Chapter 184: Trusted Confidant

“Qu Shanshan?” Zhang Yang nodded and said nothing more, sipping his tea while waiting.

Qu Shanshan stood nearby, attentively pouring tea and serving him. It was unclear whether she already knew something.

Before long, the elevator in the distance opened.

A woman in her thirties stepped out of the elevator, looked around quickly, and then hurried over.

“Mr. Zhang… Mr. Zhang, sorry to keep you waiting.”

She stood before Zhang Yang, slightly out of breath.

Zhang Yang looked up at the woman in front of him. She wore a hotel uniform and had short hair that reached her ears. She had the demeanor of a capable career woman. This must be the current GM of the Intercontinental Garden Hotel, Yu Kaili.

“You’re the GM?”

“Yes, Mr. Zhang. My name is Yu Kaili, the current GM of the Intercontinental Garden Hotel.” Yu Kaili’s respectful tone carried a hint of nervousness.

Qu Shanshan, standing nearby, barely dared to breathe.

From the phone call earlier and the way President Yu was acting now, she had finally confirmed that the handsome young man in front of her was truly the hotel’s new owner.

She glanced at President Yu, who was usually cold and distant, but now looked extremely cautious. She couldn’t help sighing inwardly.

No matter how capable a GM was, they were still just employees.

“Alright, take me around. We’ll talk while walking,” Zhang Yang said with a nod.

A new official always lights three fires upon taking office, let alone him as the owner.

In such a large five-star hotel, many members of the management team were surely loyal to the previous owner. Some adjustments would definitely be necessary.

As for the GM, there was no need to rush. After all, she was still the person most familiar with the hotel’s operations.

If she performed well and proved useful, keeping her wouldn’t be a problem.

Stability was the first priority for a newly acquired asset.

“Of course, Mr. Zhang. This way please,” Yu Kaili said quickly.

Zhang Yang stood up and followed Yu Kaili to tour the hotel and learn about its general situation.

Along the way, the two walked and stopped occasionally, passing through the grand three-section lobby and the luxuriously decorated banquet area that carried the charm of a traditional mansion.

The hotel’s overall design, rich with classical Chinese garden elements, left a deep impression on Zhang Yang.

The hotel had 260 rooms ranging from dozens of square meters (~hundreds of sq ft) to several hundred square meters (~thousands of sq ft). More than one hundred of them offered panoramic views of the Qiantang River.

There were four restaurants and one café. The elegant Chinese restaurant was located on the 19th and 20th floors.

There were also two pillarless banquet halls with eight-meter (~26 ft) high ceilings, each covering 1,500 square meters (~16,146 sq ft), twelve large multifunction halls, and a 2,000-square-meter (~21,528 sq ft) rooftop garden.

“What a giant.” Zhang Yang sighed inwardly.

Yu Kaili continued introducing the hotel’s details enthusiastically while secretly observing the new owner’s expression.

Unfortunately, from beginning to end, Zhang Yang showed almost no reaction.

“Mr. Zhang, for more specific information, such as personnel and revenue details, please allow me to report them in my office,” Yu Kaili said.

“Alright, let’s go to your office.”

The GM office and administrative offices were located on the first floor. Soon, Zhang Yang walked into the GM office.

Although it wasn’t on the top floor, the GM office still had a broad view. The Qiantang River could be seen right outside the window, creating a refreshing atmosphere. The office itself was decorated in a refined and classical style, matching the scale and tone of the hotel.

Inside his own property, there was naturally no need to be polite.

Zhang Yang sat directly in the leather executive chair behind the redwood desk and casually picked up the reports on the desk to read.

“Mr. Zhang, this is the staff list. Shall I introduce it to you?” Yu Kaili asked softly.

“Sure, go ahead.” Zhang Yang continued flipping through the documents without looking up.

“Mr. Zhang, the hotel currently has a total of 301 employees, including…” Yu Kaili began reciting the employee statistics fluently.

The entire hotel was divided into eight departments.

Front office, housekeeping, food and beverage, security, marketing, engineering, finance, and human resources and administration.

While listening, Zhang Yang reviewed the reports in his hands.

Last year, the Intercontinental Garden Hotel’s net profit had been 89 million yuan. The restaurant division contributed slightly more, while the room division contributed slightly less. This was reflected in the occupancy rate.

“The room occupancy… seems like there’s still room for improvement.” Zhang Yang looked up at Yu Kaili.

He had a reason for saying this.

The hotel faced the Qiantang River directly, offering excellent river views and a prime location. Moreover, it was in Hangzhou.

