The hotel office.
Wang Dehai wore a forced, bitter smile. "Brother, you were too impulsive."
"Given the situation today, it's a good thing you won. If you had lost, how would I have explained it?"
"This world isn't what it was over a decade ago."
After saying this, Wang Dehai instantly looked ten years older.
His face was filled with weariness.
Resentment and unwillingness warred in his eyes, but ultimately, deep helplessness flickered within them.
"Winning or losing has nothing to do with you," Li Zhonglou said indifferently.
As far as he was concerned, it was best to avoid conflict if possible. After all, he wasn't a man of the martial world; strictly speaking, he was a scholar.
But if it couldn't be avoided, there was nothing to hesitate about.
Today, it was because of Xu Qianqian; he had no choice but to fight.
After speaking, he looked at Xu Qianqian, who stood respectfully beside him, not daring to utter a word, and gently patted the sofa.
He gestured for her to sit closer.
"Big Brother Li, I'm sorry," Xu Qianqian's voice was like a mosquito's hum, barely audible unless one listened carefully.
"You haven't wronged me, nor anyone else. Everyone is living for the first time; just be responsible for yourself." Li Zhonglou's voice was not harsh. He was afraid Xu Qianqian would be scared, so he tried to keep his tone as gentle as possible. "Your brother is my brother, and you are my sister."
"Going to that kind of event, you were just prey. Why bother?"
"If you're short on money, tell your brother or me."
"Can you focus on your studies from now on?"
These words were extremely direct and to the point, with no pretense whatsoever.
Xu Qianqian nodded repeatedly. "It's not that I'm short on money, it's just..."
"Go on."
"I felt upset, and then they took me out to have fun..." As Xu Qianqian spoke, Wang Dehai gave her a knowing look, his eyebrows dancing.
They had all been through it, and as men, how could they not understand the intentions of those hoodlums?
This kind of little lamb, they knew exactly how to handle.
Playing together during the day, and playing together at night as well.
"Is it still about the ex-boyfriend incident?" Li Zhonglou said, "Oh." "Since you can't let go, find him. But you don't need to worry about this; just wait for news."
"Your brother has been secretly investigating him. I believe it won't be long before he gets an answer for you."
Xu Lie hadn't told him about this, but based on his understanding of Xu Lie, he wouldn't just let it go.
In this world, Xu Lie's only family was Xu Qianqian; she was his life.
How could he let the person who harmed his life live peacefully?
Hearing this, Xu Qianqian looked up, her heavily made-up eyes filled with a sense of grievance. "I thought my brother didn't care about me at all, apart from disciplining me..."
"The elder brother acts as the father; fatherly love runs deep. You'll understand in time," Li Zhonglou secretly felt wronged for Xu Lie, but he didn't want to explain.
Taking out his phone, he exchanged numbers with Xu Qianqian. "Go ahead. If you encounter any difficulties, remember to find me."
"From now on, you have one more brother."
In his past life and this one, Xu Lie had treated him like a brother.
How could he not repay that debt?
"..." The young girl stared blankly at Li Zhonglou, her eyes gradually welling up with tears. Finally, she burst into sobs.
The makeup on her face instantly smeared, turning her into a panda.
Li Zhonglou felt a pang of heartache.
At Xu Qianqian's age, it was normal to be rebellious. When he was in college, even though he was timid, he still had an unyielding spirit.
It was normal to act meek outside but be fierce in front of family.
She would grow out of it after adolescence.
He helped Xu Qianqian wipe away her tears and sent her out of the hotel.
He returned and talked with Wang Dehai for a long time.
"Brother, you want to buy my hotel? Is that true?" After hearing Li Zhonglou's idea, Wang Dehai looked astonished. "With your capabilities, you don't need to dabble in such mundane businesses. It's too easy to get rich in the antique circle."
This hotel was losing money every day under his management, to the point where he wanted to die.
All the money he had earned in previous years had been sunk into it.
Despite his efforts, it had always been unbalanced in terms of income and expenditure.
Now, he was borrowing money from everywhere to keep it afloat, selling off his assets to barely survive, and it was in danger of closing down at any moment.
He never expected Li Zhonglou to offer help in his time of need by acquiring his hotel. This should have been a great thing, but Wang Dehai worried that Li Zhonglou would lose even more after taking over.
"It's not as simple as you think," Li Zhonglou smiled. "In the antique circle, you need to establish a reputation first to make money. My current reputation is insufficient, making it extremely difficult."
"Besides, anyone who plays with antiques needs a legitimate business to support them. Not everyone can live a life of extravagant spending."
"Your hotel actually has a good location, and the business is passable. I've analyzed why it's been consistently unprofitable."
"Firstly, it's your personality. You come from a background where loyalty and righteousness are paramount. Whenever friends come, you offer free meals, cigarettes, and drinks."
"Secondly, customers rely entirely on acquaintances, and the standard is neither high nor low, which is rather awkward."
"Nowadays, to make money in the catering industry, you either go for the most basic fast food or the highest-end fine dining."
"Although I don't understand business, food, clothing, housing, and transportation are basic human needs, and they are common principles."
Although his words weren't exactly professional, they made Wang Dehai's eyes light up. "Brother, you have a discerning eye! I'm impressed!"
"To be honest, this hotel is the culmination of my life's work. I've been reluctant to sell it cheaply, but I absolutely trust you, brother."
"Two million, and I'll transfer it to you. What do you say?"
This hotel had many potential buyers, with the highest offer reaching three million, yet he was still unwilling to sell.
He was willing to sell it to Li Zhonglou for two million because Li Zhonglou had helped him twice; their friendship was truly priceless.
"Two million isn't much, but I don't intend to simply acquire the hotel," Li Zhonglou said, taking a sip of tea, which made Wang Dehai freeze.
Before he could ask, Li Zhonglou explained, "I don't understand business, so someone needs to be responsible for the hotel."
"I'll buy 90% of your shares for two million, leaving you with 10%. You can help me manage it."
"I'll decide on the guests and the direction of development. What do you think?"
Before arriving, he had already made his plans.
Once the hotel was acquired, it would be transformed into high-end dining. The initial clientele would be introduced by the Lu family and his senior sister.
In the past, gatherings for Qin Zhou's elite were held at Fenglinxue. From now on, they would compete for Fenglinxue's business!
In the initial phase, he wouldn't aim to make a profit, only to break even.
As for the real profit-making, he never expected it from the catering business.
Instead, he planned to establish a high-end offline gathering platform, to forcibly transfer the entire Qin Zhou antique circle and the high-end business circles from Lu Weishen of the Antique Association to the hotel.
In any era, resources are the most crucial element for making money.
With these high-end circles, why worry about money?
This was Li Zhonglou's true objective.
He explained his plans in detail to Wang Dehai. Upon hearing how close he was to the Lu family, Wang Dehai's face was filled with admiration.
He fully supported the idea.
They agreed to go to the Administration for Industry and Commerce in three days to change the shareholding.
Before that, Li Zhonglou needed to earn two million.
He had his own plans for this.
Leaving the hotel, he took out his phone and dialed Tian Lingli. "Hello, has your uncle arrived in Qin Zhou yet?"
"Make arrangements for his accommodation first. I'll meet him tomorrow morning!"
The God of Wealth had arrived; now it was time to see what he would harvest tomorrow!