"Tra la la..."
Zhou Yanhong was in high spirits today. She had never expected to find a batch of top-grade watermelons on her outing. She absolutely had to eat another one. That refreshing deliciousness was truly something the world had rarely seen...
This batch of watermelons had arrived like timely rain, solving a problem that had troubled her for a long time...
"Xiao Huang... Go to the kitchen, cut open a watermelon, and bring it to me. Give some to the employees as well. Today's watermelons are excellent. I just ate some, and they were absolutely incredible..."
After giving the order, Zhou Yanhong happily went upstairs to her office.
"Don't worry, Young Lady... I'll help you once I finish carrying these." Xiao Huang nodded. He worked in the kitchen and had temporarily come out to move the goods.
"Young Lady... Why did you only just get back? Something happened at the hotel..." A hotel manager hurried over and wiped away some sweat.
"What happened?" Zhou Yanhong's expression instantly turned cold. She had more or less guessed what was going on and only wanted to confirm it.
"The boss of Milin Hotel has arrived. They're currently in negotiations..." the hotel lobby manager said nervously.
"Fine... I'll handle it." Zhou Yanhong waved her hand.
She hurried to the conference room. A group of people were inside, along with five unfamiliar faces dressed in suits and looking refined. The leader in particular was a young man...
"How about this? Sell Junyue Grand Hotel, and you can still recover a little of your investment. Once we go all out, don't even think about getting thirty million. You won't get five yuan."
The young man sneered arrogantly. His name was Zhang Yongchang, and he carried himself with overwhelming confidence, as if victory were already his.
He had opened a Milin Hotel nearby, specializing in Western food. He had hired an internationally certified three-star chef, sliced meat at an angle, and played on the local admiration of foreign things. As a result, many wealthy customers had started visiting his establishment, causing Junyue Grand Hotel's business to fall by two-thirds...
The catering industry was all about turnover. Everything depended on a steady stream of customers. Once that stream was lost, the enormous daily operating expenses became impossible to bear.
The group of executives all sighed. None of them had a good solution, so they could only sell Junyue Grand Hotel.
"Hmph... What stray dog are you, barking in my family's hotel? If you have any sense, get lost right now." Zhou Yanhong entered without bothering to hide her contempt.
"Heh heh... So you're Zhou Yanhong. You really are as impressive as your name suggests—truly a stunning urban beauty, with remarkable ability. You planned to take over Junyue Grand Hotel, but unfortunately, it's about to change hands..."
"However... become my woman, and I'll hand the hotel over to you completely. You could even turn it into an international hotel..."
Zhang Yongchang let out a cold laugh. His every movement brimmed with confidence. When dealing with a cold and proud woman, he had to slowly bring her under control before he could make her bow completely.
"Get lost... You're not welcome here." Zhou Yanhong was deeply disgusted by this rich second-generation heir.
"Hahaha..." Zhang Yongchang laughed playfully. "That temper suits me perfectly. Just wait! You'll be begging me to let you off..."
He led his group away in a grand procession, leaving everyone at the scene staring blankly at one another, completely at a loss. After all, the hotel had fallen into a deadlock.
"Uncles, what do you think we should do?" Zhou Yanhong folded her arms and waited for the group to come up with their nonsense.
"What else can we do? These are foreign capital magnates. Whether it's their funding, their connections, or the public's preference for foreign things, we have no way to fight them. We might as well do them a favor and sell the hotel..."
Uncle Zhou made the proposal. If they suffered losses, they would be left with nothing. He was the first to stand up because he was Zhou Yanhong's uncle and could get a considerable share of the benefits.
"I agree..."
"I agree too..."
"If you can't beat them, join them. I agree too..."
"I object..."
"I abstain..."
There were roughly fifteen people present. Only Young Uncle Zhou supported her. The vote overwhelmingly passed to sell the hotel and live in peace.
"Fine... Since you've chosen to abandon it, transfer all your shares to me. I'll pay every one of you in full. I hope you won't regret it." Zhou Yanhong gave them a cold look. Most of them were members of the Zhou family, while some were veteran employees. Since they had chosen to leave, they should never come back...
"Heh heh... You'll be the one regretting it for taking over the hotel now." Uncle Zhou was the first to sign the contract and leave. The others followed suit. As long as the money arrived, they were willing to transfer all their shares.
"Yanhong... You're being foolish!" Dad Zhou scolded her in exasperation. One after another, they had chosen to give up the grand hotel. They had been longtime partners, and the bitter disappointment left him feeling hollow.
