Chapter 262 Beauty
To be honest, Guan Yi was also extremely surprised when she learned that Chen Xu had booked a super luxury suite at the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai, because the room rates there are truly astronomical... She originally thought that when they went to Dubai, they could just find a decent hotel to stay in, but who knew that Chen Xu would prepay a week's rent directly.
Chen Xu booked the presidential suite at the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai... He had asked Yi Shuihan to help him book it, otherwise, as a student, even if Chen Xu had the money, he wouldn't have been able to book this hotel.
Of course, Chen Xu used his own identity to approach Yi Shuihan this time… Yi Shuihan now calls SMMH “teacher,” so he should address Chen Xu as “senior brother.” Yi Shuihan had no objection to being called “junior brother,” and Chen Xu hadn’t asked him to take any money from S Company… After all, Yi Shuihan didn’t know Chen Xu’s true identity. If Chen Xu used his real identity to access S Company’s assets, Yi Shuihan would absolutely not agree. In his view, no one except SMMH was qualified to use these assets. Even he himself was merely receiving a salary to manage the money for SMMH and to earn more money.
With Yi Shuihan's intervention, things were naturally a breeze. The hotel even offered a VIP 20% discount, all because of the current popularity of "translators"... You see, Dubai is a tourist city, and the biggest problem for visitors is language. While the emergence of translators has certainly caused many translators to lose their jobs, it has also attracted more tourists to them!
Now tourists only need to bring a laptop or mobile phone to use various languages around the world.
This is very beneficial for this tourist destination!
But even with a 20% discount, it still adds up to a considerable amount. To be honest, Chen Xu did feel a bit guilty about spending money on the hotel...
Although this amount of money wasn't much to him anymore, the price was still too high! In all his years, Chen Xu had never even stayed in a hotel that cost 1,800 US dollars a day, let alone one that cost 1,800 RMB a day!
But Chen Xu's feelings are understandable... Everyone is just an ordinary person. Chen Xu just has an extra supercomputer and earns so much more money than the average person...
Well, saying "just" might be a bit of an exaggeration, since what he has achieved is almost what most people dream of their entire lives. But you have to understand, Chen Xu is indeed, "just" an ordinary person.
All people are created equal.
Of course, some people might nitpick this, saying that people are born at a different starting line due to family conditions and other reasons... Can you say that the children of the world's richest man are completely equal to the children in mountain villages?
That being said, many human traits, such as yearning for a better life and comparing oneself to others, are simply human nature. Yes, the desire to enjoy life is natural.
So, if an ordinary person suddenly received a large sum of money, would they still be willing to live a simple life like an ordinary person, eating steamed buns and pickled vegetables every day? Even if they did, it would be very rare… Chen Xu considered himself an ordinary person, and even if he were to become rich, he couldn't pretend to be the same as before.
After all, he can't be compared to the protagonists in many wish-fulfillment novels who are indifferent to honor or disgrace!
Chen Xu spent a considerable amount of money this time, and he had a good excuse: the "Babel Tower Translator" software. He claimed that he had helped SMMH with some "small favors," and therefore received a share of the profits from his teacher.
As for the exact number and what exactly this "small favor" was, Chen Xu replied mysteriously, "It's not something I can tell outsiders."
It's said that Chen Xu booked the most luxurious room in the world's most luxurious hotel, and although the girls complained that he was wasting money, since the reservation was already made, such a good opportunity might not come again. Gao Xiaojie and Zhan Jing had originally planned to pack their bags and go home, but now they were also very tempted to go out and have fun.
Going abroad for vacation, and staying in the world's most luxurious suite—this is such a rare opportunity, we can't let it slip by. Even a composed girl like Zhan Jing showed a hint of longing.
That's just human nature, isn't it?
Although obtaining passports for overseas travel takes some effort, it didn't take up too much time. These past few days, the girls have been immersed in the joy of their upcoming trip abroad. Chen Xu called home to tell his parents that he wouldn't be going back for the summer vacation; he was going to Dubai to stay in the world's most luxurious hotels… Even Chen Xu's parents were a little jealous of their son… Damn. We've never been!
