As a Magnate, I Started Checking in at a Convenience Store

Chapter 535: Billion-dollar feast

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation | Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Half an hour later.

The Bund Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

The Bund Waldorf Astoria Hotel sat in the heart of Modu’s renowned Bund, seamlessly blending the historical and cultural essence of the surrounding neighborhoods with the refined charm of the 21st century. Here, guests experienced unparalleled personalized service and meticulous care. As part of the Hilton Group’s ultra-five-star hotel collection, owned by Zhou Chao, who also owned the entire Hilton hotel chain in Huaxia, the Waldorf Astoria naturally fell under Zhou Chao’s domain.

At that moment, the Waldorf Astoria was buzzing with activity. The administrative, service, and kitchen systems were all up and running, preparing to serve the imminent arrival of the big shots.

Soon, a convoy of specially luxurious cars pulled into the Waldorf Astoria. There were not only Rolls-Royces but also numerous other luxury cars.

Teams of black-suited bodyguards stood by the cars, respectfully opening the doors. Familiar business tycoons stepped out of the vehicles, led by Ling Chen and his entourage, including Lao Ma, Xiao Ma, Director Wang, and others. Instantly, they captured everyone’s attention, who couldn’t believe their eyes. These big shots, whom they’d only seen on TV, were actually gathered together there.

It was no exaggeration to say that the combined wealth of these big shots could rival that of a small country. If they were to add Zhou Chao to the equation, it was enough to shake the entire Huaxia economy.

Outside the Waldorf Astoria’s top suites, the bodyguards of each big shot stood ready. The entire corridor was lined with burly men in suits. Dozens of black- suited bodyguards stood expressionless while passing waiters trembled at the sight of this formation.

Some of the service staff, unfamiliar with the situation, couldn’t help but quietly ask the supervisor, “Supervisor, who exactly were the people in this suite? Even when we hosted celebrities or foreign guests before, we didn’t have such a grand setup!”

The supervisor’s brow furrows, giving a stern glance to the female server who spoke.

“Focus on your own tasks, ask fewer questions!”

As a super five-star hotel, the Waldorf Astoria frequently hosts top celebrities from all walks of life. The training center for its staff emphasizes strict confidentiality. It’s not surprising that the supervisor overreacts a bit. After all, with so many big shots here, if any careless words were to reach the ears of the hotel’s higher-ups, the first to suffer would be the supervisor.

Before long, the hotel’s general manager arrived with two young men, accompanied by several bodyguards.

The supervisor was somewhat surprised to see this scene. He hadn’t expected the usually solemn and steady general manager to be wearing such a sycophantic smile now. The service staff had never seen the general manager display such an expression, not even when hosting high-ranking officials in the past.

However, when the supervisor saw the faces of the young men clearly, he immediately understood that the general manager’s attitude was entirely normal.

One of these young men was none other than Zhou Chao, the big boss of their own hotel.

“Boss, Director Wang, Lao Ma, and Xiao Ma, they’re all inside,” the general manager said, leading Zhou Chao while speaking in a respectful tone.

Zhou Chao met his gaze, making only a slight nod in acknowledgment.

Meanwhile, the service staff, seeing Zhou Chao before them, felt their hearts pounding with excitement, hoping Zhou Chao would cast his gaze upon them, even if just for a moment.

All the staff at the Waldorf Astoria were carefully selected, and the suite attendants were the cream of the crop. Each attendant surpassed many other girls in terms of appearance and figure, ranking at the level of the most beautiful girls in any university.

But when they saw the woman beside their boss, many service staff members felt a chill run down their spines. In terms of temperament, appearance, and figure, she outshone them all by far. Moreover, she was pregnant, and seeing this situation, they realized she must be their boss’ wife.

The hallway wasn’t very long. Under the guidance of the hotel’s general manager, the group arrived at the door of the suite.

The general manager gently knocked on the door, and after a moment, the mahogany door of the private room opened from the inside.

“Boss, please.”

Zhou Chao nodded slightly and whispered, “Arrange a place for the guards outside to rest and eat.” With that, he led Jiang Li into the private room.

Seeing Zhou Chao and Jiang Li enter, the group of chatting elders, including Lao Wang, stood up one by one, including Lao Ma and Xiao Ma.

“Young Master Zhou, we thought you’d have to wait a while longer. Didn’t expect you to come so soon. Has the old man left already?”

Zhou Chao’s face, usually plain, now showed a smile. “Uncle Li left early for something. He asked me to give you a message: Let your starting point always be for the benefit of the people.”

Upon hearing this, the big shots present fell silent, pondering the meaning of these words. But no one paid attention to the silence. After exchanging greetings with Si Cong and others, they took their seats.

It took quite some time for Lao Ma, Xiao Ma, and others to come back to their senses. It’s unclear what was going through each person’s mind, but it was evident that each had deep thoughts, except for Wang Jianlin, who seemed relaxed.

Upon careful consideration, Zhou Chao realized that Lao Wang indeed had nothing to worry about. He had already gotten rid of all his previous debts, focused on his own business ventures, and now hopped onto Zhou Chao’s charity train. Once the project starts, he’ll have a natural protective shield. All he needs to do then is to focus on the project.

