Chapter 193: A Celebrity Checking In

After breakfast, Zhang Yang personally drove Chen Zhuo to the station.

“Old classmate, next time you come to Suzhou, let me host you properly.” Chen Zhuo said sincerely before getting out of the car.

“Sure, I’ll definitely go.” Zhang Yang nodded, then watched Chen Zhuo step out of the car.

Running into an old classmate was only a small episode. They had crossed paths this time, but there might not be a next time.

Leaving the high-speed rail station, Zhang Yang headed straight to his InterContinental Garden Hotel.

Recently he had been coming to the hotel quite often. Naturally, many people had already recognized his distinctive Cullinan and memorized his license plate.

They knew it was the boss’s car.

The car stopped casually right under the steps outside the lobby, and a hotel doorman hurried over.

“Mr. Zhang.”

“Help me park it.” Zhang Yang casually handed over the car keys, opened the door, and stepped out. After taking a few steps, he turned back and asked, “What’s your name?”

“Mr. Zhang, my name is Xiao Wang, Xiao Wang.” The doorman looked excited, instantly recalling a TV drama he had watched recently where the protagonist worked diligently as a doorman and was unexpectedly appreciated by the boss.

“Do you have any other instructions?”

“No. Just keep working hard.” Zhang Yang encouraged him briefly and walked away.

He had asked because recently every time he came, it had been this doorman parking the car. The young man seemed quite quick-witted.

Inside the hotel lobby, Qu Shanshan-who had just been promoted to Front Office Manager-was giving instructions.

As soon as she saw Zhang Yang, she hurried over.

“Hello, Mr. Zhang.”

Her smooth promotion to Front Office Manager had made her understand even more clearly who her biggest support in the hotel was.

In the entire InterContinental Garden Hotel, no matter how big the world was, Mr. Zhang was naturally the biggest authority. Who stayed, who left, who got promoted or demoted-all depended on a single word from him.

Naturally, she focused wholeheartedly on staying close to him.

“Mhm. Can you handle the new position?” Zhang Yang nodded, continuing to walk.

Qu Shanshan trotted beside him as she spoke. “Everything is going well. Thank you for your recognition, Mr. Zhang. Shanshan will definitely give it her all.”

“Keep it up. You have both ability and experience.” Zhang Yang thought for a moment. “By the way, if there are any situations, report them to me promptly. There’s no need to always come to the office, understand?”

“I understand.” Qu Shanshan nodded quickly and stepped ahead to press the elevator button.

Soon the elevator arrived.

Zhang Yang stepped inside and headed straight to his office.

Trust the people you employ, and don’t employ those you doubt. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Yu Kaili, but people standing in different positions naturally saw different things.

Yu Kaili was the GM, so she might not notice some small details. But Qu Shanshan was different.

Moreover, she had good judgment and hadn’t turned into someone who constantly reported trivial matters. The information she passed along was usually quite valuable.

In the office, Zhang Yang had only finished half a cup of tea when Yu Kaili arrived.

“Mr. Zhang, the people from CCD have prepared several proposals according to your requirements. They need your decision.” Yu Kaili first reported about the renovation plans for Zhang Yang’s Peach Blossom Spring mansion. “They’ve also specially arranged for someone to come over.”

Zhang Yang’s budget was one hundred million. Even for CCD, it was a project worth taking seriously, so sending people personally to coordinate was perfectly normal.

“Where are they?” Zhang Yang asked casually.

“They’re staying at our hotel for now.” Yu Kaili quickly replied.

“Prepare the meeting room projector. I happen to have time-I’ll go take a look.” Zhang Yang instructed.

“Alright, Mr. Zhang. I’ll go invite them.”

A moment later, inside a small meeting room at the hotel, staff from CCD were presenting several design proposals.

Zhang Yang sat at the back, quietly observing as they explained.

“Mr. Zhang, this proposal uses landscape as the medium and integrates Su-style gardens, bringing elegant classical aesthetics to the extreme.”

“This proposal centers around the concept of a family mansion, emphasizing a grand and open style that better fits the idea of a large estate…”

“This ink-painting style…”

Each style had its own appeal, but they all shared one thing: they were expensive. Yet the luxury was understated, revealing true high-end aesthetics in subtle details. In terms of artistic conception, each design evoked a sense of lofty mountains and flowing water.

