Chapter 183: What a Huge Asset

Thinking about it that way, Zhang Yang felt that this trip to Hangzhou was actually going to be quite busy.

Since he had already decided to go to Hangzhou, he didn’t plan to waste any time. Better to go early and get everything done.

As for Xiang Xiaotian’s matter, it had instead become something incidental.

He would just treat it as helping a friend.

Early the next morning, Zhang Yang drove his Cullinan straight to OCT Suhewan.

Then, outside the residential complex, he called Xiang Xiaotian.

“Huh? Brother Zhang, you’re here already? Why don’t you come up? I’ll still need quite a while,” Xiang Xiaotian’s voice sounded a little happy. “I’ll have Auntie come pick you up.”

“Come up? Alright, sure.” Zhang Yang agreed.

After all, Xiang Xiaotian’s home had a housekeeper, so it wouldn’t be too abrupt for him to go upstairs.

He parked the car by the roadside and smoked a cigarette while waiting.

Before he had even finished the cigarette, he saw a woman around thirty, well-dressed and refined in both bearing and appearance, walking out from the gate and looking around.

Then, after spotting Zhang Yang, she walked straight over.

“So this is the housekeeper from Xiang Xiaotian’s home?” Zhang Yang ground out the cigarette.

These days, wealthy families had pretty high standards for housekeepers. It definitely wasn’t just about being able to cook. The most sought-after ones were educated, cultured, had some taste, could drive, and could prepare all kinds of good dishes.

Having all sorts of certifications was just basic.

Of course, the salary was not low either. For a live-in housekeeper who could do everything, the pay was usually at least several thousand to over ten thousand.

“Are you Mr. Zhang?” the woman asked as she approached.

“That’s right. Don’t tell me Xiang Xiaotian still isn’t out of bed?” Zhang Yang asked casually.

The woman immediately smiled. “You guessed right. Miss… did just get up. She’s still putting on makeup.”

“Makeup? Alright, no wonder.” Zhang Yang glanced at the time and instantly understood.

After that, he followed Xiang Xiaotian’s housekeeper into OCT Suhewan. This complex included two 150-meter (~492 ft) super high-rises and had once been praised as the tallest residential development in Puxi.

As for location, it had views of the Bund and Lujiazui across the river and was also right next to the Bulgari Hotel, so it was indeed quite superior.

Of course, with units ranging from 180 to 300 square meters (~1,938–3,229 sq ft) and prices easily reaching tens of millions, it could be said to live up to its location.

Xiang Xiaotian’s family’s apartment happened to be on a high floor, with an unobstructed view.

A moment later, outside Xiang Xiaotian’s 300-square-meter flat, the housekeeper gently opened the door.

“Brother Zhang, are you here?”

Inside the apartment, Xiang Xiaotian came out of her room in pajamas and slippers. The moment she saw Zhang Yang, she happily ran toward him.

“No way.” Looking at this scene, Zhang Yang immediately had a premonition.

Sure enough, the next second, Xiang Xiaotian spread her arms and rushed up to give him an extremely enthusiastic hug.

The housekeeper beside them looked at the scene with undisguised surprise in her eyes.

As a woman, her eyes were sharp. At least in her view, Xiang Xiaotian’s hug contained not only the enthusiasm of meeting someone, but also the delight of a girl seeing the man she liked.

Could it be that this man was…?

Looking at the tall and handsome figure before her, after the surprise, she found it only natural.

They matched.

Zhang Yang felt warmth around his waist as Xiang Xiaotian hugged him tightly.

“Brother Zhang, welcome to my home.”

“Uh… you didn’t even change out of your pajamas?” Zhang Yang lowered his head to look at Xiang Xiaotian in her loose sleepwear. Well… her bra was clearly visible, and his hands instinctively wrapped around her waist.

Hearing that, Xiang Xiaotian lowered her head for a look, and her cheeks flushed slightly.

“I got up a bit late… Brother Zhang, have you eaten breakfast? I can have Auntie make something for you.”

The housekeeper followed up from the side, “Mr. Zhang, I made egg pancakes this morning and also cooked purple glutinous rice porridge. Would you like a bowl? Or there are shrimp and corn wontons I wrapped last night. Would you like to try some?”

“I already ate, so I won’t trouble you, Auntie.” Zhang Yang politely declined and casually patted Xiang Xiaotian on her lower back.

“You go put on your makeup.”

“Mm, then Brother Zhang, look around as you like. I’ll go do my makeup first.” Xiang Xiaotian nodded lightly, reluctantly let go of him, and went off to do her makeup.

Zhang Yang stood in the apartment and casually looked around.

Three hundred square meters was naturally very spacious, and the interior decoration had a lot of texture and taste. Standing in the living room and looking out from the balcony, the three landmark towers of Lujiazui were all in full view. The sightline was excellent.

After looking around, Zhang Yang sat down to wait.

After all, it was someone else’s home, so it wasn’t really appropriate to go wandering all over the place.

The moment he sat down, the housekeeper promptly brought over washed fruit with great attentiveness.