However, Chen Xu's parents weren't particularly suspicious. Chen Xu's mother had already told them about Guan Yi after returning home. They had also conducted some investigations… Chen Xu's father's pharmaceutical factory was now a joint venture with Liu Lingtian's father. And Old Man Liu subtly told Chen Xu's father that the butler's assets were definitely not on the same level as theirs.
So Chen Xu's parents naturally assumed that Guan Yi had spent the money, but in reality, the woman had only spent a few thousand yuan to buy four plane tickets.
In fact, Guan Yi originally wanted to buy a cruise ticket because a luxury cruise ship was sailing from Shanghai to Dubai in a few days. If he were to travel on such a luxury cruise ship, the scenery would naturally be magnificent, pleasant, and incredibly romantic. This trip would be like that of a prince and princess. Although it wouldn't be just the two of them alone, this experience would be something he could truly cherish and reminisce about three years later when he left Chen Xu.
Unfortunately, this cruise ship was so popular that it was fully booked well in advance, so I had no choice but to fly instead. That said, airplanes are much faster than cruise ships, but the problem is, while airplanes are faster, the speed is ultimately meaningless. Sailing on the open sea on a cruise ship—that's true romance.
So women are prisoners of romance. Some women even wish they had a Titanic-like romance rather than live out their lives alone... Well, they've read too many romance novels and watched too many movies, so they can't help it.
So when they heard that they hadn't been able to buy tickets for the luxury cruise ship, the three girls, along with Zhan Jing, couldn't help but sigh in despair, leaving Chen Xu completely baffled.
When Chen Xu asked, Guan Yi simply rolled her eyes at him and said, "You're not a woman. You wouldn't understand what a trip on a luxury cruise ship means to us."
To be honest, Chen Xu didn't really care about whether to travel by plane or ship... because he had only ever traveled by train and car in his entire life!
But seeing the three women in this state, Chen Xu suddenly felt an urge to help them fulfill their wishes.
This is probably an impulse similar to "lighting the beacon fires to amuse the feudal lords".
Dear reader, this isn't to say that Chen Xu is infatuated with beauty. In reality, if the roles were reversed, few would dare to put on airs in front of these three girls. Especially since Chen Xu has spent nearly a year with all three of them and they've been through many things together. While it's impossible for all three to be his lovers simultaneously, one word perfectly describes them... confidantes.
King Li of Zhou played the beacon fire trick on the feudal lords, just to win a smile from Bao Si;
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang wrote, "A rider gallops through the dust, bringing smiles to his concubine's face; no one knows it's lychees that have arrived," but it was all just to let his beloved woman eat some fresh lychees.
Wu Sangui's "anger for a beauty"... well, this is too controversial to give examples.
But a man, given the means, naturally wants to help his confidante fulfill her wishes... This is something a man should do.
So, while watching the three girls sighing over the photo of the cruise ship called "Alex," Chen Xu secretly took action.
The Alex is indeed a large cruise ship… though compared to some of the world's top luxury cruise ships, it's nothing special. The Alex is a 100,000-ton cruise ship with fifteen decks and eight hundred crew members. It has 1,200 cabins and stretches for nearly 300 meters… This is truly an incredibly expensive vessel; the annual maintenance costs alone are tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars.
Of course, with such high costs, the price of using it is naturally enormous... and this price is reflected in the ticket price.
However, this amount of money was nothing to Chen Xu. After the translator software became a global sensation, Chen Xu realized he could afford to build a luxury cruise ship... but that was completely unnecessary. In comparison, Chen Xu was much more interested in aircraft carriers.