“This one.” Zhang Yang made his choice according to his own taste.

The heavy traditional Chinese style was excellent, but it didn’t quite suit his age. He preferred something more refined and elegant, with poetic landscapes and carved decorative walls.

Of course, if he were in his forties or fifties, his preference might change, and he might prefer that grand and imposing traditional style.

“Yu Kaili, coordinate with them.”

He stood up, gave a brief instruction, and left first, leaving the detailed discussions to Yu Kaili.

Back in the office, he remotely managed Nimbus Capital in Shanghai.

Just moments earlier, Zhou Zhaodong had sent over the latest investment project list.

The annual investment quota of three hundred million couldn’t be wasted. Investment was currently Nimbus Capital’s main public-facing business.

“Good Goods Selection?”

Zhang Yang looked at the latest investment project-a livestream e-commerce company.

Right now livestream commerce was at its peak. It wasn’t surprising that his company wanted to enter this field.

The investment amount was twenty million for thirty percent equity.

Venture capital invested but did not control.

Thirty percent was already close to the highest share a venture capital firm could usually obtain.

Since the Nimbus Capital team had approved it, the project naturally had its merits. Zhang Yang casually found the livestream of Good Goods Selection and checked the current viewer count.

“Five thousand viewers online?”

Livestream e-commerce companies were everywhere. Maintaining a stable five thousand viewers online was already quite respectable, considering it couldn’t be compared with the top streams that had over one hundred thousand viewers.

Zhang Yang stayed in the livestream for quite a while, observing its style.

Unlike many livestream companies that relied on internet celebrities, this one primarily emphasized its platform.

Simply put, many e-commerce livestream companies depended on influencers.

But Good Goods Selection focused on the platform itself-an enduring platform with rotating hosts.

As a venture capital company, investing in a business entirely dependent on a single influencer would be too risky. A company shouldn’t rely solely on one person.

Building a platform avoided that concern.

“Not bad. Even after so long, although the viewer count fluctuates, it’s still fairly stable overall.” After watching for a while, Zhang Yang muttered to himself.

At that moment, in the livestream, a gentle-looking female host with a scholarly demeanor was speaking eloquently.

She was selling books.

Her words were insightful and articulate, and viewers in the livestream frequently expressed admiration.

“Learned something today.”

“Just placed an order. Going to read it with my kid.”

Zhang Yang looked at the products being sold. The variety wasn’t large-mainly food, books, and fresh produce.

Sales were moderate but respectable.

Half an hour later, a male host replaced her.

He was also eloquent, but unlike the usual livestream style of constantly shouting “3, 2, 1, link in bio,” the overall tone of Good Goods Selection was calmer and more comfortable.

You could even say it was somewhat relaxed.

Zhang Yang stayed in the livestream until noon. Among countless identical e-commerce streams, Good Goods Selection stood out with its unique style-fresh, natural, and unhurried.

He then contacted Zhou Zhaodong for more details.

“Chairman Zhang, the founders of Good Goods Selection used to run offline training institutions. Later they switched to e-commerce. Most of the hosts used to be teachers.” Zhou Zhaodong explained.

“We evaluated the customer profile. Most viewers are well-educated middle-class people aged between twenty-five and forty with decent purchasing power and aesthetic taste.”

“And this knowledge-oriented, slower-paced livestream style helps relieve viewers’ fatigue from aggressive sales streams. That’s why our viewer numbers remain stable, with strong loyalty and high repeat purchase rates.”

Zhang Yang nodded.

To put it bluntly, although there were only five thousand viewers now, most of them were loyal fans and potential customers.

Some livestreams might have tens of thousands of viewers, but most were simply spectators.

“Alright, not bad.”

He ended the call with Zhou Zhaodong and didn’t think much more about it. He simply felt the project had potential.

But since Nimbus Capital was only a shareholder and not the main operator, Zhang Yang quickly put the matter aside.

At noon, Zhang Yang went upstairs to the Chinese restaurant for lunch.

While eating, he sent Xiang Xiaotian a message.

“Awake?”

After a while, a reply finally came, accompanied by a photo of her sleepy face.

“I’m still groggy. Brother Zhang, you were too bad yesterday. After sending that photo you disappeared. I couldn’t sleep all night. I think my face is even a little swollen.”