"Dad..." Zhou Yanhong smiled sweetly. "I've found a solution. You'll know soon..."
"A solution?" Zhou Dawei, the hotel's owner, was curious. His daughter was capable, and as a graduate with a doctorate from overseas, she would be fully qualified to take over after another two years of training. He couldn't help looking forward to it.
"Yes..." Zhou Yanhong nodded, then glanced toward the doorway. Xiao Huang was holding a plate of sliced watermelon.
"Stop messing around... Watermelons are everywhere. Are you imagining things? Let me calm myself down. I'm a little dizzy..." Zhou Dawei panicked, feeling as though his blood pressure was about to shoot to 180.
He had just taken over another huge pile of shares. If they ended up in his hands, his entire fortune would go bankrupt...
"Dad... Try it first. I guarantee it'll surprise you." Zhou Yanhong could only try to reassure him.
Zhou Dawei took a deep breath and steadied himself before picking up a piece of watermelon. The moment he took a bite, his entire body froze.
"How is it?" The corners of Zhou Yanhong's lips curled upward.
"What refreshing watermelon! My heart was heavy before, but after one bite, my whole body feels comfortable. I'm not dizzy anymore, and I'm full of energy. I can go upstairs without panting. It's like years of sub-health have been cured..."
Zhou Dawei began wolfing down the watermelon again. With watermelons like these, they could completely revitalize the market.
"Daughter... Where did you buy this watermelon?" Zhou Dawei asked with a tremble in his voice.
"From a roadside stall." Zhou Yanhong smiled.
"Quick, quick, quick! Go intercept him. I'm full of energy now—it's practically miraculous. This concerns the life or death of the hotel. No matter how much it costs, we have to buy them all." Zhou Dawei hurriedly issued the order.
"Oh... I added him on QQ. Starting with dinner tonight, we'll test how sales go. Tomorrow, I'll go find him." Zhou Yanhong looked rather pleased with herself.
"Good, good... Go promote them immediately and get the entire restaurant moving. The hotel's survival depends on this one gamble." Zhou Dawei was extremely excited and quickly went to make arrangements.
Without a doubt, the hotel was packed that night. Every customer who had eaten the watermelon called their relatives and friends over, and everything sold out in half an hour.
"Hahaha... I ate a meal of watermelon, and I don't know why, but I feel like I've become eighteen again. I went straight home and left my wife unable to get out of bed."
"I'm eighty years old... After eating a piece of watermelon, I climbed ten floors in one breath. My back doesn't hurt, my legs aren't sore, and I'm full of energy..."
"Hahaha... After eating a piece of watermelon, I feel like I've grown a brain... When I went home last night, I completed three test papers in one go, and every answer was correct..."
"Not only that, but someone in my family had anorexia. After eating a piece of watermelon, she was actually able to swallow food—and she even kept clamoring for more..."
After everyone had eaten, the hotel's business visibly changed. Customers immediately began reserving tables, and the next day's seats were fully booked.
The sensational response attracted a flood of reservations, naturally drawing the attention of their competitor...
Zhang Yongchang was drinking tea while enjoying a beauty massaging his shoulders. As he recalled Zhou Yanhong's extraordinary beauty from earlier that day, his heart began to itch. Once he acquired Junyue Grand Hotel...
He had to get that woman. Then he would have both the woman and the wealth...
"Boss... This is bad... Junyue Grand Hotel was just packed to capacity, and there were plenty of returning customers. They filled every seat from yesterday, rivaling the crowds on our opening day."
The manager of Milin Hotel hurried over, his face panicked. It was obvious that something major had happened...
"What's going on?" Zhang Yongchang stared at him.
"I heard it was because of a piece of watermelon..." The manager shrank his neck as he replied, "I've already sent people to investigate."
Smash...
A teacup was hurled to the floor. Zhang Yongchang's face turned livid. His original plan had been disrupted—all because of a piece of watermelon?
"Boss... I found the watermelon's source. It came from a roadside vendor today. Zhou Yanhong bought the watermelons for two yuan per jin." A junior employee from one of the departments hurried over.
"Arrange it immediately. We have to get those watermelons, no matter what methods we need to use." Zhang Yongchang had no intention of letting them go. He wanted to establish himself in the domestic market, and Junyue Grand Hotel was the first obstacle. How could he possibly fail?
As a wealthy overseas graduate, he had made a grand show of introducing foreign cuisine, focusing on Western steaks and Japanese sushi. He had done so because he wanted to make a major push, laying the groundwork in advance to seize a large share of the domestic market.
There was no way he could be defeated by a watermelon...