They couldn't help but think of Lin Xuan.
If Little Xuan hadn’t gone missing back then, it would probably be him, not Little Li, who was this close to Mom now.
At this thought, Lin Qingwan shook her head.
There were no "what ifs" in this world—and besides, Lin Xuan hadn’t gone missing. He had been abandoned by Mom herself...
The next day,
Lin Chang arrived at the company reeking of alcohol.
He had downed a few more bottles in the morning, and his head was still heavy and foggy.
"Qingwan, any updates? Has Skyline Group made any moves against our hotels?" Lin Chang asked.
"No," Lin Qingwan replied truthfully, shaking her head.
Lin Chang’s tense shoulders relaxed slightly.
It seemed Skyline Group hadn’t yet found a way to target Starlight Group’s hotels.
"Did you notify all the hotel managers to prepare for inspections?" Lin Chang pressed.
Lin Qingwan nodded. "Don’t worry, Dad. I’ve already informed them."
"Good."
Lin Chang added, "Keep a close eye on Skyline Group. If they take any action against us, report to me immediately."
"Understood."
Lin Qingwan nodded and left the office.
At Skyline Group,
Lei Hui returned to his manager’s office after sealing a deal.
With nothing urgent on his plate, he pulled out his phone.
Scrolling through the posts, a smirk of amusement flickered in his eyes.
"No countermeasures at all? Looks like Starlight Group has given up."
Surrendering so quickly—how interesting.
But Lin Chang was smart. The more they struggled, the more money they’d waste.
By doing nothing, he was saving himself a fortune.
Lei Hui glanced at his watch.
It was time for the final move—the one that would crush Starlight Group’s hotels.
Once their hotels fell, Starlight Group would collapse entirely.
He ordered the posts to go live, then sent a quick message in the group chat.
The CEOs of major platforms immediately responded.
[Redbook CEO]: Consider it done!
[Weibo CEO]: Don’t worry—top trending spot guaranteed.
[Bilibili CEO]: Got it.
[Zhihu CEO]: On it! Leave it to me, Boss Lei. And if there’s anything else, just say the word.
Their eagerness was even more pronounced than before.
Lei Hui chuckled.
These usually arrogant CEOs had seen the boss’s ruthless tactics firsthand and were now scrambling to stay on his good side.
Tsk.
Few people in the world could make these big shots grovel like this.
Their boss was truly something.
With the posts live, Lei Hui didn’t push further.
The reporters would handle the rest.
For now, he had other matters to attend to.
The new post was simple—just a surveillance video.
At a Starlight Group hotel, after guests checked out,
the housekeeper didn’t change the sheets. She merely gave them a quick once-over and, finding no visible stains, remade the bed as-is.
The camera then cut to the bathroom.
The housekeeper used a bath towel to wipe down the toilet, the sink, and even the drinking glasses.
As for the used bath towels? Noticing no stains, she simply blow-dried them and hung them back up.
The caption was sparse: Location: Starlight Group Hotel.
The comments section erupted in disgust.
—Ugh! This is revolting! Those guests were a couple—you can imagine what they did in that room. And they didn’t even change the sheets?!
—Using bath towels to clean the toilet and glasses? I’m gonna be sick.
—Isn’t Starlight Group supposed to be a luxury chain? How could they stoop to this?
—Starlight Group was never reputable to begin with. Their hotels are just the rotten cherry on top.
Meanwhile, at Night Garden,
Lin Xuan received Lei Hui’s update: the plan to dismantle Starlight Group’s hotels was underway.
He checked the trending topics. Just as expected, netizens were tearing Lin Chang apart.
Hotel stays were a common necessity, and hygiene was a universal concern.
Starlight Group had struck a nerve.
In his past life, an undercover reporter had exposed the hotel’s misconduct during a consumer rights exposé, but Starlight Group’s PR team had suppressed the scandal.
This time, Lin Xuan smirked,
with him in the picture, Starlight Group wouldn’t sweep this under the rug.
Back at Starlight Group’s CEO office,
Lin Chang, who hadn’t slept all night, slumped in his chair, eyes shut.
"Dad, it’s bad!" Lin Qingwan burst in, frantic.
"What now?" Lin Chang’s heart lurched.
"Our hotels are being exposed for unsanitary practices!" she rushed out.
Lin Chang’s eyes bulged. "What? Our hotels have always been spotless!"
They were five-star establishments. How could hygiene be an issue?
This had to be a smear campaign.
"Dad, just watch this." Lin Qingwan pressed her phone into his hands.
Lin Chang’s face paled as he scanned the footage.
"Lin Xuan got his hands on this?!"
And what the hell was that housekeeper doing?!
Damn it!
What kind of staff were they hiring?!
"Dad, what do we do?" Lin Qingwan asked, voice tight with panic.
Her mind was blank, grasping for solutions.
Lin Chang clenched his fists, forcing himself to think.
To salvage this, they had to convince the public their hotels were pristine.
"Listen," he said through gritted teeth. "Find out which of our hotels have this issue. Order them to replace all sheets, towels, and bathrobes—and sweep for hidden cameras first."
"Got it." Lin Qingwan nodded.
"And track down that housekeeper," Lin Chang added. "Pay her off. Make her say this was a one-time lapse—that the hotel isn’t to blame."
"Right away, Dad."
Lin Qingwan hurried out, heels clicking.
Alone again, Lin Chang collapsed into his chair, face ashen.
Starlight Group’s top artists had already been blacklisted by Skyline Group.
The gaming division was axed.
Real estate was bleeding.
Now, their last lifeline—the hotels—was under siege.
He had to protect them at all costs.
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
ose... to cooperate with the protagonist! Shen Yuan: I have a system! Protagonist: What? System: Holy crap, you're just spilling it out like that? Shen Yuan: Let's team up, we'll split the system rewards! Protagonist: Fifty-fifty split? Shen Yuan: No way! Protagonist: What!? I'm the one getting beaten up, and I don't get half? Shen Yuan: Forty-sixty split, I get forty, you get sixty! Protagonist: Deal! Big brother, come on, hit me! As long as it doesn't kill me, beat me like you mean it! Shen Yuan: Don't worry... I will definitely protect all of you! No one but me can lay a finger on you! Guard our Heaven's Chosen Ones! I'm the only one allowed to bully them!
world slacker. But a genius female disciple just had to get clingy, insisting that he take her as a disciple. Not only that, she was always making advances on him, thoroughly disrupting his peaceful slacker life...
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
