Chapter 616 - 404: Welcoming Reception (Part 2)

Chapter 616: Chapter 404: Welcoming Reception (Part 2)

After all, the rooftop garden private room was the hotel’s ace in the hole.

Not only was the decor utterly luxurious, but the minimum charge was as high as 100,000. On any given day, countless dignitaries and business tycoons couldn’t get a reservation even if they wanted to.

But this group here was something else. They actually asked to switch to a different table, which was completely baffling.

’Call them unsophisticated country bumpkins?’

’But they had the means to book such a high-end room.’

’Say they’re rich?’

’They were ignoring a spacious, magnificent large table and insisting on a smaller one. It was perplexing.’

However, following the principle that the customer is king, the service manager didn’t dare to be neglectful, despite his confusion.

He quickly organized his staff to bring in a small, round table.

Since the lounge area was limited in space, they could only place the small round table on top of the mahjong machine. As a result, the entire room looked rather out of place.

Seeing Xiaohua and Hu Zi sitting close beside him, a satisfied smile appeared on Feng Mountain’s face.

He was pleased with Su Yang and Zhang Kai’s thoughtful arrangement.

Everyone gathered around and sat at the small round table, the distance between them suddenly shrinking.

The initially somewhat distant atmosphere dissipated, replaced by a warm and lively feeling.

Zhang Kai saw the relaxed and comfortable expression on Feng Mountain’s face and sighed with admiration internally.

He secretly shot Su Yang an admiring glance, giving him a silent thumbs-up in his mind.

’Brother Yang’s move was truly brilliant. His judgment of people and his way of handling things are much more profound than mine.’

Su Yang, in turn, caught Zhang Kai’s admiring gaze, and a wave of pride swelled in his heart.

He lifted his chin slightly and raised his wine glass, a faint smile on his face as if to say, ’It was a small matter, not worth mentioning.’

Zhang Kai understood perfectly and also raised his glass.

The two made eye contact from across the table and lightly clinked their glasses.

Without any further words, all their mutual understanding and friendship were contained in that single glass of wine.

At this moment, Feng Mountain was completely unaware of the small interaction between the two.

He was busy leading his younger "brother and sister" in tasting the delicious delicacies on the table.

As someone quite confident in his culinary skills, Feng Mountain’s cooking was top-notch in Crown Territory. The foreigners there were full of praise for his dishes, and he was often proud of it.

However, after tasting the dishes on the table, he truly understood the meaning of the saying, "There’s always someone better, and a mountain beyond the mountain."

Take the seemingly simple steamed fish on the table, for example. Its color was fresh and bright, whetting one’s appetite at a single glance.

Leaning closer for a sniff, a rich aroma assailed the nostrils, the scents blending together perfectly.

And with one bite, the fish was tender and juicy, melting in the mouth. The flavor was incomparably delicious and richly layered.

Feng Mountain praised it silently in his heart.

’From the choice of ingredients and knife work to the cooking techniques and seasoning, this dish is absolutely masterful. Compared to these top chefs, I’m not just a little bit behind. I can only fool some foreigners.’

The alcohol gradually went to their heads, and a faint blush appeared on everyone’s cheeks.

In their slightly tipsy state, everyone’s conversational floodgates opened completely.

Zhang Kai called a waiter over to bring a pot of tea, and the older men sat together, starting to chat casually.

Since today’s welcome banquet was mainly for Feng Mountain, the conversation naturally revolved around his experiences in Crown Territory.

Someone casually mentioned the cold snap currently sweeping across North America.

Xiaohua, who had been a little bored, perked up at once. Her eyes sparkling, she immediately launched into a story.

She vividly described the cold snap and blizzard conditions in Crown Territory.

"The snow was so heavy, covering everything in a vast expanse of white. The temperature was terrifyingly low, negative 60 degrees. Even the air felt frozen. When you breathed out, it would instantly turn into ice crystals. The snowdrifts were absurdly thick, over two meters high. You had to be careful not to get buried when you went out."

As Zhang Kai and the others listened to Xiaohua’s account, their expressions gradually grew solemn, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

An extreme temperature of negative 60 degrees, snowdrifts two meters high... just imagining such a scene was enough to make one’s bones chill.

A cold snap or a blizzard, either one would be a massive event if it happened back home.

"Ah, what a shame! If I’d known, I wouldn’t have left! I missed something so exciting." Su Ziweng’s eyes shone, his face full of regret, as if he had missed the party of the century.