The problem is, there are many wealthy people in China, and for many of them, a cruise ticket is nothing. Therefore, the Alex cruise ship was sold out very quickly… It's important to understand that cruise ships are different from airlines. While the Alex isn't particularly famous, it's one of the best cruise ships for Chinese passengers traveling to Dubai, with a one-way trip taking half a month, and it also needs to rest and repair during off-peak times. Therefore, tickets for this cruise ship sold out incredibly fast.
Chen Xu searched online to see if he could find any scalpers, but while he saw some people selling tickets, the cabins were all in poor condition. In that case, he figured he might as well just fly there.
Chen Xu also sought help from Yi Shuihan, but Yi Shuihan said he couldn't help either. He couldn't very well go and tell the wealthy people who had already booked tickets, "Don't go, save your seats for me!"
So, with the Alex set to set sail the day after tomorrow, Chen Xu was completely helpless... Of course, he didn't tell Guan Yi and the others about his plan to book tickets. Although the three girls were a little disappointed that they couldn't ride the luxury yacht, they didn't really care. With the flight dates fast approaching, the three of them were now eagerly packing their luggage for their trip abroad.
But then, a turning point occurred...
Chapter 263 First Meeting with Yi Shuihan
Just as Chen Xu and his group had given up on the cruise ship and were preparing to fly to Dubai, a message suddenly arrived: In gratitude for the immense contribution and convenience that S Company's "Babel Tower Translator" software brought to Dubai, Dubai Prince Hamdan Maktoum sincerely invited senior executives from S Company to visit Dubai for in-depth discussions to strengthen their cooperative relationship.
Prince Maktoum will personally pilot the world's most luxurious private yacht, the "Dubai," to Shanghai to welcome VIPs to Dubai for their vacation.
Prince Maktoum will arrive three days later.
This news is so timely!
The "Dubai" is the world's most luxurious private yacht, built at a huge expense by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the current ruler of Dubai. It is 525 feet long, equivalent to 157 meters. Costing a staggering two billion US dollars, it was officially launched in 2005. Before the completion of Roman Abramovich's new ship, the "Eclipse," the "Dubai" was undoubtedly the world's most luxurious yacht.
It's fair to say that the Dubai was far superior to the Alex. Being able to board this ship wasn't just a matter of money; it also came with a high and mighty status! But Chen Xu and his group benefited from this.
The matter of the Dubai ship heading to Shanghai was something Yi Shuihan specifically told Chen Xu over the phone. On the phone, the usually serious Yi Shuihan used a playful tone, as if an older brother was deliberately provoking his younger brother, saying, "Junior brother, I regret to inform you, have you boarded the plane to Dubai? Well, if not, I've managed to get you four luxury cabin tickets. It's a presidential suite, you know? If you and those three girls are still in Shanghai, I'll come pick you up tomorrow."
Because a certain SMMH member had said that those who entered first are superior, Yi Shuihan, despite being a few years older than Chen Xu, still had to address him as "junior brother." In reality, compared to Chen Xu, who was considered a "disciple," Yi Shuihan couldn't truly be considered an SMMH apprentice, as SMMH hadn't taught him anything. Instead, they gave him a hand and, seeing his good character, simply entrusted the company to him.
But once you start managing it, it will involve billions, or even tens of billions of dollars in the future!
Not to mention the other miscellaneous stuff. Just this "Tower of Babel Translator" software alone, according to financial experts, could bring S Company profits... at least 100 million copies sold overseas! Maybe even more!
Five thousand US dollars a set, what about one hundred million sets?
This is faster than robbing someone!
But SMMH didn't even ask about the land value; they simply left it to his company for development.
A scholar will die for one who understands him. Naturally, Yi Shuihan should also maintain at least some respect for the first disciple of the sect... Of course, there is nothing wrong with his respect, because this so-called first disciple is just a facade.
Chen Xu is currently in Shanghai and is planning to go to the airport tomorrow.
Because flying to Dubai from Shanghai via Emirates takes only nine hours. Emirates is a repeatedly awarded five-star airline, known for its safe flights, beautiful flight attendants who speak fluent Mandarin and are very attentive.
