Chapter 453 - 239: What Kind of Super Tycoon Doesn’t Have a ’Small Goal’ in Savings?

After Zong Lin finished her heart-to-heart with her sister, she returned to the presidential suite upstairs.

The way she looked at Qi Sheng was a bit strange.

Although she hadn’t said anything just now, she was absolutely stunned.

She never thought her seemingly gentle and refined brother-in-law could be so wild with her sister in private.

Zong Lin took small bites of the lavish dishes she couldn’t get at home.

Listening to her brother-in-law casually mention projects worth hundreds of millions, she felt a sense of awe and admiration, even if she didn’t fully understand.

"I’ve heard Li Ai praise you plenty for your strong adaptability, saying you’ve even surpassed him in hotel management. Do you have the confidence to challenge yourself?"

Qi Sheng wiped his mouth and asked with a smile.

"Don’t tell me there’s a transfer within the group?"

Qu Man’s expression shifted slightly, her mind already forming a guess.

"The Banyan Tree in Chengdu is about to open. Chen Ye plans to transfer Li Ai there and have you take over as General Manager of the Shanghai Banyan Tree."

"Is that really a good idea?"

Of course, Qu Man was tempted, but she worried that accepting the promotion like this would stir up controversy within the group.

The Shanghai Banyan Tree had consistently ranked first in the group in terms of performance.

To suddenly transfer Li Ai away and install her in his place.

It smacked of her reaping the rewards of his labor.

"You don’t need to care about what other people think."

"As long as you want to try, I’ll give you this opportunity."

Of course, Qi Sheng knew the real reason Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts performed so well.

Without the sleep buff from the system...

...they couldn’t dream of such a high occupancy rate.

Qu Man’s hotel management skills were already considerably stronger than Li Ai’s.

It would be no problem for her to take over his role and manage this Banyan Tree.

"Thank you, honey~"

Qu Man didn’t refuse this time; she wanted to prove herself, too.

But she knew full well that Chen Ye was only promoting her out of respect for Qi Sheng.

Otherwise, she would have had to climb the ladder one rung at a time.

"Then it’s settled. I’ll let Li Ai know."

After Qi Sheng and Qu Man finished their business, he looked at the expectant Zong Lin and said with a smile, "Want to act?"

"Yes! I dream about it day and night!"

Zong Lin nodded without hesitation.

"Mm, tomorrow I’ll have President Lin from Universal Entertainment contact you. She’s a top agent in the industry."

"She’s the one who manages your Sister Panpan. It shouldn’t be a problem for her to get you a small supporting role."

’As her brother-in-law, Qi Sheng naturally had to look out for his wife’s little sister.’

And just like that, Lin Meishan’s responsibilities grew.

Of the two artists under her charge, one was the boss’s woman, and the other was the boss’s wife’s younger sister.

"Thank you, brother-in-law!"

Zong Lin didn’t know much about the entertainment industry and had never heard Lin Meishan’s name.

But given her brother-in-law’s doting on Sister Panpan, he definitely wouldn’t assign her an ordinary agent.

’If I can share an agent with Sister Panpan, I’m sure I’ll have plenty of resources in the future.’

"On weekends, you can come and stay with your Sister Manman."

Qi Sheng’s policy regarding Zong Lin was passive: he wouldn’t initiate, but he wouldn’t refuse either.

’If Zong Lin falls for me, Zong Rui won’t have any room to complain.’

Zong Rui and Zong Lin weren’t like the sisters Qingqing and Chuchu.

Qingqing and Chuchu had a clear goal: find a man who was tall, rich, and handsome.

That’s why Qi Sheng felt no burden in ’collecting’ them.

’Since Zong Rui is still holding out hope, I’ll just wait for now.’

’Besides, now that Zong Lin has signed with my company, she can’t run away even if she wants to.’

"Thank you, brother-in-law. Thank you, Sister Manman."

Zong Lin thanked them both obediently.

"There’s no need to be so formal with me."

Qu Man affectionately ruffled Zong Lin’s hair, her eyes full of the same tenderness she’d show her own little sister.

"Hehe, you’re the best, Sister Manman!"

Zong Lin’s eyes crinkled in a happy smile as she enjoyed the beautiful older woman’s gentle touch.

