"I’ve already said, if I have food, you’ll get your share, provided you treat me with sincerity. Although our hotel is facing difficulties, I hope everyone believes me; we’ll turn things around soon." After speaking, Murong Yanran stood up and bowed deeply to everyone present.
"Clap~ clap clap..." Soon, the entire conference room echoed with warm applause. Though it might have been insincere, Murong Yanran didn't mind. As long as the hotel improved, the applause she heard again would surely be genuine.
"Meeting adjourned. Sister Lin, stay behind."
"Director Yan, is... something wrong?"
"Sister Lin, nothing much, I just wanted to ask how much money is currently in our hotel account, how much revenue and expenses we have daily, and if you could give me a report?"
"Director Yan, our hotel still has over 87 million. I'll compile the specific data and give it to you later."
"Okay, thank you!"
Returning to her office, Murong Yanran's tension eased, and she slumped onto the chair, her body going limp.
Li Haochen poured a cup of tea and handed it over, "How is it, my domineering CEO?"
"You scared me to death. I got too excited just now, almost broke my hands clapping. It hurts so much."
Li Haochen picked up Murong Yanran's reddened palm, feeling a pang of concern, and gently massaged it.
"Knock, knock, knock..."
Hearing the knock, Li Haochen stopped massaging and moved to sit on the side.
"Come in."
Zhang Xiaolin walked in and was a bit taken aback to see Li Haochen beside her, wondering if he was the boss's boyfriend.
"Director Yan, here is the information you requested."
"Okay, thank you. You can go out now; I'll call you if I need anything."
Zhang Xiaolin left, gently closing the door.
Murong Yanran picked up the report and read it carefully. As she read, her brow furrowed. "Sigh, this is truly a tough problem."
"What's wrong?"
"Take a look?"
"Uh, you're just casually handing over such important confidential information to me?"
Murong Yanran shot Li Haochen a glare and lay back in the chair, rubbing her temples.
A few minutes later, Li Haochen also put down the report. "The room occupancy rate is only a little over ten percent. The water park is doing a bit better, with about a thousand people daily. The F&B is almost non-existent. It's indeed dismal, expenses far outweighing income."
"Yes, the money in the account will likely only last for another two months. If there's no improvement by then, we'll have to sell this land." Murong Yanran was a little helpless, shaking her head with a bitter smile.
"Don't worry, didn't I tell you I've thought of a plan? It'll be fine."
"What plan?" Murong Yanran's spirits lifted, and she sat up straight, staring intently at Li Haochen.
Li Haochen smiled without answering, "We're having dinner at Aunt Lian's tonight."
"Are you talking about... Uncle Ling?"
Li Haochen didn't reply. He stood up, "I'm leaving, going fishing. I'll sell it to you later. Why not earn money from your wife, hehe!"
"Who agreed to that?" Murong Yanran blushed and shot him a playfully angry glare.
After leaving the Binhai Grand Hotel, Li Haochen went to the pier to buy some fishing bait, returned home, made himself a bowl of noodles to stave off hunger, then grabbed his fishing rod and fish basket and headed towards Butterfly Bay. Why would he go to the pier when he had a private fishing ground? That would be foolish.
Entering Butterfly Bay, he found the best spot. Having dived many times before, he knew the seabed terrain of Butterfly Bay like the back of his hand, so he knew where to cast his line without getting snagged.
Hooking the bait and casting it about seven or eight meters was enough; casting too far could lead to snagging the bottom.
"Swish~"
Butterfly Bay truly lived up to its reputation as a natural rich fishing ground. The bait had barely touched the water for a few seconds before he got a bite, the fishing line taut and making a whirring sound.
Judging by the tension, Li Haochen estimated the fish to be at least 2 jin.
He reeled in the line while gently jerking the rod. A minute later, the fish was dragged out of the water. As expected, it was a sea bass weighing over 2 jin.
Happily, he tossed it into the fish basket and continued baiting and fishing. Soon after, he caught a black bream weighing over one jin.
He fished for the entire afternoon, his hands aching from reeling in fish. He didn't manage to encounter the large groupers that had caught his eye last time, which was a bit of a pity. But seeing the full fish basket, he grinned as widely as a chrysanthemum.
He packed up his fishing rod and tried to lift the heavy fish basket. To his dismay, his old face turned red with effort, but he couldn't budge it. It was too heavy, and coupled with the water it had absorbed, he couldn't lift it alone.
"Damn it, there's too much! What should I do?"
"Should I send it into the space?" Li Haochen pondered. Sending it into his space would be quick and convenient, but he worried about someone accidentally discovering his secret, which would be disastrous. However, he glanced at the time; if he delayed any longer, he would be late, and he had important things to do in the evening.
After much deliberation, he decided to take the risk and send the fish into his space.
He unfastened the fish basket, carefully reached in, grabbed a black bream and a sea bass, put them in a bucket, and then held the fish basket, looking around cautiously. He even glanced up at the sky, "It wouldn't be that unlucky to be photographed by a satellite, right?"
After another internal struggle, he gritted his teeth, grabbed the fish basket, and with a whoosh, slipped into his space.
Due to the extreme weight, Li Haochen had to unfasten the fish basket and pour out half the fish. He threw the fish one by one into the sea within his space. For the remaining fish, he found a long rope, tied it to a reef by the shore, and kept the fish basket in the sea to let them swim.
Emerging from his space, he felt a bit like a thief. He looked around for some psychological reassurance but then resigned himself to it. It was done. If he were caught doing this, he'd just have to accept it. At worst, he could find a deserted island and hide in his space for half a year or so; he figured that would be fine.
Back home, he cleaned the two fish in the bucket, packed them with ice, took a shower, changed his clothes, and sniffed himself. Yes, no fishy smell. He walked out of the bathroom with satisfaction.
Suddenly, a pair of slender, soft hands from behind covered Li Haochen's eyes. "Don't move, it's a robbery!"
Li Haochen wasn't panicked at all. The faint scent of perfume and the voice were too familiar; who else could it be but Murong Yanran?
"No money, but I'm open to stealing your heart or your body, hehe!"
Li Haochen reached out to pull away Murong Yanran's hands, but she stopped him. "Don't open your eyes yet. You can only open them when I tell you to, okay?"
"What's so mysterious about it?"
"Don't open them beforehand, understand?"
"Got it..."
Murong Yanran released her hands and walked in front of Li Haochen, her hands behind her back, a sweet smile on her face. "You can look now."
Li Haochen couldn't wait and abruptly opened his eyelids. A completely new Murong Yanran appeared before him, making his eyes light up and his heart flutter. Her waist-length hair had been replaced by a short bob with slightly inwardly curled ends, and heavy bangs. The reddish-brown hue made her appear more mature and alluring.
Murong Yanran's eyes caught Li Haochen's expression, and she laughed with happy pride, spreading her arms and twirling a few times. "How is it?"
"So beautiful."
"Do I look better now or with long hair before?"
"You'd look beautiful even with a shaved head."
"I don't want a shaved head, though. How about you shave yours, hehe!"
"..."