Being suddenly hugged left Yao Zhen completely stunned.
…How did the plot move in a direction completely different from what I imagined?
Liang Jiming raised a hand and lightly patted his back as a form of comfort.
Xiao Wei came out to meet them, but seeing this scene, he stopped in his tracks, hesitating to step forward. Liang Jiming caught sight of the assistant, released Yao Zhen, and stepped back.
“It’s fine now. Let’s go up.”
Yao Zhen thought to himself, I am NOT fine.
But now wasn’t the time to pick a fight. He let Liang Jiming take him by the wrist and lead him into the hotel. His gaze slid from Liang Jiming’s back down to their joined hands: “…”
He was speechless.
Once they entered the elevator, he pretended to casually pull his hand away and stuff it into his pocket, staring at the floor numbers ticking upward with a calm face. Liang Jiming glanced at him but said nothing more.
Yao Zhen let out a silent breath of relief.
This crisis is finally over.
In fact, over the next few days, Liang Jiming became significantly gentler in every aspect. He served the young master with meticulous care—accompanying him for meals, outings, and even gaming sessions.
Yao Zhen gradually grew used to having this large “accessory” around. After all, being “imprisoned” on this godforsaken island alone was deathly boring. His opinion of Liang Jiming shifted from “unbearable” to “at least his face is pleasing to look at.”
The amnesiac dog of a man has exactly one redeeming quality.
With Yao Zhen’s approval, Liang Jiming notified the manager and immediately began cleaning house within the hotel. He started with the employees who were colluding with suppliers for kickbacks. Once he gathered enough evidence, he issued dismissal letters to everyone involved—regardless of their connections or seniority. He showed no mercy.
Following that, he terminated contracts with several suppliers on the grounds of “sub-par goods” and pursued compensation.
The hotel was in an uproar. The manager tried to intervene but couldn’t sway him. The young master remained completely indifferent, clearly letting his “favorite concubine” Liang Jiming run wild.
Unlike the worried manager, Yao Zhen actually thought his “wife” was quite capable.
“He found replacement suppliers that fast without disrupting operations, so just let him be.”
The manager fretted, “I just don’t know if these new companies are reliable…”
Yao Zhen had heard Liang Jiming mention this before. The new suppliers were introduced through a connection with an overseas community leader who was vacationing here. As for reliability—Liang Jiming had personally supervised the legal department as they drafted the new contracts multiple times. He wasn’t about to let the hotel get the short end of the stick.
Yao Zhen stretched lazily. “Let him try. It’s not like we can’t afford a few losses.”
Manager: “…”
We really can’t afford it. Any more losses and this hotel’s performance ranking will be dead last.
Yao Zhen ignored the manager’s thoughts. “Relax. He’s very capable. Just watch.”
The manager didn’t dare relax. He suspected the young master was blinded by beauty, but he didn’t dare say it.
In truth, Yao Zhen was thinking about something else. Liang Jiming hadn’t been with him for long, yet he already had his own network of connections. He looked quiet, but he knew how to charm guests. Tsk, keeping this man here is not going to be easy at all.
Thinking of this, he asked, “Where is he? I haven’t seen him for ages.”
The manager said helplessly, “He’s been at the catering department personally supervising things for the past few days…”
Yao Zhen was displeased. “What’s there to supervise? He hasn’t even come to see me. How rude.” He was still waiting for Liang Jiming to come back and carry him in his games.
The manager opened his mouth but didn’t know how to respond.
Liang Jiming returned right on cue. Just as Yao Zhen was complaining, he swiped his card and walked in.
“Why are you only just getting back?” the young master beckoned him over.
Liang Jiming walked over, glancing at the hesitant manager. “Is there something wrong?”
Manager: “…No.”
It wasn’t easy to say whether the manager had come specifically to tattle behind Liang Jiming’s back.
Liang Jiming took the initiative to speak: “Those people who were fired haven’t given up. For the past two days, they’ve been privately contacting the remaining staff, trying to incite them to strike and cause trouble.”
Yao Zhen replied, “You caused this mess; you solve it yourself.”
