Chapter 40: Chapter 038 The Goals of the E'tu
But here, she could only play the role of a foil.
Noticing the empty coffee cup in the man\'s hand and with a hint of excitement in her eyes, Zhan Bingxue immediately put on a beaming smile and refilled Chu Mo\'s cup. As several middle-aged men chatted animatedly nearby, she leaned in slightly and whispered in Chu Mo\'s ear with her sensual red lips:
"It seems to be about acquiring a hotel!"
As Zhan Bingxue straightened up, Chu Mo gave an almost imperceptible nod, his expression unchanging.
At that moment, Lin Hongqiang, whose complexion was fair and who had a smile that resembled the Maitreya Buddha, suddenly spoke up again:
"Mr. Chu, I\'m serious. There are eighteen villas in the Greenery Avenue Villa District. Among them, the top star Lin Wanqiu lives in Villa Nine, and the pop diva Sun Qing Ruxi lives in Villa Thirteen. My villa is right next to Sun Qing Ruxi\'s, at Villa Twelve.
If you\'re truly interested, Mr. Chu, I\'ll sell it to you for a lump sum of seven billion! Mr. Chu, you have no idea, last year, Wang Fugui from the Splendid Restaurant offered seven and a half billion, and I couldn\'t bear to sell it."
This was the second time the man had brought up selling the villa to him!
If it wasn\'t for some ulterior motive, then it certainly was with an agenda in mind.
Chu Mo maintained his gentle smile and gave neither confirmation nor denial, simply looking at the fair-skinned man opposite him with a somewhat playful expression.
Feeling Chu Mo\'s gaze, Lin Hongqiang laughed suddenly and shook his head, saying:
"Let\'s not beat around the bush. Mr. Chu is no stranger here, and speaking in riddles only seems to lack sincerity."
As the fair-skinned man finished speaking, the three others exchanged glances, then Li Tianming, as the former owner of Emperor\'s Mansion Villa Number One, took a deep breath and said:
"Young Brother Chu, Mr. Lin means no offense. I\'m aware of his villa, and in terms of location and environment, it is on par with, if not surpassing, Emperor\'s Mansion. Mr. Lin is so eager to sell not only because he is in need of funds but most importantly, he wishes to make friends with Young Brother Chu.
I\'ll give you an insider tip—take that villa on Greenery Avenue, and you, Young Brother Chu, holding it for a year, can definitely make seventy to eighty million. As for why none of us took it on… that brings us to the main topic of today. Young Brother Chu, are you familiar with Bafang International Hotel?"
Indeed, the real business was coming!
Chu Mo might be wealthy, but he didn\'t want to be treated like a fool. Straightening up in his seat and adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose, Chu Mo narrowed his eyes slightly.
The last time Zhan Bingxue invited him for a meal, they went to that Bafang International Hotel, a five-star establishment meeting international standards, boasting a beautiful environment and then, the food was also delicious.
If he remembered correctly, that meal cost over a hundred thousand, truly a top-tier hotel experience.
He didn\'t respond immediately. After pondering for a moment, he tapped his fingertips lightly on the dining table in front of him and said casually:
"The five-star hotel on Honghe Road? I\'ve eaten there a few times. Never stayed overnight, though. I feel… nothing special about it!"
Chu Mo\'s expression was nonchalant, but then, the usually silent Sun Shangwu finally spoke:
"Since Young Brother Chu is aware, that makes it easier. Bafang International is an international chain of hotels, with branches in Europe, America, and South Asia, and a market value of a hundred billion—a real powerhouse. However, the economy has been down the past couple of years.
Moreover, the hotel management has faced some issues, plus the recent high-profile embezzlement scandal had a significant impact…
Some old buddies said that the headquarters decided to sell off the branch here in the metropolis, eighty-five billion, cash only, no equity swap. We put our heads together and just about emptied our coffers, assembling sixty billion, leaving a shortfall of twenty-five billion.
