[Congratulations to the host for publicly promoting your own family for the first time, and for treating money as mere dirt by casually bestowing high-value items. The overbearing CEO persona integration rate has increased by 2%, and is currently at 24%.]
"What? System, are you playing with me? Why does it feel like the integration rate goes up by less and less each time?"
[The host needs to understand that the integration rate that can be increased simply by 'flaunting wealth' is very limited. The scenarios that previously triggered integration increases will no longer trigger them. From now on, increasing the integration rate will only become more and more difficult.]
"Fine, whatever."
…………
"Young master, it's getting late. It's already past three in the morning. Shall we call it a night?"
Tong had been staring at the ring Min Moyou gave her, playing with it for over an hour straight.
She no longer had the heart to drink tea, only waiting for Min Moyou to remind her so she could refill his cup.
Her mind was completely filled with:
He must have taken a fancy to me. To give away something so expensive just like that, and even put it on my ring finger with his own hands...
Was it really just because the size of my ring finger happened to fit this ring?
Or was there some other reason?
He must have done it on purpose!
At first, Tong was intimidated by Min Moyou's extravagance. As she thought deeper about the hidden meaning behind it, her heartbeat even skipped a beat.
What if he likes me?
What if he has ulterior motives toward me?
If I reject him outright, will I get kidnapped?
It seems his background is that of some insanely powerful great family, right?
Actually, though, he's a pretty good person, aside from his overly arrogant personality and a few minor flaws...
Oh, dear...!
Should I give him a chance to pursue me?
Then again, I've heard that those prominent noble families are very strict about the women who marry into them. If I follow him, wouldn't that mean giving up my ambition to seek the Supreme Dragon Incantation?
After working hard for so many years...
I'm just not resigned to it...
Yet a life free from worries about food and clothing is right in front of me. Shouldn't I at least try to seize it?
A Dragon Descendant is human too! Dragon Descendants need to eat as well!
It's really hard not to be tempted by such a luxurious lifestyle~
I heard some higher-tier noble families keep Dragon Descendant retainers?
I wonder if his Min Family has something like that? Maybe I could pull some strings and get my foot in the door?
...
Time slipped away amidst Tong's endless stream of thoughts.
When she finally snapped out of it, Min Moyou's teapot was empty.
Only then did she remember that her own pot of tea wasn't finished yet!
She couldn't waste it!
It cost over two thousand!
So, Tong picked up the teapot directly, jammed the spout into her mouth, and chugged the tea straight in. Her cheeks puffed out into big balls as she swallowed it all in one go.
She wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her blue sports jacket—which she had worn for God knows how many years—and with that, this meal of tea was finally and hastily consumed.
The night was deep, and Tong felt it was time to rest—she rarely stayed up this late anyway.
So she suggested to Min Moyou that they should call it a night.
Min Moyou nodded, agreeing with Tong's proposal. He stood up from his seat and was about to walk outside.
Instead, he saw the passionate opera actors, performers, and musicians performing in the middle of the night—about three or four opera troupes in total, numbering around fifty people—all looking at him with eyes full of hesitation and anticipation.
Their goal went without saying, but they were all quite well-behaved, not proactively begging, just watching him eagerly.
Though tipping was the kind of thing where giving was a favor and not giving was the duty, the bad habit of a tipping culture hadn't become prevalent in Kowloon District yet.
Tong looked at Min Moyou, seemingly asking: Shouldn't we give them a tip? Using the operating funds you gave me? It's the middle of the night, and it's not easy for them to put on a show. Why not show some support?
Min Moyou didn't express his stance. After thinking about it, Tong had no choice but to take two hundred from herself and place it on the stage.
Don't get me wrong, it was drawn from the one thousand commission fee Min Moyou had advanced her; it was her own money.
It was the flesh and blood of her heart!!!!
Damn it! Why is this lady of yours so kind?!
Tsk, why did Min Moyou suddenly feel so callous and devoid of wealth's benevolence?
However, such robber-like logic didn't completely take over Tong's mind—no matter how rich he was, his money was his own. If he didn't want to tip, he didn't want to tip. How could she take it for granted that he should give tips to the opera performers just because he was wealthy?
Tong considered herself quite reasonable.
After putting down the money, Tong returned to Min Moyou's side, blinked her eyes, and called out:
"Shall we go?"
Who would have expected Min Moyou to scoff coldly:
"Where are your honorifics? Where are your manners!"
"Yes, yes, yes~ Let's go? My dear young master~?"
"You're truly humiliating me."
「？？No way? You...」
Suddenly scolded, Tong felt aggrieved—What humiliation did I bring upon you?!
Just as she was about to question him, she saw Min Moyou pull a huge wad of cash out of his pocket, which was like a treasure chest—a really thick wad, maybe tens of thousands of Jiufang Coins. It made Tong's eyes go wide.