Liang Jiming nodded. “Mm. Don’t go running around everywhere for the next few days, Young Master, so you don’t get targeted by them.”
Yao Zhen was nonchalant. “I have you anyway.”
The manager felt a bit like a third wheel and made an excuse to leave first. Liang Jiming sat down beside Yao Zhen, having already guessed the situation. “Was Manager Huang here to complain?”
Yao Zhen shot him a look. “You have the nerve to ask? You handled things so ruthlessly that he’s acting like he’s facing a powerful enemy.”
Liang Jiming said flatly, “He lacks boldness. He worries too much about consequences and fears trouble. With someone like him in charge, there’s no chance this hotel’s performance will improve.”
“You certainly have ‘boldness,'” Yao Zhen teased with a grin. “What if those employees actually strike and affect the hotel’s operations? Will you take responsibility?”
Liang Jiming didn’t see it that way. “It won’t get to that point. The hotel pays high wages; no one is going to throw away their livelihood. Once this passes, we’ll refine the employee performance appraisal system. Those who earn bonuses will get them, and those who don’t meet standards will be dismissed. They’ll work even harder for you then.”
Yao Zhen was a bit speechless. “You’re more cold-hearted than a capitalist young master like me.”
Liang Jiming asked him, “Does the Young Master not like me like this?”
Yao Zhen wasn’t being serious. “I’d like you more if you carried me to a higher rank in my game.”
Liang Jiming patiently played a few rounds with him until the manager called. He said the group of fired employees had suddenly appeared outside the hotel, holding signs in protest and harassing guests, demanding to see Young Manager Yao.
Hanging up the phone, Yao Zhen spread his hands toward Liang Jiming. “Jinx. The troublemakers are here.”
Liang Jiming stood up. “I’ll go. You stay here.”
Yao Zhen was bored anyway. “Let’s go. Technically, I’m the one in charge, and I’m the person they want to see.”
Liang Jiming questioned, “Didn’t you just tell me to solve it myself?”
“Oh,” Yao Zhen said, changing his mind on a whim just to tease him. “You’re my ‘wife.’ How could I have the heart to let you go deal with those difficult people alone?”
He said this with a beaming smile, pure nonsense. Yet Liang Jiming seemed to take it seriously; his gaze lingered on Yao Zhen’s bright eyes for a second longer before he looked away. “Let’s go.”
While waiting for the elevator, Yao Zhen called the manager back with instructions: “Tell them if they want compensation or to discuss other terms, go to the conference room. If they keep blocking the entrance and affecting business, they won’t get a thing. Tell them I’m not afraid of the hotel going bankrupt and closing down—if they don’t believe me, they can try me. By then, they won’t see a single cent.”
He hung up. Liang Jiming stood behind him and gave his shoulder a brief squeeze. “Planning to solve it with money again, Young Master?”
Yao Zhen said righteously, “My dad says any problem that can be solved with money isn’t a problem. Anyway, I’m only giving the minimum standard compensation. Not a penny more.”
In reality, given what these people had done, they could have just called the police and had them locked up. But a “powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake,” and Yao Zhen hated trouble. If it could be settled, he’d settle it. Why waste the mental energy?
Although Liang Jiming didn’t entirely agree, he still said, “The Young Master’s word is law.”
Downstairs, they went to the office for a cup of coffee. After waiting thirty minutes for the manager to escort the group to the conference room, they finally stood up and headed over.
The conference room was a chaotic mess. A group of people, some standing and some sitting, looked fierce and aggressive. They were loudly accusing Yao Zhen, the “unscrupulous capitalist,” in a mix of local-accented English and Chinese.
Entering the room, Yao Zhen dug a finger into his ear and walked straight to the head of the table. He flopped into the chair and scanned the crowd casually, ignoring them. On the way over, the manager had already briefed them on the demands—essentially claiming the hotel had fired them without cause, framed them, and violated labor laws, all to extort a massive settlement.
The manager was sweating profusely, trying to calm everyone down. “Everyone, please stay calm! Shouting won’t solve anything; it only makes things more embarrassing for everyone.”