Of course, he had only said it casually.

But Yu Kaili grew anxious upon hearing it and quickly explained, “Mr. Zhang, the situation is this. Our hotel has always positioned itself as high-end. Since opening, we’ve hosted numerous domestic and international conferences and accommodated hundreds of government and business delegations. Therefore, our room prices are relatively higher than other five-star hotels of the same brand.”

“Oh. Introduce the marketing team in detail,” Zhang Yang said, looking at the marketing department section of the report. The department seemed to have quite a few people.

Maintaining so many marketing staff naturally required strong performance to justify it.

Yu Kaili’s voice trembled slightly. Normally she was calm and composed, not someone who would lose her composure easily.

But today’s situation was different.

The big boss had changed overnight, and as the hotel GM, she would be the first to be affected.

She had joined this hotel right after graduation and worked diligently for years. At thirty-five she had finally climbed to the position of GM, making her one of the youngest in the industry.

Was the new boss about to target her?

After all, there were plenty of people below eager to take her position.

“Mr. Zhang, the marketing department currently has thirty employees, including eighteen sales staff. In terms of performance…”

Yu Kaili focused particularly on explaining the sales staff.

Among the eighteen salespeople, the top performers were extremely strong, far ahead of the rest. There were also quite a few middle performers. But the bottom few had consistently ranked last-not just for a month or two, but for a long time.

“Who is the sales supervisor? Why haven’t measures been taken against those underperformers? Have they been visiting companies?” Zhang Yang asked.

Yu Kaili took a deep breath and stepped forward slightly, bending her waist.

“Mr. Zhang, the sales supervisor is someone from the previous owner’s side. I’ve never been able to intervene in the sales department. But please rest assured, I will…”

“Will what?” Zhang Yang asked with a smile. “What are you planning to do?”

“Mr. Zhang, give me one week. I will reorganize the sales department-dismiss those who need to be dismissed and promote those who deserve it,” Yu Kaili said, seizing the opportunity to pledge loyalty. “And not only the sales department. I will also restructure the entire hotel…”

She paused briefly before continuing, “I will remove all personnel who need to be cleared out, minimizing the cost.”

As for who needed to be dismissed, she knew very well.

For example, the previous owner’s people, those taking kickbacks, and those simply coasting while collecting salaries.

“You’re a little too nervous.” Zhang Yang suddenly laughed. “Alright, I’ll leave this matter to you. Just don’t disappoint me.”

Yu Kaili’s posture immediately straightened.

“Thank you for your trust, Mr. Zhang. Kaili will not disappoint you.”

She knew this was a test-a test of her ability, courage, and loyalty.

If she performed well, she could gain the new boss’s trust and solidify her position. If she failed, her fate would depend entirely on one sentence from the new boss.

“Alright. By the way, arrange a room for me,” Zhang Yang instructed before standing up.

He was starting to feel hungry.

A moment later, in the Intercontinental Garden Hotel’s Chinese restaurant.

Zhang Yang sat alone by the floor-to-ceiling window. On the table were dishes such as stir-fried river shrimp, Ding Sheng cakes, and Longjing shrimp-classic Hangzhou cuisine prepared by the head chef and served immediately.

As expected of the hotel’s signature restaurant. The dishes leaned slightly salty with a hint of sweetness, and the overall flavor was light yet preserved the natural taste of the ingredients.

“The food is excellent.” Zhang Yang nodded.

In the afternoon, sitting in his own property, eating leisurely while enjoying the view outside, Zhang Yang felt an indescribable sense of comfort.

“Mr. Zhang!”

Suddenly, a delighted voice came from nearby.

Zhang Yang looked at the figure standing beside him. She seemed familiar.

Wasn’t she the lobby manager from earlier today?

“Qu Shanshan?”

“Mr. Zhang, you still remember me.” Qu Shanshan’s face lit up with joy.

“Sit.” Zhang Yang gestured to her as she stood cautiously in her hotel uniform. “Have you eaten?”

“Mr. Zhang, I already have,” Qu Shanshan said softly.

“Then keep me company and eat a little.” Zhang Yang felt there were too many dishes. Even if he was the boss, wasting food wasn’t good.

“Alright.” Qu Shanshan obediently sat down, maintaining a proper posture.

“How many years have you worked at the hotel?” Zhang Yang asked casually while eating.

“Mr. Zhang, I’ve been working at our hotel for five years,” Qu Shanshan replied. She only took small bites and quickly put down her chopsticks whenever Zhang Yang spoke, answering like she was giving a formal report.