The reason Mr. Lin just now wanted to sell the villa to you, brother, was to gather some more cash and secure a bigger share of the equity. Brother Chu, to be honest, we haven\'t spared any effort for this deal, and now it\'s time to reap the fruits. If it wasn\'t for appreciating that you are a straightforward person, we wouldn\'t have come to you!"
The middle-aged men finished speaking and fell silent.
As Chu Mo pondered, the entire café fell so silent one could hear a pin drop.
A five-star hotel…!
A gap of 2.5 billion, and with total assets considered, Chu Mo should be able to secure approximately thirty percent of the equity, likely making him the largest shareholder; of course, if the four individuals across combined forces, he was still at risk of being sidelined.
But what did he need the power of speech for?
For one, he knew nothing about management; truly handing over managerial control to him would probably leave Chu Mo completely in the dark.
Secondly, if he really got involved in management, it would inevitably consume a great deal of time and effort. To waste his precious time and energy on a hotel, just for a mere 2.5 billion, was certainly the foolish act of dropping a watermelon to pick up a sesame seed.
Give up?
His gaze swept over the three women and one man across from him!
Without a superficial identity, even a few little rich second-generations could jump around in front of him, which was indeed a bit annoying.
After moments of contemplation, Chu Mo finally set his sights on Zhan Bingxue beside him, the respectful and humble woman with a stunning beauty score of ninety-five.
A flash of brilliance in the depths of Chu Mo\'s eyes, he had made his decision.
It was time to push her to the forefront.
Taking a deep breath, he lifted his wrist to check the time, 4:05. Chu Mo slightly raised his eyebrows and said,
"Everyone, how about we dine here at the Bafang International Hotel tonight? To experience the top international service with a few executives is one of life\'s great pleasures! Don\'t fight with me over this, tonight\'s expenses are on my account!"
As these words were spoken, Chu Mo stood up, and a glint of light flashed in the eyes of the four hundred-billionaires beside him.
Hearing about the whopping 2.5 billion, showing no fear or retreat, and instead proactively suggesting a visit to the hotel for inspection, the four middle-aged men, who had already held Chu Mo in high regard, had no choice but to elevate his status once again in their hearts!
It was the mark of a truly hidden tycoon!
The four middle-aged men exchanged glances, a hint of joy emerging in their eyes. Seeing that Chu Mo had already left his seat, all four stood up at once.
At that moment, as a group of five were about to step out the door, attended carefully by the café owner, a somewhat cautious voice suddenly came from behind!
"Um… Mr. Chu, I lost the bet just now, and I am willing to accept my loss. Everything on the table now belongs to Mr. Chu."
Chu Mo, who was about to step out of the café, paused slightly and turned to look at the slender girl by the window, her head hanging low. In that moment, Chu Mo clearly saw a plea in her eyes!
After this beating, the once graceful swan had finally landed on the ground.
Chu Mo was sure that if he didn\'t take the items on the table, not only she but even her father, Shen Long, would probably suffer from insomnia tonight!
Being eyed by several tycoons each worth over a hundred billion, Shen Long, who was worth a mere ten billion or so and was currently in a weakened state, truly had no strength to resist.
Chu Mo nodded slightly towards Zhan Bingxue behind him; the exquisite beauty who knew how to handle any situation naturally knew what to do.
By the time Chu Mo and the other tycoons had disappeared from the café, the sound of high heels clacking on the floor filled the room.
Zhan Bingxue, the beauty valued at ninety-five, gracefully approached the group. Passing the fearful gazes of the three women, she first collected the Aston Martin car keys from the dining table.
She casually sifted through the items on the table, picking up the agate and a piece of jade, while ignoring the bank cards, the platinum necklace, and a pile of luxury items, Bingxue turned and left without another glance.
It wasn\'t until then that Shen Yaoyao, who had managed to stand until now, finally collapsed onto her chair.
However, neither the two girls beside her nor Sun Ping, who was still pale, offered a word of comfort, despite being the three friends she was closest with.