Si Cong and others sat at a nearby small table, chatting quietly. After all, they didn’t want to risk getting scolded for being impolite.

“It was supposed to be a moment of glory for us, but now it’s come to this. Ah, if only we hadn’t done this in the first place!” Si Cong said with a regretful expression. After all, he loved lively occasions the most, and not being able to go on stage this time was his biggest regret.

“Exactly, all the advantages were taken by them. We put up the money, yet got nothing in return,” Qin Fen muttered, glancing at his old man and the other big shots, quietly complaining.

Zhang Wenxuan, on the other hand, seemed indifferent. “I don’t care. Anyway, the money was put up by my old man in the first place. I’m not as rich as you two, digging into my own pocket!”

Only Brother Hu held a teacup, leisurely sipping his tea, unable to join in the conversation. Besides, the atmosphere wasn’t very conducive to talking.

“Hmm.” Brother Hu suddenly received a message on his phone and checked it, realizing it was from his boss.

“Lao Hu, how’s it going? Has the ribbon-cutting ceremony ended? Did you get on stage?”

Looking at the message, Brother Hu felt helpless. “Sis, I wanted to go up too, but I’m not worthy!”

After a brief thought, he replied, “Just wait for the news in the afternoon. It’ll be absolutely thrilling and surprising!”

Soon, he received several question marks, and Brother Hu smiled and didn’t reply.

Meanwhile, at Zhou Chao’s table, they began discussing trivial matters, just idle chatter with no substance. But as the conversation progressed, it eventually turned to the topic of the foundation, especially with Lao Ma and Xiao Ma showing great interest. Everyone present was savvy enough to understand what they were up to.

At this moment, Lao Ma and Xiao Ma exchanged a glance, knowing that without being explicit, they wouldn’t have a chance.

“Young Master Zhou, I wonder if your Huaxia Foundation still needs funding. You know, Ali has always been committed to charity projects and has a lot of experience in this area. Public welfare projects still need everyone’s effort.” “Exactly, Lao Ma has experience, we have the funds, and Young Master Zhou, you have a good platform. We can collaborate to make a contribution to charity.” Xiao Ma’s eyes were full of excitement at this moment. If Zhou Chao agrees, Tencent’s development will enter another level.

But dreams are always beautiful, and reality is often cruel. While Lao Ma and Xiao Ma thought Zhou Chao would agree, they completely ignored the looks from Wang Jianlin and the others, who were clearly amused.

“Lao Ma and Xiao Ma, this might dampen your excitement. The Huaxia Foundation currently doesn’t accept external support, as I promised Li Lao before.” Who wouldn’t brag a bit? Moreover, someone had heard these words before; it wasn’t just his fabrication.

“Furthermore, my intention in establishing this foundation is very pure, purely for charity. I want to help poor children get an education. I don’t want any other interests mixed in. Even the investment from Director Wang and others is the same. They can only observe. All operations are handled by my charity company. As for future funding, you don’t need to worry. Dragonfly Group can still provide it. I hope Ma can understand this.”

Zhou Chao’s words were quite tactful, but in reality, he straightforwardly rejected the intentions of the two.

Although he wasn’t particularly concerned about fame, it wasn’t something one could just waltz in and enjoy his big cake. One could only eat if he offered it. If he didn’t, one could only watch.

Considering today’s performance, the Huaxia Foundation’s reputation would spread nationwide. However, attempting to capitalize on this opportunity seems futile, as access is restricted for everyone – even the windows are sealed shut.

Zhou Chao also understood that for internet giants like Ali and Tencent, their foundations were relatively precarious compared to people like Lao Wang. They certainly needed enough social recognition to make users dependent and the country to take notice, forming a closed loop to ensure the company’s stability.

That’s why Ali was so keen on charity. It was a natural protective shield that allowed the company to develop better.

Otherwise, why would those big shots spend money for nothing? Who would complain about having too much money?

As Zhou Chao spoke, the whole room quieted down quite a bit. It took Wang Jianlin a good three to four seconds to react, and he quickly tried to smooth things over.

“Alright, everyone has their own thoughts, but we’re all contributing to charity. There’s no need to dwell on it too much. Young Master Zhou, my stomach is growling. Why haven’t the dishes been arranged yet? You’re not doing a good job as the host!”

“Oh, my bad. I’ll have it arranged right away.” Zhou Chao lightly tapped his head, signaling Ling Chen to have the waiters serve the dishes.

Zhou Chao glanced at Lao Ma and Xiao Ma. Xiao Ma seemed fine, not too concerned, but Lao Ma’s expression wasn’t great. Perhaps he felt Zhou Chao hadn’t shown him respect. However, Zhou Chao wasn’t really afraid of Lao Ma. Even if he offended him today, it wouldn’t matter much.

His company’s business hardly overlapped with Lao Ma’s. Although his own social status might not yet match Lao Ma’s, with prominent figure like Li Lao now backing him, along with the strength of Dragonfly Group itself, he wasn’t really worried about Lao Ma causing any trouble.