Did he... want to...?
The performers on the stage, off the stage, and at the sides of the stage all lit up with excitement—That's right! Exactly right! That's the one! Hurry! Do it!
Just as they wished.
Min Moyou gave a grand wave of his hand, and the Jiufang Coins in his hand were flung straight out, sending banknotes fluttering across the sky like rain.
It was greeted by a chorus of cheers, expressions of gratitude, and bows.
Though "flaunting wealth" didn't necessarily increase the integration rate, it sure felt great!
Min Moyou raised an eyebrow at Tong, seemingly asking her: Now do you know how embarrassing you were? You had to ask about such a minor thing as tipping, and you were all stingy about it. He, Min Moyou, couldn't afford to lose that face!
Fine, Tong was already numb to Min Moyou's wealth-flaunting behavior.
Perhaps this was just what being rich was like.
Tong was still standing in place, watching the banknotes fluttering across the sky. Min Moyou paid her no mind and walked out of the venue first.
The actors hurriedly bowed to pick up the banknotes. Some even used martial arts skills to snatch banknotes that were still empty and falling through the air. Some scrambled and hid them privately, while others argued for a unified distribution based on labor. It was a lively and breathtaking scene.
It wasn't until more than ten seconds later, when all the banknotes had finally landed, that Tong snapped out of her daze and left the opera venue.
So jealous!
If only those money were given to me!
Thinking of this, Tong couldn't help but touch the ring on her hand again, breaking into a bright smile.
I have one too! I've really been poor for too long, what is there to be jealous of!
Hey—I've got a plan!
A flash of inspiration struck Tong—what if... I sold this ring?
Wouldn't that mean...?
Just kidding! Could anything, no matter how pretty, be eaten as a meal?!
Tong looked down at the glittering ring, and the more she thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. Her eyes flashed continuously with greed and cunning—!
And then, not watching where she was going, she crashed straight into Min Moyou, who was waiting for her and catching some fresh air outside the opera venue.
"Ouch... Sorry~"
Min Moyou saw the unconcealed money-grubbing look on Tong's face.
He guessed what she was thinking in an instant.
So he spoke up to put her in her place:
"If you dare to sell something given by the Min Family, you are slapping the Min Family in the face."
"If you dare to slap the Min Family in the face, you'd better be prepared to fight to the bitter end against a noble family that has developed for five hundred years."
"You've got some nerve, huh?"
Min Moyou pinched Tong's soft little cheek, speaking in a very solemn tone, as if he were truly defending his family's honor.
"Ah... What are you talking about? How could I possibly sell it? It's a gift from you! I cherish it so much. Are you overthinking things?"
Tong put on a bewildered look, not daring to meet Min Moyou's eyes, and hurriedly changed the subject:"By the way, Young Master, do you have a place to stay here in Zhongpu District?"
"What is the most expensive hotel here?"
Well, Tong understood instantly.
"There is the Kowloon Residence, a top-tier luxury hotel chain across the entire Kowloon District. What do you think?"
"Lead the way."
"You got it!"
...
"I'd like a Dragon King Suite."
"Certainly, sir. Our Dragon King Suite at Kowloon Residence is billed hourly, at 999 Jiufang Coins per hour. Would you—"
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, sir. The very last Dragon King Suite we had was just booked a moment ago. Would you care to consider our other room types?"
"Our Kowloon Residence 'Inseparable Sweetheart' couple suite is only 5,999 for the night. It comes fully equipped with all sorts of amenities and props, and the decor has a wonderful ambiance. Everything is completely replaced upon check-out and cleaning. It's guaranteed to give a gentleman like you, accompanied by his girlfriend, a truly unique experience..."
Min Moyou: "Even your Kowloon Residence isn't very proper, huh...?"
Tong: Do I look like a good match for him? How could we possibly be mistaken for a couple? He's dressed so well, and I look so shabby—do you think I'm worthy?!
Min Moyou and Tong's pairing looked rather like one of those street-style troublemakers who hung out in bars specifically to seduce men, having managed to hook up with a wealthy young master taking a rare trip to unwind at a bar.
"What if I insist on the Dragon King Suite?"
"I'm sorry, sir, we really don't have that room type available..."
Min Moyou pulled out a stack of over a hundred thousand Jiufang Coins and slammed it down on the reception desk.
"How about now?"
"I'm sorry, sir, I don't have the authority. The only remaining Dragon King Suite in our hotel has already been booked. It is truly unfortunate, and I am very sorry for the inconvenience..."
Min Moyou pulled out another thick stack of a good hundred thousand Jiufang Coins and piled it on the desk.
"How about now?"
