Are You Selling?

David was savoring the most exquisite food in his private room, relishing every morsel with an undeniable sense of satisfaction. It was truly wonderful to have money, he thought to himself. This was the kind of food he never dared to dream of eating before, but now he was consuming half of it and tossing away the rest without a care in the world.

Just as he was lost in the moment, the door suddenly swung open, jarring him back to reality. Assuming it was Pearl, his companion, he cordially invited her in, "Miss Pearl, come and have some." But when he turned his gaze, he was taken aback to find a stranger in his mid-thirties advancing towards him, with Pearl following close behind. Another man, perhaps in his forties or fifties, was leading the way. David had no inkling who these two were, except that they were not in his acquaintance.

Notwithstanding, Pearl's demeanor was uncharacteristically disheveled, and her eyes betrayed signs of being reddened by tears. David knew instantly that something was amiss.

"Mr. Lidell, hello. I am the proprietor here, Hugh Greene. If I may, are you content with the food and service provided here? If there is anything you require, please do not hesitate to ask," Hugh addressed David politely after approaching him.

Hugh was intrigued by David. The fact that he could readily shell out 100 million for a night of revelry and fine dining piqued Hugh's curiosity. David's youthfulness also intrigued him, and he was eager to establish a connection. After all, making new friends was never a bad thing.

Hugh was a shrewd businessman, and he knew that the larger his network, the greater the opportunities that would come his way. The Golden Leaf Hotel was just one of his many industries, as he managed a diverse portfolio simultaneously. Thus, there was a possibility of him collaborating with David or his family in the future.

"Hello, Mr. Greene. I must say, I am thoroughly impressed with this place," David said, beaming.

"That's great to hear. I understand you're a top student at SRU? You must be quite the talented young man," Hugh replied, respectfully.

"Yes, but I wouldn't call myself talented. I know myself better than anyone," David replied modestly.

"Mr. Lidell, you're far too humble. SRU is one of the top five universities in the country. Anyone who studies there must be an elite in their respective industry. Here's my card. If you need anything, feel free to reach out to me," Hugh said, extending a shiny business card to David.

"Thank you, Mr. Greene," David said, taking the card.

"Mr. Greene, I have a question for you," David said, looking serious.

"Please, go ahead," Hugh said, intrigued.

"Are you selling this hotel?" David asked bluntly.

Hugh, Sean, and Pearl were taken aback by the sudden question.

"Mr. Lidell, are you joking?" Hugh asked, amused.

"Do I look like I'm joking? If you're selling, I'm buying. This is no laughing matter," David replied, looking dead serious.

"Mr. Lidell, do you realize that the construction of this hotel alone cost over ten billion dollars, not including the land? Are you certain you want to buy it?" Hugh asked, incredulous.

"Absolutely! If you're selling, name your price. If not, then so be it," David said confidently.

Hugh studied David for a moment, struggling to comprehend this young man who was over a decade his junior. He could overlook David's ability to casually spend one hundred million on food, but now he was asking to buy the hotel?

Few people could produce billions in cash, and even if David had hundreds of billions in assets, it was unlikely his family would allow him to make such a risky purchase.

"Is he the heir of an invisible wealthy family? Only those people could play around like this," Huge pondered in his heart.

"Mr. Lidell, if you're serious about purchasing, it's feasible. However, I must discuss this with our shareholders. This hotel doesn't belong to me alone. Furthermore, I must inform you that we require payment in cash," Hugh stated.

"Okay, go ahead. Inform me as soon as possible once you get the answer," David responded nonchalantly.

"Very well, Mr. Lidell, please enjoy your meal. I will provide you with an answer later," Hugh replied and departed the private room, with Sean following behind.

Initially, Pearl intended to leave, but David halted her. "Miss Pearl, wait. I have something to tell you."

Pearl contemplated for a moment and eventually decided to stay. She could lose her job, but she couldn't lose David.

Earlier, when David expressed his desire to purchase the hotel, she was petrified. It would cost him billions of dollars, and they demanded cash.

If David acquired the property, he wouldn't fire her due to their relationship. It was conceivable that he might even promote her.

She hoped that the boss would sell the hotel to David, and David could afford it. She had already made a bad impression on the boss, so if she didn't get a new boss, it would be difficult to keep her job.

After Hugh returned to his office, he took out his phone and opened WhatsApp. Then, he sent a message to a group chat consisting of only four people.

"Brothers, someone is interested in purchasing the Golden Leaf Hotel in River City. Should we sell?" Hugh inquired through a message to the group.

Soon enough, Earl Durham, a man from the group, responded by asking, "Who is this extravagant person?"

"He's a university student named David Lidell. He's currently studying at SRU," Hugh replied.

"A university student? Hugh, my dear friend, are you being deceived? How can a university student take out tens of billions to buy our hotel?" James questioned skeptically.

"I'm of the same opinion!" Earl replied.

"Do I seem like someone who is easily deceived?" Hugh replied back.

"Yes!" Bill replied in a humorous manner.

"I'm not joking with you guys. I'm serious, are we selling or not? He's still waiting for an answer!" Hugh quickly responded.

"This depends on you. You're the biggest shareholder," Earl stated.

"All of your shares combined are worth more than mine! If I want to sell but you guys refuse, I can't do anything about it," Hugh argued.

"Is he genuinely going to buy it? Who is he? Are you sure he can afford it?" James inquired.

"I think he can. Yesterday, he added 100 million to a membership card for food," Hugh replied.

"If that's the case, he might not be joking. Who do you think he is, guys? He's so young and has the capability to take out such an immense amount of cash!" James exclaimed.

"He could be a successor from one of those wealthy and unseen families. Bill, say something. Haven't you interacted with these people before?" James asked.

"If he's genuinely able to take out tens of billions in cash to buy the Golden Leaf Hotel, then I can almost guarantee that he's one of them. They're usually out here to gain some experience and go through some difficulties before eventually taking over a portion of their family's industry when the time comes," Bill said.

"Should we investigate him?" Earl asked.

"Don't do it! If he finds out, you won't even realize how you died," Bill quickly responded.

"Is he really that powerful? What era are we in? Aren't you exaggerating a bit?" Hugh asked.

"You've never experienced certain things, so you don't know what life is really like. They are so powerful that it's terrifying. If there's a chance, I'll show you," said Bill.

"James, I wanted to see how badass these so-called invisible figures are from a long time ago," said James.

"Me too!" Earl exclaimed, agreeing with James.

Hugh interjected, "Alright! So, are we selling or not?"

Bill was curious about the price and asked, "How much is he offering?"

"He asked me to name him a price," replied Hugh.

Bill deferred to the others, saying, "What about you two? I'm fine, I'll just go according to you two. I don't lack money. If it's a done deal, I want to get to know this person."

James considered it and said, "I think we can sell it for 18 billion. Back when the hotel was completed, we spent about 12 billion. We made a profit of tens of billions of dollars throughout the years anyway. I think if we sell at 18 billion, we can get back about double the investment. I have a project right now and we can invest that money into this project."

Hugh was interested and asked, "What project is it?"

"It's not decided yet. When it's done, we'll find a time to meet up and talk about it," James replied.

Earl chimed in, "I think it's doable. Hugh, just tell him 20 billion. If he negotiates, the minimum is 18 billion. We won't sell it if it's lower than that."

Hugh agreed, saying, "Alright, I'll tell him 20 billion and see what he says. I'll go now and give you guys an update soon."

After the group reached an agreement, Hugh turned off his phone and prepared to inform David of the price.