Chapter 73: Chapter 73: First Arrival in Rome
Finally, it’s boarding time.
Led by Xiaowang, Gu Bai and Qin Fen walked towards the boarding gate.
Four flight attendants along with two captains were waiting for them at the cabin door.
"President Wang, everything is ready, we can depart directly in 30 minutes."
Xiaowang nodded, acknowledging it, turned around, and invited Gu Bai and Qin Fen: "Let’s get on the plane first and wait."
With that, the three of them, along with the bodyguards, boarded the plane one after another.
The Gulfstream G550 has a maximum carrying capacity of 19 people.
With 6 crew members and 6 bodyguards, there are a total of 15 people, still a bit short of its maximum capacity.
Once the three were seated, the two pilots went to the cockpit to check for any missed safety issues, and the four flight attendants also got busy.
Beverages and fruits kept them busy without a pause.
It was Gu Bai’s first time on a private jet, and he couldn’t help but sit up straight and look around.
Generally, even private jets have their crew provided by a specific airline, and the salary for private jet crew members is much higher. Moreover, not every big shot is flying frequently, so there’s no need to spend a fortune maintaining them.
The four flight attendants present were employees from Eastern Airlines Company, as could be seen from their uniforms.
In terms of looks, they were absolutely top-notch among flight attendants, as Gu Bai assessed each of them to be at least 85 points in terms of appearance.
Their outfits were divided into two groups.
Two members in one group wore pure black flight attendant uniforms, with light blue scarves tied around their necks, and even if no one was looking at them, they maintained a standard smile.
The other group wore an outfit Gu Bai had never seen before, somewhat like a cheongsam, yet not exactly, with blue and white patterns interwoven, resembling a finely crafted piece of blue and white porcelain.
By the time they were in the airport, the three had talked about all that was needed. Except for Gu Bai, Qin Fen and Xiaowang had their eyes closed, resting.
After taking a look around, Gu Bai’s curiosity was satisfied, and at this time, the co-pilot came out of the cockpit.
"President Wang, we have received instructions from the console, ready to take off."
Xiaowang, who had his eyes closed for rest, opened his eyes and nodded in response.
"This flight is expected to take 14 hours and 40 minutes, with a 7-hour time difference, flying directly to Rome, Italy."
After giving a basic briefing, the co-pilot returned to the cockpit.
Upon hearing the captain’s announcement, the flight attendants also stopped what they were doing and obediently returned to their seats to sit down, waiting for the plane to take off.
Not sure how much time had passed, but the discomfort in the body subsided, and looking down from the cabin window, the plane had already left Shanghai, reaching thousands of meters in altitude.
Flying itself isn’t the most pleasant experience, and it’s true even for a private jet.
The three of them sipped small drinks, enjoyed the rotating service of the four flight attendants, played cards, chatted, and before they knew it, it was 7 PM Hua Country time, with several hours passing just like that.
Later, as arranged by Xiaowang, the three of them went back to their respective bedrooms to rest.
The journey went smoothly, and Gu Bai was awakened by the knock of a flight attendant.
"Mr. Gu, it is now 6 PM Rome Time, and the plane will reach the destination in 40 minutes."
Opening his drowsy eyes, Gu Bai’s voice came from the bedroom.
"Got it."
With that, Gu Bai dressed, tidied himself a bit, and walked out of the bedroom.
As soon as he stepped out, he saw Qin Fen and Xiaowang coming out of their respective rooms together.
"How was the rest?"
Xiaowang asked with a smile to the two.
Gu Bai shrugged casually: "Just as you’d expect, how well can one sleep on a plane?"
Qin Fen chimed in complainingly: "Once we get off the plane, I need to catch up on some sleep at the hotel, I barely slept."
The three chatted for a while, considering there were only about thirty minutes remaining, without any appetite for dinner on the plane, they just sat quietly waiting for the plane to land.
.......................
6:45 PM Rome Time.
The plane officially landed at Rome Fiumicino Airport.
The cabin door was opened by a flight attendant, and the three of them exited the cabin one after another, finally breathing in the fresh air after being cooped up for over ten hours.
"This foreign air doesn’t smell sweet to me."
Gu Bai joked with a laugh.
"Gu Bai, is this your first time going abroad?"
Gently nodding: "I’ve always had the idea, wanted to travel abroad, but never had the chance."
"Well, then you’re with the right people this time. When it comes to travel, the principal and I are definitely experts."
The three of them chatted and laughed as they went through immigration procedures under the protection of bodyguards. At this time, there weren’t many planes landing, so the process was quick.
Exiting through the VIP channel of the airport, the surrounding foreigners with blond hair and blue eyes looked at the three East Asians surrounded by bodyguards with astonishment.