“Swollen?” Zhang Yang curiously zoomed in on the photo.

Looking closely, her eyes were indeed slightly puffy, though not obvious. At first glance, they even looked watery, almost as if she had been crying.

“Alright, it’s not obvious. I’ll make it up to you later.” Zhang Yang comforted her.

“Hmph, make it up to me… How about you hold me while I sleep, and… your punishment is you’re only allowed to hold me. Nothing else.” Xiang Xiaotian suddenly suggested.

“Then forget it. No compensation.” Zhang Yang replied.

“Good brother, I was wrong. I’ll change it. How about you hold me while I sleep, and you can do anything you want.” Xiang Xiaotian wrote timidly.

Zhang Yang ate while chatting back and forth with her.

The conversation flowed pleasantly.

“Forget it. I’ll ask for something else as compensation. I heard Tian Chuxi is staying at your hotel. Help me get an autographed photo.” Xiang Xiaotian sent.

“Tian Chuxi? Who’s that?” Zhang Yang felt the name sounded somewhat familiar.

“She’s a young post-2000s actress, incredibly beautiful. Wait, don’t tell me you don’t know her?” Xiang Xiaotian sounded very surprised.

“Let me look her up.” Zhang Yang quickly replied.

Not knowing her didn’t mean she wasn’t famous. It simply meant he didn’t usually pay attention to the entertainment industry. Besides, many of the recent costume romance dramas starring the younger actresses weren’t something he, as a grown man, normally watched, so it was natural that he wasn’t familiar with them.

Zhang Yang casually searched online. Instantly, countless search results appeared, and judging from the popularity, she was quite well-known.

Clearly, she was a popular young actress of the new generation.

“Oh, it’s her.”

After seeing her face, Zhang Yang finally matched the name with the person.

Last year there had been a very popular costume romance drama where Tian Chuxi played the female lead. Zhang Yang had watched two episodes at the time. The plot hadn’t held his interest long enough to continue, but he had been impressed by the female lead’s appearance.

Very ethereal, pure yet alluring.

“But if she’s staying at the hotel, why didn’t I know?” Zhang Yang muttered to himself, then realized it wasn’t strange.

After all, for the staff below him, such a large hotel often had public figures staying there. There was no need to report every single one to the owner.

“Yu Kaili, if you’re free, come to my office for a moment.” Zhang Yang made a call.

Not long after, Yu Kaili hurried over.

“Let me ask you something. I heard Tian Chuxi might be staying at our hotel?” Zhang Yang asked.

“Yes, Mr. Zhang. But she hasn’t arrived yet-she should be coming this afternoon.” Yu Kaili quickly replied. “Do you… want to meet her?”

“Someone asked me to get an autographed photo.” Zhang Yang said.

“Mr. Zhang, that’s easy. I can contact her manager directly.” Yu Kaili replied without hesitation.

“Oh, and while you’re at it, ask whether it would be convenient if I invite her to dinner.” Zhang Yang suddenly added. “Just to play the role of host and maybe make a new friend.”

Zhang Yang truly hadn’t thought too much about it. He simply felt it was something novel and wanted to get acquainted, maybe establish a friendly connection.

If it didn’t work out, it didn’t matter.

After all, she was just staying at the hotel. It wasn’t as if she had to give him face.

“Well… Mr. Zhang, I’ll help you ask?” Yu Kaili said cautiously.

“Give it a try. If it doesn’t work, forget it.” Zhang Yang hadn’t intended for Yu Kaili to force the matter. It was only a spontaneous idea.

In the afternoon, more and more fans gathered outside the hotel.

The hotel arranged staff to maintain order and keep the road clear.

A little after two o’clock, a black nanny van drove in.

“Tian Chuxi!”

“Tian Chuxi is here! Tian Chuxi, I love you!”

Excited shouts erupted from all around.

Soon the car door opened. A girl wearing a mask and sunglasses stepped out, quickly heading into the hotel under the escort of several staff members.

Inside the hotel lobby, Yu Kaili walked forward with a smile.

“Welcome, Miss Tian, to the InterContinental Garden Hotel. This way please-everything has been arranged.”

“Director Yu, thank you for your help.” The manager beside her stepped forward politely.

“Of course, of course.” Yu Kaili personally accompanied them, leading them into the elevator and up to the guest rooms.