"Manman, take Linlin back to Cofco Seaview One for now. Let’s not disturb Ruirui."

Qi Sheng figured Zong Rui would likely sleep straight through until morning.

"We’ll head out then. You take good care of Panpan."

Qu Man led Zong Lin by the hand out of the presidential suite.

Even if Zong Lin hadn’t been there, Qu Man would have been too embarrassed to stay with Gu Pan.

...

Gu Pan breathed a sigh of relief as she watched Qu Man leave.

’This woman is more beautiful than I am; the pressure is immense.’

Fortunately, Qu Man had a very easygoing personality and wasn’t the imperious type she had imagined.

Qi Sheng rang the service bell for a waiter to come clear the messy table.

"Panpan, go make some tea."

Qi Sheng gave Gu Pan a meaningful look, and she obediently took out a bag of premium Pu’er tea.

She brewed the tea with boiling water and poured a cup for Li Ai, who was sitting primly and properly.

"Thank you, ma’am."

Li Ai hurriedly stood up to accept the cup.

He didn’t dare show the slightest disrespect to the boss’s woman, whose beauty was nearly on par with Qu Man’s.

"I’ll let you two talk. I’m going to get a spa treatment."

Gu Pan had been dreaming of the Banyan Tree’s spa for ages.

Unfortunately, she never had the chance to try it in the Capital City or Chengdu.

After Gu Pan left, Qi Sheng briefly outlined the new work arrangements for Li Ai.

"I accept the group’s decision. President Qu is just as capable as I am, if not more so. The occupancy rate of the Shanghai Banyan Tree won’t be affected."

Li Ai was a smart man. When the big boss himself sat down to talk with you, if you didn’t agree, you could forget about having a future in the Banyan Tree Group.

Qi Sheng was very satisfied with Li Ai’s attitude, so he offered a hint of what was to come.

"The group is transferring you to Chengdu to be the GM of the new Banyan Tree because we believe in your abilities."

"After you’ve put in a year in Chengdu, it’ll be time to give you more responsibility."

"Thank you, Boss."

Li Ai’s face lit up with joy. He understood exactly what Qi Sheng was implying.

’Make way for Qu Man, and I get a promotion.’

’This is a deal worth making!’

"The Banyan Tree hotel in Chengdu will take at least three more months to finish renovations."

"In the meantime, handle the handover here and get started on preliminary preparations for the new opening."

Qi Sheng smiled and waved his hand. "I expect the Chengdu Banyan Tree to be a hit right from the start."

"Rest assured, sir. I won’t let you down!"

Li Ai was brimming with confidence, showing no trace of apprehension.

Recently, the performance of Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts had soared.

Their numerous partner property owners were all smiling from ear to ear.

Even many owners of other high-quality properties had been frequently reaching out to them.

When it came to service, most hotels at the five-star level and above were more or less the same.

The key was the ’sleep experience,’ and in that, Banyan Tree hotels had an overwhelming advantage.

For high-net-worth individuals, spending a few hundred extra for a good night’s sleep was nothing.

Thinking of the Zifei and Yu Tu restaurants, which were closely tied to Banyan Tree, Qi Sheng couldn’t help but ask...

"By the way, what’s the progress on the hotel’s two restaurants?"

Li Ai quickly replied: "The design plans have been finalized. The actual renovation work will be finished before the end of October."

"The Michelin Guide is released in November, so the timing works out."

Qi Sheng nodded in satisfaction.

"Zifei and Yu Tu’s renovation standards are extremely high. Even in a metropolis like Shanghai, which is packed with high-end restaurants, they will absolutely rank among the best."

Having seen the design plans, Li Ai was also extremely confident.

The renovation costs for the two restaurants alone would come to 40 million.

"Boss, if I may be so bold, are you planning to promote from within for the head chef positions at these two restaurants, or will you be recruiting externally?"

Even though Li Ai would be transferring soon, he couldn’t help but still feel concerned about the situation here.

"We’ll promote from within. The candidates have already been chosen."

Qi Sheng didn’t elaborate, instead asking casually, "I hear business is booming at the Yu Tu in Hangzhou?"