With nothing to do while sitting there, Zhang Yang took out his phone and started doing some research in advance, planning to study the housing options in Hangzhou.

Wulin No. 1 naturally needed no introduction. It was an old prestigious luxury residence in Hangzhou, located north of the ultra-prime Wulin Square, with the Wulin business district and West Lake Culture Plaza right there. The location was excellent.

There was also the extremely famous old villa district, Jiuxi Rose Garden.

The largest properties there covered several thousand square meters, with swimming pools, lawns, and gardens, and sold for several hundred million. Even now, he still couldn’t afford that.

Or there was Yunqi Rose Garden by West Lake.

Or if not that, the Chinese courtyard homes of Greentown Peach Blossom Spring, which embodied Eastern Chinese aesthetics. For just over one hundred million, one could buy a huge one. Inside there were rockeries, lakes, and a world of its own, giving the feeling that unless you married ten or eight wives, it would still seem too quiet.

As for all the endless debates about supporting facilities and whether something was worth the price, Zhang Yang felt that if something existed, it had its reason.

This wasn’t an ordinary person buying a just-needed home and weighing every consideration.

For someone like him, buying a house was all about first impression. If he liked it, that was enough. After all, money couldn’t buy peace of mind and personal satisfaction.

Just as he was researching, footsteps sounded by his ear.

Zhang Yang looked up and immediately saw Xiang Xiaotian, now finished with her makeup and changed into fresh clothes.

“Brother Zhang, do I look good?” Xiang Xiaotian, dressed in a white strapless dress, deliberately spun lightly in front of him. She looked graceful and lively.

“Not bad.” Zhang Yang nodded, generous with his praise.

“If Brother Zhang thinks it looks good, then it definitely looks good.” Xiang Xiaotian happily stepped forward and affectionately hugged his arm. “Then Brother Zhang, shall we go?”

“Alright.” Zhang Yang looked somewhat helplessly at Xiang Xiaotian holding his arm and pressing especially close to him, but didn’t bother to stop her.

A moment later, the two of them left together and went downstairs, preparing to set off for Hangzhou.

Inside the car, Zhang Yang sat in the passenger seat and had just fastened his seat belt.

Xiang Xiaotian suddenly leaned over without any warning and, without hesitation, kissed him on the cheek.

“What are you doing?” Zhang Yang touched his cheek and then looked at Xiang Xiaotian’s lips, wondering whether any lipstick mark had been left behind.

“Just building some chemistry in advance.” Xiang Xiaotian smiled triumphantly. “We can’t exactly get to my dad and then look awkward even when trying to kiss. That would make it obvious we’re pretending. If my dad figures out we’re fake, then I’m definitely finished.”

“Alright, whatever makes you happy.” Zhang Yang simply let Xiang Xiaotian do as she pleased.

A little after eight, Zhang Yang drove off toward Hangzhou, the journey taking a bit over two hours.

Along the way, Zhang Yang naturally chatted with Xiang Xiaotian.

“Your place-your parents don’t come by often, do they?”

“My dad rarely comes. My mom comes often on weekends, though, and every weekend she personally cooks for me,” Xiang Xiaotian said, speaking with great happiness about something so simple. “It really has to be my mom. She never pressures me.”

As she spoke, Xiang Xiaotian suddenly looked at Zhang Yang curiously. “Brother Zhang, do your parents pressure you?”

“Are you kidding? I’m only twenty-five today. Even if I got married at thirty or thirty-five, that would still be completely normal, right?” Zhang Yang said with a smile. “Besides, I might not need to get married at all.”

Marriage had never been a necessity, especially for him now.

In any case, Zhang Yang currently had no plans or intention to get married. As for children? You could have children without getting married too. There was no contradiction there.

“Not getting married? Then I won’t get married either,” Xiang Xiaotian muttered for some reason.

Zhang Yang blinked, suddenly feeling like he might be corrupting a young girl without meaning to.

Around eleven in the morning, the two arrived in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province.

Zhang Yang rolled down the car window, slowed the car, and drove gradually along Qingchun Road by West Lake, feeling the Hangzhou breeze and taking in the local atmosphere.

This trip, he planned to first send Xiang Xiaotian to her family’s hotel, the Junlan Hotel by West Lake.

Actually, calling it her family’s hotel wasn’t entirely accurate.

After all, the Junlan Hotel had been very expensive to build, with an initial investment of nearly one billion, and there were many shareholders. Xiang Xiaotian’s family could only be described as one of the major shareholders.

However, the largest shareholder had invested but did not participate in management. So at present, on the surface, the entire hotel was basically being managed by Xiang Xiaotian’s father.

“Every time I come back, I don’t like staying at home. I like staying in the top-floor lake-view suite with a terrace at Junlan Hotel,” Xiang Xiaotian said, looking out the window. “I just love waking up in the morning, opening the window, and embracing the West Lake morning breeze.”

“If I go stay there, would it work if I gave your name?” Zhang Yang asked with a smile.