The former procurement manager slammed the table and roared, “I’ve lost my job! Why would I care about embarrassment? You have to give us an explanation today! We’ve worked here for over a decade—we’re veterans with great contributions! Why does an outsider get to kick us all out? What does he think he is?!”
Liang Jiming, the one being pointed at, spoke calmly: “You colluded with suppliers to take kickbacks and profit from sub-par goods. Copies of all evidence were shown to you during your exit interviews, and you were given a chance to defend yourselves. The dismissal decisions were based on solid evidence and internal hotel policy. They are legal and compliant.”
He paused, his gaze sweeping sharply across the former employees behind the manager—some of whom were already shifting their feet and avoiding eye contact. “As for the rest of you, the hotel management, out of consideration for past ties, has neither pursued legal action nor publicly disclosed the details of the investigation. We have given you a way out. Know when to stop. The hotel industry is a small circle, especially on this island.”
That last sentence was spoken slowly, hitting them exactly where it hurt. Their momentum visibly stalled. They had been incited by the prospect of a payout, but none of them wanted to be blacklisted from every future job in the region.
Liang Jiming’s tone softened slightly, though his stance remained unyielding. “If you have any objections to the dismissal process, I suggest you seek a legal resolution rather than gathering here to disrupt operations and disturb our guests. The security department has already called the police; they will be here shortly.”
At the mention of the “police,” the followers clearly panicked. Their eyes darted toward the former procurement manager leading the charge.
The man’s face was pale. “Stop trying to scare us with that! This isn’t your territory. If you don’t give us a settlement that satisfies us, I have plenty of ways to make sure this hotel can’t stay open!”
Yao Zhen clapped his hands twice, “Pah-pah.” “Then hurry up and use those ways. Help this broken hotel close down as fast as possible. If you can’t do it, I’ll actually look down on you.”
The protesters’ expressions shifted through a colorful range of confusion and frustration. Facing a “couldn’t-care-less” boss who didn’t play by the rules, their usual tactics of making a scene were completely useless.
“With this attitude, are you saying you don’t want to negotiate at all?” someone shouted.
“Not necessarily,” Yao Zhen said nonchalantly. “If you cooperate and stop causing trouble, we can compensate you with three months’ salary. Not a penny more. The choice is yours.”
“Three months? You think you’re tossing scraps to beggars?!” the leader roared, eyes bulging.
Well, it exactly is tossing scraps, Yao Zhen thought.
He smirked. “Regarding those kickbacks, I chose not to care before. Did you really think I was an idiot? Manager Liang here has already organized all the evidence. We can call the police at any moment. Want to try?”
Liang Jiming picked up the thread: “Those willing to take the money, follow Manager Huang to sign the papers. This offer expires today.”
The crowd looked at each other. Signing meant money; not signing meant a potential lawsuit. Soon, people began leaving in twos and threes to follow the manager. In the end, only a stubborn few remained.
Yao Zhen didn’t bother with them anymore and stood up to leave. As he turned, the former procurement manager suddenly snapped. He lunged forward, pulling a fruit knife from his pocket and slashing wildly at Yao Zhen.
Out of the corner of his eye, Liang Jiming saw the flash of steel. His pupils constricted. In one swift motion, he stepped in front of Yao Zhen and clamped down hard on the man’s wrist.
The security guards finally reacted, swarming the attacker, pinning him down as he screamed profanities, and wrestling the knife away. Liang Jiming gave the man a sharp kick and commanded coldly, “Call the police.”
As the troublemakers were hauled away, Yao Zhen stood dazed for a moment. “Your hand… it’s bleeding…”
Liang Jiming looked at the cut on his forearm, seemingly unbothered. “It’s just a scratch. As long as you’re fine.”
Yao Zhen: “…Does it hurt?”
For the first time, a genuine pang of guilt for deceiving and playing with this man flickered in his heart. Seeing Yao Zhen’s shimmering eyes, Liang Jiming assumed he was worried. He spoke in a gentle, steady voice: “It’s alright. It doesn’t hurt much, really.”
Yao Zhen instantly felt even more guilty.
Damn it, why is he being so gentle? He felt like he finally understood how this dog of a man had managed to charm Jinghe.
Who could resist this?