, the entities capable of seamlessly altering personal information like that can be counted on one hand.

Zeng Huan concluded that Gao Chi had to be from some influential family, out to gain experience...

That's why he reached out to befriend him, slashing the price by two billion yuan as a gesture of goodwill!

But Gao Chi was gobsmacked when he heard it. What? A two billion yuan discount?

Damn, that's like losing two hundred points! That can't be right!

So he put on a serious face and gestured, "Director Zeng, let's keep friendship and business separate. If you consider me a friend, I can't just take advantage of that."

"We agreed on one hundred and thirty billion, so let's stick to one hundred and thirty billion!"

Uh...

Zeng Huan was baffled!

The waiter serving Gao Chi nearly dropped the teapot in shock.

Lin Jing's task for the day, accompanying Zeng Huan, was to draft the contract and assist with the negotiation. They had planned to propose a price one billion lower.

But what was happening now?

Lin Jing had been in countless negotiations, big and small, but she had never encountered anything like this. We're talking about two billion yuan, not twenty...

Zeng Huan and Lin Jing exchanged glances, both wearing the same bewildered expression.

After a few seconds of silence in the room, Zeng Huan declared, "No worries. Consider the two billion yuan a welcome gift for a brother!"

"Alright!" Gao Chi chuckled, "If that's what you say, Director Zeng, I won't hold back. I'll accept this two billion yuan gift!"

Lin Jing, initially perplexed, let out a sigh of relief, but then she sharply inhaled, realizing in horror, "Hiss, this Mr. Gao is a master negotiator!"

Zeng Huan burst into laughter, ready to speak, when Gao Chi interjected with a chuckle, "You know what they say—reciprocity is key. I'll gift Director Zeng an extra four billion yuan. Let's ink the deal. One hundred and fifty billion yuan for the hotel—I'll take it."

What was this, some kind of game?

Zeng Huan's laughter was cut short, nearly choked by Gao Chi's proclamation!

Lin Jing was baffled once more. Moments ago, she had assumed Gao Chi's bid of one hundred and thirty billion yuan was a negotiation tactic, but now what was going on?

Even more flustered was the waitress nearby, who felt her knees buckle and her hands tremble. With a loud crash, the teapot slipped from her grasp and shattered on the floor.

"I'm so sorry, Director Zeng, Mr. Gao, I..."

"No worries at all!" Gao Chi said, his laughter ringing out. He was thrilled, feeling quite the sly fox for having just casually tossed another two billion yuan into the mix.

Oh boy...

Despite the teapot's extraordinary value, Zeng Huan was unfazed. He gestured dismissively and, with a puzzled look, turned to Gao Chi, "Mr. Gao, my intentions are genuine. I truly wish to forge a friendship, nothing more."

After over a decade in business, Zeng Huan couldn't shake the feeling that Gao Chi was belittling him, which soured his mood.

Gao Chi continued with a smile, "Ah, Director Zeng... Brother Zeng, my intentions are just as genuine in seeking your friendship!"

Hearing the shift in address to 'Brother Zeng,' Zeng Huan felt an odd sense of camaraderie but was even more perplexed.

Gao Chi went on, "I just can't bear to see a friend take a loss! If Brother Zeng is willing to knock off two billion, how could I let you make a bad deal?"

Oh boy...

In his many years of wheeling and dealing, Zeng Huan had never encountered such a scenario. At a loss for words and unable to decipher Gao Chi's angle, he finally conceded, "Alright then, let's stick to the original one hundred and thirty billion yuan!"

Having said that, and wary of any further antics from Gao Chi, he quickly turned to Lin Jing, "Director Lin, would you mind drafting the transfer contract for us?"

"Ah? Oh, right, Director Zeng!" Lin Jing was still shaking off her confusion when Zeng Huan's instructions finally snapped her back to reality. She cast a complex glance at Gao Chi and pulled out a tablet from her briefcase to finalize the contract.

The contract had been prepared well in advance, requiring only minor tweaks before it was ready. The entire process took a mere three to five minutes.

Once finished, Lin Jing handed the tablet to Gao Chi, saying, "Mr. Gao, please review this."

Gao Chi, with a background in liberal arts, wasn't exactly versed in contracts. Yet, with a fortune at his disposal, he was almost inviting someone to take advantage of him. He casually skimmed the document and remarked, "Even though this is my first encounter with Brother Zeng, I trust he wouldn't swindle me! The contract looks good to me. I have no objections!"

Hmm...

Lin Jing couldn't help but feel like a mere instrument in the proceedings, having had no opportunity to showcase her abilities. She furrowed her brow and moved to the computer desk to print the contract.

The room had been specifically outfitted for Gao Chi by Zhang Wei, complete with a computer and printer.

The contract was swiftly printed in triplicate: one for Gao Chi, one for Zeng Huan, and one for the records department.

With the contract signed, Lin Jing stood to take her leave. "Gentlemen, I'll head out to handle the transfer now and leave you to it."

Zeng Huan, already familiar with Lin Jing's efficiency, simply nodded in acknowledgment.

"Director Lin, Sister Lin, why not have lunch first? I'm not in any rush," Gao Chi offered, standing to detain her. Lin Jing checked the time and replied, "It's 11:20 now; we've got just enough time!"

With a smile at Gao Chi, she turned on her heel and departed.

Gao Chi hadn't pegged her for a workaholic, but considering they weren't well-acquainted, it was likely they wouldn't cross paths again. He let the matter drop.

Before long, Gao Chi received a confirmation text from the relevant department: the Bright Moon Grand Hotel was now in his name. Without hesitation, he wired 1.3 billion yuan to Zeng Huan on the spot.

The lavishness of the payment took Zeng Huan by surprise. In her experience, such hefty transactions were seldom settled with direct payment—typically, they'd at least involve a trip through the company's finance department.

But Gao Chi had his own way of doing things, casually handing over the money in private.

At a loss for words, Zeng Huan had no choice but to handwrite a receipt for Gao Chi.

The meal was a delightful affair for both host and guest, with the exception of Zhang Wei, who stood off to the side, cautiously maintaining a smile.

With the Bright Moon Grand Hotel under new management, Zhang Wei's future there was uncertain. At fifty, the prospect of losing his job was daunting; finding another with comparable pay seemed nearly impossible.

What mattered most to him was the comfort of familiarity. After years at the Bright Moon Grand Hotel, the last thing Zhang Wei wanted was to start over.