“It should… maybe help a little.” Xiang Xiaotian tapped her chin. “Or you could just use my dad’s name. That would definitely work. Anyway, every time I stay there, I use my dad’s membership card.”

“Forget it.” Zhang Yang shook his head.

Use someone else’s name? He was now the owner of a five-star hotel in Hangzhou worth 1.5 billion. And not just a shareholder-he was the sole owner.

Wouldn’t it be better to stay in the best presidential suite at his own hotel?

“Then Brother Zhang, do you want to… stay with me?” Xiang Xiaotian suddenly laughed softly and gently hugged Zhang Yang’s arm. “The big suite I always stay in is huge.”

Zhang Yang looked at Xiang Xiaotian’s expression, which seemed playful on the surface but was actually somewhat serious, and shook his head with a smile.

“How about this? I’ll take you to the hotel first. I happen to have some business of my own in Hangzhou too. We’ll meet up again later, alright?”

“So that’s how it is. We’re not even going to have a meal together?” Xiang Xiaotian asked softly beside him.

“A meal? There’s no rush. We can eat later,” Zhang Yang said.

Just then, he had received a system notification informing him that the full transfer of ownership for the Intercontinental Garden Hotel had been completed.

In other words, this luxury five-star hotel, covering nearly 100,000 square meters and containing nearly 300 rooms of various sizes, had now officially become his property.

Right now, all he wanted was to hurry over and take possession of this 1.5-billion-yuan asset.

Having assets meant having a foundation.

“Alright then, Brother Zhang, I’ll go first. Remember to come,” Xiang Xiaotian said, gently squeezing Zhang Yang’s hand, sounding a little uneasy.

“Don’t worry. I’ll do what I promised you.” Zhang Yang smiled and reached out to pinch Xiang Xiaotian’s cheek.

A moment later, the Cullinan pulled up outside the Junlan Hotel.

Xiang Xiaotian got up gently. After thinking for a moment, she leaned over and kissed Zhang Yang on the cheek again.

This time, Zhang Yang didn’t dodge and simply felt the warmth on his cheek.

“I’m off.”

Xiang Xiaotian got out of the car and stood by the roadside.

Zhang Yang didn’t linger. He lowered the car window, waved, and drove away.

By the Qiantang River, outside the Intercontinental Garden Hotel.

Zhang Yang parked the car, got out, and looked up at the imposing building before him-a blend of traditional and contemporary architecture-and admired it for quite a while.

If it were just some unrelated hotel, he would glance at it and move on without a second thought. But this one belonged to him. Standing in front of his own property and appreciating it felt completely different.

“Xiang Xiaotian likes sitting by West Lake to admire the scenery. Does this count as me sitting here watching the clouds drift by, quietly listening to flowers bloom and fall, while the Qiantang River tides rise and recede?”

Zhang Yang chuckled softly and walked toward the hotel.

As soon as he entered the lobby, he was greeted by a traditional Chinese courtyard-style design with three courtyards and two corridors. The style leaned toward grandeur and dignity, looking extremely upscale.

Before coming here, he hadn’t informed anyone in advance.

It wasn’t that he wanted to make a surprise visit-he had simply forgotten.

Zhang Yang glanced toward the front desk, planning to walk over and have them notify someone.

“Later you should do it like this…” On the way, a woman in a hotel uniform, who looked like a lobby manager, was instructing staff members on their work.

Zhang Yang happened to pass by and heard her gentle voice clearly explaining the details of the tasks in an orderly manner. He couldn’t help but stop and watch her for a moment.

Looking at the name badge on her chest, she really was the lobby manager.

“Sir, is there anything I can help you with?” Noticing Zhang Yang’s gaze, the lobby manager looked over with a smile.

“I’d like to see your President Yu. Please contact her and tell her my surname is Zhang,” Zhang Yang said with a smile.

The President Yu he referred to was the hotel’s general manager, Yu Kaili.

“Ah? You’re looking for President Yu?” The lobby manager paused slightly and quickly looked Zhang Yang up and down.

His outstanding temperament, appearance, and tone…

Could he be an important client?

“Mr. Zhang, please wait a moment. And please have a seat.” The lobby manager didn’t dare delay. She quickly guided Zhang Yang to the nearby lounge area with a courteous smile. “I’ll call her right away.”

Zhang Yang nodded and sat down on the sofa in the lounge.

Then he saw the lobby manager walk to the side and make a call.

He could vaguely hear her saying “yes” several times in a row, though he couldn’t tell what the other side had asked her.

After ending the call, Zhang Yang saw the lobby manager quickly pour some tea and walk straight over. She bent slightly in front of him.

“Mr. Zhang, please have some tea first. President Yu will come down shortly.”

“Thank you.” Zhang Yang took the tea and looked up, intending to see the lobby manager’s name.

“Mr. Zhang, my name is Qu Shanshan. You can just call me Xiao Qu. If you need anything, please feel free to tell me,” Qu Shanshan introduced herself before Zhang Yang even had the chance to ask.