The heavy silence in the Royal Oak lobby felt like a physical weight. The air, thick with the scent of expensive lilies and floor wax, seemed to freeze as the General Manager, Mr. Chen, remained bowed at a ninety-degree angle before Ye Chen.
The security guards, who only minutes ago were ready to break Ye Chen's ribs, stood frozen like statues. Their hands, still gripped tightly around their batons, began to tremble. They looked at the damp, dirty floor where Ye Chen's worn-out sneakers rested, then up at the face of their boss, who was showing more respect to this janitor than he ever had to Director Wang.
"Mr. Chen... what are you doing?" Lin Xia's voice was high-pitched, cutting through the silence like a jagged blade. She clutched Director Wang's arm so hard her knuckles turned white. "This is a mistake. Look at him! He's soaked, he's a loser, he was fired today! He doesn't have thirty-five percent of anything except the trash he collects!"
Director Wang finally found his voice, though it was shaken. "Chen! Have you lost your mind? I'm your biggest corporate partner! I've brought millions in logistics business to this hotel. If this is a joke, it's not funny. Kick this beggar out before I call the Chairman and have your job!"
Mr. Chen straightened up slowly. His face, usually a mask of professional hospitality, was now as cold as a mountain spring. He did not look at Wang. Instead, he kept his eyes on Ye Chen, waiting for a command.
"Director Wang," Mr. Chen said, his voice echoing in the marble hall. "The Board of Directors' digital ledger is updated via a decentralized blockchain. It is impossible to fake. Mr. Ye Chen's acquisition was finalized at seven fifty-nine PM. He is the second-largest individual shareholder of the Royal Oak Group. In this hotel, his word is law. Yours, on the other hand... is currently worthless."
Ye Chen took a slow breath. For the first time in his life, the constant pressure in his chest, the pressure of being poor, of being small, of being invisible, was gone. He felt the System's power humming in his veins.
[Ding! Focus detected. Passive Skill: Sovereign Audit is now analyzing the target.]
In Ye Chen's vision, a red screen flickered over Director Wang.
> Target: Wang Fugui (Director Wang)
> Current Status: Level 1 Antagonist (Fraudster)
> Financial Crime: Embezzlement of two million four hundred thousand dollars from Royal Oak Supply Chain.
> Current Mindset: Panic, Denial, Arrogance.
> Hidden Secret: He has been using the hotel's VIP Tasting Events to swap genuine vintage wines with high-quality fakes, pocketing the difference.
Ye Chen's lips curled into a faint smile. He did not feel the need to shout. The truly powerful never had to raise their voices.
"Mr. Chen," Ye Chen said, his voice calm but carrying an undeniable weight. "I find it strange that Director Wang is so concerned about the Chairman. As a shareholder, I'm concerned about something else. I'm concerned about the wine cellar."
Director Wang's eyes widened. A bead of sweat rolled down his temple, disappearing into his expensive collar. "The... the wine cellar? What does that have to do with anything? You're just changing the subject because you're a fraud!"
"Is that so?" Ye Chen stepped forward. The guards instinctively backed away, clearing a path. "I've spent two years cleaning this hotel. I've seen the delivery trucks that come in at three AM, the ones that do not go through the standard logistics bay. Your logistics company, Wang Group, handles the Special Reserves for our VIP events, right?"
"So what?" Wang barked, though his voice cracked.
"Mr. Chen," Ye Chen turned to the manager. "Request an immediate physical inventory of the nineteen forty-five Romanée-Conti collection. Specifically, check the seals on the corks from the July shipment. I suspect we aren't storing wine in those bottles. We're storing Director Wang's retirement fund."
The lobby erupted into frantic whispers. The guests who had been watching the drama now began to murmur. The Romanée-Conti was the pride of the Royal Oak; each bottle was worth a small fortune.
"That's a lie!" Wang screamed, lunging toward Ye Chen. "You're a janitor! What do you know about wine? You drink tap water out of plastic bottles!"
Before Wang could reach him, the four security guards stepped in. They did not protect Wang this time, they formed a wall in front of Ye Chen. The head guard, the one who had shoved Ye Chen into the rain earlier, now bared his teeth at Wang.
"Back off, Mr. Wang," the guard growled. "Do not move against our shareholder."
Mr. Chen was already on his tablet. His fingers moved with lightning speed. "Mr. Ye... the July shipment records show a quality waiver signed by... Director Wang himself. The seals were never officially verified by our sommelier because Wang claimed they were too delicate for transit inspection."
Mr. Chen looked up, his face grim. "Security! Detain Wang Fugui and his companion. Lock the cellar doors. No one enters or leaves until the authorities arrive."