However, Chen Xu and his group no longer needed to fly. After receiving the news, Gao Xiaojie and Guan Yi hugged each other and made a scene, while Zhan Jing, though reserved, revealed her longing for the "Dubai" yacht. Being able to ride on such a luxurious yacht would truly be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Moreover, it's completely free.
Looking at the expressions of the three women, Chen Xu tilted his head and wondered if he should also get a yacht in the future. It sounded like a pretty good idea.
Of course, he'd prefer to build his own aircraft carrier... but I doubt the government would allow it...
After a night of excitement without rest, Yi Shuihan personally drove to the hotel where Chen Xu and the others were "staying" to pick them up early the next morning.
Because Chen Xu and his group needed to catch a flight in Shanghai, they found a hotel there. Knowing Chen Xu's personality, if he'd booked a hotel costing $18,000 a day, a regular hotel wouldn't matter. So he rejected the idea of a regular chain hotel and opted for a five-star hotel… But honestly, aside from being nicer on the outside and having better service, a five-star hotel wasn't significantly better than a regular chain hotel costing a little over $100 a day. Chen Xu slept there for two days. He almost caught a cold at night, wrapped in a blanket and freezing from the air conditioning, then shook his head, feeling it was really not worth it.
Yi Shuihan is now a celebrity in Shanghai. Almost everyone in a five-star hotel like this knows him.
Yi Shuihan's car is a domestic product, a Hongqi.
But the moment his car parked in front of the hotel, it immediately attracted everyone's attention... because there were many famous foreign cars and sports cars there, and these car owners were all discerning people. These Hongqi cars were generally impossible for ordinary people to buy. Because they were specially made bulletproof vehicles!
After the last assassination attempt, and given S Company's current status and momentum, the military specially equipped Yi Shuihan with such a vehicle... Of course, the official statement was that he bought it himself, but everyone knew that only the person involved knew exactly how much he spent... The liquid bulletproof vest made the big shots in the military and public security systems so excited that their snot was almost dripping down their noses. Such a good thing was practically given away at a loss, so what was a specially made bulletproof vehicle?
Yi Shuihan drove himself here without calling a driver. He felt this wasn't the time to put on airs when facing SMMH's top disciple and his friends... These friends had all crossed paths with SMMH before, so Yi Shuihan defined their relationship as that of friends, and thus he naturally came alone.
When Yi Shuihan arrived in the lobby, Chen Xu was still fast asleep, drooling all over his pillow. The tycoon, whose company was about to become the richest man in mainland China, was left waiting helplessly in the hotel lobby.
However, Yi Shuihan wasn't in a hurry at all. Although his net worth was now trillions of times higher than before, he knew it was all thanks to SMMH. Moreover, when he called Chen Xu, Chen Xu treated him like a friend… Chen Xu was naturally outgoing and friendly… he didn't try to curry favor with him at all… The main thing was, Chen Xu didn't need to curry favor… all the money was his!
Therefore, Yi Shuihan had a very good impression of Chen Xu. Although he was called the junior brother, he was actually the younger brother. It was common for the younger brother to be playful and get up late.
So when Chen Xu, still half asleep, stepped off the elevator, Yi Shuihan was leisurely sitting in the lobby drinking tea. The people coming and going in the hotel were all astonished to discover that this future richest man in mainland China was waiting for someone disheveled and looking like a student.
Hmm. Chen Xu came downstairs wearing a wrinkled T-shirt and a pair of baggy shorts. This outfit was... well, let's just say it was... indescribable. This was the first time Chen Xu and Yi Shuihan had met in real life.
Yi Shuihan had no idea that the person in front of him was actually the SMMH who had truly helped him. He had already seen Chen Xu's photo before, and when he saw him walking down looking sleepy-eyed in just a pair of shorts, he couldn't help but chuckle: "Junior Brother, what time did you go to sleep last night?"