“Five years? How long have you been a lobby manager?” Zhang Yang asked again.

“Almost… almost two years,” Qu Shanshan said carefully.

“Two years already. Do you want to be promoted to front office manager?” Zhang Yang asked with a smile.

The front office manager position was naturally higher than lobby manager. After all, the front office manager oversaw the entire department, while the lobby manager technically wasn’t considered upper management.

“Huh?” Qu Shanshan froze, her heart instantly pounding.

Why was Mr. Zhang asking this?

Could it be…

Her face flushed red with excitement, leaving her momentarily speechless.

If the big boss spoke, promotion would only require a single sentence. But why her?

In that instant, her mind raced as she desperately tried to find what value she could offer.

When she raised her eyes and met Zhang Yang’s gaze, realization suddenly dawned on her.

“Mr. Zhang, I do,” she said honestly.

“Mm.” Zhang Yang nodded without saying more.

“Mr. Zhang.” Qu Shanshan bit her lip. “I’ve worked at this hotel for five years. From top to bottom, I know… I know many things.”

Hearing this, Zhang Yang suddenly laughed.

“Alright. I’ll look for you later, and you can give me a proper report. As for the promotion… don’t worry. As long as you perform well, I’ll give you the opportunity and add some responsibilities to your shoulders.”

“Thank you, Mr. Zhang. Thank you for your recognition.” Qu Shanshan quickly stood up to thank him, her excitement hard to contain.

When a new big boss arrives at a hotel, the first thing he does is look for trusted confidants. With such an opportunity falling from the sky, how could she possibly not seize it?

A moment later, Qu Shanshan left first, her cheeks flushed with excitement.

Zhang Yang also put down his chopsticks and stood up, preparing to go to his suite.

Yu Kaili could be used, but whether she could become one of his trusted people was still uncertain. In that case, it would be better to promote and cultivate someone loyal to him. After all, although he was the owner, he couldn’t possibly know every detail of the hotel’s operations.

He was staying in the most expensive Presidential Suite of the Intercontinental Garden Hotel, priced at eighty thousand a night.

With an area of over three hundred square meters, it was roughly equivalent to five river-view suites. It featured an enormous high-ceiling living room, Chinese and Western kitchens with a dining area, a study, a media room, and both master and secondary bathrooms.

The decoration carried a strong classical style while remaining extremely luxurious.

After walking around the entire suite, Zhang Yang stood in front of the wide floor-to-ceiling windows.

Below him was the magnificent Qiantang River, and across the river lay Qianjiang New City with its stunning skyline.

From this angle and with this view, it truly felt one of a kind. And it was still daytime-once night fell, the lights across the river in Qianjiang New City would shine brilliantly, making the skyline even more dazzling.

Standing in the Presidential Suite inside his own property, looking at the river view that belonged to him, Zhang Yang felt waves of emotion rising in his heart.

“It really… feels reassuring,” Zhang Yang murmured to himself.

Even though he was in an unfamiliar city, ever since he obtained this property, he had inexplicably felt an incomparable sense of security.

Without realizing it, his foundation had grown deeper and deeper.

Just as he was enjoying the river view, Zhang Yang’s phone suddenly received a message.

“Xiang Xiaotian?”

The message on his phone was indeed from Xiang Xiaotian.

“Brother Zhang, hurry over and save me.” It was followed by a string of pitiful and helpless emojis.

“I almost forgot about this.” Zhang Yang shook his head with a laugh.

Since he had already agreed, he naturally wouldn’t break his promise. He might as well go.

A moment later, he left the Presidential Suite and went downstairs, preparing to head to the Junlan Hotel… to rescue the situation.

In the Junlan Hotel lobby lounge.

Xiang Xiaotian sat facing her parents across the table, fidgeting uneasily.

“You said you don’t want to meet Uncle Lu’s son? And you said you already have a boyfriend?” Xiang Xiaotian’s father, Xiang Detao, frowned and asked in a deep voice.

“Yes, yes.” Xiang Xiaotian nodded quickly.

Xiang Detao looked at Xiang Xiaotian’s mother beside him, Dong Yaru. “You go to Shanghai every week. You didn’t know about this?”

“I really didn’t know.” Dong Yaru thought for a moment and held her daughter’s hand. “Xiaotian, are you making up an excuse to trick your father and me because you don’t want to meet him?”

“I’m really not. He’s in Hangzhou. I already sent him a message, and he’ll be here soon,” Xiang Xiaotian said, sounding a little guilty.

Xiang Detao snorted and took a sip of tea.

Judging from his expression, he clearly didn’t believe her at all.