"I took my family there during my last vacation. Chef Huang’s skill with Cantonese cuisine has improved significantly, and business is excellent."

Li Ai was truly impressed by his boss.

’No matter what industry he gets into, he manages to make a fortune. The saying that every trade is a world of its own just didn’t apply to the boss at all.’

"Alright, that’s enough brown-nosing. Go on, get back to your work."

Qi Sheng smiled, waved his hand, and dismissed Li Ai.

Taking advantage of the empty suite, he began to add staff to several restaurants through the system.

This was especially true for the Yu Tu in Hangzhou, where many diners came specifically for Huang Zhihui.

The problem was, he was only one man, and his energy was limited.

At best, he could only cater to the high-spending guests.

He simply didn’t have the capacity to give the same attention to guests who chose the lower-priced set menus.

Reinforcing the staff had become an urgent priority.

According to the standards Qi Sheng planned for his high-end restaurants, the executive chef had to be a Master Level chef.

They would also be supported by four Expert-level sous chefs and twenty Elite-level senior chefs.

With the help of the system’s buff...

...the skill of every chef would be boosted by one entire level.

Any one of them, chosen at random, would be on par with a head chef from a Michelin-starred restaurant.

But at this rate, the talent recruitment fees alone would reach 300 million.

Adding the restaurant’s renovation and equipment costs, which would be at least another 30 million, the 200 million US dollars he’d raised in initial funding wouldn’t be enough to open more than a few locations.

’The head chef’s skill level is non-negotiable. He has to be a Master Level chef, serving as the restaurant’s main draw. But I can lower the standards for the four sous chefs a bit. Recruit them at the Elite Level, for example. And the senior chefs under them can be recruited at the Ordinary Level. That way, the recruitment fees can be kept to 140 million. Factoring in renovations, equipment, deposits, and the operating budget, 180 million should be more than enough. Opening six locations in one go would be a piece of cake.’

’The only reason I’m not recruiting from outside is because this damn system has its restrictions. Chefs who aren’t recruited through the system don’t get the deliciousness buff. An Expert-level chef could be an executive chef at any other five-star hotel. Who would be willing to come to a small restaurant like this and lower themselves to be a sous chef? The annual salaries are pretty much the same, too. And I can’t just break the existing salary structure for a few people.’

’But slow and steady has its advantages. Xinrong Ji has been around for almost thirty years, and they still have fewer than twenty locations. With the boost from the system’s buff, no matter how slowly Zhuangyu develops, it will still far outpace Xinrong Ji.’

[Consumed 1 Master-level Talent Recruitment Card. Huang Zhihui’s talent level has been promoted to Master Level (94)!]

[Consumed 1 Elite Talent Recruitment Card. Lan Zhaohua’s talent level has been promoted to Elite Level (79)!]

...

[Consumed 1,000,000. Qiu Haiwei’s talent level has been promoted to Ordinary Level (69)!]

Qi Sheng was so proactive about upgrading the chef team at the Hangzhou Yu Tu Restaurant because he wanted to use the opportunity to clear out his inventory of Talent Recruitment Cards.

Upgrading the entire twenty-five-person chef team only cost a total of 20 million.

Although the staff configuration wasn’t as impressive as the Luhu Zifei branch in Chengdu, it was more than enough to completely dominate the other local restaurants in a ’food desert’ like Hangzhou.

Qi Sheng didn’t neglect the two Zifei Restaurants in Chongqing and Chengdu’s Kuanzhai Alley either.

At the Chongqing Zifei, Qi Sheng had already promoted three sous chefs to Elite Level, so he only needed one more Elite Level chef.

As for the Zifei in Chengdu’s Kuanzhai Alley, it had long been fully staffed with four Elite-level sous chefs.

In total, he used three Master-level and five Elite-level Talent Recruitment Cards.

This brought Qi Sheng 325 million in after-tax income.

The system was very fair.

It even refunded the cost of the Expert-level Talent Recruitment Cards he had previously used to recruit Huang Zhihui and the others.

This move made Qi Sheng a small fortune in an instant.

He had finally escaped the ’poverty line’ of having a mere eight-figure bank balance.

For a tycoon of his level, what was the difference between having less than a hundred million in the bank and being completely broke?