Chen Xu scratched his head sheepishly. Although it was their first meeting, he didn't feel any awkwardness at all. He smiled and said, "It's the same old ladies. They were so excited to hear we were going to visit Company S today that they chatted until late, which made me get up so late. You didn't have to wait long, did you?"
Yi Shuihan chuckled: "It's alright, I just brewed a pot of tea. Hmm, your friends haven't come down yet. Would you like to have some tea together while we wait for them?"
Chen Xu didn't stand on ceremony. After sitting down, he picked up the teacup, smelled it, and said, "What kind of tea is this? It smells quite good!"
"Da Hong Pao, ah, it's good for clearing heat. Hmm, would you like some breakfast? Even though it's already nine o'clock, you should at least have something to eat first."
His words carried a hint of teasing. Chen Xu had arranged to meet him at eight o'clock yesterday.
It was just a joke, like two friends agreeing to meet but one arriving late. It was a way of expressing slight dissatisfaction, but mostly in jest. Chen Xu grinned sheepishly and called the waiter over to order a bowl of noodles with soybean paste.
Watching Chen Xu eat so heartily without any regard for appearances, Yi Shuihan smiled from the side.
He thought the young man was quite nice at their first meeting. Although this way of eating was very unrefined, it showed that he didn't consider himself an outsider.
To be honest, although he manages a huge amount of assets for SMMH, he doesn't actually have as close a relationship with SMMH as Chen Xu. This young man just finished his freshman year and hasn't even started his sophomore year yet, but his words and actions exude his own confidence and unique characteristics. Although they only chatted for a few words, Yi Shuihan could already sense that he treated people with neither servility nor arrogance, and didn't care about the other person's status, which was truly commendable.
After a while, Guan Yizhanjing and Gao Xiaojie also came downstairs. They had gotten up earlier than Chen Xu. However, they had put a lot of effort into their appearance... after all, they had only heard of Yi Shuihan by name and had never seen him in person.
During the introductions, Yi Shuihan paused slightly upon hearing Guan Yi's name, then tentatively asked, "Are you Miss Ellen?"
ELLEN is Guan Yidi's English name, and also how she is referred to outsiders within her family... Since Guan Yidi's family has a history of several hundred years abroad, it is not surprising that she has an English name.
Guan Yi was surprised that Yi Shuihan knew her. She frowned slightly and then smiled, "ELLEN is my English name, but since we're in China, just call me Guan Yi."
Yi Shuihan sensed a peculiar meaning in her words, smiled, and let it go.
Given Yi Shuihan's current status and position, he naturally had some understanding of Guan Yi's family and had even made some connections with them. By chance, he learned from Guan Yi's father that his beloved daughter was actually a classmate of his junior brother. He also knew that while many people assumed Ellen was studying at Cambridge, few knew that she was actually living a carefree life at a mediocre university in China.
Yi Shuihan wasn't one to gossip, so he just smiled and didn't say anything. They chatted casually for a while, but Gao Xiaojie was unfortunately a little nervous… because while money and status shouldn't preclude equality, for Gao Xiaojie, a completely ordinary person, Yi Shuihan was now a very important figure. To put it bluntly, a single hair on Yi Shuihan's leg was thicker than Gao Xiaojie's waist… that's what you call being rich and powerful.
So, although Yi Shuihan appeared very approachable, Gao Xiaojie couldn't allow herself to easily maintain the same level as Chen Xu and Guan Yi… Chen Xu was part of SMMH himself; everything Yi Shuihan had now was given to him by Chen Xu, so he felt no pressure. Guan Yi's family background was far more powerful than Yi Shuihan's at the moment, so she didn't care at all. As for Zhan Jing, this girl had always been so indifferent, whether the person sitting in front of her was the future richest man in mainland China or the current richest man in the world, she remained the same.
Therefore, Gao Xiaojie is more like a little woman, an ordinary little woman, which is what makes her different from Guan Yi and Zhan Jingdi, and what makes her so adorable.