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.
g Yu was preparing for retirement when her organization decided to eliminate her. She transmigrated to a zombie apocalypse world. However, a tiny unexpected situation occurred: She somehow transformed into an adorable little girl?!
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