"I'm sorry, sir, please don't make things difficult for me. The person who booked this Dragon King Suite is a lady from another district. Our Kowloon Residence is arranging her airport pickup and check-in for early tomorrow morning. That lady is probably on a plane right now, so it's not convenient for us to contact her and coordinate..."
Min Moyou pulled out yet another stack of over a hundred thousand Jiufang Coins. This time, instead of placing it on the desk, he slapped it directly against the chest of the young female receptionist.
The young lady was rather petite—I mean, rather young.
The collision of the Jiufang Coins against her chest produced a crisp sound that went straight to the heart.
The receptionist jumped in fright and exclaimed,
"Sir, please... please... don't be like this..."
Min Moyou slammed down another stack of Jiufang Coins—who knows how many there were.
As a major giant in the Kowloon District hotel industry, the receptionist at the front desk was certainly quite stunning in appearance.
"Can it be done or not?"
"Sir... our front desk at Kowloon Residence has surveillance cameras. I might lose my job..."
Min Moyou pulled out yet another thick stack of Jiufang Coins and slapped it in the exact same spot.
"Still can't be done?"
"Sir~ Doing this~ puts me in such a difficult spot~"
Without wasting words, Min Moyou flung three consecutive stacks of Jiufang Coins—each worth tens or hundreds of thousands—right onto the receptionist's chest.
It left the black-stockinged OL receptionist with alluring eyes and a flushed face...
"Is it still difficult?"
"No... not difficult anymore, sir~"
"We just conducted a routine inspection of Dragon King Suite Number Nine and found some safety hazards.""For the safety of our guests and to uphold the reputation of Kowloon Residence, we are forced to cancel the reservation for that suite. I have already sent a message to the lady in question, offering our most sincere apologies and refunding both her deposit and the penalty fee."
"Oh! Sir, you are so lucky! The safety hazard in the Dragon King Suite has just been resolved, and one of them has miraculously become available. Would you like to reserve it?"
Tong: Is this what the evils of the wealthy look like? Did he just hand her nearly a million?!？？ Suddenly I feel so worthless...
What a strange urge to compare oneself to others.
"Very good."
Min Moyou patted the piles of hundreds of thousands of Jiufang Coins stacked on the counter.
"Take these as a deposit first, and let me know when it runs out so I can top it up."
"Certainly, sir~ I will process your check-in right away. Room 909, here is your key card, please keep it safe~"
Min Moyou took the key card, and the receptionist processed his payment with practiced professionalism, not even rushing to pick up the nearly one million Jiufang Coins scattered on the floor that now belonged to her personally.
As he took the key card, Min Moyou suddenly noticed a small slip of paper pressed underneath it, bearing a string of numbers.
"Oh?"
Min Moyou looked at the receptionist with a half-smile, his teasing gaze seemingly encouraging her to explain herself.
The receptionist nervously clutched the hem of her skirt, her fingertips sliding uneasily over the sheer black silk hugging her thighs. Her face flushed red with the bashful shyness of someone entirely innocent, and lowering her head, she stammered:
"Sir~ If your female companion isn't able to satisfy you, then... then I suppose I could... offer you some... services..."
Tong: I've gone from girlfriend back to female companion again? Unbelievable! What does she mean if I can't satisfy him??! Why does that sound so strange...
The young receptionist's voice grew softer and softer, as if she were too ashamed to speak the words aloud, yet driven by some mysterious force to say them nonetheless.
"Alright, if the opportunity arises."
Ever since the teahouse and the opera house earlier that evening, Min Moyou's temper had been thoroughly provoked, and he couldn't actually guarantee whether he might or might not...
Awesome.
Now this is what a domineering CEO should look like!
[Congratulations to the host for using despicable means to forcibly seize a room reserved by another, brutally shattering the ethical boundaries of a working stiff. Domineering CEO role-playing progress increased by 2%, current progress: 26%.]
[Reward obtained — Fiction - Ancient Dragon Realm?Otherworldly Wonderland.]
…………………
"Calling me so late, is something the matter, Xiaohong?"
The boss, let me tell you, there was a huge client tonight, he............
"Oh? That's quite a rarity. Did you manage to recruit him as a 'client'?"
"No... Boss, please listen to me explain, I really tried my best this time..."
"I seem to remember you saying you hated those people staring at you and trying to get handsy, which is why I transferred you to the night shift. So what happened today?"
"He... he's wealthy, young... and handsome... so, so..."
"Oh~~ But after being under my command for so long, your 'sales record' is still zero. You know that won't do, right?"
"Boss! I want to try again! Even if it's just for the sake of 'contact'... I want to find someone I actually like."
"Fine then~ From the way you describe him, he sounds like a top-tier 'client'. If you can't seal the deal, I'll just have to go make contact myself~"
"Thank you, Boss Zui~"
…………………