"Wait! No!" Lin Xia cried out, her face pale with horror. She looked at the guards approaching her and then at Ye Chen. The man she had ridiculed as dirt was now standing in the center of the lobby, surrounded by people waiting for his next word. "Ye Chen! Tell them to stop! We were together for three years! You know Wang is a good man, he... he was just trying to help me! You can't do this to me!"
Ye Chen looked at her. He looked at the woman he had once planned to spend his life with. He saw the greed in her eyes, even now, she wasn't crying because she felt sorry; she was crying because the rich man she chose was turning out to be a criminal, while the poor man she threw away was the true master of the house.
"You're right, Xia," Ye Chen said coldly. "We were together for three years. In those three years, I worked three jobs to pay for your tuition, your clothes, and your dreams. And the moment you saw a bigger shadow to stand under, you didn't just leave, you tried to crush me."
He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a whisper that only she could hear. "You told me I'd never be worth more than the dirt on his tires. Look at him now. He doesn't even have a car anymore. The hotel is impounding his Maybach as part of the asset recovery."
"Ye Chen, please!" she sobbed, reaching out to grab his sleeve.
Ye Chen moved his arm away as if her touch were poisonous. "Mr. Chen, get them out of my sight. The sight of them ruins the decor of the lobby."
The guards did not hesitate. They grabbed Director Wang by the collar and Lin Xia by the arms. Wang was shouting curses, his face red and bloated, while Lin Xia wept hysterically. They were dragged across the marble floor, the same floor they had walked across so proudly ten minutes ago, and thrown out into the same rain that was still soaking Ye Chen's clothes.
As the doors swung shut, silence returned to the lobby.
Ye Chen turned to the small, hidden corner where Su Mei was standing. She had stayed in the shadows throughout the confrontation, watching him with an unreadable expression. Her eyes were sharp, calculating. She wasn't like Lin Xia; she wasn't impressed by the money. She was impressed by the man.
She stepped out, her movements graceful. "You handle a face-slapping quite well, Mr. Shareholder."
Ye Chen bowed his head slightly. "I had a good guide to get me through the door."
"Do not get too comfortable," Su Mei said, her voice dropping to a serious tone. "Owning thirty-five percent is a target on your back. Long Zhen, the Chairman, owns fifty-one percent. He's not a man who likes to share. He built this hotel on blood and debt. When he finds out a janitor suddenly swallowed a third of his empire, he won't send you a fruit basket."
Ye Chen nodded. He knew the System wouldn't make things easy. This was only the beginning.
[Ding! Mission Accomplished: Reclaim Dignity.]
[Reward: One million dollars cash has been deposited into your hidden System Account.]
[Note: Dividends from the hotel will be paid monthly. Liquid cash is for Operational Expenses.]
One million dollars. In his mind, he could see the balance. It was more money than he had ever seen in his life, yet it felt like a small tool compared to what was coming.
"Mr. Chen," Ye Chen turned back to the manager.
"Yes, Mr. Ye?"
"I'm tired. I want the Presidential Suite. And have a tailor bring several sets of clothes, nothing flashy, just quality. I also need a secure phone line."
"Immediately, sir. I will handle everything personally."
As Ye Chen followed Mr. Chen toward the private VIP elevator, the staff stood in a line, bowing as he passed. The same people who had looked down on him for years now did not dare to breathe until the elevator doors closed.
Inside the mirrored elevator, Ye Chen caught his reflection. He looked like a mess, hair matted with rain, skin pale, a cheap uniform. But his eyes were different. They were no longer the eyes of a man who was afraid of tomorrow.
[Ding! New Coordinate Detected.]
[Location: The Silver Phantom Automotive Palace.]
[Sign-In Window: eight AM – ten AM Tomorrow.]
[Sign-In Requirement: Inspect the Engine of the Gods—The Phantom Wraith V sixteen.]
[Potential Reward: One hundred percent Ownership of the Showroom plus God-Level Driving Reflexes.]
Ye Chen leaned back against the mahogany wall of the elevator. The Royal Oak was his first base, but the city was large. To truly protect himself from people like Chairman Long, he couldn't just have a hotel. He needed a fleet. He needed information. He needed power that could not be audited.
The elevator chimed as it reached the eighty-eighth floor. The doors opened to a suite that spanned the entire top level, overlooking the glittering lights of the city.
"Your new life begins here, Mr. Ye," Mr. Chen said, handing him a crystal keycard.
Ye Chen walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. Down below, the city looked like a map. Somewhere out there, the next coordinate was waiting. And somewhere out there, Su Mei's enemies, and his own, were already planning their next move.
He gripped the keycard. He had four hundred steps to reach the peak. Tonight, he had taken the first one.
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