However, they couldn’t really tell which country the three were from, as the features of Goryeo and Japanese people aren’t that different from those of people from Hua Country in the eyes of Westerners.
After leaving the airport, Xiaowang said: "Let’s wait here for a moment. I’ve already called the hotel, they should be arriving soon."
"Which hotel did you book?"
Qin Fen couldn’t help but ask. He had never seen a hotel that didn’t pre-arrange to pick up guests but left them waiting at the airport.
"The Westin Lean Hotel."
Hearing the name from Xiaowang, Qin Fen couldn’t help but laugh and said, "President Wang is indeed generous!"
"What’s wrong?"
Gu Bai also joined in.
Qin Fen explained to Gu Bai, "The Westin Lean Hotel is not only the top hotel in Italy, but it also ranks in the top ten worldwide. It’s not about how impressive it is; it can be summed up in one word, ’expensive’!"
Then he joked with Xiaowang, "With President Wang’s wealth, you probably wouldn’t book an ordinary suite, right?"
"A villa suite, but just for tonight! After tomorrow, you can choose wherever you want to stay!"
"President Wang is generous. 35,000 USD a night, my perspective is narrow. I’ll just stay one night, tomorrow I’ll find a budget hotel. This kind of treatment is only for the son of the richest man; we from regular families can’t afford it."
"Get lost, get lost, if you don’t want to stay, then leave."
As they joked around, a convoy of two Rolls-Royce Cullinans and four regular business cars arrived and stopped in front of them.
A middle-aged man with blond hair, in a butler’s suit, stepped out of the leading Cullinan and asked in awkward Chinese, "Honored guests, sorry for the wait."
"I am David Marvin, the reception staff from the Westin Hotel, you may board the cars now."
Seeing David’s invitation, Gu Bai followed Xiaowang into the car, while the bodyguards sat in the business cars behind.
Xiaowang took the front car.
Qin Fen and Gu Bai sat in the car behind.
Gu Bai looked at Rome under the night sky and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
As the capital of Italy, in terms of prosperity, it is definitely not inferior to any city in the world, but its prosperity is not like the modern urban style of Shanghai.
As one of the world’s most famous tourist destinations, Rome, along with Florence, remains a center of the Italian Renaissance, still preserving a wealth of Renaissance and Baroque styles, almost completely untouched by modern influences.
The streets of Rome are not wide, and the buildings on both sides seem to have been weathered by time, appearing mottled, until the car reached the city center, where there was some modern urban influence.
Soon after, the car stopped beside a pure white building.
The hotel staff, who had been waiting for a while, quickly opened the car door from outside, welcoming Gu Bai and Qin Fen out.
As soon as they got out, David proudly introduced, "Our Westin Lean Hotel is referred to as the White Palace on Veneto Street, recognized as one of the world’s most classic hotels, seamlessly blending Rome’s glorious history with contemporary charm. I believe our honored guests will enjoy the most noble services."
Listening to David’s bragging, Gu Bai and the others didn’t react much, and followed the hotel staff inside the main entrance.
"For over a century, our Westin Lean Hotel has stood proudly on Veneto Street with its elegance, luxury, comfort, and unique style, attracting countless cultural, artistic, and sociological figures to gather here. It’s always been the meeting place of choice for historic international celebrities, and favored by numerous Hollywood stars and business dignitaries."
As David introduced, he also arranged for staff to handle their check-in procedures.
About ten minutes later, the procedures were completed, and the three, led by David, headed toward the restaurant.
All three were already accustomed to luxury hotels in their home country. In terms of the hotel environment, the Westin Lean Hotel is indeed superior to many, but in terms of service, it’s pretty similar, with maybe a hint of condescension they kept in check in front of Gu Bai and the others.
Gu Bai and Qin Fen might not be famous.
But Gu Bai couldn’t believe that the hotel didn’t know Principal Wang was the son of Hua Country’s richest man.
After all, this is Europe, this is Italy.
The respect wealthy people receive is far beyond ordinary people’s imagination.
No wonder they say the West is a paradise for the wealthy.
After enjoying an authentic Italian meal, the hours-long flight left them exhausted. After bidding each other farewell, they followed the attendant to their respective rooms.
Seeing the room’s grandeur, Gu Bai thought to himself that Xiaowang didn’t waste a penny of the 35,000 USD.
The leather chairs, sofas, and crystal chandeliers on the walls combined classical and modern elements perfectly, with room dimensions hitting 1,100 square meters, surpassing the presidential suite size of any domestic hotel.
However, at that moment, Gu Bai was no longer in the mood to appreciate it. After a quick wash, he collapsed onto the big bed and fell into a deep sleep.