Chapter 129: Chapter 128: Paving the Way with Money, Making Friends with Sincerity

The hotel was called Agulita. The manager who picked them up from the airport was a local man—short, tanned jet-black, with the whitest things on him being his teeth. He spoke remarkably fluent Chinese, though.

On the way to the hotel, Lin Chu casually chatted with him.

He learned that the hotel’s owner was, surprisingly, from China. The man had been doing business on the island for over a decade, starting with a restaurant and moving on to a dive shop, a B&B, and a massage parlor before finally opening a five-star luxury villa resort hotel.

Lin Chu had initially assumed the owner was from Fujian. ’I guess that’s a stereotype of mine...’

But after asking for more details, he learned the man was from the Northeast.

Huh.

’The guys from the Northeast are pretty formidable, too.’

’Anyone who can make it big overseas is a tough character. You need both ability and the right mindset; one without the other won’t cut it.’

"Sir, our boss has prepared a special welcoming ceremony and reception for you. He’s already waiting!"

The manager revealed the surprise ahead of time.

Lin Chu smiled and nodded, though he was somewhat surprised.

’Well, a welcome is a welcome. A fourteen-day stay with a budget of 820,000 is a huge order for them. It’s only natural they’d want to make a gesture.’

The bus ride took less than half an hour to reach the hotel.

Before getting off, Gu Jiayan distributed the pre-prepared tips to the manager and driver, handling everything with meticulous care.

A look of appreciation once again appeared in Lin Chu’s eyes.

’My little assistant is doing a great job.’

...

The hotel’s main building looked like a conventional hotel, but its extensive use of glass walls gave it a five-star quality. It was surrounded by three small villas, which enclosed a lawn and two standard-sized swimming pools. The whole setup was utterly luxurious, like a small private manor.

From the hotel lobby, you could see the coastline and the white sandy beach just a few hundred meters away.

What impressed Lin Chu even more was that the beach was clearly exclusive to the hotel—it was a private beach.

’Something like this is hard to imagine back in China, except for places with winding coastlines like Sanya, or in the exclusive areas of Beidaihe.’

’But here, as long as you have money, it’s paradise.’

"President Lin, welcome, welcome! Hahaha."

A towering man, nearly 1.9 meters tall, approached them. He had a brawny, powerful build—like Ma Dongxi, but even more solidly built.

He opened his arms and gave Lin Chu a hearty hug. His accent immediately gave him away—definitely a big shot from the Northeast.

"You’re too kind. And you are...?"

After the brief hug, they shook hands and didn’t let go. Lin Chu smiled and asked casually. It was never a bad thing to get on the good side of a local power broker.

’Who knows, maybe I’ll make a new friend?’ 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

’This guy has the air of a classic hero from Liang Mountain—hearty and outspoken. He might not be a ’good’ person, but then again, I brought my own team of bodyguards.’

"Xiong Jianwu. Just call me Da Xiong. President Lin, you’ve brought quite the entourage! What a grand display! You’re really something else."

He gave a thumbs-up and enthusiastically draped an arm over Lin Chu’s shoulder. "Come on, let’s go check out the courtyard. We’ve prepared a welcoming feast for you."

He had seen the group Lin Chu brought with him and instinctively felt there was something about them, especially Gao Haitao and his men. They had the look of military veterans.

For someone who’d been in business for over a decade, reading people was a fundamental skill.

For a moment, his mind raced with speculation about Lin Chu’s identity. He was obviously rich—that went without saying—but he might even be ’noble’ or powerful.

In the courtyard, Lin Chu saw an entire calf spitted and roasting over a fire.

’A whole roasted calf? How’s that for a welcome?’

’Rustic and hearty.’

’Will that thing even cook through?’

Nearby, at a long table, several chefs were carving up a tuna. It was over two meters long, and its bright pink flesh looked incredibly tempting.

Further back was another long table laid out with Western-style cold dishes, like a buffet reception.

"I caught this fish myself last night, sea fishing. Damn it, I almost snagged a shark—we could’ve had shark fin soup. But it got away, so I only managed to land this tuna."

"There aren’t many sheep here, and they don’t taste good anyway. But there are plenty of cattle, so we’re roasting a whole one."

Xiong Jianwu explained with a grin.

Lin Chu licked his lips. To be honest, he found himself slightly captivated by this kind of lifestyle.

’This is the life.’

’To be rich and powerful, with mountains and sea at your fingertips, surrounded by your bros and women... it’s like being a local emperor.’

"Thank you, thank you. Brother Xiong, you’re too generous."

As Lin Chu and he exchanged pleasantries, the rest of the group came in. They were all pleasantly surprised by the scene, some even assuming that Lin Chu already knew the hotel owner.

’How could I know him?’

’It was all paved with money.’

...

After a while, the party livened up. Xiong Jianwu led Lin Chu to see the rooms, the two of them walking ahead and smoking.

Xiong Jianwu suddenly lowered his voice. "Little brother, what is it you do? Damn, I know that’s a bit forward, but I’m really curious. Don’t worry, I’ll keep it to myself. Just curious."

"Those guys with you, they all look like they were soldiers."

"But you don’t look like you’re here on a mission. Who goes on a mission with so many girls in tow?"

"I’m a straight shooter, so don’t take it the wrong way. I promise I don’t mean any harm."

Lin Chu burst out laughing. He thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "We’re just here on vacation. As for the rest, let’s not ask. I don’t have any bad intentions either. And I’ll gladly call you my friend. If you’re ever in Peng City, give me a call. Food, drinks, entertainment—it’ll all be on me."

Lin Chu’s words also carried a magnanimous air.

Xiong Jianwu laughed heartily and nodded. Although he still had his suspicions, he didn’t press the matter.

’I’ll just do my business and make my friends.’

’If it really is some major operation, then I’ll just consider it a contribution to the motherland.’

"Alright. If you need anything locally, just find me. I can’t say I have any great power, but I know all sorts of people and I’m familiar with how things work around here."

"The so-called ’local snake,’ you could say."

"And you, of course, are the ’dragon crossing the river.’"

he added, his words showing a shrewdness that belied his rough exterior.

Lin Chu smiled and nodded as well.

...

After seeing the rooms, which were excellent, a satisfied Lin Chu returned to the courtyard. He was surprised to find that some people had already changed into their swimsuits and were jumping into the pool.

They just couldn’t seem to wait.

It was mainly because the weather was scorching, even hotter than in Peng City. If you just stood still, you would quickly break out in a sweat.

This kind of weather was perfect for getting in the water.

Li Kai, Liu Junfeng, and Lu Ming had somehow found water guns and were having a blast in a water fight with some of the girls.

Near the pool were massage loungers. The hotel had its own massage therapists, or you could request one from outside.

Watching the scene, Lin Chu felt himself relax completely.

’This is the life.’

’This is what traveling is all about.’

"Brother, I also have a yacht out on the water. If you want to go out to sea, just tell the front desk, and they’ll arrange it for you."

"I won’t disturb you any longer. But if you feel like having a drink later, just give me a call. I don’t live far, only about ten minutes away."

Seeing that everything was more or less settled, Xiong Jianwu added these last two things and prepared to leave.

Lin Chu once again appreciated the man’s tact. "Sounds good, no problem. Let’s drink together tonight. We won’t stop till we’re drunk."

"Alright, we won’t stop till we’re drunk!"

He gave Lin Chu’s hand a firm shake.

...

...