Eldest Young Master Xu looked even more eager, his face alight with excitement. He stared intently at Feng Mountain and said urgently, "Brother Feng, next time there’s a cold snap, remember to let me know. I want to go have some fun too."

Hearing Su Ziweng and Eldest Young Master Xu’s nonchalant words, Feng Mountain couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

’Flowers raised in a greenhouse, sure enough.’

’Their lives have been smooth sailing since they were children; they have no idea what the word ’danger’ even means.’

’They certainly don’t understand how terrifying a natural disaster is.’

’If it weren’t for the tribe’s Fire Seed...’

’People would have died in this blizzard. It’s definitely not some child’s play to joke about.’

Su Yang usually turned a blind eye to Su Ziweng’s unreliable behavior, letting him be.

After all, the boy was always under his watch.

’No matter what kind of trouble he gets into, he can’t turn the world upside down.’

But now, hearing these two youngsters talk about a natural disaster in such a flippant, careless tone, a suppressed anger in Su Yang’s heart flared up instantly.

He immediately slammed his hand on the table, creating a loud BANG that made the teacups tremble.

His face instantly turned ashen as he spoke in an exceptionally stern tone.

"That’s enough, you two! Do you have any idea what you’re saying? Are natural disasters something for you to ’play’ with? If that day really came, you wouldn’t even have time to run! The 2004 tsunami killed nearly 200,000 people. Don’t treat life like a game!"

"Alright, alright!" Seeing the atmosphere suddenly tense up, Feng Mountain quickly picked up his teacup. With a gentle smile, he motioned for Su Yang not to be angry and said softly, "Su, they’re just kids talking nonsense. They didn’t mean it. Don’t be upset with them."

Su Yang saw Su Ziweng and Eldest Young Master Xu hanging their heads with looks of remorse, and his expression softened considerably.

He knew his warning had been effective enough.

He raised his wine glass and gestured to Feng Mountain.

The two clinked their glasses lightly, the crisp sound announcing the end of the unpleasant topic.

After listening carefully to Xiaohua’s detailed account of the blizzard in Crown Territory, Zhang Kai’s brow furrowed unconsciously. He was a little worried about the situation there.

"Brother Feng, from what Xiaohua said, it sounds like Crown Territory suffered severe losses in this blizzard. Will it affect next year’s tourism plans?"

"Everything will proceed as usual. It won’t have much of an impact. In fact, there will be big changes." A corner of Feng Mountain’s mouth curved up into a mysterious smile as he deliberately kept them in suspense.

"Oh? What changes?" Zhang Kai’s curiosity was immediately piqued, his eyes shining with anticipation.

"In January of next year, a road will be built to Crown Territory, expected to be completed within two months. After that, you’ll be able to drive in and out of Crown Territory. Also, I’ve found an agent and ordered a batch of container homes."

Feng Mountain spoke in an unhurried manner. He then picked up his teacup, took a small sip to wet his throat, and continued.

"Also, Eldest Young Master Xu’s sister will be building a hotel in Crown Territory. And next year, besides vigorously developing tourism and campsite construction, Crown Territory will also get into high-end aquaculture and agriculture."

Hearing Feng Mountain’s words, everyone revealed surprised expressions.

Zhang Kai and Su Yang mentally replayed the development blueprint for Crown Territory that Feng Mountain had just described.

The more they thought about it, the more shocked they felt. Feng Mountain’s plan was truly ambitious.

They were secretly astonished, and a trace of doubt couldn’t help but appear in their eyes.

They had previously heard from Su Ziweng that Feng Mountain had a fishing boat in the Bering Sea that had earned 20 million US Dollars in a single month.

But even so, to develop so many industries at the same time...

...he would inevitably face financial pressure.

Su Yang frowned slightly, quickly weighing the pros and cons in his mind. After a moment’s hesitation, he decided to voice his thoughts.

"Brother Feng, I’ve been navigating the business world for several decades, so I’ve picked up some experience. Let me offer you a suggestion."

"Money... it must be spent where it counts most. Concentrate your capital on projects that can make money quickly. First, ensure you have a stable cash flow."

"As for the other projects, you can develop them gradually, step-by-step. If you take too big a step, you can easily pull a muscle. You have to be steady and build a solid foundation."

"Brother Yang is right. Take it easy," Zhang Kai added, nodding in agreement.

...