Though Synthy insisted that Ethan was indeed a Gold Card member, the owner still stared at him with contempt for a long moment before finally saying coldly, "Yes. I am the owner."
The five security guards had already stopped their assault, stepping back at the sight of the owner.
Ethan staggered to his feet, clutching his stomach. His lips curled into a mocking smile. "You sure know how to treat your customers."
"We treat our customers well," the owner shot back sharply. "But not scammers. After we check, if we find out your so-called membership was really valid, we'll apologize sincerely. But if I find even the slightest discrepancy, you'll regret even setting foot in this hotel."
Synthy opened her mouth to speak, desperate to clear the misunderstanding, but the owner silenced her with a raised hand.
He then turned to Liam. "Call the bank. Verify whether a payment really came under his name at the time Synthy claims."
"Yes, sir." Liam smirked triumphantly, as if victory was already his. He quickly dialed a number and pressed the phone to his ear.
By now, everyone's attention had shifted to them. The air in the dining hall had grown heavy. Every guest was waiting to see how this drama would unfold.
The owner's gaze never left Ethan, while Synthy looked miserable as if she was feeling utterly guilty. And even that poor state, Ethan's eyes didn't miss it.
Once the call connected, Liam spoke in a hurried voice. "This is Western B.K. Bank, right? I'm Liam, the manager of Hotel DS Palace. Please check if a payment of one hundred million was made this morning. And if it was… under whose name?"
He set the phone to speaker mode, holding it up for all to hear. He sneered at Ethan. "I don't know where you found the guts to pull a stunt like this. But today marks the end of your scamming adventure."
But then..... A voice came from the other end of the line.
"Yes," A single word froze almost everyone. "Your hotel received a payment of one hundred million. The account holder's name was Ethan Wolf."
The words rippled through the hall like a thunderclap. Ethan smirked as he pulled out his national ID. He then held it up for everyone to see. His name and picture gleamed on the card in bold letters.
Gasps spread. The owner was stunned. And Liam? He literally froze in his place. And all other except for those few who had been present in the morning stared with widened eyes, unable to believe what they had just heard.
Seeing the shock on everyone's faces, Ethan let out a low chuckle. At that moment, Alice seized the chance to slip free from Billy's grip and hurried to Ethan's side.
"Brother, are you alright?" she asked anxiously.
"I'm fine." Ethan placed a reassuring hand on her head, gently stroking her hair.
Then, his eyes slowly shifted toward the owner. "Now what? Do you still think I'm a scammer?"
"No… um… well…" The owner stammered, at a loss for words.
"Aren't you supposed to be apologizing sincerely by now?" Ethan pressed.
The owner looked hesitant, clearly unwilling to bow his head in front of so many people.
"Whatever," Ethan said with a scoff. "I don't need your apology." He paused, then added firmly, "How much is the price?"
The question stunned the owner. "What price are you talking about?" His tone was no longer contemptuous... now that he knew Ethan truly was a Gold Card member, he had shifted to a more professional manner.
"The price of this hotel, of course. How much is it?" Ethan asked without a trace of hesitation.
The owner froze for a moment before bursting out laughing. "I admit I was wrong to treat you badly, but there's no need to get so worked up and spout nonsense."
To him, Ethan's words were nothing short of presumptuous. This wasn't some cheap roadside inn, it was the most luxurious hotel in the entire country. For someone to just casually ask its price? "Who does he think he is?" The owner thought.
"You're the one talking nonsense," Ethan shot back. "Just state the price. Don't tell me this is something that can't be bought."
"Enough already," the owner said irritably. "I apologize for how you were treated, but let's not drag this out."
Ethan didn't show any reaction. Instead, "How much could it be? Twenty or thirty billion?" he asked calmly.
"Twenty or thirty?" The owner shook his head. "I could make that much in three or four years. Why would I sell?" The owner didn't take Ethan seriously but still replied to his question.
"Fair enough," Ethan replied coolly. "Then how about one hundred billion?"
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
And then laughter exploded from every corner.
"That young man is delusional. Who does he think he's fooling?"
"Exactly. I thought he was impressive for spending a hundred million earlier, but now he's acting like some brainless brat who doesn't even know what a hundred billion means."
The owner barely managed to suppress his own laughter. "That amount sounds great, but still not enough. You can stop this ac...." he wanted to continue but.....
"Two hundred billion, then," Ethan cut in sharply. His tone carried no trace of jest. "If you're willing, I'll buy this hotel right now. After that, you can decide whether I'm joking or not."
"Brother! What are you doing?!" Alice tugged at his sleeve, trying to dissuade him, but Ethan didn't budge.
"Two hundred billion?!" The owner was dumbstruck. He wanted to laugh, but couldn't. Even as a joke, no one would dare toss out such an outrageous number. Yet Ethan's expression was dead serious.
"Fine," the owner finally said. "If you can really pay two hundred billion, the hotel is yours. But if you fail, you'll face consequences. Even your Gold Card won't save you this time." He turned to Liam. "Bring a laptop."
Liam glanced at Ethan with disdain. "What a fool", he thought, before hurrying off.
The other guests whispered eagerly. They were certain Ethan would end up as the biggest laughingstock of the year. Only Synthy's eyes told a different story. After what she had witnessed this morning, she knew Ethan was dead serious. "Who is this man? How can he spend money like breathing?"
Only three people in the hall truly believed him.... his sister Alice, Synthy, and the waitress from that morning.
Everyone else was waiting for a farce.
Soon Liam returned with a laptop. The owner wasted no time. He placed it on a nearby table, logged into the bank account, and carefully typed in the deposit amount: 200,000,000,000. He double-checked the string of zeros, then gestured for Ethan to step forward.
Ethan walked with absolute confidence, pulled out his card, entered the details, and pressed Enter.
And the moment he did.....
Beep!
The sharp chime echoed across the hall.
Everyone froze.
A moment later, the confirmation message echoed. "Deposit Complete."
Not a single word was missed. The crowd stared at Ethan as though he were a ghost.
And before Ethan, another panel materialized which was only visible to him.
Seeing the content, a wide grin spread across his lips.